Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Runtime Adaptation of End-User Composed Collaborative Services

The advancement of technologies in the area of Ubiquitous Computing has resulted in a widespread use of services in order to improve the quality of human life. These services should be permeable to end-users so that they can compose and configure them in order to personalize them and have an experience of having proper control over them. On the other hand, adaptation during service usage is essential in order to maximize users' satisfaction coping with the dynamically changing service and user context, availability and unavailability of services at runtime and the possibility of discovering alternate services with a different set of quality characteristics etc. Traditionally, end-users' control over service composition and automatic adaptation support are viewed as two contradictory concepts. In this work, we argue that they are rather complementary concepts, when viewed from the perspective of end-users. We present a solution to bring these concepts together by proposing the architecture of a system that builds adaptive services based on end user specification. The work is evaluated using a proof of concept scenario.
Altered Mitochondrial Structure and Motion Dynamics in Living Cells with Energy Metabolism Defects Revealed by Real Time Microscope Imaging

Using the real time microscope (RTM), a system applying new developments in light microscopy, we documented the spatial and temporal dynamics of mitochondrial behavior in human cultured skin fibroblasts. Without the use of stains or probes, we resolved fibroblast mitochondria as dark slender filaments of approximately 0.2 μm wide and up to 10 μm long, as well as a few smaller ovoid forms. In the living cell, the three most common mitochondrial movements were: (1) small oscillatory movements; (2) larger movements including filament extension, retraction, and branching as well as combinations of these actions; and (3) whole transit movements of single mitochondrial filaments. Skin fibroblasts from patients with mitochondrial complex I deficiency and normal fibroblasts during incubation with rotenone, or antimycin A, contained higher proportions of mitochondria in the swollen filamentous forms, nodal filaments, and ovoid forms rather than the slender filamentous forms in normal cells. Interestingly, decreased motility was observed with the more ovoid mitochondrial forms compared to the filamentous forms. We conclude that mitochondrial morphology and dynamic motion are strongly associated with changes in mitochondrial energy metabolism. Images documenting our observations are presented both at single time points and as QuickTime videos.Abbreviations: EM: electron microscope; L/P: lactate/pyruvate; QT: QuickTime; CCCP: carbonyl cyanide 3-chloro-phenylhydrazone; CMXRos, chloromethyl-X-rosamine; Rh123, Rhodamine 123; RTM, real time microscope
How do Savings Differ Among Various Earner Groups in Pakistan? Empirical Evidence from Multan District

Saving and Investment are two main macroeconomic variables that are helpful in price stability and promotion of employment for the under developed country like Pakistan. The purpose of our study is to answer the question that how labor class, job holders', business class and farmers' class of Pakistan decide about saving in their daily life. To explore the dynamics of decision about saving, authors have brought together sample of 376 respondents from rural and urban areas of district Multan using stratified random sampling technique. The study follows and proves life cycle hypothesis that is visible with positive sign of Age of respondent and negative sign of age square for all earner groups. The study concludes that children's educational expenditures, family size and liabilities to be paid by household head are reducing factors for savings of labor class while value of assets and income of household are features those are inducing labor class savings significantly. On the other side, job holder households are likely to save more in response of Spouse participation, total income of household and value of all physical assets. Children's educational expenditures, liabilities to be paid by household head and marital status are the aspects those are inversely associated with job holders' saving. Business class savings rise in response of only income and fall due to education, children's educational expenditure, liabilities and marital status. There is positive contribution of spouse participation, total income and value of assets with farmers' class savings. On the other hand, farmers' class can save less due to their education, children's educational expenditure, family size, liabilities, marital status and region of residence. It is also suggested that Govt. should pay more attention towards free education and also towards industrial development of Pakistan.
Salmonella enterica Serovar Paratyphi C Carries an Inactive Shufflon

ABSTRACT Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi uses type IVB pili to facilitate bacterial self-association, but only when the PilV proteins (potential minor pilus proteins) are not synthesized. This pilus-mediated event may be important in typhoid fever pathogenesis. We initially show that S. enterica serovar Paratyphi C strains harbor a pil operon very similar to that of serovar Typhi. An important difference, however, is located in the shufflon which concludes the pil operon. In serovar Typhi, the Rci recombinase acts upon two 19-bp inverted repeats to invert the terminal region of the pilV gene, thereby disrupting PilV synthesis and permitting bacterial self-association. In serovar Paratyphi C, however, the shufflon is essentially inactive because each of the Rci 19-bp substrates has acquired a single base pair insertion. A PilV protein is thus synthesized whenever the pil operon is active, and bacterial self-association therefore does not occur in serovar Paratyphi C. The data thus suggest that serovar Typhi bacterial self-association using type IVB pili may be important in the pathogenesis of epidemic enteric fever.
microRNA-29b prevents liver fibrosis by attenuating hepatic stellate cell activation and inducing apoptosis through targeting PI3K/AKT pathway

microRNA-29b (miR-29b) is known to be associated with TGF-β-mediated fibrosis, but the mechanistic action of miR-29b in liver fibrosis remains unclear and is warranted for investigation. We found that miR-29b was significantly downregulated in human and mice fibrotic liver tissues and in primary activated HSCs. miR-29b downregulation was directly mediated by Smad3 through binding to the promoter of miR-29b in hepatic stellate cell (HSC) line LX1, whilst miR-29b could in turn suppress Smad3 expression. miR-29b transduction in the liver of mice prevented CCl4 induced-fibrogenesis, concomitant with decreased expression of α-SMA, collagen I and TIMP-1. Ectopic expression of miR-29b in activated HSCs (LX-1, HSC-T6) inhibited cell viability and colony formation, and caused cell cycle arrest in G1 phase by downregulating cyclin D1 and p21cip1. Further, miR-29b induced apoptosis in HSCs mediated by caspase-9 and PARP. miR-29b inhibited its downstream effectors of PIK3R1 and AKT3 through direct targeting their 3′UTR regions. Moreover, knockdown of PIK3R1 or AKT3 suppressed α-SMA and collagen I and induced apoptosis in both HSCs and in mice. In conclusion, miR-29b prevents liver fibrogenesis by inhibiting HSC activation and inducing HSC apoptosis through inhibiting PI3K/AKT pathway. These results provide novel mechanistic insights for the anti-fibrotic effect of miR-29b.
Quantitatively determined survivin expression levels are of prognostic value in human gliomas.

PURPOSE Survivin is a novel antiapoptotic gene that has been recently cloned and characterized. Its expression has been found to be of prognostic significance in several tumor types. This is the first study on the prognostic significance of survivin expression in human gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used quantitative Western blot analysis with densitometry to determine survivin protein expression levels in 92 glioma cases for which frozen tissue was available for analysis. Survivin positivity and expression levels were correlated with histopathologic features of the tumors, apoptosis (as measured by cleaved, or activated, caspase 3 levels), and clinical outcome. RESULTS Survivin expression has clear prognostic value in human gliomas. Patients with detectable survivin expression had significantly shorter overall survival times (P <.0001) compared with those without detectable expression when all glioma patients were considered. Although glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients had significantly higher rates of survivin positivity and higher levels of survivin expression (P <.0001) than their non-GBM counterparts, the prognostic value of survivin expression seemed to be independent of histology alone. Survivin-positive GBM patients had significantly shorter overall survival times compared with survivin-negative GBM patients (P <.0001). Likewise, survivin-positive non-GBM patients had shorter survival times compared with survivin-negative non-GBM patients (P =.029). Furthermore, increasing levels of survivin expression significantly correlated with reduced survival times when all glioma patients were considered, and markedly so for GBM patients (P <.0001). Increasing survivin levels significantly correlated with reduced expression of cleaved caspase 3, indicating its association with antiapoptotic activity. CONCLUSION Survivin positivity and protein expression levels, as determined quantitatively, are of significant prognostic value in human gliomas and seem to be associated with reduced apoptotic capacity of these tumors.
Design and Analysis of Dual-Stator PM Vernier Linear Machine With PMs Surface-Mounted on the Mover

In this paper, a dual-stator permanent-magnet Vernier linear machine is proposed, which is suitable for long-distance application. The stator is only a salient pole structure, while the PM and windings are all placed on the mover. So the cost can be greatly reduced when it is used in a long-distance application. The topology and the operation principle of the proposed machine are introduced. Due to the appropriate dual-side structure, the magnetic flux leakage of the proposed machine can be effectively reduced. Moreover, the magnetic fields produced by PM between the two stators are connected in series. This means that the utilization of magnetic field can be enhanced. Therefore, the thrust force density and power factor will be improved. Finally, the electromagnetic performances are analyzed for verification by using finite element method.
Drink refusal training as part of a combined behavioral intervention: effectiveness and mechanisms of change.

OBJECTIVE Many trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral interventions for alcohol dependence, yet few studies have examined why particular treatments are effective. This study was designed to evaluate whether drink refusal training was an effective component of a combined behavioral intervention (CBI) and whether change in self-efficacy was a mechanism of change following drink refusal training for individuals with alcohol dependence. METHOD The present study is a secondary analysis of data from the COMBINE study (COMBINE Study Research Group, 2003), a randomized clinical trial that combined pharmacotherapy with behavioral intervention in the treatment of alcohol dependence. The goal of the present study was to examine whether a drink refusal skills training module, administered as part of a 16-week CBI (n = 776; 31% female, 23% non-White, average age = 44) predicted changes in drinking frequency and self-efficacy during and following the CBI, and whether changes in self-efficacy following drink refusal training predicted changes in drinking frequency up to 1 year following treatment. RESULTS Participants (n = 302) who received drink refusal skills training had significantly fewer drinking days during treatment (d = 0.50) and up to 1 year following treatment (d = 0.23). In addition, the effect of the drink refusal skills training module on drinking outcomes following treatment was significantly mediated by changes in self-efficacy, even after controlling for changes in drinking outcomes during treatment (proportion mediated = 0.47). CONCLUSIONS Drink refusal training is an effective component of CBI, and some of the effectiveness may be attributed to changes in client self-efficacy.
Middle-aged men show higher sensitivity of sleep to the arousing effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone than young men: clinical implications.

The prevalence of insomnia associated with emotional stress increases markedly in middle-age. Both the top and end hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, i.e. CRH and glucocorticoids, stimulate arousal/wakefulness and inhibit slow wave (deep) sleep in experimental animals and man. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that middle-age is characterized by increased sensitivity to the sleep-disturbing effects of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. We studied 12 healthy middle-aged (45.1 +/- 4.9) and 12 healthy young (22.7 +/- 2.8) men by monitoring their sleep by polysomnography for 4 consecutive nights, including in tandem 1 adaptation and 2 baseline nights and a night during which we administered equipotent doses of ovine CRH (1 microg/kg, iv bolus) 10 min after sleep onset. Analyses included comparisons within and between groups using multiple ANOVA and regression analysis. Although both middle-aged and young men responded to CRH with similar elevations of ACTH and cortisol, the former had significantly more wakefulness and suppression of slow wave sleep compared with baseline sleep; in contrast, the latter showed no change. Also, comparison of the change in sleep patterns from baseline to the CRH night in the young men to the respective change observed in middle-aged men showed that middle-age was associated with significantly higher wakefulness and significantly greater decrease in slow wave sleep than in young age. We conclude that middle-aged men show increased vulnerability of sleep to stress hormones, possibly resulting in impairments in the quality of sleep during periods of stress. We suggest that changes in sleep physiology associated with middle-age play a significant role in the marked increase of prevalence of insomnia in middle-age.
Pregnancy after atrial repair for transposition of the great arteries

OBJECTIVE To investigate the risk of pregnancy in patients with transposition of the great arteries (TGA) who have undergone atrial repair. DESIGN Retrospective analysis (1962–94) of 342 TGA patients who underwent atrial repair. Of 231 known late survivors, 48 were women over 18 years old who were interviewed about possible reproductive plans and previous pregnancies. As a control, comparison was made with data of 57 500 women (mean age 26 years) obtained from the Swiss Statistical Bank in Bern. RESULTS Mean follow up was 13.7 years; 66% remained asymptomatic, 29% had mild to moderate cardiac symptoms, and 5% suffered from severe cardiac symptoms (New York Heart Association grade III–IV). Thirty six of the 48 women wished to bear children and, to date, there have been 10 live births, two spontaneous first trimester abortions, and one induced abortion at 16 weeks. During pregnancy there was one case of cardiac deterioration and two cases of pneumonia. There was no evidence of congenital heart disease in the children. CONCLUSIONS In this relatively small series the completion of pregnancy in women with TGA who had undergone atrial repair and who had normal functional cardiac status was uncomplicated
Diagnosis of students’ online learning portfolios

Online learning is different from the instruction provided in traditional classes in that the teachers and students do not have actual contact. Thus, the teachers can have little control over the students' learning situations. However, the teachers can observe the students' learning activities by analyzing their online learning portfolios. These portfolios usually comprise quantified serial of information figures. This study used data mining techniques such as a K-means cluster analysis algorithm in order to manage a cluster analysis of the students' various portfolios and to support general statistical methods. The cluster analysis effectively categorized students with similar portfolios into the same cluster; additionally, different clusters revealed different characteristics. In addition, this study also used a t-test and a test of independence of statistics in order to analyze the correlation and degree of correlation between the students' performance in online learning and their learning effects. Further, this study used statistics and a data mining technique to obtain a mining analysis of the portfolios, namely, the students' assignment scores, exam scores, and online learning records; it also applied a proposed interface to enable the teachers to observe the change in the students' learning situation during the learning process in order to analyze its connection with learning effects.
Predicted poxvirus FEN1-like nuclease required for homologous recombination, double-strand break repair and full-size genome formation

Poxviruses encode many if not all of the proteins required for viral genome replication in the cytoplasm of the host cell. In this context, we investigated the function of the vaccinia virus G5 protein because it belongs to the FEN1-like family of nucleases and is conserved in all poxviruses. A vaccinia virus G5 deletion mutant was severely impaired, as the yield of infectious virus was reduced by approximately two orders of magnitude. The mutant virions contained an apparently normal complement of proteins but appeared spherical rather than brick-shaped and contained no detectable DNA. The inability of G5 with substitutions of the predicted catalytic aspartates to complement the deletion mutant suggested that G5 functions as a nuclease during viral DNA replication. Although the amount of viral DNA produced in the absence of G5 was similar to that made by wild-type virus, the mean size was approximately one-fourth of the genome length. Experiments with transfected plasmids showed that G5 was required for double-strand break repair by homologous recombination, suggesting a similar role during vaccinia virus genome replication.
Molecular Phylogeny of the Ranid Frogs from Southwest India Based on the Mitochondrial Ribosomal RNA Gene Sequences

Abstract The Western Ghats of Southwestern India are known as one of the world's “hotspots” of biodiversity. We collected frog specimens from the family Ranidae and investigated the phylogenetic relationships among ranid species, particularly among the Fejervarya, a genus whose morphological diagnostic characteristics and phylogenetic features remain little known. We analyzed partial sequences of the mitochondrial 12S (428 bp) and 16S rDNAs (549 bp). Results showed that the members of Fejervarya form a monophyletic group with the genera Hoplobatrachus and Euphlyctis among ranid genera. This confirms the recent allocation of Fejervarya, including it within the subfamily Dicroglossinae. The mitochondrial rDNA data in our study also appeared to be useful as a marker to distinguish Fejervarya species without morphological differences. The phylogenetic tree based on the 16S rDNA sequence showed a correlation between Fejervarya phylogenies and their geographic distributions. Lastly, our results suggested the recent occurrence of a radiation event of Fejervarya species in the Indian-Sri Lankan region.
MCM21 and MCM22, two novel genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are required for chromosome transmission

The minichromosome maintenance genes, MCM21 and MCM22, have been cloned and are shown to code for the ORFs YDR318W and YJR135C respectively. Mutations in these genes caused a decrease in the stability of the minichromosome. This decrease in stability was associated with an increase in the copy number of the minichromosome in cells carrying it. Small circular dicentric plasmids were maintained relatively stably and structurally intact in the mutants compared with the wild‐type strain. In the latter, such plasmids were mitotically unstable and, upon recovery, showed frequent rearrangements of their DNA. A centromere offered less obstruction to transcription in mutant cells than in the wild type, showing that both these mutants had a more relaxed kinetochore assembly. The mutant strains showed elevated rates of chromosome loss but not those of recombination. Both the mutations caused the cells to display a higher sensitivity towards the anti‐mitotic drug benomyl. All these observations suggest that MCM21 and MCM22 are important for chromosome segregation with a potential role in kinetochore function. These genes are non‐essential, as their deletions from chromosomes did not cause loss of cell viability. However, exponentially growing mutant cells carrying the deletion of the MCM21 gene had a significant population of large‐budded cells with a single nucleus at the neck. Furthermore, the DNA content of these cells showed a shift towards 2N, suggesting a temporary pause of cells in G2 or in an early phase of mitosis. The mcm21 and mcm22 mutations do not show synthetic lethality or any further enhancement of growth defects, implying that they could be carrying out non‐overlapping functions in chromosome segregation.
Hypoxia-inducible Factor-1 (cid:1) Is an Intrinsic Marker for Hypoxia in Cervical Cancer Xenografts 1

The hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is known to induce the expression of several proteins linked to the maintenance of oxygen homeostasis, cellular energy metabolism, and tumor progression. Its (cid:1) subunit (HIF-1 (cid:1) ) is stabilized under hypoxic conditions and, therefore, might represent an intrinsic marker for tissue hypoxia. Here we report on the spatial relationship between HIF-1 (cid:1) and the nitroimidazole hypoxia marker EF5 in cervical carcinoma xenografts, and on their spatial relationship to tumor blood vessels. EF5 was administered to mice bearing ME180 and SiHa cervical cancer xenografts. Frozen tumor tissue sections, triple-stained for HIF-1 (cid:1) , the endothelial cell marker CD31, and EF5, were imaged using wide-field multiparameter immunofluorescence microscopy. Expression levels of EF5 and HIF-1 (cid:1) were similar in ME180 xenografts, but the percentage of tumor area stained with EF5 was significantly smaller than the percentage of HIF-1 (cid:1) -positive area in SiHa tumors. In both tumor types the EF5-HIF-1 (cid:1) overlap was statistically significant, thus confirming their spatial and temporal colocalization. Spatial distribution analysis of EF5 and HIF-1 (cid:1) is consistent with different pO 2 value “thresholds” for EF5 binding and HIF-1 (cid:1) expression. Summarized, our results indicate that HIF-1 (cid:1) is a useful intrinsic marker for hypoxia in cervical carcinoma xenografts.
IgG4‐related sialadenitis is rare: histopathological investigation of 129 cases of chronic submandibular sialadenitis

The incidence of IgG4‐related sialadenitis among cases of chronic sialadenitis is unknown, and so we investigated the presence of IgG4 plasma cells in 129 specimens from an archival collection of consecutive cases of chronic submandibular sialadenitis collected from 1969 to 1989 that had been previously extensively characterized.