Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Remodeling of Marrow Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells by Non-self ST6Gal-1 Sialyltransferase*

Background: The circulatory ST6Gal-1 level is inversely related to hematopoietic activity, but the biochemical function of systemic ST6Gal-1 is unknown. Results: Hematopoietic progenitors do not express self-ST6Gal-1 but are acted upon by remotely produced enzyme. Conclusion: Distally produced rather than endogenous ST6Gal-1 is the principal modifier of the early hematopoietic progenitor cell surface. Significance: Extrinsic ST6Gal-1 may be a potent systemic regulator of hematopoiesis. Glycans occupy the critical cell surface interface between hematopoietic cells and their marrow niches. Typically, glycosyltransferases reside within the intracellular secretory apparatus, and each cell autonomously generates its own cell surface glycans. In this study, we report an alternate pathway to generate cell surface glycans where remotely produced glycosyltransferases remodel surfaces of target cells and for which endogenous expression of the cognate enzymes is not required. Our data show that extracellular ST6Gal-1 sialyltransferase, originating mostly from the liver and released into circulation, targets marrow hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and mediates the formation of cell surface α2,6-linked sialic acids on HSPCs as assessed by binding to the specific lectins Sambucus nigra agglutinin and Polysporus squamosus lectin and confirmed by mass spectrometry. Marrow HSPCs, operationally defined as the Lin−c-Kit+ and Lin−Sca-1+c-Kit+ populations, express negligible endogenous ST6Gal-1. Animals with reduced circulatory ST6Gal-1 have marrow Lin−Sca-1+c-Kit+ cells with reduced S. nigra agglutinin reactivity. Bone marrow chimeras demonstrated that α2,6-sialylation of HSPCs is profoundly dependent on circulatory ST6Gal-1 status of the recipients and independent of the ability of HSPCs to express endogenous ST6Gal-1. Biologically, HSPC abundance in the marrow is inversely related to circulatory ST6Gal-1 status, and this relationship is recapitulated in the bone marrow chimeras. We propose that remotely produced, rather than the endogenously expressed, ST6Gal-1 is the principal modifier of HSPC glycans for α2,6-sialic acids. In so doing, liver-produced ST6Gal-1 may be a potent systemic regulator of hematopoiesis.
The Theater of Terror

Summary Modern terrorists became aware of the new opportunities for exerting mass psychological impact using the latest means of mass communications. Academic observers remarked increasingly on the theater-like nature of terrorist operations. According to this notion, modern terrorism can be understood in terms of the production requirements of theatrical engagements. Several terrorist organizations realized the potentials of media-oriented terror, in terms of effectively reaching huge audiences. This article examines the strategies and tactics of this new pattern of media-oriented terrorism and their impact on the audiences who, through the media's mediation, join the widening circles of victims of terrorism.
KeyDrown: Eliminating Keystroke Timing Side-Channel Attacks

Besides cryptographic secrets, side-channel attacks also leak sensitive user input. The most accurate attacks exploit cache timings or interrupt information to monitor keystroke timings and subsequently infer typed words and sentences. Previously proposed countermeasures fail to prevent keystroke timing attacks as they do not protect keystroke processing among the entire software stack. We close this gap with KeyDrown, a new defense mechanism against keystroke timing attacks. KeyDrown injects a large number of fake keystrokes in the kernel to prevent interrupt-based attacks and Prime+Probe attacks on the kernel. All keystrokes, including fake keystrokes, are carefully propagated through the shared library in order to hide any cache activity and thus to prevent Flush+Reload attacks. Finally, we provide additional protection against Prime+Probe for password input in user space programs. We show that attackers cannot distinguish fake keystrokes from real keystrokes anymore and we evaluate KeyDrown on a commodity notebook as well as on two Android smartphones. We show that KeyDrown eliminates any advantage an attacker can gain from using interrupt or cache side-channel information.
Diet and Cancer Prevention: Where We Are, Where We Are Going

Abstract: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) was specifically designed to investigate the relationship between diet and cancer, with the aims of making a significant contribution to the accumulated scientific knowledge, trying to overcoming limitations of previous study. We present the most relevant results obtained so far for the most frequent cancer sites. EPIC is a multicenter prospective study carried out in 23 centers from 10 European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, including 519,978 subjects (366,521 women and 153,457 men), most aged 35–70 years. Consumption of fruit is negatively associated with cancer of the lung but probably not with prostate cancer and breast cancer. Consumption of vegetables, mainly onion and garlic, probably reduces the risk of the intestinal stomach cancer but probably is not associated with cancer of the lung, prostate, and breast cancer. Consumption of red and processed meat is positively associated with colorectal cancer and with non-cardia stomach cancer in those infected by Helicobacter pylori. Fish intake is negatively associated with colorectal cancer risk. High alcohol intake increases the risk of breast cancer. These first results from the EPIC study on main food groups and most frequent tumors have made a significant contribution to the already accumulated evidence and, in combination with data from other prospective studies, provide the scientific knowledge for appropriate public health strategies aimed at reducing the global cancer burden.
Local anaesthetics combined with vasoconstrictors in patients with cardiovascular disease undergoing dental procedures: systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Introduction The use of vasoconstrictors combined with local anaesthetics (LAs) in dentistry for patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is still controversial in the scientific literature. It raises concerns regarding the possibility of transient episodes, triggering negative cardiovascular outcomes. Method/design Trials eligible for our systematic review will enrol patients with CVD who have undergone dental treatments carried out with the use of LAs by comparing two arms: LAs with vasoconstrictors and LAs without vasoconstrictors. The research will be conducted in the electronic databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, Healthstar (via Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Web of Science, from their inception to December 2017, without any restrictions in terms of language and status of publication. A team of reviewers will independently assess titles, abstracts and complete text to determine eligibility. For eligible studies, the same reviewers will perform data extraction and evaluate the risk of bias in the selected articles. The selected outcomes comprise death, mortality by a specific cause, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, hospitalisation, pain, bleeding, arrhythmias, ischaemic episodes, anxiety, adverse effects, changes in blood pressure, changes in heart rate, anxiety and results obtained via oximetry. Whenever possible, we will conduct a meta-analysis to establish the effects of LAs with and without vasoconstrictors in the patients with CVD, and the overall quality of evidence for each outcome will be determined using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation classification system. Ethics and dissemination Ethics committee approval was not necessary because this is a protocol of systematic review. This systematic review will be submitted for presentation at conferences and for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Our review will assess the risks of cardiovascular events when using LAs with and without vasoconstrictors in patients with CVD, focusing on important clinical outcomes. PROSPERO registration number CRD42016045421.
Scott Knott Test Based Effective Software EffortEstimation through a Multiple ComparisonAlgorithms

The rapidly increased need for managers is to settle Software Cost Estimation (SCE) for large scaled complex systems. The SCE is one of the most vital activities that is closely related with the success or failure of the whole development process. The Proposed system is a statistical framework based on a multiple comparison algorithms. The cost estimation model identifies the differences in accuracy of data set, and also clusters it into nonoverlapping groups. Different software effort estimation models are used and these models have been developed for specific development environments and lead to support specific software development methodologies. Specific technologies are not bound in modern software development methodologies. To overcome this problem a system is proposed to improve cost effort estimation methods and then compared using appropriate statistical procedures for ensuring the appropriate results. An intelligent Expert System is developed which supports all type of software development regardless of their type either using a conventional computer languages or a component based visual languages.
Modified Filterbank Analysis Features for Speech Recognition

Auditory model based feature systems include filterbank analysis and nonlinear compression of the speech signals. The Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) is the state- of-the-art feature system employing this auditory model. In this paper we proposed to modify MFCC analysis by applying power nonlinearity operator instead of logarithmic and to modify the size of filterbank. Power nonlinear operator caused increased recognition rate of deteriorated speech by 2.4 %. In combination with reduced filterbank size (down to 20 filters) power nonlinearity enhanced robustness of speech recognition: the gain of recognition rate varied from 0.6 % to 3 % in comparison with common MFCC features for different noise levels.
Iron-Oxide Labeling and Outcome of Transplanted Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Infarcted Myocardium

Background— Cell labeling with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles enables noninvasive MRI and tracking of transplanted stem cells. We sought to determine whether mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) outcome is affected by SPIO labeling in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Methods and Results— Rat MSCs were labeled with SPIO (ferumoxides; Endorem; Guerbet, Villepinte, France). By trypan-blue exclusion assay, almost 100% of the cells remained viable after labeling. Seven days after MI, rats were randomized to injections of 2×106 SPIO-labeled MSCs, 2×106 unlabeled MSCs, or saline. Labeled cells were visualized in the infarcted myocardium as large black spots by serial MRI studies throughout the 4-week follow-up. The presence of labeled cells was confirmed by iron staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction on postmortem specimens. At 4 weeks after transplantation, the site of cell injection was infiltrated by inflammatory cells. Costaining for iron and ED1 (resident macrophage marker) showed that the iron-positive cells were cardiac macrophages. By real-time polymerase chain reaction, the Y-chromosome-specific SRY DNA of MSCs from male donors was not detected in infarcted hearts of female recipients. Serial echocardiography studies at baseline and 4 weeks after cell transplantation showed that both unlabeled and labeled MSCs attenuated progressive left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction compared with controls. Conclusions— At 4 weeks after transplantation of SPIO-labeled MSCs, the transplanted cells are not present in the scar and the enhanced MRI signals arise from cardiac macrophages that engulfed the SPIO nanoparticles. However, both labeled and unlabeled cells attenuate left ventricular dilatation and dysfunction after myocardial infarction.
Towards Increased Reuse: Exploiting Social and Content Related Features of Multimedia Content on the Semantic Web

While the amount of multimedia content on the Web is continuously growing, reuse of multimedia content remains low and automated processing of content remains hard. An increased reuse of content however would result in a greater consistency, quality and lowered cost of the production of new content. The retrieval of multimedia content on the Web is a continuous challenge which is due to the lack of (formal) descriptions and generic multimedia analysis algorithms. We present a model and a set of ontologies to mark up multimedia content embedded in web pages which can be used to deploy its descriptions on the Semantic Web and which in turn can be used to reason about the contents of multimedia resources. This model is part of a method to raise the reusability potential of content which in turn is expected to lower production costs of new content.
An investigation of predictors of successful aging in the workplace among Hong Kong Chinese older workers

ABSTRACT Background: We examined associations between successful aging in the workplace (adaptability and health, positive relationship, occupational growth, personal security, and continuous focus on goals) and two major factors of work stressors (work family conflict and discrimination against older workers) and coping resources (perceived organizational support, supportive human resource policies, and social support from friends and family) among Chinese older workers in Hong Kong. Furthermore, we also examined whether coping resources moderate the negative effect derived from work stressors on successful aging. Methods: A total of 242 Chinese full-time workers aged 40 years or above were recruited in a self-administered questionnaire survey study in Hong Kong. Results: Hierarchical regression results showed that family-to-work conflict was significantly related to successful aging, except the dimension of personal security. Work-to-family conflict and discrimination, however, were not related to successful aging in the workplace. In terms of coping resources, perceived organizational support was related to all dimensions of successful aging in the workplace. We also found that training and development was a significant correlate of occupational growth. Social support from friends and family was positively related to three successful aging dimensions, including adaptability and health, personal security and continuous focus on goals. Finally, when facing discrimination in the workplace, support from organizations and from friends and family were particularly important for old-older workers (aged 55 years or above) to achieve better adaptability and health. Conclusions: Perceived organizational support and social support from friends and family were important correlates of successful aging in the workplace. Limitation and recommendations for organizational intervention were discussed.
Lane Detection and Tracking through Affine Rectification

Inversion of the perspective mapping in acquired images enables an autonomous vehicle to perform vision-based navigation tasks, such as obstacle detection. We present work on affine rectification that restores the parallel property of a traffic lane, using the vanishing point of equally spaced parallel lane boundaries. Experimental results demonstrate thepotential of our newalgorithm.
Genomic Reconstruction of an Uncultured Hydrothermal Vent Gammaproteobacterial Methanotroph (Family Methylothermaceae) Indicates Multiple Adaptations to Oxygen Limitation

Hydrothermal vents are an important contributor to marine biogeochemistry, producing large volumes of reduced fluids, gasses, and metals and housing unique, productive microbial and animal communities fueled by chemosynthesis. Methane is a common constituent of hydrothermal vent fluid and is frequently consumed at vent sites by methanotrophic bacteria that serve to control escape of this greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Despite their ecological and geochemical importance, little is known about the ecophysiology of uncultured hydrothermal vent-associated methanotrophic bacteria. Using metagenomic binning techniques, we recovered and analyzed a near-complete genome from a novel gammaproteobacterial methanotroph (B42) associated with a white smoker chimney in the Southern Lau basin. B42 was the dominant methanotroph in the community, at ∼80x coverage, with only four others detected in the metagenome, all on low coverage contigs (7x–12x). Phylogenetic placement of B42 showed it is a member of the Methylothermaceae, a family currently represented by only one sequenced genome. Metabolic inferences based on the presence of known pathways in the genome showed that B42 possesses a branched respiratory chain with A- and B-family heme copper oxidases, cytochrome bd oxidase and a partial denitrification pathway. These genes could allow B42 to respire over a wide range of oxygen concentrations within the highly dynamic vent environment. Phylogenies of the denitrification genes revealed they are the result of separate horizontal gene transfer from other Proteobacteria and suggest that denitrification is a selective advantage in conditions where extremely low oxygen concentrations require all oxygen to be used for methane activation.
Wavelet algorithm for solving integral equations of molecular liquids. A test for the reference interaction site model

A new efficient method is developed for solving integral equations based on the reference interaction site model (RISM) of molecular liquids. The method proposes the expansion of site–site correlation functions into the wavelet series and further calculations of the approximating coefficients. To solve the integral equations we have applied the hybrid scheme in which the coarse part of the solution is calculated by wavelets with the use of the Newton–Raphson procedure, while the fine part is evaluated by the direct iterations. The Coifman 2 basis set is employed for the wavelet treatment of the coarse solution. This wavelet basis set provides compact and accurate approximation of site–site correlation functions so that the number of basis functions and the amplitude of the fine part of solution decrease sufficiently with respect to those obtained by the conventional scheme. The efficiency of the method is tested by calculations of SPC/E model of water. The results indicated that the total CPU time to obtain solution by the proposed procedure reduces to 20% of that required for the conventional hybrid method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 25: 1369–1377, 2004
The dependence of acetylcholinesterase aggregation at low ionic strength upon a polyanionic component.

The low ionic strength aggregation of Electrophorus asymmetric forms of acetylcholinesterase has been found to depend upon a distinct aggregating agent, present in large excess in the electric organ extracts. The aggregates appeared, in electron micrographs, as bundles of a few molecules, the tails of which were linked in a side-to-side association, leaving the head groups at both ends. The proportion of aggregated enzyme, but not the sedimentation properties of the aggregates, depended in a complex manner upon ionic conditions and aggregating agent levels. The aggregates were not dissociated by dilution even at very low concentrations. Properties of the aggregating agent suggested that it might be a non-proteic polymer, interacting with positively charged groups of the enzyme tail. Various polyanions were found to promote aggregation of acetylcholinesterase, but induced aggregates of different sedimentation coefficients. Polycarboxylates were effective only at high concentrations while sulfate and phosphate polyanions were very efficient. Aggregates induced by these latter polyanions possessed the same morphological features as those produced by the endogenous preparation. Analysis of the Electrophorus aggregating preparation demonstrated that its chondroitin sulfate content fully accounts for its aggregating capacity, and this was in agreement with its sensitivity to specific mucopolysaccharidases. Aggregates were also obtained in Electrophorus/Torpedo mixed systems but their characteristics were found to depend both on the nature of the enzyme and of the aggregating agent. Aggregation had no effect on catalytic efficiency, and we discuss its relevance to the synaptic localization of the enyme, through interactions between the tails of acetylcholinesterase and chondroitin-sulfatetype glycosaminoglycan components.
Análise de instrumentos de mercado na gestão do corredor ecológico Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brasil

No Brasil, os Corredores Ecológicos (CE) abrangem cerca de 2,6 milhões de km², incluindo Unidades de Conservação (UC), áreas privadas e uma grande diversidade sociocultural. No entanto, a implementação desses Corredores está voltada para as UCs, faltando políticas de gestão territorial com enfoque na valoração de ativos ambientais. Este artigo tem como objetivo discutir o modelo de pagamento por serviços ambientais (PSA) do CE Chapecó - SC, tendo em vista limitações e desafios para a participação social. Para tanto, descreveu-se o processo de criação do CE Chapecó e o modelo de PSA concebido. A adoção de um modelo privado de PSA pode resultar na priorização de grandes áreas florestadas, excluindo pequenos agricultores. Já um modelo de gestão pública ou mista possibilitaria a ampliação dos públicos-alvo do programa. O ingresso coletivo, o monitoramento participativo e um Conselho Gestor paritário, são outros aspectos fundamentais para garantir a participação social no programa.
Optimal Reconfiguration Control for Satellite Constellations with Fault Satellites Using Multiobjective Optimization Algorithm

Reconfiguration control of satellite constellation is relation with the control time, the fuel consumption, the performance improvement, the recoverability of the constellation configuration, as well as the performance influenced by the reconfiguration controlling, which is a multi-objective optimization problem. Using the multi-objective evolution algorithm NSGA-II, the Pareto solution sets which meet the mission requirements are obtained, then we can obtain the optimal satisfactory solutions of the constellation reconfiguration control through the linear weighted sum method in multi-objective decision. In view of the optimized design results and the design performance comparative analysis of different reconfiguration control strategies for the navigational constellation, it is indicated that the multi-objective evolution algorithm satisfied the mission requirements of optimal reconfiguration control, and the optimal scheme of satellite constellation reconfiguration control is found.
Effect of 4-Hydroxynonenal on c-myc Expression

The 4-hydroxynonenal aldehyde (HNE), a product of lipid peroxidation with high biological activity, inhibits cancerous growths in vivo and in vitro. The mechanism by which this aldehyde acts is not yet understood. The c-myc oncogene seems to be involved in the regulation of cellular multiplication and transformation. We evaluated the c-myc expression and the RNA, DNA and protein synthesis in K562 cells. These cells were incubated for 1 hour in presence of several aldehyde concentrations (range 5.10-7 to 10-4), then washed and kept for 20 hours in a growth medium until used. HNE inhibited both the nucleic acids and protein synthesis in a dose dependent manner, and c-myc expression was evaluated in the K562 cells after incubation with 10-4m or 10-6m HNE. HNE inhibited c-myc expression only at the highest dose. These preliminary results may suggest that the inhibition of c-myc expression is related to nucleic acid synthesis inhibition following HNE exposure.