Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Refinement and improvement of virtual software token protocols

Recently, the Virtual Software Token Protocol (VSTP) was proposed as a practical method for secure public key infrastructure (PKI) roaming. It enabled users not to keep their private keys in portable storage. Instead, a set of servers was deployed for the purpose. However, a weakness has been found from the original assumption. The split password was vulnerable to the so-called split on-line attack. So, this letter refines the original scheme with a new restriction and proposes its improved version as well.
A spatial analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases in the United States and their proximity to multidisciplinary ALS clinics, 2013

Abstract Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal motor neuron disease that typically results in death within 2–5 years of initial symptom onset. Multidisciplinary ALS clinics (MDCs) have been established to provide specialty care to people living with the disease. Objective: To estimate the proximity of ALS prevalence cases to the nearest MDC in the US to help evaluate one aspect of access to care. Methods: Using 2013 prevalence data from the National ALS Registry, cases were geocoded by city using geographic information system (GIS) software, along with the locations of all MDCs in operation during 2013. Case-to-MDC proximity was calculated and analyzed by sex, race, and age group. Results: During 2013, there were 72 MDCs in operation in 30 different states. A total of 15,633 ALS cases were geocoded and were distributed throughout all 50 states. Of these, 62.6% were male, 77.9% were white, and 76.2% were 50–79 years old. For overall case-to-MDC proximity, nearly half (44.9%) of all geocoded cases in the US lived >50 miles from an MDC, including approximately a quarter who lived >100 miles from an MDC. There was a statistically significant difference between distance to MDC by race and age group. Conclusions: The high percentage of those living more than 50 miles from the nearest specialized clinic underscores one of the many challenges of ALS. Having better access to care, whether at MDCs or through other modalities, is likely key to increasing survivability and obtaining appropriate end-of-life treatment and support for people with ALS.
Krox-20 inhibits Jun-NH2-terminal kinase/c-Jun to control Schwann cell proliferation and death

The transcription factor Krox-20 controls Schwann cell myelination. Schwann cells in Krox-20 null mice fail to myelinate, and unlike myelinating Schwann cells, continue to proliferate and are susceptible to death. We find that enforced Krox-20 expression in Schwann cells cell-autonomously inactivates the proliferative response of Schwann cells to the major axonal mitogen β–neuregulin-1 and the death response to TGFβ or serum deprivation. Even in 3T3 fibroblasts, Krox-20 not only blocks proliferation and death but also activates the myelin genes periaxin and protein zero, showing properties in common with master regulatory genes in other cell types. Significantly, a major function of Krox-20 is to suppress the c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK)–c-Jun pathway, activation of which is required for both proliferation and death. Thus, Krox-20 can coordinately control suppression of mitogenic and death responses. Krox-20 also up-regulates the scaffold protein JNK-interacting protein 1 (JIP-1). We propose this as a possible component of the mechanism by which Krox-20 regulates JNK activity during Schwann cell development.
Clearly Transparent Nanopaper from Highly Concentrated Cellulose Nanofiber Dispersion Using Dilution and Sonication

Nanopaper prepared from holocellulose pulp is one of the best substrates for flexible electronics because of its high thermal resistance and high clear transparency. However, the clearness of nanopaper decreases with increasing concentration of the starting cellulose nanofiber dispersion—with the use of a 2.2 wt % dispersion, for example—resulting in translucent nanopaper with a high haze of 44%. To overcome this problem, we show that the dilution of this high-concentration dispersion with water followed by sonication for 10 s reduces the haze to less than 10% while maintaining the high thermal resistance of the nanopaper. Furthermore, the combination of water dilution and a short sonication treatment improves the clearness of the nanopaper, which would translate into cost savings for the transportation and storage of this highly concentrated cellulose nanofiber dispersion. Finally, we demonstrate the improvement of the electrical conductivity of clear transparent nanopaper prepared from an initially high-concentration dispersion by dropping and heating silver nanowire ink on the nanopaper. These achievements will pave the way toward the realization of the mass production of nanofiber-based flexible devices.
Near‐tetraploid cancer cells show chromosome instability triggered by replication stress and exhibit enhanced invasiveness

A considerable proportion of tumors exhibit aneuploid karyotypes, likely resulting from the progressive loss of chromosomes after whole‐genome duplication. Here, by using isogenic diploid and near‐tetraploid (4N) single‐cell‐derived clones from the same parental cell lines, we aimed at exploring how polyploidization affects cellular functions and how tetraploidy generates chromosome instability. Gene expression profiling in 4N clones revealed a significant enrichment of transcripts involved in cell cycle and DNA replication. Increased levels of replication stress in 4N cells resulted in DNA damage, impaired proliferation caused by a cell cycle delay during S phase, and higher sensitivity to S phase checkpoint inhibitors. In fact, increased levels of replication stress were also observed in nontransformed, proliferative posttetraploid RPE1 cells. Additionally, replication stress promoted higher levels of intercellular genomic heterogeneity and ongoing genomic instability, which could be explained by high rates of mitotic defects, and was alleviated by the supplementation of exogenous nucleosides. Finally, our data found that 4N cancer cells displayed increased migratory and invasive capacity, both in vitro and in primary colorectal tumors, indicating that tetraploidy can promote aggressive cancer cell behavior. —Wangsa, D. , Quintanilla, I. , Torabi, K. , Vila‐Casadesús, M. , Ercilla, A. , Klus, G. , Yuce, Z. , Galofré, C. , Cuatrecasas, M. , Lozano, J. J., Agell, N. , Cimini, D. , Castells, A. , Ried, T. , Camps, J. Near‐tetraploid cancer cells show chromosome instability triggered by replication stress and exhibit enhanced invasiveness. FASEB J. 32, 3502–3517 (2018). www.fasebj. org
Genome-wide association study of conformation and milk yield in mixed-breed dairy goats.

Identification of genetic markers that affect economically important traits is of high value from a biological point of view, enabling the targeting of candidate genes and providing practical benefits for the industry such as wide-scale genomic selection. This study is one of the first to investigate the genetic background of economically important traits in dairy goats using the caprine 50K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. The aim of the project was to perform a genome-wide association study for milk yield and conformation of udder, teat, and feet and legs. A total of 137,235 milk yield records on 4,563 goats each scored for 10 conformation traits were available. Out of these, 2,381 goats were genotyped with the Illumina Caprine 50K BeadChip (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA). A range of pseudo-phenotypes were used including deregressed breeding values and pseudo-estimated breeding values. Genome-wide association studies were performed using the multi-locus mixed model (MLMM) algorithm implemented in SNP & Variation Suite v7.7. 8 (Golden Helix Inc., Bozeman, MT). A genome-wise significant [-log10(P-value) > 5.95] SNP for milk yield was identified on chromosome 19, with additional chromosome-wise significant (-log10(P-value) > 4.46] SNP on chromosomes 4, 8, 14, and 29. Three genome-wise significant SNP for conformation of udder attachment, udder depth, and front legs were identified on chromosome 19, and chromosome-wise SNP were found on chromosomes 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, and 27. The proportion of variance explained by the significant SNP was between 0.4 and 7.0% for milk yield and between 0.1 and 13.8% for conformation traits. This study is the first attempt to identify SNP associated with milk yield and conformation in dairy goats. Two genome-wise significant SNP for milk yield and 3 SNP for conformation of udder attachment, udder depth, and front legs were found. Our results suggest that conformation traits have a polygenic background because, for most of them, we did not identify any quantitative trait loci with major effect.
Perceived impact of stroke six years after onset, and changes in impact between one and six years.

OBJECTIVE To examine the perceived impact of stroke between 1 and 6 years after stroke using the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS). DESIGN A prospective longitudinal study. METHODS A total of 100 individuals were assessed using the SIS 3.0 at 1 and 6 years after onset of stroke and clinically meaningful changes were explored. Changes in domain scores were calculated over time in relation to age, sex and stroke severity. RESULTS The most impacted SIS domains after 6 years were Participation, Strength, Hand function, and Stroke recovery. Participants with moderate/severe stroke experienced a higher impact in all domains except Hand function and Stroke recovery, indicating more problems in everyday life, compared with those with mild stroke. Almost half of the participants had a clinically meaningful change in the domain Participation between 1 and 6 years. Those with moderate/severe stroke and the older age group experienced more negative clinically meaningful changes in several domains in comparison with those with mild stroke and the younger age group. CONCLUSION The long-term perceived impact of stroke highlights the importance of appropriate rehabilitation interventions within several areas to reduce the long-term negative impact in everyday life.
Flavonoids and Ellagitannins Characterization, Antioxidant and Cytotoxic Activities of Phyllanthus acuminatus Vahl

The phenolic composition of leaves from Phyllanthus acuminatus L. , a plant commonly used in Costa Rica as traditional medicine, was studied using UPLC-ESI-MS on an enriched phenolic extract. A total of 20 phenolic compounds were identified, comprising eight flavonoids (two flavanones—pinocembrin isomers and six derivatives from apigenin, chrysin, quercetin, and kaempferol); seven ellagitannins, two flavan-3-ols (prodelphinidin B dimer and (epi)gallocatechin); and three phenolic acids (ellagic acid, trimethylellagic acid, and ferulic acid). All of these compounds are reported for the first time in P. acuminatus, while previously reported in the genus Phyllanthus. Antioxidant evaluation was performed for P. acuminatus phenolic extract obtaining DPPH results with a remarkably low IC50 value of 0.15 μg/mL. Also, cytotoxicity on gastric AGS and colon SW20 adenocarcinoma cell lines was evaluated, and highly promising results were obtained, with IC50 values of 11.3 μg/mL and 10.5 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, selectivity index values obtained when comparing cytotoxicity on normal Vero cells was SI > 20 for both cancer cell lines, indicating a particularly high selectivity. Additionally, Justicidin B, a metabolite extensively studied for its antitumoral activity, was isolated from a non-polar extract of P. acuminatus, and comparatively evaluated for both bioactivities. The DPPH value obtained for Justicidin B was moderate (IC50 = 14.28 μg/mL), while cytotoxicity values for both AGS (IC50 = 19.5 μg/mL) and SW620 (IC50 = 24.8 μg/mL) cell lines, as well as selectivity when compared with normal Vero cells (SI = 5.4 and 4.2 respectively), was good, but lower than P. acuminatus extract. These preliminary results suggest that P. acuminatus enriched phenolic extract containing flavonoids, ellagitannins, flavan-3-ols, and phenolic acids, reported for the first time in this plant, could be of interest for further cancer cytotoxicity studies to elucidate structure–bioactivity relationships, and the molecular mechanisms and pathways.
Contralateral Eye Comparison Between Femtosecond Small Incision Intrastromal Lenticule Extraction at Depths of 100 and 160 &mgr;m

Purpose: To compare the visual results, higher-order aberrations, and corneal biomechanical properties of femtosecond small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) at depths of 100 and 160 &mgr;m. Methods: A prospective comparative interventional clinical trial of a series of patients who underwent SMILE. In the right eye, a refractive lenticule was created at a depth of 100 &mgr;m, and in the left eye, a depth of 160 &mgr;m was used. Manifest refraction, uncorrected visual acuity, total high-order aberrations (THOA), and corneal biomechanical properties of both eyes were evaluated 1 month postoperatively. Results: Thirty patients with bilaterally stable refractive errors were included in this study. One month postoperatively, mean corneal hysteresis was 9.71 ± 0.68 in the right eyes and 9.97 ± 0.77 in the left eyes, whereas the mean corneal resistant factor was 9.13 ± 1.04 and 9.31 ± 0.92 in the right and left eyes, respectively. Both corneal hysteresis and corneal resistant factor showed statistically significantly higher values in the left eyes (lenticule at a depth of 160 &mgr;m). No statistically significant differences were found between the right and the left eyes regarding manifest refraction, uncorrected visual acuity, and THOA. Conclusions: Creating the refractive lenticule at a depth of 160 &mgr;m in SMILE had less effect on the corneal biomechanics than did creating a lenticule at a depth of 100 &mgr;m with no statistically significant differences in the refractive outcome and THOA between both groups.
Abacavir / Lamivudine /

Maintenance with a triple nucleoside reverse transcriptase Inhibitor (NRTI) regimen after successful induction with a dual NRTI/protease inhibitor (PI) combination may be advantageous, because of low pill burden, favorable lipids, and less drug interactions. This strategy to become free of PI-related problems without losing viral efficacy has not been formally tested. We performed a randomized, open-label, multicenter, 96-week comparative study in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naı̈ve patients with CD4 350 cells/mm and HIV-1 RNA concentrations (viral load [VL]) greater than 30,000 copies per milliliter. Patients were randomized after reaching VL less than 50 copies per milliliter on two consecutive occasions between 12 and 24 weeks after start of zidovudine/lamuvidine and lopinavir/ritonavir combination. Eligible subjects switched to abacavir/lamivudine/ zidovudine (TZV) or continued the PI-containing regimen. Here we present the 48-week data with virologic success rate (failure: VL> 50 copies per milliliter). Two hundred seven patients had similar baseline (BL) characteristics: median CD4 180 cells/mm, median VL 5.19 log10 copies per milliliter. One hundred twenty subjects (58%) met randomization criteria. Baseline VL differed significantly between dropouts and randomized subjects (median 5.41 versus 5.06 log10 copies per milliliter, p1⁄4 0.017), as did CD4 cells (median 160 and 200 cells/mm, p1⁄4 0.044). Sixty-one subjects received TZV and 59 subjects continued NRTIs/PI. At week 48, 2 patients in the TZV group and 5 in the PI group did not have a sustained virologic suppression (log rank test; p1⁄4 0.379). CD4 counts increased significantly in both arms. In ART-naı̈ve patients, TZV maintenance had similar antiviral efficacy compared to continued standard ART at 48 weeks after baseline. Patients on successful standard ART can be safely switched to a NRTI-only regimen, at least for the tested time period.
Assessment of degree of risk from sources of microbial contamination in cleanrooms; 1: Airborne

The degree of risk from microbial contamination of manufactured products by sources of contamination in healthcare cleanrooms has been assessed in a series of three articles. This first article considers airborne sources, and a second article will consider surface contact and liquid sources. A final article will consider all sources and the application of the risk method to a variety of cleanroom designs and manufacturing methods. The assessment of the degree of risk from airborne sources of microbial contamination has been carried out by calculating the number of microbes deposited from the air (NMDA) onto, or into, a product from various sources. A fundamental equation was used that utilises the following variables (risk factors): concentration of source microbes; surface area of product exposed to microbial deposition; ease of microbial dispersion, transmission and deposition from source to product; and time available for deposition. This approach gives an accurate risk assessment, although it is dependent on the quality of the input data. It is a particularly useful method as it calculates the likely rate of product microbial contamination from the various sources of airborne contamination.
Synergistic smart morphing aileron: Experimental quasi-static performance characterization

This article describes the development and characterization of the synergistic smart morphing aileron concept, which leverages the properties of two different smart material actuators to achieve performance that exceeds that of the constituent materials. Utilizing the relatively higher work density and phase transformation of shape memory alloys combined with the larger bandwidth and conformal bending of bonded piezoelectric macro-fiber composites, the resultant synergistic morphing design improves the range of static tip deflections, enabling the capability to hold more trim positions over long timescales while still quickly compensating for dynamic loading. By commanding an input of full-range square waves of 0.01–10 Hz to the actuators, first-order time responses were measured and characterized using a common methodology by tracking a relative time constant. Using this method, aeroelastic effects for each actuator and the combined system were characterized in a wind tunnel at 0° angle of attack with flow speeds ranging from 0 to 15 m/s. This novel approach characterized a large-deflection morphing actuation system with multiple smart materials operating over different timescales. The combined system achieved additive amplitude while tracking the faster actuation response of the macro-fiber composite between 0.1 and 1 Hz.
ANALYSIS of Control Force Grasping for a Multifunctional Five Fingered Robot to Pick-up Various of Components

Multi-fingered robot gripper has become popular in the major research topics as grasping an object in robotic systems. The author considers a matter of style-based control model for a multi-fingered robot hand grasping an object with a known geometric characteristics. This paper introduces design process and analysis of contact force the five fingered gripper suitable to handle several of objects. The author applied Simulink/SimMechanics, Support package Arduino and Inventor software packages to facilatate and integrated the design of contact force gripper systems. The advance of PID control is used to control dynamics motions of the five fingered gripper systems. The multifunction finger’s gripper is developed to handle the various components. Contact force between fingertips and object surface is computed using the Hooke law concept. The analysis of experiment result shows the optimum of contact forces are achieved to hold the object. The spring and damper algorithm is used to compute the interaction of force between fingertips and object surface.
Ancillary Benefits of Climate Policies for the Mitigation of Atmospheric Mercury Emissions

This study provides an analysis of the impact of global climate policies on mercury emissions using the Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model in the time horizon up to 2050. The time evolution of mercury emissions is based on projections of energy consumption provided by the Prospective Outlook for the Long term Energy System (POLES) model for a scenario without any global greenhouse gas mitigation efforts, and for a 2°C climate policy scenario, which assumes internationally coordinated action to mitigate climate change. Outcomes of the analysis are reported globally and for key world regions: EU-27, China, India and the US. The assessment takes into account current air pollution control legislation in each country. Scenario calculations for mercury emissions indicate significant scope for co-benefits made possible through climate policies. Atmospheric releases of mercury from anthropogenic sources under the global climate mitigation regime are reduced in 2050 by 45% when compared to the case without climate measures. Around one third of co-benefits for mercury emissions estimated world-wide in this study by 2050 are allocated to China. An annual Hg-abatement of about 800 tons is estimated for the coal combustion in power sector if the current air pollution legislation and climate policies are adopted in parallel.
Usefulness of hook wire localization biopsy under imaging guidance for nonpalpable breast lesions detected radiologically

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of hook wire localization biopsy under imaging guidance for nonpalpable breast lesions detected radiologically. Methods This was a descriptive study conducted at the Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. All patients undergoing needle localization biopsy of a nonpalpable breast lesion under mammographic or ultrasound guidance between January 2009 to December 2010 were included in the study. Patients with incomplete medical records were excluded. All patients’ mammograms or ultrasound were categorized using BI-RADS® assessment categories. The percentages of benign and malignant lesions were determined by pathological examination of surgically removed specimens. A correlation was sought between preoperative imaging assessment and the final diagnosis. The complications associated with the procedure were also recorded. Results A total of 151 biopsies were carried out, of which 80 were performed under mammographic guidance and 71 were performed under ultrasound guidance. The mean age of the patients was 51.89 years. The overall malignancy rate was 25.16%. Of 93 cases reported radiologically as malignant, 60 turned out to be malignant, and of the 58 cases reported as benign on imaging, three proved to be malignant on histopathology. The sensitivity of imaging findings was 95% and the specificity was 62%. The malignancy rate was 5% for benign lesions and 64% for malignant lesions, respectively. There were no complications related to wire localization, and only two patients had minor complications following surgical excision, giving a complication rate of 1.32%. Conclusion Hook wire localization biopsy is a safe and effective procedure for definitive diagnosis of suspicious lesions on imaging, and is more helpful if the imaging findings are suspicious.