Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Project Context Definition Method

In software development it is clear that the projects’ context determines which software process is the most appropriate one to support a certain product development. In a previous work the authors have identified the set of dimensions and variables that should be considered in the context specification of small software projects, due they could affect the development process. This report compliments such a previous work by proposing a step-by-step method to define the organizational project context profile that will be used by a software company to tailor its organizational software process. Every time that the company is going to develop a project, it must instantiate of such a profile to reach a computable representation of the context that characterizes to that project. Such a representation will be then used by a set of tailoring transformations to generate an adapted software process, which is suitable to support the development of the product being considered in the project. This method helps to automate the tailoring process, and thus it becomes more simple, fast and predictable. This project context definition method must be then utilized by the end-user through a Web tool that eases this activity.
The Suppression of WRKY44 by GIGANTEA-miR172 Pathway Is Involved in Drought Response of Arabidopsis thaliana

Water availability is an important environmental factor that controls flowering time. Many plants accelerate flowering under drought conditions, a phenomenon called drought escape. Four pathways are involved in controlling flowering time, but which ones participate in drought escape is not yet known. In this study, plants with loss-of-function mutations of GIGANTEA (GI) and CONSTANS (CO) exhibited abnormal drought-escape phenotypes. The peak mRNA levels of GI and FKF1 (Flavin-binding Kelch domain F box protein 1) and the mRNA levels of CO and FT (Flowering locus T) changed under drought stress. The microRNA factor miRNA172E was up-regulated by drought stress, and its up-regulation was dependent on GI, while other miRNA172s were not. Water-loss analyses indicated that gi mutants were more sensitive while miRNA172 over-expressing (miRNA172-OX) plants were less so to drought stress than wild-type plants. Digital gene expression and real-time PCR analyses showed that WRKY44 was down-regulated by GI and miRNA172. The WRKY44 protein could interact with TOE1 (a target of miRNA172) in a yeast two-hybrid system. We proposed that GI–miRNA172–WRKY44 may regulate drought escape and drought tolerance by affecting sugar signaling in Arabidopsis.
This information is current as Fas-Fas Ligand Interactions Spontaneous Vitiligo and Depends upon a Melanocyte Neoantigen Induces CD4 T Cell-Dependent Autoimmunity against

Better understanding of tolerance and autoimmunity toward melanocyte-speciﬁc Ags is needed to develop effective treatment for vitiligo and malignant melanoma; yet, a systematic assessment of these mechanisms has been hampered by the difﬁculty in tracking autoreactive T cells. To address this issue, we have generated transgenic mice that express hen egg lysozyme as a melanocyte-speciﬁc neoantigen. By crossing these animals to a hen egg lysozyme-speciﬁc CD4 TCR transgenic line we have been able to track autoreactive CD4 (cid:1) T cells from their development in the thymus to their involvement in spontaneous autoimmune disease with striking similarity to human vitiligo vulgaris and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome. Our ﬁndings show that CD4-dependent destruction of melanocytes is partially inhibited by blocking Fas-Fas ligand interactions and also highlights the importance of local control of autoimmunity, as vitiligo remains patchy and never proceeds to conﬂuence even when Ag and autoreactive CD4 (cid:1) T cells are abundant. Immune therapy to enhance or suppress melanocyte-speciﬁc T cells can be directed at a series of semiredundant pathways involving tolerance and cell death. The Journal of Immunology, 2006, 177: 3055–3062.
Bax and Bak Coalesce into Novel Mitochondria-Associated Clusters during Apoptosis

Bax is a member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins known to regulate mitochondria-dependent programmed cell death. Early in apoptosis, Bax translocates from the cytosol to the mitochondrial membrane. We have identified by confocal and electron microscopy a novel step in the Bax proapoptotic mechanism immediately subsequent to mitochondrial translocation. Bax leaves the mitochondrial membranes and coalesces into large clusters containing thousands of Bax molecules that remain adjacent to mitochondria. Bak, a close homologue of Bax, colocalizes in these apoptotic clusters in contrast to other family members, Bid and Bad, which circumscribe the outer mitochondrial membrane throughout cell death progression. We found the formation of Bax and Bak apoptotic clusters to be caspase independent and inhibited completely and specifically by Bcl-XL, correlating cluster formation with cytotoxic activity. Our results reveal the importance of a novel structure formed by certain Bcl-2 family members during the process of cell death.
Understanding Loan Aversion in Education

Although prior research has suggested that some students may be averse to taking out loans to finance their college education, there is little empirical evidence showing the extent to which loan aversion exists or how it affects different populations of students. This study provides the first large-scale quantitative evidence of levels of loan aversion in the United States. Using survey data collected on more than 6,000 individuals, we examine the frequency of loan aversion in three distinct populations. Depending on the measure, between 20 and 40% of high school seniors exhibit loan aversion with lower rates among community college students and adults not in college. Women are less likely to express loan-averse attitudes than men, and Hispanic respondents are more likely to be loan averse than White respondents.
Population Specific and Up to Date Cardiovascular Risk Charts Can Be Efficiently Obtained with Record Linkage of Routine and Observational Data

Background Only few countries have cohorts enabling specific and up-to-date cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk estimation. Individual risk assessment based on study samples that differ too much from the target population could jeopardize the benefit of risk charts in general practice. Our aim was to provide up-to-date and valid CVD risk estimation for a Swiss population using a novel record linkage approach. Methods Anonymous record linkage was used to follow-up (for mortality, until 2008) 9,853 men and women aged 25–74 years who participated in the Swiss MONICA (MONItoring of trends and determinants in CVD) study of 1983–92. The linkage success was 97.8%, loss to follow-up 1990–2000 was 4.7%. Based on the ESC SCORE methodology (Weibull regression), we used age, sex, blood pressure, smoking, and cholesterol to generate three models. We compared the 1) original SCORE model with a 2) recalibrated and a 3) new model using the Brier score (BS) and cross-validation. Results Based on the cross-validated BS, the new model (BS = 14107×10−6) was somewhat more appropriate for risk estimation than the original (BS = 14190×10−6) and the recalibrated (BS = 14172×10−6) model. Particularly at younger age, derived absolute risks were consistently lower than those from the original and the recalibrated model which was mainly due to a smaller impact of total cholesterol. Conclusion Using record linkage of observational and routine data is an efficient procedure to obtain valid and up-to-date CVD risk estimates for a specific population.
Improved PNLMS algorithm employing wavelet transform and sparse filters

The proportionate normalized least mean-square algorithm (PNLMS) has been proposed with the objective of improving the adaptation convergence rate when modeling high-order sparse finite impulse response systems. Whereas fast initial adaptation convergence rate is obtained with the PNLMS algorithm for white-noise input, slow convergence is observed for colored input signals. In this paper, we derive a new proportionate-type NLMS algorithm which employs a wavelet transform and sparse adaptive subfilters, and results in better convergence rate than the PNLMS algorithm for colored input signals. Simulation results for the digital network echo canceler application illustrate the convergence improvement obtained with the proposed approach when compared to the NLMS, PNLMS and other recently proposed proportionate-type algorithms.
Selection Initial modes for Belief K-modes Method

The belief K-modes method (BKM) approach is a new clustering technique handling uncertainty in the attribute values of objects in both the cluster construction task and the classification one. Like the standard version of this method, the BKM results depend on the chosen initial modes. So, one selection method of initial modes is developed, in this paper, aiming at improving the performances of the BKM approach. Experiments with several sets of real data show that by considered the developed selection initial modes method, the clustering algorithm produces more accurate results. Keywords—Clustering, Uncertainty, Belief function theory, Belief K-modes Method, Initial modes selection.
Finding an Upper Bound for the Number of Contacts in Hydrophobic-Hydrophilic Protein Structure Prediction Model

It is believed that the functional properties of the protein are dependent on its structure. Therefore, it is critical to predict the protein's structure to understand the functional properties. One of the most widely studied protein structure prediction models is the hydrophobic-hydrophilic (HP) model, which abstracts the dominant force in protein folding. That is, to explain the hydrophobic interaction, the HP model tries to maximize the number of contacts among hydrophobic amino acids. Although a number of heuristics have been proposed to find a tight lower bound for the number of contacts, these methods cannot guarantee the quality of the obtained solution since no information on upper bound has been obtained. In this research, we focus on identifying the efficiently computable upper bound. We present a new mathematical formulation of the HP model, which can provide an upper bound using linear relaxation of the formulation. Computational experiments using benchmark problems show that our formulation provides tight upper bound.
Book Review: Blindness: What it is, What it does, and how to Live with It

IN MARCH 1960, the American Foundation for the Blind submitted to the New Hampshire Association for the Blind a report of its findings and recommendations for improving service to the blind population of New Hampshire, following a study of the Association. Since that date, the Association has made much progress and is still projecting future plans and developments. Step One of the recommendations called for the seeking of a well qualified executive director who combines administrative and community organization ability. Edward Mathews assumed this position of responsibility and leadership under the direction of the board of directors on November 1, 1960. Step Two called for the appointment of a director of professional services to give guidance to the social casework and the recreation programs. Gale Stickler undertook this role on May 1, 1961. As a third step, the Association is employing two professionally qualified social caseworkers. The Association is planning more careful geographic coverage within the state, and a reduction in the size of present caseloads. It is further examining methods of reaching newly blinded persons to focus on the first phases of adjustment services. The Association has begun to assume a greatly enlarged statewide leadership role. It expressed its concern over the lack of workshop employment opportunities for blinded adults to the New Hampshire Social Welfare Council. A committee on the handicapped was subsequently appointed by the Council which Mr. Mathews was asked to chair. The committee is still in early deliberation stages, but it is doing some careful, sound, long-range planning. A number of committees have been established among the board of directors of the association, each focusing on different areas of responsibility of the Association. In this retooling and forward moving the Association has purchased and just moved into new and larger quarters in Concord, for carrying out a still more effective program of service to the blind people of New Hampshire. In this period the New Hampshire Association for the Blind has made impressive forward steps.
Crossmapping of Nursing Problem and Action Statements in Telephone Nursing Consultation Documentations with International Classification for Nursing Practice

Objectives This study is to cross-map telephone nursing consultation documentations with International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP; ver. 1.0 concepts). Methods The narrative telephone nursing consultation documentations of 170 ophthalmology nursing unit patients were analyzed. The nursing statements were examined and cross-mapped with the Korean version of the ICNP ver. 1.0. If all the concepts of a statement were mapped to ICNP concepts, it was classified as 'completely mapped'. If any concept of a statement wasnot mapped, it was classified as 'partially mapped'. If none of the concepts were mapped, it was classified as 'not mapped'. Results A total of 738 statements wereused for documenting telephone nursing consultations. These statements were divided into 3 groups according to their content: 1) 294 nursing phenomena-related statements (72 unique statements), 2) 440 nursing actions-related statements (76 unique statements), and 3) 4 other statements (2 unique statements). In total, 189 unique nursing concepts extracted from 150 unique statements and 108 concepts (62.44%) were mapped onto ICNP concepts. Conclusions This study demonstrated the feasibility of computerizing narrative nursing documentations for electronic telephone triagein the ophthalmology nursing unit.
Circulating tumor cells, disease progression, and survival in metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND We tested the hypothesis that the level of circulating tumor cells can predict survival in metastatic breast cancer. METHODS In a prospective, multicenter study, we tested 177 patients with measurable metastatic breast cancer for levels of circulating tumor cells both before the patients were to start a new line of treatment and at the first follow-up visit. The progression of the disease or the response to treatment was determined with the use of standard imaging studies at the participating centers. RESULTS Outcomes were assessed according to levels of circulating tumor cells at baseline, before the patients started a new treatment for metastatic disease. Patients in a training set with levels of circulating tumor cells equal to or higher than 5 per 7.5 ml of whole blood, as compared with the group with fewer than 5 circulating tumor cells per 7.5 ml, had a shorter median progression-free survival (2.7 months vs. 7.0 months, P<0.001) and shorter overall survival (10.1 months vs. >18 months, P<0.001). At the first follow-up visit after the initiation of therapy, this difference between the groups persisted (progression-free survival, 2.1 months vs. 7.0 months; P<0.001; overall survival, 8.2 months vs. >18 months; P<0.001), and the reduced proportion of patients (from 49 percent to 30 percent) in the group with an unfavorable prognosis suggested that there was a benefit from therapy. The multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression showed that, of all the variables in the statistical model, the levels of circulating tumor cells at baseline and at the first follow-up visit were the most significant predictors of progression-free and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS The number of circulating tumor cells before treatment is an independent predictor of progression-free survival and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Profanity: The Gnostic Affront of the Seven Words you can Never Say on Television

Profanity remains a mystery to psychological science as we have little understanding as to why obscene speech tends to cluster around body-related subject matter. However, recent work in the areas of Terror Management Theory and disgust psychology suggest that the offense of profanity may be due to the fact that profanity highlights the animal nature of the human body, which, in turn, implicates profanity as a death/mortality reminder. If so, profanity might be experienced differently in Christian populations depending upon the degree to which the body is viewed suspiciously, a lingering influence of Gnostic thought within the Christian tradition. This paper presents empirical research that attempted to assess these associations. Overall, the data was found to be consistent with the notion that profanity may function, particularly in some Christian communities, as a Gnostic affront, as an insult to a creature aspiring to be more than an animal.
Are theories of imagery theories of imagination?

Can theories of mental imagery, conscious mental contents, developed within cognitive science throw light on the obscure (but culturally very significant) concept of imagination? Three extant views of mental imagery are considered: quasi-pictorial, description, and perceptual activity theories. The first two face serious theoretical and empirical difficulties. The third is (for historically contingent reasons) little known, theoretically underdeveloped, and empirically untried, but has real explanatory potential. It rejects the "traditional" symbolic computational view of mental contents, but is compatible with recent situated cognition and active vision approaches in robotics. This theory is developed and elucidated. Three related key aspects of imagination (non-discursiveness, creativity, and seeing as) raise difficulties for the other theories. Perceptual activity theory presents imagery as non-discursive and relates it closely to seeing as. It is thus well placed to be the basis for a general theory of imagination and its role in creative thought. *********************** §
Multiple Bit Error Detection and Correction in Memory

Technology evolution provides ever increasing density of transistors in chips, lower power consumption and higher performance. In this environment the occurrence of multiple-bit upsets (MBUs) becomes a significant concern. Critical applications need high reliability, but traditional error mitigation techniques assume only the single error model, and only a few techniques to correct MBUs at algorithm level have been proposed. In this paper, a novel circuit level technique to detect and correct multiple errors in memory is proposed. Since it is implemented at circuit level, it is transparent to programmers. This technique is based in the Decimal Hamming coding and here it is compared to Reed Solomon coding at circuit level. Experimental results show that for memory words wider than 16 bits, the proposed technique is faster and imposes lower area overhead than optimized RS, while mitigating errors affecting up to 25% of the memory word.
Distribution Driven Extraction and Tracking of Features for Time-varying Data Analysis

Effective analysis of features in time-varying data is essential in numerous scientific applications. Feature extraction and tracking are two important tasks scientists rely upon to get insights about the dynamic nature of the large scale time-varying data. However, often the complexity of the scientific phenomena only allows scientists to vaguely define their feature of interest. Furthermore, such features can have varying motion patterns and dynamic evolution over time. As a result, automatic extraction and tracking of features becomes a non-trivial task. In this work, we investigate these issues and propose a distribution driven approach which allows us to construct novel algorithms for reliable feature extraction and tracking with high confidence in the absence of accurate feature definition. We exploit two key properties of an object, motion and similarity to the target feature, and fuse the information gained from them to generate a robust feature-aware classification field at every time step. Tracking of features is done using such classified fields which enhances the accuracy and robustness of the proposed algorithm. The efficacy of our method is demonstrated by successfully applying it on several scientific data sets containing a wide range of dynamic time-varying features.
An exception to the matched filter hypothesis: A mismatch of male call frequency and female best hearing frequency in a torrent frog

Abstract The matched filter hypothesis proposes that the tuning of auditory sensitivity and the spectral character of calls will match in order to maximize auditory processing efficiency during courtship. In this study, we analyzed the acoustic structure of male calls and both male and female hearing sensitivities in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis), an anuran species who transmits acoustic signals across streams. The results were in striking contradiction to the matched filter hypothesis. Auditory brainstem response results showed that the best hearing range was 1.6–2 kHz consistent with the best sensitive frequency of most terrestrial lentic taxa, yet completely mismatched with the dominant frequency of conspecific calls (4.3 kHz). Moreover, phonotaxis tests show that females strongly prefer high‐frequency (4.3 kHz) over low‐frequency calls (1.6 kHz) regardless of ambient noise levels, although peripheral auditory sensitivity is highest in the 1.6–2 kHz range. These results are consistent with the idea that A. torrentis evolved from nonstreamside species and that high‐frequency calls evolved under the pressure of stream noise. Our results also suggest that female preferences based on central auditory system characteristics may evolve independently of peripheral auditory system sensitivity in order to maximize communication effectiveness in noisy environments.
DL+log: Tight Integration of Description Logics and Disjunctive Datalog

The integration of Description Logics and Datalog rules presents many semantic and computational problems. In particular, reasoning in a system fully integrating Description Logics knowledge bases (DL-KBs) and Datalog programs is undecidable. Many proposals have overcomed this problem through a "safeness" condition that limits the interaction between the DL-KB and the Datalog rules. Such a safe integration of Description Logics and Datalog provides for systems with decidable reasoning, at the price of a strong limitation in terms of expressive power. In this paper we define DL +log, a general framework for the integration of Description Logics and disjunctive Datalog. From the knowledge representation viewpoint, DL +log extends previous proposals, since it allows for a tighter form of integration between DL-KBs and Datalog rules which overcomes the main representational limits of the approaches based on the safeness condition. From the reasoning viewpoint, we present algorithms for reasoning in DL +log, and prove decidability and complexity of reasoning in DL +log for several Description Logics. To the best of our knowledge, DL+log constitutes the most powerful decidable combination of Description Logics and disjunctive Datalog rules proposed so far.