Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CloudVMI: A Cloud-Oriented Writable Virtual Machine Introspection

IoT generates considerable amounts of data, which often requires leveraging cloud computing to effectively scale the costs of transferring and computing these data. The concern regarding cloud security is more severe because many devices are connected to the cloud. It is important to automatically monitor and control these resources and services to efficiently and securely deliver cloud computing. The writable virtual machine introspection (VMI) technique can not only detect the runtime state of a guest VM from the outside but also update the state from the outside without any need for administrator efforts. Thus, the writable VMI technique can provide the benefit of high automation, which is helpful for automated cloud management. However, the existing writable VMI technique produces high overhead, fails to monitor the VMs distributed on different host nodes, and fails to monitor multiple VMs with heterogeneous guest OSes within a cloud; therefore, it cannot be applied for automated and centralized cloud management. In this paper, we present CloudVMI, which is a writable and cross-node monitoring VMI framework that can overcome the aforementioned issues. CloudVMI solves the semantic gap problem by redirecting the critical execution of system calls issued by the VMI program into the monitored VM. It has strong practicability by allowing one introspection program to inspect heterogeneous guest OSes and to monitor VMs distributed on remote host nodes. Thus, CloudVMI can be directly applied for automated and centralized cloud management. Moreover, we implement some defensive measures to secure CloudVMI itself. To highlight the writable capability and practical usefulness of CloudVMI, we implement four applications based on CloudVMI. CloudVMI is designed, implemented, and systematically evaluated. The experimental results demonstrate that CloudVMI is effective and practical for cloud management and that its performance overhead is acceptable compared with existing VMI systems.
Modelling of natural dialogues in the context of speech-based information and control systems

Current spoken dialogue systems are often criticised because they lack natural behaviour. In this thesis, a model to facilitate the development of user-friendly dialogues for information and control systems (e.g. travel-booking or smart room control systems) is created in order to address this problem. This also includes a study about the users' preferences, the classification of utterances according to intention and answer type and the development of a dialogue engine that can process dialogues based on this model. The developed model describes the dialogue flow and the combination of questions, answers and the resulting actions. Features like mixed initiative, open-ended questions, subdialogues and adaptable phrasings of system utterances lead to more natural dialogues and increase the usability of dialogue systems while linguistic datatypes, abstract question descriptions in connection with answer types and language generation methods enormously facilitate the definition of such dialogues for the developer. The separation of dialogue model and dialogue engine makes possible the reuse of base functionalities und prevents the mixing of execution logic and dialogue knowledge. The engine contains dialogue acts to classify user utterances and to prevent ambiguities as well as language understanding modules to identify the user's goal. In addition, it infers the next dialogue step under consideration of the specified dialogue behaviour. By implementing the Natural Dialogue System (NADIA), that runs the XML-based model, the functionality is proven.
Adaptive Evolutionary Neural Networks for Forecasting and Trading without a Data‐Snooping Bias

In this paper, we present two neural‐network‐based techniques: an adaptive evolutionary multilayer perceptron (aDEMLP) and an adaptive evolutionary wavelet neural network (aDEWNN). The two models are applied to the task of forecasting and trading the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA), the iShares NYSE Composite Index Fund (NYC) and the SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) exchange‐traded funds (ETFs). We benchmark their performance against two traditional MLP and WNN architectures, a smooth transition autoregressive model (STAR), a moving average convergence/divergence model (MACD) and a random walk model. We show that the proposed architectures present superior forecasting and trading performance compared to the benchmarks and are free from the limitations of the traditional neural networks such as the data‐snooping bias and the time‐consuming and biased processes involved in optimizing their parameters. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid Assessment of Recognition Efficiency and Functional Capacity of Antigen-Specific T-Cell Responses

It is increasingly recognized that cells within an antigen-specific CD8 T-cell population may be diverse in recognition efficiency for target, which may significantly affect the overall efficacy of the response in clinical settings such as viral infections and cancer. CD8 T cells with seemingly identical antigen specificity, particularly those elicited by cancer vaccines, may be heterogeneous for sensitivity and recognition efficiency for the cognate peptide and functional state in vivo. Analysis of individual T-cell clones derived from an antigen-specific T-cell population would provide an accurate assessment of the overall response; however, this is time- and labor-intensive, preventing rapid and routine assessment of patient samples from clinical trials. By stimulating antigen-specific T cells that otherwise appear homogeneous on tetramer staining with graded amounts of cognate peptides, the authors show that individual cells downmodulate surface T-cell receptors (TCR) and thus lose tetramer reactivity with variable dynamics within the T-cell population. The dynamics of TCR downregulation represent an accurate assessment of an individual cell's antigen sensitivity, recognition efficiency, and relative functional state within an antigen-specific population and have direct correlation to killing capacity by chromium release as well as degranulation by CD107 mobilization. Furthermore, despite correlation of average T-cell function by all three techniques, TCR downregulation uncovered heterogeneity in T-cell responses after vaccination among patient samples directly ex vivo. When examined using this novel technique, antigen-specific T cells elicited by vaccination with heteroclitic peptides exhibited significantly different recognition efficiencies for the heteroclitic versus native peptides, translating into differences in functional responses. With advancing cancer vaccine trials, the capacity to detect and functionally characterize antigen-specific T-cell responses in detail is critical. Techniques, as presented here, that rapidly assess the overall antigen sensitivity, recognition efficiency, and functional status of patients' T-cell responses will guide future vaccine trials and immunotherapies.
Immunity to α-Gal: The Opportunity for Malaria and Tuberculosis Control

1 UMR BIPAR, INRA, ANSES, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Paris, France, 2 Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, C˅eské Bude˅jovice, Czechia, 3 Institute of Parasitology, Biology Center, Czech Academy of Sciences, C˅eské Bude˅jovice, Czechia, 4 SaBio, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLMJCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain, 5 Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States
Fermentative lifestyle in yeasts belonging to the Saccharomyces complex

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is characterized by its ability to: (a) degrade glucose or fructose to ethanol, even in the presence of oxygen (Crabtree effect); (b) grow in the absence of oxygen; and (c) generate respiratory‐deficient mitochondrial mutants, so‐called petites. How unique are these properties among yeasts in the Saccharomyces clade, and what is their origin? Recent progress in genome sequencing has elucidated the phylogenetic relationships among yeasts in the Saccharomyces complex, providing a framework for the understanding of the evolutionary history of several modern traits. In this study, we analyzed over 40 yeasts that reflect over 150 million years of evolutionary history for their ability to ferment, grow in the absence of oxygen, and generate petites. A great majority of isolates exhibited good fermentation ability, suggesting that this trait could already be an intrinsic property of the progenitor yeast. We found that lineages that underwent the whole‐genome duplication, in general, exhibit a fermentative lifestyle, the Crabtree effect, and the ability to grow without oxygen, and can generate stable petite mutants. Some of the pre‐genome duplication lineages also exhibit some of these traits, but a majority of the tested species are petite‐negative, and show a reduced Crabtree effect and a reduced ability to grow in the absence of oxygen. It could be that the ability to accumulate ethanol in the presence of oxygen, a gradual independence from oxygen and/or the ability to generate petites were developed later in several lineages. However, these traits have been combined and developed to perfection only in the lineage that underwent the whole‐genome duplication and led to the modern Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast.
Study of several interpolation schemes to provide ionospheric corrections for navigation

Since the development of space based geodesic techniques, the increasing of the positioning accuracy has been a major goal. In this context, the effect of the ionosphere has been a key issue to be taken into account to improve the navigation results obtained using several types of receivers: from dual frequency phase receivers at distances greater than tens of kilometres of the nearest fixed site to single frequency code receivers. To overcome this problem, it is necessary either an accurate modelling of the ionosphere at the fixed stations and an optimum interpolation scheme for the rover receiver. This approach is either valid for single frequency users or rovers using dual frequency phase receiver. The current work studies the performance of different interpolation schemes such as linear interpolation and kriging, which can be implemented in a rover receiver in order to interpolate either the Slant Total Electron Content (from now on STEC) or the Double Differenced STEC from the transmitted corrections that are computed at the fixed stations.
Visual Feedforward Guides for Performing Bend Gestures on Deformable Prototypes

As a novel input techniques for deformable devices, bend gestures can prove difficult for users to perform correctly as they have many characteristics to master. In this paper, we present three bend visual guides which use feedforward and feedback mechanisms to lead users to correctly perform bend gestures on a flexible device. We conducted an experiment to evaluate the efficiency and preference for our visual feedback designs. Our results show that users performed faster when the visual guidance appeared at the location where the bend gesture is to be performed instead of always at a fixed location on the screen. While feedforward improved users' performance, using feedback had a negative effect. We propose a set of design guidelines for visual systems for bend gestures.
Self-Monitoring, Need for Cognition, and the Stroop Effect: A Preliminary Study

The color-word Stroop task requires an individual to ignore one piece of information (word) while responding to another (color). Since self-monitors are good at adapting their responses to fir a situation and those high in need for cognition carefully think through information before responding, this study explored the relationship between self-monitoring and need for cognition using Stroop interference. It was anticipated that self-monitoring would reduce Stroop interference, while need for cognition would increase Stroop interference. 23 General Psychology students (10 men, 13 women, Mage = 18.8 yr.) participated. Participants were given the Self-monitoring Scale, the Need for Cognition Scale, and the Stroop Color-Word Test. Analysis indicated that Need for Cognition was not correlated with Stroop interference (r = .31) but higher scores on Self-monitoring were correlated with lower Stroop interference (r = .43), Implications for research are suggested.
α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid‐mediated excitotoxic axonal damage is attenuated in the absence of myelin proteolipid protein

In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid (AMPA)‐receptor‐mediated excitotoxicity causes cytoskeletal damage to axons. AMPA/kainate receptors are present on oligodendrocytes and myelin, but currently there is no evidence to suggest that axon cylinders contain AMPA receptors. Proteolipid protein (PLP) and DM20 are integral membrane proteins expressed by CNS oligodendrocytes and located in compact myelin. Humans and mice lacking normal PLP/DM20 develop axonal swellings and degeneration, suggesting that local interactions between axons and the oligodendrocyte/myelin unit are important for the normal functioning of axons and that PLP/DM20 is involved in this process. To determine whether perturbed glial–axonal interaction affects AMPA‐receptor‐mediated axonal damage, AMPA (1.5 nmol) was injected into the caudate nucleus of anesthetized Plp knockout and wild‐type male mice (n = 13). Twenty‐four hours later, axonal damage was detected by using neurofilament 200 (NF 200) immunohistochemistry and neuronal damage detected via histology. AMPA‐induced axonal damage, assessed with NF 200 immunohistochemistry, was significantly reduced in Plp knockout mice compared with wild‐type mice (P = 0.015). There was no significant difference in the levels of neuronal perikaryal damage between the Plp knockout and wild‐type mice. In addition, there was no significant difference in the levels of glutamate receptor subunits GluR1–4 or KA2 in Plp knockout compared with wild‐type littermates. The present study suggests that PLP‐mediated interactions among oligodendrocytes, myelin, and axons may be involved in AMPA‐mediated axonal damage. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phenotypic and molecular identification of lactobacilli isolated from vaginal secretions.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Twenty lactobacilli isolated from vaginal samples of healthy volunteers were characterized according to polyphasic taxonomy. A broad spectrum of activity and protective properties of these vaginal isolates has been reported. METHODS Phenotypic and genotypic methods such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), species-specific and BOX polymerase chain reaction (PCR), amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and 16S rRNA sequence analyses were applied for Lactobacillus spp. identification. RESULTS On the basis of carbohydrate utilization profiles using API 50 CHL kits (fermentation pattern), the strains were divided into 7 groups. RAPD- and BOX-PCR analyses revealed heterogeneity within the established phenotypic groups and discriminated successfully between the vaginal strains. The combination of species-specific PCR, ARDRA, and 16S rRNA sequence analyses allowed the species identification of 7 strains as Lactobacillus fermentum, 2 as Lactobacillus gasseri, 1 as Lactobacillus brevis, and 1 as Lactobacillus salivarius. These results were not in agreement with data obtained by classical and molecular methods for some clinical isolates. CONCLUSION This is the first polyphasic taxonomy study on vaginal lactobacilli from Bulgarian women of reproductive age. These data add to the limited information existing in Bulgaria on the true identity of Lactobacillus spp. in the vaginal microbiota.
EFFECTIVE RELATIVE POSITION DETECTION FOR MULTICASTING OF ALERT MESSAGES

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth. This information can be shared with other nodes in the network and is central requirement for VANET application like navigation, intelligent transportation, collision avoidance and location based services. In case of emergency all the vehicles in the network are not affected so broadcasting of alert packet is not feasible rather multicasting of alert packet should be done, but defining the list of node to be considered for multicasting is a challenging task as every vehicle cannot hold the location information of all the vehicles in the network. Calculating the list of relative vehicles position depends on the travelling direction, bearing angle and the distance. Road side unit manages all the vehicles information and detect the failure vehicles and calculate the details of the vehicles which are affected by the failure vehicle using the geo positioning and multicast alert packets to identified vehicles. This will narrow down the broadcasting scenario and prevent the traffic congestion which is caused by message delivery to
- 1-Sertoli Cell Proliferation in the Adult Testis Is Induced by Unilateral Gonadectomy in 1 African catfish 2

1 Survival and development of male germ cells depends on their close contact with Sertoli 2 cells. In the cystic spermatogenesis found in fish, one germ cell clone, initially a single 3 undifferentiated spermatogonium type A, is enclosed by and accompanied through spermatogenesis 4 by a group of Sertoli cells. Previous work showed that after forming such spermatogenic cysts, Sertoli 5 cells proliferated mainly during the mitotic expansion of the spermatogonial clone in the cyst. Here, 6 we used unilateral gonadectomy (ULG) as experimental model to study Sertoli cell proliferation at 7 the start of cyst development in adult African catfish testis. Four days after surgery, we observed a 8 particularly strong increase in the number of mitotic Sertoli cells along with a significant increase in 9 the number of mitotic single type A spermatogonia. Proliferation of pairs of spermatogonia or of 10 larger germ cell clones, however, did not change. At the same time, pituitary transcript levels of the 11 three gonadotropin-subunits (cga, glycoprotein hormones, alpha polypeptide; fshb, follicle 12 stimulating hormone, beta polypeptide; lhb, luteinizing hormone, beta polypeptide) were not 13 different between sham-operated and ULG males. However, expression of the gonadotropin14 releasing hormone receptor gene gnrhr1 was significantly reduced after ULG, and Lh plasma levels 15 were slightly elevated. In the testis remaining after ULG, Fsh receptor (fshr) mRNA levels increased 16 significantly but luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (lhcgr) mRNA levels did not 17 change. Circulating androgen levels did not differ between groups, but testicular androgen release 18 increased significantly 2to 3-fold after ULG. Considering the strong steroidogenic potency of Fsh and 19 the expression of the fshr gene by Leydig cells in catfish, we explain the absence of an effect of ULG 20 on circulating androgen levels by an Fshr-mediated, compensatory increase in the steroid production 21 of the remaining testis, perhaps supported in addition by the increased Lh plasma levels. Since Fsh is 22 a major stimulator of mammalian Sertoli cell proliferation, we propose that ULG-induced activation 23 of the Fsh signalling system also promoted Sertoli cell proliferation and – possibly as a consequence 24 of that – proliferation of single type A spermatogonia, providing the basis for an increased 25 spermatogenic capacity. 26 27
Adenoidectomy versus chemoprophylaxis and placebo for recurrent acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years: randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of adenoidectomy compared with long term chemoprophylaxis and placebo in the prevention of recurrent acute otitis media in children aged between 10 months and 2 years. Design Randomised, double blind, controlled trial. Setting Oulu University Hospital, a tertiary centre in Finland. Participants 180 children aged 10 months to 2 years with recurrent acute otitis media. Intervention Adenoidectomy, sulfafurazole (sulphisoxazole) 50 mg/kg body weight, given once a day for six months or placebo. Follow up lasted for two years, during which time all symptoms and episodes of acute otitis media were recorded. Main outcome measures Intervention failure (two episodes in two months or three in six months or persistent effusion) during follow up, number of episodes of acute otitis media, number of visits to a doctor because of any infection, and antibiotic prescriptions Number of prescriptions, and days with symptoms of respiratory infection. Results Compared with placebo, interventions failed during both the first six months and the rest of the follow up period of 24 months similarly in the adenoidectomy and chemoprophylaxis groups (at six months the differences in risk were 10% (95% confidence interval −9% to 29%) and 18% (−2% to 38%), respectively). No significant differences were observed between the groups in the numbers of episodes of acute otitis media, visits to a doctor, antibiotic prescriptions, and days with symptoms of respiratory infection. Conclusions Adenoidectomy, as the first surgical treatment of children aged 10 to 24 months with recurrent acute otitis media, is not effective in preventing further episodes. It cannot be recommended as the primary method of prophylaxis.
Pharmacological characterization of LY303870: a novel, potent and selective nonpeptide substance P (neurokinin-1) receptor antagonist.

LY303870 [(R)-1-[N-(2-methoxybenzyl)acetylamino]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-[N-(2-(4- (piperidin-1-yl)piperidin-1-yl)acetyl)amino]propane] is a new, potent and selective nonpeptide neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonist. LY303870 bound selectively and with high affinity to human peripheral (Ki = 0.15 nM) and central (Ki = 0.10 nM) NK-1 receptors. LY303870 inhibited [125I]substance P (SP) binding to guinea pig brain homogenates with similar affinity; however, it had approximately 50-fold lesser affinity for rat NK-1 sites. The less active enantiomer, LY306155 [(S)-1-[N-(2-methoxybenzyl)acetylamino]-3-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-[N-(2-(4- (piperidin-1-yl)piperidin-1-yl)acetyl)amino]-propane], was 1,000- to 15,000-fold less potent in all the species examined. LY303870 antagonized in vitro NK-1 receptor effects as demonstrated by blockade of SP-stimulated phosphoinositide turnover in UC-11 MG human astrocytoma cells (Ki = 1.5 nM) and interleukin-6 secretion from U-373 MG human astrocytoma cells (Ki = 5 nM). In addition, LY303870 inhibited SP-induced rabbit vena cava contractions (pA2 = 9.4) with high (50,000-fold) selectivity vs. NK-2 or NK-3 receptor-mediated responses. In vivo, LY303870 inhibited [Sar9,Met(O2)11]-SP induced guinea pig bronchoconstriction (ED50 = 75 micrograms/kg i.v.) and pulmonary microvascular leakage in the bronchi (ED50 = 12.8 micrograms/kg i.v.) and trachea (ED50 = 18.5 micrograms/kg i.v.). Therefore, LY303870 is a potent and selective NK-1 receptor antagonist in vitro and in vivo. The use of LY303870 will facilitate a better understanding of NK-1 receptors in physiological processes.
A Graph-based Algorithm to Build Knowledge Map for Minority Languages

Knowledge mapping will undoubtedly bring great convenience to application users for being behind the strong support of knowledge base. In this paper, we study how to discover the evolution of knowledge map in multi-languages. Our approach is uniquely designed to capture the rich topology of semantic items and to link the sub-graph to a global knowledge map. Instead of building a knowledge map start from scratch, we conceptually define semantic classes as a quantized unit of evolutionary link in sub-graph and discover new knowledge with multi-language dictionaries. Discovered new knowledge items are then connected to form an evolution knowledge map using a measure derived from the underlying semantic classes. We integrate these noisy items and entities into a unified probabilistic knowledge map using ideas from graph-based algorithm.