Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Credential Based Access Control for Semantic Web Services

In this paper we make a contribution to the proof and trust layer of the Semantic Web layer cake by integrating two well founded techniques, namely DAML-S (for describing Web services with machine-processable semantics) and SPKI/SDSI (for specifying authorization based access control). Our approach builds on the idea of autonomous granting of access rights and decision making based on independent trust structures. Our framework allows the specification of access control related and functionality related aspects in a unified way that is manageable and efficient. Therefore, our approach is useful not only in typical Web service based applications (client-server architecture) but also in peer to peer and agent based applications.
The impact of socioeconomic status and multimorbidity on mortality: a population-based cohort study

Objective Multimorbidity (MM) is more prevalent among people of lower socioeconomic status (SES), and both MM and SES are associated with higher mortality rates. However, little is known about the relationship between SES, MM, and mortality. This study investigates the association between educational level and mortality, and to what extent MM modifies this association. Methods We followed 239,547 individuals invited to participate in the Danish National Health Survey 2010 (mean follow-up time: 3.8 years). MM was assessed by using information on drug prescriptions and diagnoses for 39 long-term conditions. Data on educational level were provided by Statistics Denmark. Date of death was obtained from the Civil Registration System. Information on lifestyle factors and quality of life was collected from the survey. The main outcomes were overall and premature mortality (death before the age of 75). Results Of a total of 12,480 deaths, 6,607 (9.5%) were of people with low educational level (LEL) and 1,272 (2.3%) were of people with high educational level (HEL). The mortality rate was higher among people with LEL compared with HEL in groups of people with 0–1 disease (hazard ratio: 2.26, 95% confidence interval: 2.00–2.55) and ≥4 diseases (hazard ratio: 1.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.04–1.24), respectively (adjusted model). The absolute number of deaths was six times higher among people with LEL than those with HEL in those with ≥4 diseases. The 1-year cumulative mortality proportions for overall death in those with ≥4 diseases was 5.59% for people with HEL versus 7.27% for people with LEL, and 1-year cumulative mortality proportions for premature death was 2.93% for people with HEL versus 4.04% for people with LEL. Adjusting for potential mediating factors such as lifestyle and quality of life eliminated the statistical association between educational level and mortality in people with MM. Conclusion Our study suggests that LEL is associated with higher overall and premature mortality and that the association is affected by MM, lifestyle factors, and quality of life.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity of NaBH4 Reduced BiFeO3 Nanoparticles for Rhodamine B Decolorization

In this work, oxygen vacancies were introduced onto the surface of BiFeO3 nanoparticles by NaBH4 reduction method to yield oxygen-deficient BiFeO3−x samples. Comprehensive analysis on the basis of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observation and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) confirms the existence of surface oxygen vacancies on the BiFeO3−x nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared BiFeO3−x samples was evaluated by the decolorization of rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated sunlight irradiation. The experimental results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of samples is highly related to the NaBH4 reduction time, and the BiFeO3−x sample reduced for 40 min exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency, which is much higher than that of pristine BiFeO3 nanoparticles. This can be explained by the fact that the surface oxygen vacancies act as photoinduced charges acceptors and adsorption sites suppress the recombination of photogenerated charges, leading to an increasing availability of photogenerated electrons and holes for photocatalytic reaction. In addition, the obtained BiFeO3−x sample exhibits good photocatalytic reusability.
Regulation of prostate branching morphogenesis by activin A and follistatin.

Ventral prostate development occurs by branching morphogenesis and is an androgen-dependent process modulated by growth factors. Many growth factors have been implicated in branching morphogenesis including activins (dimers of beta(A) and beta(B) subunits); activin A inhibited branching of lung and kidney in vitro. Our aim was to examine the role of activins on prostatic development in vitro and their localization in vivo. Organ culture of day 0 rat ventral prostates for 6 days with activin A (+/- testosterone) inhibited prostatic branching and growth without increasing apoptosis. The activin-binding protein follistatin increased branching in vitro in the absence (but not presence) of testosterone, suggesting endogenous activins may reduce prostatic branching morphogenesis. In vivo, inhibin alpha subunit was not expressed until puberty, therefore inhibins (dimers of alpha and beta subunits) are not involved in prostatic development. Activin beta(A) was immunolocalized to developing prostatic epithelium and mesenchymal aggregates at ductal tips. Activin beta(B) immunoreactivity was weak during development, but was upregulated in prostatic epithelium during puberty. Activin receptors were expressed throughout the prostatic epithelium. Follistatin mRNA and protein were expressed throughout the prostatic epithelium. The in vitro evidence that activin and follistatin have opposing effects on ductal branching suggests a role for activin as a negative regulator of prostatic ductal branching morphogenesis.
Exploring Maternal Health Care-Seeking Behavior of Married Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh: A Social-Ecological Approach

Background The huge proportion of child marriage contributes to high rates of pregnancies among adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Despite substantial progress in reducing maternal mortality in the last two decades, the rate of adolescent pregnancy remains high. The use of skilled maternal health services is still low in Bangladesh. Several quantitative studies described the use of skilled maternal health services among adolescent girls. So far, very little qualitative evidence exists about attitudes and practices related to maternal health. To fill this gap, we aimed at exploring maternal health care-seeking behavior of adolescent girls and their experiences related to pregnancy and delivery in Bangladesh. Methods and Findings A prospective qualitative study was conducted among thirty married adolescent girls from three Upazilas (sub-districts) of Rangpur district. They were interviewed in two subsequent phases (2014 and 2015). To triangulate and validate the data collected from these married adolescent girls, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with different stakeholders. Data analysis was guided by the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) including four levels of factors (individual, interpersonal and family, community and social, and organizational and health systems level) which influenced the maternal health care-seeking behavior of adolescent girls. While adolescent girls showed little decision making-autonomy, interpersonal and family level factors played an important role in their use of skilled maternal health services. In addition, community and social factors and as well as organizational and health systems factors shaped adolescent girls’ maternal health care-seeking behavior. Conclusions In order to improve the maternal health of adolescent girls, all four levels of factors of SEM should be taken into account while developing health interventions targeting adolescent girls.
Wedge: clutter-free visualization of off-screen locations

To overcome display limitations of small-screen devices, researchers have proposed techniques that point users to objects located off-screen. Arrow-based techniques such as City Lights convey only direction. Halo conveys direction and distance, but is susceptible to clutter resulting from overlapping halos. We present Wedge, a visualization technique that conveys direction and distance, yet avoids overlap and clutter. Wedge represents each off-screen location using an acute isosceles triangle: the tip coincides with the off-screen locations, and the two corners are located on-screen. A wedge conveys location awareness primarily by means of its two legs pointing towards the target. Wedges avoid overlap programmatically by repelling each other, causing them to rotate until overlap is resolved. As a result, wedges can be applied to numbers and configurations of targets that would lead to clutter if visualized using halos. We report on a user study comparing Wedge and Halo for three off-screen tasks. Participants were significantly more accurate when using Wedge than when using Halo.
Risking Other People's Money: Gambling, Limited Liability, and Optimal Incentives

We consider optimal incentive contracts when managers can, in addition to shirking or diverting funds, increase short term profits by putting the firm at risk of a low probability "disaster. " To avoid such risk-taking, investors must cede additional rents to the manager. In a dynamic context, however, because managerial rents must be reduced following poor performance to prevent shirking, poorly performing managers will take on disaster risk even under an optimal contract. This risk taking can be mitigated if disaster states can be identified ex-post by paying the manager a large bonus if the firm survives. But even in this case, if performance is sufficiently weak the manager will forfeit eligibility for a bonus, and again take on disaster risk. When effort costs are convex, reductions in effort incentives are used to limit risk taking, with a jump to high powered incentives in the gambling region. Our model can explain why suboptimal risk taking can emerge even when investors are fully rational and managers are compensated optimally.
The Use of Focus Groups to Identify Needs and Expectations of Young Fathers in a Male Involvement Program

A focus group was used to elicit information about the needs of young fathers who were interested in participating in a male involvement program to increase parenting responsibility. Seven focus groups were conducted with 17 young fathers in order to identify specific curricula components. The discussions were tape recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Young fathers identified the most needed curricula components to enable responsible fatherhood. This included human sexuality knowledge and skills as well as employment. Twelve of the fathers who subsequently enrolled in the program completed a behavioral risk assessment. Their behavioral profiles were consistent with the needs they identified. Involving young fathers in selecting curriculum content can be instrumental in tailoring educational programs to meet the unique needs of this group.
Computer‐Generated Graphite Pencil Rendering of 3D Polygonal Models

Researchers in non‐photorealistic rendering have investigated the display of three‐dimensional worlds using various display models. In particular, recent work has focused on the modeling of traditional artistic media and styles such as pen‐and‐ink illustration and watercolor painting. By providing 3D rendering systems that use these alternative display models users can generate traditional illustration renderings of their three‐dimensional worlds. In this paper we present our graphite pencil 3D renderer. We have broken the problem of simulating pencil drawing down into four fundamental parts: (1) simulating the drawing materials (graphite pencil and drawing paper, blenders and kneaded eraser), (2) modeling the drawing primitives (individual pencil strokes and mark‐making to create tones and textures), (3) simulating the basic rendering techniques used by artists and illustrators familiar with pencil rendering, and (4) modeling the control of the drawing composition. Each part builds upon the others and is essential to developing the framework for higher‐level rendering methods and tools. In this paper we present parts 2, 3, and 4 of our research. We present non‐photorealistic graphite pencil rendering methods for outlining and shading. We also present the control of drawing steps from preparatory sketches to finished rendering results. We demonstrate the capabilities of our approach with a variety of images generated from 3D models.
TGFβ mediated transition of corneal fibroblasts from a proinflammatory state to a profibrotic state through modulation of histone acetylation

Corneal fibroblasts exhibit different phenotypes in different phases of corneal wound healing. In the inflammatory phase, the cells assume a proinflammatory phenotype and produce large amounts of cytokines and chemokines, but in the proliferative and remodeling phases, they adapt a profibrotic state, differentiate into myofibroblasts and increase extracellular matrix protein synthesis, secretion, and deposition. In the present study, the molecular mechanisms regulating the transition of corneal fibroblasts from the proinflammatory state to the profibrotic state were investigated. Corneal fibroblasts were treated with TGFβ, a known profibrotic and anti‐inflammatory factor in wound healing, in the absence or presence of trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. The results revealed that TGFβ induced the profibrotic transition of corneal fibroblasts, including increased extracellular matrix synthesis, morphological changes, and assembly of actin filaments. Meanwhile, proinflammatory gene expressions of corneal fibroblasts were down‐regulated with the treatment of TGFβ, as confirmed by cDNA microarray, real time PCR and ELISA. Moreover, TSA reversed the TGFβ‐mediated transition of corneal fibroblasts from the proinflammatory state to the profibrotic state, as accompanied by histone hyperacetylations. In conclusion, TGFβ suppressed the production of proinflammatory factors and enhanced the expression of matrix remodeling genes of corneal fibroblasts in the transition from the proinflammatory state to the profibrotic state, and the dual roles of TGFβ on the phenotype regulations of corneal fibroblasts were mediated by altered histone acetylation. J. Cell. Physiol. 224:135–143, 2010 © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Full Triple Helical Region of Collagen Type I Provide An Atomic Scale View of the Protein's Regional Heterogeneity

Collagen is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix protein. Its biological functions, including maintenance of the structural integrity of tissues, depend on its multiscale, hierarchical structure. Three elongated, twisted peptide chains of > 1000 amino acids each assemble into trimeric proteins characterized by the defining triple helical domain. The trimers associate into fibrils, which pack into fibers. We conducted a 10 ns molecular dynamics simulation of the full-length triple helical domain, which was made computationally feasible by segmenting the protein into overlapping fragments. The calculation included ~1.8 million atoms, including solvent, and took approximately 11 months using the CPUs of over a quarter of a million computers. Specialized analysis protocols and a relational database were developed to process the large amounts of data, which are publicly available. The simulated structures exhibit heterogeneity in the triple helical domain consistent with experimental results but at higher resolution. The structures serve as the foundation for studies of higher order forms of the protein and for modeling the effects of disease-associated mutations.
Chemokine Receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7 are Associated with Tumor Aggressiveness and Prognosis in Extramammary Paget Disease

Chemokines are involved in many aspects of oncogenesis, including regulation of cancer cell growth, dissemination and host-tumor response. However, the potential of the chemokine receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR7, in serving as biomarkers in extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) has been rarely examined. Expressions of CXCR4 and CXCR7 were evaluated in 92 EMPD specimens by immunohistochemistry. High expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 were both correlated with regional lymph node metastasis and presence of lymphovascular invasion. High expression of CXCR7 also correlated with the depth of invasion. The prognostic value of these two chemokines were also investigated in progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Both high expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 were indicative of shorter PFS and CSS. In the combined prognostic model, concomitant high expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7 were suggestive of poor prognosis compared with the other two groups. In the multivariate analysis, depth of invasion, combined prognostic model and regional lymph node metastasis at diagnosis were the independent prognostic factors for EMPD patients for PFS, and the former two factors independently impacted CSS. Our results demonstrated that CXCR4 and CXCR7 can be used as prognostic biomarkers and prediction of aggressiveness of EMPD. Therapy targeting CXCR4 and CXCR7 may helpful to prevent EMPD progression and improve the prognosis of EMPD.
Performance Comparison of Cognitive Radio Sensor Networks for Industrial IoT With Different Deployment Patterns

Square lattice (SL), triangle lattice (TL), and hexagon lattice (HL) are widely used regular deployment patterns for industrial Internet of Things (IoT). However, the performance of cognitive-radio-based access with these three deployment patterns has not been explored yet. This paper first designs a transmission scheduling method named cognitive access for regular topology (CART) in cognitive radio sensor networks (CRSNs) with minimal occupation of channels and high transmission efficiency. CART consists of a timeslot-and-channel allocation scheme, a cooperative spectrum-sensing scheme, and a scheme for reporting spectrum-sensing results (SSRs) in SL, TL, and HL. This paper also analyzes CART’s cooperative spectrum-sensing performance, reception bandwidth, and transmission delay for different transmission interference range and coverage patterns. Based on numerical analysis and simulation, this paper makes comparison between CART and optimal transmission scheduling method for single channel, and that among these three deployment patterns. Results show the following insights for efficient deployment of CRSN: 1) TL yields the optimal cooperative spectrum-sensing performance among three patterns by data fusion rule of 3-out-of-7; 2) under the same conditions and area for deployment, SL provides the optimal reception bandwidth; 3) SL and TL lead to low transmission delay for critical complete coverage; 4) SL leads to the lowest transmission delay for critical multiple coverage; 5) the false alarm (FA) probability of individual node has little influence on transmission delay, while the probability of primary user’s (PU) occurrence has noticeably influence on it; and 6) increasing the ratio of transmission timeslot to spectrum-sensing timeslot may decrease transmission delay
Towards natural language interface framework for automated medical analysis

Constructing a practical medical data analysis system for real-life scenario remains challenging. While the development of various medical data analysis algorithms is rapidly advancing, it has not been matched by the development of a feasible, practical application framework for their implementation. In this paper, we introduce a medical data analysis framework based on natural language QA interface to structured medical data sources. We demonstrate that the complexities of performing medical data analyses can be simplified into question answering framework. Utilizing standard medical vocabularies, two hypothetical clinical questions are interpreted and the required analytics are automatically performed to produce textual and non-textual data for clinicians.
New Mechanism for Voltage Induced Charge Movement Revealed in GPCRs - Theory and Experiments

Depolarization induced charge movement associated currents, analogous to gating currents in channels, were recently demonstrated in G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), and were found to affect the receptor's Agonist binding Affinity, hence denoted AA-currents. Here we study, employing a combined theoretical-experimental approach, the properties of the AA-currents using the m2-muscarinic receptor (m2R) as a case study. We found that the AA-currents are characterized by a “bump”, a distinct rise followed by a slow decline, which appears both in the On and the Off responses. The cumulative features implied a directional behavior of the AA-currents. This forced us to abandon the classical chemical reaction type of models and develop instead a model that includes anisotropic processes, thus producing directionality. This model fitted well the experimental data. Our main findings are that the AA-currents include two components. One is extremely fast, , at all voltages. The other is slow, at all voltages. Surprisingly, the slow component includes a process which strongly depends on voltage and can be as fast as at . The reason that it does not affect the overall time constant of the slow component is that it carries very little charge. The two fast processes are suitable candidates to link between charge movement and agonist binding affinity under physiological conditions.
The International-Migration Network

This paper studies international migration from a complex-network perspective. We define the international-migration network (IMN) as the weighted-directed graph where nodes are world countries and links account for the stock of migrants originated in a given country and living in another country at a given point in time. We characterize the binary and weighted architecture of the network and its evolution over time in the period 1960-2000. We find that the IMN is organized around a modular structure characterized by a small-world pattern displaying disassortativity and high clustering, with power-law distributed weighted-network statistics. We also show that a parsimonious gravity model of migration can account for most of observed IMN topological structure. Overall, our results suggest that socio-economic, geographical and political factors are more important than local-network properties in shaping the structure of the IMN.