Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of a novel regulatory domain in Bcl‐xL and Bcl‐2

Bcl‐xL, a member of the Bcl‐2 family, can inhibit many forms of programed cell death. The three‐dimensional structure of Bcl‐xL identified a 60 amino acid loop lacking defined structure. Although amino acid sequence within this region is not conserved among Bcl‐2 family members, structural modeling suggested that Bcl‐2 also contains a large unstructured region. Compared with the full‐length protein, loop deletion mutants of Bcl‐xL and Bcl‐2 displayed an enhanced ability to inhibit apoptosis. Despite enhanced function, the deletion mutants did not have significant alterations in the ability to bind pro‐apoptotic proteins such as Bax. The loop deletion mutant of Bcl‐2 also displayed a qualitative difference in its ability to inhibit apoptosis. Full‐length Bcl‐2 was unable to prevent anti‐IgM‐induced cell death of the immature B cell line WEHI‐231. In contrast, the Bcl‐2 deletion mutant protected WEHI‐231 cells from death. Substantial differences were observed in the ability of WEHI‐231 cells to phosphorylate the deletion mutant of Bcl‐2 compared with full‐length Bcl‐2. Bcl‐2 phosphorylation was found to be dependent on the presence of an intact loop domain. These results suggest that the loop domain in Bcl‐xL and Bcl‐2 can suppress the anti‐apoptotic function of these genes and may be a target for regulatory post‐translational modifications.
On message-level security

Die vorliegende Dissertation beschaftigt sich mit dem Thema Nachrichtensicherheit in Webservices und Single Sign-On Systemen. Durch die in der Dissertation beschriebene Methodologie sind zahlreiche Sicherheitslucken in verschiedenen Softwarebibliotheken und Webseiten identifiziert, gemeldet und behoben worden. Im ersten Teil der Dissertation wird die Sicherheit von SOAP-basierten Webservices untersucht. In diesem Rahmen wird die Software WS-Attacker zur Durchfuhrung vollautomatischer Penetrationstests konzipiert und implementiert. Im zweiten Teil wird die Sicherheit von Single Sign-On Systemen untersucht. Es werden generische Angriffskonzepte entwickelt, die anschliesend auf die Protokolle (1.) OpenID, (2.) OpenID Connect und (3.) SAML angewendet werden. Diese beruhen auf einem neuen Single Sign-On Angriffsparadigma, welches erstmals einen Identity Provider (IdP) fur das Auffinden und fur die Ausnutzung von Schwachstellen verwendet.
Fuzzy Expert System Based Test Cases Prioritization from UML State Machine Diagram using Risk Information

Regression testing is used to check that changes in the some functionality of the software to not affect its old behaviours. Test case prioritization is essential for reducing the cost of regression testing. In this paper a test cases prioritization model based on fuzzy logic is presented. State machine diagram is used to capture the behaviour of the system. Risk information is associated with the states. After change in the functionality of the system new state machine diagram is designed. This new state machine diagram is converted into Weighted Extended Finite State Machine (WEFSM). Weights are assigned to nodes and edges based on change and risk exposure. Risk exposure and change information of each test case is used as input to fuzzy model. Test cases are categorized in retestable, reusable and obsolete.
Application of social media analytics: a case of analyzing online hotel reviews

Purpose Online customer reviews could shed light into their experience, opinions, feelings, and concerns. To gain valuable knowledge about customers, it becomes increasingly important for businesses to collect, monitor, analyze, summarize, and visualize online customer reviews posted on social media platforms such as online forums. However, analyzing social media data is challenging due to the vast increase of social media data. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online customer reviews related to various hotels through a case study. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a tested approach of using natural language preprocessing, text mining, and sentiment analysis techniques to analyze online textual content. The value of the proposed approach was demonstrated through a case study using online hotel reviews. Findings The study found that the overall review star rating correlates pretty well with the sentiment scores for both the title and the full content of the online customer review. The case study also revealed that both extremely satisfied and extremely dissatisfied hotel customers share a common interest in the five categories: food, location, rooms, service, and staff. Originality/value This study analyzed the online reviews from English-speaking hotel customers in China to understand their preferred hotel attributes, main concerns or demands. This study also provides a feasible approach and a case study as an example to help enterprises more effectively apply social media analytics in practice.
Lessons Learned from Simultaneous Face and Bilateral Hand Allotransplantation

Summary: The performance of simultaneous vascularized composite allotransplantation procedures on patients requiring both the face and bilateral hands remains controversial. The authors present their separate institutional experiences with this challenging procedure in the interests of dispelling misconceptions regarding this intervention and forwarding their understanding of the issues related to concomitant vascularized composite allotransplantation. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, V.
PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF SOME AZO DERIVATIVES OF 5-AMINOSALICYLIC ACID AND THEIR PEGYLATED PRODRUGS ON ACETIC ACID-INDUCED RAT COLITIS

The protective and anti-inflammatory effects of azo and azo-linked polymeric prodrugs of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) on acetic acid induced colitis in rats were investigated. Three azo prodrugs; 4,4'-dihydroxy-azobenzene-3-carboxilic acid (azo compound I), 4-hydroxy-azobenzene-3,4’dicarboxilic acid (azo compound II), 4,4'-dihydroxy-3'-formyl-azobenzene-3-carboxylic acid (azo compound III) and their polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) derivatives were synthesized. Rats were pretreated orally (1 hour prior to induction of colitis) with sulfasalazin (300 mg/kg), azo compounds I, II, III and polyethylene glycol conjugates of azo compounds II and III in doses which had the same amount of 5-ASA as sulfasalazin contains. The colonic damage was examined 24 hours later and characterized by gross microscopic injury and colonic edema. Among prodrugs only azo compound III (215 mg/kg) produced a significant (p<0.01) protective effect against colonic injury comparable with sulfasalazin. Doubling the dose (430 mg/kg) showed more anti-colitis effects. Polyethylene glycol conjugate of azo compounds II and III also showed reduction in the extent of the cell death and tissue disorganization similar to sulfasalazin. While neither sulfasalazin, nor azo compound II and its PEG polymer produced anti-edema effects, both azo compound III and its PEG polymer decreased colon edema significantly (p<0.05). Histological examinations also indicated a marked reduction in tissue injury and inhibition in neutrophil infiltration in rats treated with azo compound III and PEG conjugates of azo compounds II and III. Results of this investigation provide experimental evidence supporting new cytoprotective, antiinflammatory and anti-edema properties of the azo derivatives of 5-ASA and their PEGylated prodrugs.
Immortalization of human corneal endothelial cells using electroporation protocol optimized for human corneal endothelial and human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE In this study we established a protocol for transfection of human corneal endothelial and human retinal pigment epithelial cells. This protocol was used for immortalization of human corneal endothelial cells. METHODS Transfection was performed by means of electroporation. For immortalization a plasmid encoding large and small SV40 T-antigen was used. RESULTS The established electroporation protocol was suitable for both cell types. This protocol was used for transfection of human corneal endothelial cells with a plasmid containing the early region of SV40. The transfected cultures exhibited an increased life-span before they entered crisis. One culture recovered from crisis and was cultivated for 300 population doublings. The cells exhibited an in vivo-like morphology usually lost during cell culture. CONCLUSIONS We describe for the first time a culture of SV40 transfected human corneal endothelial cells which recovered from crisis and can therefore be regarded as immortalized.
Privacy Tradeoff and Social Application Usage

Privacy trade off is important to individuals' usage of social applications. Although previous studies have enriched understanding on the impact of privacy trade off, rarely have researchers examined privacy trade off beyond the online commercial contexts. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effects of privacy risk and image enhancement on social application usage. To develop the research model, we drew on the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework to integrate the privacy literature and multidimensional development theory to explain how aspects of social applications influence usage intention through privacy risk and image enhancement. The research model was tested on survey data gathered from 217 social application users. We found that exposure sensitivity, network scope, and transparency of self affects privacy risk and image enhancement. Additionally, privacy risk and image enhancement were found to be important in shaping usage of social applications.
Compact CFR

This paper describes a collection of ideas that allow large games of imperfect information to be solved with counter-factual regret minimization (CFR) using little memory. We replace the regret matching component of CFR with a simple approach known as “follow-the-leader”. This helps us quantize the regret values computed in CFR to a single byte. We also investigate not maintaining the accumulated strategy, which saves additional memory. Ultimately, our collection of techniques allows CFR to be run with only 1 / 16 of the memory required by classic approaches. We present experimental results on poker.
Transforming Growth Factor-β2 Mediates Mesenchymal-Epithelial Interactions of Testicular Somatic Cells*†.

Transforming growth factor-β2 (TGFβ2) is an important mediator of growth and differentiation. We here describe for the first time the complete sequence of the TGFβ2 complementary DNA derived from peritubular myoid cells of the rat testis. The size of the rat TGFβ2 complementary DNA was 1245 bp, and the deduced protein sequence contained 414 amino acids. Sequence comparison with the human and mouse amino acid sequences demonstrated 96.4% and 97.9% sequence identities, respectively. To elucidate the functional role of TGFβ2 in testicular somatic cells, we studied its secretion in vitro in monocultures and cocultures of mesenchymal peritubular and epithelial Sertoli cells. The highest amounts of TGFβ2 protein were secreted in the cocultures and by peritubular cells, whereas Sertoli cells secreted only minor amounts. Stimulation experiments with FSH revealed a reduced secretion of TGFβ2 in cocultures, probably mediated by a paracrine interaction of the FSH-responsive Sertoli cells. In contrast, TGFβ2 secretio.
Trait impulsivity as an endophenotype for bipolar I disorder.

OBJECTIVE Impulsivity, conceptualized as impairment in planning and poor attentional and inhibitory control, is a key feature of bipolar disorder. Familial risk for bipolar disorder is known to affect inhibitory control but its impact on the attentional and planning dimensions of impulsivity is still unclear. METHODS We administered the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, version 11 (BIS-11) to 54 euthymic individuals with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder, 57 of their clinically unaffected siblings, and 49 healthy comparison subjects. Groups were compared on the attentional (rapid shifts in attention/impatience with complexity), motor (acting impetuously), and non-planning (absence of weighing upon long-term consequences of actions) subscales of the BIS-11, and on total BIS-11 score. To investigate functional implications of trait impulsivity, total BIS-11 score was examined in relation to current psychosocial functioning and criminal history. RESULTS Individuals with bipolar I disorder had elevated scores compared to healthy comparison subjects on BIS-11 total score and all three subscales (p < 0.0001). Unaffected siblings had elevated BIS-11 total score (p = 0.0037), motor (p = 0.0027), and non-planning (p = 0.0379) subscales in comparison to unrelated healthy controls. Total BIS-11 score was negatively associated with global assessment of functioning (GAF) score (β = -0.32, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that impulsivity is sensitive to familial liability for the illness, making it a potential endophenotype for bipolar disorder.
Nuclear myosin I is necessary for the formation of the first phosphodiester bond during transcription initiation by RNA polymerase II

The nuclear isoform of myosin, Nuclear Myosin I (NMI) is involved in transcription by RNA polymerase I. Previous experiments showing that antibodies to NMI inhibit transcription by RNA polymerase II using HeLa cell nuclear extract (NE) suggested that NMI might be a general transcription factor for RNA polymerases. In this study we used a minimal in vitro transcription system to investigate the involvement of NMI in transcription by RNA polymerase II in detail. We demonstrate that NMI co‐purifies with RNA polymerase II and that NMI is necessary for basal transcription by RNA polymerase II because antibodies to NMI inhibit transcription while adding NMI stimulates transcription. Further investigation revealed that NMI is specifically involved in transcription initiation. Finally, by employing an abortive transcription initiation assay, we demonstrate that NMI is crucial for the formation of the first phosphodiester bond during transcription initiation. J. Cell. Biochem. 99: 1001–1009, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Real-Time Eye Detection and Tracking under Various Light Conditions

This paper describes a real-time online prototype automobile and truck driver-fatigue monitor. It uses remotely located charge-coupled-device cameras equipped with active infrared illuminators to acquire video images of the driver. Various visual cues that typically characterize the level of alertness of a person are extracted in real time and systematically combined to infer the fatigue level of the driver. The visual cues employed characterize eyelid movement, gaze movement, head movement, and facial expression. A probabilistic model is developed to model human fatigue and to predict fatigue based on the visual cues obtained. The simultaneous use of multiple visual cues and their systematic combination yields a much more robust and accurate fatigue characterization than using a single visual cue. This system was validated under real-life fatigue conditions with human subjects of different ethnic backgrounds, genders, and ages; with/without glasses; and under different illumination conditions. It was found to be reasonably robust, reliable, and accurate in fatigue characterization.
Hierarchically biomimetic scaffold of a collagen–mesoporous bioactive glass nanofiber composite for bone tissue engineering

Mesoporous bioactive glass nanofibers (MBGNFs) were prepared by a sol–gel/electrospinning technique. Subsequently, a collagen–MBGNF (CM) composite scaffold that simultaneously possessed a macroporous structure and collagen nanofibers was fabricated by a gelation and freeze-drying process. Additionally, immersing the CM scaffold in a simulated body fluid resulted in the formation of bone-like apatite minerals on the surface. The CM scaffold provided a suitable environment for attachment to the cytoskeleton. Based on the measured alkaline phosphatase activity and protein expression levels of osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein, the CM scaffold promoted the differentiation and mineralization of MG63 osteoblast-like cells. In addition, the bone regeneration ability of the CM scaffold was examined using a rat calvarial defect model in vivo. The results revealed that CM is biodegradable and could promote bone regeneration. Therefore, a CM composite scaffold is a potential bone graft for bone tissue engineering applications.
Design of a Planar EBG Structure to Reduce Mutual Coupling in Multilayer Patch Antennas

EBG structures have the ability of suppressing surface waves within a given frequency range. The purpose of this work is to use one of the simplest 2D EBG (a planar periodic structure made of metallic patches on a grounded dielectric slab) in patch antenna arrays to reduce mutual coupling. Also, we pretend to keep both the array element separation smaller than lambda0 for grating lobes avoidance (as the work is focused on broadside arrays) and the patch antenna size large enough to have a good antenna directivity. To accomplish with this two conditions, the use of a multilayer dielectric substrate composed of high permittivity and low permittivity layers is fundamental. This allows the use of an EBG made of small elements printed on the high permittivity material and, at the same time, the low permittivity layer helps the bandwidth and the directivity of the antenna to be increased. A prototype has been manufactured and the mutual coupling has been measured. The reduction is larger than 10 dB with a completely planar structure.
Bioassays for evaluating the water‐extractable genotoxic and toxic potential of soils polluted by metal smelters

Physicochemical analyses of polluted soils are limited in their ability to determine all hazardous compounds, their bioavailability, and their combined effects on living organisms. Bioassays, on the other hand, can evaluate environmental quality more accurately. This study assesses the genotoxic potential of water extracts from soil polluted with metals (Pb, Cd, and Zn) by the former lead smelter in Žerjav, Slovenia using comet assay with Tetrahymena thermophila and human hepatoma cells (HepG2). In addition, the toxicity of soil samples and their extracts was evaluated using Vibrio fischeri and delayed fluorescence of Lemna minor. Chemical analyses of metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was performed for comparison. Measurements of the total metal concentrations showed that four of five plots near the former lead smelter were highly contaminated with Pb, Cd, and Zn, but the amount of metals in water/soil extracts was low at all the sampling plots. Genotoxicity was demonstrated using T. thermophila for the majority of the extracts, and HepG2 cells for only some of the extracts. Whereas V. fischeri indicated a gradual decrease in soil toxicity with greater distance from the smelter, the toxicity of extracts did not correlate with proximity. Low concentrations of metals in water extracts stimulated L. minor growth. The results indicate that comet assay with T. thermophila and HepG2 cells and the BSPT with V. fischeri are suitable protocols for screening the genotoxic and toxic potential of water/soil extracts by comet assay, whereas chemical analyses of total metal concentrations in soil do not solely suffice for evaluating metal pollution in the environment. Biological assays are thus crucial for risk assessment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.
Observing the Data Scientist: Using Manual Corrections As Implicit Feedback

Dataspaces aim to remove the up-front costs of information integration by gathering the needed domain information through targeted interactions with the end-user throughout the life-time of the integration. State-of-the-art tools are used to rapidly construct an initial (incorrect) integration, which is then refined in a pay-as-you-go manner by asking end-users to supply feedback on the resulting data. The idea is that end-users will choose to put effort into providing feedback on the areas of the integration where the quality is important to them, while other less well-used areas will receive a smaller share of user attention. This approach is promising but open problems remain. One issue is that the end-user loses control over the process. Their contribution is to specify their query requirements and to provide feedback on the results, as directed by the dataspace. But what feedback should the user supply to get the data they want? We propose a new approach to data integration in which the end-user and the dataspace work as equal partners to meet the integration goal. Both are able to perform data integration tasks directly, and both request and provide feedback on the results. In addition, the dataspace observes the actions of the end-user when carrying out integration, with the aim of automating that part of the work in future integration tasks. In this paper, we explore this idea by examining how a dataspace can observe an end-user at work, correcting errors in query results, to gather feedback needed to refine the mappings used for integration. We propose an algorithm for converting manual corrections to feedback, and present the results of a preliminary evaluation comparing this approach with seeking explicit feedback from end-users.
Impact of Relationship Status and Quality (Family Type) on the Mental Health of Mothers and Their Children: A 10-Year Longitudinal Study

Mothers and children of single or unstable relationships have higher rates of mental health problems than those in stable two-parent families. Despite results that mothers and children of conflictual two-parent families also show impairments, most studies do not consider relationship quality. Therefore, the present study combines relationship status and relationship quality to a “family type. ” The present study compares German mothers and children of two-parent families with high relationship quality to those from two-parent families with a low quality, single mothers, and unstable families. Data of n = 249 families from a 10-year follow-up longitudinal study show that mothers with a high relationship quality show the highest levels of mental health whereas all other groups show at least a 3.2 times higher probability of mental health symptoms. Children of mothers in unstable relationships show a 8.2 times higher probability to emotional or behavioral problems than children of mothers with high relationship quality. Therefore, not only relationship status but also relationship quality should be combined and this “family type” should be considered in future research.
Renal Baroceptor Control of Renin Secretion

Small reductions in renal perfusion pressure to levels still within a physiologic range, which did not reduce renal blood flow, caused the kidney to release renin. Renin appeared in much larger amounts in renal-vein blood than in renal lymph. Release of reruin appears to be mediated by a renal baroceptor rather than by ischemia.