Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automated discovery of state transitions and their functions in source code

Finite‐state machine specifications form the basis for a number of rigorous state‐based testing techniques and can help to understand program behaviour. Unfortunately they are rarely maintained during software development, which means that these benefits can rarely be fully exploited. This paper describes a technique that, given a set of states that are of interest to a developer, uses symbolic execution to reverse‐engineer state transitions from source code. A particularly novel aspect of our approach is that, besides determining whether or not a state transition can take place, it also identifies the paths through the source code that govern a transition. The technique has been implemented as a prototype, enabling its preliminary evaluation with respect to real software systems. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Overexpression of Endothelin 1 Triggers Hepatocarcinogenesis in Zebrafish and Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration through the AKT Pathway

Hepatocarcinogenesis commonly involves the gradual progression from hepatitis to fibrosis and cirrhosis, and ultimately to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Endothelin 1 (Edn1) has been identified as a gene that is significantly up-regulated in HBx-induced HCC in mice. In this study, we further investigated the role of edn1 in hepatocarcinogenesis using a transgenic zebrafish model and a cell culture system. Liver-specific edn1 expression caused steatosis, fibrosis, glycogen accumulation, bile duct dilation, hyperplasia, and HCC in zebrafish. Overexpression of EDN1 in 293T cells enhanced cell proliferation and cell migration in in vitro and xenotransplantation assays and was accompanied with up-regulation of several cell cycle/proliferation- and migration-specific genes. Furthermore, expression of the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway-related mediators, such as spliced XBP1, ATF6, IRE1, and PERK, was also up-regulated at both the RNA and protein levels. In the presence of an EDN1 inhibitor or an AKT inhibitor, these increases were diminished and the EDN1-induced migration ability also was disappeared, suggesting that the EDN1 effects act through activation of the AKT pathway to enhance the UPR and subsequently activate the expression of downstream genes. Additionally, p-AKT is enhanced in the edn1 transgenic fish compared to the GFP-mCherry control. The micro RNA miR-1 was found to inhibit the expression of EDN1. We also observed an inverse correlation between EDN1 and miR-1 expression in HCC patients. In conclusion, our data suggest that EDN1 plays an important role in HCC progression by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway and is regulated by miR-1.
Vasa genes: Emerging roles in the germ line and in multipotent cells

Sexually reproducing metazoans establish a cell lineage during development that is ultimately dedicated to gamete production. Work in a variety of animals suggests that a group of conserved molecular determinants act in this germ line maintenance and function. The most universal of these genes are Vasa and Vasa‐like DEAD‐box RNA helicase genes. However, recent evidence indicates that Vasa genes also function in other cell types, distinct from the germ line. Here we evaluate our current understanding of Vasa function and its regulation during development, addressing Vasa's emerging role in multipotent cells. We also explore the evolutionary diversification of the N‐terminal domain of this gene and how this impacts the association of Vasa with nuage‐like perinuclear structures.
Impact of personality traits and early life experience on timing of emigration and rise to alpha male status for wild male white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) at Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Costa Rica

It is rare in studies of long-lived animals to know enough about the personalities and early experiences of individuals to use this information to predict their behaviour during major life transitions in adolescence and adulthood. Here, we examine how personality traits and early experiences predict age of natal emigration and timing of first ascent to alpha status in 169 wild male white-faced capuchins studied at Lomas Barbudal, Costa Rica, 75 of whom emigrated and 23 of whom acquired alpha status. Males were more likely to delay natal emigration if they were more extraverted, more neurotic, if their fathers co-resided longer with them, and if there were fewer alpha male turnovers. More extraverted males attained alpha status sooner.
Everolimus and mTOR inhibition in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are rare and the majority of patients present in the advanced stage. Over the past few decades, treatment for patients with metastatic well- or moderately differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors have not significantly impeded tumor progression nor improved survival. However, recent mapping of intracellular signaling pathways promoting tumor proliferation, growth, and angiogenesis has presented mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) as a potential target within the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt pathway. With the development of the new-generation mTOR inhibitor everolimus, a series of clinical trials over the last 5 years have demonstrated significant benefit in delaying tumor progression. This review focuses on the mechanism of mTOR inhibition and traces the development of clinical evidence for the use of mTOR inhibitors in well- to moderately differentiated advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.
Combined acoustic and optical trapping

Combining several methods for contact free micro-manipulation of small particles such as cells or micro-organisms provides the advantages of each method in a single setup. Optical tweezers, which employ focused laser beams, offer very precise and selective handling of single particles. On the other hand, acoustic trapping with wavelengths of about 1 mm allows the simultaneous trapping of many, comparatively large particles. With conventional approaches it is difficult to fully employ the strengths of each method due to the different experimental requirements. Here we present the combined optical and acoustic trapping of motile micro-organisms in a microfluidic environment, utilizing optical macro-tweezers, which offer a large field of view and working distance of several millimeters and therefore match the typical range of acoustic trapping. We characterize the acoustic trapping forces with the help of optically trapped particles and present several applications of the combined optical and acoustic trapping, such as manipulation of large (75 μm) particles and active particle sorting.
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Treatment of Focal Hand Dystonia: Update and Future Direction

Focal hand dystonia (FHD) is characterized by excessive and unwanted muscle activation in both the hand and arm resulting in impaired performance in particular tasks. Understanding the pathophysiology of FHD has progressed significantly for several decades and this has led to consideration of other potential therapies such as non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS). A number of studies have been conducted to develop new therapy for FHD using transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation. In this paper, we review previous studies and describe the potential therapeutic use of NIBS for FHD. We also discuss the future direction of NIBS to treat FHD.
Brain Signals of Face Processing as Revealed by Event-Related Potentials

We analyze the functional significance of different event-related potentials (ERPs) as electrophysiological indices of face perception and face recognition, according to cognitive and neurofunctional models of face processing. Initially, the processing of faces seems to be supported by early extrastriate occipital cortices and revealed by modulations of the occipital P1. This early response is thought to reflect the detection of certain primary structural aspects indicating the presence grosso modo of a face within the visual field. The posterior-temporal N170 is more sensitive to the detection of faces as complex-structured stimuli and, therefore, to the presence of its distinctive organizational characteristics prior to within-category identification. In turn, the relatively late and probably more rostrally generated N250r and N400-like responses might respectively indicate processes of access and retrieval of face-related information, which is stored in long-term memory (LTM). New methods of analysis of electrophysiological and neuroanatomical data, namely, dynamic causal modeling, single-trial and time-frequency analyses, are highly recommended to advance in the knowledge of those brain mechanisms concerning face processing.
Struggling with Ambiguity - Public Managers as Users of NPM Instruments #

This paper examines public managers as users of NPM instruments (efficiency artefacts) in their attempts to improve the productivity and quality of public services. The paper has two aims. First, it discusses a three-level theoretical framework in which the uses of efficiency artefacts are determined by the resources and facilities of the institutional context, the social norms of acceptable behavior in the public sector and interpretive schemes of public managers in using efficiency artefacts. Second, the paper analyzes empirical case data on Finnish municipalities regarding uses of Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Activity Based Costing (ABC) and General Performance Indicators (GPI). The data set consists of statistical information and interview data from municipal managers. The objective is to collect interpretive schemes among municipal managers. The analysis builds upon a premise that efficiency artefacts are ambiguous. When interacting with instruments public managers attempt to create ‘order’ for their leadership activities. The special focus is to understand how the order is created using ambiguous instruments, and also what consequences may arise from the setting. For leaders, such attempts can be seen as methods of struggling with ambiguity. But as always, methods may succeed, or they may fail. The paper theorizes both aspects.
Parallel Germline Infiltration of a Lentivirus in Two Malagasy Lemurs

Retroviruses normally infect the somatic cells of their host and are transmitted horizontally, i.e., in an exogenous way. Occasionally, however, some retroviruses can also infect and integrate into the genome of germ cells, which may allow for their vertical inheritance and fixation in a given species; a process known as endogenization. Lentiviruses, a group of mammalian retroviruses that includes HIV, are known to infect primates, ruminants, horses, and cats. Unlike many other retroviruses, these viruses have not been demonstrably successful at germline infiltration. Here, we report on the discovery of endogenous lentiviral insertions in seven species of Malagasy lemurs from two different genera—Cheirogaleus and Microcebus. Combining molecular clock analyses and cross-species screening of orthologous insertions, we show that the presence of this endogenous lentivirus in six species of Microcebus is the result of one endogenization event that occurred about 4.2 million years ago. In addition, we demonstrate that this lentivirus independently infiltrated the germline of Cheirogaleus and that the two endogenization events occurred quasi-simultaneously. Using multiple proviral copies, we derive and characterize an apparently full length and intact consensus for this lentivirus. These results provide evidence that lentiviruses have repeatedly infiltrated the germline of prosimian species and that primates have been exposed to lentiviruses for a much longer time than what can be inferred based on sequence comparison of circulating lentiviruses. The study sets the stage for an unprecedented opportunity to reconstruct an ancestral primate lentivirus and thereby advance our knowledge of host–virus interactions.
QuizGuide: Increasing the Educational Value of Individualized Self-Assessment Quizzes with Adaptive Navigation Support

The paper introduces QuizGuide, an adaptive system that we developed to help our students select the most relevant self-assessment quizzes. QuizGuide uses adaptive navigation support to show every student which topics are currently most important and which require further work. Despite relatively simple user modeling and adaptation techniques used in QuizGuide, the system has achieved a remarkable impact on student learning and performance. With QuizGuide the students explored more questions, worked on questions more persistently, and accessed a larger diversity of questions. This increased participation resulted in the larger increase of their knowledge at the end of the course.
Culture formation and its issues in personal agent-oriented virtual society: "PAWˆ2"

In recent years, the combination of communication networks and computer technologies have made it possible to create a cyberspace on the Internet. Recently, several 3D shared virtual spaces and worlds have been developed in which users can share the same experience in a shared virtual environment [1][10]. The next important step is to extend these environments into a "virtual society. " . To realize a virtual society, it is important to obtain a large number of users in a virtual world and evaluate various issues based on the populated world. For instance, what kind of functions (especially, social functions) and interface should be supported. For this purpose we constructed a personal agent-oriented virtual society called "PAW^2" (Personal Agent World) based on our CommunityPlace system [1][2]. PAW^2 [3][4] is a 3D personal agent-oriented virtual society (Figure 1). PAW^2 has improved upon past virtual spaces based on avatar and text communication by providing autonomous personal agents that interact with users plus a social and environmental infrastructure (Figure 2). We have made several observations about the unique social phenomena in PAW^2 based on our experience operating the system. In this paper, we investigate these phenomena in detail by using non-participant observation method [7] and statistic method. According to the results of observation and statistic data, we clarify what sort of phenomenon that occurred. Then, we discuss the possibility of forming culture in a virtual society and its issues.
From linear to non‐linear scales: analytical and numerical predictions for weak‐lensing convergence

Weak-lensing convergence can be used directly to map and probe the dark-mass distribution in the Universe. Building on earlier studies, we recall how the statistics of the convergence field are related to the statistics of the underlying mass distribution, in particular to the many-body density correlations. We describe two model-independent approximations which provide two simple methods to compute the probability distribution function (pdf) of the convergence. We apply one of these to the case where the density field can be described by a lognormal pdf. Next, we discuss two hierarchical models for the high-order correlations which allow us to perform exact calculations and evaluate the previous approximations in such specific cases. Finally, we apply these methods to a very simple model for the evolution of the density field from linear to highly non-linear scales. Comparisons with the results obtained from numerical simulations, obtained from a number of different realizations, show excellent agreement with our theoretical predictions. We have probed various angular scales in the numerical work and considered sources at 14 different redshifts in each of two different cosmological scenarios, an open cosmology and a flat cosmology with non-zero cosmological constant. Our simulation technique employs computations of the full three-dimensional shear matrices along the line of sight from the source redshift to the observer and is complementary to more popular ray-tracing algorithms. Our results therefore provide a valuable cross-check for such complementary simulation techniques, as well as for our simple analytical model, from the linear to the highly non-linear regime.
The time course of brain activations during response inhibition: evidence from event‐related potentials in a go/no go task

THE cortical organization of executive control was investigated using event-related potentials (ERPs). ERPs were collected while subjects performed a go/no go task that required response inhibition. First, around 26ms after stimulus onset, an effect of response inhibition on ERPs was observed over inferior prefrontal areas. Generators in these regions were confirmed by source analysis. Later, between 300–60 ms after stimulus onset, a left lateralized fronto-central ERP effect was found which differed in topography from a non-specific effect of task difficulty. Source analysis indicated that generators in anterior cingulate and left premotor areas also contributed to this effect. Orchestrated activation of prefrontal areas and the anterior cingulate subserves executive function whereas relatively late activity of the left premotor cortex is involved in motor control.
Comprehensive performance analysis of path loss models on GSM 940 MHz and IEEE 802.16 WIMAX frequency 3.5 GHz on different terrains

Now-a-days broadband wireless access system supports potential success in radio network planning. In this paper we have considered GSM and WIMAX cellular network with different operating frequencies in wireless broadband services. The critical task lies on providing large scale dimensioning in broad band wireless system is a vital factor. so, an effective Path loss performance is a pivotal step requirement for deployment of wireless and cellular network planning in SIMO(Single-Input and Multiple-Output)model. In this work we are compared and analyze the various different propagation path loss models for our study. We computed the results by taking different receiver antennas heights(4m and 10m)in urban, suburban, rural (flat)areas. For measuring we have considered GSM(940 MHz) and WIMAX(3.5 GHz)in urban, suburban(NLOS) condition for rural(LOS)condition and used MAT Lab simulator for generating results.
A Highly Efficient and Secure Multidimensional Blocking Approach for Private Record Linkage

Privacy Preserving Record Linkage is the process of securely integrating information without compromising the privacy of the individuals described by these data. While such an effort sounds appealing for both academic and business applications, it is complicated and computationally intensive. In this paper we aspire to provide a solution to this problem by presenting a highly secure mutidimensional Privacy Preserving Blocking approach which is totally distributed and runs independently on each data holder, making it invulnerable to third party attacks. It is based on the idea of using publicly available corpora of data known as reference sets for creating k-anonymous clusters. We analytically prove that our method is secure and provide experimental results which evaluate the increased performance of our method in terms of matching accuracy and execution time.
An organ-specific role for ethylene in rose petal expansion during dehydration and rehydration

Dehydration is a major factor resulting in huge loss from cut flowers during transportation. In the present study, dehydration inhibited petal cell expansion and resulted in irregular flowers in cut roses, mimicking ethylene-treated flowers. Among the five floral organs, dehydration substantially elevated ethylene production in the sepals, whilst rehydration caused rapid and elevated ethylene levels in the gynoecia and sepals. Among the five ethylene biosynthetic enzyme genes (RhACS1–5), expression of RhACS1 and RhACS2 was induced by dehydration and rehydration in the two floral organs. Silencing both RhACS1 and RhACS2 significantly suppressed dehydration- and rehydration-induced ethylene in the sepals and gynoecia. This weakened the inhibitory effect of dehydration on petal cell expansion. β-glucuronidase activity driven by both the RhACS1 and RhACS2 promoters was dramatically induced in the sepals, pistil, and stamens, but not in the petals of transgenic Arabidopsis. This further supports the organ-specific induction of these two genes. Among the five rose ethylene receptor genes (RhETR1–5), expression of RhETR3 was predominantly induced by dehydration and rehydration in the petals. RhETR3 silencing clearly aggravated the inhibitory effect of dehydration on petal cell expansion. However, no significant difference in the effect between RhETR3-silenced flowers and RhETR-genes-silenced flowers was observed. Furthermore, RhETR-genes silencing extensively altered the expression of 21 cell expansion-related downstream genes in response to ethylene. These results suggest that induction of ethylene biosynthesis by dehydration proceeds in an organ-specific manner, indicating that ethylene can function as a mediator in dehydration-caused inhibition of cell expansion in rose petals.
Genetic framework for the high level optimisation of low power VLSI DSP systems

The authors present a technique for optimising CMOS based DSP systems for power. A genetic algorithm is used to reduce power, while tracking area and speed specifications, through the application of high level transformations. The algorithm searches for systems with the lowest power consumption within a large solution space. Results are presented which demonstrate the efficiency of the genetic algorithm as a power optimisation tool for complex VLSI systems.
CONTABILIDADE CRIATIVA: BRECHAS NAS NORMAS CONTÁBEIS OU FRAUDE CONTÁBIL? UMA ANÁLISE DAS MAIORES FRAUDES MUNDIAIS WINDOW DRESSING: BREACH OUTCOMES UNDER RULES AND PRINCIPLES ACCOUNTING STANDARDS OR ACCOUNTING FRAUD? AN ANALYSIS OF THE BIGGEST FRAUD WORLDWIDE

Resumo: A Contabilidade e uma ciencia social e, como tal, esta sujeita a interferencia do homem, podendo esse influenciar nos resultados de uma empresa, mediante a escolha de procedimentos a serem adotados ou, ainda, aproveitando as brechas encontradas na referida ciencia. Nesse contexto, encontra-se a Contabilidade Criativa que, conforme a teoria e definida como uma manipulacao de resultados. O uso desse tipo de contabilidade leva a empresa a apresentar uma aparencia melhor do que ela tem na realidade. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar as fraudes contabeis de maior repercussao mundial relacionadas com a Contabilidade Criativa, mostrando que tanto a fraude quanto a manipulacao contabil assemelham-se por ferir os principios contabeis e prejudicar os usuarios que dependem das informacoes divulgadas. Por mais que esse gerenciamento de resultados seja permitido por lei, na pratica, lesa as normas, os principios e, principalmente, o codigo de etica, assemelhando-se com a fraude. A amostra do presente artigo foi constituida pelas empresas que se destacaram mundialmente em virtude de algum escândalo contabil, entre as quais se destacam: Banco Panamericano, Carrefour, Enron, Parmalat, Petrobras, Xerox e WorldCom. Essas entidades utilizaram a Contabilidade Criativa para alterar resultados e, como consequencia, prejudicaram seus usuarios, enquanto elas eram beneficiadas. Contudo, a medio e longo prazo, essas praticas adotadas pelas empresas foram reveladas pela fiscalizacao e se tornaram alvo de escândalo mundial. Alem disso, as companhias envolvidas tiveram prejuizos, multas e ate mesmo casos de falencia. Conclui-se, portanto, que o ato criativo apresenta consequencias serias, tanto para as empresas envolvidas quanto para seus stakeholders . Palavras Chaves : Contabilidade Criativa; Manipulacao Contabil; Brechas Contabeis.