Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fine-Grained Management of Software Artefacts

This research work investigates the use of a fine-grained management of software artefacts within a process support system named ADAMS (ADvanced artefact management system). In particular, configuration management of software artefacts and traceability management to support coordination and cooperation and of distributed teams during software evolution are addressed. ADAMS has been evaluated during the last two years within projects conducted by students of the software engineering courses of the computer science program at the University of Salerno (Italy) and evolved according to the user feedbacks.
Cascading Spatio-Temporal Pattern Discovery

In this paper, authors (Pradeep et al.) have addressed the problem of finding partially ordered sub-sets of the events from the given collection of boolean spatio-temporal (ST) event-types in such a way that the sub-set contains events which are located together (spatial component) and occur serially (temporal component). These partially ordered sub-sets are called Cascading SpatioTemporal Pattern (CSTP). The motivation behind Discovering CSTPs from ST datasets is it’s application in domains such as public safety, climate modelling and natural disaster planning etc. For example in the domain of public safety, if we create CSTPs of crime datasets for the analysis and can revel some pattern like drunk driving occur near and after bar closing, and increases on weekends or near large gatherings like game nights, law enforcement agencies can schedule patrolling on such places/events and increase public safety.
Antagonists Selective for Estrogen Receptor α.

To develop compounds that are antagonists on ERα, but not ERβ, we have added basic side-chains typically found in nonsteroidal antiestrogens to pyrazole compounds that bind with much higher affinity to ERα than to ERβ. In this way we have developed basic side-chain pyrazoles (BSC-pyrazoles) that are high affinity, potent, selective antagonists on ERα. These BSC-pyrazoles are themselves inactive on ERα and ERβ, and they antagonize E2 stimulation by ERα only. We investigated seven basic side-chain substituents on various alkyl-triaryl-substituted pyrazoles, and the most ERα-selective compound was methyl-piperidino-pyrazole (MPP). ERα-selective antagonism was observed on diverse reporter-promoter gene constructs containing estrogen response elements that are consensus, nonconsensus (pS2), or comprised of multiple half-estrogen response elements (NHERF/EBP50) and on genes in which ER works indirectly by tethering to other DNA-bound proteins (TGFβ3). In contrast to these BSC-pyrazoles, the antiestrogens trans-.
Colon-targeted celecoxib-loaded Eudragit® S100-coated poly-ϵ-caprolactone microparticles: Preparation, characterization and in vivo evaluation in rats

Context: Celecoxib suffers from low and variable bioavailability following oral administration of solutions or capsules. Recent studies proved that chemoprevention of colorectal cancer is possible with celecoxib. Objective: This work aimed to tailor colon-targeted celecoxib-loaded microparticles using time-dependant and pH-dependant coats. Estimation of drug pharmacokinetics following oral administration to fasted rats was another goal. Methods: A 23 factorial design was adopted to develop poly-ϵ-caprolactone (PCL) celecoxib-loaded microparticles (F1–F8). To minimize drug-percentages released before colon, another coat of Eudragit® S100 was applied. In vitro characterization of microparticles involved topography, determination of particle size and entrapment efficiency (EE %). Time for 50% drug release (t50%) and drug-percentages released after 2 hours (Q2h) and 4 hours (Q4h) were statistically compared. Estimation of drug pharmacokinetics following oral administration of double-coat microparticles (F10) was studied in rats. Results: PCL-single-coat microparticles were spherical, discrete with a size range of 60.66 ± 4.21–277.20 ± 6.10 μm. Direct correlations were observed between surfactant concentration and EE%, Q2h and Q4h. The PCL M.wt. and drug: PCL ratio had positive influences on EE% and negative impacts on Q2h and Q4h. When compared to the best achieved PCL-single-coat microparticles (F2), the double-coat microparticles (F10) showed satisfactory drug protection; Q2h and Q4h were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased from 31.84 ± 1.98% and 54.72 ± 2.10% to 15.92 ± 1.78% and 26.93 ± 2.76%, respectively. When compared to celecoxib powder, F10 microparticles enhanced the bioavailability and extended the duration of drug-plasma concentration in rats. Conclusion: The developed double-coat microparticles could be considered as a promising celecoxib extended-release colon-targeting system.
Localization of Cylinders by Near-Field Multibistatic Measurements

The problem of localizing both conductive and dielectric cylinders of arbitrary known radius is dealt with in a 2-D geometry. A reflection-mode multifrequency multibistatic configuration is considered. The problem is formulated in the near zone, and a linear inversion algorithm based on the truncated singular value decomposition is proposed. The algorithm is validated against experimental data, allowing assessing the expected performances of the approach.
Systematic Review of the Gastrointestinal Effects of A1 Compared with A2 β-Casein

This is the first systematic review, to our knowledge, of published studies investigating the gastrointestinal effects of A1-type bovine β-casein (A1) compared with A2-type bovine β-casein (A2). The review is relevant to nutrition practice given the increasing availability and promotion in a range of countries of dairy products free of A1 for both infant and adult nutrition. In vitro and in vivo studies (all species) were included. In vivo studies were limited to oral consumption. Inclusion criteria encompassed all English-language primary research studies, but not reviews, involving milk, fresh-milk products, β-casein, and β-casomorphins published through 12 April 2017. Studies involving cheese and fermented milk products were excluded. Only studies with a specific gastrointestinal focus were included. However, inclusion was not delimited by specific gastrointestinal outcome nor by a specific mechanism. Inclusion criteria were satisfied by 39 studies. In vivo consumption of A1 relative to A2 delays intestinal transit in rodents via an opioid-mediated mechanism. Rodent models also link consumption of A1 to the initiation of inflammatory response markers plus enhanced Toll-like receptor expression relative to both A2 and nonmilk controls. Although most rodent responses are confirmed as opioid-mediated, there is evidence that dipeptidyl peptidase 4 stimulation in the jejunum of rodents is via a nonopioid mechanism. In humans, there is evidence from a limited number of studies that A1 consumption is also associated with delayed intestinal transit (1 clinical study) and looser stool consistency (2 clinical studies). In addition, digestive discomfort is correlated with inflammatory markers in humans for A1 but not A2. Further research is required in humans to investigate the digestive function effects of A1 relative to A2 in different populations and dietary settings.
Hybrid GPU-Based Single- and Double-Bounce SAR Simulation

In this paper, a new hybrid graphics-processing-unit (GPU)-based real-time synthetic aperture radar (SAR) simulation system is presented. Previous real-time SAR simulators only supported single-bounce simulation in real time. The new hybrid system uses the rasterization approach for real-time single-bounce simulation and a new image-based GPU ray-tracing approach for monostatic SAR double-bounce simulation. This approach provides fast simulation results even while simulating complex and extended scenes. The simulation results are compared to a high-resolution airborne SAR image, and the limitations of the approach are discussed.
Heat Treated Luffa - PLA Composites: Effect of Cyclic Moisture Absorption and Desorption on the Mechanical Properties

The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of cyclic hot and cold water absorption and desorption on the flexural and impact strengths of luffa – PLA biocomposites. PLA was reinforced with heat treated luffa fibers with the fiber loadings: 5 vol.%, 10 vol.%, 15 vol.% and 20 vol.%. Based on the test results the biocomposite with the highest flexural and impact strengths was selected for water absorption and desorption cycles. The biocomposites were subjected to 56 cycles of hot and cold water absorption and desorption. The biocomposites were tested for their strengths after every 14 cycles. The absorption and desorption decreased the flexural and impact strengths, affecting the impact strength more than the flexural strength.
Trait neuroticism, depression, and cognitive function in older primary care patients.

OBJECTIVE Prior studies on the association of trait neuroticism and cognitive function in older adults have yielded mixed findings. The authors tested hypotheses that neuroticism is associated with measures of cognition and that depression moderates these relationships. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING Primary care offices. PARTICIPANTS Primary care patients aged > or =65 years. MEASUREMENTS Trait neuroticism was assessed by the NEO-Five Factor Inventory. Major and minor depressions were determined by the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, and depressive symptom severity by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (Ham-D). Cognitive measures included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Initiation-Perseveration subscale of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale, and Trail-Making tests A and B. RESULTS In multiple regression analyses, neuroticism was associated with MMSE score independent of depression diagnosis (beta = -0.04, chi2 = 14.2, df = 1, p = 0.0002, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.07 to -0.02) and Ham-D score (beta = -0.04, chi2 = 8.97, df = 1, p = 0.003, 95% CI = -0.06 to -0.01). Interactions between neuroticism and depression diagnosis (chi2 = 7.21, df = 2, p = 0.03) and Ham-D scores (chi2 = 0.55, df = 1, p = 0.46) failed to lend strong support to the moderation hypothesis. CONCLUSION Neuroticism is associated with lower MMSE scores. Findings do not confirm a moderating role for depression but suggest that depression diagnosis may confer additional risk for poorer global cognitive function in patients with high neuroticism. Further study is necessary.
Can We Negotiate with a Tumor?

Recent progress in deciphering the molecular portraits of tumors promises an era of more personalized drug choices. However, current protocols still follow standard fixed-time schedules, which is not entirely coherent with the common observation that most tumors do not grow continuously. This unpredictability of the increases in tumor mass is not necessarily an obstacle to therapeutic efficiency, particularly if tumor dynamics could be exploited. We propose a model of tumor mass evolution as the integrated result of the dynamics of two linked complex systems, tumor cell population and tumor microenvironment, and show the practical relevance of this nonlinear approach.
Molecular and Functional Characterization of CBAVD-Causing Mutations Located in CFTR Nucleotide-Binding Domains

Background: About 98% of male affected with cystic fibrosis (CF [MIM 219700]) are infertile due to bilateral absence of vas deferens (CBAVD [MIM 277180]), which makes up 1-2 % of all cases with male infertility. A previous screening of the entire coding region of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene (CFTR [MIM 602421]) in CBAVD patients identified three novel mutations: P439S is located in the first nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) of CFTR, whereas P1290S and E1401K are located in NBD2. Methods: We analysed the effects of these novel mutations on CFTR processing and chloride (Cl-) channel activity. Results: Although maturation patterns were not affected, total amounts of mature P439S-CFTR and P1290S-CFTR were reduced. Confocal microscopy showed correct membrane localisation of E1401K-CFTR, whereas P439S-CFTR and P1290S-CFTR mutants were located mainly in the cytoplasm. Iodide influx assay and whole-cell patch clamp demonstrated significantly reduced cAMP-dependent anion conductances for all three mutants. Conclusion: Dysfunction of CFTR is caused by either defective CFTR trafficking (P439S and P1290S) or/and Cl- channel function (P1290S and E1401K). Thus reduced Cl- conductance caused by the three CFTR mutations affects normal development of vas deferens and leads to CBAVD, but the remaining function is sufficient to prevent other typical CF symptoms.
A Color Digital Watermark Method Based on NAM-CTC Model

With packing problem thinking, this paper proposes a non-symmetry and anti-packing pattern representation model which is short for NAM color image representation method. It presents a new color image representation algorithm based on NAM through decrypting NAM and the method of binary-bit plane decomposition (BPD) of color images. Aiming at the binary text image’s characteristics of simple pixel, complex texture and bad immunity of information concealment, a digital watermarking embedment location choosing method has been put forward based upon CTC ( compatible roughness class). Through properties’ combination, the embedment block and location which are fit for watermarking are screened out. At last, different binary text images are chosen for emulation experiment. Experimental indicates that the embedded watermark method has a strong theoretical basis and is easy to implement, and can effectively resist different types of attack .
Plasmapheresis in the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia‐induced pancreatitis: A community hospital's experience

Background: Hyperlipidemic pancreatitis is a potentially fatal complication of hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). The current mainstay of treatment for the hypertriglyceridemia associated with pancreatitis includes heparin, insulin and lipid lowering agents. Experiences with plasmapheresis are limited. Here, we report our experience using plasmapheresis in the treatment of four patients with acute severe HTG‐induced pancreatitis. Methods: Four patients with acute severe HTG‐induced pancreatitis due to severe primary hyperlipidemia exacerbated by secondary factors were studied. In addition to the standard treatment (insulin or heparin infusion), antibiotics and lipid lowering agents, two were treated within the first 48 hours, and two with early (<24 hours) plasmapheresis with 5% albumin. Results: All four patients had a significant improvement in their triglyceride levels using plasmapheresis with an average reduction in TG levels of 70.4% per treatment and 89.3% with the first treatment. However, there was no clear relation between the use of plasmapheresis and either improvement in APACHE II scores, length of stay in either the ICU or overall hospital length of stay or in the prevention of complications secondary to severe pancreatitis, including in the two patients who received plasmapheresis in the first 24 hours. Conclusion: Our report showed that plasmapheresis was successful in lowering TG levels. However, in the absence of a comparison with standard treatment (heparin or insulin infusion and lipid lowering agents) the effect of plasmapheresis on lowering the morbidity and length of stay of patients with HTG‐induced acute severe pancreatitis is uncertain and warrants further investigation into its efficacy. J. Clin. Apheresis 25:229–234, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compatible fungi, suitable medium, and appropriate developmental stage essential for stable association of Dendrobium chrysanthum

Establishment of symbiotic association at the appropriate developmental stage helped maintain continued growth which is vital for the long‐term ex vitro survival of the orchid. In the present study, symbiotic association was carried out using different developmental stages of Dendrobium chrysanthum and pathogenic Rhizoctonia isolates (obtained from orchids and non‐orchid hosts) in different culture media. Isolate 2162 supported highest symbiotic germination on OMA‐S (oat meal agar medium without nutrients + sucrose), whereas, stable symbiotic association with plantlets was obtained with isolate 4634 on OMA‐NC (oat meal agar medium + cellulose). Isolate Dc‐2S2 obtained from the host plant did not promote seed germination nor did it form association with protocorms or plantlets. This study, for the first time identifies a combination of compatible fungal isolate, suitable culture medium, and appropriate developmental stage at which symbiotic association in vitro can be deemed successful for the medicinally important orchid, D. chrysanthum.
Draft Genome Sequence of Multidrug-Resistant Abortive Campylobacter jejuni from Northern California

ABSTRACT Campylobacter jejuni is an enteric bacterium that can cause abortion in livestock. This is the release of a multidrug-resistant Campylobacter jejuni genome from an isolate that caused an abortion in a cow in northern California. This isolate is part of the 100K Pathogen Genome Project.
Testing a Model of the Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Psychosis in a First-Episode Psychosis Group: The Role of Hallucinations and Delusions, Posttraumatic Intrusions, and Selective Attention

Abstract Several theories suggest that posttraumatic intrusive symptoms are central to the relationship between childhood trauma (CT) and hallucinations and delusions in psychosis. Biased selective attention has been implicated as a cognitive process underlying posttraumatic intrusions. The current study sought to test theories of the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA), hallucinations and delusions, posttraumatic intrusions, and selective attention in first-episode psychosis (FEP). Twenty-eight people with FEP and 21 nonclinical controls were assessed for CT and psychotic and posttraumatic stress symptoms and completed an emotional Stroop test using CSA-related and other words. Those with FEP and CSA had more severe hallucinations and delusions than those with FEP and without CSA. They also reported posttraumatic intrusions at clinical levels and showed selective attention to CSA-related words. The results are consistent with the posttraumatic intrusions account of hallucinations and delusions in those with CSA and psychosis.
Safeguarding Decentralized Wireless Networks Using Full-Duplex Jamming Receivers

In this paper, we study the benefits of full-duplex (FD) receiver jamming in enhancing the physical-layer security of a two-tier decentralized wireless network with each tier deployed with a large number of pairs of a single-antenna transmitter and a multi-antenna receiver. In the underlying tier, the transmitter sends unclassified information and the receiver works in the half-duplex (HD) mode receiving the desired signal. In the overlaid tier, the transmitter delivers confidential information in the presence of randomly located eavesdroppers, and the receiver works in the FD mode radiating jamming signals to confuse eavesdroppers and receiving the desired signal simultaneously. We provide a comprehensive performance analysis and network design under a stochastic geometry framework. Specifically, we consider the scenarios where each FD receiver uses single- and multi-antenna jamming, and analyze the connection probability and the secrecy outage probability of a typical FD receiver by deriving accurate expressions and more tractable approximations for the two probabilities. We also determine the optimal deployment density of the FD-mode tier to maximize the network-wide secrecy throughput subject to constraints including the given dual probabilities and the network-wide throughput of the HD-mode tier. Numerical results are demonstrated to verify our theoretical findings, and show that the network-wide secrecy throughput is significantly improved by properly deploying the FD-mode tier.
Purifying XML Structures

XML has a tree structure, which allows various data expressions. In this work, we show the well-known notion of the functional dependency has an essential role in XML data modeling. The existing proposals of functional dependencies for XML are based on fixed paths, imposing severe structural constraints on XML data. We address this problem by introducing node-based functional dependencies so as to allow various XML structures to describe complex data. The drawback of this approach might be that querying all possible XML structures could result in costly computation. To overcome this, we introduce a novel query method, called amoeba join, and its optimization technique that selectively retrieves XML structures satisfying functional dependencies. Our approach brings a new perspective into XML query processing; no explicit path is required within query statements, since XML structures of interest are automatically determined by the functional dependencies. We call this conceptual change as the purificationof XML structures, since it hides complexities of the data structure from the user. In addition, by using keys derived from functional dependencies, aggregation of di fferently structured XML sources becomes quite smooth. These techniques facilitate management of multiple hierarchies of XML data, and significantly enhances the expressive power of XML databases. To make the query processing feasible, we also show an e ffici nt XML index that can be implemented on top of the B +-tree. Our experimental results confirm the utility and availability of the proposed methods. We also discuss the e ff ctive usage of our method to model scientific data, and the impact of this research on the future of XML data management.
Stromal changes in invasive breast carcinoma: An ultrastructural study

The stroma in infiltrating breast carcinomas, with particular reference to stromal spindle cells, has been studied by electron microscopy. A mixture of cells including resting fibroblasts, active fibroblasts, early myofibroblasts, and mature myofibroblasts has been identified. In loose stroma, myofibroblasts possessed prominent organelles and showed secretory products along the cell surface, whereas in dense stroma, there was relative proinence of cytoplasmic filaments as well as other features consistent with a contractile state of myofibroblasts. The degree of myofibroblastic proliferation was related to the growth pattern of the tumour. It is suggested that the infiltrating process of cancer cells is analogous to wound production and healing with continuous granulation tissue and scar formation resulting in the characteristic desmoplastic reaction seen in certain breast carcinomas.
Deep image inpainting with region prediction at hierarchical scales

In this paper, we propose a CNN based method for image inpainting, which utilizes the inpaintings generated at different hierarchical resolutions. Firstly, we begin with the prediction of the missing image region with larger contextual information at the lowest resolution using deconv layers. Next, we refine the predicted region at greater hierarchical scales by imposing gradually reduced contextual information surrounding the predicted region by training different CNNs. Thus, our method not only utilizes information from different hierarchical resolutions but also intelligently leverages the context information at different hierarchy to produce better inpainted image. The individual models are trained jointly, using loss functions placed at intermediate layers. Finally, the CNN generated image region is sharpened using the unsharp masking operation, followed by intensity matching with the contextual region, to produce visually consistent and appealing inpaintings with more prominent edges. Comparison of our method with well-known inpainting methods, on the Caltech 101 objects dataset, demonstrates the quantitative and qualitative strengths of our method over the others.