Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Secondary Metabolites of Marine Pseudomonas sp. in Human Neutrophils Are through Inhibiting P38 MAPK, JNK, and Calcium Pathways

Activated neutrophils play a significant role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases. The metabolites of marine microorganisms are increasingly employed as sources for developing new drugs; however, very few marine drugs have been studied in human neutrophils. Herein, we showed that secondary metabolites of marine Pseudomonas sp. (N11) significantly inhibited superoxide anion generation and elastase release in formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (FMLP)-activated human neutrophils, with IC50 values of 0.67±0.38 µg/ml and 0.84±0.12 µg/ml, respectively. In cell-free systems, neither superoxide anion-scavenging effect nor inhibition of elastase activity was associated with the suppressive effects of N11. N11 inhibited the phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase and JNK, but not Erk and Akt, in FMLP-induced human neutrophils. Also, N11 dose-dependently attenuated the transient elevation of intracellular calcium concentration in activated neutrophils. In contrast, N11 failed to alter phorbol myristate acetate-induced superoxide anion generation, and the inhibitory effects of N11 were not reversed by protein kinase A inhibitor. In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory effects of N11 on superoxide anion generation and elastase release in activated human neutrophils are through inhibiting p38 MAP kinase, JNK, and calcium pathways. Our results suggest that N11 has the potential to be developed to treat neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Invalid Pointer Dereferences Detection for CPS Software Based on Extended Pointer Structures

Invalid pointer dereferences, such as null pointer dereferences, dangling pointer dereferences and double frees, are a prevalent source of software bugs in CPS software, due to flexible dereferencing pointers along various pointer fields. Existing tools have high overhead or are incomplete, thereby limiting their efficiency in checking the kind of CPS software with shared and mutable memory. In this paper, we present a novel extended pointer structure for detecting all invalid pointer dereferences in this kind of CPS software. We propose an invalid pointer dereferences detection algorithm based on the uniform transformation of abstract heap states. Experimental evaluation about a set of large C benchmark programs shows that the proposed approach is sufficiently efficient in detecting invalid pointer dereferences of CPS software with shared and mutable memory.
Towards the Understanding of Complex Traits in Rice: Substantially or Superficially?

Completion of the genome analysis followed by extensive comprehensive studies on a variety of genes and gene families of rice (Oryza sativa) resulted in rapid accumulation of information concerning the presence of many complex traits that are governed by a number of genes of distinct functions in this most important crop cultivated worldwide. The genetic and molecular biological dissection of many important rice phenotypes has contributed to our understanding of the complex nature of the genetic control with respect to these phenotypes. However, in spite of the considerable advances made in the field, details of genetic control remain largely unsolved, thereby hampering our exploitation of this useful information in the breeding of new rice cultivars. To further strengthen the field application of the genome science data of rice obtained so far, we need to develop more powerful genomics-assisted methods for rice breeding based on information derived from various quantitative trait loci (QTL) and related analyses. In this review, we describe recent progresses and outcomes in rice QTL analyses, problems associated with the application of the technology to rice breeding and their implications for the genetic study of other crops along with future perspectives of the relevant fields.
On the use of k-tuples for SoC test schedule representation

Test scheduling and TAM (test access mechanism) optimization for core-based SoCs is a challenging problem. Test schedules must be crafted with the objectives of minimizing testing time to reduce test cost, under the constraints of total available TAM width. Moreover precedence relations and power constraints must be met to ensure safe, effective, and high-quality testing. Prior research in test scheduling has mainly used constructive approaches such as rectangle packing to solve this problem, but these approaches fail to address the problem of creating a simple, standard representation for SoC test schedules that can be used by a wide range of optimization algorithms. In this paper we present a novel and efficient method to represent SoC test schedules and TAM width assignment based on the use of k-tuples. The proposed approach provides a compact, standardized representation of test schedules. This facilitates fast and efficient evaluation of SoC test automation solutions to reduce test costs. We propose heuristic algorithms based on the use of k-tuples to solve scheduling problems for SoCs in an efficient manner; extensions to our method to incorporate precedence relations among tests and power constraints in the schedule are also presented. Finally, experimental results using the new ITC'02 SoC benchmarks validate the quality of our solutions.
High Throughput Transmissions in OFDM based Random Access Wireless Networks

In Random Access Wireless Networks it is common to occur packet collisions due to different users trying to access simultaneously to a given physical channel. The conventional approach is to discard all blocks involved in the collision and retransmit them again. To reduce the chances of multiple collisions each user transmits in the next available slot with a given probability. With this strategy, if two packets collide we need at least three time slots to complete the transmission (more if there are multiple collisions), which results in a throughput loss. To overcome this problem, a TA (Tree Algorithm) combined with a SIC (Successive Interference Cancellation) scheme was proposed in (Yu & Giannakis, 2005). Within that scheme, the signal associated to a collision is not discarded. Instead, if the packets of two users collide then, once we receive with success the packet of one of those users, we can subtract the corresponding signal from the signal with collision and recover the packet from the other user. With this strategy, a collision involving two packets requires only one additional time slot to complete the transmission, unless there are multiple collisions. However, the method has a setback since possible decision errors might lead to a deadlock. (Wang et al., 2005) Another problem with these techniques is that we do not take full advantage of the information in the collision. The ideal situation would be to use the signals associated to multiple collisions to separate the packets involved (in fact, solving collisions can be regarded as a multiuser detection problem). In (Tsatsanis et al., 2000) a multipacket detection technique was proposed where all users involved in a collision of
Concepts for improving the damage tolerance of composite compression panels

The residual strength of specimens with damage and the sensitivity to damage while subjected to an applied inplane compression load were determined for flatplate specimens and blade-stiffened panels. The results suggest that matrix materials that fail by delamination have the lowest damage tolerance capability. Alternate matrix materials or laminates which are transversely reinforced suppress the delamination mode of failure and change the failure mode to transverse shear crippling which occurs at a higher strain value. Several damage-tolerant blade-stiffened panel design concepts are evaluated. Structural efficiency studies conducted show only small mass penalties may result from incorporating these damage-tolerant features in panel design. The implication of test results on the design of aircraft structures was examined with respect to FAR requirements.
Managing and accessing data in the cloud: Privacy risks and approaches

Ensuring proper privacy and protection of the information stored, communicated, processed, and disseminated in the cloud as well as of the users accessing such an information is one of the grand challenges of our modern society. As a matter of fact, the advancements in the Information Technology and the diffusion of novel paradigms such as data outsourcing and cloud computing, while allowing users and companies to easily access high quality applications and services, introduce novel privacy risks of improper information disclosure and dissemination. In this paper, we will characterize different aspects of the privacy problem in emerging scenarios. We will illustrate risks, solutions, and open problems related to ensuring privacy of users accessing services or resources in the cloud, sensitive information stored at external parties, and accesses to such an information.
In Silico Prediction and Experimental Evaluation of Furanoheliangolide Sesquiterpene Lactones as Potent Agents against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense

ABSTRACT As a continuation of our earlier study on the in vitro antiprotozoal activity of 40 natural sesquiterpene lactones (STLs), we extended the set of tested compounds from our laboratories to 59. On the basis of this extended data set, further enriched by literature data for 10 compounds tested under the same conditions, our quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analyses for activity against T. brucei rhodesiense (etiologic agent of human African trypanosomiasis, or sleeping sickness) were continued, and the QSAR model thus obtained with 69 structures was used to predict the activity of a virtual library of 1,750 STL structures. As a major result from these calculations, furanoheliangolide-type compounds, a subclass of STLs hitherto untested against T. brucei rhodesiense, were predicted to have an exceptionally high level of in vitro activity. Four representative compounds of this type, goyazensolide, 4,5-dihydro-2′,3′-epoxy-15-deoxygoyazensolide, budlein A, and 4,15-isoatriplicolide tiglate, were therefore tested. They displayed 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 0.07, 0.20, 0.07, and 0.015 μM, respectively, so that the in silico prediction was experimentally confirmed. 4,15-Isoatriplicolide tiglate is the most potent STL against T. b. rhodesiense found. Furanoheliangolide STLs were thus identified as interesting leads against this parasite which deserve more detailed investigations.
Extent, Nature, and Risk Factors of Workplace Violence in Public Tertiary Hospitals in China: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Using a cross-sectional survey design from 11 public tertiary hospitals (a specialist hospital, four Chinese medicine hospitals, and six general hospitals) in the urban areas of Heilongjiang, we determined the nature of workplace violence that medical staff have encountered in Chinese hospitals and identified factors associated with those experiences of violence. A total of 1129 health workers participated. The specialist hospital had the highest prevalence of physical violence (35.4%), while the general hospitals had the highest prevalence of non-physical violence (76%). Inexperienced medical staff (p < 0.001) were more likely to suffer non-physical violence than physical violence in Chinese medicine hospitals compared to experienced staff. Medical units (p = 0.001) had a high risk of non-physical violence, while surgical units (p = 0.005) had a high risk of physical violence. In general hospitals, staff with higher levels of anxiety about workplace violence were more vulnerable to both physical violence (1.67, 95% CI 1.36–2.10) and non-physical violence (1.309, 95% CI 1.136–1.508) compared to those with lower levels of anxiety, while rotating shift workers had a higher odds of physical violence (2.2, 95% CI 1.21–4.17) and non-physical violence (1.65, 95% CI 1.13–2.41) compared to fixed day shift workers. Thus, prevention should focus not only on high-risk sections of hospitals, but also on the nature of the hospital itself.
Coping Strategies and Experiences in Women with a Primary Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Background: Women with breast cancer experience problems in multiple aspects of their lives, but applying effective strategies can result in enhancing their quality of life and their psychosocial adaptation to the disease. However, there is little information about the strategies that women use to cope with complications associated with their experiences following a breast cancer diagnosis. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the experience of coping behavior and the main strategies that women use in dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: This study was conducted according to a qualitative phenomenological design to investigate women’s experiences in living with breast cancer and the related complications and how they cope with these issues. Purposive sampling was used for recruiting participants with breast cancer, and data collection was conducted by semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 patients. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using Van Manen’s thematic approach. Results: The age range of the women was 32-68. Most were married and received adjuvant therapy (i.e., mastectomy surgery and chemo-radiation). Three dominant themes that emerged from the interviews were emotional turmoil, avoidance, and logical efforts. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of addressing psycho-oncology intervention programs to address the unmet pyscho-social and palliative care needs of patients suffering from breast cancer.
High Complexity in the Expression of the B′ Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 2A0

Association of the catalytic subunit (C2) with a variety of regulatory subunits is believed to modulate the activity and specificity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). In this study we report the cloning and expression of a new family of B-subunit, the B′, associated with the PP2A0 form. Polymerase chain reactions and cDNA library screening have identified at least seven cDNA isotypes, designated α, β1, β2, β3, β4, γ, and δ. The different β subtypes appear to be generated by alternative splicing. The deduced amino acid sequences of the α, β2, β3, β4 and γ isoforms predict molecular weights of 57,600, 56,500, 60,900, 52,500, and 68,000, respectively. The proteins are 60-80% identical and differ mostly at their termini. Two of the isoforms, B′β3 and B′γ, contain a bipartite nuclear localization signal in their COOH terminus. No homology was found with other B- or Brelated subunits. Northern analyses indicate a tissuespecific expression of the isoforms. Expression of B′α protein in Escherichia coli generated a polypeptide of ∼53 kDa, similar to the size of the B′ subunit present in the purified PP2A0. The recombinant protein was recognized by antibody raised against native B′ and interacted with the dimeric PP2A (A•C2) to generate a trimeric phosphatase. The deduced amino acid sequences of the B′ isoforms show significant homology to mammalian, fungal, and plant nucleotide sequences of unknown function present in the data bases. Notably, a high degree of homology (55-66%) was found with a yeast gene, RTS1, encoding a multicopy suppressor of a rox3 mutant. Our data indicate that at least seven B′ subunit isoforms may participate in the generation of a large number of PP2A0 holoenzymes that may be spatially and/or functionally targeted to different cellular processes.
Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors: Moving Beyond the Glycemic Treatment Goal

Revelations of the multifactorial pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that extend beyond the role of insulin and glucose utilization have been crucial in redefining the treatment paradigm. The focus of treatment is currently directed towards achieving wide-ranging targets encompassing the management of cardiovascular comorbidities that have been evidenced as indispensable aspects of T2DM. While most currently prescribed antihyperglycemic agents have little or no effect on reducing cardiovascular risks, some have been associated with undesirable effects on common risk factors such as weight gain and cardiovascular sequelae. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are newer additions to the array of therapeutic agents for T2DM that have demonstrated robust glycemic control as mono and add-on therapies. Their unique renal mode of action, independent of insulin modulation, confers complementary metabolic benefits. By virtue of these effects, SGLT2i may have a distinct role in the revised treatment recommendations by established working groups such as the American Diabetes Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists that advocate a more comprehensive management of T2DM, not restricting to glycemic targets. The current review gives an overview of the changing treatment needs for T2DM and discusses the nonglycemic effects of SGLT2i. It provides an updated summary on the efficacy of canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin in promoting weight loss, stabilizing blood pressure, and other favorable metabolic effects.
Attention to Eye Contact in the West and East: Autonomic Responses and Evaluative Ratings

Eye contact has a fundamental role in human social interaction. The special appearance of the human eye (i.e., white sclera contrasted with a coloured iris) implies the importance of detecting another person's face through eye contact. Empirical studies have demonstrated that faces making eye contact are detected quickly and processed preferentially (i.e., the eye contact effect). Such sensitivity to eye contact seems to be innate and universal among humans; however, several studies suggest that cultural norms affect eye contact behaviours. For example, Japanese individuals exhibit less eye contact than do individuals from Western European or North American cultures. However, how culture modulates eye contact behaviour is unclear. The present study investigated cultural differences in autonomic correlates of attentional orienting (i.e., heart rate) and looking time. Additionally, we examined evaluative ratings of eye contact with another real person, displaying an emotionally neutral expression, between participants from Western European (Finnish) and East Asian (Japanese) cultures. Our results showed that eye contact elicited stronger heart rate deceleration responses (i.e., attentional orienting), shorter looking times, and higher ratings of subjective feelings of arousal as compared to averted gaze in both cultures. Instead, cultural differences in the eye contact effect were observed in various evaluative responses regarding the stimulus faces (e.g., facial emotion, approachability etc.). The rating results suggest that individuals from an East Asian culture perceive another's face as being angrier, unapproachable, and unpleasant when making eye contact as compared to individuals from a Western European culture. The rating results also revealed that gaze direction (direct vs. averted) could influence perceptions about another person's facial affect and disposition. These results suggest that cultural differences in eye contact behaviour emerge from differential display rules and cultural norms, as opposed to culture affecting eye contact behaviour directly at the physiological level.
Does the pressure dependence of kinetic isotope effects report usefully on dynamics in enzyme H‐transfer reactions?

The temperature dependence of kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) has emerged as the main experimental probe of enzymatic H‐transfer by quantum tunnelling. Implicit in the interpretation is a presumed role for dynamic coupling of H‐transfer chemistry to the protein environment, the so‐called ‘promoting motions/vibrations hypothesis’. This idea remains contentious, and others have questioned the importance and/or existence of promoting motions/vibrations. New experimental methods of addressing this problem are emerging, including use of mass‐modulated enzymes and time‐resolved spectroscopy. The pressure dependence of KIEs has been considered as a potential probe of quantum tunnelling reactions, because semi‐classical KIEs, which are defined by differences in zero‐point vibrational energy, are relatively insensitive to kbar changes in pressure. Reported combined pressure and temperature (p‐T) dependence studies of H‐transfer reactions are, however, limited. Here, we extend and review the available p‐T studies that have utilized well‐defined experimental systems in which quantum mechanical tunnelling is established. These include flavoproteins, quinoproteins, light‐activated enzymes and chemical model systems. We show that there is no clear general trend between the p‐T dependencies of the KIEs in these systems. Given the complex nature of p‐T studies, we conclude that computational simulations using determined (e.g. X‐ray) structures are also needed alongside experimental measurements of reaction rates/KIEs to guide the interpretation of p‐T effects. In providing new insight into H‐transfer/environmental coupling, combined approaches that unite both atomistic understanding with experimental rate measurements will require careful evaluation on a case‐by‐case basis. Although individually informative, we conclude that p‐T studies do not provide the more generalized insight that has come from studies of the temperature dependence of KIEs.
Comment on: Akasofu, S.-I. On the Present Halting of Global Warming. Climate 2013, 1, 4–11

A recent article which has set forth new interpretations of Earth’s recent climate history has included some questions of authentic scientific inquiry, particularly related to the impact of ocean oscillations on atmospheric temperatures. In fact, this very issue is currently being investigated by multiple research groups. On the other hand, the claim that a two-century linear temperature increase is a recovery from a recent cool period is not supported by the data. Furthermore, this thermal recovery hypothesis is not connected to any physical phenomenon; rather it is a result of a simplistic and incorrect curve-fitting operation. Other errors in the article are: the claim that the heating of the Earth has halted, misunderstanding of the relationship between carbon dioxide concentration and the resultant radiative forcing, and a failure to account for forcings other than carbon dioxide (such as other greenhouse gases, atmospheric aerosols, land use changes, etc.). Each of these errors brings serious question to the conclusions drawn in the referenced article. The simultaneous occurrence of all of these errors in a single study guarantees that its conclusions cannot be supported and, in fact, are demonstrably incorrect.
Formal foundations of sensor network applications

One of the key features that distinguishes sensor networks from other networked applications is that their focus is generally not the sensors per se, but space-filling phenomena of the environment through which the sensors are deployed. Following the mathematical implications of this observation leads to a formal grounding of sensor network applications in a field calculus that describes sensing, modeling, and interpretation of space-filling phenomena directly in terms of operations on mathematical fields. This points to more flexible, scalable, and resilient approaches to sensor network applications, as well as simpler approaches to developing decentralized applications that can provide robust services in difficult operating environments such as natural disasters, mass events, and critical cyber-physical systems.