Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing and analyzing software architectures using AIBASs

This tutorial will discuss, exemplify, and involve the students in the use of Attribute-Based Architectural Styles (ABASs)—architectural styles accompanied by explicit analysis reasoning frameworks—in both the design and analysis of software and system architectures. The tutorial has several objectives: to introduce the students to a catalog of ABASs covering performance, availability, testability, modifiability, and usability; to convince students that ABASs provide a basis for insightful reasoning about a software architecture's ability to meet its quality attribute goals; and to demonstrate the utility of ABASs by showing examples of how ABASs are used to design and analyze real-world system architectures. We will present some large excerpts from our growing ABAS handbook and show that ABASs help us in designing architectures efficiently and predictably and in quickly finding architectural risks and tradeoffs when doing analysis.
Induced Innovation in United States Agriculture, 1880–1990: Time Series Tests and an Error Correction Model

An error correction model (ECM) of induced innovation, based on the two-stage CES production function allows direct tests of the inducement hypothesis, which are applied to U.S. data for 1880–1990. The time series properties of the variables include a structural break in 1920, cointegration is established and an ECM constructed, which allows factor substitution to be separated from technological change. Causality tests show that the factor-price ratios and R&D are Granger-prior to the factor-saving biases of technological change. The inducement hypothesis is corroborated, and identified as one factor in the complex development of U.S. agriculture. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.
Cooperation in the Innovation Process in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence from Zhongguancun, Beijing

Zhongguancun Science Park (ZGC) in Beijing is considered the most innovative region in China. This paper is based on a quantitative survey among ZGC companies that captures the cooperation patterns of the firms. The survey was funded by the German Research Association (DFG). In the process of technological upgrading and innovation, companies in Beijing—as well as in other developing countries—make use of knowledge originating in foreign companies or in universities and public research organizations. The findings presented in this paper confirm that ZGC companies are linked to both sources of knowledge to the same extent. Cooperation with foreign companies helps ZGC companies to get new ideas and to enter the market with new products, whereas cooperation with universities is used mainly to design new products. Thus, the patterns of cooperation show that ZGC can absorb new knowledge from different sources. However, not all of the high-tech companies in ZGC are able to make use of international linkages in the innovation process, as about half of them do not have the necessary capabilities.
Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells non-selectively protect chronic myeloid leukemia cells from imatinib-induced apoptosis via the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis

Background Residual chronic myeloid leukemia disease following imatinib treatment has been attributed to the presence of quiescent leukemic stem cells intrinsically resistant to imatinib. Mesenchymal stromal cells in the bone marrow may favor the persistence and progression of leukemia by preserving the proliferation and self-renewal capacities of the malignant progenitor cells. Design and Methods BV173 or primary chronic myeloid leukemia cells were co-cultured with human mesenchymal stromal cells and imatinib-induced cell death was then measured. The roles of pro-and anti-apoptotic proteins and chemokine CXCL12 in this context were evaluated. We also studied the ability of BV173 cells to repopulate NOD/SCID mice following in vitro exposure to imatinib and mesenchymal stromal cells. Results Whilst imatinib induced dose-dependent apoptosis of BV173 cells and primary chronic myeloid leukemia cells, co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells protected both types of chronic myeloid leukemia cells. Molecular analysis indicated that mesenchymal stromal cells reduced caspase-3 activation and modulated the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-XL. Furthermore, chronic myeloid leukemia cells exposed to imatinib in the presence of mesenchymal stromal cells retained the ability to engraft into NOD/SCID mice. We observed that chronic myeloid leukemia cells and mesenchymal stromal cells express functional levels of CXCR4 and CXCL12, respectively. Finally, the CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100 restored apoptosis by imatinib and the susceptibility of the SCID leukemia repopulating cells to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Conclusions Human mesenchymal stromal cells mediate protection of chronic myeloid leukemia cells from imatinib-induced apoptosis. Disruption of the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis restores, at least in part, the leukemic cells’ sensitivity to imatinib. The combination of anti-CXCR4 antagonists with tyrosine kinase inhibitors may represent a powerful approach to the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.
Preparing for an uncertain future: the enterprising PhD student

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate PhD student perceptions of the importance of enterprise skills and the extent to which they are currently being developed within a case university.Design/methodology/approach – The study employed an electronic survey of 500 PhD students across six faculties, and 128 useable responses were returned. Students were asked to rate the importance of a range of enterprise skills and attributes derived from the literature, plus the extent to which these skills and attributes had been developed through their programme of study.Findings – The majority of PhD students recognise the importance of enterprise skills and attributes, particularly those associated with communication, confidence, achieving outcomes, determination and problem solving. Whilst some enterprise skills and attributes are developed well through PhD study, others – such as managing finance and people – are not. A number of these are skills that might be particularly relevant to early‐career PhD.
Content Based medical Image Retrieval based on BEMD: Optimization of a similarity metric

Most medical images are now digitized and stored in patients files databases. The challenge is how to use them for acquiring knowledge or/and for aid to diagnosis. In this paper, we address the challenge of diagnosis aid by Content Based Image Retrieval (CBIR). We propose to characterize images by using the Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition (BEMD). Images are decomposed into a set of functions named Bidimensional Intrinsic Mode Functions (BIMF). Two methods are used to characterize BIMFs information content: the Generalized Gaussian density functions (GGD) and the Huang-Hilbert transform (HHT). In order to enhance results, we introduce a similarity metric optimization process: weighted distances between BIMFs are adapted for each image in the database. Retrieval efficiency is given for different databases (DB), including a diabetic retinopathy DB, a mammography DB and a faces DB. Results are promising: the retrieval efficiency is higher than 95% for some cases.
Contribution of ExsA-regulated factors to corneal infection by cytotoxic and invasive Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine scarification model.

PURPOSE The exoenzyme S regulatory protein ExsA regulates a type III secretion system in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In vitro, cytotoxic strains use this system to secrete exotoxin (Exo)U and ExoT causing cytotoxicity and inhibiting their phagocytosis by epithelial cells. Invasive P. aeruginosa secrete ExoT and ExoS, but exsA mutation has little impact on their short-term interactions with epithelia. In the present study, the contribution of these ExsA-regulated proteins toward corneal infections in vivo was investigated. METHODS After anesthesia, the left cornea of C57BL/6 mice was scratch injured and then inoculated with cytotoxic (PA103) or invasive (PAK) P. aeruginosa or with isogenic mutants in exsA-related genes. Inocula of 10(3) to 10(6) bacteria/5 micro L were used, and at least five animals were assigned to each experimental group. Corneal disease was quantified at regular intervals for 14 days in masked fashion with two different scoring systems. RESULTS For the cytotoxic strain, mutation of either exoU or exoT alone had little effect on virulence, whereas simultaneous mutation of both exoT and exoU or of exsA resulted in a significantly reduced capacity to cause corneal disease. Complementation of the double exoUexoT mutant with exoU alone restored bacterial colonization levels (>3-log increase) and disease severity to wild-type levels. Complementation with exoT alone increased colonization ( approximately 3-log increase) and increased virulence to almost the same levels as wild-type or exoU-complemented infections. Virulence of the invasive strain was not reduced by mutation of exsA or of genes encoding the ExsA-regulated secreted proteins. CONCLUSIONS ExsA contributed to corneal virulence of only cytotoxic P. aeruginosa, with contributions made by both ExoU and ExoT to bacterial survival and disease severity. This differs from cytotoxic P. aeruginosa virulence in the lung, which is ExoU-dependent.
Rethinking Neoliberalism and the Subprime Crisis: Beyond the Re-Regulation Agenda

Many critical commentators view the current crisis and the attendant legitimacy problems for free-market capitalism as an opportunity to make the case for financial re-regulation, i.e. a reassertion of public values against globalising markets. This paper suggests that such assessments of the political possibilities offered by the subprime crisis rest on a misappraisal of its nature and, more broadly, the nature of the neoliberal era. It argues that the financial expansion of the past decades cannot be adequately understood in terms of the state's failure to regulate financial markets. Financial growth has not involved the retreat of public institutions, the dissolution of social bonds or an emptying out of subjectivity, but has rather been a process whereby new organisational linkages were forged, particular norms and relations of institutional control were constructed and complex identities with thoroughly interlinked emotional households were created. Through a historical interpretation of the development of American finance since the New Deal, the paper outlines how the reconfigurations of neoliberalism have not reduced but enhanced the institutional capacities of the American state, as well as the leverage and power resources available to those who enjoy privileged access to the state's organisational mechanisms. It then returns to the question of the political significance of the current crisis, suggesting that to seize on the change in ideological climate to advocate increased state control over financial life is likely to come down to supporting the restoration and fortification of an infrastructure of financial power that we criticised when it still went under the ideological banner of neoliberalism.
Capital Equipment Analysis: The Required Rate of Profit

The interest in capital equipment analysis that has been evident in the business literature of the past five years is the product of numerous social, economic, and business developments of the postwar period. No conclusive listing of these developments can be attempted here. However, four should be mentioned which are of particular importance in this search for a more systematic method for discovering, evaluating, and selecting investment opportunities. These are: (1) the high level of capital outlays (in absolute terms); (2) the growth in the size of business firms; (3) the delegation of responsibility for initiating recommendations from top management to the profit center, which has been part of the general movement toward decentralization; and (4) the growing use of "scientific management" in the operations of the business firm.
Early recurrence of benign meningioma correlates with expression of mini-chromosome maintenance-2 protein

We have investigated the potential utility of monoclonal antibodies against mini-chromosome maintenance-2 protein (Mcm2) in predicting meningioma recurrence. MCM proteins are members of the DNA-binding prereplicative complex and are essential for eukaryotic DNA replication. They are present throughout the cell cycle, but are down-regulated in quiescence and cell differentiation, making them specific markers of proliferating cells. We analysed 10 benign meningiomas that subsequently recurred within a 5-year period, together with 20 matched non-recurrent benign meningiomas. There was no significant correlation between histological subtype, mitotic count or Ki-67 labelling index and tumour recurrence. We observed that whilst the average Mcm2 labelling index (LI) of the tumour section as a whole (LIAve) is not significantly different between recurrent and nonrecurrent meningiomas, the Mcm2 labelling index in the area of highest proliferative activity within the tumour section (LIMax) is significantly higher in recurrent meningiomas (p < 0.0001). Seven out of the 10 recurrent meningiomas displayed a Mcm2 LIMax greater than 30%, compared to 0 out of 20 for non-recurrent tumours. In conclusion, these results suggest that analysis of Mcm2 expression may facilitate identification of patients with a high risk of meningioma recurrence, for whom adjuvant radiotherapy may be of benefit.
Between Discourse and Reality: The Un-Sustainability of Mega-Event Planning

The zero-sum nature of mega-event hosting encourages cities to escalate investment with an eye towards convincing event rights holders that a positive outcome will result. The discursive frameworks of “legacy” and “sustainability”, the global competition to attract events and the compressed event horizon make for mega-event preparation regimes that may seriously compromise long-term urban planning agendas in mega-event hosts. By examining the sustainable urban planning literature, the discursive frameworks of sustainability in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the discursive framing of the Rio 2016 bid, this paper will examine the Olympic Golf project being implemented in Rio de Janeiro. Through this case study the paper argues that unless mega-event rights holders change their candidacy and selection processes, these events will inevitably be detrimental to their hosts.
Stock Price Response to News of Securities Fraud Litigation: An Analysis of Sequential and Conditional Information

This study examines investor response to three events that help define a federal class action securities lawsuit, specifically, the announcement that names an issuer as a defendant in the lawsuit (at the class action filing date), the disclosure or accounting restatement that ‘corrects’ the information deficiency (at the end of the class period), and the date at which the fraud on the market allegedly begins (at the beginning of the class period). We document a significant and predictable stock price response at each of these three events. Our tests also indicate that the market interprets these events not in isolation but as sequential and conditional events. Investor response differs on the basis of the characteristics of the issuer, the allegations in the complaint, and the outcome of the litigation. These results and the fact that we observe no systematic price momentum in investor response beyond the announcement dates imply that the market is reasonably efficient with respect to information about securities fraud litigation. Our results are robust to alternative definitions and procedures, and are based on a proprietary database that includes almost all federal securities class action lawsuits since 1990.
Word Boundaries in French: Evidence from Large Speech Corpora

The goal of this paper is to investigate French word segmentation strategies using phonemic and lexical transcriptions as well as prosodic and part-of-speech annotations. Average fundamental frequency (f0) profiles and phoneme duration profiles are measured using 13 hours of broadcast news speech to study prosodic regularities of French words. Some influential factors are taken into consideration for f0 and duration measurements: word syllable length, word-final schwa, part-of-speech. Results from average f0 profiles confirm word final syllable accentuation and from average duration profiles, we can observe long word final syllable length. Both are common tendencies in French. From noun phrase studies, results of average f0 profiles illustrate higher noun first syllable after determiner. Inter-vocalic duration profile results show long inter-vocalic duration between determiner vowel and preceding word vowel. These results reveal measurable cues contributing to word boundary location. Further studies will include more detailed within syllable f0 patterns, other speaking styles and languages.
Relationship between consanguinity and depression in a south Indian population

A Pilot study was Carried out to study the association of consanguinity marriage with depression. It was observed that the consanguinity of marriage was associated with depression. The odds ratio was 5.66 (CI: 2.42-13.54). The age and sex had an association with depression. The age and sex adjusted odds ratio of consanguinity marriage was 7.66 (CI: 3.93-19.45) indicating that it is independently associated with depression.
Re‐evaluation of the afferent connections of the pituitary in the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus: An in vitro tract‐tracing study

The pituitary plays a key role in the interaction between the brain and the endocrine system. We re‐examined the afferent connections of the pituitary in the weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus using the in vitro application of dextran‐tetramethylrhodamine to the pituitary. The resultant retrograde labeling was analyzed. Application of the tracer to the rostral part, but not the caudal part, of the pituitary labels hypothalamic cells in the anterior division of the periventricular nucleus, the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and the nucleus tuberis lateralis pars anterior. Application of the tracer to either the rostral or caudal parts of the pituitary labels hypothalamic cells in the posterior division of the periventricular nucleus (RPPp), the nucleus hypothalamus caudalis (Hc), the nucleus hypothalamus anterioris, the ventral hypothalamic nucleus, and the central nucleus of the inferior lobe. Furthermore, cells in the rostral two‐thirds of the brainstem reticular formation (RF) project to the entire rostrocaudal extent of the pituitary. The largest projections to the pituitary are from Hc, PPp, and RF. Of the cells in Hc that project to the pituitary, almost all (96%) are small and the remainder are medium‐sized. Of the cells in PPp that project to the pituitary, about half are small or medium‐sized (44% and 56%, respectively). In Hc and PPp, about one‐third to one‐half of the cells that project to the pituitary are markedly elongated. The cells in RF that project to the pituitary are small (4%), medium‐sized (89%), or large (7%) and about four‐fifths of these cells are markedly elongated. With regard to the RF projections, the pituitary may receive copies of motor instructions and sensory information supplied by collaterals of the descending and ascending projection systems of RF cells. Thus, the ongoing motor activity of the animal and the ensuing sensory feedback from this activity could directly influence the pituitary. J. Comp. Neurol. 470:39–49, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A comparison of NT-proBNP and albuminuria for predicting cardiac events in patients with diabetes mellitus

Aims: Cardiovascular events are the most relevant events in patients with diabetes mellitus. We aimed to compare the predictive values of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the state-of-the-art marker, albuminuria, for cardiac events in diabetic patients. Methods: In this prospective observational study we recruited 1071 patients with diabetes mellitus. NT-proBNP and albuminuria ⊟ defined as a urinary albumin/creatinine ratio >30 mg/g ⊟ were measured at baseline. Patients were followed during a mean observation period of 33.1 months. A total of 103 patients reached the defined endpoint (unplanned hospitalization due to a cardiac event or death). Results: The mean duration of diabetes was 15 ± 12 years and the mean HbA1c was 7.5 ± 3.1%. At baseline, 23.7% of the patients presented with albuminuria and 36.6% had plasma NT-proBNP values >125 pg/ml. Multiple Cox regression analysis including age, gender, duration of diabetes HbA1c, albuminuria, and lnNT-proBNP revealed that lnNT-proBNP (hazard ratio 2.314; 95% CI 1.914⊟2.798, p < 0.001) was a better predictor than albuminuria (HR 1.544; 95% CI 1.007⊟2.368, p = 0.047) or age (HR 1.030; 95% CI 1.008⊟1.053, p = 0.007). Calculating different Cox-models with (A) albuminuria, (B) NT-proBNP, or (C) both in the model revealed that the C-index was best if NT-proBNP was entered in the model (C-index for A 0.735, for B 0.809, and for C 0.786). Kaplan⊟Meier analysis demonstrated that albuminuria does not add substantial information if NT-proBNP is entered into the model. Conclusion: NT-proBNP was superior to albuminuria for predicting cardiac events.
Recruiting an Elite? Employers' perceptions of graduate education and training

Much has been written about what employers think about the graduates our universities produce. The research base on this topic is not without its problems, however. This article takes as its starting point the key shortfalls of research into employer requirements of higher education, setting them within the wider context of research and policy documents on the subject. A new empirical data set is then presented which represents a new methodology aimed at moving beyond the problematic methods used by previous research to measure the nature of employer demand for and satisfaction with their new graduate recruits. There are some striking findings, not least the problematic status in the eyes of employers of the skills Dearing describes as 'key'. More importantly, however, the relationship between the institutions employers recruit from, the skills and subjects they prefer are, for the first time, analysed in relation to their statistical association with actual graduate performance. The research provides empirical insights into a number of policy debates in higher education. A clear hierarchy of institutions is apparent among employers rendering problematic the notion of a 'flat tuition fee' currently favoured and now introduced by government. This hierarchy of institutions is underlined by statistical findings concerning the existence of a graduate performing elite recruited from particular institutions by employers. The relationship between particular attributes of graduates, whether skills or subject based, is statistically analysed with emerging themes across different sectors of the economy. The future recruitment intentions of employers are analysed against the backdrop of employers' perceptions of graduate quality. The article concludes with two observations. Firstly, the skills requirements of employers are clearly changing, one might even say converging. Secondly, the claim of an emerging 'skills gap' in highly qualified personnel is far from borne out from the data collated by this survey.