Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reverse Engineering of Legacy Systems: A Path Toward Success

This paper addresses the question of whether the reverse engineering of legacy systems is doomed to failure. Our position is that the answer is highly dependent on the specific goals of the reverse engineering process. We argue that while most reverse engineering efforts may well fail to achieve the traditional goal of automatically extracted complete specifications suitable for forward engineering, they are likely to succeed on the more modest goal of automatically extracting partial specifications that can augmented by system-assisted human understanders.
UNCLASSIFIED Auxiliary Library Explorer ( ALEX ) Development

In this report we describe the development of the Auxiliary Library Explorer (ALEX) which was carried out as part of a DST Group summer vacation scholarship in 2013–14 by Alex Bunting. ALEX is a prototype tool motivated by Google Scholar which uses the DST Group for-official-use-only (FOUO) internal report database as its input. It provides DST Group researchers with an additional discovery capability and is available (at the time of publication) on the DST Group internal website. We use ALEX’s underlying database to explore DST Group’s collaboration network and discuss a preliminary result supporting the assertion that inter-divisional collaboration may occur within sites more than between sites.
In Vitro Effect of Cell Phone Radiation on Motility, DNA Fragmentation and Clusterin Gene Expression in Human Sperm

Background Use of cellular phones emitting radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) has been increased exponentially and become a part of everyday life. This study aimed to investigate the effects of in vitro RF-EMF exposure emitted from cellular phones on sperm motility index, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal clusterin (CLU) gene expression. Materials and Methods In this prospective study, a total of 124 semen samples were grouped into the following main categories: i. normozoospermia (N, n=26), ii. asthenozoospermia (A, n=32), iii. asthenoteratozoospermia (AT, n=31) and iv. oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT, n=35). The same semen samples were then divided into two portions non-exposed and exposed samples to cell phone radiation for 1 hour. Before and immediately after exposure, both aliquots were subjected to different assessments for sperm motility, acrosin activity, sperm DNA fragmentation and CLU gene expression. Statistical differences were analyzed using paired t student test for comparisons between two sub-groups where p<0.05 was set as significant. Results There was a significant decrease in sperm motility, sperm linear velocity, sperm linearity index, and sperm acrosin activity, whereas there was a significant increase in sperm DNA fragmentation percent, CLU gene expression and CLU protein levels in the exposed semen samples to RF-EMF compared with non-exposed samples in OAT>AT>A>N groups, respectively (p<0.05). Conclusion Cell phone emissions have a negative impact on exposed sperm motility index, sperm acrosin activity, sperm DNA fragmentation and seminal CLU gene expression, especially in OAT cases.
Concept Design of High Power Solar Electric Propulsion Vehicles for Human Exploration

Abstract Human exploration beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) will require enabling capabilities that are efficient, affordable and reliable. Solar electric propulsion (SEP) has been proposed by NASA’s Human Exploration Framework Team as one option to achieve human exploration missions beyond Earth orbit because of its favorable mass efficiency compared to traditional chemical propulsion systems. This paper describes the unique challenges associated with developing a large-scale high-power (300-kWe class) SEP vehicle and design concepts that have potential to meet those challenges. An assessment of factors at the subsystem level that must be considered in developing an SEP vehicle for future exploration missions is presented. Overall concepts, design tradeoffs and pathways to achieve development readiness are discussed. 1.0 Introduction Since early summer 2010, NASA has been systematically evaluating human exploration missions and architectures consistent with direction provided by the Executive and Legislative branches of the United States government. By the end of 2010, initial top-level studies were completed by NASA’s Human Exploration Framework Team (HEFT). These studies evaluated the capabilities needed to perform a variety of human exploration missions of interest. Possible pathways for developing the required mission architectural elements and associated technologies were identified with an overall objective of achieving affordable and sustainable human exploration. Missions of great interest included deep space missions to Near Earth Objects (NEOs). One outcome of the HEFT studies was identification of Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) stages as having potential to be the most effective solution to perform deep space transfer for human missions to NEOs. In the HEFT studies, top level functional, performance, and cost features of an SEP stage were identified. Associated risk reduction plans were also identified. Following HEFT, further architectural study and risk reduction project planning has occurred. This paper first describes the SEP stage concept as it relates to human exploration, and then both the challenges and promising solutions for realizing such a stage. It also provides a brief introduction to near term steps to reduce SEP stage development risk by demonstrating the ability to solve the system challenges.
Cloudworks : social networking for learning design Conference or Workshop Item

Can we apply the best of Web 2.0 principles to an educational context? More specifically can we use this as a means of shifting teaching practice to a culture of sharing learning ideas and designs? This paper describes a new social networking site, Cloudworks, which aims to provide a mechanism for sharing, discussing and finding learning and teaching ideas and designs. We describe the development of the site and the key associated concepts, ‘clouds’ and ‘cloudscapes’. We provide a summary of recent activities and plans for the future. We conclude by describing the underpinning theoretical perspectives we have drawn on in the development of the site and in particular the notion of ‘social objects’ in social networking and a framework for ‘sociality’ for transforming user practice online.
DNA Polymorphism of HLA Class I and Class II Regions

An analysis of the HLA complex by immunological methods has revealed an extensive degree of polymorphism. This polymorphism has been further characterized by immunochemical analysis of gene products (Albert et al. 1984). Molecular cloning now allows us to pursue this investigation at the genomic level. The confrontation of results accumulated by these approaches should yield a new wealth of information on the relationship between immunological, biochemical and genomic diversity, thereby furthering our understanding of the origin and biological significance of genetic polymorphism in the HLA complex. Genomic variants can be identified by a variety of methods. Foremost among these are sequencing and Southern blot hybridization. These two approaches are complementary: while the former allows us to characterize the full extent of genetic divergency between DNA sequences or between a DNA sequence and the amino-acid sequence of its product. Southern blot analysis of restriction fragments is well suited to the rapid investigation of genomic polymorphism at the population level. Our continuing interest in HLA polymorphism led us to undertake an investigation of genetic polymorphism on a population sample with the concerted use of immunological methods and Southern blot hybridization. In addition to this ongoing investigation, we are pursuing the characterization of class I HLA genes by cloning, sequencing and expression of specific genes. This review provides us with an opportunity to summarize the results on genomic polymorphism that we have accumulated in our laboratory, to discuss their significance and to spell out
Palatal bone support for orthodontic implant anchorage--a clinical and radiological study.

When maximal anchorage is required during orthodontic treatment, additional aids are often needed to support the anchoring teeth. While intra-oral aids may be limited in their anchorage potential, extra-oral anchoring aids are often rejected by the patients. Endosseous implants may therefore be a valuable alternative for stable intra-oral anchorage. However, the possibility of using conventional implants is insufficient, e.g. for treating purely orthodontic patients with full dentition or where extraction sites are to be closed. Therefore, the mid-sagittal area of the palate is an alternative insertion site for the placement of implants for orthodontic anchorage. The limited bone height in this area inspired this comparison between bone thickness in the implantation site as verified by probing during the implantation of Straumann Ortho-system implants, and thickness as measured on the lateral cephalogram. The results suggest that vertical bone support is at least 2 mm higher than apparent on the cephalogram. In none of 12 patients was a perforation to the nasal cavity found. However, in five subjects the implant projected into the nasal cavity on the post-operative cephalogram. These results were supported by the study of the projections of palate and wires in wire-marked skulls where the wires were placed bilaterally on the nasal floor and on the nasal crest. It is therefore concluded that the mid-sagittal area of the palate lends sufficient bony support for the implantation of small implants (4-6 mm endosseous length, diameter 3.3 mm).
Curriculum Re-design to Meet Needs of Learning Disabled Students in Illinois Agricultural Education Programs

Abstract This quasi-experimental pilot study included agricultural education students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in five high schools in the federally designated economically distressed area, the Illinois Delta Region. A unit of instruction taken from the existing 165 units of The Illinois Core Curriculum for agriculture was re-designed in a manner appropriate to SLD students. Students from the five selected programs were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Results from pre-posttests in this study found the redesigned curriculum for SLD students effectively increased learning for both SLD and traditional students. Introduction The number of students with identified learning disabilities in the United States greatly increased over the past 30+ years, from 0.75 million in 1976 to 2.41 million in 2002 (Biddle, 2006; Swanson, 1999). Such dramatic increases indicate a growing need for innovative approaches to improving teaching and learning for secondary learning disabled students. The U.S. Department of Education (2004) further reported a high percentage of learning disabled students aspiring to post-secondary vocational training and/or a college education, while Bajema, Miller, and Williams (2002) reported greater percentages of learning disabled students in rural areas. Pense (2008) reported nearly one fourth of our agricultural education students have Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). To adequately prepare this special population for further training, it is imperative that curriculum re-design for the learning disabled student in agricultural education programs be implemented. If the curricular needs of SLD students in the agricultural education classroom are not met, the agriculture industry risks losing 25% of the future workforce. Training the SLD student is not unattainable. SLD students are not mentally retarded and not normally low in their Intelligence Quotient (IQ). Messages to the brains of SLD students often become jumbled, causing difficulty with one or more academic areas (University of Illinois Extension, 2003). Such disabilities are of a varied nature, manifesting themselves in behavioral characteristics that may slow academic progress. These disorders include such problems as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, attention deficit, visual perception problems, and auditory discrimination problems
Platelet-Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1-Directed Endothelial Targeting of Superoxide Dismutase Alleviates Oxidative Stress Caused by Either Extracellular or Intracellular Superoxide

Targeting of the antioxidant enzyme catalase to endothelial cells protects against vascular oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)(Am J Physiol 285:L283–L292, 2003; Nat Biotechnol 21:392–398, 2003; Am J Physiol 293:L162–L169, 2007). However, another reactive oxygen species, superoxide anion, is also involved in many forms of vascular oxidative stress, including ischemia/reperfusion, hypertension, and inflammation. To protect endothelium against superoxide attack, we designed and tested antibody-directed targeting of superoxide dismutase (SOD) to the endothelial surface determinant, platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1. We synthesized anti-PECAM/SOD conjugates that retained 70% of enzymatic activity (superoxide anion dismutation) and specifically bound to endothelial cells, but not PECAM-negative cells. The effect of anti-PECAM/SOD delivery to cells was tested in two distinct models of oxidative stress induced by either extracellular or intracellular generation of superoxide anion. In the first model, anti-PECAM/SOD, but not unconjugated SOD, protected endothelial cells against injury caused by superoxide produced in the medium by hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase. At the optimal dose, anti-PECAM/SOD provided up to 40 to 50% protection against cell death in this model. In the second model, anti-PECAM/SOD at the optimal dose provided complete protection against necrosis caused by paraquat-induced intracellular superoxide generation. Endothelial targeting of SOD represents a new molecular antioxidant approach that could be used for the management of vascular oxidative stress.
TEMPORAL VARIATION FAVORS THE EVOLUTION OF GENERALISTS IN EXPERIMENTAL POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

In variable environments, selection should favor generalists that maintain fitness across a range of conditions. However, costs of adaptation may generate fitness trade‐offs and lead to some compromise between specialization and generalization that maximizes fitness. Here, we evaluate the evolution of specialization and generalization in 20 populations of Drosophila melanogaster experimentally evolved in constant and variable thermal environments for 3 years. We developed genotypes from each population at two temperatures after which we measured fecundity across eight temperatures. We predicted that constant environments would select for thermal specialists and that variable environments would select for thermal generalists. Contrary to our predictions, specialists and generalists did not evolve in constant and spatially variable environments, respectively. However, temporal variation produced a type of generalist that has rarely been considered by theoretical models of developmental plasticity. Specifically, genotypes from the temporally variable selective environment were more fecund across all temperatures than were genotypes from other environments. These patterns suggest certain allelic effects and should inspire new directions for modeling adaptation to fluctuating environments.
Pneumococcal Transmission and Disease In Silico: A Microsimulation Model of the Indirect Effects of Vaccination

Background The degree and time frame of indirect effects of vaccination (serotype replacement and herd immunity) are key determinants in assessing the net effectiveness of vaccination with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) in control of pneumococcal disease. Using modelling, we aimed to quantify these effects and their dependence on coverage of vaccination and the vaccine's efficacy against susceptibility to pneumococcal carriage. Methods and Findings We constructed an individual-based simulation model that explores the effects of large-scale PCV programmes and applied it in a developed country setting (Finland). A population structure with transmission of carriage taking place within relevant mixing groups (families, day care groups, schools and neighbourhoods) was considered in order to properly assess the dependency of herd immunity on coverage of vaccination and vaccine efficacy against carriage. Issues regarding potential serotype replacement were addressed by employing a novel competition structure between multiple pneumococcal serotypes. Model parameters were calibrated from pre-vaccination data about the age-specific carriage prevalence and serotype distribution. The model predicts that elimination of vaccine-type carriage and disease among those vaccinated and, due to a substantial herd effect, also among the general population takes place within 5–10 years since the onset of a PCV programme with high (90%) coverage of vaccination and moderate (50%) vaccine efficacy against acquisition of carriage. A near-complete replacement of vaccine-type carriage by non-vaccine-type carriage occurs within the same time frame. Conclusions The changed patterns in pneumococcal carriage after PCV vaccination predicted by the model are unequivocal. The overall effect on disease incidence depends crucially on the magnitude of age- and serotype-specific case-to-carrier ratios of the remaining serotypes relative to those of the vaccine types. Thus the availability of reliable data on the incidence of both pneumococcal carriage and disease is essential in assessing the net effectiveness of PCV vaccination in a given epidemiological setting.
Perceptually Transparent Vibration Rendering Using a Vibration Motor for Haptic Interaction

The vibration motor is an actuator widely used for generating vibrations in haptic interaction, virtual reality, human-computer interaction, and gaming. Whereas the vibration motor has many advantages such as low price and small size, its internal structure brings a critical limitation: its output has correlated amplitude and frequency both controlled by voltage applied to the motor. Using the absolute magnitude estimation paradigm in psychophysics, we have previously obtained an Input-Output (I/O) relation from the applied voltage to vibration magnitude perceived by the user. Based on its inverse I/O relation, this paper addresses a vibration rendering method that allows the user to command the vibration motor in a perceptually transparent manner. Using the rendering method, the effects of vibration commands (in voltage) on the user's percept can be correctly understood, allowing more effective vibration design for haptic interaction. We have also implemented a prototype graphical vibration editor into which the perceptually transparent vibration rendering method is incorporated. The vibration editor can assist the user to easily design vibration effects for the vibration motor as s/he manipulates sounds with a graphical audio editor and to clearly predict the user's percept induced from the resulting vibrations as well.
Duality in N = 2 nonlinear sigma–models

We consider N=2 supersymmetric nonlinear sigma-models in two dimensions defined in terms of the nonminimal scalar multiplet. We compute in superspace the one-loop beta function and show that the classical duality between these models and the standard ones defined in terms of chiral superfields is maintained at the quantum one-loop level. Our result provides an explicit application of the recently proposed quantization of the nonminimal scalar multiplet via the Batalin-Vilkovisky procedure.
Mortality by stage for right- versus left-sided colon cancer: analysis of surveillance, epidemiology, and end results--Medicare data.

PURPOSE Recent studies have reported increased mortality for right-sided colon cancers but had limited adjustment for patient characteristics and conflicting results by stage. We examined the relationship between colon cancer location (right- v left-side) and 5-year mortality by stage. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified Medicare beneficiaries from 1992 to 2005 with American Joint Commission on Cancer stages I to III primary adenocarcinoma of the colon who underwent surgery for curative intent through Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) -Medicare data. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for predictors of all-cause 5-year mortality were obtained by using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS Of 53,801 patients, 67% had right-sided colon cancer. Patients with right-sided cancer were more likely to be older, to be women, to be diagnosed with a more advanced stage, and to have more poorly differentiated tumors. Adjusted Cox regression showed no significant difference in mortality between right- and left-sided cancers for all stages combined (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.04; P = .598) or for stage I cancers (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.88 to 1.03; P = .211). Stage II right-sided cancers had lower mortality than left-sided cancers (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.87 to 0.97; P = .001), and stage III right-sided cancers had higher mortality (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.18; P < .001). CONCLUSION When analysis was adjusted for multiple patient, disease, comorbidity, and treatment variables, no overall difference in 5-year mortality was seen between right- and left-sided colon cancers. However, within stage II disease, right-sided cancers had lower mortality; within stage III, right-sided cancers had higher mortality.
The Insecure Workforce

Introduction: The Debate over Workforce Insecurity Edmund Heery and John Salmon. Can't stand up for falling down? Insecurity in the UK Labour Market Paul Gregg and Jonathan Wadsworth. Insecurity and the Flexible Workforce: Measuring the Ill-Defined Peter Robinson. Redundancy Arrangements and Job (In)Security Peter Turnball and Victoria Wass. Workforce Insecurity in the Public Services Nigel Allington and Phillip Morgan. Beyond the Miracle: the Future of Life-time Employment in Japan John Salmon. Managing the Insecure Workforce David Guest. Representing the Insecure Workforce Brian Abbott and Edmind Heery. Insecurity, Wellbeing and the Family Brendan Burchell. Insecurity and Housing Consumption Richard Walker. Workforce Insecurity and Political Behaviour: Did Insecurity Cause the Conservative's Defeat in 1997? John Curtice. Conclusion Edmund Heery and John Salmon.
Cytotoxicity of AgNPs/CS composite films: AgNPs immobilized in chitosan matrix contributes a higher inhibition rate to cell proliferation

ABSTRACT In this study, the cytotoxicity of sliver nanoparticle-doped chitosan composite films (AgNPs/CS) was investigated in vitro. In this slow-release system, the doped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) might modify both the surface properties of the matrix and the ion environment of the surrounding fluid via slow-release, determining the dominant mechanism is of interest. Here, AgNPs (average size is 25 nm) were doped into chitosan (CS) films by mechanical mixing to form a slow-release system. The surface properties and stabilities of the films and the Ag-releasing behavior were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectrophotometry, and a weight loss method. The morphology of adhered cells and the survival rate (obtained by both MTT and CCK-8 assays) of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were employed to describe the cytotoxicity. Using statistical analysis, the following conclusions can be made: the doped AgNPs dispersed in the CS matrix with a polycrystalline structure. During the early erosion, a small amount of debris peeled off and became suspended in the fluid. After that erosion, the composite film became relatively stable, and the doped Ag was slowly released into the fluid. In comparison with the released Ag (either in the peeled debris or dissolved in the fluid), Ag immobilized in the AgNPs/CS films shows a more significant influence on cell adhesion and subsequent proliferation. Film thickness and AgNP content show a synergistic effect on the survival rate of the cell, with the AgNPs content being the key factor.