Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Client-AEC Interface in Building Lifecycle Integration

The creation and management of buildings over their lifecycle involves the cooperation of many organizations, which broadly fall into a client domain and AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) domain. While this mix of expertise is essential, the ineffective management of the boundaries between these organizations can undermine building lifecycle performance. This paper explores client-AEC interactions at the project development and handover stages, with a view to discovering insights into client-AEC interface management for effective building lifecycle integration (BLI). The concept of boundary objects provided the theoretical framework to discuss findings from two case studies on the project development phase of a private finance initiative project, and the asset development process in a repeat client organization. The findings suggest that there are different emphases in boundary crossing activities at different stages, with boundary roles that relate to decision-making and authority to commit resources being more relevant at the project development stage, whereas the need to explain meanings appear to be more relevant at the handover stage. AEC professionals in client organizations play a crucial role in bridging knowledge boundaries about buildings, but this professional/functional strand to BLI needs to be effectively managed alongside the organizational boundaries, since the authority to resource BLI efforts resides within organizations.
Microenvironment and Immunology Targeting Galectin-1 Overcomes Breast Cancer-associated Immunosuppression and Prevents Metastatic Disease

Galectin-1 (Gal1), an evolutionarily conserved glycan-binding protein, contributes to the creation of an immunosuppressed microenvironment at sites of tumor growth. In spite of considerable progress in elucidating its role in tumor-immune escape, the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory functions of Gal1 remain obscure. Here, we investigated the contribution of tumor Gal1 to tumor growth, metastasis, and immunosuppression in breast cancer. We found that the frequency of Gal1 þ cells in human breast cancer biopsies correlated positively with tumor grade, while specimens from patients with benign hyperplasia showed negative or limited Gal1 staining. To examine the pathophysiologic relevance of Gal1 in breast cancer, we used the metastatic mouse mammary tumor 4T1, which expresses and secretes substantial amounts of Gal1. Silencing Gal1 expression in this model induced a marked reduction in both tumor growth and the number of lung metastases. This effect was abrogated when mice were inoculated with wild-type 4T1 tumor cells in their contralateral flank, suggesting involvement of a systemic modulation of the immune response. Gal1 attenuation in 4T1 cells also reduced the frequency of CD4 þ CD25 þ Foxp3 þ regulatory T (T reg) cells within the tumor, draining lymph nodes, spleen, and lung metastases. Further, it abrogated the immunosuppressive function of T reg cells and selectively lowered the expression of the T-cell regulatory molecule LAT (linker for activation of T cells) on these cells, disarming their suppressive activity. Taken together, our results offer a preclinical proof of concept that therapeutic targeting of Gal1 can overcome breast cancer-associated immunosuppression and can prevent metastatic disease.
Cardioprotection with Volatile Anesthetics: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications

Cardiac surgery and some noncardiac procedures are associated with a significant risk of perioperative cardiac morbid events. Experimental data indicate that clinical concentrations of volatile general anesthetics protect the myocardium from ischemia and reperfusion injury, as shown by decreased infarct size and a more rapid recovery of contractile function on reperfusion. These anesthetics may also mediate protective effects in other organs, such as the brain and kidney. Recently, a number of reports have indicated that these experimentally observed protective effects may also have clinical implications in cardiac surgery. However, the impact of the use of volatile anesthetics on outcome measures, such as postoperative mortality and recovery in cardiac and noncardiac surgery, is yet to be determined.
Distributed Wide Area Scene Analysis in Reconfigurable Camera Networks

Over the past decade, large-scale camera networks have become increasingly prevalent in a wide range of applications, like security and surveillance, disaster response and environmental modeling. In many applications, constraints of bandwidth, security concerns, and difficulty in storing and analyzing huge amounts data centrally at a single location necessitate the development of distributed camera network architectures. Thus, development of distributed scene analysis algorithms has received a lot of attention lately. However, the performance of scene analysis algorithms often suffers because of the inability to effectively acquire the desired images, especially when the targets are dispersed over a wide field of view. In this paper, we show how to develop a framework for integrated sensing and analysis in a distributed camera network so as to maximize various scene understanding performance criteria (e.g., tracking accuracy, best shot, image resolution). We show how existing work in autonomous multi-agent systems can be leveraged for this purpose more specifically, game theory based distributed optimization algorithms for dynamic camera network reconfiguration, and consensus algorithms for scene analysis. An experimental testbed for evaluating such work is also described, results on a real-life camera network presented, and comparisons against other approaches provided.
Detecting and Mitigating P2P Eclipse Attacks

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) protocols increasingly constitute the foundations for many large-scale applications as the inherently distributed nature of P2P easily supports both scalability and fault-tolerance. However, the decentralized design of P2P also exposes it to a variety of distributed threats with Eclipse Attacks (EAs) being a prominent type to impact P2P functionality. While the basic technique of divergent lookups has been demonstrated for suitability to mitigate EA, it can only (effectively) address limited variants of EAs. This paper investigates both the detection and mitigation potential of enhanced divergent lookups for handling complex EA scenarios. In addition, we propose an approach that can identify malicious peers with a high degree of accuracy. Our simulations have shown EA mitigation rates of up to 96% in case 25% of the peers are malicious. Also, our approach allows for anonymity-fostering, fully decentralized usage, and facilitating downstream mechanisms such as malicious peer removal.
Reduced SNP Panels for Genetic Identification and Introgression Analysis in the Dark Honey Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera)

Beekeeping activities, especially queen trading, have shaped the distribution of honey bee (Apis mellifera) subspecies in Europe, and have resulted in extensive introductions of two eastern European C-lineage subspecies (A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica) into the native range of the M-lineage A. m. mellifera subspecies in Western Europe. As a consequence, replacement and gene flow between native and commercial populations have occurred at varying levels across western European populations. Genetic identification and introgression analysis using molecular markers is an important tool for management and conservation of honey bee subspecies. Previous studies have monitored introgression by using microsatellite, PCR-RFLP markers and most recently, high density assays using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. While the latter are almost prohibitively expensive, the information gained to date can be exploited to create a reduced panel containing the most ancestry-informative markers (AIMs) for those purposes with very little loss of information. The objective of this study was to design reduced panels of AIMs to verify the origin of A. m. mellifera individuals and to provide accurate estimates of the level of C-lineage introgression into their genome. The discriminant power of the SNPs using a variety of metrics and approaches including the Weir & Cockerham’s FST, an FST-based outlier test, Delta, informativeness (In), and PCA was evaluated. This study shows that reduced AIMs panels assign individuals to the correct origin and calculates the admixture level with a high degree of accuracy. These panels provide an essential tool in Europe for genetic stock identification and estimation of admixture levels which can assist management strategies and monitor honey bee conservation programs.
Dietary Habits in Patients with Ischemic Stroke: A Case-Control Study

Background and Aims Diet appears to have some role in stroke development. The objective of our study was to describe the dietary habits in patients admitted with acute ischemic stroke and compare selected dietary components with healthy controls. Adherence to healthy diet behaviors was also assessed. Methods A case-control study of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke admitted to the Neurology Department of Hospital del Mar from 2007 to 2010. Patients were matched by age and sex with control subjects. A previously validated nutritional survey was administered to patients and controls. Demographic data, vascular risk factors, caloric intake and dietary nutrients were evaluated. Intention to follow a healthy diet was also assessed in both groups. Results A total of 300 acute ischemic stroke patients and 300 controls with evaluation of dietary habits. No differences were observed in vascular risk factors, except smoking habit, diabetes and ischemic heart disease. Stroke patients reported a higher caloric intake: 2444.8(1736.8–3244.5) vs 2208.7(1753.1–2860.7) Kcal, p = 0.001. After adjusting for energy intake, patients had higher intake of proteins (p<0.001; OR 1.02), total cholesterol (p = 0.001; OR 1.04), and breaded foods (p = 0.001; OR 1.94) and lower consumption of probiotic yogurt (p = 0.002; OR 0.88). Compared to patients, control participants indicated greater intention to eat vegetables (p = 0.002; OR 1.5) and whole foods (p = 0.000; OR 2.4) and reduce their intake of salt (p = 0.002; OR 1.7), fat (p = 0.000; OR 3.7) and sweets (p = 0.004; OR 1.7) than patients. Conclusion We observed different dietary patterns between stroke patients and controls. Stroke patients have a higher caloric intake and are less concerned about maintaining healthy nutritional habits.
The Electron Temperature Gradient in the Galactic Disk

We derive the electron temperature gradient in the Galactic disk, using a sample of H II regions that spans Galactocentric distances of 0-17 kpc. The electron temperature was calculated using high-precision radio recombination line and continuum observations for more than 100 H II regions. Nebular Galactocentric distances were calculated in a consistent manner, using the radial velocities measured by our radio recombination line survey. The large number of nebulae widely distributed over the Galactic disk, together with the uniformity of our data, provide a secure estimate of the present electron temperature gradient in the Milky Way. Because metals are the main coolants in the photoionized gas, the electron temperature along the Galactic disk should be directly related to the distribution of heavy elements in the Milky Way. Our best estimate of the electron temperature gradient is derived from a sample of 76 sources for which we have the highest quality data. The present gradient in electron temperature has a minimum at the Galactic center and rises at a rate of 287 ± 46 K kpc-1. There are no significant variations in the value of the gradient as a function of Galactocentric radius or azimuth. The scatter we find in the H II region electron temperatures at a given Galactocentric radius is not due to observational error, but rather to intrinsic fluctuations in these temperatures, which are almost certainly due to fluctuations in the nebular heavy-element abundances. Comparing the H II region gradient with the much steeper gradient found for planetary nebulae suggests that the electron temperature gradient evolves with time, becoming flatter as a consequence of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way's disk.
Impact of Environmental and Genetic Factors on Biofilm Formation by the Probiotic Strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG

ABSTRACT Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) is one of the clinically best-studied probiotic organisms. Moreover, L. rhamnosus GG displays very good in vitro adherence to epithelial cells and mucus. Here, we report that L. rhamnosus GG is able to form biofilms on abiotic surfaces, in contrast to other strains of the Lactobacillus casei group tested under the same conditions. Microtiter plate biofilm assays indicated that in vitro biofilm formation by L. rhamnosus GG is strongly modulated by culture medium factors and conditions related to the gastrointestinal environment, including low pH; high osmolarity; and the presence of bile, mucins, and nondigestible polysaccharides. Additionally, phenotypic analysis of mutants affected in exopolysaccharides (wzb), lipoteichoic acid (dltD), and central metabolism (luxS) showed their relative importance in biofilm formation by L. rhamnosus GG.
LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of plant sterols and stanols across different dose ranges: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies

Phytosterols (PS, comprising plant sterols and plant stanols) have been proven to lower LDL-cholesterol concentrations. The dose–response relationship for this effect has been evaluated in several meta-analyses by calculating averages for different dose ranges or by applying continuous dose–response functions. Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages. So far, the calculation of averages for different dose ranges has not been done for plant sterols and stanols separately. The objective of the present meta-analysis was to investigate the combined and separate effects of plant sterols and stanols when classified into different dose ranges. Studies were searched and selected based on predefined criteria. Relevant data were extracted. Average LDL-cholesterol effects were calculated when studies were categorised by dose, according to random-effects models while using the variance as weighing factor. This was done for plant sterols and stanols combined and separately. In total, 124 studies (201 strata) were included. Plant sterols and stanols were administered in 129 and fifty-nine strata, respectively; the remaining used a mix of both. The average PS dose was 2·1 (range 0·2–9·0) g/d. PS intakes of 0·6–3·3 g/d were found to gradually reduce LDL-cholesterol concentrations by, on average, 6–12 %. When plant sterols and stanols were analysed separately, clear and comparable dose–response relationships were observed. Studies carried out with PS doses exceeding 4 g/d were not pooled, as these were scarce and scattered across a wide range of doses. In conclusion, the LDL-cholesterol-lowering effect of both plant sterols and stanols continues to increase up to intakes of approximately 3 g/d to an average effect of 12 %.
Distributed sharing of functionalities and resources in survivable GMPLS-controlled WSONs

Sharing of functionalities and sharing of network resources are effective solutions for improving the cost-effectiveness of wavelength-switched optical networks (WSONs). Such cost-effectiveness should be pursued together with the objective of ensuring the requested level of performance at the physical layer (i.e., quality of transmission, QoT) and at the upper layer also in the case of a failure (i.e., survivability). This paper aims to apply the sharing concept to a WSON with QoT and survivability requirements (against single-link failures). QoT is guaranteed by resorting to regeneration of the optical signal in intermediate nodes. Survivability is guaranteed by resorting to path protection. To exploit the sharing benefits, the scarce regenerators are used for both regeneration and wavelength conversion (WC) leading to a sharing of functionalities. Also, the shared path protection mechanism is exploited to ensure survivability against single-link failures and make the sharing of network resources (regenerators and wavelengths) possible. The paper presents a novel distributed scheme (DISTR) for reservation of regenerators and wavelengths in generalized multi-protocol label switching controlled WSONs, in order to ensure the required level of QoT and survivability. Novel objects and selection strategies for the resource reservation protocol with traffic engineering extensions are proposed and evaluated. The DISTR scheme effectively combines regeneration and WC points, leading to a noticeable reduction of the regeneration usage with respect to the existing schemes. Moreover, a significant reduction of the blocking probability is achieved, independently of the wavelength selection strategy used.
Measuring Change Requests to support effective project management practices

Some of the major reasons for software project failures relay in the area of the management of project objectives and requirements. In the actual “ever changing world”, software requirements are subjected to continuous changes that might claim revisions of the allocated resources. Estimating effort, duration and costs from stable requirements is a difficult task, but estimating from “moving” requirements could simply be overwhelming. In a contractual market relationship between customer and supplier, the capability to measure Change Requests, for technical and managerial reasons, is critical and influences directly the Customer Satisfaction level as well as the profitability of the business for the Supplier. The standard IFPUG Function Point Analysis technique provides a mean to measure software from the external user point of view and is particularly effective in supporting contractual aspects. Unfortunately the original method is not satisfactory if applied to the Change Request measurement problem. This paper is focused on an operational approach to the functional measurement of Change Requests and on the related expected impact on the amount of additional effort and duration needed to implement them.
Commentaries and Rejoinder to “Trade-Off Aversion as an Explanation for the Attraction Effect: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study”: Integrating Neural and Decision Sciences: Convergence and Constraints

Vol. XLVI (February 2009), 14–24 14 © 2009, American Marketing Association ISSN: 0022-2437 (print), 1547-7193 (electronic) *Scott A. Huettel is Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (e-mail: scott.huettel@duke. edu), and John W. Payne is Joseph J. Ruvane Jr. Professor of Management and Marketing, Fuqua School of Business (e-mail: jpayne@duke.edu), Duke University. The authors thank colleagues in the Duke Center for Neuroeconomic Studies for stimulating discussions about integrating the neural and decision sciences. The Duke Institute for Brain Sciences provided support for those discussions and for our joint research. Commentaries and Rejoinder to “Trade-Off Aversion as an Explanation for the Attraction Effect: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study”
Extracting protein alignment models from the sequence database.

Biologists often gain structural and functional insights into a protein sequence by constructing a multiple alignment model of the family. Here a program called Probe fully automates this process of model construction starting from a single sequence. Central to this program is a powerful new method to locate and align only those, often subtly, conserved patterns essential to the family as a whole. When applied to randomly chosen proteins, Probe found on average about four times as many relationships as a pairwise search and yielded many new discoveries. These include: an obscure subfamily of globins in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans ; two new superfamilies of metallohydrolases; a lipoyl/biotin swinging arm domain in bacterial membrane fusion proteins; and a DH domain in the yeast Bud3 and Fus2 proteins. By identifying distant relationships and merging families into superfamilies in this way, this analysis further confirms the notion that proteins evolved from relatively few ancient sequences. Moreover, this method automatically generates models of these ancient conserved regions for rapid and sensitive screening of sequences.
Algorithms for large directed CARP instances: urban solid waste collection operational support

Solid waste collection in urban areas is a central topic for local environmental agencies. The operational problem, the definition of collection routes given the vehicle fleet, can greatly benefit of computerized support already for medium sized town. While the operational constraints can greatly vary, the core problem can be identified as a capacitated arc routing problem on large directed graphs (DCARP). This paper reports about the effectiveness of different metaheuristics on large DCARP instances derived from real-world applications. Department of Computer Science, University of Bologna, Mura Anteo Zamboni, 7 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Low-Level Prenatal and Postnatal Blood Lead Exposure and Adrenocortical Responses to Acute Stress in Children

Background A few recent studies have demonstrated heightened hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to acute stress in animals exposed to heavy metal contaminants, particularly lead. However, Pb-induced dysregulation of the HPA axis has not yet been studied in humans. Objective In this study, we examined children’s cortisol response to acute stress (the glucocorticoid product of HPA activation) in relation to low-level prenatal and postnatal Pb exposure. Methods Children’s prenatal blood Pb levels were determined from cord blood specimens, and postnatal lead levels were abstracted from pediatrician and state records. Children’s adrenocortical responses to an acute stressor were measured using assays of salivary cortisol before and after administration of a standard cold pressor task. Results Pb exposure was not associated with initial salivary cortisol levels. After an acute stressor, however, increasing prenatal and postnatal blood Pb levels were independently associated with significantly heightened salivary cortisol responses. Conclusions Our results suggest that relatively low prenatal and postnatal blood lead levels—notably those below the 10 μg/dL blood lead level identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for public health purposes—can alter children’s adrenocortical responses to acute stress. The behavioral and health consequences of this Pb-induced HPA dysregulation in children have yet to be determined.
Economic and Financial Perspectives on the Demand for Reinsurance

The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than is commonly understood. Practical men, who believe themselves quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribblers of a few years back. ” Quote from John Maynard Keynes The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936)