Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solution conformation of the major adduct between the carcinogen (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene diol epoxide and DNA.

We have synthesized, separated, and purified approximately 10 mg of a deoxyundecanucleotide duplex containing a single centrally positioned covalent adduct between (+)-anti-benzo[a]pyrene (BP) diol epoxide and the exocyclic amino group of guanosine. Excellent proton NMR spectra are observed for the (+)-trans-anti-BP diol epoxide-N2-dG adduct positioned opposite dC and flanked by G.C pairs in the d[C1-C2-A3-T4-C5-(BP)G6-C7-T8-A9-C10-C11]. d[12- G13-T14-A15-G16-C17-G18-A19-T20-G 21-G22] duplex +ADdesignated (BP)G.C 11-mer+BD. We have determined the solution structure centered about the BP covalent adduct site in the (BP)G.C 11-mer duplex by incorporating intramolecular and intermolecular proton-proton distance bounds deduced from the NMR data sets as constraints in energy minimization computations. The BP ring is positioned in the minor groove and directed toward the 5' end of the modified strand. One face of the BP ring of (BP)G6 is stacked over the G18 and A19 sugar-phosphate backbone on the partner strand and the other face is exposed to solvent. A minimally perturbed B-DNA helix is observed for the d[T4-C5-(BP)G6-C7-T8]. d[A15-G16-C17-G18-A19] segment centered about the adduct site with Watson-Crick alignment for both the (BP)G6.C17 pair and flanking G.C pairs. A widening of the minor groove at the adduct site is detected that accommodates the BP ring whose long axis makes an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the average direction of the DNA helix axis. Our study holds future promise for the characterization of other steroisomerically pure adducts of BP diol epoxides with DNA to elucidate the molecular basis of structure-activity relationships associated with the stereoisomer-dependent spectrum of mutational and carcinogenic activities.
A secure active network environment architecture: realization in SwitchWare

An active network is a network infrastructure which is programmable on a per-user or even per-packet basis. Increasing the flexibility of such network infrastructures invites new security risks. Coping with these security risks represents the most fundamental contribution of active network research. The security concerns can be divided into those which affect the network as a whole and those which affect individual elements. It is clear that the element problems must be solved first, since the integrity of network-level solutions will be based on trust in the network elements. In this article we describe the architecture and implementation of a secure active network environment (SANE), which we believe provides a basis for implementing secure network-level solutions. We guarantee that a node begins operation in a trusted state with the AEGIS secure bootstrap architecture. We guarantee that the system remains in a trusted state by applying dynamic integrity checks in the network element's runtime system, using a novel naming system, and applying node-to-node authentication when needed. The construction of an extended LAN is discussed.
Information properties in fine-to-coarse image transformations

The notion of entropy production /spl Pscr/, as defined by the thermodynamics of irreversible transformations, is used to quantify information loss during a transformation from fine-to-coarse image representations. To this aim we first show the existence of a precise relation between /spl Pscr/ and the Kullback-Leibler distance. This relation allows one to gauge local and global information losses which are associated with the global and local information content information of the images. Connections between the proposed approach, segmentation issues, and classical information theory are discussed.
Firms' Cash Holdings and the Cross-Section of Equity Returns

This paper documents a new empirical finding: an investing strategy that is long in stocks of firms with a high cash–to–assets ratio (High Cash portfolio) and short in stocks of firms with a low cash–to–assets ratio (Low Cash portfolio) produces an average excess return of 42 basis points per month. The three Fama–French factors are not able to explain such a difference in average returns, while a cash factor (HCMLC) does. I propose a structural model of the firm’s investing and savings decisions that rationalizes the empirical evidence relating corporate cash holdings to the average excess equity returns. I amend the real option model of the firm of Berk, Green, and Naik [1999], to allow for a non–trivial capital structure decision. In my setup, firms can finance investment by means of equity or retained earnings. Equity issuance involves pecuniary costs such as bankers and lawyers’ fees. Corporate savings allow the firm to avoid costly external financing, but yield a return which is lower than shareholders would be able to obtain. Because of risky cash flows, the model generates an additional precautionary savings motive that is the key ingredient to explain the positive relationship between corporate cash holdings and average equity returns found in the data.
Efficacy of a three day course of azithromycin in moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia.

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a 3 day course of azithromycin in low to moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia. Forty patients with low to moderately severe community-acquired pneumonia (29 males, 11 females, mean age 46 +/- 17 yrs; 20 pretreated with betalactams for 2-10 days with no results before admission to hospital; 18 with evidence of co-morbidity) were enrolled in an open, randomized study with azithromycin, 500 mg q.d. oral therapy for 3 days, versus clarithromycin, 250 mg b.i. d. oral therapy for 10 +/- 2 days. The aetiology of pneumonia was identified in 18 patients by serology (nine Mycoplasma pneumoniae, four Chlamydia pneumoniae, five Legionella pneumophila; one patient with chlamydial infection also had Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia). A presumptive aetiological diagnosis was obtained with sputum culture in three other patients (one Haemophilus influenzae, two Haemophilus parainfluenzae), all strains were sole isolates with 10(8) Colony forming units (CFU), and with Gram stain in one patient with Streptococcus pneumoniae. All patients in the azithromycin group (one after a second 3 day course), and all but two (of those available for evaluation) of the clarithromycin group were cured. Defervescence occurred after 2.6 +/- 1.6 days, and chest roentgenogram cleared after 8.9 +/- 3.3 days, with no difference between the two groups. Tolerance was good, and there were no withdrawals from therapy. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Byzantine decisions for inferring trust in Sensor Networks

A secure Wireless Sensor Network consists of highly secured and trustworthy sensor nodes. But making one single node secure is impossible due to low computational power, memory and cost constraints. Sensor nodes are not tamper proof nor will be in future. In our concept we use low-cost redundant sensors and the Byzantine Fault Tolerance to overcome attacks on the network especially concerning insider attacks. Every sensor node calculates a trust-level of its peer neighbors by a Bayesian probabilistic reputation system. An efficient real-time based communication protocol is used to reduce communication overhead and to transport local trust-levels to the gateway node to calculate a common trust-level.
Does night-time transpiration contribute to anisohydric behaviour in a Vitis vinifera cultivar?

The hypothesis that vines of the Semillon wine grape variety show anisohydric behaviour was tested, i.e. that tissue hydration is unstable under fluctuating environmental conditions. Stomatal conductance and transpiration rates from leaves were measured during the day and at night. Leaf water potential (Ψl) in Semillon was negatively correlated to vapour pressure deficit (VPD) both predawn and during the day. Furthermore, Ψl fell to significantly lower values than in any of the nine other varieties examined. Night-time values of stomatal conductance (gn) and transpiration (En) in Semillon were up to four times higher than in other varieties; plants enclosed in plastic bags overnight to reduce En resulted in better plant–soil equilibration so that predawn Ψl in Semillon was the same as in Grenache. These data indicate that the hypothesis is supported, and that night-time transpiration contributes significantly to the low Ψl values in Semillon during warm, dry nights. The other contributing factor is daytime stomatal conductance (gday), which in Semillon leaves was higher than in other varieties, although the decline in gday with increasing VPD was greater in Semillon than in Shiraz or Grenache. The high values of gday were associated with high rates of transpiration (Eday) by Semillon through a day when VPD reached 4.5 kPa. When compared to other varieties, Semillon was not unusual in terms of root length density, stomatal density, xylem sap abscisic acid, or leaf electrolyte leakage. Night-time and daytime water loss and insufficient stomatal regulation therefore account for the tendency to anisohydric behaviour shown by Semillon.
On the Existence of Optimal Exact-Repair MDS Codes for Distributed Storage

The high repair cost of (n,k) Maximum Distance Separable (MDS) erasure codes has recently motivated a new class of codes, called Regenerating Codes, that optimally trade off storage cost for repair bandwidth. In this paper, we address bandwidth-optimal (n,k,d) Exact-Repair MDS codes, which allow
CONSTRUCTION HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS AND CLIMATE IN PAKISTAN

Developed economies have realized construction health and safety issue and have improved the working site condition by continuously emphasizing on the issue. Sadly, the case is different in developing countries particularly in the Indian subcontinent where the injury and death rate is high due to poor health and safety conditions. The paper examines the current health and safety practices, legislations and the management of Health and safety of Pakistan, a country in the Indian subcontinent. The data reviewed is organized around developing countries and the culture affecting health and safety in these countries is discussed. Moreover, the secondary data focuses on health and safety management system, behavioral aspects of the stakeholders, general health conditions of workers associated to the construction industry and the construction industry of Pakistan is also discussed. For the achievement of objectives, both, qualitative and quantitative methodologies are adopted (i-e questionnaire survey and interviews). The questionnaire and the interviews mainly focus on the contractors, workers, designers and the clients. The findings from these methods indicates that majority of the respondents have a poor degree of health and safety awareness. It also reveals that there are general health problems faced by the workers, people are hesitant to record and report the accident at site and showed the key behavioral aspects affecting the health and safety.
Risk assessment of BYOD: Bring your own device

More and more companies are introducing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), in which employees utilize their own smart phones and tablets for business. However, using private terminals for business presents risks, such as leakage of business information or an employee's personal information. This paper discusses a risk assessment of BYOD in an enterprise. Specifically, it analyzes and evaluates with the method of risk management, such as Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) and risk matrix. This will contribute to the safe and secure spread and promotion of BYOD in an enterprise.
ARKB: 3D vision-based Augmented Reality Keyboard

In this paper, we propose a wearable 3D Augmented Reality Keyboard (ARKB) which enables a user to type text or control CG objects without using conventional interfaces, such as keyboard or mouse. The proposed ARKB exploits 3D depth information obtained through a stereo camera attached to an HMD. The ARKB consists of three modules: (i) 3D vision -based tracking, (ii) natural interaction with fingers, and (iii) audiovisual feedback on the 3D video see-through HMD. The proposed ARKB can be applied as an interface for typing in AR environment. The remaining challenges are study on tra cking method to improve accuracy and newly designed virtual keyboard which is proper in representing the advantage of the interaction in 3D space.
Inactivation of Rv2525c, a Substrate of the Twin Arginine Translocation (Tat) System of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Increases β-Lactam Susceptibility and Virulence

ABSTRACT The twin arginine translocation (Tat) system is used by many bacteria to export fully folded proteins containing cofactors. Here, we show genetically that this system is essential for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as the tatAC operon and tatB genes could be inactivated only in partially diploid strains. Using comparative genomics, the rv2525c gene of M. tuberculosis was identified as encoding a histidine-rich protein, with a twin arginine signal peptide, and orthologous genes were shown to be present in several but not all actinobacterial species. Conservation of this gene by Mycobacterium leprae, which has undergone reductive evolution, suggested an important role for rv2525c. An rv2525c knockout mutant was constructed, and biochemical analysis indicated that the mature Rv2525c protein is secreted. Upon exposure to antituberculous drugs, rv2525c expression is significantly up-regulated together with those of other genes involved in cell wall biogenesis. Phenotypic comparison of the mutant with the parental strain revealed an increase in susceptibility to some β-lactam antibiotics and, despite slower growth in vitro, enhanced virulence in both cellular and murine models of tuberculosis. The Tat system thus contributes in multiple ways to survival of the tubercle bacillus.
TAILORING THE NEXT GENERATION ENERGY MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR SMART CITIES

In this position paper we propose a next generation eNeRGy management solution for smart cities based on the Internet of ThingsIoT NRG Manager, to efficiently manage the energy locally produced and consumed. IoT NRG Manager is interoperable with the Internet of Things, it provides an Open Data API that allows third parties to access to energy related data. The privacy issues are addressed by a combinatorial approach of Privacy and Transparency Enhancing Technologies. The IoT NRG Manager is built up by (i) a smart decision support system that measures, predicts and balances energy production, demand and storage and (ii) a Virtual Power Plant (VPP). In the context of this work the VPP is a high level design tool based upon load aggregation of near real-time metered energy demand and generation data at building/apartment levels. Selected data is aggregated up to city level, or user defined and selected levels such as district, neighbourhood, low voltage electricity network, district heating network etc. The VPP also facilitates the option to model ‘what-if’ scenarios through simulation of additional distributed energy resources (DER), electricity storage, electric vehicles etc. at tool defined building and/or city/district level. On top of that are developed user-friendly web portals and functions that inspire new business models for all stakeholders (consumers, prosumers, city authorities, energy service providers, TELCOs, ESCOs, etc.). Our tool is currently being deployed in two European cities: Plovdiv the second largest cities in Bulgaria, and Rijeka the second largest city in Croatia.
A study of neurosis and occupation

Ferguson, D. (1973). British Journal of Industrial Medicine,30, 187-198. A study of neurosis and occupation. Claims that male telegraphists in an Australian communications undertaking were unduly subject to neurosis and certain psychosomatic disorders as a result of the stress of their work were investigated by sickness absence and environmental and prevalence studies. The absence records of all telegraphists in the mainland capital city offices of the undertaking were compared with those of random samples of clerks and mechanics and, because of excess absence among sydney telegraphists, with those of mail sorters in that city. Subsequently, 516 telegraphists, 93% of those available in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, and 155 Sydney mail sorters (79% of a sample) were examined medically. Absence attributed to neurosis was much commoner in telegraphists than in the other occupations in each capital, and in Sydney telegraphists than in those of other capitals. Employees having such absence were more likely than others also to have uncertified and repeated absences, and absence attributed to bronchial and dyspeptic disorder and to injury. One-third (33%) of the 516 telegraphists examined were considered to have or to have had disabling neurosis, the prevalence being much greater in Sydney (44%) than in Melbourne (19%) or Brisbane (26%). The onset, course, associations, and other characteristics of neurosis are described. There was some evidence that the neurotic employee had increased liability to some other disorders but also that he was more likely to report ill health than others. Interpretation of increased other ill health in neurosis is confounded by the effects of an excess indulgence in habits. An increase in indices of mental stress was noted but some disorders commonly attributed to stress were not unduly prevalent in neurotics. Loss of craft status, monotony, dissatisfaction with job, fear of displacement by machine, group size, and supervisory practices were all thought to predispose to the high prevalence of neurosis in Sydney telegraphists. However, personal and social maladjustment was particularly evident in telegraphists in that city, and the population from which telegraphists were drawn may have been less well adjusted in Sydney than in Melbourne or Brisbane. Though it was possible in general to characterize the employee liable to neurosis, the predictive power of the characterization would be poor. The disorder followed no one pattern. Rather it appeared to be a collection of clinical syndromes which present as a result of the complex interaction of the personality with multiple factors at work and elsewhere over most of a lifetime. In individual subjects the relationship of stress at work to symptoms was usually ill defined, even in cases in which the identified probable factors were mainly or solely occupational. Nevertheless, there seems much to be gained from the establishment of mental health programmes in industry.
Automatic generation of transducer models for multicore system design

This paper presents methods for automatic generation of synthesizable models of Transducer, a highly flexible communication module for interfacing multicore system components. We describe the transducer architecture, comprising the bus interface, high-level communication controllers and buffer management blocks. The well defined architecture and model semantics of the transducer enable its automatic generation. Moreover, the simple interface of the transducer provides for a well defined software interface, making it easy to update the software after changes in multicore system architecture. Our experimental results show that in multicore system design for large applications such as MP3 decoder and JPEG encoder, automatic transducer generation provides productivity gains of 9–23X due to significant savings in communication model development. On the quality axis, we show that multicore communication design using automatically generated transducers has only a 9% overhead in communication delay over a fully-connected point-to-point communication architecture.
PathlinesExplorer - Image-based exploration of large-scale pathline fields

PathlinesExplorer is a novel image-based tool, which has been designed to visualize large scale pathline fields on a single computer [7]. PathlinesExplorer integrates explorable images (EI) technique [4] with order-independent transparency (OIT) method [2]. What makes this method different is that it allows users to handle large data on a single workstation. Although it is a view-dependent method, PathlinesExplorer combines both exploration and modification of visual aspects without re-accessing the original huge data. Our approach is based on constructing a per-pixel linked list data structure in which each pixel contains a list of pathline segments. With this view-dependent method, it is possible to filter, color-code, and explore large-scale flow data in real-time. In addition, optimization techniques such as early-ray termination and deferred shading are applied, which further improves the performance and scalability of our approach.
The Effect of the Base on the Kinetics of Action of the Capsaicinoid Nonivamide: Evaluation with a Hyperemic Test

Because of their selective receptor-mediated action on cutaneous nociceptive C-fibers, the interest in capsaicinoids as topical analgetic drugs has been constantly growing over the past years. Knowledge of the pharmacokinetics seems particularly important for potential future clinical applications. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the type of preparation on the time course of action of the capsaicinoid nonivamide monitored by the axon-reflex-induced hyperemic action and area of erythema. Sixteen healthy subjects were included in the study. The hyperemic responses after application of nonivamide in an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion and in a water-free ointment were assessed both by laser Doppler perfusion imaging and planimetry after 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120 and 240 min. They were compared with the reaction after application of the nicotinic ester nicoboxil and a combination of nonivamide and nicoboxil in the same preparations. Applied as a water-free ointment, nonivamide showed a slow onset of hyperemic action, reaching its maximum 45 min after application. When applied as an O/W emulsion, however, the increase in effect was high, reaching its maximum already after 30 min. Application of the nicoboxil preparations revealed a clearly lesser influence of the base regarding the onset of maximum effect. The combination of both substances showed an additive effect for both bases, and a maximum effect was found already after 15 min with both the water-free ointment and the O/W emulsion base. In conclusion, the results of the present study show that there appears to be a strong influence of the vehicle on the kinetics of action of capsaicinoids, and that the hyperemic test used in this paper is very useful for the quantitative determination of the pharmacokinetic properties of capsaicinoids. Moreover, the C-fiber-stimulating effect of capsaicinoids can, at least in part, be enhanced by combination with a nicotinic ester, even though these substances have no direct effect on the C-fibers.