Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Review of Vaccine Approaches for West Nile Virus

The West Nile virus (WNC) first appeared in North America in 1999. The North American lineages of WNV were characterized by the presence of neuroinvasive and neurovirulent strains causing disease and death in humans, birds and horses. The 2012 WNV season in the United States saw a massive spike in the number of neuroinvasive cases and deaths similar to what was seen in the 2002–2003 season, according to the West Nile virus disease cases and deaths reported to the CDC by year and clinical presentation, 1999–2012, by ArboNET (Arboviral Diseases Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In addition, the establishment and recent spread of lineage II WNV virus strains into Western Europe and the presence of neurovirulent and neuroinvasive strains among them is a cause of major concern. This review discusses the advances in the development of vaccines and biologicals to combat human and veterinary West Nile disease.
Bacterial flagella explore microscale hummocks and hollows to increase adhesion

Biofilms, surface-bound communities of microbes, are economically and medically important due to their pathogenic and obstructive properties. Among the numerous strategies to prevent bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation, surface topography was recently proposed as a highly nonspecific method that does not rely on small-molecule antibacterial compounds, which promote resistance. Here, we provide a detailed investigation of how the introduction of submicrometer crevices to a surface affects attachment of Escherichia coli. These crevices reduce substrate surface area available to the cell body but increase overall surface area. We have found that, during the first 2 h, adhesion to topographic surfaces is significantly reduced compared with flat controls, but this behavior abruptly reverses to significantly increased adhesion at longer exposures. We show that this reversal coincides with bacterially induced wetting transitions and that flagellar filaments aid in adhesion to these wetted topographic surfaces. We demonstrate that flagella are able to reach into crevices, access additional surface area, and produce a dense, fibrous network. Mutants lacking flagella show comparatively reduced adhesion. By varying substrate crevice sizes, we determine the conditions under which having flagella is most advantageous for adhesion. These findings strongly indicate that, in addition to their role in swimming motility, flagella are involved in attachment and can furthermore act as structural elements, enabling bacteria to overcome unfavorable surface topographies. This work contributes insights for the future design of antifouling surfaces and for improved understanding of bacterial behavior in native, structured environments.
Scalability of Decision Models for Dynamic Product Lines

Product lines need decision models that guide the derivation of product variants satisfying specific requirements. In dynamic product lines, whose requirements vary during runtime, these decision models are also required to support automatic product reconfigurations in response to changing requirements. However, because of the combinatorial explosion of variants, such automatic decision making suffers from poor performance with many variants. In this paper, we introduce a mathematical formulation of this scalability problem. Based on the formulation, we discuss the limitations of existing approaches to support variants scalability. These limitations are addressed by our modular approach whose decision model combines (1) the use of utility functions, and (2) various optimisations of the search space. The analysis is supported by experience with the QuA and MADAM middleware, which apply this approach to supports self-adaptation based on dynamic product lines.
Stable Peers: Existence, Importance, and Application in Peer-to-Peer Live Video Streaming

This paper presents a systematic in-depth study on the existence, importance, and application of stable nodes in peer- to-peer live video streaming. Using traces from a real large-scale system as well as analytical models, we show that, while the number of stable nodes is small throughout a whole session, their longer lifespans make them constitute a significant portion in a per-snapshot view of a peer-to-peer overlay. As a result, they have substantially affected the performance of the overall system. Inspired by this, we propose a tiered overlay design, with stable nodes being organized into a tier-1 backbone for serving tier-2 nodes. It offers a highly cost-effective and deployable alternative to proxy-assisted designs. We develop a comprehensive set of algorithms for stable node identification and organization. Specifically, we present a novel structure, Labeled Tree, for the tier-1 overlay, which, leveraging stable peers, simultaneously achieves low overhead and high transmission reliability. Our tiered framework flexibly accommodates diverse existing overlay structures in the second tier. Our extensive simulation results demonstrated that the customized optimization using selected stable nodes boosts the streaming quality and also effectively reduces the control overhead. This is further validated through prototype experiments over the PlanetLab network.
Aldose Reductase Inhibition Prevents Metaplasia of Airway Epithelial Cells

Background Goblet cell metaplasia that causes mucus hypersecretion and obstruction in the airway lumen could be life threatening in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Inflammatory cytokines such as IL-13 mediate the transformation of airway ciliary epithelial cells to mucin-secreting goblet cells in acute as well as chronic airway inflammatory diseases. However, no effective and specific pharmacologic treatment is currently available. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which aldose reductase (AR) regulates the mucus cell metaplasia in vitro and in vivo. Methodology/Findings Metaplasia in primary human small airway epithelial cells (SAEC) was induced by a Th2 cytokine, IL-13, without or with AR inhibitor, fidarestat. After 48 h of incubation with IL-13 a large number of SAEC were transformed into goblet cells as determined by periodic acid-schiff (PAS)-staining and immunohistochemistry using antibodies against Mucin5AC. Further, IL-13 significantly increased the expression of Mucin5AC at mRNA and protein levels. These changes were significantly prevented by treatment of the SAEC with AR inhibitor. AR inhibition also decreased IL-13-induced expression of Muc5AC, Muc5B, and SPDEF, and phosphorylation of JAK-1, ERK1/2 and STAT-6. In a mouse model of ragweed pollen extract (RWE)-induced allergic asthma treatment with fidarestat prevented the expression of IL-13, phosphorylation of STAT-6 and transformation of epithelial cells to goblet cells in the lung. Additionally, while the AR-null mice were resistant, wild-type mice showed goblet cell metaplasia after challenge with RWE. Conclusions The results show that exposure of SAEC to IL-13 caused goblet cell metaplasia, which was significantly prevented by AR inhibition. Administration of fidarestat to mice prevented RWE-induced goblet cell metaplasia and AR null mice were largely resistant to allergen induced changes in the lung. Thus our results indicate that AR inhibitors such as fidarestat could be developed as therapeutic agents to prevent goblet cell metaplasia in asthma and related pathologies.
Default Logic as a Query Language

Research in NMR has focused largely on the idea of representing knowledge about the world via rules that are generally true but can be defeated. Even if relational databases are nowadays the main tool for storing very large sets of data, the approach of using non-monotonic formalisms as relational database query languages has been investigated to a much smaller extent. In this work we propose a novel application of default logic by introducing a default query language (DQL) for finite relational databases, which is based on default rules. The main result of this paper is that DQL is as expressive as SO∃∀, the existential universal fragment of second order logic. This result is not only of theoretical importance: We show queries -which are useful in practice- that can be expressed with DQL and cannot with other query languages based on non-monotonic logics such as DATALOGstable Another result in this paper concerns the combined complexity of DQL, i.e., when it is assumed that the query is part of the input; for this problem, NEXPTIMENP-completeness is shown.
Glucose metabolism in mammalian photoreceptor inner and outer segments

Photoreceptors are the first‐order neurons of the visual pathway, converting light into electrical signals. Rods and cones are the two main types of photoreceptors in the mammalian retina. Rods are specialized for sensitivity at the expense of resolution and are responsible for vision in dimly lit conditions. Cones are responsible for high acuity central vision and colour vision. Many human retinal diseases are characterized by a progressive loss of photoreceptors. Photoreceptors consist of four primary regions: outer segments, inner segments, cell bodies and synaptic terminals. Photoreceptors consume large amounts of energy, and therefore, energy metabolism may be a critical juncture that links photoreceptor function and survival. Cones require more energy than rods, and cone degeneration is the main cause of clinically significant vision loss in retinal diseases. Photoreceptor segments are capable of utilizing various energy substrates, including glucose, to meet their large energy demands. The pathways by which photoreceptor segments meet their energy demands remain incompletely understood. Improvements in the understanding of glucose metabolism in photoreceptor segments may provide insight into the reasons why photoreceptors degenerate due to energy failure. This may, in turn, assist in developing bio‐energetic therapies aimed at protecting photoreceptors.
Diversifying the secretory routes in neurons

Nervous system homeostasis and synaptic function need dedicated mechanisms to locally regulate the molecular composition of the neuronal plasma membrane and allow the development, maintenance and plastic modification of the neuronal morphology. The cytoskeleton and intracellular trafficking lies at the core of all these processes. In most mammalian cells, the Golgi apparatus (GA) is at the center of the biosynthetic pathway, located in the proximity of the microtubule-organizing center. In addition to this central localization, the somatic GA in neurons is complemented by satellite Golgi outposts (GOPs) in dendrites, which are essential for dendritic morphogenesis and are emerging like local stations of membranes trafficking to synapses. Largely, GOPs participation in post-ER trafficking has been determined by imaging the transport of the exogenous protein VSVG. Here we review the diversity of neuronal cargoes that traffic through GOPs and the assortment of different biosynthetic routes to synapses. We also analyze the recent advances in understanding the role of cytoskeleton and Golgi matrix proteins in the biogenesis of GOPs and how the diversity of secretory routes can be generated.
INITIATION OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS IN A GLOBAL EVOLUTION MODEL

Loss of equilibrium of magnetic flux ropes is a leading candidate for the origin of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The aim of this paper is to explore to what extent this mechanism can account for the initiation of CMEs in the global context. A simplified MHD model for the global coronal magnetic field evolution in response to flux emergence and shearing by large-scale surface motions is described and motivated. Using automated algorithms for detecting flux ropes and ejections in the global magnetic model, the effects of key simulation parameters on the formation of flux ropes and the number of ejections are considered, over a 177 day period in 1999. These key parameters include the magnitude and sign of magnetic helicity emerging in active regions, and coronal diffusion. The number of flux ropes found in the simulation at any one time fluctuates between about 28 and 48, sustained by the emergence of new bipolar regions, but with no systematic dependence on the helicity of these regions. However, the emerging helicity does affect the rate of flux rope ejections, which doubles from 0.67 per day if the bipoles emerge untwisted to 1.28 per day in the run with greatest emerging twist. The number of ejections in the simulation is also increased by 20%–30% by choosing the majority sign of emerging bipole helicity in each hemisphere, or by halving the turbulent diffusivity in the corona. For reasonable parameter choices, the model produces approximately 50% of the observed CME rate. This indicates that the formation and loss of equilibrium of flux ropes may be a key element in explaining a significant fraction of observed CMEs.
The round complexity of verifiable secret sharing and secure multicast

The <italic>round complexity</italic> of interactive protocols is one of their most important complexity measures. In this work we study the exact round complexity of two basic secure computation tasks: <italic>Verifiable Secret Sharing</italic> (VSS) and <italic>Secure Multicast</italic>. <italic>VSS</italic> allows a dealer to share a secret among several players in a way that would later allow a unique reconstruction of the secret. It is a well-studied primitive, which is used as a building block in virtually every general protocol for secure multi-party computation. <italic>Secure multicast</italic> is perhaps the simplest non-trivial instance of a secure computation. It allows a dealer to securely distribute an <italic>identical</italic> message to all players in a prescribed subset <italic>M</italic>. Both types of protocols are parameterized by the number of players, <italic>n</italic>, and a <italic>security threshold</italic>, <italic>t</italic>, which bounds the total number of malicious players (possibly including the dealer). We focus on a standard setting of <italic>perfect information-theoretic security</italic>, where all players have access to secure point-to-point channels and a common broadcast medium. For both types of primitives we prove, using related techniques, tight tradeoffs between the round complexity and the achievable security threshold. Specifically, for the VSS problem we show: 2-round VSS is possible iff <italic>n</italic>>4<italic>t</italic>, where the ``if'' direction is realized by an <italic>efficient</italic> protocol. 3-round VSS is possible iff <italic>n</italic>>3<italic>t</italic>, where the ``if'' direction is realized by an <italic>inefficient</italic> protocol. 4-round <italic>efficient</italic> VSS is possible if <italic>n</italic>>3<italic>t</italic>. For the secure multicast problem we show: 2-round secure multicast is (efficiently) possible iff
In Vivo and Ex Vivo Evaluations of Bacteriophages e11/2 and e4/1c for Use in the Control of Escherichia coli O157:H7

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of bacteriophages (phages) e11/2 and e4/1c against Escherichiacoli O157:H7 in an ex vivo rumen model and in cattle in vivo. In the ex vivo rumen model, samples were inoculated with either 103 or 106 CFU/ml inoculum of E. coli O157:H7 and challenged separately with each bacteriophage. In the presence of phage e11/2, the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced to below the limit of detection within 1 h. Phage e4/1c significantly (P < 0.05) reduced E. coli O157:H7 numbers within 2 h of incubation, but the number of surviving E. coli O157:H7 bacteria then remained unchanged over a further 22-h incubation period. The ability of a phage cocktail of e11/2 and e4/1c to reduce the fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated cattle was then investigated in two cattle trials. Cattle (yearlings, n = 20 for trial one; adult fistulated cattle, n = 2 for trial two) were orally inoculated with 1010 CFU of E. coli O157:H7. Animals (n = 10 for trial one; n = 1 for trial two) were dosed daily with a bacteriophage cocktail of 1011 PFU for 3 days postinoculation. E. coli O157:H7 and phage numbers in fecal and/or rumen samples were determined over 7 days postinoculation. E. coli O157:H7 numbers rapidly declined in all animals within 24 to 48 h; however, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between the numbers of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria shed by the phage-treated or control animals. Phages were recovered from the rumen but not from the feces of the adult fistulated animal in trial two but were recovered from the feces of the yearling animals in trial one. While the results from the rumen model suggest that phages are effective in the rumen, further research is required to improve the antimicrobial effectiveness of phages for the elimination of E. coli O157:H7 in vivo.
An unexpected factor in testing for CMOS opens: the die surface

We present the experimental evidence, for the first time, that the die surface can act as an RC interconnect, becoming an important factor in determining the voltage of a floating wire created by a CMOS open. We present a circuit model for this effect verified with HSPICE simulations. A detailed analysis of potential mechanisms behind this phenomenon is provided. We also present our measurement results for the trapped charge deposited on floating gates during fabrication.
Scalable Hypergraph Learning and Processing

A hypergraph allows a hyperedge to connect more than two vertices, using which to capture the high-order relationships, many hypergraph learning algorithms are shown highly effective in various applications. When learning large hypergraphs, converting them to graphs to employ the distributed graph frameworks is a common approach, yet it results in major efficiency drawbacks including an inflated problem size, the excessive replicas, and the unbalanced workloads. To avoid such drawbacks, we take a different approach and propose HyperX, which is a thin layer built upon Spark. To preserve the problem size, HyperX directly operates on a distributed hypergraph. To reduce the replicas, HyperX replicates the vertices but not the hyperedges. To balance the workloads, we investigate the hypergraph partitioning problem aiming at minimizing the space and the communication cost subject to two separate constraints on the hyperedge and the vertex workloads. With experiments on both real and synthetic datasets, we verify that HyperX significantly improves the efficiency of the learning algorithms when compared with the graph conversion approach.
Controlled preparation of M(Ag, Au)/TiO2 through sulfydryl-assisted method for enhanced photocatalysis

Here a simple and effective method was explored to fabricate M/TiO2 (M = Ag, Au) composites, which required neither pre-treatment of TiO2 nor any additives as reducing agent. Using amorphous TiO2 spheres functionalized with SH groups as starting materials, the noble metallic ions (Ag, Au) can be adsorbed by TiO2 due to their special affinity with SH groups, which is beneficial to the uniform dispersion of metallic ions on the surface of TiO2. Then the adsorbed ions were reduced to form noble metal nanoparticles by heating process (95 °C) directly without additive as reduction agent. Meanwhile, the amorphous TiO2 was transformed into anatase phase during the heating process. Thus, the transformation of TiO2 along with the reduction of noble metallic ions (Ag, Au) was simultaneously carried out by heating. The XRD patterns proved the formation of anatase TiO2 after heating. The characterizations of XPS and TEM proved the formation of Ag and Au nanoparticles on the surface of TiO2. The element mapping indicated that Ag nanoparticles are dispersed uniformly on the surface of TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of the composites has been investigated by the degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation. The results showed that when Ag/TiO2 (2.8 wt%) was used as photocatalyst, about 98% of the MO molecules were degraded in 70 min.
Long-term effectiveness of accelerated hepatitis B vaccination schedule in drug users.

OBJECTIVES We demonstrated the effectiveness of an accelerated hepatitis B vaccination schedule in drug users. METHODS We compared the long-term effectiveness of accelerated (0-1-2 months) and standard (0-1-6 months) hepatitis B vaccination schedules in preventing hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and anti-hepatitis B (anti-HBs) antibody loss during 2-year follow-up in 707 drug users (HIV and HBV negative at enrollment and completed 3 vaccine doses) from February 2004 to October 2009. RESULTS Drug users in the accelerated schedule group had significantly lower HBV infection rates, but had a similar rate of anti-HBs antibody loss compared with the standard schedule group over 2 years of follow-up. No chronic HBV infections were observed. Hepatitis C positivity at enrollment and age younger than 40 years were independent risk factors for HBV infection and antibody loss, respectively. CONCLUSIONS An accelerated vaccination schedule was more preferable than a standard vaccination schedule in preventing HBV infections in drug users. To overcome the disadvantages of a standard vaccination schedule, an accelerated vaccination schedule should be considered in drug users with low adherence. Our study should be repeated in different cohorts to validate our findings and establish the role of an accelerated schedule in hepatitis B vaccination guidelines for drug users.
Study on Torsional Strength of Screw-fixed Implants

The goal of this study was to evaluate the stability of implant structures under various pressures that may occur in the oral cavity. The study used test implants with three different fastening methods, and a total of 12 implants were tested. Implant fixtures and abutments manufactured using a CNC automatic lathe were tightened with a screw to 30N·cm using an electric torque meter (SMTT03-50, MARK-10, USA). The torsional strength was then tested by tightening until the implant structure fractured in the direction of the fastening. The results show that the implants in Group 1 had higher torsional strength than the implants in groups 1 and 2.
Lavender Essential Oil in the Treatment of Migraine Headache: A Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Lavender essential oil has been used as an anxiolytic drug, a mood stabilizer, a sedative, spasmolytic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, analgesic agent as well as a wound healing accelerator. We have studied for the first time the efficacy of lavender essential oil inhalation for the treatment of migraine in a placebo-controlled clinical trial. Methods: Forty-seven patients with definite diagnosis of migraine headache were divided into cases and controls. Cases inhaled lavender essential oil for 15 min, whereas the control group used liquid paraffin for the same time period. Patients were asked to record their headache severity and associated symptoms in 30-min intervals for a total of 2 h. We matched the two groups for key confounding factors. Results: The mean reduction of headache severity in cases was 3.6 ± 2.8 based on Visual Analogue Scale score. The reduction was 1.6 ± 1.6 in controls. This difference between the controls and cases was statistically significant with p < 0.0001. From 129 headache attacks in cases, 92 responded entirely or partially to lavender. In the control group, 32 out of 68 recorded headache attacks responded to placebo. The percentage of responders was significantly higher in the lavender group than the placebo group (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The present study suggests that inhalation of lavender essential oil may be an effective and safe treatment modality in acute management of migraine headaches.