Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mining collaboration patterns of software development processes based on trace alignment

Developing large-scale software usually involves the interaction of a great number of engineers over a long period. To discover the collaboration patterns from developing logs helps improve the software development processes. Traditional techniques of process mining can be employed to identify such patterns. Unfortunately, due to the high uncertainty of software development process, they tend to obtain “spaghetti” models which are difficult to comprehend or even misleading. As a remedy, in this paper we propose an approach to the discovery of collaboration patterns existing in software development process by aligning development logs. It considers not only the sequence of activities, but also the collaboration of actors who perform activities. Instead of using time-consuming graph mining techniques, it employs the trace alignment, which is much more straightforward. Moreover, unlike some traditional approaches, the discovered patterns are determined because we do not depend on the mined process model that is usually uncertain due to the unstructured nature of software development process. The experimental results based on a large dataset generated from CPNTools demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
The placebo effect: powerful, powerless or redundant?

Over the last 200 years, the placebo effect has cast a large and persuasive shadow over the medical field. In that time it has been by turn; harmless charade, charlatan's ruse, therapeutic device, methodological tool, ethical dilemma, research theme and source of controversy. Despite popular recognition, pervasive problems underlie conceptualisation of placebos and placebo effects. With medicine now firmly entrenched in the age of evidence-based practice, there is a question as to whether it is time to leave the old placebo behind us. The idea of a magical black box from which unexplained therapeutic effects spring up is archaic and also unhelpful from a scientific point of view. If there really is an effect, surely we are best served by directly investigating what is responsible for it. This knowledge can be used in the clinic to improve treatment effectiveness and in research to inform study design. The view and role of placebos have developed over time. Modern medical understanding of placebos dates back to the late 1700s1, and since then, placebo interventions appear to have been used fairly commonly in medical practice alongside other treatments.2 Up until midway through the 20th century, the prevailing opinion appears to have been that placebo interventions had no effect on pathophysiology. Placebos were used only to bring comfort to the patient, ‘a camouflage behind which to watch nature takes its course’1 (p. 512). From the 1950s onwards, there was a shift towards regarding placebos as having genuine effects of their own. Beecher's well-known article ‘The Powerful Placebo’3 apparently confirmed the claims of widespread and important therapeutic effectiveness of placebo interventions. This period also saw the start of rapid growth in the use of placebos as a control intervention for testing the efficacy of other treatments. Thus, as research generally, and …
Visual processing in migraine

Background Migraine is a common neurological condition that often involves differences in visual processing. These sensory processing differences provide important information about the underlying causes of the condition, and for the development of treatments. Review of psychophysical literature Psychophysical experiments have shown consistent impairments in contrast sensitivity, orientation acuity, and the perception of global form and motion. They have also established that the addition of task-irrelevant visual noise has a greater effect, and that surround suppression, masking and adaptation are all stronger in migraine. Theoretical signal processing model We propose utilising an established model of visual processing, based on signal processing theory, to account for the behavioural differences seen in migraine. This has the advantage of precision and clarity, and generating clear, falsifiable predictions. Conclusion Increased effects of noise and differences in excitation and inhibition can account for the differences in migraine visual perception. Consolidating existing research and creating a unified, defined theoretical account is needed to better understand the disorder.
Somatotyping-development and applications

Acknowledgements Preface Foreword 1. History 2. Review of somatotypes methods 3. Human variation in adult somatotypes 4. Growth and aging 5. Genetics 6. Sport and physical performance 7. Health, behavioural variables and occupational choice 8. Overview and new directions Appendices Glossary Index.
Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV patients in Benin City, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the presence of intestinal parasites and their correlation with CD4+ T-cell counts and demographics among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients in Benin City, Nigeria. Stool specimens from 2,000 HIV-positive patients and 500 controls (HIV-negative individuals) were examined for ova, cysts, or parasites, using standard procedures. In addition, patient's blood samples were analyzed for CD4 counts by flow cytometry. An overall prevalence rate of 15.3% was observed among HIV-positive patients while 6.2% was noted among non-HIV subjects. HIV status was a significant (P<0.0001) risk factor for acquiring intestinal parasitic infections. Male gender, CD4 count <200cell/µl, and diarrhea were significantly associated with an increased prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among HIV-positive patients. The level of education, occupation, and source of water among HIV patients significantly (P<0.0001) affected the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most predominant parasite in both HIV-positive patients and controls. A CD4 count <200 cells/µl was significantly associated with only Isospora belli and Cryptosporidium infections. The presence of pathogenic intestinal parasites such as A. lumbricoides, hookworm, Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica, Trichuris trichiura, and Taenia species among HIV-infected persons should not be neglected. Cryptosporidium species and I. belli were the opportunistic parasites observed in this study. Routine screening for intestinal parasites in HIV-positive patients is advocated.
Bicarbonate-dependent, carbonate radical anion-driven tocopherol-mediated human LDL peroxidation: an in vitro and in vivo study

Abstract We have here investigated possible occurrence of bicarbonate-dependent, carbonate radical anion (CO3•−)-driven tocopherol-mediated human LDL peroxidation (TMP) in vitro and in vivo. CO3•−, generated in vitro by the SOD1/H2O2/bicarbonate system, readily promoted TMP, which was dependent on α-tocopherol and bicarbonate concentrations, and was inhibited by the CO3•− scavenger ethanol; moreover, TMP induced in vitro by the SOD1/H2O2/bicarbonate system occurred in the presence of α-tocopherol that typically underwent slow oxidative consumption. In the in vivo clinical setting, we showed that, compared to controls, hypertensive patients with diuretic-induced metabolic alkalosis and heightened blood bicarbonate concentration had lipid hydroperoxide burden and decreased α-tocopherol content in the LDL fraction, with direct significant correlation between the LDL levels of α-tocopherol and those of lipid hydroperoxides; remarkably, after resolution of metabolic alkalosis, together with normalization of blood bicarbonate concentration, the LDL content of lipid hydroperoxides was decreased and that of α-tocopherol augmented significantly. These findings suggest bicarbonate-dependent, CO3•−-driven LDL TMP in vivo. In conclusion, the present study highlights the occurrence of bicarbonate-dependent, CO3•−-driven human LDL TMP, the role of which in pathological conditions such as atherosclerosis warrants, however, further investigation.
The moral reasoning abilities of Australian and Malaysian accounting students: A comparative analysis

If national culture is a significant determinant of ethical attitudes, it is not unreasonable to expect ethical decision‐making to be influenced by one's culture. However, problems arise when the notion of right differs from one culture to another. The question addressed in this paper is whether the moral reasoning abilities of Australian and Malaysian accounting students in their final year of study differ because of their cultural upbringing. This study uses primary data collected from 34 final year accounting students (12 Australian and 22 Malaysian) enrolled in an Australian degree program. The test scores collected at the beginning and end of the academic year indicate that culture and other explanatory variables do not have an affect on students' moral judgment. The findings in this study suggest that culture as an independent variable does not influence the way accounting students analyse and resolve ethical dilemmas.
Understanding a Version of Multivariate Symmetric Uncertainty to assist in Feature Selection

In this paper, we analyze the behavior of the multivariate symmetric uncertainty (MSU) measure through the use of statistical simulation techniques under various mixes of informative and non-informative randomly generated features. Experiments show how the number of attributes, their cardinalities, and the sample size affect the MSU. We discovered a condition that preserves good quality in the MSU under different combinations of these three factors, providing a new useful criterion to help drive the process of dimension reduction.
Effects of acute changes in blood volume on the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex in conscious rabbits.

The control of blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance by the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex was studied in six conscious rabbits during states of acute hypervolaemia and acute hypovolaemia. These states were produced by infusing blood equal to 20% and 40%, and withdrawing blood equal to 20% and 35%, of the initial blood volume. The properties of the reflex were characterized by creating sinusoidal pressure changes across the wall of the carotid sinus at a frequency of 0.01 Hz and amplitudes of 54 and 83 mmHg. From the effects of the lower‐amplitude stimulus the dynamic gain of the reflex was calculated for blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance. The higher‐amplitude stimulus was used to determine the near maximal responses of the circulatory variables to changes in carotid sinus transmural pressure. The gain for systemic vascular resistance was reduced by hypervolaemia, and increased by 20% hypovolaemia. The gains for heart rate and blood pressure were not affected by hypervolaemia or by 20% hypovolaemia. 35% hypovolaemia reduced the gain for heart rate, but the resting value was close to the upper limit of the reflex response. It also reduced the gain for cardiac output and blood pressure, and the increase in gain for systemic vascular resistance that had been caused by 20% hypovolaemia was not sustained.
A System View of Financial Blockchains

Blockchain (BC) has received significant attention recently. This paper presents system-related issues for BCs for financial applications. This paper first presents the design of a BC without consideration of any application scenarios, and issues such as performance, security, performance and scalability lead to specific BC designs. Sample BC scenarios are analyzed and these lead to additional BC designs. Specifically, two new kinds of BC emerge: for storing information at transactional level, for storing account information. By splitting traditional BCs into these two BCs allow one to optimize the system with respect to scalability and privacy.
Macrophage Notch Ligand Delta-Like 4 Promotes Vein Graft Lesion Development: Implications for the Treatment of Vein Graft Failure.

OBJECTIVE Despite its large clinical impact, the underlying mechanisms for vein graft failure remain obscure and no effective therapeutic solutions are available. We tested the hypothesis that Notch signaling promotes vein graft disease. APPROACH AND RESULTS We used 2 biotherapeutics for Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4), a Notch ligand: (1) blocking antibody and (2) macrophage- or endothelial cell (EC)-targeted small-interfering RNA. Dll4 antibody administration for 28 days inhibited vein graft lesion development in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-deficient (Ldlr(-/-)) mice, and suppressed macrophage accumulation and macrophage expression of proinflammatory M1 genes. Dll4 antibody treatment for 7 days after grafting also reduced macrophage burden at day 28. Dll4 silencing via macrophage-targeted lipid nanoparticles reduced lesion development and macrophage accumulation, whereas EC-targeted Dll4 small-interfering RNA produced no effects. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies suggested in vitro that Dll4 induces proinflammatory molecules in macrophages. Macrophage Dll4 also stimulated smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration and suppressed their differentiation. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that macrophage Dll4 promotes lesion development in vein grafts via macrophage activation and crosstalk between macrophages and smooth muscle cells, supporting the Dll4-Notch axis as a novel therapeutic target.
INTRAVITREAL CONBERCEPT (KH902) FOR SURGICAL TREATMENT OF SEVERE PROLIFERATIVE DIABETIC RETINOPATHY

Purpose: To evaluate the role, safety, and effectiveness of intravitreal conbercept (KH902) injections as an adjunct to vitrectomy in the management of severe proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed on 36 eyes of 36 patients affected by vitreous hemorrhage and tractional retinal detachment, which occurred as a consequence of active proliferative diabetic retinopathy. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups. The patients in one of the groups received an intravitreal injection of conbercept in the inferior temporal sector 4 mm from the sclerocorneal limbus with a sterile technique 1 week before vitrectomy. Results: In the group without conbercept, intraoperative bleeding occurred in 14 patients (77.8%), and in five of these cases, bleeding was significant. The use of endodiathermy was necessary in 8 patients (44.4%). In 3 patients (16.6%), iatrogenic retinal breaks occurred, and in 1 patient (5.5%), a relaxing retinotomy was performed. Endotamponade with silicone oil was performed in 12 patients (66.6%). In the group treated with conbercept, intraoperative bleeding occurred in 2 cases (11.1%). The use of endodiathermy was necessary in 1 patient (5.5%). No patients experienced iatrogenic breaks or relaxing retinotomy during the surgery. Endotamponade with silicone oil was performed in 2 patients (11.1%). Conclusion: Preoperative intravitreal injection of conbercept could reduce the chances of intraoperative bleeding, which are beneficial in the management of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
Fanconi anemia (FA) binding protein FAAP20 stabilizes FA complementation group A (FANCA) and participates in interstrand cross-link repair

The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway participates in interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair and the maintenance of genomic stability. The FA core complex consists of eight FA proteins and two Fanconi anemia-associated proteins (FAAP24 and FAAP100). The FA core complex has ubiquitin ligase activity responsible for monoubiquitination of the FANCI-FANCD2 (ID) complex, which in turn initiates a cascade of biochemical events that allow processing and removal of cross-linked DNA and thereby promotes cell survival following DNA damage. Here, we report the identification of a unique component of the FA core complex, namely, FAAP20, which contains a RAD18-like ubiquitin-binding zinc-finger domain. Our data suggest that FAAP20 promotes the functional integrity of the FA core complex via its direct interaction with the FA gene product, FANCA. Indeed, somatic knockout cells devoid of FAAP20 displayed the hallmarks of FA cells, including hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, chromosome aberrations, and reduced FANCD2 monoubiquitination. Taking these data together, our study indicates that FAAP20 is an important player involved in the FA pathway.
Complexity of alpha thalassemia: growing health problem with new approaches to screening, diagnosis, and therapy

Alpha thalassemia, the most common genetic disorder of hemoglobin synthesis, affects up to 5% of the world's population. It represents a group of conditions with reduced or absent synthesis of one to all four of α globin genes. Deletional or nondeletional mutations occur on chromosome 16. Its severity ranges from asymptomatic to fatal in utero. Hemoglobin H disease, a mutation of three α globin genes, is more severe than previously recognized. Anemia, hypersplenism, hemosiderosis, growth failure, and osteoporosis are commonly noted as the patient ages. Alpha thalassemia major, a usually fatal in utero disease, is now recognized to have a complex molecular and phenotypic expression with increasing births being reported. Surviving newborns without intrauterine transfusion often have congenital anomalies and neurocognitive injury. Serious maternal complications often accompany pregnancy. Doppler ultrasonography with intrauterine transfusion ameliorates these complications. The high incidence in many populations mandates population screening and prenatal diagnosis of at‐risk couples. Universal newborn screening has been adopted in several regions with DNA confirmatory testing. These advances have resulted in ethical dilemmas for the family and the provider.
Pituitary Cell Transplants to the Cerebral Ventricles Promote Growth of Hypophysectomized Rats 1

Summary Implantation of acutely dispersed adenohypophysial cells into the lateral ventricles of hypophysectomized rats resulted in partial growth restoration for periods of one to three months. Weight gain by experimental animals was consistently 20%-60% greater than among hypophysectomized control rats; the response was related to the number of cells implanted. The weight gain reflected increases of both protein and fat in body composition. A significant increase in long bone lengths was also observed among rats bearing intraventricular cells. Intraventricular implantation of either heat-killed anterior pituitary cells or subcellular organelles, or implantation of pituitary cells into the peritoneal cavity or anterior chamber of the eye, did not promote significant growth in hypophysectomized recipients. The results suggest that transplanted growth hormonesecreting cells are provided with a suitable functional milieu by the cerebrospinal fluid of the hypophysectomized rat.
Possible modifier of surfactant function

Lamellar bodies and alveolar lavage from adult mammalian lung contain unusually high concentrations of phosphatidylglycerol that could serve as a sensitive indicator of surfactant. Phosphatidylglycerol was absent and phosphatidylinositol was correspondingly prominent in surfactant from the preterm rabbit fetus. Phosphatidylglycerol rapidly appeared and phosphatidylinositol decreased following the delivery. Surfactant isolated from the prematurely born rabbit or from humans with respiratory distress syndrome never contained phosphatidylglycerol. Comparison between lamellar bodies from fetal and postnatal rabbits revealed remarkably similar composition except for the acidic phospholipids; however, the physicochemical properties were different. The compressibility of the surface film (i.e. the ratio of the fractional decrease in surface area and the corresponding decrease in surface tension) at low surface tensions was higher with fetal than with postnatal surfactant, whereas the difference in minimum surface tensions was small. These data suggest that phosphatidylglycerol is not an essential component required for the formation of the complex, but it improves the properties of surfactant in stabilizing the alveoli. Supplementary key words lecithin * lung mechanics lamellar inclusion body . dipalmitoyl Lung surfactant lines the air-liquid interface of the terminal airways. By reducing the surface tension on expiration, it contributes to the stability of these tiny air spaces (1, 2). Surfactant is synthesized in type I1 alveolar cells and is stored in intracellular lamellar inclusion bodies prior to the release into alveoli. Surfactant lining of interfaces is deficient in some life-threatening conditions. Perhaps the most significant of these is the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) of the newborn, a developmental disease characterized by progressive atelectasis of lungs (3, 4). This condition can be predicted by phospholipid analysis in the amniotic fluid prior to birth (5). Disaturated lecithin is the major component of surfactant. In addition, proteins and certain other lipid components are present (see ref. 6 for review). Phosphatidylglycerol is the second most abundant of the surfactant lipids (710) and like disaturated lecithin, is present in uniquely high concentration. We have speculated that its possible role is as ( I ) an intermediate or an end product of some other surfactant component, (2) a structural component of lamellar bodies necessary for their assembly, or (3) a component contributing to surfactant function (9). Studies on biosynthesis of phospholipids in lung fractions has yielded no evidence in favor of the first alternative (1 1). CDP-diglyceride serves as a common precursor for both phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylglycerol, and the latter compound seems to be an end product rather than a precursor. The present approach to investigate surfactant phosphatidylglycerol-its ontogeny in mammals and distribution in some vertebrate species-enabled us to further evaluate its function.
Reprogramming of Mouse, Rat, Pig, and Human Fibroblasts into iPS Cells

The induction of pluripotency in somatic cells by transcription‐factor overexpression has been widely regarded as one of the major breakthroughs in stem cell biology within this decade. The generation of these induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has enabled investigators to develop in vitro disease models for biological discovery and drug screening, and in the future, patient‐specific therapy for tissue or organ regeneration. While new technologies for reprogramming are continually being discovered, the availability of iPSCs from different species is also increasing rapidly. Comparison of iPSCs across species may provide new insights into key aspects of pluripotency and early embryonic development. iPSCs from large animals may enable the generation of genetically modified large animal models or potentially transplantable donor tissues or organs. This unit describes the procedure for the generation of iPSCs from mouse, rat, pig and human fibroblasts. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 97:23.15. 1‐23.15. 32. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of different substrates on the yield and protein content of Pleurotus tuberregium

The effects of seven substrates for the cultivation, yield and protein content of the mushroom, Pleurotus tuberregium (Fries) Singer were investigated. The experimental design used was completely randomized design (CRD) of 7 treatments and 10 replicates. The highest fresh weight yield was obtained from mushrooms grown in river sand and sawdust mixture (T6) while the least was from those grown in top soil mixed with sawdust (T4). Oil palm fruit fibre (OPFF) substrate (T3) produced no fruit bodies at all. Protein analysis of the mushrooms revealed that those grown in river sand alone (T1) had the highest protein content while fruit bodies harvested from sawdust substrate alone (T2) had the least protein content. River sand plus sawdust substrate (T6) is recommended as the best substrate for the production of P. tuberregium in view of the fact that it produced the highest fruit body weight and its protein content was not significantly lower than that of river sand alone (T2).