Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Set of Privacy Inspection Techniques for Online Social Networks

The growing use of Online Social Networks (OSN) has encouraged the adoption of good practices in the design and evaluation of these applications to ensure their social acceptability and quality of use. On this way, privacy can be considered one of the determining factors of quality of use, because privacy discrepant interfaces can negatively influence the user's interaction with these systems. One way to support privacy assessment to detect potential problems is through inspection methods. Based on that, in this paper we present a set of privacy inspection techniques called PIT-OSN (Privacy Inspection Technique for Online Social Network). We also present the evaluation of PIT-OSN through of a preliminary study. The results indicated that the technique helped inspectors, not experts, to diagnose privacy issues effectively. PIT-OSN was also considered easy to use and useful by study participants. Finally, the qualitative analysis points out valuable inputs for the refinement of the technique and the opportunities for its improvement.
How the hummingbird wingbeat is tuned for efficient hovering

ABSTRACT Both hummingbirds and insects flap their wings to hover. Some insects, like fruit flies, improve efficiency by lifting their body weight equally over the upstroke and downstroke, while utilizing elastic recoil during stroke reversal. It is unclear whether hummingbirds converged on a similar elastic storage solution, because of asymmetries in their lift generation and specialized flight muscle apparatus. The muscles are activated a quarter of a stroke earlier than in larger birds, and contract superfast, which cannot be explained by previous stroke-averaged analyses. We measured the aerodynamic force and kinematics of Anna's hummingbirds to resolve wing torque and power within the wingbeat. Comparing these wingbeat-resolved aerodynamic weight support measurements with those of fruit flies, hawk moths and a generalist bird, the parrotlet, we found that hummingbirds have about the same low induced power losses as the two insects, lower than that of the generalist bird in slow hovering flight. Previous analyses emphasized how bird flight muscles have to overcome wing drag midstroke. We found that high wing inertia revises this for hummingbirds – the pectoralis has to coordinate upstroke to downstroke reversal while the supracoracoideus coordinates downstroke to upstroke reversal. Our mechanistic analysis aligns with all previous muscle recordings and shows how early activation helps furnish elastic recoil through stroke reversal to stay within the physiological limits of muscles. Our findings thus support Weis-Fogh's hypothesis that flies and hummingbirds have converged on a mechanically efficient wingbeat to meet the high energetic demands of hovering flight. These insights can help improve the efficiency of flapping robots. Summary: Integrating aerodynamic, kinematic and muscle recordings confirms Weis-Fogh's hypothesis that hummingbirds and flies converged on a wingbeat driven by elastic recoil that incurs low induced power to hover efficiently.
iOccupancy: An Investigation of Online Occupancy-driven HVAC Control in Campus Classrooms

Accurate and timely occupancy data is critical for occupancy-driven energy efficiency in smart building management. This paper presents an on-going project iOccupancy which elaborates the practice of employing a CNN-based object detection algorithm YOLOv3 (version 3) for occupancy counting using images from surveillance cameras and online occupancy-driven HVAC control in campus classrooms. Our experiments show that counting occupants with the YOLOv3 object detector can only achieve an accuracy around 60% in large classrooms with a single camera located at the back of classrooms, indicating that more than one cameras might be needed for practical usage. Energy saving opportunities are also justified in real use cases of classrooms, comparing to fixed HVAC scheduling (e.g. using course time tables).
Intraoperative Surgical Portosystemic Shunt in Liver Transplantation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Expanded clinical and surgical techniques in liver transplantation can markedly improve patient and graft survival. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intraoperative portocaval shunts in liver transplantation. Material/Methods Searches were conducted in Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases, and updated in January 2018. The following specific outcomes of interest were defined and evaluated separated using 2 different reviews and meta-analyses for 1) hemi-portocaval shunt (HPCS) and 2) temporary portocaval shunt (TPCS). Comparative studies were analyzed separately for both surgical portocaval shunt modalities. Results Only 1 well-designed randomized controlled trial was found. Most studies were retrospective or prospective. Initially, we found 1479 articles. Of those selected, 853 were from PubMed/MEDLINE, 32 were from Cochrane and 594 were from EMBASE. Our meta-analysis included a total of 3232 patients for all the included studies. Results found that 41 patients with HPCS experienced increased 1-year patient survival (OR 16.33; P=0.02) and increased 1-year graft survival (OR 17.67; P=0.01). The TPCS analysis with 1633 patients found patients had significantly shorter intensive care unit length of stay (days) (P=0.006) and hospital length of stay (P=0.02) and had decreased primary nonfunction (PNF) (OR 0.30, P=0.02) and mortality rates (OR 0.52, P=0.01). Conclusions Intraoperative surgical portosystemic shunt in relation to liver transplantation with TPCS was able to prevent PNF, decrease hospital length of stay and unit care length of stay. Furthermore, in analyzing data for patients with HPCS, we observed increases in the 1-year graft and patient survival rates. More prospective randomized trials are needed to arrive at a more precise conclusion.
A Postzoo Future: Why Welfare Fails Animals in Zoos

ABSTRACT Discussions on the welfare of nonhuman animals in zoos tend to focus on incremental improvements without addressing the underlying problem of captivity. But alterations to the conditions of zoo captivity are irrelevant for animals. Real zoo reform will involve working to completely change the landscape. We offer six necessary reforms to bring zoos into a more ethical future: (1) Shut down bad zoos, now; (2) stop exhibiting animals who cannot and never will do well in captivity; (3) stop killing healthy animals; (4) stop captive breeding; (5) stop moving animals around from one zoo to another; and (6) use the science of animal cognition and emotion on behalf of animals.
Towards Fog-based Next Generation Internet of Vehicles Architecture

Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is an integral component of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) with the vision to acquire and process data for improving traffic safety. In IoV, vehicles communicate by exchanging messages with other vehicles and roadside infrastructure subsequently generating a large volume of data often referred to as big data, and which demands a massive storage and high computational capability with minimal possible delay. The aim of this paper is to take a step forward in outlining the current state-of-the-art in IoV and analyzing the improved data processing and storage features by utilizing big data analytics and fog computing paradigm. We further presented a preliminary simulation result to demonstrate that the introduction of fog improves the overall system performance by ensuring low-latency critical for especially vehicular safety applications. Moreover, this paper briefly discusses a fog computing based IoV crime assistant and highlight some of its challenges which needs to be addressed in order to enhance the performance of such systems.
High-Affinity K+ Transporters from a Halophyte, Sporobolus virginicus, Mediate Both K+ and Na+ Transport in Transgenic Arabidopsis, X. laevis Oocytes and Yeast

Class II high-affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) have been proposed to mediate Na+-K+ co-transport in plants, as well as Na+ and K+ homeostasis under K+-starved and saline environments. We identified class II HKTs, namely SvHKT2;1 and SvHKT2;2 (SvHKTs), from the halophytic turf grass, Sporobolus virginicus. SvHKT2;2 expression in S. virginicus was up-regulated by NaCl treatment, while SvHKT2;1 expression was assumed to be up-regulated by K+ starvation and down-regulated by NaCl treatment. Localization analysis revealed SvHKTs predominantly targeted the plasma membrane. SvHKTs complemented K+ uptake deficiency in mutant yeast, and showed both inward and outward K+ and Na+ transport activity in Xenopus laevis oocytes. When constitutively expressed in Arabidopsis, SvHKTs mediated K+ and Na+ accumulation in shoots under K+-starved conditions, and the K+ concentration in xylem saps of transformants was also higher than in those of wild-type plants. These results suggest transporter-enhanced K+ and Na+ uploading to the xylem from xylem parenchyma cells. Together, our data demonstrate that SvHKTs mediate both outward and inward K+ and Na+ transport in X. laevis oocytes, and possibly in plant and yeast cells, depending on the ionic conditions.
Young Adults' Perspective on Managing Digital Legacy: An Analytical and Exploratory Study

The current society produces and consumes large amounts of digital content. Each person accumulates throughout her live a set of digital items that will constitute her own Digital Legacy. In addition, we observe different studies about future data management and post-mortem data. In this research, we have analyzed the perspective of 10 brazilian young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 about the possibility of give posthumous destination to their own digital assets. We selected a real system (Afternote), we did a systematic analysis of the system and conducted a study with the young adults in which they explore the system and share their view about it in a semi-structured interview. To structure the analysis and exploration, we used Digital Legacy Management System (DiLeMa) framework. Our results generate contributions to the consolidation of the framework, as well as to the design and analysis of Digital Legacy systems.
Identification of therapeutic targets in chordoma through comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analyses

Chordoma is a rare, orphan cancer arising from embryonal precursors of bone. Surgery and radiotherapy (RT) provide excellent local control, often at the price of significant morbidity because of the structures involved and the need for relatively high doses of RT; however, recurrence remains high. Although our understanding of the genetic changes that occur in chordoma is evolving rapidly, this knowledge has yet to translate into treatments. We performed comprehensive DNA (paired tumor/normal whole-exome and shallow whole-genome) and RNA (tumor whole-transcriptome) next-generation sequencing analyses of archival sacral and clivus chordoma specimens. Incorporation of transcriptomic data enabled the identification of gene overexpression and expressed DNA alterations, thus providing additional support for potential therapeutic targets. In three patients, we identified alterations that may be amenable to off-label FDA-approved treatments for other tumor types. These alterations include FGFR1 overexpression (ponatinib, pazopanib) and copy-number duplication of CDK4 (palbociclib) and ERBB3 (gefitinib). In a third patient, germline DNA demonstrated predicted pathogenic changes in CHEK2 and ATM, which may have predisposed the patient to developing chordoma at a young age and may also be associated with potential sensitivity to PARP inhibitors because of homologous recombination repair deficiency. Last, in the fourth patient, a missense mutation in IGF1R was identified, suggesting potential activity for investigational anti-IGF1R strategies. Our findings demonstrate that chordoma patients present with aberrations in overlapping pathways. These results provide support for targeting the IGF1R/FGFR/EGFR and CDK4/6 pathways as treatment strategies for chordoma patients. This study underscores the value of comprehensive genomic and transcriptomic analysis in the development of rational, individualized treatment plans for chordoma.
Challenges and opportunities related to the use of chitosan as a food preservative

Chitosan has attracted a growing attention as a food preservative due to its versatility, nontoxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. This review aims to provide a critical appraisal of the limitations and opportunities of the use of chitosan as a food preservative. The application of chitosan as a food preservative necessitates insights into mechanisms of chitosan‐mediated cell death and injury, factors affecting chitosan activity and effects of chitosan on food safety and quality. Chitosan exerts antimicrobial activity by perturbing the negatively charged cell envelope of micro‐organisms with its polycationic structure. Intrinsic characteristics, including molecular weight and degree of deacetylation (DD), and other ambient conditions, including pH, temperature and neighbouring components, affect chitosan activity. Because the antimicrobial activity of chitosan is mainly based on ionic interactions with negatively charged components of the bacterial cell envelope, the food matrix can strongly interfere with the antimicrobial activity of chitosan. Despite its limited antimicrobial efficacy, chitosan demonstrates both bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects in specific food products. Moreover, chitosan can also enhance the efficacy of commercial intervention technologies, such as heat and pressure treatment, and aid the preservation of food quality, including retardation of lipid oxidation, weight loss and deterioration in sensory attributes.
MicroRNAs regulate survival in oxygen-deprived environments

ABSTRACT Some animals must endure prolonged periods of oxygen deprivation to survive. One such extreme model is the northern crayfish (Orconectes virilis), that regularly survives year-round hypoxic and anoxic stresses in its warm stagnant summer waters and in its cold, ice-locked winter waters. To elucidate the molecular underpinnings of anoxia resistance in this natural model, we surveyed the expression profiles of 76 highly conserved microRNAs in crayfish hepatopancreas and tail muscle from normoxic, acute 2 h anoxia, and chronic 20 h anoxia exposures. MicroRNAs are known to regulate a diverse array of cellular functions required for environmental stress adaptations, and here we explored their role in anoxia tolerance. The tissue-specific anoxia responses observed herein, with 22 anoxia-responsive microRNAs in the hepatopancreas and only four in muscle, suggest that microRNAs facilitate a reprioritization of resources to preserve crucial organ functions. Bioinformatic microRNA target enrichment analysis predicted that the anoxia-downregulated microRNAs in hepatopancreas targeted Hippo signalling, suggesting that cell proliferation and apoptotic signalling are highly regulated in this liver-like organ during anoxia. Compellingly, miR-125-5p, miR-33-5p and miR-190-5p, all known to target the master regulator of oxygen deprivation responses HIF1 (hypoxia inducible factor-1), were anoxia downregulated in the hepatopancreas. The anoxia-increased transcript levels of the oxygen-dependent subunit HIF1α highlight a potential critical role for miRNA-HIF targeting in facilitating a successful anoxia response. Studying the cytoprotective mechanisms in place to protect against the challenges associated with surviving in oxygen-poor environments is critical to elucidating the vast and substantial role of microRNAs in the regulation of metabolism and stress in aquatic invertebrates. Summary: MicroRNAs promote survival in an anoxic invertebrate through the mediation of Hippo signalling and the master regulator of hypoxia-responsive genes, HIF1.
Anomaly Detection Algorithms for Smart Metering using Swarm Intelligence

Advancement in the information and communication technology has introduced Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) in the electricity metering system, which has replaced old mechanical meters with smart electric meters. This modernization also introduced a lot of scope for the different anomalies and attacks on smart meters. Hence to tackle these challenges, we have proposed three anomaly detection algorithms (VBA, HBA, KBA) which are truly based on the principles of Swarm Intelligence (SI). The swarm intelligence is the emerging subbranch of artificial intelligence which studies the collective intelligence of groups of simple agents. The theory is corroborated by its performance in terms of probability of detection and probability of false alarm. The proposed algorithms entrust the probability of detection and probability of false alarm close to 1.00 and 0.17 respectively.
Development of Novel Intramolecular FRET-Based ABC Transporter Biosensors to Identify New Substrates and Modulators

Multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1) can efflux a wide variety of molecules including toxic chemicals, drugs, and their derivatives out of cells. Substrates of MRP1 include anti-cancer agents, antibiotics, anti-virals, anti-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and many other drugs. To identify novel substrates and modulators of MRP1 by exploiting intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we genetically engineered six different two-color MRP1 proteins by changing green fluorescent protein (GFP) insertion sites, while keeping the red fluorescent protein (RFP) at the C-terminal of MRP1. Four of six recombinant proteins showed normal expression, localization, and transport activity. We quantified intramolecular FRET using ensemble fluorescence spectroscopy in response to binding of known substrate or ATP alone, substrate/ATP, and trapping of the transporter in closed conformation by vanadate. Recombinant MRP1 proteins GR-881, GR-888, and GR-905 exhibited reproducible and higher FRET changes under all tested conditions and are very promising for use as MRP1 biosensors. Furthermore, we used GR-881 to screen 40 novel anti-cancer drugs and identified 10 hits that potentially directly interact with MRP1 and could be substrates or modulators. Profiling of drug libraries for interaction with MRP1 can provide very useful information to improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of various therapies.
Dehydration of sorbitol to isosorbide over H-beta zeolites with high Si/Al ratios

Conversion of sorbitol to isosorbide by heterogeneous catalysts is a challenge in biorefinery. Herein, H-beta zeolites with specific Si/Al ratios uniquely give isosorbide in up to 76% yield under mild conditions. Mechanistic study has suggested that acid sites on hydrophobic internal surface are active for this reaction.
The Role of Broadband in Spurring Innovations in Kenya

Objective: This study attempts to establish the role broadband plays in spurring innovations in Kenya. It discusses the importance of innovations in socio-economic development and the need for a regulatory framework to improve broadband infrastructure developments in Kenya. Background: In the last few years, Kenya has experienced an increase in the number of ICT enabled innovation hubs (Tech Hubs). Although they are few in number and generally not popular, there is great potential for broadband-based innovations in Kenya. The government has also invested heavily in broadband provision. Most of the innovations witnessed in Kenya are broadband enabled. There is need to provide policy, legal and regulatory environment to enable these innovations to flourish. The National Innovation System is the framework adopted for the study. Methodology: The study utilizes the dimensions of the Kenya National Innovation System as a basis of assessing the role of broadband in spurring innovation in Kenya. A descriptive quantitative study is adopted for this research. Data was collected from existing records, literature review and through interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: There is a relationship between broadband diffusion and innovations development in Kenya. Broadband plays an important role in spurring innovations. Regulatory environment is vital in broadband infrastructure development in order to encourage innovations. Conclusion: The government should put in place policies and mechanisms to encourage innovations. Collaboration, investments in research and development should be encouraged between private and public institutions. A more detailed study on broadband enabled innovation is recommended for each sector of the economy.
Real‐Time Sliding Mode Observer Scheme for Shear Force Estimation in a Transverse Dynamic Force Microscope

This paper describes a sliding mode observer scheme for estimation of the shear force affecting the cantilever in a Transverse Dynamic Force Microscope (TDFM). The vertically oriented cantilever is oscillated in the proximity to the specimen under investigation. The amplitude of oscillation of the cantilever tip is affected by these shear forces. They are created by the ordered‐water layer above the specimen. The oscillation amplitude is therefore a measure of distance between the tip and the surface of the specimen. Consequently, the estimation of the shear forces provides useful information about the specimen characteristics. For estimating the shear forces, an approximate finite dimensional model of the cantilever is created using the method of lines. This model is subsequently reduced in terms of its order. An unknown input sliding mode observer has been used to reconstruct the unknown shear forces using only tip position measurements and the cantilever excitation. This paper describes the development of the sliding mode scheme and presents experimental results from the TDFM set up at the Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information (NSQI) at Bristol University.
Techniques for Tracking Microbial Community Structure and Function in Natural Environment and Engineered Systems

Microbial community activity impact on changes in environment and bioprocesses efficiency, however their structure and function are also strongly affected by the condition of their surrounding environment. Understanding mechanisms underlying microbes-environments interactions would allow the predictions of environmental changes and optimization of existing microbe-engineered systems. Therefore linking microbial community structure to function and environmental changes has been one of the biggest challenges for scientific committee in this last decade. Addressing such challenge requires microbial population analysis under various conditions over time and space. Thus, it is important to master and comprehend appropriate methods for analyzing microbial community diversity, structure and function in various environments. In this paper number of techniques is presented, and their advantages and disadvantages are evaluated.