Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A survey on automation of security requirements in service-based business processes

Service-oriented computing (SOC) and business process management (BPM) are essential topics in computer science. Companies are widely adopting business process standards, such as BPMN, to model their business processes, while automatise them by using services from the SOC world. The automation leads to a gain of efficiency in executing business processes and facilitates the execution of tests. However, the automation also raises fundamental security concerns, especially considering that it can use external services available on the internet, e.g., web services. For example, companies are not comfortable to use systems that communicate over the internet without guarantees that secure actions have been adequately used. The main objective of this work is to provide a holistic view of current initiatives and tools to model and enforce security requirements in service-based business processes along with open research and practical challenges on this subject. The intention is that this work can serve as a source of theoretical and pragmatic ideas for those who want to execute their business processes having in mind security concerns.
ICT AND CSR in the Lebanese banking sector, towards a regain of stakeholders' trust: the case of Bank Audi

Recent innovative developments in banking activities are not without consequences on the corporate social responsibility (CSR). The CSR approach in the banking sector is subject to a reflection (Cheynel, 2010), where the company must assert its stakeholders, the social fabric and the natural environment. Based on the stakeholder theory, the aim of this research is to study CSR as a source of value for the banking sector. Using a qualitative approach, our research highlights the complexity of this concept with the pioneer of the banking sector in Lebanon, "Bank Audi S.A. L. ". This paper proposes to study the CSR initiatives, while focusing on information and communication technologies (ICT) contributions in integrating CSR within this very innovative bank in the field of ICT, in order to promote a regain of trust with its stakeholders.
Male infertility

Varicocele is present in approximately 40% of men presenting with infertility [1]. Although varicocele repair is widely used in the management of male-factor infertility, the effectiveness of varicocelectomy has been intensely debated, and there is still no consensus on the topic. Existing literature is conflicting, and very few sufficiently large and adequately controlled prospective trials are available evaluating the efficacy of varicocelectomy in improving pregnancy outcomes. Two published metaanalyses evaluating prospective randomized trials came to the same conclusion that varicocele repairs do not improve subfertility [2,3]. A recently updated Cochrane review recommended against varicocele repair for unexplained infertility [4]. However, these meta-analyses have been criticized for methodological flaws which may have biased their results [5]. Consequently, they have not resolved the issues surrounding varicocelectomy and subfertility. The development of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) has led to increased use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for all causes of male infertility including varicoceles. However, these techniques have safety issues, deprive patients of the satisfaction of natural conception, and are less cost-effective [6]. Recent guidelines from the Best Practice Policy Committee of the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) have recommended varicocele repair for infertile men with a clinically palpable varicocele and at least one or
Estimation of the Capacity of Human Perception using Computational Aesthetics

The paper is part of a broader study to utilize some hypotheses, methodologies and tools from Computational Aesthetics, the foundations of which were created in C.R. Shannon’s "The Mathematical Theory of Information". Using the basic ideas of computational aesthetics, a picture can be seen as a message. Cybernetic aesthetics introduces information flow to describe perceptible information. Further cybernetic aesthetic proposes characteristics for conspicuity and intelligibility of artwork. In the sample survey, using these variables, we try to measure the quantity of perceptible information in the image. In the literature, human perceptual capacity values are reported close to 15 bits per second. Our aim will be to verify this information. We will do our study with 200 responses of 35 respondents, where we will measure their ability to perceive different elements in M.C. Escher's "wallpaper" paintings. Part of the study will be a statistical evaluation of the measurement.
Economic Analysis of Contract Law after Three Decades: Success or Failure?

Law and economics has failed to produce plausible descriptive theories of contract doctrines. This paper documents these failures and suggests that they are due to a methodological problem involving the concept of transaction costs. If transaction costs refer to writing or information costs, then rational individuals would agree to complex contracts that are not in fact observed, and contract law would, for the most part, have no other function than that of specifically enforcing contracts. If transaction costs refer to limits on foreseeability and other cognitive restrictions, then law and economics assumes implausibly both that people are rational enough to allow legal rules to influence their investment and breach decisions, but not rational enough to allow legal rules to influence contractual design. Implications for normative analysis are discussed, and non-economic approaches to contract law are surveyed and criticized.
Teachers' knowledge: Review from comparative perspective

Background: The international science competitions show that students from different countries perform differently in subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. In the literature comparative empirical studies tried to address the reasons for crossnational students’ differences in performance from different perspectives such as teaching strategies, learning environments, curriculum and policies. However, one important area that shapes students’ intellectual development is ignored in comparative study: teachers’ knowledge, which eventually decides how effectively teachers teach and how well students learn. Focus of discussion: This study intends to focus on the differences between Chinese and American contexts and development of their teachers’ knowledge with a greater emphasis on China. Without considering the different types of professional knowledge the teachers in these two countries possess, simple comparison of students’ performance on the tests makes little sense and without considering how the teachers develop their professional knowledge, we cannot determine the primary reasons that contribute to the differences in students’ performance. Suggestions: The development of teachers’ knowledge is context-sensitive and a deep analysis of the context will offer a clearer picture of what teacher knowledge really is. Thus comparative studies need to look at the difference in students’ performance from the perspective of educational philosophy, contexts and policies. Conclusion: If we attribute Chinese students’ higher performance on tests to teacher knowledge, we first need to define the validity of the Chinese teachers’ knowledge. The fact that Chinese students are excellent performers on tests does not mean they will eventually turn out to be real scientists. So far no scientists from mainland China have ever won the Nobel Prize for science. Because teachers’ knowledge is either positively or negatively correlated with students’ performance, to explore how teachers’ knowledge has developed and under what context will reveal more meaning regarding what kind of knowledge their students have learned and a study of this kind has more practical significance for policy makers and educators.
Acetylation-defective mutant of Pparγ is associated with decreased lipid synthesis in breast cancer cells

In our prior publications we characterized a conserved acetylation motif (K(R) xxKK) of evolutionarily related nuclear receptors. Recent reports showed that peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) deacetylation by SIRT1 is involved in delaying cellular senescence and maintaining the brown remodeling of white adipose tissue. However, it still remains unknown whether lysyl residues 154 and 155 (K154/155) of the conserved acetylation motif (RIHKK) in Pparγ1 are acetylated. Herein, we demonstrate that Pparγ1 is acetylated and regulated by both endogenous TSA-sensitive and NAD-dependent deacetylases. Acetylation of lysine 154 was identified by mass spectrometry (MS) while deacetylation of lysine 155 by SIRT1 was confirmed by in vitro deacetylation assay. An in vivo labeling assay revealed K154/K155 as bona fide acetylation sites. The conserved acetylation sites of Pparγ1 and the catalytic domain of SIRT1 are both required for the interaction between Pparγ1 and SIRT1. Sirt1 and Pparγ1 converge to govern lipid metabolism in vivo. Acetylation-defective mutants of Pparγ1 were associated with reduced lipid synthesis in ErbB2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. Together, these results suggest that the conserved lysyl residues K154/K155 of Pparγ1 are acetylated and play an important role in lipid synthesis in ErbB2-positive breast cancer cells.
Permafrost thaw and release of inorganic nitrogen from polygonal tundra soils in eastern Siberia

Abstract. The currently observed climate warming will lead to substantial permafrost degradation and mobilization of formerly freeze-locked matter. Based on recent findings, we assume that there are substantial stocks of inorganic nitrogen (N) within the perennially frozen ground of arctic ecosystems. We studied eleven soil profiles down to one meter depth below surface at three different sites in arctic eastern Siberia, covering polygonal tundra and river floodplains, to assess the amount of inorganic N stores in arctic permafrost-affected soils. Furthermore, we modeled the potential thickening of the seasonally unfrozen uppermost soil (active) layer for these sites, using the CryoGrid2 permafrost model and representation concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The first scenario, RCP4.5, is a stabilization pathway that reaches plateau atmospheric carbon concentrations early in the 21 st century; the second, RCP8.5, is a business as usual emission scenario with increasing carbon emissions. The modeled increases in active layer thickness (ALT) were used to estimate potential annual N mobilization from permafrost-affected soils in the course of climate-induced active-layer deepening. We observed significant stores of inorganic ammonium in the perennially frozen ground of all investigated soils, up to 40-fold higher than in the active layer. The modeled ALT increase until 2100 under the RCP8.5 scenario was between 19 ± 3 cm and 35 ± 6 cm, depending on the location. Under the RCP4.5 scenario, the ALT remained stable in all investigated soils. Our estimated mean annual N release under the RCP8.5 scenario is between 8 ± 3 mg m −2 and 81 ± 14 mg m −2 for the different locations, which reaches values up to the order of magnitude of annual fixation of atmospheric N in arctic soils. However, the thawing induced release of N represents only a small flux in comparison with the overall ecosystem N cycling.
Effects of temperature-dependent NO x emissions on continental ozone production

Abstract. Surface ozone concentrations are observed to increase with rising temperatures, but the mechanisms responsible for this effect in rural and remote continental regions remain uncertain. Better understanding of the effects of temperature on ozone is crucial to understanding global air quality and how it may be affected by climate change. We combine measurements from a focused ground campaign in summer 2013 with a long-term record from a forested site in the rural southeastern United States, to examine how daily average temperature affects ozone production. We find that changes to local chemistry are key drivers of increased ozone concentrations on hotter days, with integrated daily ozone production increasing by 2.3 ppb ∘C −1 . Nearly half of this increase is attributable to temperature-driven increases in emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), most likely by soil microbes. The increase of soil NO x emissions with temperature suggests that ozone will continue to increase with temperature in the future, even as direct anthropogenic NO x emissions decrease dramatically. The links between temperature, soil NO x , and ozone form a positive climate feedback.
LOGISTIC REGRESSION WITH RANDOM COEFFICIENTS

An approximation to the likelihood for the generalized linear models with random coefficients is derived and is the basis for an approximate Fisher scoring algorithm. The method is illustrated on the logistic regression model for one-way classification, but it has an extension to the class of generalized linear models and to more complex data structures, such as nested two-way classification. Both full and restricted maximum likelihood versions of this algorithm are defined. The estimators of the regression parameters coincide with the generalized estimating equations of Zeger and Liang (1986) but an essentially different class of estimators for the covariance structure parameters is obtained. A simulation study explores the properties of the proposed estimators.
Investing: the case for recognition as an independent capacity

ABSTRACT In this article, we provide support for the need to recognize investing as an independent capacity. A comparison of the definitions and models of financial and investing capacities revealed significant differences between them. A review of the status of investing capacity assessment revealed that there are currently no investing capacity specific assessment instruments (ICSAIs). Implications for researchers and clinicians resulting from the lack of recognition of investing as an independent capacity are discussed and used as a rational for the need to develop ICSAIs. The benefits of ICSAI development for financial, legal, and clinical professionals as well as for investors are discussed, and a direction for future investing capacity research is proposed.
Colloidal dispersions in external fields: recent developments

The past five years have witnessed considerable progress in the field of colloid physics, in particular when colloidal dispersions are exposed to external fields such as shear flow, electric, magnetic and laser-optical fields as well as confinement. This progress is summarized and brought into relation to the subsequent articles of this special issue.
Adaptive synchronisation of memristor-based neural networks with leakage delays and applications in chaotic masking secure communication

ABSTRACT Chaotic synchronisation has caused extensive attention due to its potential application in secure communication. This paper is concerned with the problem of adaptive synchronisation for two different kinds of memristor-based neural networks with time delays in leakage terms. By applying set-valued maps and differential inclusions theories, synchronisation criteria are obtained via linear matrix inequalities technique, which guarantee drive system being synchronised with response system under adaptive control laws. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the feasibility of our theoretical results, and two schemes for secure communication are introduced based on chaotic masking method.
Implementation of a Flipped Classroom for Nuclear Medicine Physician CME

Introduction: Increasingly, emerging technologies are expanding instructional possibilities, with new methods being adopted to improve knowledge acquisition and retention. Within medical education, many new techniques have been employed in the undergraduate setting, with less utilization thus far in the continuing medical education (CME) sphere. This paper discusses the use of a new method for CME—the “flipped classroom,” widely used in undergraduate medical education. This method engages learners by providing content before the live (“in class”) session that aids in preparation and fosters in-class engagement. Methods: A flipped classroom method was employed using an online image-rich case-based module and quiz prior to a live CME session at a national nuclear medicine meeting. The preparatory material provided a springboard for in-depth discussion at the live session—a case-based activity utilizing audience response technology. Study participants completed a survey regarding their initial experience with this new instructional method. In addition, focus group interviews were conducted with session attendees who had or had not completed the presession material; transcripts were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Quantitative survey data (completed by two-thirds of the session attendees) suggested that the flipped method was highly valuable and met attendee educational objectives. Analysis of focus group data yielded six themes broadly related to two categories—benefits of the flipped method for CME and programmatic considerations for successfully implementing the flipped method in CME. Discussion: Data from this study have proven encouraging and support further investigations around the incorporation of this innovative teaching method into CME for nuclear imaging specialists.
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: challenges and future prospects

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare CD4+ CD56+ myeloid malignancy that is challenging to diagnose and treat. BPDCN typically presents with nonspecific cutaneous lesions with or without extra-cutaneous manifestations before progressing to leukemia. Currently, there is no standard of care for the treatment of BPDCN and various approaches have been used including acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and lymphoma-based regimens with or without stem cell transplantation. Despite these treatment approaches, the prognosis of BPDCN remains poor and there is a lack of prospective data upon which to base treatment decisions. Recent work examining the mutational landscape and gene expression profiles of BPDCN has identified a number of potential therapeutic targets. One such target is CD123, the α subunit of the human interleukin-3 receptor, which is the subject of intervention studies using the novel agent SL-401. Other investigational therapies include UCART123, T-cell immunotherapy, and venetoclax. Prospective trials are needed to determine the best treatment for this uncommon and aggressive neoplasm.
Full Mouth Disinfection Versus Scaling and Root Planing per Quadrant in Aggressive Periodontitis : A Systematic Review

Previous systematic review reported similar results of periodontal therapy when full mouth disinfection (FMD) and multi-session periodontal therapy (MST) were compared for treatment of chronic periodontitis (CP). However, this comparison has not been performed for treatment of Aggressive periodontitis (AP). The aim of this systematic review was to compare the results of FMD and MST in individuals with AP. Electronic searches for Randomized Clinical Trials (RCT) were performed in five electronic databases up to April 2016. A manual search was also performed in 4 periodontal journals for papers published in the last 15 years. The primary outcomes were changes in probing depth, clinical attachment loss and bleeding on probing. The secondary outcomes were changes in the plaque and marginal gingival bleeding scores, degree of furcation defect, gingival recession, microbiological changes and side effects. The results found 4RCTs that were included in the review, only 2 of which described treatment in different populations. The differences between periodontal approaches are minimal and the use of systemic antibiotics appears to add additional improvement, although with uncertain clinical relevance. The analysis of methodological quality demonstrated a high risk of bias, which weakens the internal validity of the evaluated studies. Moreover, FMD has a higher frequency of side effects, such as fever and labial herpes. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to establish the clinical relevance of FMD for the treatment of aggressive periodontitis.
Test Stub Generation from Interaction and Behavioural Models

Testing strategies for interactive systems require that we find suitable ways of incorporating tests of functionality with tests of interfaces and interactivity. For safety-critical interactive systems the problem is harder due to the necessity to ensure higher thresholds for testing to ensure safety is preserved. Conversely however, for safety-critical systems we are more likely to have a larger set of artefacts such as formal models, specifications etc. which can be used as the basis for test generation. The challenge is in finding ways of making use of (what may be a diverse set of) such models and specifications to assist with the testing process. In this paper we describe how we incorporate interactive system models with behavioural specifications to automatically generate test stubs. We show how the declarative test language Gherkin and its associated Cucumber tool can be integrated into an interactive system modelling environment to achieve this. The tool can either convert interaction models into behavioural models or vice versa, and both sets of models are then used to generate test stubs.
Fine details in complex environments: the power of cryo-electron tomography

Cryo-electron tomography (CET) is uniquely suited to obtain structural information from a wide range of biological scales, integrating and bridging knowledge from molecules to cells. In particular, CET can be used to visualise molecular structures in their native environment. Depending on the experiment, a varying degree of resolutions can be achieved, with the first near-atomic molecular structures becoming recently available. The power of CET has increased significantly in the last 5 years, in parallel with improvements in cryo-EM hardware and software that have also benefited single-particle reconstruction techniques. In this review, we cover the typical CET pipeline, starting from sample preparation, to data collection and processing, and highlight in particular the recent developments that support structural biology in situ. We provide some examples that highlight the importance of structure determination of molecules embedded within their native environment, and propose future directions to improve CET performance and accessibility.
Nuclear lncRNA stabilization in the host response to bacterial infection

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in many cellular pathways, but their contribution to the defense of eukaryotic cells against pathogens remains poorly understood. A new study from Imamura et al in The EMBO Journal reports that Salmonella infection in human cells impacts nuclear RNA decay, which in turn drives the accumulation of otherwise unstable nuclear lncRNAs, some of which may have protective effects against this common bacterial pathogen. These unexpected findings demand more efforts to fully decrypt the molecular functions of lncRNAs in innate and adaptive immunity.