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| 2. |
- McCormack, Ryan, et al.
(författare)
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Perforin-2 Protects Host Cells and Mice by Restricting the Vacuole to Cytosol Transitioning of a Bacterial Pathogen
- 2016
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Ingår i: Infection and Immunity. - 0019-9567 .- 1098-5522. ; 84:4, s. 1083-1091
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The host-encoded Perforin-2 (encoded by the macrophage-expressed gene 1, Mpeg1), which possesses a pore-forming MACPF domain, reduces the viability of bacterial pathogens that reside within membrane-bound compartments. Here, it is shown that Perforin-2 also restricts the proliferation of the intracytosolic pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Within a few hours of systemic infection, the massive proliferation of L. monocytogenes in Perforin-2(-/-) mice leads to a rapid appearance of acute disease symptoms. We go on to show in cultured Perforin-2(-/-) cells that the vacuole-to-cytosol transitioning of L. monocytogenes is greatly accelerated. Unexpectedly, we found that in Perforin-2(-/-) macrophages, Listeria-containing vacuoles quickly (<= 15 min) acidify, and that this was coincident with greater virulence gene expression, likely accounting for the more rapid translocation of L. monocytogenes to its replicative niche in the cytosol. This hypothesis was supported by our finding that a L. monocytogenes strain expressing virulence factors at a constitutively high level replicated equally well in Perforin-2(+/+) and Perforin-2(-/-) macrophages. Our findings suggest that the protective role of Perforin-2 against listeriosis is based on it limiting the intracellular replication of the pathogen. This cellular activity of Perforin-2 may derive from it regulating the acidification of Listeria-containing vacuoles, thereby depriving the pathogen of favorable intracellular conditions that promote its virulence gene activity.
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| 3. |
- Mehmood, M. A., et al.
(författare)
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Automating Test Data Generation for Testing Context-Aware Applications
- 2018
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering and Service Sciences, ICSESS. - : IEEE Computer Society. - 9781538665640 ; , s. 104-108
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context-aware applications are emerging applications in the modern era of computing. These applications can determine and adapt to situational context to provide better user experience. Testing these applications is not straightforward and poses several challenges such as developing context-aware test cases and generating test data etc. However, by employing model based testing technique, testing process for context-aware applications can be automated. To achieve maximum degree of automation, it is necessary to automate model transformation, test data generation and test cases execution. To execute test cases, test data is required and developing test data for context-aware applications is a challenging task. The aim of this study is to address this issue; thus, we propose automated test data generation for functional testing of context-aware applications. This automated test data generation can reduce testing time and cost, thus enabling test engineers to execute more testing cycles to attain higher degree of test coverage.
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| 4. |
- Mehmood, M. A., et al.
(författare)
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Transforming context-aware application development model into a testing model
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Software Engineering and Service Sciences, ICSESS. - : IEEE Computer Society. - 9781538645703 ; , s. 177-182
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Software testing aims at ensuring the quality of a software product. Context-aware applications are emerging applications that are capable to sense their environment and adapt to situational context to provide better user experience. Context-aware applications pose many challenges for software testing such as defining test adequacy criteria, generating test data, developing context-aware test cases etc. Test case generation process for context-aware applications can be automated using a model based testing technique. To attain this goal with maximum degree of automation, it is required to transform development model into a test model automatically. In this study, we propose a typecast of activity node of UML activity diagram, called Context-Aware Activity for modelling context-aware applications. We have also developed an approach for automatic transformation of the development model i.e., UML activity diagram with Context-aware Activity typecast into a testing model i.e. function nets. This testing model is used to automate test case generation and we have illustrated how to generate context-aware test cases using our proposed approach.
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| 5. |
- Muellner, Nils, et al.
(författare)
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Simulation-Based Safety Testing Brake-by-Wire
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings - 10th IEEE International Conference on Software Testing, Verification and Validation Workshops, ICSTW 2017. - 9781509066766 ; , s. 61-64
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mechanical systems in cars are replaced by electronic equivalents. To be authorized for the road, validation that the replacements are at least as good as the old systems is required. For electronic braking systems (brake-by-wire), this goodness translates to safety in terms of maintaining timing constraints. Yet, in the future, the safety of braking maneuvres will depend, not only, on electronic brakes, but also on cooperative driving maneuvres orchestrated among many cars. Connecting both brake-by-wire on the microscopic level with cooperative braking on the macroscopic level allows for determining safety on a broader scale, as both systems feed from the same resource: Time. This paper discusses work-in-progress, introducing and combining two threads: electronic brakes and cooperative braking. Discussing safety on two levels simultaneously motivates connecting a Simulink model of an electronic brake-by-wire system with the traffic simulator SUMO for conducting the required combined validation. How safe is a car in relation to a given maximal braking distance? What is the optimal distribution of reaction time between electronic brakes and cooperative braking? The validation focuses on non-functional safety limited by temporal constraints (translated to braking distance). It can be exploited in an early validation approach to help reduce costs of more expensive real world experimentation. It can also determine the boundaries at which sufficient safety can be guaranteed. © 2017 IEEE.
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| 6. |
- Naqvi, Salman Raza, et al.
(författare)
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Potential of biomass for bioenergy in Pakistan based on present case and future perspectives
- 2018
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Ingår i: Renewable & sustainable energy reviews. - : Elsevier. - 1364-0321 .- 1879-0690. ; 81:1, s. 1247-1258
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Future energy security and environmental issues are major driving forces for increased biomass utilization globally and especially in developing countries like Pakistan. For efficient utilization of indigenous biomass resources in the future energy mix, it is important to gain knowledge of current energy system in various sectors. Some of the technologies and initiatives are under development to achieve transition from non-renewable resources to renewable resources, and reducing fossil fuel dependency and greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, number of proposals has been presented for the development of sustainable biofuels production methods for promise for accelerating a shift away from an unsustainable approach to possible sustainable production practices or a sustainable social, economic and environment. This article presents an extensive literature review of the biomass-based renewable energy potential in Pakistan based on current energy scenario and future perspectives. It also highlights the availability of the indigenous and local biomass resources and potential biomass conversion technologies to convert such resources to bioenergy. The drivers for utilization of indigenous biomass resources in future energy mix and challenges regarding awareness among stakeholders and R & D to fill knowledge gaps are economically restraints. The article concludes with suggestions on future directions and policies for effective implementation of biomass based renewable energy production.
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| 7. |
- Wertheim, Herman, et al.
(författare)
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Community-level antibiotic access and use (ABACUS) in low- and middle-income countries: Finding targets for social interventions to improve appropriate antimicrobial use : an observational multi-centre study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Wellcome Open Research. - : Wellcome Trust. - 2398-502X. ; 2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a poor link between antibiotic policies and practices exists. Numerous contextual factors may influence the degree of antibiotic access, appropriateness of antibiotic provision, and actual use in communities. Therefore, improving appropriateness of antibiotic use in different communities in LMICs probably requires interventions tailored to the setting of interest, accounting for cultural context. Here we present the ABACUS study (AntiBiotic ACcess and USe), which employs a unique approach and infrastructure, enabling quantitative validation, contextualization of determinants, and cross-continent comparisons of antibiotic access and use. The community infrastructure for this study is the INDEPTH-Network (International Network for the Demographic Evaluation of Populations and Their Health in Developing Countries), which facilitates health and population research through an established health and demographic surveillance system. After an initial round of formative qualitative research with community members and antibiotic suppliers in three African and three Asian countries, household surveys will assess the appropriateness of antibiotic access, provision and use. Results from this sample will be validated against a systematically conducted inventory of suppliers. All potential antibiotic suppliers will be mapped and characterized. Subsequently, their supply of antibiotics to the community will be measured through customer exit interviews, which tend to be more reliable than bulk purchase or sales data. Discrepancies identified between reported and observed antibiotic practices will be investigated in further qualitative interviews. Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach will be employed to identify the conversion factors that determine whether or not, and the extent to which appropriate provision of antibiotics may lead to appropriate access and use of antibiotics. Currently, the study is ongoing and expected to conclude by 2019. ABACUS will provide important new insights into antibiotic practices in LMICs to inform social interventions aimed at promoting optimal antibiotic use, thereby preserving antibiotic effectiveness.
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