LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Does information security attack frequency increase with vulnerability disclosure? An empirical analysis

Research in information security, risk management and investment has grown in importance over the last few years. However, without reliable estimates on attack probabilities, risk management is difficult to do in practice. Using a novel data set, we provide estimates on attack propensity and how it changes with disclosure and patching of vulnerabilities. Disclosure of software vulnerability has been controversial. On one hand are those who propose full and instant disclosure whether the patch is available or not and on the other hand are those who argue for limited or no disclosure. Which of the two policies is socially optimal depends critically on how attack frequency changes with disclosure and patching. In this paper, we empirically explore the impact of vulnerability information disclosure and availability of patches on attacks targeting the vulnerability. Our results suggest that on an average both secret (non-published) and published (published and not patched) vulnerabilities attract fewer attacks than patched (published and patched) vulnerabilities. When we control for time since publication and patches, we find that patching an already known vulnerability decreases the number of attacks, although attacks gradually increase with time after patch release. Patching an unknown vulnerability, however, causes a spike in attacks, which then gradually decline after patch release. Attacks on secret vulnerabilities slowly increase with time until the vulnerability is published and then attacks rapidly decrease with time after publication.
Toward reuse of object-oriented software design models

In software reuse, which is an important approach to improving the practice of software engineering, many factors may hinder reusing software artifacts. Among those factors are the availability of software artifacts at a different level of abstraction and a method to classify and retrieve them. This paper proposes an approach based on faceted classification scheme for the classification and retrieval of software design artifacts, namely Object-Oriented Design Models, thus facilitating their reuse. Six facets, Domain, Abstractions, Responsibilities, Collaborations, Design View, and Asset Type have been defined to constitute the classification and the retrieval attributes. Each of the facets describes one aspect of an Object-Oriented design model. It contains a number of predefined terms chosen through the analysis of various software systems specifications. The selected terms of each facet are arranged on a conceptual graph to aid the retrieval process. A design artifact is classified by associating with it a software descriptor through the selection of one or more terms from each facet. The role of a descriptor is to emphasize the important structural and behavioral properties of a design artifact and also to document the artifacts associated with the design model. The associated similarity-based retrieval mechanism helps users to search for candidate design artifacts that best match their target specification. The similarity analysis is based on the estimation of the conceptual distance between the terms in a query descriptor and the terms in the specified descriptors of various design models in a software repository. A case study is presented to illustrate the classification and the retrieval process. q 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Process capabilities of Micro-EDM and its applications

The Micro Electrical Discharge Machining (Micro-EDM) process has proved to be an appropriate nonconventional machining method for manufacturing accurate and complex three-dimensional structural microfeatures which are difficult to be produced by conventional processes. However, the miniaturisation of the EDM process requests special requirements on the machining equipments. Pulse generators, which can produce small input energy pulses, and high precision systems are the two major criterions. In this paper, newly developed advanced technologies regarding to these aspects are explored with the aid of a commercial micro-EDM machine. First of all, by examining the pulses, innovative strategies implemented in the pulse generator are studied. Indepth research also reveals the correlation between the discharge pulses and the machine parameters in order to provide an indicative overview of process capability. Secondly, precision machining, which is represented by producing a three-dimensional micro-structure such as a micro-compressor, is demonstrated. Accordingly, by examining the machining geometry and surface integrity, process characteristics of micro-EDM are discussed.
Different measurement metrics to evaluate a chatbot system

A chatbot is a software system, which can interact or “chat” with a human user in natural language such as English. For the annual Loebner Prize contest, rival chatbots have been assessed in terms of ability to fool a judge in a restricted chat session. We are investigating methods to train and adapt a chatbot to a specific user’s language use or application, via a usersupplied training corpus. We advocate open-ended trials by real users, such as an example Afrikaans chatbot for Afrikaansspeaking researchers and students in South Africa. This is evaluated in terms of “glass box” dialogue efficiency metrics, and “black box” dialogue quality metrics and user satisfaction feedback. The other examples presented in this paper are the Qur'an and the FAQchat prototypes. Our general conclusion is that evaluation should be adapted to the application and to user needs.
Steroid-sparing properties of sargramostim in patients with corticosteroid-dependent Crohn's disease: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study.

OBJECTIVE
Although treatment with corticosteroids induces remission in Crohn's disease, prolonged exposure to corticosteroids is undesirable. This randomised clinical trial evaluated the efficacy of recombinant human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (sargramostim), an activator of innate immunity, in corticosteroid-dependent patients with Crohn's disease.


DESIGN
Patients were randomised in a 2:1 ratio, to sargramostim 6 microg/kg subcutaneously once daily or placebo for up to 22 weeks. The study consisted of (1) an adjunctive phase (weeks 1-4) in which patients received study drug plus corticosteroid therapy; (2) a forced corticosteroid tapering phase (weeks 4-14); and (3) an observation phase (4 weeks) in which patients received study drug plus prednisone < or =7.5 mg. The primary endpoint was corticosteroid-free remission (Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) < or =150) 4 weeks after corticosteroid elimination. Secondary endpoints were corticosteroid-free response (CDAI decreased by > or =100) and induction of remission in patients who reduced the dose of corticosteroid to 2.5-7.5 mg.


RESULTS
Eighty-seven patients were randomised to sargramostim and 42 to placebo. Significantly more sargramostim-treated patients than placebo patients achieved corticosteroid-free remission (18.6% vs 4.9%; p = 0.03). Similar differences were seen for corticosteroid-free response and in patients who tapered corticosteroids to 2.5-7.5 mg/day. Sargramostim treatment was also associated with significant improvements in health-related quality of life. Patients who received sargramostim were more likely to experience musculoskeletal pain, injection site reactions and dyspnoea.


CONCLUSIONS
Sargramostim was more effective than placebo for inducing corticosteroid-free remission in patients with Crohn's disease with corticosteroid dependence. Sargramostim may provide significant benefit in this population if these findings are confirmed.
Calcium-Induced Calcium Release in Smooth Muscle

Calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) has been observed in cardiac myocytes as elementary calcium release events (calcium sparks) associated with the opening of L-type Ca(2+) channels. In heart cells, a tight coupling between the gating of single L-type Ca(2+) channels and ryanodine receptors (RYRs) underlies calcium release. Here we demonstrate that L-type Ca(2+) channels activate RYRs to produce CICR in smooth muscle cells in the form of Ca(2+) sparks and propagated Ca(2+) waves. However, unlike CICR in cardiac muscle, RYR channel opening is not tightly linked to the gating of L-type Ca(2+) channels. L-type Ca(2+) channels can open without triggering Ca(2+) sparks and triggered Ca(2+) sparks are often observed after channel closure. CICR is a function of the net flux of Ca(2+) ions into the cytosol, rather than the single channel amplitude of L-type Ca(2+) channels. Moreover, unlike CICR in striated muscle, calcium release is completely eliminated by cytosolic calcium buffering. Thus, L-type Ca(2+) channels are loosely coupled to RYR through an increase in global [Ca(2+)] due to an increase in the effective distance between L-type Ca(2+) channels and RYR, resulting in an uncoupling of the obligate relationship that exists in striated muscle between the action potential and calcium release.
Prevention of lower eyelid malposition after blepharoplasty: anatomic and technical considerations of the inside-out blepharoplasty.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the position of the lower eyelid and lateral canthus after release of the lower eyelid retractors with the "inside-out technique" by measuring the marginal reflex distance 2 (MRD2) and using the lateral canthal rounding scale.


DESIGN
Retrospective analysis.


RESULTS
Of the 171 patients who underwent inside-out blepharoplasty, 78 were followed up for 3 months. Preoperative MRD2 was 0.942 pixels. Postoperatively, the modified MRD2 was 0.903. Although the score of the modified MRD2 was found to decrease postoperatively, the decrease was not statistically significant (P < .07). The lateral rounding scale reviewed an average preoperative score of 2.04 and a postoperative score of 1.99. There was no statistical difference between pre- and postoperative observations based on a 1-tailed t test. No complications were reported.


CONCLUSION
Using photographic analysis, the study found no difference in lateral canthal shape or MRD2 before and after surgery in patients who underwent inside-out blepharoplasty.
The impact of anterior urethropexy during robotic prostatectomy on urinary and sexual outcomes.

OBJECTIVES
We determined the effect of an anterior urethropexy (AU) stitch on postoperative urinary continence, irritative urinary symptoms, and sexual function after robotic radical prostatectomy (RP).


METHODS
Consecutive patients undergoing robotic RP for prostate cancer were prospectively evaluated. The Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire was administered pre- and postoperatively to all patients. Patients were then grouped by AU status. A linear mixed model was used to compare the rate of recovery in incontinence (UIN), irritative (UIR), and sexual domain scores between the two groups. A t-test was used to compare UIN, UIR, and sexual domain scores at specific time points.


RESULTS
A total of 229 patients underwent robotic RP and filled out a preoperative and at least one postoperative EPIC questionnaire. In this population, 87 did have and 142 did not have an AU performed. The mean EPIC-UIN score at 3 months was 68 in the AU group and 58 in the non-AU group (p = 0.015). Comparison of all other time points and overall urinary scores revealed no other statistically significant differences after surgery. Sexual domain scores were also improved at 3 months in the AU group (p = 0.002).


CONCLUSIONS
AU during robotic RP leads to improved urinary continence and sexual functioning at 3 months of follow-up. An earlier return to continence may facilitate an earlier return to sexual activity. AU may offer a short-term quality-of-life advantage for patients undergoing robotic RP.
Geology of the protogine zone south of Lake Vättern, southern Sweden : a reinterpretation

Abstract Influential models describe the Protogine Zone (PZ) as a collisional suture and thrust front and, in particular, as the extension of the Grenvillian thrust front into Scandinavia. These models do not consider the significance of a rich variety of geological features related to Late Riphean-Vendian rifting of the craton. This paper calls attention to steep, northerly trending and anastomosing, narrow deformation zones of ductile or brittle-ductile character. The zones can be mapped out into the Vattern Graben of c. 700–800 Ma age. Uplift of southwestern Sweden after c. 910 Ma must have had a profound tectonic influence on the bedrock along the PZ. The effects of this late deformation must be identified and subtracted from the structural record before the significance of Sveconorwegian-Grenvillian deformation can be assessed. There is no other foliation south of Lake Vattern qualifying for the name “protogine zone foliation”. Rift-related magmatic and metallogenic features are remarkably restricted...
Polyethylene glycol loxenatide injections added to metformin effectively improve glycemic control and exhibit favorable safety in type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol loxenatide (PEX168) injections in Chinese type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients.


METHODS
The present multicenter randomized double-blind parallel placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled patients who had been treated with a stable dose of metformin (≥1500 mg/day) for ≥12 weeks and had an HbA1c level between 7% and 11%. Subjects were randomly divided into three groups (1: 1: 1) and were treated with once weekly subcutaneous injections of either placebo or 100 or 200 μg PEX168 for 12 weeks. All subjects continued to receive metformin daily.


RESULTS
After 12 weeks treatment, the adjusted least-squares mean of HbA1c reductions from baseline values in the 100 and 200 μg PEX168 groups were significantly higher than in the placebo group (-1.02% [95% confidence interval {CI} -1.33, -0.71), -1.36% [95% CI -1.68, -1.04], and 0.13% [95% CI -0.20, 0.45], respectively; P < 0.05). After treatment, 50% and 60.5% of subjects in the 100 and 200 μg PEX168 groups, respectively, achieved HbA1c levels <7% (P < 0.01 for both vs placebo [HbA1c 11.1%]). The most frequent adverse reactions in the PEX168 groups were mild to moderate dose-dependent gastrointestinal reactions. There were no reports of hypoglycemia or pancreatitis in any of the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Continuous 12 week treatment with PEX168 showed excellent safety and efficacy in T2D patients whose glucose was not well controlled with metformin alone.
Validation of the English language Forgotten Joint Score-12 as an outcome measure for total hip and knee arthroplasty in a British population.

AIMS
To validate the English language Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) as a tool to evaluate the outcome of hip and knee arthroplasty in a United Kingdom population.


PATIENTS AND METHODS
All patients undergoing surgery between January and August 2014 were eligible for inclusion. Prospective data were collected from 205 patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 231 patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Outcomes were assessed with the FJS-12 and the Oxford Hip and Knee Scores (OHS, OKS) pre-operatively, then at six and 12 months post-operatively. Internal consistency, convergent validity, effect size, relative validity and ceiling effects were determined.


RESULTS
Data for the TKA and THA patients showed high internal consistency for the FJS-12 (Cronbach α = 0.97 in TKAs, 0.98 in THAs). Convergent validity with the Oxford Scores was high (r = 0.85 in TKAs, r = 0.79 for THAs). From six to 12 months, the change was higher for the FJS-12 than for the OHS in THA patients (effect size d = 0.21 versus -0.03). Ceiling effects at one-year follow-up were low for the FJS-12 with just 3.9% (TKA) and 8.8% (THA) of patients achieving the best possible score.


CONCLUSION
The FJS-12 has strong measurement properties in terms of validity, internal consistency and sensitivity to change in TKA and THA patients. Low ceiling effects and good relative validity allow the monitoring of longer term outcomes, particularly in well-performing groups after total joint arthroplasty. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:218-24.
The Distributive Impact of Privatization in Latin America: Evidence from Four Countries

The supposed failure of privatization in Latin America has recently become the source of street riots, protest demonstrations, and adverse news coverage. Riots in Arequipa, Peru, erupted in June 2002 following the announcement of a proposal to privatize power plants, while Cochabamba, Bolivia, witnessed a so-called water war in April 2000. Antiprivatization protests also occurred recently in Ecuador and Paraguay, while water privatizations in Lima and Rio de Janeiro had to be cancelled owing to popular opposition. Street protests by antiglobalization activists have included privatization as a prime target, on the grounds that national values should not be overtaken by the profit calculus of global capitalism. News articles highlight popular objections to private enterprise making a profit on basic services such as water, the failure of water privatization in Bolivia, and problems with quality, price increases, and large-scale employee layoffs. In response to popular opposition, the National Assembly in Nicaragua passed a law forbidding the privatization of any enterprise related to the provision of water services (a law later vetoed by the country’s president). These adverse opinions are not restricted to a handful of protesters. Latinobarometer opinion polls for 2000 show that a clear majority disapprove of the privatization process, a pattern that is uniform across countries, age, gender, and socioeconomic class. The
A retrospective analysis: the development of patient reported outcome measures for the assessment of Crohn's disease activity.

BACKGROUND
The Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) is a measure of disease activity based on symptoms, signs and a laboratory test. The US Food and Drug Administration has indicated that patient reported outcomes (PROs) should be the primary outcome in randomised controlled trials for Crohn's disease (CD).


AIM
As no validated PRO exists for CD, to investigate whether CDAI diary card items could be modified for this purpose.


METHODS
Data from a trial of rifaximin-extended intestinal release were used to identify cut-points for stool frequency, pain and general well-being using receiver operating characteristic curves with CDAI <150 as criterion. The operating properties of 2- and 3-item PRO were evaluated using data from a trial of methotrexate in CD. Regression analysis determined PRO2 and PRO3 scores that correspond to CDAI-defined thresholds of 150, 220 and 450 and changes of 50, 70 and 100 points.


RESULTS
Optimum cut-points for CDAI remission were mean daily stool frequency ≤1.5, abdominal pain ≤1, and general well-being score of ≤1 (areas under the ROC curve 0.79, 0.91 and 0.89, respectively). The effect estimates were similar using 2- and 3-item PROs or CDAI. PRO2 and PRO3 values corresponding to CDAI scores of 150, 220 and 450 points were 8, 14, 34 and 13, 22, 53. The corresponding values for CDAI changes of 50, 70 and 100, were 2, 5, 8 and 5, 9, 14. Responsiveness to change was similar for both PROs.


CONCLUSION
Patient reported outcomes derived from CDAI diary items may be appropriate for use in clinical trials for CD.
A randomised study evaluating the use of pyridoxine to avoid capecitabine dose modifications

Background:Pyridoxine is frequently used to treat capecitabine-induced hand–foot syndrome (HFS), although the evidence of benefit is lacking. We performed a randomised placebo-controlled trial to determine whether pyridoxine could avoid the need for capecitabine dose modifications and improve outcomes.Methods:A total of 106 patients planned for palliative single-agent capecitabine (53 in each arm, 65%/ 35% colorectal/breast cancer) were randomised to receive either concomitant pyridoxine (50 mg po) or matching placebo three times daily.Results:Compared with placebo, pyridoxine use was associated with an increased rate of avoiding capecitabine dose modifications (37% vs 23%, relative risk 0.59, 95% CI 0.29, 1.20, P=0.15) and fewer grade 3/4 HFS-related adverse events (9% vs 17%, odds ratio 0.51, 95% CI 0.15–1.6, P=0.26). Use of pyridoxine did not improve response rate or progression-free survival.Conclusion:Pyridoxine may reduce the need for capecitabine dose modifications and the incidence of severe HFS, but does not impact on antitumour effect.
Unbelievable Agents for Large Scale Security Simulation

Human error arguably accounts for more than half of all security vulnerabilities, yet few frameworks for testing secure systems take human actions into account. We describe the design of an experimentation platform that models human behaviors through intelligent agents. Our agents share some desired features with believable agent systems, but believable interaction with a human is less important than accurate reproduction of security-related behaviors. We identify three main components of human behavior that are important in such a system: (1) models of emotion and other cognitive state that may increase the probability of errors, (2) flexible reasoning in the face of a compromised system and (3) realistic task-based patterns of communication among groups. We describe an agent framework that can support these behaviors and illustrate its principles with a scenario of an insider attack. We are beginning the implementation of the framework, and finish with a discussion of future work.
Web Service Selection for Multiple Agents with Incomplete Preferences

A qualitative way is desirable for web service selection according to agents’ preferences on non-functional Quality of Service (QoS) attributes of services. However, it is challenging when the decision has to be made for multiple agents with preferences on attributes that may be incomplete. In this paper, we first use a qualitative graphical representation tool called CP-nets to describe preference relations in a relatively compact, intuitive and structured manner. We then propose algorithms based on this representation to select web services for multiple agents despite the presence of incompleteness in their preference orderings. Our experimental results indicate that this method can always obtain some optimal outcomes which closely satisfy all agents.