Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coordinated Scan Detection

Coordinated attacks, where the tasks involved in an attack are distributed amongst multiple sources, can be used by an adversary to obfuscate his incursion. In this paper we present an approach to detecting coordinated attacks that is based on adversary modeling of the desired information gain. A detection algorithm is developed that is based on solutions to the set covering problem, where we aim to recognize coordinated activity by combining events such that a large portion of the information space is covered with minimal overlap. We demonstrate this approach by developing a coordinated scan detector, where the targets of a port scan are distributed amongst multiple coordinating sources. In this case, the adversary wishes to gain information about the active hosts and ports on a particular network. We provide an algorithm that is capable of detecting horizontal and strobe scans against contiguous address spaces. We present experimental results from testing this algorithm in a controlled environment, demonstrating that it has an acceptably low false positive rate, discussing the conditions required to maximize the detection rate and the limitations
Pericytes as a new target for pathological processes in CADASIL

CADASIL is a generalized angiopathy caused by mutations in NOTCH 3 gene leading to degeneration and loss of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in small arteries and arterioles. Since the receptor protein encoded by NOTCH 3 gene is expressed not only on VSMC but also on pericytes, pericytes and capillary vessels can be damaged by CADASIL. To check this hypothesis we examined microvessels in autopsy brains and skin‐muscle biopsies of CADASIL patients. We found degeneration and loss of pericytes in capillary vessels. Pericytes were shrunken and their cytoplasm contained numerous vacuoles, big vesicular structures and complexes of enlarged pathological mitochondria. Degenerative changes were also observed within endothelial‐pericytic connections, especially within peg‐and‐socket junctions. Nearby pericyte cell membranes or inside infoldings, deposits of granular osmiophilic material (GOM) were usually seen. In the affected capillaries endothelial cells revealed features of degeneration, selective death or swelling, leading to narrowing or occlusion of the capillary lumen. Our findings indicate that in CADASIL not only VSMC but also pericytes are severely damaged. Pericyte involvement in CADASIL can result in increased permeability of capillary vessels and disturbances in cerebral microcirculation, leading to white matter injury. Since in capillaries pericytes regulate vessel contractility, their degeneration can also cause defective vasomotor reactivity, the phenomenon observed very early in CADASIL, before development of histopathological changes in vessel walls.
Retrieval of Aerosol Optical Thickness Using MODIS $ \hbox{500} \times \hbox{500}\ \hbox{m}^{2}$, a Study in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta Region

Aerosol detection and monitoring by satellite observations has been substantially developed over the past decades. While several state-of-the-art aerosol retrieval techniques provide aerosol properties at global scale, high spatial detail that is suitable for urbanized regions is unavailable because most of the satellite-based products are at coarse resolution. A refined aerosol retrieval algorithm using the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to retrieve aerosol properties at 500-m resolution over land is described here. The rationale of our technique is to first estimate the aerosol reflectances by decomposing the top-of-atmosphere reflectance from surface reflectance and Rayleigh path reflectance. For the determination of surface reflectances, a modified minimum reflectance technique (MRT) is used, and MRT images are computed for different seasons. A good agreement is obtained between the surface reflectances of MRT images and MODIS land surface reflectance products (MOD09), with a correlation of 0.9. For conversion of aerosol reflectance to aerosol optical thickness (AOT), comprehensive lookup tables are constructed which consider aerosol properties and sun-viewing geometry in the radiative transfer calculations. The resulting 500-m AOT images are highly correlated (r = 0.937) with AErosol RObotic NETwork sunphotometer observations in Hong Kong for most of the year corresponding to the long dry season. This study demonstrates a method for aerosol retrieval at fine resolution over urbanized regions, which can assist the study of aerosol spatial distribution. In addition, the MODIS 500-m AOT images can also be used to pinpoint source areas of cross-boundary aerosols from the Pearl River Delta region.
Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicles will revolutionize spatial ecology

*Ecologists require spatially explicit data to relate structure to function. To date, heavy reliance has been placed on obtaining such data from remote-sensing instruments mounted on spacecraft or manned aircraft, although the spatial and temporal resolutions of the data are often not suited to local-scale ecological investigations. Recent technological innovations have led to an upsurge in the availability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – aircraft remotely operated from the ground – and there are now many lightweight UAVs on offer at reasonable costs. Flying low and slow, UAVs offer ecologists new opportunities for scale-appropriate measurements of ecological phenomena. Equipped with capable sensors, UAVs can deliver fine spatial resolution data at temporal resolutions defined by the end user. Recent innovations in UAV platform design have been accompanied by improvements in navigation and the miniaturization of measurement technologies, allowing the study of individual organisms and their spatiotemporal dynamics at close range.
Connectionist Theory Refinement: Genetically Searching the Space of Network Topologies

An algorithm that learns from a set of examples should ideally be able to exploit the available resources of (a) abundant computing power and (b) domain-specific knowledge to improve its ability to generalize. Connectionist theory-refinement systems, which use background knowledge to select a neural network's topology and initial weights, have proven to be effective at exploiting domain-specific knowledge; however, most do not exploit available computing power. This weakness occurs because they lack the ability to refine the topology of the neural networks they produce, thereby limiting generalization, especially when given impoverished domain theories. We present the Regent algorithm which uses (a) domain-specific knowledge to help create an initial population of knowledge-based neural networks and (b) genetic operators of crossover and mutation (specifically designed for knowledge-based networks) to continually search for better network topologies. Experiments on three real-world domains indicate that our new algorithm is able to significantly increase generalization compared to a standard connectionist theory-refinement system, as well as our previous algorithm for growing knowledge-based networks.
Hashing for Statistics over K-Partitions

In this paper we analyze a hash function for k-partitioning a set into bins, obtaining strong concentration bounds for standard algorithms combining statistics from each bin. This generic method was originally introduced by Flajolet and Martin [FOCS'83] in order to save a factor Ω(k) of time per element over k independent samples when estimating the number of distinct elements in a data stream. It was also used in the widely used HyperLogLog algorithm of Flajolet et al. [AOFA'97] and in large-scale machine learning by Li et al. [NIPS'12] for minwise estimation of set similarity. The main issue of k-partition, is that the contents of different bins may be highly correlated when using popular hash functions. This means that methods of analyzing the marginal distribution for a single bin do not apply. Here we show that a tabulation based hash function, mixed tabulation, does yield strong concentration bounds on the most popular applications of k-partitioning similar to those we would get using a truly random hash function. The analysis is very involved and implies several new results of independent interest for both simple and double tabulation, e.g. a simple and efficient construction for invertible bloom filters and uniform hashing on a given set.
Detection & characterization of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) & enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in poultry birds with diarrhoea

Background & objectives Limited information is available on shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in animals and birds from India. An outbreak of acute diarrhoea in poultry birds at Aizawl, Mizoram was investigated for detection and characterization of STEC and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Methods E. coli was isolated and identified from rectal swabs, intestinal contents, heart blood and spleen of 19 poultry birds that died due to acute diarrhoea during the outbreak. Phenotypic characterization was done by standard bacteriological and biochemical techniques. All the isolates were serotyped based on their somatic antigens. Virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eaeA and hlyA) were detected by multiplex PCR assay. Results A total of 42 E. coli isolates were obtained, of which 24 belonged to 3 serogroups (O64, O89 and O91) and the remaining 18 were untypable (UT). Altogether, 14 (33.33%) isolates carried at least 1 virulence gene, of which 10 (23.81%) and 4 (9.52%) were recorded as STEC and EPEC, respectively. Of the 10 STEC isolates, one carried only stx2, one carried stx2 and hlyA, four carried stx1, stx2 and hlyA, two carried stx1, eaeA and hlyA genes and two carried stx1 and eaeA. Of the four EPEC isolates, two carried eaeA and hlyA, one carried only eaeA gene and 1 carried only hlyA gene. Interpretation & conclusions This is the first report on the involvement of STEC in poultry in India.
Double-Balloon Enteroscopy-detected Lipid Islets in the Small Bowel are Strong Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease when associated with Angiectasia and Bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) is a sensitive and safe procedure for the detection and treatment of mid-gastrointestinal bleeding (MGIB). It combines the possibility of a panenteroscopy with the immediate chance for intervention. This study evaluates the yield of DBE for the detection and treatment of MGIB in an unselected patient cohort. METHODS In a five-year period a total of 119 DBEs were carried out on 62 patients due to MGIB. Inclusion criteria were hematochezia, melena, anemia, positive hemoccult-test and iron deficiency. All pre-existing diseases or comorbidities were evaluated. Two main statistical methodologies were used in data analysis: descriptive statistics to describe the basic features of our data and Fisher's exact test for comparisons of proportions. RESULTS The diagnostic yield was 69% (pathological findings in 43/62 patients) and the main diagnoses in all DBE-procedures were angiodysplasia (22%, 26/119 DBE), followed by lipid islets (18%, 21/119 DBE). In all patients with lipid islets this diagnosis was significantly connected with cardiovascular diseases. The combination of lipid islets and a relevant bleeding source appeared in 79% of the 19 patients with these findings. Of these, 53% had to be treated due to the bleeding event. The overall therapeutic intervention rate was 58%. Serious complications such as perforation or pancreatitis did not occur. CONCLUSION Double-balloon enteroscopy as the gold standard for small bowel investigation in MGIB confirmed its high diagnostic yield in an unselected cohort of patients. A new strong combination of lipid islets with cardiovascular disease was revealed, with a high incidence of angiectasia bleeding. This combination should be evaluated in more detail as a new risk factor for MGIB, and should be regarded in this population when therapeutic anticoagulation is needed.
Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains in Residential Care Homes for Elderly Persons in Hong Kong

Objective. To determine the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains among residents in residential care homes for the elderly in Hong Kong. Design. Cross-sectional and descriptive study. Participants. A total of 949 residents in 13 residential care homes for elderly persons in Hong Kong in January 2005. Methods. MRSA colonization was assessed by culture of swab specimens from anterior nares and active skin lesions. Characteristics of residents were obtained by a standard questionnaire. All MRSA isolates were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for their staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec content and were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequencing. Results. MRSA colonization was detected in 27 residents (2.8%). No MRSA was found in 2 facilities. The rate of MRSA carriage in the other 11 facilities ranged from 1.9% to 4.2%. In univariate analysis, functional immobility (odds ratio [OR], 1.4), history of hospital admission (OR, 2.3), and the use of nebulized medication (OR, 5.4) were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. The isolates had 11 unique antibiograms, with 14 isolates susceptible to all but 1 or 2 of the non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents tested. The isolates exhibited SCCmec types I (1 isolate), II (2 isolates), III (1 isolate), IV/IVA (10 isolates), and V (13 isolates). No isolates had the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes. PFGE analysis clustered all except 1 isolate into 7 PFGE types, designated HKU10 to HKU70. Between 1 and 4 unique PFGE types were found in the individual residential care facilities. Conclusion. This study documented the emergence of SCCmec types IV and V among genetically diverse MRSA strains in residential care homes for elderly persons in Hong Kong.
The immunologic V-gene repertoire in mammals

From recent whole genome shotgun data of 48 mammalian species, we have used our software VgenExtractor to obtain the functional V-gene sequence repertoire in order to conduct comparative phylogenetic studies. These studies reveal a large variation in the number of V-genes across mammalian species, ranging from a mere 36 V-genes in dolphins to nearly 600 V-genes in rats. Monotremes and marsupials are the only mammals possessing an additional locus, the TRMV, apart from the seven common loci found in mammals. Also, we show evidence for the loss of the light chain loci, specifically the Vκ chain in one microbat, and the Vλ chain in one rodent species. Finally, we suggest different features related to the evolution of immunoglobulin and T cell receptor loci, where frequent sequence duplications are seen in the former, while preserved and undiversified lineages are observed in the latter. All the V-gene sequences described in this study are available in the public database repository vgenerepertoire.org.
Reigniting tobacco ritual: waterpipe tobacco smoking establishment culture in the United States.

INTRODUCTION Waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) is an increasingly prevalent form of tobacco use in the United States. Its appeal may stem from its social, ritualistic, and aesthetic nature. Our aim in this study was to understand WTS as a social ritual with the goal of informing prevention efforts. METHODS We conducted a covert observational study consisting of 38 observation sessions in 11 WTS establishments in 3 U.S. cities. Data collection was based on an established conceptual framework describing ritualistic elements of tobacco use. Iterative codebook development and qualitative thematic synthesis were used to analyze data. RESULTS Atmospheres ranged from quiet coffee shop to boisterous bar party environments. While some children and older adults were present, the majority of clientele were young adults. Men and women were evenly represented. However, there were 19 occurrences of a male smoking by himself, but no women smoked alone. The vast majority (94%) of the clientele were actively smoking waterpipes. All 83 observed groups manifested at least 1 of the ritual elements of our conceptual framework, while 41 of the 83 observed groups (49%) demonstrated all 4 ritual elements. CONCLUSIONS Despite its heterogeneity, WTS is often characterized by 1 or more established elements of a tobacco-related social ritual. It may be valuable for clinical and public health interventions to acknowledge and address the ritualistic elements and social function of WTS.
Resource Discovery and Allocation in Network Virtualization

Network virtualization is considered an important potential solution to the gradual ossification of the Internet. In a network virtualization environment, a set of virtual networks share the resources of a common physical network although each virtual network is isolated from others. Benefits include increased flexibility, diversity, security and manageability. Resource discovery and allocation are fundamental steps in the process of creating new virtual networks. This paper surveys previous work on, and the present status of, resource discovery and allocation in network virtualization. We also describe challenges and suggest future directions for this area of research.
Structural aspects of tilings

In this paper, we study the structure of the set of tilings produced by any given tile-set. For better understanding this structure, we address the set of finite patterns that each tiling contains. This set of patterns can be analyzed in two different contexts: the first one is combinatorial and the other topological. These two approaches have independent merits and, once combined, provide somehow surprising results. The particular case where the set of produced tilings is countable is deeply investigated while we prove that the uncountable case may have a completely different structure. We introduce a pattern preorder and also make use of Cantor-Bendixson rank. Our first main result is that a tile-set that produces only periodic tilings produces only a finite number of them. Our second main result exhibits a tiling with exactly one vector of periodicity in the countable case.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Protects Vascular Endothelial Cells from Oxidative Stress by Apoptosis Inhibition, Cell Survival Signalling Activation and Mitochondrial Function Protection

Background/Aim: Previous reports have made it hypothetically possible that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) could protect against the onset of pregnancy-related pathological conditions by acting as an antioxidant. In the present study we planned to examine the effects of hCG against oxidative stress in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Methods: HUVEC were subjected to peroxidation by hydrogen peroxide. The modulation of nitric oxide (NO) release by hCG and its effects on cell viability, glutathione (GSH) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial transition pore opening (MPTP) were examined by specific dyes. Endothelial and inducible NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS), Akt and extracellular -signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) activation and markers of apoptosis were analyzed by Western Blot. Results: In HUVEC, hCG reduced NO release by modulating eNOS and iNOS. Moreover, hCG protected HUVEC against oxidative stress by preventing GSH reduction and apoptosis, by maintaining Akt and ERK1/2 activation and by keeping mitochondrial function. Conclusion: The present results have for the first time shown protective effects exerted by hCG on vascular endothelial function, which would be achieved by modulation of NO release, antioxidant and antiapoptotic actions and activation of cell survival signalling. These findings could have clinical implications in the management of pregnancy-related disorders.
Investigating the exhaustivity dimension in content-oriented XML element retrieval evaluation

INEX, the evaluation initiative for content-oriented XML retrieval, has since its establishment defined the relevance of an element according to two graded dimensions, exhaustivity and specificity. The former measures how exhaustively an XML element discusses the topic of request, whereas specificity measures how focused the element is on the topic of request. The reason for having two dimensions was to provide a more stable measure of relevance than if assessors were asked to rate the relevance of an element on a single scale. However, obtaining relevance assessments is a costly task. as each document must be assessed for relevance by a human assessor. In XML retrieval this problem is exacerbated as the elements of the document must also be assessed with respect to the exhaustivity and specificity dimensions. A continuous discussion in INEX has been whether such a sophisticated definition of relevance, and in particular the exhaustivity dimension, was needed. This paper attempts to answer this question through extensive statistical tests to compare the conclusions about system performance that could be made under different assessment scenarios.
Characteristics of Rustling Sounds Created by the Structure of Polyester Warp Knitted Fabrics

The rustling sounds of seven samples are recorded in order to determine the sound characteristics of polyester warp knitted fabrics according to construction type. Physical sound parameters (LPT, ΔL, Δf, ARC) and Zwicker's psychoacoustic parameters of loudness (z), sharpness (z), roughness (z ), and fluctuation strength (z) are calculated from sound spectra obtained from FIT analysis. In addition, the KES-FB system is used to measure the mechanical properties. The sharkskin stitch fabrics have the highest LPT, Δf, ARC, loudness (z), and fluctuation strength (z) values, followed by the double denbigh and reverse locknit stitch fabrics. The open lap is louder, sharper, and has a larger fluctuation strength than the closed lap in stitch formation. LPT, Δf, ARC, loudness ( z), roughness (z), and fluctuation strength (z) of the parallel direction have higher values than those in the counter direction in lapping formation between the back and front bar. Changes in the mutual guide bar movement from counter to parallel are more effective at making a warp knitted fabric's sound louder than the lapping form change from closed to open lap.
The evolutionary status of the bright high-latitude supergiant HD 190390

=6.39, the evolutionary status of HD190390 (HR7671), a luminousF-type supergiant at high galactic latitude, is still not very clear, but in most papers a post-AGB classiﬁcation is assumed. Newobservational material has been obtained with four diﬀerent instruments and is presented here. An extensive abundance analysisbased on high resolution, high signal-to-noise NTT+EMMI spectra conﬁrms the metal deﬁciency of this object ([Fe /H]=−1.6),together with a high lithium content (logǫ(Li)=1.9). A variability analysis based on Geneva photometry over seven yearsreveals beating with a period of ∼3000 days. It is, however, not clear whether this beating is caused by a stable triplet, or itis the consequence of small changes in the main frequency. More recent data obtained with the HIPPARCOS satellite and theMercator telescope not only conﬁrm the main period, but also support the presence of a second periodicity of 11 days, whichwas also found in the Geneva photometry. A conclusive evolutionary status of this object is not given, but alternative to theUU Her (i.e. post-AGB) status, a W Vir classiﬁcation is discussed.Key words. Stars: abundances – Stars: AGB and post-AGB – Stars: evolution – Stars: individual: HD190390 – Stars: oscilla-tions – Stars: Population II