Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GeneWave: Fast authentication and key agreement on commodity mobile devices

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is widely used for mobile devices and Internet of Things (IoT). Authentication and key agreement are critical to build a secure channel between two devices. However, existing approaches often rely on a pre-built fingerprint database and suffer from low key generation rate. We present GeneWave, a fast device authentication and key agreement protocol for commodity mobile devices. GeneWave first achieves bidirectional initial authentication based on the physical response interval between two devices. To keep the accuracy of interval estimation, we eliminate time uncertainty on commodity devices through fast signal detection and redundancy time cancellation. Then we derive the initial acoustic channel response (ACR) for device authentication. We design a novel coding scheme for efficient key agreement while ensuring security. Therefore, two devices can authenticate each other and securely agree on a symmetric key. GeneWave requires neither special hardware nor pre-built fingerprint database, and thus it is easy-to-use on commercial mobile devices. We implement GeneWave on mobile devices (i.e., Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P) and evaluate its performance through extensive experiments. Experimental results show that GeneWave efficiently accomplish secure key agreement on commodity smartphones with a key generation rate 10x faster than the state-of-the-art approach.
Development of novel bio-based methods for inhibition of plant pathogens

DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL BIO-BASED METHODS FOR INHIBITION OF PLANT PATHOGENS In this thesis, to develop a post-harvest bio-based preservation method for spoilage of fresh fruits and vegetables, antimicrobial packaging commonly applied for inhibition of human pathogenic bacteria was adapted for inhibition of plant pathogenic bacteria including Pseudomonas syringae, Erwinia amylovora, Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Erwinia carotovora. The zein based films were developed by incorporation of pure phenolic acids such as gallic acid (GA), cinnamic acid (CA), vanillic acid (VA); essential oils such as carvacrol (CAR), thymol (THY), eugenol (EUG) and citral (CIT) and phenolic extracts obtained from clove, artichoke, oregano and walnut shells into film forming solutions. The films containing phenolic acids between 1 and 4 mg/cm were effective on all bacteria. Essential oils at concentrations between 2 and 4 mg/cm and clove extract at concentrations between 4 and 8 mg/cm were found effective against pathogens except P. syringae. The HPLC analysis showed that the clove extracts owe its inhibitory activity to high concentration of GA which is a potent antimicrobial. The incorporation of natural compounds and extracts into films caused significant changes in morphologies and mechanical properties of films. This thesis showed the good potential of antimicrobial films against plant pathogens for the first time in the literature.
Evaluation of Point of Care Test (POCT), i-CHROMAâ¢ Serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Assay and Microalbumin Urine (MAU) Methods

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Boditech i-CHROMA™ point-of-care testing (POCT) method for the quantification of serum CReactive Protein (CRP) and Urine Microalbumin (MAU) compared well with the traditional Abbott Architect Ci8200 laboratory method. Design and Methods: Serum samples of CRP (n=44) and urine samples for MAU estimation (n=25) were analysed at the Homerton University Hospital using the routine laboratory method (Abbott Architect Ci8200) and the Boditech i-CHROMA™ POCT method. Results: The i-CHROMA™ CRP and MAU method showed good correlation with that of the Abbott Architect Ci8200: r2=0.905 and r2=0.987 respectively. Overall, there was a slight negative bias seen with the i-CHROMA™ CRP method (bias=-8.15, bias difference=-9.05%) and a negative bias seen with the i-CHROMA™ MAU method (bias=35.84, bias difference=-27.88%). Conclusion: The Boditech i-CHROMA™ POCT method provide a reliable measurement of CRP and MAU and compared well with the traditional Abbott Architect Ci8200 laboratory method.
An Homophily-based Approach for Fast Post Recommendation on Twitter

With the unprecedented growth of user-generated content produced on microblogging platforms, finding interesting content for a given user has become a major issue. However due to the intrinsic properties of microblogging systems, such as the vol-umetry, the short lifetime of posts and the sparsity of interactions between users and content, recommender systems cannot rely on traditional methods, such as collaborative filtering matrix factorization. After a thorough study of a large Twitter dataset, we present a propagation model which relies on homophily to propose post recommendations. Our approach relies on the construction of a similarity graph based on retweet behaviors on top of the Twitter graph. Finally we conduct experiments on our real dataset to demonstrate the quality and scalability of our method.
Electrospun UV-responsive supramolecular nanofibers from a cyclodextrin–azobenzene inclusion complex

A combination of the unique hosting properties of cyclodextrins (CDs) and the peculiar UV-responsive trans–cis isomerization of the guest molecule azobenzene has endowed light-responsibility of the inclusion complex (IC). The IC of 4-aminoazobenzene (AAB) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD), with its inherent viscosity from hydrogen bondings between CDs and π–π stacking between AABs, was electrospun into nanofibers from water without using any carrier polymer matrix. The integrity of electrospun ICs was proven by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), together with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The homogeneous distribution of HPβCD–AAB-IC was confirmed by surface chemistry mapping using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The UV response of ICs prior to, during and post electrospinning was investigated. UV irradiation prior to electrospinning caused precipitation of AAB from the aqueous IC solution. UV irradiation during electrospinning flight demonstrated the interruption of ICs and consequently broader diameter distributions were obtained. Post-spinning UV irradiation induced topography and adhesion force changes on the electrospun nanofiber surfaces, demonstrated by in situ atomic force microspectroscopy (AFM) quantitative nanomechanical mapping. The present study is the first case where the supramolecule with stimuli response was electrospun into nanofibers with retained activity.
The quantal catecholamine release from mouse chromaffin cells challenged with repeated ACh pulses is regulated by the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger

Upon repeated application of short ACh pulses to C57BL6J mouse chromaffin cells, the amperometrically monitored secretory responses promptly decayed to a steady‐state level of around 25% of the initial response. A subsequent K+ pulse, however, overcame such decay. These data suggest that mouse chromaffin cells have a ready release‐vesicle pool that is selectively recruited by the physiological neurotransmitter ACh. The ACh‐sensitive vesicle pool is refilled and maintained by the rate of Ca2+ delivery from mitochondria to the cytosol, through the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (mNCX). ITH12662, a novel blocker of the mNCX, prevented the decay of secretion elicited by ACh pulses and delayed the rate of [Ca2+]c clearance. This regulatory pathway may be physiologically relevant in situations of prolonged stressful conflicts where a sustained catecholamine release is regulated by mitochondrial Ca2+ circulation through the mNCX, which couples respiration and ATP synthesis to long‐term stimulation of chromaffin cells by endogenously released ACh.
PECAM-1 (CD31) Homophilic Interaction Up-Regulates α6β1 on Transmigrated Neutrophils In Vivo and Plays a Functional Role in the Ability of α6 Integrins to Mediate Leukocyte Migration through the Perivascular Basement Membrane

Platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)-1 has been implicated in leukocyte migration through the perivascular basement membrane (PBM) though the mechanisms involved are unclear. The present results demonstrate that the ability of α6 integrins to mediate neutrophil migration through the PBM is PECAM-1 dependent, a response associated with PECAM-1–mediated increased expression of α6β1 on transmigrating neutrophils in vivo. An anti-α6 integrins mAb (GoH3) inhibited (78%, P < 0.001) neutrophil migration through interleukin (IL)-1β–stimulated cremasteric venules, primarily at the level of the PBM, as analyzed by intravital and electron microscopy. In PECAM-1–deficient mice (KO), a reduced level of neutrophil transmigration elicited by IL-1β (4-h reaction) was observed in both the cremaster muscle (55% inhibition, P < 0.05) and in the peritoneum (57% inhibition, P < 0.01) but GoH3 had no additional inhibitory effect on these responses. FACS® analysis of neutrophils demonstrated increased expression of α6β1 on transmigrated peritoneal neutrophils, as compared with blood neutrophils, in wild-type but not KO mice even though neutrophils from both strains of mice exhibited comparable levels of intracellular expression of α6 as observed by immunofluorescent staining and confocal microscopy. Furthermore, mice deficient in either leukocyte or endothelial cell PECAM-1, as developed by bone marrow transplantation, demonstrated a similar level of reduced neutrophil transmigration and expression of α6β1 on transmigrated neutrophils as that detected in KO mice. The results demonstrate a role for PECAM-1 homophilic interaction in neutrophil transmigration and increased expression of α6β1 on the cell surface of transmigrated neutrophils in vivo, a response that could contribute to the mechanism of PECAM-1–mediated neutrophil migration through the PBM.
Health risk assessment of urban population exposure to contaminants in the soils of the Southern Kuzbass

This study concerns the human health risk due to exposure of Co, Cu, As, Mn contained in soils of the Southern Kuzbass, where the coal industry is developed. Soil samples of 200 were taken in Mezhdurechensk - city with intensive coal mining and processing industries. The content of heavy metals in samples were determined using the electron spectroscopy. Several samples were also investigated by methods of the instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). With regard to the effects of heavy metals on the adult population health the total Hazard Index (HI) for ingestion and inhalation routes was 0.87×10-1 and 7.8×10-1 respectively. According to the contribution of Co, Cu, As, Mn to the total HI the elements form the decreasing series Mn (0,42-0,50)> Co (0.18-0.20)> Cu (0,13-0,19 )> As (0,05-0,09). These chemical elements are present in the organic and inorganic forms in coals and coal wastes. Ranking the city territory has shown that administrative districts have different HI values (8.4 10-1 - 8.8 10-1). When analyzing the human health risks of coal mining and coal-processing enterprises the impact of heavy metals as components of coals and combustion products should be taken into account.
Pesticide Mixtures, Endocrine Disruption, and Amphibian Declines: Are We Underestimating the Impact?

Amphibian populations are declining globally at an alarming rate. Pesticides are among a number of proposed causes for these declines. Although a sizable database examining effects of pesticides on amphibians exists, the vast majority of these studies focus on toxicological effects (lethality, external malformations, etc.) at relatively high doses (parts per million). Very few studies focus on effects such as endocrine disruption at low concentrations. Further, most studies examine exposures to single chemicals only. The present study examined nine pesticides (four herbicides, two fungicides, and three insecticides) used on cornfields in the midwestern United States. Effects of each pesticide alone (0.1 ppb) or in combination were examined. In addition, we also examined atrazine and S-metolachlor combined (0.1 or 10 ppb each) and the commercial formulation Bicep II Magnum, which contains both of these herbicides. These two pesticides were examined in combination because they are persistent throughout the year in the wild. We examined larval growth and development, sex differentiation, and immune function in leopard frogs (Rana pipiens). In a follow-up study, we also examined the effects of the nine-compound mixture on plasma corticosterone levels in male African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Although some of the pesticides individually inhibited larval growth and development, the pesticide mixtures had much greater effects. Larval growth and development were retarded, but most significantly, pesticide mixtures negated or reversed the typically positive correlation between time to metamorphosis and size at metamorphosis observed in controls: exposed larvae that took longer to metamorphose were smaller than their counterparts that metamorphosed earlier. The nine-pesticide mixture also induced damage to the thymus, resulting in immunosuppression and contraction of flavobacterial meningitis. The study in X. laevis revealed that these adverse effects may be due to an increase in plasma levels of the stress hormone corticosterone. Although it cannot be determined whether all the pesticides in the mixture contribute to these adverse effects or whether some pesticides are effectors, some are enhancers, and some are neutral, the present study revealed that estimating ecological risk and the impact of pesticides on amphibians using studies that examine only single pesticides at high concentrations may lead to gross underestimations of the role of pesticides in amphibian declines.
Glucose is a pH-Dependent Motor for Sperm Beat Frequency during Early Activation

To reach the egg in the ampulla, sperm have to travel along the female genital tract, thereby being dependent on external energy sources and substances to maintain and raise the flagellar beat. The vaginal fluid is rich in lactate, whereas in the uterine fluid glucose is the predominant substrate. This evokes changes in the lactate content of sperm as well as in the intracellular pH (pHi) since sperm possess lactate/proton co-transporters. It is well documented that glycolysis yields ATP and that HCO3− is a potent factor in the increase of beat frequency. We here show for the first time a pathway that connects both parts. We demonstrate a doubling of beat frequency in the mere presence of glucose. This effect can reversibly be blocked by 2-deoxy-D-glucose, dichloroacetate and aminooxyacetate, strongly suggesting that it requires both glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidation of glycolytic end products. We show that the glucose-mediated acceleration of flagellar beat and ATP production are hastened by a pHi ≥7.1, whereas a pHi ≤7.1 leaves both parameters unchanged. Since we observed a diminished rise in beat frequency in the presence of specific inhibitors against carbonic anhydrases, soluble adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase, we suggest that the glucose-mediated effect is linked to CO2 hydration and thus the production of HCO3− by intracellular CA isoforms. In summary, we propose that, in sperm, glycolysis is an additional pHi-dependent way to produce HCO3−, thus enhancing sperm beat frequency and contributing to fertility.
Associations of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Atrial Fibrillation and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment: A Review

Importance Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common clinically significant breathing abnormality during sleep. It is highly prevalent among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and it promotes arrhythmogenesis and impairs treatment efficacy. Observations The prevalence of OSA ranges from 3% to 49% in population-based studies and from 21% to 74% in patients with AF. Diagnosis and treatment of OSA in patients with AF requires a close interdisciplinary collaboration between electrophysiologists, cardiologists, and sleep specialists. Because the prevalence of OSA is high in patients with AF and most do not report daytime sleepiness, sleep-study evaluation may be reasonable for patients being considered for rhythm control strategy. Acute, transient apnea-associated atrial electrophysiological changes and increased occurrence of AF triggers associated with short episodes of intermittent deoxygenation and reoxygenation, intrathoracic pressure changes during obstructed breathing efforts, and sympathovagal activation combine to create a stimulus for AF triggers and a complex and dynamic substrate for AF during sleep. Repeated episodes of long-term OSA are eventually associated with structural remodeling and changes in electrical conduction in the atrium. Observational data suggest OSA reduces the efficacy of catheter-based and pharmacological antiarrhythmic therapy. Nonrandomized studies have shown that treatment of OSA by continuous positive airway pressure can help to maintain a sinus rhythm after electrical cardioversion and catheter ablation in patients with AF. However, it remains unclear which sleep apnea metric should be used to determine severity and guide such treatment in patients with AF. Conclusions and Relevance Data from nonrandomized studies of patients with AF suggest that treatment of OSA by continuous positive airway pressure may help to maintain sinus rhythm after electrical cardioversion and improve catheter ablation success rates. Randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the association between OSA and AF the benefits of treatment of OSA and the need for and cost-effectiveness of routine OSA screening and treatment.
Effect of aerobic exercise on depression and insomnia in post menopausal women.

The majority of women during the menopausal period have great hormonal changes that affect both somatic and mental aspects. In modern life, regular exercise has become a necessity and recently is considered as a new alternative method to improve post menopausal symptoms. Aims: The trial intends to evaluate the effect of aerobic exercises on depression and insomnia in post menopausal Egyptian females. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, BapAl Sharya Hospital, ElAzhar University and the outpatient clinic of the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, between July 2012 and October 2012. Methodology: 20 post menopausal women, their age ranged from 51-63 years and their body mass index was less than 30 kg/m attached to this study after meeting the study requirements. All participants were assessed before and after the treatment program through self-rating depression scale (SDS) and Modified Davis Sleep measures scale (MDSS), A program of exercise (walking on a treadmill) started for 30 minutes at 60-70% of target heart rate (THR) for 4 weeks 3 times/week, after that the exercise was increased till 40 minutes for the next 4 weeks. Results: Showed a statistically highly significant decrease (P<0.001) in (SDS) scores and Research Article British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 3(3): 557-566, 2013 558 a statistically highly significant increase in Modified Davis Sleep measures scale (MDSS), after the 8 weeks of exercise training. Conclusion: Regular physical activity appears to be an alternative method to decrease depression and insomnia that occur during post menopausal period.
Effect of Potassium Chloride (KCl) on Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) Concrete

This paper presents the effect of Potassium chloride (KCL) on OPC concrete. The OPC concrete produced with KCL dosage of 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 14 g/lit added in deionised water and the same water is used in concrete mix (M20 and M50). In addition to this control specimens were prepared with deionised water (without KCL) for comparison. The compressive and tensile strengths were evaluated for 28 and 90 days. The results exhibit that, as KCL concentration increases, there is increase in compression and tensile strengths. The X-ray diffraction analysis has been carried out at 10 g/lit concentration.
The Mammalian Hairless Protein as a DNA Binding Phosphoprotein

The mammalian hairless (Hr) protein plays critical roles in skin and brain tissues, but how it interacts with DNA and partner protein is only now being defined. Our initial tests of four consensus response elements, revealed that rat Hr can specifically bind to a consensus p53 response element (p53RE), 5′‐AGACATGCCTAGACATGCCT‐3′, but not to response elements for NF‐κB, TCF4 or Sp1. We then employed ChIP assays which verified that human HR binds to a p53RE of the GADD45A gene in both HEK293 (embryonic kidney) and U87 (glioblastoma) cells. Further, HR was shown to interact directly with the p53 protein in a co‐immunoprecipitation assay. Cotransfections with p53RE reporter gene constructs revealed that rat Hr can boost p53‐mediated transactivation of a reporter gene linked to the GADD45A p53RE, but blunts p53‐mediated transactivation when the reporter gene is linked to a p21 promoter fragment containing a p53RE, with implications for the regulation of these two cell cycle control genes. Finally, our investigations of HR phosphorylation revealed that rat Hr is a substrate for PKC, but not PKA, and that human HR is phosphorylated in intact U87 cells at Ser‐416, located in a highly conserved region which partially fulfills the criteria of a PKC site. We propose that mammalian Hr is a phosphoprotein which can exert cross‐talk with the p53 pathway with important implications for the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in tissues such as skin and brain where Hr is highly expressed. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 341–350, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A microsurgical study of the anatomy and course of the ophthalmic artery and its possibly dangerous anastomoses.

OBJECT The authors studied the microsurgical anatomy of the ophthalmic artery (OphA), paying particular attention to its possibly dangerous anastomoses with the middle meningeal artery (MMA). METHODS The microsurgical anatomy of the OphA and its anastomoses with the MMA were studied in 14 vessels from seven adult cadaveric heads. The origination order of the OphA branches varies in relation to whether the artery, along its intraorbital course, crosses above or below the optic nerve (ON). The central retinal artery is the first branch to course from the OphA when it crosses over the ON, and it is the second branch to course from the OphA when the artery crosses under the ON. Anastomoses between branches of the MMA and the OphA were present in the majority of the specimens examined. CONCLUSIONS Detailed knowledge of the microanatomy of the OphA and recognition of anastomoses between the external carotid artery and the OphA are critically important in avoiding disastrous complications during endovascular procedures.