Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Broadcast Link Quality Measurements in 802.11 Networks

Broadcast probes are typically used in Wireless LAN networks to assess the quality of the radio link and/or to runtime derive metrics to be used by higher layer protocols (e.g., routing in WLAN-based ad hoc or mesh networks). This work raises the concern that proprietary vendor operation may severely affect broadcast-based measurements. More precisely, we present and analyze experimental outdoor link quality measurement results obtained with a device/driver pair (Atheros card + MADWiFi driver) widely exploited in the research community. We show that an unexpected periodic transmission power reduction mechanism at the NIC level, undocumented by the device vendor and apparently hard to be disabled, may dramatically impair the measured link quality performance. Our experimental evidence shows that links which would otherwise experience good quality are subject to a significant frame loss ratio, when tested through a broadcast frame transmission methodology. This frame loss ratio is artificially induced by the NIC card operation on broadcast frames: unicast frames are in fact shown to be exempt from such a problem.
Private attribute inference from Facebook's public text metadata: a case study of Korean users

Purpose As the number of users on social network services (SNSs) continues to increase at a remarkable rate, privacy and security issues are consistently arising. Although users may not want to disclose their private attributes, these can be inferred from their public behavior on social media. In order to investigate the severity of the leakage of private information in this manner, the purpose of this paper is to present a method to infer undisclosed personal attributes of users based only on the data available on their public profiles on Facebook. Design/methodology/approach Facebook profile data consisting of 32 attributes were collected for 111,123 Korean users. Inferences were made for four private attributes (gender, age, marital status, and relationship status) based on five machine learning-based classification algorithms and three regression algorithms. Findings Experimental results showed that users’ gender can be inferred very accurately, whereas marital status and relationship status can be predicted more accurately with the authors’ algorithms than with a random model. Moreover, the average difference between the actual and predicted ages of users was only 0.5 years. The results show that some private attributes can be easily inferred from only a few pieces of user profile information, which can jeopardize personal information and may increase the risk to dignity. Research limitations/implications In this paper, the authors’ only utilized each user’s own profile data, especially text information. Since users in SNSs are directly or indirectly connected, inference performance can be improved if the profile data of the friends of a given user are additionally considered. Moreover, utilizing non-text profile information, such as profile images, can help increase inference accuracy. The authors’ can also provide a more generalized inference performance if a larger data set of Facebook users is available. Practical implications A private attribute leakage alarm system based on the inference model would be helpful for users not desirous of the disclosure of their private attributes on SNSs. SNS service providers can measure and monitor the risk of privacy leakage in their system to protect their users and optimize the target marketing based on the inferred information if users agree to use it. Originality/value This paper investigates whether private attributes of SNS users can be inferred with a few pieces of publicly available information although users are not willing to disclose them. The experimental results showed that gender, age, marital status, and relationship status, can be inferred by machine-learning algorithms. Based on these results, an early warning system was designed to help both service providers and users to protect the users’ privacy.
Parapapillary Gamma Zone and Axial Elongation-Associated Optic Disc Rotation: The Beijing Eye Study.

PURPOSE The parapapillary gamma zone has been defined as the parapapillary region without Bruch's membrane. We examined which morphologic parameters are associated with the presence and size of the parapapillary gamma zone. METHODS Using fundus photographs and spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic images of the optic nerve head in the population-based Beijing Eye Study, we determined parapapillary gamma zone width, macular Bruch's membrane length, optic disc-fovea distance, the angle of horizontal optic disc rotation, the angle of vertical optic disc rotation, and the ratio of the vertical-to-horizontal disc diameter. RESULTS The study included 2068 individuals with a mean age of 63.0 ± 9.0 years (range, 50-91 years), and mean axial length was 23.2 ± 1.0 mm (range, 18.96-28.87 mm). In multivariate analysis, larger width of parapapillary gamma zone was associated with more marked vertical optic disc rotation (P < 0.001; standardized correlation coefficient β, 0.15; nonstandardized correlation coefficient B, 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.02, 0.03), more marked horizontal optic disc rotation (P = 0.02; β, 0.05; B, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.001, 0.01), longer axial length (P = 0.01; β, 0.07; B, 0.02; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.04), longer horizontal optic disc diameter (P = 0.02; β, 0.05; B, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.01, 0.12), longer disc-fovea distance (P < 0.001; β, 0.25; B, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.18, 0.27), higher degree of fundus tessellation (P = 0.03; β, 0.17; B, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.03, 0.0), and thinner subfoveal choroidal thickness (P < 0.001; β, -0.13; B, 0.000; 95% CI, -0.001, 0.000). Parapapillary gamma zone width was not significantly associated with macular Bruch's membrane length (P = 0.72), disc-fovea angle (P = 0.62), age (P = 0.62), or sex (P = 0.46). CONCLUSIONS The parapapillary gamma zone was associated with an axial elongation-induced rotation of the optic disc mainly around the vertical disc axis, leading to a stretching of the temporal peripapillary scleral flange. Because macular Bruch's membrane length was independent of axial elongation, it leaves the temporal parapapillary region with an uncovered Bruch's membrane (i.e., parapapillary gamma zone develops).
NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE RC SHEAR WALLS

Composite Reinforced Concrete (RC) wall system refers to a cantilever composite wall, where steel or Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) components are embedded in or attached to an RC wall. The results of an analytical and parametric study on the effectiveness of using externally bonded steel plates and FRP sheets on RC shear walls as a retrofit technique so as to improve their seismic behavior have been investigated in this paper. Calibration and verification of a base RC wall has been done by comparing the results of the finite element model and also the experimental model. Analytical results are used to evaluate the capacity curves (Load-Displacement relationships) of strengthened RC shear walls. Analysis results of a model with an optimized thickness of a steel jacket instead of an over-hanging part of the boundary element show the ductile behavior of a strengthened wall close to the behavior of the base RC wall with boundary elements; this achievement would lead to the theory that steel jacketing could be an alternative for the boundary elements of RC shear walls. The application of externally bonded Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sheets is an effective seismic strengthening procedure in order to improve the behavior of reinforced concrete shear walls. In the retrofit method, using CFRP sheets, the flexural and shear strength would be increased by applying the CFRP sheets with the fibers oriented in the vertical or horizontal direction. The carbon fiber sheets are used to increase the precracked stiffness, the cracking load (up to 35%) and the ultimate flexural capacity (up to 18%) of the RC walls. Finally, a wrapped CFRP sheet around the plastic hinge area of the RC wall in parallel with boundary elements, provides not only enough shear strength, resulting in a ductile flexure failure mode, but also the confinement of concrete in the plastic hinge leads to an increase in the ductility of the RC wall. Keywords– Composite, finite element, FRP, RC, shear wall, steel plate
Selective anaerobic oxidation of methane enables direct synthesis of methanol

A two-step protocol oxidizes methane to methanol using a copper zeolite that is reoxidized by water. A watery route from methane to methanol Methanol production is an expensive, energy-intensive process that initially overoxidizes methane to carbon monoxide. Sushkevich et al. used copper sites in a zeolite to oxidize methane to methoxy intermediates; they then added water to release methanol and hydrogen while reoxidizing the copper. This inexpensive process could prove useful at gas well sites for producing an easily stored and transported liquid from excess gas that at present is burned away. Science, this issue p. 523 Direct functionalization of methane in natural gas remains a key challenge. We present a direct stepwise method for converting methane into methanol with high selectivity (~97%) over a copper-containing zeolite, based on partial oxidation with water. The activation in helium at 673 kelvin (K), followed by consecutive catalyst exposures to 7 bars of methane and then water at 473 K, consistently produced 0.204 mole of CH3OH per mole of copper in zeolite. Isotopic labeling confirmed water as the source of oxygen to regenerate the zeolite active centers and renders methanol desorption energetically favorable. On the basis of in situ x-ray absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations, we propose a mechanism involving methane oxidation at CuII oxide active centers, followed by CuI reoxidation by water with concurrent formation of hydrogen.
Genetic Polymorphisms of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR), CYP27B1 and CYP24A1 Genes and the Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Introduction Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and proteins encoded by the genes CYP27B2 and CYP24A1 involved in the production and inactivation of vitamin D can influence vitamin D and the susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the risk of CRC and polymorphisms in VDR, CYP27B1 and CYP24A1, lifestyle and dietary habits. Methods The study included 152 patients with CRC and 321 controls. All participants answered a questionnaire on their dietary habits, alcohol consumption and smoking habits. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Polymorphisms of BsmI and ApaI were identified by performing PCR-RFLP. Identification of CYP24A1 (rs6013897, rs158552 and rs17217119) and CYP27B1 (rs10877012) polymorphisms was performed by gene sequencing. Results Smoking, alcohol use, and low or no consumption of fruit, cereals and dairy products were associated with an increased risk of CRC. A heterozygous genotype Aa or an association genotype aa + Aa of the VDR ApaI polymorphism increased the risk of CRC. The VDR BsmI polymorphism was not significantly associated with the risk of CRC. Multivariate analysis showed that heterozygous and association genotype AT + AA of the rs6013897 polymorphism, genotype CT of the rs158552 polymorphism, association genotype CT + CC and genotypes AA and GG of the rs17217119 polymorphism of CYP24A1, and heterozygous genotype GT and association genotype GT + TT of the rs10877012 polymorphism in CYP27B1 were associated with a higher risk of CRC. Conclusions Dietary habits, lifestyle, and polymorphisms in VDR (ApaI), CYP24A1 (rs6013897, rs158552, rs17217119) and CYP27B1 (rs10877012) were associated with a higher risk of CRC.
Photoacoustic discrimination of viable and thermally coagulated blood for burn injury imaging

Early and accurate determination of burn depth is crucial to monitoring and treatment of the burn wound. One such treatment, surgical excision and grafting, involves removal of necrotic tissue from the wound and replacing it with healthy skin donated from another area of the body. We propose that a photoacoustically obtained depth profile of the burn wound, which delineates the boundary between necrotic tissue and viable tissue, would prove useful for this intervention. A simplified model of a dermal burn wound can be described as a layer of necrotic tissue, containing thermally coagulated blood, atop a layer of inflamed tissue that is characterized by the presence of viable (non-coagulated) blood. Using optical spectroscopy and photoacoustic spectroscopy, we show that it is possible to discriminate between coagulated and non-coagulated blood using a dual-wavelength photoacoustic method and, therefore, discriminate between the two layer types. A blood vessel phantom study confirmed the feasibility of this dual-wavelength photoacoustic technique. Finally, since little is known about the optical properties of thermally coagulated blood, we sought out to elucidate them. A novel photoacoustic method was used to derive the optical absorption coefficient, μa, of thermally coagulated blood over the wavelength range from 580 to 700 nm. Additionally, we performed a linear regression on the 580 to 700 nm absorption spectrum and extrapolated it out to 500 nm, creating a theoretical 500 to 700 nm absorption spectrum for thermally coagulated blood.
Advances in fertility preservation of female patients with hematological malignancies

ABSTRACT Introduction: The most common forms of hematological malignancies that occur in female reproductive years are lymphoma and leukemia. Areas covered: Several aggressive gonadotoxic regimens such as alkylating chemotherapy and total body irradiation are used frequently in treatment of lymphoma and leukemia leading to subsequent iatrogenic premature ovarian failure and fertility loss. In such cases, female fertility preservation options should be offered in advance. Expert commentary: In order to preserve fertility of young women and girls with lymphoma and leukemia, several established, experimental, and debatable options can be offered before starting chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, each of those female fertility preservation options has both advantages and disadvantages and may not be suitable for all patients. That is why a fertility preservation strategy should be individualized and tailored distinctively for each patient in order to be effective. Artificial human ovary is a novel experimental in vitro technology to produce mature oocytes that could be the safest option to preserve and restore fertility of young women and girls with hematological malignancies especially when other fertility preservation options are not feasible or contraindicated. Further research and studies are needed to improve the results of artificial human ovary and establish it in clinical practice.
Alcohol Outlets and Violent Crime in Washington D.C.

Objective: Alcohol is more likely than any other drug to be involved in substance-related violence. In 2000 violence-related and self-directed injuries accounted for an estimated $37 billion and $33 billion in productivity losses and medical treatment, respectively. A review of emergency department data revealed violence and clinically identified trauma-related injuries have the strongest correlation among alcohol-dependent injuries. At the environmental level there is a relationship between alcohol outlet density and violent crime. A limited number of studies have examined the relationship between alcohol outlet type and the components of violent crime. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the aggregate components of violent crime and alcohol outlet density by type of outlet. Methods: For this study we used Washington, D.C. census tract data from the 2000 census to examine neighborhood characteristics. Alcohol outlet, violent crime, and population-level data for Washington, D.C. were drawn from various official yetpublicly available sources. We developed an analytic database to examine the relationship between alcohol outlet category and four types of violent crime. After estimating spatial correlation and determining spatial dependence, we used a negative binomial regression analysis to assess the alcohol availability-violent crime association, while controlling for structural correlates of violence. Results: Independent of alternative structural correlates of violent crime, including the prevalence of weapons and illicit drugs, community-level alcohol outlet density is significantly associated with assaultive violence. Outlets were significantly related to robbery, assault, and sexual offenses. In addition, the relationship among on-premise and off-premise outlets varied across violent crime categories. Conclusion: In Washington, D.C., alcohol outlet density is significantly associated with the violent crimes. The science regarding alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related harms has clearly identified the use of limiting outlet density to reduce the associated adverse health consequences. Moreover, the disproportionate burden among poor urban and minority communities underscores the urgency to develop context-appropriate policies to regulate the functioning of current alcohol outlet establishments and to prevent the proliferation of future outlets.
Inhibitory Control Mediates the Association between Perceived Stress and Secure Relationship Quality

Past research has demonstrated negative associations between exposure to stressors and quality of interpersonal relationships among children and adolescents. Nevertheless, underlying mechanisms of this association remain unclear. Chronic stress has been shown to disrupt prefrontal functioning in the brain, including inhibitory control abilities, and evidence is accumulating that inhibitory control may play an important role in secure interpersonal relationship quality, including peer problems and social competence. In this prospective longitudinal study, we examine whether changes in inhibitory control, measured at both behavioral and neural levels, mediate the association between stress and changes in secure relationship quality with parents and peers. The sample included 167 adolescents (53% males) who were first recruited at age 13 or 14 years and assessed annually three times. Adolescents’ inhibitory control was measured by their behavioral performance and brain activities, and adolescents self-reported perceived stress levels and relationship quality with mothers, fathers, and peers. Results suggest that behavioral inhibitory control mediates the association between perceived stress and adolescent’s secure relationship quality with their mothers and fathers, but not their peers. In contrast, given that stress was not significantly correlated with neural inhibitory control, we did not further test the mediation path. Our results highlight the role of inhibitory control as a process through which stressful life experiences are related to impaired secure relationship quality between adolescents and their mothers and fathers.
Age Differences in Beliefs about Emotion Regulation Strategies.

Objectives Age shifts in emotion regulation may be rooted in beliefs about different strategies. We test whether there are age differences in the beliefs people hold about specific emotion regulation strategies (derived from the process model of emotion regulation: Gross, 1998) and whether profiles of emotion beliefs vary by age. Method An adult lifespan sample (N = 557) sorted 13 emotion regulation strategies either by (a) how effective the strategies would be or (b) how likely they would be to use them, in 15 negative emotion-eliciting situations. Results Younger adults ranked attentional and cognitive distraction more effective than older adults, and preferred avoidance, distraction, and rumination more (and attentional deployment less) than middle-aged and older adults. Latent profile analysis on preferences identified three distinct strategy profiles: Classically adaptive regulators preferred a variety of strategies; situation modifiers showed strong preferences for changing situations; a small percentage of people preferred avoidance and rumination. Middle-aged and older adults were more likely than younger adults to be classically adaptive regulators (as opposed to situation modifiers or avoiders/ruminators). Discussion These findings provide insight into the reasons people of different ages may select and implement different emotion regulation strategies, which may influence their emotional well-being.
Exploring Polypharmacology in Drug Discovery and Repurposing Using the CANDO Platform.

BACKGROUND Traditional drug discovery approaches focus on a limited set of target molecules for treatment against specific indications/diseases. However, drug absorption, dispersion, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) involve interactions with multiple protein systems. Drugs approved for particular indication(s) may be repurposed as novel therapeutics for others. The severely declining rate of discovery and increasing costs of new drugs illustrate the limitations of the traditional reductionist paradigm in drug discovery. METHODS We developed the Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform based on a hypothesis that drugs function by interacting with multiple protein targets to create a molecular interaction signature that can be exploited for therapeutic repurposing and discovery. We compiled a library of compounds that are human ingestible with minimal side effects, followed by an 'all-compounds' vs 'all-proteins' fragment-based multitarget docking with dynamics screen to construct compound-proteome interaction matrices that were then analyzed to determine similarity of drug behavior. The proteomic signature similarity of drugs is then ranked to make putative drug predictions for all indications in a shotgun manner. RESULTS We have previously applied this platform with success in both retrospective benchmarking and prospective validation, and to understand the effect of druggable protein classes on repurposing accuracy. Here we use the CANDO platform to analyze and determine the contribution of multitargeting (polypharmacology) to drug repurposing benchmarking accuracy. Taken together with the previous work, our results indicate that a large number of protein structures with diverse fold space and a specific polypharmacological interactome is necessary for accurate drug predictions using our proteomic and evolutionary drug discovery and repurposing platform. CONCLUSION These results have implications for future drug development and repurposing in the context of polypharmacology.
Transmastoid implantability of an active transcutaneous bone conduction implant in adults with regard to the underlying pathology: a radiological simulation study

Abstract Objectives: To compare the feasibility of transmastoid implantation of an active transcutaneous bone conduction device (BCD) in the most important pathologies of the temporal bone and the impact of implant lifts in adulthood. Methods: First, clinical predominant pathologies for implantation of this BCD were evaluated by a literature review. Then, high-resolution CT of 240 temporal bones with neuro-otologic diseases (NOD), chronic otitis media (COM), or cholesteatoma, respectively, were investigated regarding their implantability, using a radiological simulation program. Results: Chronic inflammatory diseases (CID) of the temporal bone with or without cholesteatoma account for most adults scheduled for an active BCD. Complete implantation was possible in almost all cases with NOD as well as COM, requiring an implant lift in 50% of COM and 20% of NOD (p = .025) cases. In contrast, in subjects with cholesteatoma, implantation required an additional tool in 92% of cases, leading to 59% implantability rate in these temporal bones. Conclusion: Adult subjects with CID of the temporal bone show more limiting anatomical conditions for transmastoid placement of an active transcutaneous BCD than those with single-sided deafness. Implant lifts increase the implantability significantly in subjects with COM and particularly in those with cholesteatoma.