Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the security of mix-nets and hierarchical group signatures

In this thesis we investigate two separate cryptographic notions: mix-nets and hierarchical group signatures. The former notion was introduced by Chaum (1981). The latter notion is introduced in this thesis, but it generalizes the notion of group signatures which was introduced by Chaum and Heyst (1991). Numerous proposals for mix-nets are given in the literature, but these are presented with informal security arguments or at best partial proofs. We illustrate the need for a rigorous treatment of the security mix-nets by giving several practical attacks against a construction of Golle et al. (2002). Then we provide the first definition of security of a mix-net in the universally composable security framework (UC-framework) introduced by Canetti (2001). We construct two distinct efficient mix-nets that are provably secure under standard assumptions in the UC-framework against an adversary that corrupts any minority of the mix-servers and any set of senders. The first construction is based on the El Gamal cryptosystem (1985) and is secure against a static adversary, i.e., an adversary that decides which parties to corrupt before the execution of the protocol. This is the first efficient UC-secure mix-net in the literature and the first sender verifiable mix-net that is robust. The second construction is based on the Paillier cryptosystem (1999) and secure against an adaptive adversary, i.e., an adversary that decides which parties to corrupt during the execution of the protocol. This is the first efficient adaptively secure mix-net in any model. An important subprotocol in the above constructions is a zero-knowledge proof of knowledge of a witness that a party behaves as expected. There are two known approaches for constructing such a protocol given by Neff (2002) and Furukawa and Sako (2002) respectively. We present a third independent approach. We introduce the notion of hierarchical group signatures. This is a generalization of group signatures. There are several group managers, and the signers and group managers are organized in a tree in which the signers are the leaves and the group managers are internal nodes. Given a signature, a group manager learns if it is an ancestor of the signer, and if so to which of its immediate subtrees the signer belongs, but it learns nothing else. Thus, the identity of the signer is revealed in a hierarchical way. We provide a definition of security of hierarchical group signatures and give two provably secure constructions. The first construction is secure under general assumptions. It is impractical and of purely theoretical interest. The second construction is provably secure under standard complexity assumptions and almost practical.
Quality of oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation: A cross-sectional study in general practice

Objective: To evaluate the quality of management of oral anticoagulation among patients on oral anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, and to verify the relation between patient performance and the risk of an event due to therapy. Methods: In a retrospective cross-sectional study involving 66 general practices, international normalized ratio (INR) values obtained over a 6-mo period were analysed. All INR values were determined by a single clinical laboratory, and additional medical information was provided by GPs. Results: 395 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 74±9.6 y. In total, 3111 INR values were obtained. The mean number of tests/month per patient was 2.7±4.3. A total of 49 728 d of therapy was evaluated. Fifty-three per cent of the day values were within 0.5 INR units of the target (and 69% within 0.75 INR units of the target). The incidence rate for major bleeding was 4.4/100 patient years (and 2.9/100 patient years for thromboembolic events). There was a significant relation between patient performance and the presence of an event (p=0.017), with an odds ratio of 2.8 (95% CI 1.3–6.3). Conclusion: The quality of oral anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation is suboptimal. This is significantly related to an increased risk of haemorrhagic events.
Changes in CSF and plasma HIV-1 RNA and cognition after starting potent antiretroviral therapy

The authors assessed CSF and plasma HIV-1 RNA and neuropsychological test performance (composite neuropsychological test Z score [NPZ-4]) in 25 HIV-1–infected subjects 4 and 8 weeks after beginning potent antiretroviral therapy that included a protease inhibitor. In the 14 subjects who entered the study on no antiretroviral treatment, NPZ-4 improvement was associated with decline in CSF HIV-1 RNA at both visits (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02), and those treated with zidovudine or indinavir had greater improvement in NPZ-4 at both visits compared to those treated with other drugs (p = 0.003 and p = 0.01).
Efficacy of stereoscopic visualization and six degreesof freedom interaction in preoperative planningof total hip replacement

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of a six-degrees-of-freedom application for pre-operative planning of total hip replacement in a virtual reality (VR) environment. A test was performed estimating the system inherent accuracy. The users can move objects in the VR environment with an intrinsic accuracy almost four orders of magnitude greater than the object dimension. A second unambiguous and relevant task was defined to assess the accuracy achievable with the interface in a specific planning task. The results were compared with those obtained with 2D interfaces for both the stem and the cup component. The RMSE was assumed as an indicator of the achievable accuracy. The accuracy of the immersive interface was comparable with that achievable with a standard mouse – monitor interface. The users were consistent using the VR interface, confirming the high usability of the new interface and the steep learning curve of users unfamiliar with the new environment. This study has demonstrated that the application of VR environment for pre-operative planning of total hip replacement may help to shorten the duration of the positioning and to yield consistent results even with first-time users.
Diagnosis of psychogenic nonepileptic status epilepticus in the emergency setting

Episodes of psychogenic nonepileptic status epilepticus (PNESE) characterized by pronounced generalized motor features were compared with those of refractory generalized convulsive status epilepticus. Patients with PNESE were younger, had port systems implanted more frequently, received higher doses of benzodiazepines until seizure termination or respiratory failure, and had lower serum creatine kinase levels.
Seasonal declines in the fecundity of arctic-breeding sandpipers: different tactics in two species with an invariant clutch size

The breeding biology of Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers was studied for four years near Nome, Alaska. Despite a short breeding season and a putatively invariant clutch size, there were seasonal declines in the fecundity of both sandpiper species. Most females produced only one clutch ( > 98%), but often laid fewer than four eggs (7.6-34.5% of first nests). Clutches of 2-3 eggs were initiated significantly later (6-8 d) and contained smaller eggs (2.9-3.5%) than 4-egg clutches. Small clutches were not renesting attempts, and were not caused by disturbance during laying or partial clutch loss. This is one of the first reports of seasonal declines in egg number among birds considered to have an invariant clutch size. We evaluated four explanations for the seasonal declines in fecundity. The data did not support a clutch size-egg size tradeoff or the nutrient-reallocation hypothesis, but it was not possible to evaluate the cost-of-delay hypothesis. Variation in parent quality was the most likely explanation for the seasonal declines in fecundity. Females that were familiar with the study area bred significantly earlier in Western Sandpipers (4.5 d) but not Semipalmated Sandpipers (3.5 d, p = 0.07). Timing of clutch initiation was not related to female age in Western Sandpipers or to familiarity with a mate in either species. The two sandpiper species adjusted different components of fecundity: Western Sandpipers typically laid four eggs, and in three of four years there were significant seasonal reductions in egg size among 4-egg clutches. In contrast, Semipalmated Sandpipers laid significantly fewer eggs than Western Sandpipers, but females laying 4-egg clutches did not produce smaller eggs if they laid late in the breeding season. Semipalmated Sandpipers may reduce clutch size because their smaller eggs are close to a minimum threshold size necessary to produce viable precocial young in the
Evidence That Cytochrome b 559 Mediates the Oxidation of Reduced Plastoquinone in the Dark*

The function of cytochromeb 559 in photosystem II (PSII) was investigated using a mutant created in tobacco in which the conserved phenylalanine at position 26 in the β-subunit (PsbF) was changed to serine (Bock, R., Kössel, H., and Maliga, P. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 4623–4628). The mutant grew photoautotrophically, but the amount of PSII was reduced and the ultrastructure of the chloroplast was dramatically altered. Very few grana stacks were formed in the mutant. Although isolated PSII-enriched membrane fragments showed low PSII activity, electron paramagnetic resonance indicated the presence of functional PSII. Difference absorption spectra showed that the cytochrome b 559 contained heme. The plastoquinone pool was largely reduced in dark-adapted leaves of the mutant, based on chlorophyll fluorescence and thermoluminescence measurements. We therefore propose that cytochromeb 559 plays an important role in PSII by keeping the plastoquinone pool and thereby the acceptor side of PSII oxidized in the dark. Structural alterations as induced by the single Phe → Ser point mutation in the transmembrane domain of PsbF evidently inhibit this function.
Relationship between the number and impact of stressful life events and the onset of Graves' disease and toxic nodular goitre★

BACKGROUND In the last few decades, several studies have suggested a possible association between Stressful Life Events (SLEs) and the onset of Graves' Disease (GD). However, others have criticised this association and it has not yet been possible to prove it unequivocally. At present, we are not aware of studies correlating SLE and non autoimmune thyrotoxicosis.
Progress from the Postsynaptic Side: Signaling in Synaptic Differentiation

The signals mediating synaptic differentiation are critical for our understanding of synapse formation and nervous system development. Recent progress highlights the roles of membrane-bound and soluble signaling pathways in this process. The postsynaptic adhesion molecules neuroligin-1, neuroligin-2, and SynCAM1 provide target-derived signals leading to the assembly of presynaptic terminals. In the reverse direction, neuroligins also relay signals into postsynaptic sites through interactions with their presynaptic partners, the β-neurexins. This adhesion-based system helps to determine the neurotransmitter specificity of postsynaptic specializations. In addition, soluble molecules are released from target neurons and initiate presynaptic differentiation, as demonstrated for the fibroblast growth factor FGF-22. This Perspective summarizes new insights into early synaptic differentiation signals and discusses underlying principles.
Phenobarbital modifies seizure‐related brain injury in the developing brain

To investigate the potential role of drug therapy in preventing or exacerbating seizure‐related brain injury in the prepubescent brain, we administered kainic acid to rats at postnatal day 35. Therapy with daily phenobarbital was started directly before or 1 day after kainic acid was administered, and was continued through postnatal day 153. Rats receiving phenobarbital had therapeutic concentrations during most of the 24‐hour dosing period, but also experienced supratherapeutic peak concentrations. The animals were subsequently tested using the water maze (a measure of visuospatial memory), open field (a measure of activity level), and handling tests (a measure of emotionality). The frequency of spontaneous recurrent seizures was monitored during and after phenobarbital therapy. Kainic acid resulted in status epilepticus on postnatal day 35 in all the rats that received it but those receiving phenobarbital first manifested a shorter and less severe status epilepticus as compared to the rats given kainic acid alone. Rats starting phenobarbital immediately before kainic acid was administered did not differ from control rats on behavioral testing and had no subsequent spontaneous recurrent seizures and no histological lesions. Rats receiving kainic acid alone performed significantly poorer than did control rats in the water maze, were more aggressive, had histological lesions, and manifested spontaneous recurrent seizures. As compared to the group treated only with kainic acid, rats receiving kainic acid followed by phenobarbital at postnatal days 36 to 153 manifested similar aggressiveness and histological lesions, similar frequency of spontaneous recurrent seizures after phenobarbital taper, and even greater disturbances in memory, learning, and activity level. These results demonstrate that kainic acid–related injury can be prevented by a medication working through inhibitory mechanisms; that structural and functional damage in the prepubescent brain can be prevented through strategically timed pharmacotherapy; and that treatment of spontaneous recurrent seizures alone with daily exposure to phenobarbital does not decrease, and may actually exacerbate, damage in the kainic acid model.
Temporal relationships between endometrial RNA polymerase activities and steroid hormone receptors following estradiol administration during the midluteal phase of the ovine estrous cycle.

The relationships of estradiol-induced changes in nuclear-bound estrogen and RNA polymerase activities in the ovine endometrium during the midluteal phase of the estrous cycle were studied. Concomitantly, changes in cytoplasmic progesterone receptors were also monitored. Mature ewes received a single i.m. injection of 500 (cid:1)ig estradiol-1 7(cid:1) on each of Days 11 and 12 of the cycle and were necropsied at 0, 1, 6, 12, and 24 h following the second injection of hormone. Activities of RNA polymerase I and II were determined by I’ Hi -UTP incorporation into RNA during incuba- tion of endometrial nuclei in the absence and presence of 0-amanitin, respectively. Total nuclear and cytoplasmic steroid receptors were estimated by exchange assay using [‘Hi -progestin (R5020) and l(cid:1) Hi -estradiol. Treatment of ewes with estradiol resulted in a transient increase in the concen- tration of nuclear-bound estradiol at 1 h (P<0.05) and enhanced activity of RNA polymerase I (P<0.01) at 6, 12, and 24 h post-treatment. The activity of RNA polymerase II did not differ among intervals. Concentrations of cytoplasmic progesterone receptors also increased with time and at 24 h were greater than levels at 0 h (P<0.05). These data suggest that during the midluteal phase of the cycle, when progesterone secretion is near maximal, exogenous estradiol is able to stimulate RNA polymerase activities. The estradiol-induced increases in RNA polymerase I activity may result in RNA synthesis essential for promoting the observed increases in cytoplasmic proges- terone receptors.
An Optical Approach to Microwave Frequency Measurement With Adjustable Measurement Range and Resolution

We propose an approach for the measurement of microwave frequency in the optical domain with adjustable measurement range and resolution. In the proposed approach, two optical wavelengths with a large wavelength spacing are modulated by an unknown microwave signal in a Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM). The optical output from the MZM is sent to a dispersive fiber to introduce different chromatic dispersions, leading to different microwave power penalties. The two wavelengths are then separated, with the microwave powers measured by two photodetectors. A fixed relationship between the microwave power ratio and the microwave frequency is established. The microwave frequency is estimated by measuring the two microwave powers. The frequency measurement range and resolution can be adjusted by tuning the wavelength spacing. Different frequency measurement ranges and resolutions are demonstrated experimentally.
Existence Theorems for Solvability of a Functional Equation Arising in Dynamic Programming

The paper deals with the existence, uniqueness, and iterative approximations of solutions for the functional equations arising in dynamic programming of multistage decision making processes in Banach spaces BC(S) and B(S) and complete metric space BB(S), respectively. Our main results extend, improve, and generalize the results due to several authors. Some examples are also given to demonstrate the advantage of our results over existing one in the literature.
Study of capacity region and minimum energy of delay-tolerant unicast mobile ad hoc networks using cell-partitioned model

Capacity region and minimum energy function for a variety of delay-tolerant mobile unicast ad hoc networks are studied by using a cell-partitioned model. First, theorems about analytical expressions of network capacity and upper bound of minimum energy function are proposed and proved. Algorithm aiming at maximizing capacity and minimizing energy cost is presented and analyzed by Lyapunov drift method. Second, these two theorems are applied to several types of ad hoc networks. Expressions of network capacity and minimum energy function are obtained. Third, capacity property of a type of hybrid ad hoc networks is analyzed in detail. Relationship among limitation of capacity, node density, and coverage of base stations are investigated. Numerical analysis and simulation are carried out. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asthmatic bronchial fibroblasts demonstrate enhanced potential to differentiate into myofibroblasts in culture.

BACKGROUND Chronic inflammation and remodeling of the bronchial wall are basic hallmarks of asthma. It is known that mesenchymal cells in the lamina reticularis underlying the basement membrane of the thickened airway wall of asthmatics predominantly display the phenotype of myofibroblasts and express alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA). Human bronchial fibroblasts (HBFs) transform in vitro into myofibroblasts under the influence of transforming growth factor (TGF-beta). Differences in the reactivity of fibroblasts to TGF-beta in cultures derived from healthy and asthmatic donors are elucidated here. MATERIAL/METHODS Primary human bronchial fibroblasts (HBFs) were cultured from bronchial biopsies from non-asthmatic (n=7) and asthmatic (n=7) donors and treated with TGF-beta1 or TGF-beta2 to induce myofibroblast differentiation. Expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) was assessed by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. The cell size and shape parameters were measured by computer-aided methods. RESULTS Regardless of whether TGF-beta1 or TGF-beta2 was used, asthmatic cells showed enhanced expression of the myofibroblast marker as confirmed by immunocytochemistry and immunoblotting. Analysis of the shape parameters of cells incubated in the presence of TGF-beta1 revealed that HBFs of asthmatics differ from those of non-asthmatics. CONCLUSIONS It is concluded that asthmatic HBFs cultured in vitro display some inherent features which facilitate their differentiation into myofibroblasts. These data indicate that increased reactivity of asthmatic fibroblasts to TGF-beta may play a crucial role in asthma.
Common types of medication errors on long-term psychiatric care units.

OBJECTIVE This multi-center study identified the most frequent types of medication errors in long-term psychiatric care hospitals. SETTING Japan. DESIGN AND STUDY PARTICIPANTS We asked 132 units in 44 Japanese psychiatric hospitals to introduce an in-patient incident reporting system on potential adverse drug events (PADEs) for the period 1 October to 30 November 2000. We analyzed types of PADE, outcomes, and characteristics of patients, staff, and units. RESULTS We received 221 PADE incident reports from 85 units of 44 hospitals. One-quarter (24.9%) of the incidents were intercepted before reaching patients. The frequency of monitoring of the patients by clinical staff in response to medication errors increased by 8.1%. Wrong drug administration, i.e. giving a drug to a patient that was not the drug prescribed for that patient, was the most common type of incident (35.7%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that wrong drug administration occurred more frequently on units with either fewer registered nurses, or two or more patients with the same (or similar) name staying on the same unit. Incident reporters evaluated wrong drug administration as being potentially more serious than the other types of medication error. Wrong drug administration was seen more frequently in units with no patient name printed on medication drug pouches. CONCLUSIONS Wrong drug administration was the most common type of PADE, and may result in more serious consequences than others. Even a simple organizational quality improvement effort, in which printed patients' names are placed on the drug pouch (not only with each prescription but with each drug administration), could reduce risk to patients from adverse outcomes due to medication errors.
Recent Advances in the Surgical Treatment of Achalasia and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

Achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) represent diverse physiologic disorders both of which result from lower esophageal sphincter (LES) dysfunction. Fortunately, both diseases are benign and amenable to surgically corrective therapies. Achalasia is characterized by destruction of the smooth muscle ganglion cells of the myenteric plexus (Auerbach) resulting in motor dysfunction, incomplete LES relaxation, and progressive esophageal dilation. GERD is frequently characterized by hypotonia or shortening of the LES. Local anatomical derangements such as a hiatal hernia (eg, sliding type I hernia) can predispose to GERD. Other predisposing factors for GERD include obesity, smoking, alcohol, and pregnancy. Transient LES relaxation is the most significant factor in the development of GERD. Transient LES relaxations last from 10 to 45 seconds and are not related to swallowing. The diagnostic workup of achalasia and GERD may include barium esophagram, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, pH monitoring, and esophageal manometry. The different medical treatment options for achalasia comprise pharmacologic treatment, botulinum toxin, and balloon dilation. Surgical interventions include Heller myotomy, which is usually combined with a partial fundoplication. GERD is managed by treating the predisposing factors, using medications (ie, anatacids or proton pump inhibitors) and surgery (ie, fundoplication). Recently, endoluminal therapy has been employed in the treatment of GERD with promising short-term results.