Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Moving Target Defense with PLADD

This project evaluates the effectiveness of moving target defense (MTD) techniques using a new game we have designed, called PLADD, inspired by the game FlipIt [28]. PLADD extends FlipIt by incorporating what we believe are key MTD concepts. We have analyzed PLADD and proven the existence of a defender strategy that pushes a rational attacker out of the game, demonstrated how limited the strategies available to an attacker are in PLADD, and derived analytic expressions for the expected utility of the game’s players in multiple game variants. We have created an algorithm for finding a defender’s optimal PLADD strategy. We show that in the special case of achieving deterrence in PLADD, MTD is not always cost effective and that its optimal deployment may shift abruptly from not using MTD at all to using it as aggressively as possible. We believe our effort provides basic, fundamental insights into the use of MTD, but conclude that a truly practical analysis requires model selection and calibration based on real scenarios and empirical data. We propose several avenues for further inquiry, including (1) agents with adaptive capabilities more reflective of real world adversaries, (2) the presence of multiple, heterogeneous adversaries, (3) computational game theory-based approaches such as coevolution to allow scaling to the real world beyond the limitations of analytical analysis and classical game theory, (4) mapping the game to real-world scenarios, (5) taking player risk into account when designing a strategy (in addition to expected payoff), (6) improving our understanding of the dynamic nature of MTD-inspired games by using a martingale representation, defensive forecasting, and techniques from signal processing, and (7) using adversarial games to develop inherently resilient cyber systems.
TP53 Mutational signature for aristolochic acid: an environmental carcinogen

This study was designed to establish the TP53 mutational spectrum of aristolochic acid (AA), examined in the context of endemic (Balkan) nephropathy, an environmental disease associated with transitional cell (urothelial) carcinomas of the upper urinary tract (UUC). Tumor tissue was obtained from residents of regions in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia where endemic nephropathy has been prevalent for over 50 years. Fifty‐nine TP53 mutations were detected in 42 of the 97 tumors analyzed. Mutational spectra were dominated by A:T to T:A transversions with the mutated adenines located almost exclusively on the nontranscribed strand. This marked strand bias is attributed to selective processing of aristolactam‐dA adducts by transcription‐coupled nucleotide excision repair. Hotspots for A:T to T:A mutations include codons 131 and 179 and the 5′‐AG acceptor splice site of intron 6. The unique TP53 mutational signature for AA identified in this study can be used to explore the hypothesis that botanical products containing this human carcinogen and nephrotoxin are responsible, in part, for the high prevalence of UUC and chronic renal disease in countries where Aristolochia herbal remedies traditionally have been used for medicinal purposes.
GENETICS OF HAIR AND SKIN COLOR

■ Abstract Differences in skin and hair color are principally genetically determined and are due to variation in the amount, type, and packaging of melanin polymers produced by melanocytes secreted into keratinocytes. Pigmentary phenotype is genetically complex and at a physiological level complicated. Genes determining a number of rare Mendelian disorders of pigmentation such as albinism have been identified, but only one gene, the melanocortin 1 receptor ( MCR1), has so far been identified to explain variation in the normal population such as that leading to red hair, freckling, and sun-sensitivity. Genotype-phenotype relations of the MC1Rare reviewed, as well as methods to improve the phenotypic assessment of human pigmentary status. It is argued that given advances in model systems, increases in technical facility, and the lower cost of genotype assessment, the lack of standardized phenotype assessment is now a major limit on advance.
High affinity of anti‐GM1 antibodies is associated with disease onset in experimental neuropathy

High antibody affinity has been proposed as a disease determinant factor in neuropathies associated with anti‐GM1 antibodies. An experimental model of Guillain‐Barré syndrome, induced by immunization of rabbits with bovine brain gangliosides or GM1, was described recently (Yuki et al. [ 2001 ] Ann. Neurol. 49:712–720). We searched plasma from these rabbits, taken at disease onset and 1 or 2 weeks prior to onset, for the presence of high‐affinity anti‐GM1 IgG antibodies. Affinity was estimated by soluble antigen binding inhibition. High‐affinity antibodies (binding inhibition by 10–9 M GM1) were detected at disease onset but not before. No such difference was found for other antibody parameters such as titer, fine specificity, and population distribution. These findings support the proposed role of high affinity as an important factor in disease induction by anti‐GM1 antibodies. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Performance Evaluation of an Enhanced GDCF for IEEE 802.11

In this letter, we propose an enhanced gentle distributed coordination function (GDCF), which is a simple and effective collision resolution mechanism, to improve the performance of IEEE 802.11 DCF. We compare performance of the enhanced GDCF with that of the legacy DCF and the conventional GDCF via analysis and simulations. The enhanced GDCF introduces a new counter to check the number of consecutively successful transmissions, and the maximum permitted values of the counter differ for different backoff stages. The proposed GDCF is shown to have performance superior to that of the conventional GDCF for various combinations of contending stations and frame length.
Global IT Outsourcing: Software Development across Borders

Offering key insights into how to manage software development across international boundaries, this book is based on a series of case studies looking at the relationships between firms from North America, the U.K., Japan and Korea with Indian software companies. The authors analyze the multi-faceted challenges encountered in managing these Global Software Alliances (GSAs). They draw on extensive research and experience to offer constructive advice on how to manage GSAs more effectively.
A system for measuring cell division patterns of early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos by using image processing and object tracking

Cell division patterns provide crucial information for understanding the mechanisms of development of multicellular organisms. These patterns are measured manually by long-term microscopic observation or by studying large numbers of images taken by using time-lapse microscope systems. Because manual measurement limits the objectivity and productivity of measurement, the comprehensive cell division pattern analysis of gene knockdown embryos has been difficult. Here, we present a system that automatically measures the cell division pattern of Caenorhabditis elegans embryos from the 1to 24-cell stages with high levels of objectivity and productivity. The system automatically detects the nuclei in a set of four-dimensional differential interference contrast microscope images of a C. elegans embryo by using image processing and measures the cell division pattern by tracking the detected nuclei over time. This system enables a comprehensive cell division pattern analysis of gene knockdown C. elegans embryos. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 38(11): 12–24, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20783
Attentional Capacity Limits Gap Detection during Concurrent Sound Segregation

Detecting a brief silent interval (i.e., a gap) is more difficult when listeners perceive two concurrent sounds rather than one in a sound containing a mistuned harmonic in otherwise in-tune harmonics. This impairment in gap detection may reflect the interaction of low-level encoding or the division of attention between two sound objects, both of which could interfere with signal detection. To distinguish between these two alternatives, we compared ERPs during active and passive listening with complex harmonic tones that could include a gap, a mistuned harmonic, both features, or neither. During active listening, participants indicated whether they heard a gap irrespective of mistuning. During passive listening, participants watched a subtitled muted movie of their choice while the same sounds were presented. Gap detection was impaired when the complex sounds included a mistuned harmonic that popped out as a separate object. The ERP analysis revealed an early gap-related activity that was little affected by mistuning during the active or passive listening condition. However, during active listening, there was a marked decrease in the late positive wave that was thought to index attention and response-related processes. These results suggest that the limitation in detecting the gap is related to attentional processing, possibly divided attention induced by the concurrent sound objects, rather than deficits in preattentional sensory encoding.
Approximate optimal monitoring

The problem of continuously monitoring a region using a team of agents, for example unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with sensors, is formulated as a differential game. This allows for the use of heterogeneous agents. The differential game is approximated as a sequence of optimal control problems, for which approximate solutions are found using dynamic feedback and the notion of algebraic P̅ solution. A general form for such a solution is presented assuming the agents have single-integrator dynamics. The results can be interpreted as a trajectory plan for agents with more general dynamics. The case in which the agents have unicycle dynamics and are to track the generated trajectory plan is presented.
Efficacy of interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents.

BACKGROUND Psychotherapy is widely used for depressed adolescents, but evidence supporting its efficacy is sparse. METHODS In a controlled, 12-week, clinical trial of Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depressed Adolescents (IPT-A), 48 clinic-referred adolescents (aged 12-18 years) who met the criteria for DSM-III-R major depressive disorder were randomly assigned to either weekly IPT-A or clinical monitoring. Patients were seen biweekly by a "blind" independent evaluator to assess their symptoms, social functioning, and social problem-solving skills. Thirty-two of the 48 patients completed the protocol (21 IPT-A-assigned patients and 11 patients in the control group). RESULTS Patients who received IPT-A reported a notably greater decrease in depressive symptoms and greater improvement in overall social functioning, functioning with friends, and specific problem-solving skills. In the intent-to-treat sample, 18 (75%) of 24 patients who received IPT-A compared with 11 patients (46%) in the control condition met recovery criterion (Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score < or =6) at week 12. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of 12 weeks of IPT-A in acutely depressed adolescents in reducing depressive symptoms and improving social functioning and interpersonal problem-solving skills. Because it is a small sample consisting largely of Latino, low socioeconomic status adolescents, further studies must be conducted with other adolescent populations to confirm the generalizability of the findings.
Evaluation of an Intervention for Apathy After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multiple-Baseline, Single-Case Experimental Design

Background:Apathy is diminished initiation, sustained activity, and concern about goal-directed behaviors. It occurs in between 46% and 71% of adults with traumatic brain injury and has widespread effects. Despite this, evidence for treatment of apathy is sparse, with no evidence for treatments aimed at sustaining activity toward goal-directed behavior. Method:A multiple-baseline, single-case experimental design evaluated a novel treatment for apathy in a 32-year-old man with traumatic brain injury. This treatment incorporated motivational interviewing and external compensation to increase sustained activity toward cumulative goals. Results:A specific treatment effect was demonstrated. Reliable Change Indices indicated a significant decrease in apathy that was maintained at 1-month follow-up. Conclusion:Treatment had a strong and specific effect on treated goal-directed activity and decreased apathy. The success of treatment was dependent on initiation as well as sustaining goal-directed activity.
Compact Models of Spreading Resistances for Electrical/Thermal Design of Devices and ICs

Building upon our recent work (IEEE Electron Device Lett., vol. 26, pp. 909-912, Dec, 2005), we present simple and continuous closed-form models for several rectangular and circular spreading resistance geometries encountered in electrical/thermal design of devices and integrated circuits. The resistance geometries considered involve current/heat flow between parallel contacts of rectangular or circular shape and concentric or eccentric nature, between a horizontal and a vertical stripe, and between a horizontal circular contact and a surrounding vertical cylindrical contact. The modeling procedure involves normalization of the spreading resistance with respect to its value under 1D flow conditions, followed by a curve-fit of the variation of this normalized resistance with contact area in terms of physical parameters. The resistance models may also be used to estimate the reciprocal of capacitance of similar insulator-electrode geometries, by replacing the resistivity by the reciprocal of the insulator permittivity.
Estimation of Noise Level and Signal to Noise Ratio of Laplacian Electrocardiogram During Ventricular Depolarization and Repolarization

LIAN, J., et al.: Estimation of Noise Level and Signal to Noise Ratio of Laplacian Electrocardiogram During Ventricular Depolarization and Repolarization. Body surface Laplacian ECG (LECG) has demonstrated its enhanced capability to localize cardiac electrical sources closest to the recording site. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the noise level and signal to noise ratio (SNR) in the LECG as compared to the potential ECG (PECG). Such evaluation is important to determine the applicability of the LECG to localizing and imaging of cardiac electrical activity in an experimental setting. Experimental studies were conducted in six healthy men. A 150‐channel PECG was recorded from the anterolateral chest and the LECG was estimated using the finite difference algorithm. The noise level in the PECG and LECG was evaluated using multiple estimation protocols. The signal level during ventricular depolarization and repolarization was also estimated, and the corresponding SNR was calculated. Different filtering techniques were examined to evaluate their effects on the noise level and SNR of the LECG and PECG. The experimental results indicate that with basic signal processing techniques (baseline adjustment, three‐point moving average filter, and Wiener spatial filter), the SNR of the LECG is about 30–40% of that of the PECG. Furthermore, the SNR estimated during ventricular depolarization is about three times that obtained during ventricular repolarization for the PECG and LECG. The present study indicates that the LECG derived from the PECG using a local finite difference estimation procedure has satisfactory SNR during the periods of ventricular depolarization and repolarization, and suggests the feasibility of estimating the LECG from the recorded PECG in human subjects in an experimental setting.
Molecular testing in lung cancer: Fine‐needle aspiration specimen adequacy and test prioritization prior to the CAP/IASLC/AMP Molecular Testing Guideline publication

Subtyping of lung carcinoma with immunohistochemistry is essential for diagnosis, whereas molecular testing (MT) is required for therapy guidance. In the current study, the authors report on MT performed on fine‐needle aspiration specimens at the study institution over a 2‐year period preceding the April 2013 College of American Pathologists (CAP)/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC)/Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) Molecular Testing Guideline (MTG) publication.
Quantitative Analysis of Students' Reasons for Nonsuiting and Support of Policy Change at One Urban Middle School

Purpose Physical activity participation in physical education is compromised when students nonsuit. We investigated: (a) reasons for nonsuiting/support of policy change and whether they differed by gender, ethnicity, or grade; and (b) the likelihood of nonsuiting based on the same demographics. Method Participants (N = 627) were 6th and 7th graders attending 1 urban middle school located in San Diego, CA. Students completed a questionnaire composed of 4 demographic items, level of agreement with 15 reasons for nonsuiting, and level of support of 6 proposed policy changes. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to classify reasons for nonsuiting items and policy change items. Demographic differences among resultant factor scores and individual items were analyzed using t tests. Associations between factors/items and nonsuit frequency and demographics were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Results Girls, Latinos, and 7th graders were more likely habitual nonsuits ( ≥ 4 nonsuits) compared with their respective counterparts. Statistically significant factor scores (reasons for nonsuiting; emotional excuses, utilitarian excuses) were higher among habitual nonsuits but were not different based on gender, grade, and ethnicity. Seventh graders and girls had statistically significantly higher policy change factor scores compared with their respective counterparts. Conclusion Acting on student input toward reformulating suiting-out policy as well as addressing emotional excuse reasons, which are primarily under teacher control, may result in lower incidence of habitual nonsuiting.
Fluorescence Polarization Assays for High Throughput Screening of G Protein-Coupled Receptors

Fluorescence polarization assays in 384-well microtiter plates have been demonstrated. The performance is suitable for high throughput drug screening applications with respect to speed of analysis, displaceable signal, precision, and sensitivity to various reagents. Rank order of potency was maintained relative to ['251]-ligand filtration assays, and the effects of the highly colored compounds, tartrazine and Chicago Sky Blue, were insignificant on the polarization signal up to a concentration of 1 tiM. These attributes suggest that accurate assessment of drug binding can be obtained.
A Collaborative Model for the Treatment of Depression in Homebound Elders

Depression is a serious mental health problem for older adults. This study examined the effectiveness of an Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (APPN)-Primary Care Physician (PCP) collaborative model to provide care to homebound elders with depressive symptoms. One hundred seventy nine individuals were screened for depression revealing an incidence of 46%. Of these, 83 (46%) were invited to participate in the study based on their depression scores; 41 (49%) agreed to participate in the study. Significant improvement in depression scores occurred for those who received treatment. Treatment included pharmacological and psychosocial interventions. As the population over the age of 65 continues to grow, many more older adults will need mental health treatment, and creative methods to provide services to homebound individuals must be explored.
Reduction of Mutual Coupling Between Closely Packed Patch Antennas Using Waveguided Metamaterials

The reduction of mutual coupling between closely spaced antenna elements is attractive in the electromagnetic and antenna community. An efficient approach to suppress the mutual coupling between microstrip patch antennas is proposed using waveguided metamaterials. The waveguided metamaterials are designed and realized by crossed-meander-line slits, which exhibit magnetic resonances and further the band-gap property. By inserting the waveguided metamaterials between two H-plane coupled rectangular patch antennas with the edge-to-edge distance less than λ0/8, about 6 dB reduction of mutual coupling throughout the -10-dB bandwidth has been achieved, which is verified by measurement results.
Cannabis Withdrawal, Posttreatment Abstinence, and Days to First Cannabis Use Among Emerging Adults in Substance Use Treatment

Very little prospective research investigates how cannabis withdrawal is associated with treatment outcomes, and this work has not used the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) thresholds for cannabis withdrawal. The sample included 110 emerging adults entering outpatient substance use treatment who were heavy cannabis users with no other drug use and limited alcohol use. We used survival analyses to predict days to first use of cannabis and logistic regression to predict whether participants were abstinent and living in the community at 3 months. Those meeting criteria for cannabis withdrawal were more likely to return to use sooner than those not meeting criteria for cannabis withdrawal. However, the presence of cannabis withdrawal was not a significant predictor of 3-month abstinence. Emerging adults with DSM-5 cannabis withdrawal may have difficulty initiating abstinence in the days following their intake assessment, implying the need for strategies to mitigate their more rapid return to cannabis use.
Exercise and myocardial tolerance to ischaemia-reperfusion.

UNLABELLED It is well established that both short-term (1-5 days) and long-term (weeks to months) high intensity exercise (i.e. 70-75%VO2max) provides cardioprotection against ischaemia-reperfusion injury. However, it is unclear if moderate intensity exercise will also provide cardioprotection. AIM Therefore, these experiments compared the protective effects of moderate vs. high intensity exercise in providing defense against ischaemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three-experimental groups: (1) sedentary (control); (2) moderate intensity treadmill exercise (60 min day(-1) at approximately 55%VO2max); or (3) high intensity treadmill exercise (60 min day(-1) at approximately 75%VO2max). Hearts were exposed to 20 min of global ischaemia followed by 30 min reperfusion in an isolated working heart preparation. RESULTS Compared with sedentary rats, both moderate and high intensity exercised rats maintained a higher (P < 0.05) percentage of pre-ischaemia cardiac output and cardiac work (cardiac output x systolic blood pressure) during reperfusion. No differences in the percent recovery of cardiac output and heart work existed (P > 0.05) between the two exercise groups. CONCLUSIONS These data reveal that both moderate and high intensity exercise training provide equivalent protection against ischaemia-reperfusion injury.