Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computer Simulation of HRTFs for Personalization of 3D Audio

To give listeners a vivid sense of 3D spatial audio, virtual auditory display technology relies crucially on head related transfer functions (HRTFs). However, as each person has unique morphological characteristics of their head and ears, for a realistic auditory experience it is important to use personalized HRTFs. Our approach to HRTF personalization is first to measure a listener's head and ear morphology, currently by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); then to use the 3D morphological data in computer simulation of sound wave propagation, by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. This paper summarizes our methods and recent improvements, which have led to obtaining more faithful, personalized HRTFs by FDTD simulation.
Fine-Grained Abnormal Driving Behaviors Detection and Identification with Smartphones

Real-time abnormal driving behaviors monitoring is a corner stone to improving driving safety. Existing works on driving behaviors monitoring using smartphones only provide a coarse-grained result, i.e., distinguishing abnormal driving behaviors from normal ones. To improve drivers’ awareness of their driving habits so as to prevent potential car accidents, we need to consider a fine-grained monitoring approach, which not only detects abnormal driving behaviors but also identifies specific types of abnormal driving behaviors, i.e., <italic>Weaving</italic>, <italic>Swerving</italic>, <italic>Sideslipping</italic>, <italic>Fast U-turn</italic>, <italic>Turning with a wide radius</italic>, and <italic>Sudden braking</italic>. Through empirical studies of the 6-month driving traces collected from real driving environments, we find that all of the six types of driving behaviors have their unique patterns on acceleration and orientation. Recognizing this observation, we further propose a fine-grained abnormal <underline><italic>D</italic></underline>riving behavior <underline><italic>D</italic></underline>etection and i <underline><italic>D</italic></underline>entification system, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$D^{3}$ </tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="yu-ieq1-2618873.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>, to perform real-time high-accurate abnormal driving behaviors monitoring using smartphone sensors. We extract effective features to capture the patterns of abnormal driving behaviors. After that, two machine learning methods, <italic>Support Vector Machine</italic> (SVM) and <italic>Neuron Networks</italic> (NN), are employed, respectively, to train the features and output a classifier model which conducts fine-grained abnormal driving behaviors detection and identification. From results of extensive experiments with 20 volunteers driving for another four months in real driving environments, we show that <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$D^{3}$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="yu-ieq2-2618873.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> achieves an average total accuracy of 95.36 percent with SVM classifier model, and 96.88 percent with NN classifier model.
Comparison of Biotinylated Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies in an Evaluation of a Direct Rapid Immunohistochemical Test for the Routine Diagnosis of Rabies in Southern Africa

The major etiological agent of rabies, rabies virus (RABV), accounts for tens of thousands of human deaths per annum. The majority of these deaths are associated with rabies cycles in dogs in resource-limited countries of Africa and Asia. Although routine rabies diagnosis plays an integral role in disease surveillance and management, the application of the currently recommended direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) test in countries on the African and Asian continents remains quite limited. A novel diagnostic assay, the direct rapid immunohistochemical test (dRIT), has been reported to have a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity equal to that of the DFA test while offering advantages in cost, time and interpretation. Prior studies used the dRIT utilized monoclonal antibody (MAb) cocktails. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that a biotinylated polyclonal antibody (PAb) preparation, applied in the dRIT protocol, would yield equal or improved results compared to the use of dRIT with MAbs. We also wanted to compare the PAb dRIT with the DFA test, utilizing the same PAb preparation with a fluorescent label. The PAb dRIT had a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100%, which was shown to be marginally higher than the diagnostic efficacy observed for the PAb DFA test. The classical dRIT, relying on two-biotinylated MAbs, was applied to the same panel of samples and a reduced diagnostic sensitivity (83.50% and 90.78% respectively) was observed. Antigenic typing of the false negative samples indicated all of these to be mongoose RABV variants. Our results provided evidence that a dRIT with alternative antibody preparations, conjugated to a biotin moiety, has a diagnostic efficacy equal to that of a DFA relying on the same antibody and that the antibody preparation should be optimized for virus variants specific to the geographical area of focus.
Complications of influenza.

Primary Viral Pneumonia Primary viral pneumonia occurs as a complication of influenza most frequently in the elderly or in patients with cardiopulmonary disease, but it has been documented in pregnant women and in healthy, immunocompetent individuals. Such cases develop within 1 day after the onset of influenza illness and are characterized by the rapid progression of fever, tachypnea, tachycardia, cyanosis, and hypotension. Physical examination of the chest reveals bilateral crepitant rales and chest films reveal nonconsolidating pulmonary infiltrates or, less often, areas of consolidation. Blood gas studies demonstrate hypoxemia, and blood counts reveal leukocytosis with a left shift. If cavitation or pleural effusion is seen, bacterial superinfection should be suspected. Gram stain of the sputum in patients with primary influenza pneumonia fails to reveal significant bacteria, and bacterial cultures yield sparse growth of normal oropharyngeal flora. The diagnosis can be confirmed with the use of antigen detection methods or by viral isolation from respiratory secretions, which have yielded high viral titers of influenza A in patients with primary influenza pneumonia. Mortality as a result of this complication is high and is associated with the development of extensive fibrosis and interstitial inflammation. Patients with these findings seem to respond poorly to antibacterial agents. No controlled studies of amantadine or rimantadine for the treatment of primary viral influenza pneumonia have been conducted, and as such the use of these medications is based on data extrapolated from anecdotal reports. Limited studies of patients with primary influenza pneumonia have demonstrated the resolution of small-airway functional abnormalities with amantadine therapy, and treatment of acute infection with established, effective modalities is appropriate. Further studies are needed to assess the use of amantadine or rimantadine alone or in combination with M2 inhibitors (zanamivir and oseltamivir) or ribavirin in the management of severe infection. Supportive treatment is important and includes fluid and electrolyte management, oxygenation, intubation, assisted ventilation, and positive end-expiratory pressure. If bacterial superinfection is suspected, appropriate antibiotic agents for the specific organism should be administered. Clinical improvement begins 5 to 16 days after the onset of the pneumonia, with radiographic findings requiring as long as 4 months to resolve. Survivors often develop diffuse pulmonary fibrosis.
Developing a new Hybrid Cipher using AES, RC4 and SERPENT for Encryption and Decryption

This paper aims at developing a new hybrid cipher by combining the characteristics of 3 ciphers namely AES (Advanced Encryption Standard),Rc4 (also known as ARC4) and Serpent. The characteristics of both the ciphers are studied and a new cipher combining the characteristics of both the ciphers is generated which is more secure than the original ciphers. AES, SERPENT characteristics are its security and its resistance against attacks and the major characteristic of Rc4 is its speed. Therefore these characteristics are imbibed in the newly generated cipher. Thus it proves to be faster than the original AES and secure against most attacks. Three combination techniques have been formulated to generate a hybridized cipher and the procedure along with the strengths and weaknesses outlined. The third cipher is the major cipher which is focused on in this paper. It is also shown that this cipher is resistant against most attacks. This will ensure the secrecy and confidentially of the messages it is used to encrypt.
Self-Confidence Trumps Knowledge: A Cross-Cultural Study of Security Behavior

Computer security tools usually provide universal solutions without taking user characteristics (origin, income level, .) into account. In this paper, we test the validity of using such universal security defenses, with a particular focus on culture. We apply the previously proposed Security Behavior Intentions Scale (SeBIS) to 3,500 participants from seven countries. We first translate the scale into seven languages while preserving its reliability and structure validity. We then build a regression model to study which factors affect participants' security behavior. We find that participants from different countries exhibit different behavior. For instance, participants from Asian countries, and especially Japan, tend to exhibit less secure behavior. Surprisingly to us, we also find that actual knowledge influences user behavior much less than user self-confidence in their computer security knowledge. Stated differently, what people think they know affects their security behavior more than what they do know.
Brain activation and inhibition after acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi: resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging

Acupuncture can induce changes in the brain. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on a single acupoint at a time. In the present study, we observed activity changes in the brains of healthy volunteers before and after acupuncture at Taichong (LR3) and Taixi (KI3) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Fifteen healthy volunteers underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 15 minutes before acupuncture, then received acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi using the nail-pressing needle insertion method, after which the needle was retained in place for 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes after withdrawal of the needle, the volunteers underwent a further session of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed that the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, a measure of spontaneous neuronal activity, increased mainly in the cerebral occipital lobe and middle occipital gyrus (Brodmann area 18/19), inferior occipital gyrus (Brodmann area 18) and cuneus (Brodmann area 18), but decreased mainly in the gyrus rectus of the frontal lobe (Brodmann area 11), inferior frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 44) and the center of the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. The present findings indicate that acupuncture at Taichong and Taixi specifically promote blood flow and activation in the brain areas related to vision, emotion and cognition, and inhibit brain areas related to emotion, attention, phonological and semantic processing, and memory.
Allosteric Modulation of an Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter: The Subtype-Selective Inhibitor UCPH-101 Exerts Sustained Inhibition of EAAT1 through an Intramonomeric Site in the Trimerization Domain

In the present study, the mechanism of action and molecular basis for the activity of the first class of selective inhibitors of the human excitatory amino acid transporter subtype 1 (EAAT1) and its rodent ortholog GLAST are elucidated. The previously reported specificity of UCPH-101 and UCPH-102 for EAAT1 over EAAT2 and EAAT3 is demonstrated to extend to the EAAT4 and EAAT5 subtypes as well. Interestingly, brief exposure to UCPH-101 induces a long-lasting inactive state of EAAT1, whereas the inhibition exerted by closely related analogs is substantially more reversible in nature. In agreement with this, the kinetic properties of UCPH-101 unblocking of the transporter are considerably slower than those of UCPH-102. UCPH-101 exhibits noncompetitive inhibition of EAAT1, and its binding site in GLAST has been delineated in an elaborate mutagenesis study. Substitutions of several residues in TM3, TM4c, and TM7a of GLAST have detrimental effects on the inhibitory potency and/or efficacy of UCPH-101 while not affecting the pharmacological properties of (S)-glutamate or the competitive EAAT inhibitor TBOA significantly. Hence, UCPH-101 is proposed to target a predominantly hydrophobic crevice in the “trimerization domain” of the GLAST monomer, and the inhibitor is demonstrated to inhibit the uptake through the monomer that it binds to exclusively and not to affect substrate translocation through the other monomers in the GLAST trimer. The allosteric mode of UCPH-101 inhibition underlines the functional importance of the trimerization domain of the EAAT and demonstrates the feasibility of modulating transporter function through ligand binding to regions distant from its “transport domain. ”
A Cotinine in Freeze-Dried Urine Reference Material

A cotinine in freeze-dried urine reference material (RM 8444) was prepared at three concentrations: (1) a “blank” level typical of nonsmokers with no exposure to cigarette smoke, (2) a “low” level corresponding to nonsmokers with passive exposure to side-stream smoke, and (3) a “high” level typical of smokers. Low- and high-level materials were prepared gravimetrically from pooled urine by the addition of appropriate amounts of cotinine Perchlorate. Cotinine was determined by GC-MS using cotinine-d3) as an internal standard. No evidence for sample inhomogeneity was observed. This reference material will fulfill a need for a urine-based standard to assist in the validation of field methods used for assessing exposure to cigarette smoke.
TVDc: managing security in the trusted virtual datacenter

Virtualization technology is becoming increasingly common in datacenters, since it allows for collocation of multiple workloads, consisting of operating systems, middleware and applications, in different virtual machines (VMs) on shared physical hardware platforms. However, when coupled with the ease of VM migration, this trend increases the potential surface for security attacks. Further, the simplified management of VMs, including creation, cloning and migration, makes it imperative to monitor and guarantee the integrity of software components running within VMs. This paper presents the IBM Trusted Virtual Datacenter (TVDc) technology developed to address the need for strong isolation and integrity guarantees, thus significantly enhancing security and systems management capabilities, in virtualized environments. It signifies the first effort to incorporate trusted computing technologies directly into virtualization and systems management software. We present and discuss various components that constitute TVDc: the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), the virtual TPM, the IBM hypervisor security architecture (sHype) and the associated systems management software.
The movement and forces of spinning solution in the nozzle during high-speed centrifugal spinning

High-speed centrifugal spinning is a novel method to fabricate nanofiber. It has the potential to fabricate nanofiber on a large scale because its production efficiency is much greater than traditional methods. Nozzle is an important part of high-speed centrifugal spinning equipment because its length, shape, and diameter all will affect the morphology and quality of nanofiber. It is useful to study the movement and forces of spinning solution in the nozzle. In this article, the principle and equipment structure of high-speed centrifugal spinning are briefly introduced at first. Then the movement and forces of spinning solution are analyzed by establishing parametric model at nozzle. It can be found that the spinning solution is ejected from nozzle when the rotating speed reaches a critical value. The critical rotating speed is inversely proportional to the radius of nozzle and directly proportional to the viscosity of spinning solution. There are several nozzle structures proposed and compared for nozzle optimization. Finally, the effects of nozzle parameters, concentration of spinning solution, and rotational speed on the morphology of nanofiber are verified by high-speed centrifugal spinning experiments. It lays the foundation for optimizing spinning equipment.
Geophysicae The magnetosphere under weak solar wind forcing

The Earth’s magnetosphere was very strongly disturbed during the passage of the strong shock and the following interacting ejecta on 21–25 October 2001. These disturbances included two intense storms ( Dst≈−250 and −180 nT, respectively). The cessation of this activity at the start of 24 October ushered in a peculiar state of the magnetosphere which lasted for about 28 h and which we discuss in this paper. The interplanetary field was dominated by the sunward component [ B=(4.29±0.77, −0.30±0.71, 0.49±0.45) nT]. We analyze global indicators of geomagnetic disturbances, polar cap precipitation, ground magnetometer records, and ionospheric convection as obtained from SuperDARN radars. The state of the magnetosphere is characterized by the following features: (i) generally weak and patchy (in time) low-latitude dayside reconnection or reconnection poleward of the cusps; (ii) absence of substorms; (iii) a monotonic recovery from the previous storm activity (Dst corrected for magnetopause currents decreasing from ∼−65 to∼−35 nT), giving an unforced decreased of ∼1.1 nT/h; (iv) the probable absence of viscous-type interaction originating from the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability; (v) a cross-polar cap potential of just 20–30 kV; (vi) a persistent, polar cap region containing (vii) very weak, and sometimes absent, electron precipitation and no systematic inter-hemisphere asymmetry. Whereas we therefore infer the presence of a moderate amount of open flux, the convection is generally weak and patchy, which we ascribe to the lack of solar wind driver. This magnetospheric state approaches that predicted by Cowley and Lockwood (1992) but has never yet been observed.
Degree of Matching and Gain in Power and Efficiency in Case-Control Studies

Frequency matching can be used to increase the precision and power of case-control studies. Unmatched and frequency-matched designs are only two distinct possibilities of control selection in a continuum regarding the frequency of the matching factor in controls. We assessed the power and efficiency of case-control studies under a variety of assumptions regarding the prevalence and the effects of the matching factor and the exposure of interest as well as their association in the population. For each set of parameters, we simulated 10,000 case-control studies varying the degree of matching, that is, the proportion of the matching factor in selected controls over a wide range including the proportion in cases (matched design) and the population (unmatched design) as two special options. Traditional frequency matching increased the precision and power in most scenarios, but most of the gain was often achieved by incomplete (less than perfect) matching. Even greater gains were sometimes observed by increasing the prevalence of the matching factor in controls above the one in cases. In the scenarios assessed, perfect matching was neither necessary nor the optimum degree of matching in many circumstances. It might be worthwhile to evaluate the optimum degree of matching for specific settings in the design of case-control studies.
Bounding Surface Flaw Configuration Susceptible to Stress Corrosion Cracking Under Welding Residual Stress in a Multiple-Purpose Canister

The part-through-wall crack perpendicular to the circumferential weld on the outside surface of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) multiple-purpose canister (MPC) can be shown to be the most limiting fracture configuration driven by the welding residual stress (WRS). A series of semi-elliptical cracks of various sizes is chosen to calculate the stress intensity factors ( K ) under a bounding residual stress (i.e., the stress distribution that bounds all WRS in a canister). The threshold stress intensity factor ( K ISCC ) of the canister material in the storage environment is used to determine a critical flaw size, below which the stress corrosion cracking would be unlikely to take place. This result can be considered as the flaw disposition criterion should a surface flaw be detected during the inservice inspection as required
Efficacy of ketamine in anesthetic dosage for the treatment of refractory complex regional pain syndrome: an open-label phase II study.

OBJECTIVE Advanced complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) remains very difficult to treat. While subanesthetic low-dose ketamine has shown promise in early localized CRPS, its use in advanced CRPS has not been as effective. Since ketamine's analgesic potency and duration of effect in neuropathic pain are directly dose-dependant, we investigated the efficacy of ketamine in anesthetic dosage in refractory CRPS patients that had failed available standard therapies. METHODS Twenty ASA I-III patients suffering from refractory CRPS received ketamine in anesthetic dosage over 5 days. Outcome criteria were pain relief, effect on the movement disorder, quality of life, and ability to work at baseline and up to 6 months following treatment. RESULTS Significant pain relief was observed at 1, 3, and 6 months following treatment (93.5 +/- 11.1%, 89.4 +/- 17.0%, 79.3 +/- 25.3%; P < 0.001). Complete remission from CRPS was observed at 1 month in all patients, at 3 months in 17, and at 6 months in 16 patients. If relapse occurred, significant pain relief was still attained at 3 and 6 months (59.0 +/- 14.7%, P < 0.004; 50.2 +/- 10.6%, P < 0.002). Quality of life, the associated movement disorder, and the ability to work significantly improved in the majority of patients at 3 and 6 months. CONCLUSIONS This open-label trial suggests benefit in pain reduction, associated CRPS symptoms, improved quality of life and ability to work following anesthetic ketamine in previously refractory CRPS patients. However, a randomized controlled trial will be necessary to prove its efficacy.
Indoor navigation system for visually impaired

One of the most important limitations for people with visual impairment is the inability of unassisted navigation and orientation in unfamiliar buildings. An low-cost indoor navigation system, which is based on mobile terminals, supporting technology Near Field Communication (NFC), and Java program access to Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, is developed. The proposed navigation system enables users to imagine the map of the rooms (dimensions, relative position of points of interest). This information is stored in RFID tags in WAP Binary eXtensible Markup Language (WBXML) format. The system allows leaving audio messages that are recorded in RFID tags in Adaptive Multi Rate (AMR) format. Voice enabled navigation, that is familiar to users with visual disabilities, is used.