Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accountable File Indexing against DDoS Attacks in Peer-to-Peer Networks

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are vulnerable from malicious attacks by anonymous users. By populating unprotected peers with poisoned file indices, the attacker can launch a poisoning DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks on any host in the network. We solve this security problem with identity-based signatures contained in file indexes to establish peer accountability. We prove that index accountability can effectively block index-poisoning DDoS attacks in any open P2P environment. A new Accountable Indexing Protocol (AIP) is proposed to enforce peer accountability. This protocol is applicable to all P2P file-sharing networks, either structured or unstructured. The system allows gradual transition of peers to become AIP-enabled. We develop an analytical model to characterize the poison propagation patterns. The poisoning model is validated by simulated AIP experiments on large-scale P2P networks over one million of peer nodes.
Early treatment of a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure to prevent recurrence.

BACKGROUND The question of whether to start antiepileptic treatment after a single unprovoked seizure remains controversial and has been the subject of much debate in the relevant literature. OBJECTIVES To determine the rate of recurrence of a second attack after a single unprovoked epileptic seizure by using 2 study groups of treated and untreated patients and, thus, to establish a treatment policy for these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS A group of 91 patients with a single generalized tonic-clonic seizure were prospectively studied; 87 of these patients completed the study. The end point of the study was 36 months after the single attack or the occurrence of a subsequent epileptic attack. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups; 45 patients who immediately received anticonvulsive treatment and 42 who remained untreated for the follow-up period. Patients in the treated group were given monotherapy with carbamazepine. The results of recurrences were statistically analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Results indicated a significantly higher percentage of seizure-free patients in the treated group compared with that in the untreated group (P = .001). The treated men were proved to be less at risk for recurrent seizures compared with treated women (P < .001 vs P = .03, respectively). CONCLUSION Treatment after a single unprovoked seizure leads to a significant reduction in the risk of relapse of generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy.
Tile format: A novel frame compatible approach for 3D video broadcasting

The success of the 3D TV broadcasting service largely depends on the technical, economical and user experience aspects. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that one of the keys for the successful deployment of 3D TV is the offer of a service which permits a seamless transition to 3D by exploiting the existing infrastructure and guaranteeing 2D backward compatibility towards legacy receivers, whilst only requiring a moderate increase in the transmission bandwidth. To this end, the DVB has just drafted the first phase of the 3D TV specification and has selected a number of frame compatible format arrangements for the multiplexing of 3D in a standard video sequence. In this paper we propose the novel Tile Format frame compatible arrangement and analyze its advantages over other existing solutions in terms of both image quality and backward compatibility. Furthermore, we detail a real 3D TV broadcasting trial which is currently being conducted in our country and is based upon the proposed video format.
Supervisory Model Predictive Control for Optimal Energy Management of Networked Smart Greenhouses Integrated Microgrid

This paper presents a novel high-level centralized control scheme for a smart network of greenhouses integrated microgrid (NGIM) forming a smart small power grid in the context of smart grids. The main purpose is to present an innovative control strategy-based coordinated model predictive control (MPC) that considers fluctuations of stochastic renewable sources as well as weather conditions. A comprehensive finite-horizon scheduling optimization model is formulated to optimally control the operation of the NGIM, which integrates both forecasts and newly updated information collected from the available sensors at the network level. The model can be implemented as a supervisory control and energy management system for the NGIM to manipulate the indoor climate and optimize the crop production. The cooperation is reached through a bidirectional communication infrastructure, where a master central controller is available at the network level and is in charge of coordinating and managing various control signals. An MPC-based algorithm is used for the future operation scheduling of all subsystems available in the NGIM. The MPC strategy is tested through a case study where the influences of climate data on the operation of the NGIM are analyzed via numerical results. Note to Practitioners—Under the smart grid paradigm, smart greenhouses can be taken as an alternative that can mitigate and face the development challenges of the agricultural sector. Smart greenhouses can be considered as active players that may play a key role in modernizing the agriculture by offering viable and new smart management solutions, advanced control strategies, and innovative decision-support tools, whose objective is to better support growers, investors, and professionals. Smart network of greenhouses integrated microgrid (NGIM) can play an increasing role in enhancing the sustainable energy supply in the agricultural sector. In addition, the incorporation of new information and communication technologies, advanced metering infrastructure, and optimal control strategies can support the agricultural sector to meet an increasing number of regulations on quality and environment. In this paper, a comprehensive scheduling optimization model-based MPC that considers fluctuations of stochastic renewable sources, as well as weather conditions, is formulated to optimally control the operation of the NGIM. We developed and validated an intelligent control and management system-based MPC algorithm for a NGIM that may be considered as a practical solution to mitigate and address the development challenges and support the transition to precision and sustainable agriculture as well as the modernization of the agriculture.
A scalable key distribution scheme for conditional access system in digital pay-TV system

Conditional access system (CAS) is the essential basis of a digital pay-TV system, which is used to prevent unauthorized access to audio/video data and ensure the benefit of the service providers. In the CAS, key distribution is an essential part, whether the distribution scheme succeeding or not can directly affect the security of the CAS. In this paper, based on four-level key hierarchy, a new key distribution scheme based on grouping access control for conditional access system in digital pay-TV system is presented, in which we adopt the new scheme to generate and distribute authorization key and group key more efficiently. Our key distribution scheme can greatly reduce computation overhead and the complexity while providing higher security. Moreover, the proposed scheme is scalable in processing joining and leaving of subscribers, which makes service provider easy to manage the subscribers dynamically. In the end, we analyze the security and performance of the proposed scheme and compare it with other schemes. It shows that our proposed scheme is efficient and suitable for a digital pay-TV system which can provide both PPC and PPV services and is feasible for practical application.
5G Millimeter-Wave Phased-Array Transceiver: System Considerations and Circuit Implementations

In this paper, system considerations and circuit implementations for 5G millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) phasedarray transceiver are presented. High data-rate and mediumrange communications pose challenges for the design of phased-array transceiver circuits operating at the mm-Wave band. A possible solution is that the core chip for digital, mixed-signal and RF processing blocks are integrated in advanced CMOS, while power amplifier (PA), low-noise amplifier (LNA) and RF switch are implemented in III-V technologies (i.e., GaAs or GaN). To show the feasibility of such system architecture, key building blocks include high power amplifier (HPA), broadband LNA, amplitude-invariant phase shifter and phase-invariant variable gain amplifier (VGA) are reviewed. The proposed techniques make the mm-Wave phased-array transceiver systems suitable for 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) applications.
Modeling cooperative business processes and transformation to a service oriented architecture

The definition and implementation of inter-department and inter-enterprise value chains requires the integration of staff and organisational units as well as the technological integration of involved IT systems. While for simple document-based standard processes suitable solutions already exist, a continuous methodology to model cooperative inter-organisational business processes and their transformation to adequate IT architectures is still missing. Objective of this paper is to develop a modeling methodology for selected classes of typical cooperation problems. Considering a cooperative service scenario as example, this methodology is described in detail and evaluated.
Feasibility of megavoltage portal CT using an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) and a multi-level scheme algebraic reconstruction technique (MLS-ART)

Although electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) are efficient tools for radiation therapy verification, they only provide images of overlapped anatomic structures. We investigated using a fluorescent screen/CCD-based EPID, coupled with a novel multi-level scheme algebraic reconstruction technique (MLS-ART), for a feasibility study of portal computed tomography (CT) reconstructions. The CT images might be useful for radiation treatment planning and verification. We used an EPID, set it to work at the linear dynamic range and collimated 6 MV photons from a linear accelerator to a slit beam of 1 cm wide and 25 cm long. We performed scans under a total of monitor units (MUs) for several phantoms in which we varied the number of projections and MUs per projection. The reconstructed images demonstrated that using the new MLS-ART technique megavoltage portal CT with a total of 200 MUs can achieve a contrast detectibility of (object size mm) and a spatial resolution of 2.5 mm.
On-off body performance of a multiband antenna for wireless health monitoring

Performance of a multiband antenna for on/off body applications is evaluated and analysed in this paper. This compact microstrip patch antenna employs a combination of two rings and semi-circular slot to generate multiband resonances. Overall size of the antenna is 50 x 50 mm2. The presented results show that this compact multiband antenna operates excellently in the vicinity of the human body making it a potential contender for wireless health monitoring systems providing simultaneous data transmission/reception at at- least three distinct frequency bands.
Effects of pioglitazone on intramyocellular fat metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CONTEXT Lipotoxicity (increased tissue fat content) has been implicated in the development of muscle insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). OBJECTIVE The aim was to study the effect of pioglitazone on intramyocellular fat metabolism. RESEARCH DESIGN Twenty-four T2DM subjects (glycosylated hemoglobin = 8.3 +/- 0.4%) participated in three similar study protocols before and after 4 months of 45 mg/d pioglitazone treatment: 1) 3-h euglycemic insulin (80 mU/m(2) . min) clamp with measurement of intramyocellular fat with proton nuclear magnetic resonance; 2) vastus lateralis muscle biopsy for measurement of LC-FACoAs 60 min before start of the insulin clamp; and 3) muscle biopsy for measurement of diacylglycerol 60 min before start of the insulin clamp. RESULTS In all three protocols, pioglitazone similarly reduced (all P < 0.05) the glycosylated hemoglobin (Delta = 0.8-1.2%), fasting plasma glucose (39-76 mg/dl), fasting free fatty acid (132-236 mumol/liter), and increased insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (by 25-56%). Intramyocellular fat (protocol I) declined from 1.5 to 0.9% (P < 0.05) and correlated with the increase in glucose disposal rate (r = 0.65; P < 0.05). Long chain-fatty acyl-coenzyme A decreased from 12.5 to 8.1 nmol/g (P < 0.05) and correlated with the increase in disposal rate (r = 0.76; P < 0.05). Pioglitazone therapy had no effect on muscle diacylglycerol content. CONCLUSIONS Pioglitazone improves insulin resistance in T2DM in association with mobilization of fat and toxic lipid metabolites out of muscle.
You can't see what I can see: Examining the campus leadership experiences of Black female graduate students at a predominantly White institution

The number of Black female graduate students withdrawing from predominantly White institutions (PWIs) continues to rise each year due to negative campus experiences with race and gender. One of the ways in which some institutions have addressed these issues is by providing more opportunities for graduate student engagement. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the campus leadership experiences of Black female graduate students at a PWI. Four doctoral student participants were able to provide rich narratives of their individual communities, early and undergraduate years of student leadership, and experiences as graduate student leaders. Participants identified a personal artifact that symbolized who they are as Black female student leaders. Participants also shared that they were greatly influenced by peers to become a part of campus organizations and due to the influence of Black female family and community members. Once engaged in campus clubs and organizations, participants cited negative encounters with peers, faculty, and administrators regarding their race and gender. Alternatively, participants also reported having positive interactions within campus community. The study’s findings revealed that interactions via campus leaderships significantly improved their overall experiences. The findings are relevant for higher education administrators involved in administering services and resources for graduate students. Additional research is needed to discover the campus leadership experiences of master’s degree students as well as the campus leadership experiences of Black female graduate students at other institutional types.
An EIoT system designed for ecological and environmental management of the Xianghe Segment of China’s Grand Canal

ABSTRACT Ecological and environmental protection of the Xianghe Segment of China’s Grand Canal (XSCGC) has gained increasing attention. The Xianghe Segment is located in a highly urbanized area, and it is imperative to promote the environmental quality of this region. Application of the Environmental Internet of Things (EIoT) can greatly improve the performance and effectiveness of ecological and environmental management. In this study, we propose and describe an ecological and environmental management system based on EIoT to monitor canal construction. This system includes a digital management platform and an environmental early warning platform, which monitor and manage water resources, soil–plant biodiversity, waste production, and energy use in real time. Based on a regional analysis of the construction plan and environmental and anthropogenic factors, the key monitoring areas were determined and the spatial distribution of the EIoT sensing layer was arranged. The construction of EIoT should be carried out in three stages to effectively monitor the ecology and environment of the study region. The application of landsenses ecology to the EIoT system will help improve ecological planning.
Prior Knowledge of Object Associations Shapes Attentional Templates and Information Acquisition

Studies on attentional selection typically use unpredictable and meaningless stimuli, such as simple shapes and oriented lines. The assumption is that using these stimuli minimizes effects due to learning or prior knowledge, such that the task performance indexes a “pure” measure of the underlying cognitive ability. However, prior knowledge of the test stimuli and related stimuli acquired before or during the task impacts performance in meaningful ways. This mini review focuses on prior knowledge of object associations, because it is an important, yet often ignored, aspect of attentional selection. We first briefly review recent studies demonstrating that how objects are selected during visual search depends on the participant’s prior experience with other objects associated with the target. These effects appear with both task-relevant and task-irrelevant knowledge. We then review how existing object associations may influence subsequent learning of new information, which is both a driver and a consequence of selection processes. These insights highlight the importance of one aspect of prior knowledge for attentional selection and information acquisition. We briefly discuss how this work with young adults may inform other age groups throughout the lifespan, as learners gradually increase their prior knowledge. Importantly, these insights have implications for developing more accurate measurements of cognitive abilities.
Association between central venous pressure and blood loss during hepatic resection in 984 living donors

Background: Although low central venous pressure (CVP) anesthesia has been used to minimize blood loss during hepatectomy, the efficacy of this technique remains controversial. We therefore assessed the association between blood loss and CVP during hepatic resection, and examined significant determinants associated with intraoperative hemorrhage during hepatectomy in living donors.
Quiet T1-Weighted Pointwise Encoding Time Reduction with Radial Acquisition for Assessing Myelination in the Pediatric Brain

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: T1-weighted pointwise encoding time reduction with radial acquisition (PETRA) sequences require limited gradient activity and allow quiet scanning. We aimed to assess the usefulness of PETRA in pediatric brain imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included consecutive pediatric patients who underwent both MPRAGE and PETRA. The contrast-to-noise and contrast ratios between WM and GM were compared in the cerebellar WM, internal capsule, and corpus callosum. The degree of myelination was rated by using 4-point scales at each of these locations plus the subcortical WM in the anterior frontal, anterior temporal, and posterior occipital lobes. Two radiologists made all assessments, and the intra- and interrater agreement was calculated by using intraclass correlation coefficients. Acoustic noise on MPRAGE and PETRA was measured. RESULTS: We included 56 patients 5 days to 14 years of age (mean age, 36.6 months) who underwent both MPRAGE and PETRA. The contrast-to-noise and contrast ratios for PETRA were significantly higher than those for MPRAGE (P < .05), excluding the signal ratio for cerebellar WM. Excellent intra- and interrater agreement were obtained for myelination at all locations except the cerebellar WM. The acoustic noise on PETRA (58.2 dB[A]) was much lower than that on MPRAGE (87.4 dB[A]). CONCLUSIONS: PETRA generally showed better objective imaging quality without a difference in subjective image-quality evaluation and produced much less acoustic noise compared with MPRAGE. We conclude that PETRA can substitute for MPRAGE in pediatric brain imaging.
Platelet activity, sensitivity to agonist, and platelet-leukocyte conjugate formation after long-term exercise

For rehabilitation training it is recommended that the intensity of exercise should be distinctly below the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT). We investigated platelet activity, reactivity and platelet-leukocyte conjugate formation following a stardardized treadmill (TR) ergometer test at 90% IAT for 60-120 min. Seventeen healthy male non-smokers underwent TR. Blood samples were taken after a 30-min rest, immediately after exercise, and 2 h after exercise completion. Platelets were detected flow cytometrically by CD41 in whole blood, activated platelets by CD62P. In addition, stimulation of platelets in vitro with 7.5 w M TRAP-6 was performed. For testing platelet-leukocyte conjugates, antibodies against CD45 and CD41 were used. After TR the percent of non-stimulated CD62P-positive platelets (%PC) remained unchanged (1.65 - 0.56 to 1.73 - 0.79%PC) (mean - SD). In contrast, an increase ( P <0.05) from 31.9 - 13.5 to 37.4 - 15.0 %PC in CD62P, TRAP-6 stimulated and enhanced (P<0.01) platelet-leukocyte conjugates (11.7 - 3.7 to 16.1 - 6.9, CD41-%PC) after TR were observed. Both changes were independent of thrombin generation measured by F1+2 and TAT, and reversible after 2 h. Long-term exercise (90% IAT) on a treadmill ergometer only leads to a moderate increase of platelet reactivity and platelet-leukocyte conjugates. The determination of platelet-leukocyte conjugates may offer the possibility to detect an early activation stage of platelets in vivo .
Extracellular Biotransformation of β‐Endorphin in Rat Striatum and Cerebrospinal Fluid

Numerous studies have investigated the behavioural effects of β‐endorphin, both endogenous and exogenously applied. However, the potential for biotransformation of β‐endorphin in the extracellular space of the brain has not been previously directly addressed in vivo. Utilising microinfusion/microdialysis and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry, we investigated β‐endorphin biotransformation in the striatum of rats. We infused 1.0 nmol β‐endorphin into the striatum of adult male Fischer rats and observed rapid cleavage resulting in β‐endorphin 1–18, as well as several fragments resulting from further N‐terminal degradation. In vitro studies with incubation of full‐length β‐endorphin, with and without protease inhibitors, in the incubation fluid of isolated striatal slices indicate that β‐endorphin is initially cleaved predominantly at the Phe18‐Lys19, position, as well as at the Leu17‐Phe18 position. Investigations of cerebrospinal fluid revealed similar enzymatic cleavage of β‐endorphin. The observed pattern of cleavage sites (Phe18‐Lys19 and Leu17‐Phe18) is consistent with published in vitro studies of purified insulin‐degrading enzyme cleavage of β‐endorphin. The binding affinities of full‐length β‐endorphin, as well as previously identified β‐endorphin fragments α‐endorphin (β‐endorphin 1–16) and γ‐endorphin (β‐endorphin 1–17), and the fragment identified in the present study, β‐endorphin 1–18, at heterologously expressed μ, δ and κ‐opioid receptors, respectively, were determined; the affinity of the truncation fragments is reduced at each of the receptors compared to the affinity of full length β‐endorphin.
Choice of location, growth and welfare with unequal pollution exposures

AbstractWe develop an endogenous growth model with human capital accumulation in which firms are polluting and heterogeneous individuals must decide, among other things, where to live. The main idea is that pollution is unequally spread across geographical locations, inducing a trade-off for individuals between environmental quality and leisure. In such economy, we show that a better environmental quality and/or a greater degree of inequality lead individuals to favour cleaner locations which, in turn, boosts long-term growth. Welfare-wise, we find that, in general, individuals prefer a greater level of consumption and leisure but lower growth and environmental quality than those which are possible to achieve. Moreover, we show that the sign of the impact of inequality on environmental quality is likely to be negative.