Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using a cryptographic authentication protocol for the secure control of a robot over TCP/IP

The paper deals with the implementation of an authentication protocol, based on cryptographic techniques, that is used in the communication necessary for the control of a mobile robot over a public network. The robot is connected via an 802.11 wireless network to a local computer; however the control of the robot is done from a remote host over TCP/IP and in this way the information involved in the control scenario may be exposed to several security risks. The application fits in the context of a remote controlled system and the interest in using cryptographic techniques in this area has drastically increased in the last years. Instead of using standardized solutions, such as the SSL, we use as a new approach an authentication protocol based on one-way chains. The advantage of this approach is that only simple cryptographic primitives, such as hash functions and message authentication codes, are needed. Experimental results are presented, and the results show that it is feasible to use such a protocol since transfer rates and computational overhead are kept at the desired level for the control scenario.
Microsatellite Based Phylogeny and Bottleneck Studies of Iranian Indigenous Goat Populations

Genetic analyses, structure, and bottlenecks were examined in six populations of Iranian indigenous goat using 13 microsatellite loci. The overall heterozygosity, polymorphism information content (PIC), and Shannon index values were 0.80, 0.74, and 2.14, respectively, indicating high genetic diversity. Both a phylogenetic tree and factorial correspondence analysis grouped the populations into two major clusters. Signatures for bottleneck events in the populations were examined by two methods, which suggested that bottlenecks had occurred in two Tali and Markhoz populations, whereas other populations (Raeini, Korki jonobe Khorasan, Lori, and Najdi) showed no signature of a genetic bottleneck in the recent past. The results showed that Iranian goats have high genetic diversity and may be of value to alternative breeding and conservation programs.
Impact of postharvest drying conditions on in vitro starch digestibility and estimated glycemic index of cooked non-waxy long-grain rice (Oryza sativa L.).

BACKGROUND Wet paddy needs to be dried to reduce its moisture content after harvesting. In this study, effects of postharvest drying condition on in vitro starch digestibility and estimated glycemic index of cooked rice (Oryza sativa L.) were investigated. Varying drying conditions, i.e. hot-air drying at 40, 65, 90 and 115 °C, and sun drying were applied to raw paddy. After husking and polishing, polished grains were cooked using an electric rice cooker. Cooked samples were analyzed for their moisture content and amount of resistant and total starch. Five samples in both intact grain and slurry were digested under simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion process. The in vitro starch digestion rate was measured and the hydrolysis index (HI) and estimated glycemic index (eGI) were calculated. RESULTS Cooked rice obtained from hot-air drying showed relatively lower HI and eGI than that obtained from sun-drying. Among samples from hot-air drying treatment, eGI of cooked rice decreased with increasing drying temperature, except for the drying temperature of 115 °C. As a result, cooked rice from the hot-air drying at 90 °C showed lowest eGI. CONCLUSION The results indicated that cooked rice digestibility was affected by postharvest drying conditions. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
Open Versus Laparoscopic Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in Early Stage Cervical Cancer: No Difference in Surgical or Disease Outcome

Objective This study aimed to investigate in a retrospective study the effect of laparoscopic surgery, introduced in our center in 1994 as part of the standard treatment of early stage cervical cancer, on surgical and disease outcomes. Patients and Methods A total of 169 women with cervical carcinoma stage IB1 (n = 150) or IB2 (n = 19) were included in the study. Seventy-six patients who underwent laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND), followed either by open radical hysterectomy (n = 63) or, in case of positive lymph nodes, by primary chemoradiation (n = 13), were compared with an historic cohort of 93 patients who underwent a fully open, traditional Wertheim-Meigs procedure (WM). Recorded clinical characteristics of patients included age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, histologic diagnosis, differentiation grade, tumor diameter, lymph node status, and adjuvant therapy. Operation time; lymph node yield; intraoperative, early, and late complications; site of recurrences; and disease-free and overall survival rates were analyzed and compared between groups. Results Clinical characteristics did not differ between groups. Duration of total surgery time was longer in patients with LPLND followed by open radical hysterectomy compared with that in the WM group (P < 0.001). In patients with negative lymph nodes (n = 129), the number of resected nodes was higher (P = 0.002) in the LPLND (median, 26 nodes; range, 8–55 nodes) than in the WM group (median, 21 nodes; range, 7–50 nodes). In patients with positive lymph nodes (n = 40), no significant difference in the number of resected lymph nodes between the 2 groups (P = 0.904) was found. Intraoperative, early, and late complications did not differ between the 2 surgical procedures. The number of locoregional recurrences, but not of distant metastases, was significantly higher (P = 0.018) in the WM group compared with the LPLND group. No difference in disease-free or disease-specific survival was found between the LPLND and WM group, neither with nor without adjuvant or primary (chemo)radiation. A benefit in disease-free survival (P = 0.044), but not in disease-specific survival (P = 0.070), was found in the LPLND compared with the WM group in those patients who received adjuvant therapy or primary chemoradiation. Conclusions Introduction of a laparoscopic procedure in the surgical staging and treatment of cervical cancer patients did not have a detrimental effect on surgical or disease outcome, and this can be safely applied to the treatment of early stage cervical cancer.
Recursive region segmentation by analysis of histograms

Recursive segmentation of an image into regions using histograms is one of the most widely used techniques for image segmentation. At CMU, several versions of a region segmentation program have been developed based on this technique (Ohlander, Price, Shafer and Kanade). Based on these experiences, this paper discusses issues of recursive region segmentation in the context of PHOENIX, the newest version of region segmentation program, running on a VAX 11/780 under UNIX. The issues discussed in this paper include: Image features to be used in histogramming; comparison of the algorithm with other techniques; important improvements made in PHOENIX over its predecessor (Ohlander and Price); and some inherent problems in histogram-based segmentation together with suggestions for minimizing them. PHOENIX is being incorporated into the ARPA Image Understanding Testbed, under construction at SRI International.
A Molecular Function Map of Ewing's Sarcoma

Background EWS-FLI1 is a chimeric ETS transcription factor that is, due to a chromosomal rearrangement, specifically expressed in Ewing's sarcoma family tumors (ESFT) and is thought to initiate the development of the disease. Previous genomic profiling experiments have identified EWS-FLI1–regulated genes and genes that discriminate ESFT from other sarcomas, but so far a comprehensive analysis of EWS-FLI1–dependent molecular functions characterizing this aggressive cancer is lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings In this study, a molecular function map of ESFT was constructed based on an integrative analysis of gene expression profiling experiments following EWS-FLI1 knockdown in a panel of five ESFT cell lines, and on gene expression data from the same platform of 59 primary ESFT. Out of 80 normal tissues tested, mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPC) were found to fit the hypothesis that EWS-FLI1 is the driving transcriptional force in ESFT best and were therefore used as the reference tissue for the construction of the molecular function map. The interrelations of molecular pathways were visualized by measuring the similarity among annotated gene functions by gene sharing. The molecular function map highlighted distinct clusters of activities for EWS-FLI1 regulated genes in ESFT and revealed a striking difference between EWS-FLI1 up- and down-regulated genes: EWS-FLI1 induced genes mainly belong to cell cycle regulation, proliferation, and response to DNA damage, while repressed genes were associated with differentiation and cell communication. Conclusions/Significance This study revealed that EWS-FLI1 combines by distinct molecular mechanisms two important functions of cellular transformation in one protein, growth promotion and differentiation blockage. By taking MPC as a reference tissue, a significant EWS-FLI1 signature was discovered in ESFT that only partially overlapped with previously published EWS-FLI1–dependent gene expression patterns, identifying a series of novel targets for the chimeric protein in ESFT. Our results may guide target selection for future ESFT specific therapies.
Light-emitting diode based on mask- and catalyst-free grown N-polar GaN nanorods

We report on the fabrication of a light-emitting diode based on GaN nanorods containing InGaN quantum wells. The unique system consists of tilted N-polar nanorods of high crystalline quality. Photoluminescence, electroluminescence, and spatially resolved cathodoluminescence investigations consistently show quantum well emission around 2.6 eV. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements reveal a truncated shape of the quantum wells with In contents of (15 ± 5)%.
The Degrees of Freedom Region of Temporally Correlated MIMO Networks With Delayed CSIT

We consider the temporally correlated multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) broadcast channels (BC) and interference channels (IC) where the transmitter(s) has/have 1) delayed channel state information (CSI) obtained from a latency-prone feedback channel as well as 2) imperfect current CSIT, obtained, e.g., from prediction on the basis of these past channel samples based on the temporal correlation. The degrees of freedom (DoF) regions for the two-user broadcast and interference MIMO networks with general antenna configuration under such conditions are fully characterized, as a function of the prediction quality indicator. Specifically, a simple unified framework is proposed, allowing us to attain optimal DoF region for the general antenna configurations and current CSIT qualities. Such a framework builds upon block-Markov encoding with interference quantization, optimally combining the use of both outdated and instantaneous CSIT. A striking feature of our work is that, by varying the power allocation, every point in the DoF region can be achieved with one single scheme. As a result, instead of checking the achievability of every corner point of the outer bound region, as typically done in the literature, we propose a new systematic way to prove the achievability.
Embedded media markers: marks on paper that signify associated media

Embedded Media Markers, or simply EMMs, are nearly transparent iconic marks printed on paper documents that signify the existence of media associated with that part of the document. EMMs also guide users' camera operations for media retrieval. Users take a picture of an EMM-signified document patch using a cell phone, and the media associated with the EMM-signified document location is displayed on the phone. Unlike bar codes, EMMs are nearly transparent and thus do not interfere with the document appearance. Retrieval of media associated with an EMM is based on image local features of the captured EMM-signified document patch. This paper describes a technique for semi-automatically placing an EMM at a location in a document, in such a way that it encompasses sufficient identification features with minimal disturbance to the original document.
Support and monitoring of families after child abuse detection based on parental characteristics at the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND The 'Hague Protocol' enables professionals at the adult Emergency Department (ED) to detect child abuse based on three parental characteristics: (i) suicide attempt or self-harm, (ii) domestic violence or (iii) substance abuse, and to refer them to the Reporting Centre for Child Abuse and Neglect (RCCAN). This study investigates what had happened to the families three months after this referral. METHOD ED referrals based on parental characteristics (N = 100) in which child abuse was confirmed after investigation by the RCCAN were analysed. Information was collected regarding type of child abuse, reason for reporting, duration of problems prior to the ED referral, previous involvement of support services or other agencies, re-occurrence of the problems and outcome of the RCCAN monitoring according to professionals and the families. RESULTS Of the 100 referred cases, 68 families were already known to the RCCAN, the police or family support services, prior to the ED referral. Of the 99 cases where information was available, existing support was continued or intensified in 31, a Child Protection Services (CPS) report had to be made in 24, new support was organized for 27 cases and in 17 cases support was not necessary, because the domestic problems were already resolved. Even though the RCCAN is mandated to monitor all referred families after three months, 31 cases which were referred internally were not followed up. CONCLUSION Before referral by the ED two thirds of these families were already known to organizations. Monitoring may help provide a better, more sustained service and prevent and resolve domestic problems. A national database could help to link data and to streamline care for victims and families. We recommend a Randomized Controlled Trial to test the effectiveness of this Protocol in combination with the outcomes of the provided family support.
Thermal stability of amorphous sugar matrix, dried from methanol, as an amorphous solid dispersion carrier

Developing a technique to disperse hydrophobic ingredients homogeneously in a water-soluble solid matrix (solid dispersion) is one of the topics that have been extensively investigated in the pharmaceutical and food industries. Recently, we have devised a novel solid dispersion technique (surfactant-free solid dispersion), in which a preliminarily amorphized sugar was dissolved in an organic media containing hydrophobic component, without using any surface active substances, and then vacuum dried into the amorphous solid mixture [Food Chem., 197 (2016) 1136; Mol. Pharm. , 14 (2017) 791]. In this study, the physicochemical properties, especially thermal stability of the surfactant-free amorphous solid dispersion, were investigated. keywords: solid dispersion; amorphous sugar; surfactant-free; vacuum drying; glass transition temperature
The height production function from birth to early adulthood

In this paper I study the determinants of height from birth to early adulthood in the Philippines. In order to do that, I specify a height production function. The structure of the production function allows height to be the result of the accumulation of inputs over time. I use a rich longitudinal data set on Filipino children born in 1983 and followed for more than 20 years. The results show that inputs from conception to birth are relevant at each age of the children. Nutrition inputs have a positive effect on the child's height, with similar effects across ages. The shorter the distance between the age when the nutrition input is applied and the age when height is measured, the higher the impact on height. The earlier disease inputs are experienced, the larger their negative effect on height. The older the child, the stronger the effects of past diseases. Thus my paper provides evidence on the importance of early life events also for final height.
Policy Evaluation With Dynamic Context Handling ( Extended Abstract )

In collaborative service-based health data sharing environments, participating services may host different sets of data about the same individuals, identified by some common properties. Each organization in such environments (e.g., testing labs, research institutes, etc.) manages it’s data access and usage through a specialized Web service end point through which users can submit queries. For instance, the Bio2RDF project incorporates data from several ontologies (e.g., NCBIGene,PharmKGB, DrugBank, CDT, and GeneCDS) using RDF (as a universal healthcare exchange language). Each repository defines an ontology (in OWL format) of all the concepts that can be searched for in a user’s query. OWL defines classes as a generic concept of individuals (e.g., Patient) and data type properties to link individuals of those classes to their data values (e.g., hasDisease). PharmGKB repository, for example, can be identified by the set of data type properties (drug, disease, gene, etc.) defined on the set of classes (Dosage, Drug, DrugGeneAssociations, etc.). To query instances in those repositories, a user submit different queries through SPARQL endpoints dedicated for each service. In each query, he can can ask for different data type properties by which those instances are identified. Several privacy issues may arise in such environments. First, transforming such data sets into semantic data makes data linkage easier and machine processable. Second, dynamic composition of different data items (retrieved through participating Web services) may be misused by adversaries to reveal sensitive information, which was not deemed as such by the data owner at the time of data collection. For instance, a Clinical service may store the data items (Age, Gender,., patientStatus), a Genomic service may store (Age, Gender, .,Gene, SNP) ), and a Demographic service may store (Age, Gender, ., Employer, Address). Atomically, these data items may not reveal personally identifiable information, but linking those items may lead to unintended breach of privacy. Thus, the patient’s consent that is statically defined in a privacy policy may not be enough for data disclosure. These issues call for a privacy management solution that is, dynamic, contextsensitive, and semantic-based. Several researchers have provided enhancements to the performance of XACML PEP, such as efficiency, scalability, and adaptation [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], but few works provided enhancements to the PEP accuracy by enhancing the context handler. This work focus on enhancing the XACML PEP component accuracy by adding dynamic context handling. Few researchers have looked into dynamic policy evaluation as opposed to static policies [6]. Others have proposed context-aware privacy management systems [7], [8], [9], [10]. Our work is different from previous approaches for dynamic privacy management in that it does not dynamically update the original policy definitions, but implicitly incorporate context into rule evaluation. They also regulate rather than prevent the data access.
Autoimmunity and Age-related Macular Degeneration: A Review of the Literature

There is an increased prevalence of neurodegenerative disease in elderly populations (1). Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are only a few examples of disease more frequently observed in elderly populations. Common to each of these processes is histological and serological evidence supporting a role for chronic inflammation in disease pathogenesis (1). For example, activated clumps of microglia have been found on senile plaques of AD(aging). Elevated blood levels of acute phase reactants, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), can also be observed in AD (1). Similarly, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) often presents late in life and has histopathological features that suggest soluble and cellular mediators of inflammation play a role in disease pathogenesis. The clinical hallmarks of AMD include subretinal deposits or drusen, retinal pigment epithelium proliferation, migration and detachment, chorioretinal atrophy and choroidal neovascular membranes (Figure 1). These features of AMD have been extensively studied and described by ophthalmologists for over 150 years (2). Furthermore, multiple authors have identified potential risk factors associated with AMD including white race, female gender, family history of AMD, cigarette smoking, cardiovascular disease, hyperopia, and light irides (3,4). Today most of these potential risk factors are well known to physicians and patients alike. However researchers are still attempting to identify a unified pathoetiology that produces the classic AMD phenotypes. The results of more recent investigations suggest that early and advanced findings in AMD may be largely influenced by both the systemic and local inflammatory responses (2, 5). Although there exact roles are unknown, complement, pentraxins, dendritic and lymphocytic cell lines have been implicated in AMD disease pathogenesis (5). While these soluble and cellular immune elements observed in AMD tissues may be recruited secondarily, many authors have proposed that these immune elements have a demonstrated capacity for primary, autoreactive or autoantigenic attack in subretinal tissues (6,7). In this paper we present a review of the medical literature that identifies the potential pathoetiological role for autoimmune inflammation in the development of early and advanced AMD stages.
Fear of Floating

Many emerging market countries have suffered financial crises. One view blames soft pegs for these crises. Adherents to that view suggest that countries move to corner solutions--hard pegs or floating exchange rates. We analyze the behavior of exchange rates, reserves, and interest rates to assess whether there is evidence that country practice is moving toward corner solutions. We focus on whether countries that claim they are floating are indeed doing so. We find that countries that say they allow their exchange rate to float mostly do not--there seems to be an epidemic case of “fear of floating. ”
A comparison between a matrix-based and a region-based P300 speller paradigms for brain-computer interface

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system that conveys messages and commands directly from the human brain to a computer. The BCI system described in this work is based on P300 wave. The P300 is a positive peak of an event-related potential (ERP) that happens 300 ms after a stimulus. One of the most well-known and widely-used P300 applications is P300 speller designed by Farwell-Donchin in 1988. The Farwell-Donchin paradigm has been a benchmark in P300 BCI. In this paradigm, a 6x6 matrix of letters and numbers is displayed and subject focuses on a target character while rows and columns of characters flash. By detecting P300 for one row and one column, the target character can be identified. In this paper, it is shown that there is a human perceptual error in Farwell-Donchin paradigm. To remove this error, a new region-based paradigm is presented. Using experimental results, it is shown that the new paradigm has several advantages and it achieves a better accuracy compared to the Farwell-Donchin paradigm.