Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
End-to-end transparent transport-layer security for Internet-integrated mobile sensing devices

End-to-end communications with Internet-integrated sensing devices will contribute to the enabling of many of the envisioned IoT applications. Communication technologies with this purpose are currently being designed based on the 6LoWPAN adaptation layer, and of particular interest is CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol). The support of security in end-to-end CoAP communications with mobile Internet-integrated sensing devices is currently a challenge, in particular because of the high cost of performing ECC computations in constrained wireless sensing devices. Other important aspects to consider are the incompatibility of end-to-end security with CoAP proxies and the usage of mobile sensing devices. The mechanisms described in the article offer a practical solution to the previous challenges. We propose a transparently mediated DTLS handshake with mutual authentication and mobility support, with the goal of releasing constrained sensing devices from the burden of having to support costly ECC computations. We employ pre-shared key authentication in sensing devices, together with an authentication protocol for mutual authentication and confidentiality in the WSN side of end-to-end communications. From our experimental evaluation on the impact of the proposed mechanisms on the energy and computational effort required from sensing devices, we are able to verify that the proposed approach is viable in various usage scenarios. Overall, the proposed approach works transparently for the applications running on the Internet clients and sensor devices. It is our goal that, with the proposed mechanisms, distributed IoT applications may benefit from pervasive and transparent end-to-end security, irrespective of the static or mobile nature of the sensing devices employed. Ours is, as far as our knowledge goes, the first proposal with such goals.
Development of gold stents for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms: an experimental study in a canine model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Gold has often been used in medicine because of its radiopacity and flexibility. To perform stent-supported coil embolization of intracranial aneurysms, we prepared a gold stent and examined its flexibility, radiopacity, and thrombogenic properties in comparison with a stainless steel device implanted in vitro and in vivo. METHODS Gold stents were prepared by plating gold on stainless steel stents as a template. Their mechanical properties and trackability in vitro were determined and compared with those of stainless steel stents of the same design. Twenty gold stents and two stainless steel stents were implanted in canine external carotid, vertebral, and renal arteries, as a muscle branch of the maxillary arteries, to examine their performance in vivo. RESULTS The gold stent exhibited much less radial force and greater flexibility than the stainless steel stent. It also demonstrated superior trackability and radiopacity in the experimental endovascular procedures in canines. Histologic examination showed good patency of the stented artery with slight endothelial hypertrophy. CONCLUSION Although there is still room for more radial strength, less influence on intimal hypertrophy, a more suitable flexibility, and a smoother surface, the superior trackability and radiopacity of gold stents seem to support use of this device for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.
A Flexible Approach to Identifying and Evaluating Response to Intervention (RTI) for Students Who Are and Are Not Verbally Gifted and Do and Do not have Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs)

A Flexible Approach to Identifying and Evaluating Response to Intervention (RTI) for Students Who Are and Are Not Verbally Gifted and Do and Do Not Have Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs) Ruby Dawn Lyman Chair of Supervisory Committee: Dr. Virginia W. Berninger, Professor Learning Sciences & Human Cognition This dissertation research was grounded in a sizable body of research on identification of students who are gifted, who have specific learning disabilities (SLDs), and who are both gifted and have SLDs, which is referred to as twice exceptional. Four groups of students were compared: those who are gifted with SLDs, those who are gifted without SLDs, those who are average with SLDs, and those who are average without SLDs. Study 1 compared groups two at a time on their learning profiles (achievement on normed measures of reading, writing, and oral language) and their phenotype profiles (normed measures of working memory components supporting learning). Study 2Examined whether each of these groups responded differently to computerized instruction for reading and writing, which is referred to as response to intervention (RTI). Prior research showing that twice exceptional students may score higher on learning profiles but not on phenotype files when compared to average students with SLDs was replicated. A new finding was that gifted students without SLDs achieve at level commensurate with their verbal giftedness but twice exceptional achieve at average level on learning profiles. Comparison of learning and phenotyping profiles was more informative than the RTI approach for group data. The conclusion is that flexible approaches are needed to identify SLDs, both in those who are and are not gifted. These approaches should consider normed measures of reading and writing achievement and phenotype measures of the biological bases of SLDs. Additionally, teacher and parent reported current and past learning histories and response to classroom instruction should also be considered in planning, implementing, and monitoring instructional programs for all students.
Estimation of the characteristic energy of electron precipitation

Abstract. Data from simultaneous observations (on 13 February 1996, 9 November 1998, and 12 February 1999) with the IRIS, DASI and EISCAT systems are employed in the study of the energy distribution of the electron precipitation during substorm activity. The estimation of the characteristic energy of the electron precipitation over the common field of view of IRIS and DASI is discussed. In particular, we look closely at the physical basis of the correspondence between the characteristic energy, the flux-averaged energy, as defined below, and the logarithm of the ratio of the green-light intensity to the square of absorption. This study expands and corrects results presented in the paper by Kosch et al. (2001). It is noticed, moreover, that acceleration associated with diffusion processes in the magnetosphere long before precipitation may be controlling the shape of the energy spectrum. We propose and test a "mixed" distribution for the energy-flux spectrum, exponential at the lower energies and Maxwellian or modified power-law at the higher energies, with a threshold energy separating these two regimes. The energy-flux spectrum at Tromso, in the 1–320 keV range, is derived from EISCAT electron density profiles in the 70–140 km altitude range and is applied in the "calibration" of the optical intensity and absorption distributions, in order to extrapolate the flux and characteristic energy maps. Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; particle precipitation; particle acceleration)
Anti-GM1 Antibodies Cause Complement-Mediated Disruption of Sodium Channel Clusters in Peripheral Motor Nerve Fibers

Voltage-gated Na+ (Nav) channels are highly concentrated at nodes of Ranvier in myelinated axons and facilitate rapid action potential conduction. Autoantibodies to gangliosides such as GM1 have been proposed to disrupt nodal Nav channels and lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune neuropathy characterized by acute limb weakness. To test this hypothesis, we examined the molecular organization of nodes in a disease model caused by immunization with gangliosides. At the acute phase with progressing limb weakness, Nav channel clusters were disrupted or disappeared at abnormally lengthened nodes concomitant with deposition of IgG and complement products. Paranodal axoglial junctions, the nodal cytoskeleton, and Schwann cell microvilli, all of which stabilize Nav channel clusters, were also disrupted. The nodal molecules disappeared in lesions with complement deposition but no localization of macrophages. During recovery, complement deposition at nodes decreased, and Nav channels redistributed on both sides of affected nodes. These results suggest that Nav channel alterations occur as a consequence of complement-mediated disruption of interactions between axons and Schwann cells. Our findings support the idea that acute motor axonal neuropathy is a disease that specifically disrupts the nodes of Ranvier.
Three-Dimensional Probabilistic Atlas of the Human Orbitofrontal Sulci in Standardized Stereotaxic Space

A quantitative analysis of the variability of human orbitofrontal anatomical landmarks is required if one is to describe properly the location of functional or structural changes within this brain region. The present study investigated the orbitofrontal sulci in 100 normal adult human cerebral hemispheres using magnetic resonance images that were transformed into the standardized proportional stereotaxic space most commonly used, that of Talairach and Tournoux (1988). Four orbitofrontal sulci were identified and marked on each hemisphere: the olfactory, the medial, the lateral, and the transverse orbital sulci. Probability maps were then constructed for each sulcus. These maps provide a statistical description of the variability of the location of each orbitofrontal sulcus within the three-dimensional coordinate system of Talairach and Tournoux (1988). These probability maps may be directly compared with any image transformed into the same standardized space, providing a valuable tool for identifying and describing the location of functional or structural changes in the orbitofrontal region of the human brain.
AAV‐mediated gene delivery in Dp71‐null mouse model with compromised barriers

Formation and maintenance of the blood–retinal barrier (BRB) is required for proper vision and breaching of this barrier contributes to the pathology in a wide variety of retinal conditions such as retinal detachment and diabetic retinopathy. Dystrophin Dp71 being a key membrane cytoskeletal protein, expressed mainly in Müller cells, its absence has been related to BRB permeability through delocalization and down‐regulation of the AQP4 and Kir4.1 channels. Dp71‐null mouse is thus an excellent model to approach the study of retinal pathologies showing blood–retinal barrier permeability. We aimed to investigate the participation of Müller cells in the BRB and in the inner limiting membrane of Dp71‐null mice compared with wild‐type mice in order to understand how these barriers work in this model of permeable BRB. To this aim, we used an Adeno‐associated virus (AAV) variant, ShH10‐GFP, engineered to target Müller cells specifically. ShH10 coding GFP was introduced by intravitreal injection and Müller cell transduction was studied in Dp71‐null mice in comparison to wild‐type animals. We show that Müller cell transduction follows a significantly different pattern in Dp71‐null mice indicating changes in viral cell‐surface receptors as well as differences in the permeability of the inner limiting membrane in this mouse line. However, the compromised BRB of the Dp71‐null mice does not lead to virus leakage into the bloodstream when the virus is injected intravitreally – an important consideration for AAV‐mediated retinal gene therapy. GLIA 2014;62:468–476
Visual servoing in a cable robot using Microsoft Kinect v2 sensor

Tracking the 3D pose of an object plays an important role in many applications. However, it has been a challenging problem in visual servoing systems due to high-cost sensors and requiring some invasive changes for the object or environment. This paper is focused on tracking an object using the low-cost Microsoft Kinect sensor. The goal is tracking an object with a parallel cable robot’s moving platform (MP) simulator by the Kinect sensor. Two different methods by using Kinect sensor will be introduced. The first is based on a colorbase technique (Camshift) in MATLAB, while the second exploits the color and depth information using OpenCV library. Finally, these methods are experimentally implemented to generate the desired path for the parallel cable robot simulator.
The Express Broadcast Network: a network for low-latency broadcast of control messages

We present the Express Broadcast Network (EBN), a network used for quick and reliable broadcast of control messages in multicomputer networks. The EBN can be implemented with a single extra wire per network link and with minimal extra hardware at each routing node. However, it provides very fast broadcast mechanisms that take advantage of all redundancy in the network to deliver messages regardless of faulty network components. We present extensions of the basic network to include multiple-wire, multiple-bit, and bidirectional wire support, as well as describing basic methods of using the EBN for various applications. <<ETX>>
Testosterone Plus Low-Intensity Physical Training in Late Life Improves Functional Performance, Skeletal Muscle Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Mitochondrial Quality Control in Male Mice

Testosterone supplementation increases muscle mass in older men but has not been shown to consistently improve physical function and activity. It has been hypothesized that physical exercise is required to induce the adaptations necessary for translation of testosterone-induced muscle mass gain into functional improvements. However, the effects of testosterone plus low intensity physical exercise training (T/PT) on functional performance and bioenergetics are unknown. In this pilot study, we tested the hypothesis that combined administration of T/PT would improve functional performance and bioenergetics in male mice late in life more than low-intensity physical training alone. 28-month old male mice were randomized to receive T/PT or vehicle plus physical training (V/PT) for 2 months. Compare to V/PT control, administration of T/PT was associated with improvements in muscle mass, grip strength, spontaneous physical movements, and respiratory activity. These changes were correlated with increased mitochondrial DNA copy number and expression of markers for mitochondrial biogenesis. Mice receiving T/PT also displayed increased expression of key elements for mitochondrial quality control, including markers for mitochondrial fission-and-fusion and mitophagy. Concurrently, mice receiving T/PT also displayed increased expression of markers for reduced tissue oxidative damage and improved muscle quality. Conclusion: Testosterone administered with low-intensity physical training improves grip strength, spontaneous movements, and respiratory activity. These functional improvements were associated with increased muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and improved mitochondrial quality control.
The bandwidth enhancement of rectangular slot antenna with H and T-shaped slot tuning for ultrawideband applications

This article presents the enhancement of bandwidth for rectangular slot antenna with an H and T-shaped slot tuning. The bandwidth was increased from the original antenna by using the T-shaped slot tuning technique and adding the tuning stubs on the both sides of ground plane. The proposed antenna can be applied to ultra-wideband frequency range between 3.1-10.6 GHz based on the IEEE 802.15. 3a standard with compact antenna dimension of 30×35 mm2. In designing the antenna, the simulation software, CST Microwave Studio, was used to study and analyze various parameters and characteristics. The simulation and measurement results were agreed fairly well and they showed that the impedance bandwidth was about 130.49% (2.82-13.41 GHz) which was increased from the original antenna by 53.35%, with the average gain of 4.76 dBi possessing bi-directional radiation pattern.
Sex comparisons in muscle sympathetic nerve activity and arterial pressure oscillations during progressive central hypovolemia

Increased tolerance to central hypovolemia is generally associated with greater sympathoexcitation, high‐frequency oscillatory patterns of mean arterial pressure (MAP), and tachycardia. On average, women are less tolerant to central hypovolemia than men; however, the autonomic mechanisms governing these comparisons are not fully understood. We tested the hypothesis that women with relatively high tolerance (HT) to central hypovolemia would display similar physiological reserve capacity for sympathoexcitation and oscillations in MAP at presyncope compared to HT men. About 10 men and five women were exposed to progressive lower body negative pressure (LBNP) until the presence of presyncopal symptoms. Based on our previous classification system, all subjects were classified as HT because they completed at least −60 mmHg LBNP. Muscle sympathetic serve activity (MSNA) was measured directly from the peroneal nerve via microneurography and arterial pressure (AP) was measured at the finger by photoplethysmography. LBNP time to presyncope was less (P < 0.01) in women (1727 ± 70 sec) than in men (2022 ± 201 sec). At presyncope, average MSNA in men (50 ± 12 bursts/min) and women (51 ± 7 bursts/min) was similar (P = 0.87). Coincident with similar stroke volume (SV) at presyncope, women had similar MAP and heart rates. However, women had less physiological reserve capacity for SV, AP‐MSNA coherence, and oscillations in the high‐frequency (HF) components of arterial pressure compared to men. Contrary to our hypothesis, lower tolerance to central hypovolemia in women was not associated with sympathoexcitation, but can be explained, in part by lower physiological reserve to elicit oscillatory patterns in AP, maintenance of AP‐MSNA coherence and SV when compared to men.
Effects of Tamarindus indica Fruit Pulp Extract on Abundance of HepG2 Cell Lysate Proteins and Their Possible Consequential Impact on Metabolism and Inflammation

The fruit pulp extract of Tamarindus indica has been reported for its antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties. In this study, the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp was investigated for its effects on the abundance of HepG2 cell lysate proteins. Cell lysate was extracted from HepG2 cells grown in the absence and presence of the methanol extract of T. indica fruit pulp. Approximately 2500 spots were resolved using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and the abundance of 20 cellular proteins was found to be significantly reduced. Among the proteins of reduced abundance, fourteen, including six proteins involved in metabolism (including ethanolamine phosphate cytidylyltransferase), four mitochondrial proteins (including prohibitin and respiratory chain proteins), and four proteins involved in translation and splicing, were positively identified by mass spectrometry and database search. The identified HepG2 altered abundance proteins, when taken together and analyzed by Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) software, are suggestive of the effects of T. indica fruit pulp extract on metabolism and inflammation, which are modulated by LXR/RXR. In conclusion, the methanol fruit pulp extract of T. indica was shown to cause reduced abundance of HepG2 mitochondrial, metabolic, and regulatory proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation, protein synthesis, and cellular metabolism.
Antimyelin antibodies as a predictor of clinically definite multiple sclerosis after a first demyelinating event.

BACKGROUND Most patients with multiple sclerosis initially present with a clinically isolated syndrome. Despite the fact that clinically definite multiple sclerosis will develop in up to 80 percent of these patients, the course of the disease is unpredictable at its onset and requires long-term observation or repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We investigated whether the presence of serum antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) and myelin basic protein (MBP) in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome predicts the interval to conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis. METHODS A total of 103 patients with a clinically isolated syndrome, positive findings on cerebral MRI, and oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid were studied. At base line, serum samples were collected to test for anti-MOG and anti-MBP antibodies with Western blot analysis, and the lesions detected by cerebral MRI were quantified. Neurologic examinations for relapse or disease progression (defined as conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis) were performed at base line and subsequently every three months. RESULTS Patients with anti-MOG and anti-MBP antibodies had relapses more often and earlier than patients without these antibodies. Only 9 of 39 antibody-seronegative patients (23 percent) had a relapse, and the mean (+/-SD) time to relapse was 45.1+/-13.7 months. In contrast, 21 of 22 patients (95 percent) with antibodies against both MOG and MBP had a relapse within a mean of 7.5+/-4.4 months, and 35 of 42 patients (83 percent) with only anti-MOG antibodies had a relapse within 14.6+/-9.6 months (P<0.001 for both comparisons with antibody-seronegative patients). The adjusted hazard ratio for the development of clinically definite multiple sclerosis was 76.5 (95 percent confidence interval, 20.6 to 284.6) among the patients who were seropositive for both antibodies and 31.6 (95 percent confidence interval, 9.5 to 104.5) among the patients who were seropositive only for anti-MOG antibodies, as compared with the seronegative patients. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of antibodies against MOG and MBP in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome is a rapid, inexpensive, and precise method for the prediction of early conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis. This finding may be important for the counseling and care of patients with a first demyelinating event suggestive of multiple sclerosis.
SYNAPSE++: Code Dissemination in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Fountain Codes

This paper presents SYNAPSE++, a system for over the air reprogramming of wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In contrast to previous solutions, which implement plain negative acknowledgment-based ARQ strategies, SYNAPSE++ adopts a more sophisticated error recovery approach exploiting rateless fountain codes (FCs). This allows it to scale considerably better in dense networks and to better cope with noisy environments. In order to speed up the decoding process and decrease its computational complexity, we engineered the FC encoding distribution through an original genetic optimization approach. Furthermore, novel channel access and pipelining techniques have been jointly designed so as to fully exploit the benefits of fountain codes, mitigate the hidden terminal problem and reduce the number of collisions. All of this makes it possible for SYNAPSE++ to recover data over multiple hops through overhearing by limiting, as much as possible, the number of explicit retransmissions. We finally created new bootloader and memory management modules so that SYNAPSE++ could disseminate and load program images written using any language. At the end of this paper, the effectiveness of SYNAPSE++ is demonstrated through experimental results over actual multihop deployments, and its performance is compared with that of Deluge, the de facto standard protocol for code dissemination in WSNs. The TinyOS 2 code of SYNAPSE++ is available at http://dgt.dei. unipd.it/download.
Understanding link quality in 802.11 mobile ad hoc networks

Mobile ad hoc wireless networks will extend the Internet into new territory, making Web services available "anytime, anywhere. " This creates new markets in such areas as pervasive computing and traffic management. We show that the communication quality of current 802.11 ad hoc networks is low, and that users can experience strong fluctuations in link quality as a result. They identify key factors that cause these fluctuations and derive implications for application development. In particular, applications must tolerate frequent disconnections, network partitioning, and latency variations that are far more severe than in conventional networks.