Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MACHETE: Multi-path communication for security

Communication through the Internet raises privacy and confidentiality concerns. Protocols such as HTTPS may be used to protect the communication, but occasionally vulnerabilities that may allow snooping on packet content are discovered. To address this issue, we present MACHETE, an application-layer multi-path communication mechanism that provides additional confidentiality by splitting data streams in different physical paths. MACHETE has to handle two challenges: sending packets over different paths when Internet's routing imposes a single path between pairs of network interfaces; splitting streams of data sent over TCP connections. MACHETE is the first to exploit MultiPath TCP (MPTCP) for security purposes. It leverages overlay networks and multihoming to handle the first challenge and MPTCP to handle the second. MACHETE establishes an overlay network and scatters the data over the available paths, thus reducing the effectiveness of snooping attacks. Mechanisms are provided to select paths based on path diversity.
Predicting Freshman Persistence and Voluntary Dropout Decisions from a Theoretical Model

In their comprehensive reviews of the literature on the college dropout both Spady [17] and Tinto [23] argue that much of the current lack of understanding of the college dropout process is due to the fact that the research emphasis has been descriptive rather than theorybased. In short, the vast majority of studies have searched for student or institutional variables significantly related to dropout behavior with no conceptual model to guide or focus inquiry. As a result there appears to be a wealth of statistically reliable, ex post facto associations that offer a markedly unparsimonious explanation of the dropout process [9, 14, 17, 23]. In an attempt to bring some coherence to the research as well as providing a conceptual framework to guide future inquiry, Tinto [23] has built on Spady's [17, 18] work to develop an explanatory, predictive model of the dropout process which has at its core the concepts of academic and social integration in the institution. The model is longitudinal and regards persistence or dropout behavior primarily as a function of the quality of a student's interactions with the academic and social systems of the college. The model asserts that students come to a particular institution with a range of background characteristics (e.g., sex, race, academic ability, secondary school performance, family social status) and goal commitments (e.g., highest degree expected, importance of graduating from college). These background characteristics and goal commitments influ-
Cross-Device User Matching Based on Massive Browse Logs: The Runner-Up Solution for the 2016 CIKM Cup

As the number and variety of smart devices increase, users may use myriad devices in their daily lives and the online activities become highly fragmented. Building an accurate user identity becomes a difficult and important problem for advertising companies. The task for the CIKM Cup 2016 Track 1 was to find the same user cross multiple devices. This paper discusses our solution to the challenge. It is mainly comprised of three parts: comprehensive feature engineering, negative sampling, and model selection. For each part we describe our special steps and demonstrate how the performance is boosted. We took the second prize of the competition with an F1-score of 0.41669.
Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A2 Activity Predicts Cardiovascular Events in High Risk Coronary Artery Disease Patients

Objective Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is deemed to play a role in atherosclerosis and plaque destabilization as demonstrated in animal models and in prospective clinical studies. However, most of the literature is either focused on high-risk, apparently healthy patients, or is based on cross sectional studies. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that serum Lp-PLA2 mass and activity are useful for predicting cardiovascular (CV) events over the coronary atherosclerotic burden and conventional risk factors in high-risk coronary artery disease patients. Methods and Results In a prospective cohort study of 712 Caucasian patients, who underwent coronary angiography and measurement of both Lp-PLA2 mass and activity at baseline, we determined incident CV events at follow-up after splitting the patients into a high and a low Lp-PLA2 mass and activity groups based on ROC analysis and Youden index. Kaplan-Meier and propensity score matching analysis were used to compare CV event-free survival between groups. Follow-up data were obtained in 75% of the cohort after a median of 7.2 years (range 1–12.7 years) during which 129 (25.5%) CV events were observed. The high Lp-PLA2 activity patients showed worse CV event-free survival (66.7% vs. 79.5%, p = 0.023) and acute coronary syndrome-free survival (75.4% vs. 85.6%, p = 0.04) than those in low Lp-PLA2 group. Conclusions A high Lp-PLA2 activity implies a worse CV prognosis at long term follow up in high-risk Caucasian patients referred for coronary angiography.
A Hierarchical Automatic Stopping Condition for Monte Carlo Global Illumination

We introduce a hierarchical image-space method to robustly terminate computations in Monte Carlo image synthesis, independent of image resolution. The technique consists of a robust convergence measure on blocks which are either recursively subdivided or terminated independently, using a criterion which separates signal and noise based on integral estimates from two separate sample sets. The technique can be easily implemented, as the evaluation of the error measure only requires a second framebuffer and a list of non-terminated blocks. Based on the stopping criterion, one can furthermore sample both the image plane as well as the light sources adaptively. Adaptive sampling reduces the number of samples required to gain the same root mean square error to one quarter in some of our test cases.
Microarray analysis of host gene expression for comparison between naïve and HSV-1 latent rabbit trigeminal ganglia

Purpose To analyze the rabbit host global gene expression patterns in uninfected and herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) latent trigeminal ganglia (TG) for identification of host response-initiated transcriptional changes during the maintenance of viral latency. Methods The corneas of eight-week-old New Zealand White rabbits were scarified and inoculated with HSV-1 strain McKrae, 5x105 plaque forming units/eye. Corneal infection was verified by slit-lamp examination. Prior to sacrifice at 30 days post infection, ocular swabs confirmed no infectious virus was present. TG were aseptically removed from rabbits and placed in RNA stabilization solution. Host RNA was isolated from two groups of TG, uninfected and HSV-1 latent infected, and used to create labeled cRNA. Labeled cRNA was hybridized to two new and novel custom oligonucleotide rabbit arrays, containing a total of 3,123 probes for rabbit genes. Results The rabbit TG expressed approximately 80% of genes out of a total of 3,123. A one-way ANOVA performed on the log2 transformed signal ratios showed 611 genes were significantly altered (p≤0.05) in HSV-1 latent TG. These genes, if annotated, were separated by biologic process categories. Five broad categories were most heavily represented: protein processing, carbohydrate processing, cell adhesion, apoptosis, and host defense and immune response. Sixty of the significantly altered genes were found to be altered by more than 2 fold, and five were altered by more than 4 fold. The genes altered by more than 4 fold were all upregulated and related to host defense and immune response. Viral latency had a large effect on protein processing. Of the differentially expressed genes with an assigned biologic process, 90/349 (25.7%) were associated with protein processing. The next most populated categories were carbohydrate metabolism 39/349 (11.1%) and host defense and immune response 17/349 (4.9%). Conclusions The results of this microarray study demonstrate that host gene expression is altered in the HSV-1 latent rabbit TG. The shift in molecular processes at a pathway level reveals the presence of potential therapeutic significance inherent in the maintenance of HSV-1 latency. This is the first large-scale rabbit gene expression study, using microarray analysis, that documents the involvement of host immunity in maintaining HSV-1 latency.
Palm and palm finger joint surfaces based multibiometric approach

This paper presents a novel multibiometric approach based on palm and palm finger joint surfaces which are obtained from same image. In this approach, the patterns (Region-Of-Interests, ROI) were extracted by using Active Appearance Model (AAM) based hand modeling. Then preprocessing steps which include image normalization and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) are sequentially applied to the both palm and palm finger joint surfaces (ROI). Afterwards these two biometric traits are joined to be long vector. Most discriminative features of long vector are extracted by using Kernel Fisher Discriminant (KFD). Finally, Support Vector Machines (SVM) are implemented for classification. Furthermore, a feature level fusion is also used in order to comparately show the performans of the multibiometric approach's success. The proposed multibiometric approach was tested on 1614 palm and palm finger joint surface images which were captured from 132 different people. The recognition results were obtained by utilizing both long vector structure and feature level fusion strategies. Moreover the palm based unibiometric approach and the palm finger joint surfaces based unibiometric approach were separately tested to make a comparison with the proposed multibiometic approach. The achieved results have demonstrated the proposed multibiometric approach's success.
Toward a Scoring Function for Quality-Driven Machine Translation

We describe how we constructed an automatic scoring function for machine translation quality; this function makes use of arbitrarily many pieces of natural language processing software that has been designed to process English language text. By machine-learning values of functions available inside the software and by constructing functions that yield values based upon the software output, we are able to achieve preliminary, positive results in machine-learning the difference between human-produced English and machine-translation English. We suggest how the scoring function may be used for MT system development.
How to “see” with the whole body

While their work is not explored, this article is indebted to Maurice Merleau-Ponty's and John Dewey's theories about perception and embodiment. In it, I propose that a multi-sensory “whole body” experience – Merleau-Ponty's “lived body” – is engaged in both the making and the viewing of artworks. In two sections, the first exploring practice and the second theory, the prevailing mode of interpreting art works exclusively as representations to be seen and read like linguistic signs is contested. W. J. T. Mitchell's works on images and texts, and Martin Jay's Downcast Eyes are interrogated in order to critique the “eye/mind/image” model of perceiving artworks. Ironically, while desiring to advocate for the power of the visual, both authors still bifurcate mind and body in the making and the viewing experience. This separation not only pervades theories about art in modernity, but is equally present in the postmodern critique of the “enlightenment” project. Embodied interaction is explored in order to discuss the various models of engagement in play in viewing traditional art, new genres, and in relation to electronic art and virtual reality constructions.
Continuous Access to Competing Stimulation as Intervention for Self-Injurious Skin Picking in a Child with Autism

Children with autism frequently display self-injurious behavior (SIB), but skin picking—a less severe topography of SIB—has not been the focus of much clinical research. The present study evaluated a home-based intervention that was implemented with a 9-year-old girl who had autism and picked her fingers with resulting tissue damage. The intervention allowed the girl to hold and manipulate preferred objects during play and leisure activities. Evaluated in an ABAB reversal design, intervention essentially eliminated skin picking. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
Vagus Nerve Stimulation Enhances Extinction of Conditioned Fear in Rats and Modulates Arc Protein, CaMKII, and GluN2B-Containing NMDA Receptors in the Basolateral Amygdala

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances the consolidation of extinction of conditioned fear. High frequency stimulation of the infralimbic cortex (IL) produces long-term potentiation in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in rats given VNS-paired extinction training, whereas the same stimulation produces long-term depression in sham-treated rats. The present study investigated the state of synaptic plasticity-associated proteins in the BLA that could be responsible for this shift. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into 4 groups: auditory fear conditioning only (fear-conditioned); fear conditioning + 20 extinction trials (extended-extinction); fear conditioning + 4 extinction trials paired with sham stimulation (sham-extinction); fear conditioning + 4 extinction trials paired with VNS (VNS-extinction). Freezing was significantly reduced in extended-extinction and VNS-extinction rats. Western blots were used to quantify expression and phosphorylation state of synaptic plasticity-associated proteins such as Arc, CaMKII, ERK, PKA, and AMPA and NMDA receptors. Results show significant increases in GluN2B expression and phosphorylated CaMKII in BLA samples from VNS- and extended-extinction rats. Arc expression was significantly reduced in VNS-extinction rats compared to all groups. Administration of the GluN2B antagonist ifenprodil immediately after fear extinction training blocked consolidation of extinction learning. Results indicate a role for BLA CaMKII-induced GluN2B expression and reduced Arc protein in VNS-enhanced extinction.
Chitin Modulates Innate Immune Responses of Keratinocytes

Background Chitin, after cellulose the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature, is an essential component of exoskeletons of crabs, shrimps and insects and protects these organisms from harsh conditions in their environment. Unexpectedly, chitin has been found to activate innate immune cells and to elicit murine airway inflammation. The skin represents the outer barrier of the human host defense and is in frequent contact with chitin-bearing organisms, such as house-dust mites or flies. The effects of chitin on keratinocytes, however, are poorly understood. Methodology/Principal Findings We hypothesized that chitin stimulates keratinocytes and thereby modulates the innate immune response of the skin. Here we show that chitin is bioactive on primary and immortalized keratinocytes by triggering production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Chitin stimulation further induced the expression of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) TLR4 on keratinocytes at mRNA and protein level. Chitin-induced effects were mainly abrogated when TLR2 was blocked, suggesting that TLR2 senses chitin on keratinocytes. Conclusions/Significance We speculate that chitin-bearing organisms modulate the innate immune response towards pathogens by upregulating secretion of cytokines and chemokines and expression of MyD88-associated TLRs, two major components of innate immunity. The clinical relevance of this mechanism remains to be defined.
A proteomics approach to identify the differential protein level in cardiac muscle of diabetic rat.

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular proteomics investigation reveals the characterization and elucidation of the novel therapeutic targets and strategies to prevent the development of heart failure associated diabetic complication by using 2DE and MS. METHODS The experimental animals were made diabetic with a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (150 mg/kg of bw). Albino rats were randomly divided into four individual groups: Group-I control (n=6), group-II alloxan-induced diabetic rats, untreated (n=6), group-III (n=6) and group-IV (n=6) alloxan-induced diabetic rats were treated with aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cynodon dactylon for 15 days, respectively. Animals were euthanized to collect the heart tissues and blood samples. 2DE sample preparation, gel running and staining (n=6: each groups) were performed at the same time to avoid variation. The result of six gel images from each group were analyzed and evaluated as one match set with 2D software (P<0.05). RESULTS The above experiment revealed two up-regulated proteins in group-II i.e. NTF4 and ETFB. CONCLUSIONS NTF4 is a neuro-protective agent for neuro-degenerative diseases. It will prevent diabetic secondary complications, such as diabetic polyneuropathy and cardiomyopathy. ETFB is active in the mitochondria, the energy-producing centres in cells. It is clear from the experiment that because of up-regulation of ETFB more energy is availabile and the electron transfer for heart during diabetes is possible, what leads to reduce the oxidative stress and free-radical formation. The up-regulated proteins reduced CVD that occurred just before overt hyperglycaemia due to administration of C. dactylon. This approach established the preliminary reference map for decoding cellular mechanisms linked between pathogenesis CVD and diabetes.
Mobile Teleoperation Interfaces for Domestic Service Robots

—Domestic service robots are envisioned to provide assistance to persons in need of help with their activities of daily living. These tasks require a comprehensive set of perception, control, and planning skills—beyond the state of the art of autonomous robots. On the other hand, direct control of complex robots requires special equipment and the full attention of the operator. Hence, it is necessary to combine state-of-the-art autonomous capabilities with the intelligence of users in a complementary way. We report on handheld user interfaces for domestic service robots that allow for teleoperating the robot on three levels of autonomy: body, skill, and task control. On the higher levels, autonomous behavior of the robot relieves the user from signiﬁcant workload. If autonomous execution fails, or autonomous functionality is not provided by the robot system, the user can select a lower level of autonomy to solve a task. The beneﬁts of providing adjustable autonomy in teleoperation have been successfully demonstrated at RoboCup@Home competitions.
Compactly Supported Symmetric C∞ Wavelets with Spectral Approximation Order

In this paper, we obtain symmetric $C^\infty$ real-valued tight wavelet frames in $L_2(\mathbb{R})$ with compact support and the spectral frame approximation order. Furthermore, we present a family of symmetric compactly supported $C^\infty$ orthonormal complex wavelets in $L_2(\mathbb{R})$. A complete analysis of nonstationary tight wavelet frames and orthonormal wavelet bases in $L_2(\mathbb{R})$ is given.
Antinociceptive and Antihyperglycemic Effects of Melissa officinalis Essential Oil in an Experimental Model of Diabetes

Objective: The efficacy of oral administration of Melissa officinalis essential oil (MOEO) on hyperalgesia was investigated using the formalin test in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into control, MOEO-treated control (0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 mg/day), diabetic and MOEO-treated diabetic (0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 mg/day) groups. Nociceptive testing was performed on male adult Wistar rats 4 weeks after the onset of hyperglycemia. At the end of the experiment, all rats were weighed and plasma glucose measurements were performed. Results: Diabetes was associated with significant hyperalgesia during both phases of the formalin test. MOEO (0.04 mg/day) completely reversed hyperalgesia in diabetic rats, while MOEO (0.02 and 0.04 mg/day) caused less intensive nociceptive behaviors during both phases of the test in control rats. MOEO at both high doses restored euglycemia and reduced the body weight of treated diabetic animals compared to untreated diabetic animals. The 0.01-mg dose of MOEO did not alter pain responses in the control or diabetic groups compared to their respective controls. Conclusions: This study shows that chronic administration of MOEO displays efficacy in an experimental model of diabetic hyperalgesia. MOEO may therefore show promise as a treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy.
Gender, Race, and Urban Policing

Proactive policing strategies produce a range of harms to African Americans in poor urban communities. We know little, however, about how aggressive policing is experienced across gender by adolescents in these neighborhoods. The authors argue that important insights can be gained by examining the perspectives of African American youths and draw from in-depth interviews with youths in St. Louis, Missouri, to investigate how gender shapes interactions with the police. The comparative analysis reveals important gendered facets of African American adolescents' experiences with and expectations of law enforcement. Young men described being treated routinely as suspects regardless of their involvement in delinquency and also reported police violence. Young women typically described being stopped for curfew violations but also expressed concerns about police sexual misconduct. This study highlights the differential harms of urban policing for African American young women and men and highlights the need for systematic attention to the intersections of race and gender in research on criminal justice practices.
A graph-transformation-based simulation approach for analysing aspect interference on shared join points

Aspects that in isolation behave correctly, may interact when being combined. When interaction changes an aspect's behaviour or disables an aspect, we call this interference. One particular type of interference occurs when aspects are applied to shared join points, since then the ordering of the aspects can also influence the behaviour of the composition. We present an approach to detect aspect interference at shared join points. Aspect compositions are modelled by using a graph production system for modelling aspect-language semantics. A graph-based model of a join point is generated from the source-code of the system. This graph is transformed into a runtime-state representation. Combined with the production system (and the correct tooling) the execution of the aspects is simulated. This simulation results in a labelled transition system that can be used to analyse and verify different properties of the system at the join point. Simulation of the entire system can be computationally expensive. In our approach, we decide to abstract base system execution into non-deterministic valuation and carefully choosing advice semantics, such that simulation of the entire system can be avoided.
Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis of Propionibacterium acnes isolates from radical prostatectomy specimens

Inflammation is commonly observed in radical prostatectomy specimens, and evidence suggests that inflammation may contribute to prostate carcinogenesis. Multiple microorganisms have been implicated in serving as a stimulus for prostatic inflammation. The pro‐inflammatory anaerobe, Propionibacterium acnes, is ubiquitously found on human skin and is associated with the skin disease acne vulgaris. Recent studies have shown that P. acnes can be detected in prostatectomy specimens by bacterial culture or by culture‐independent molecular techniques.