Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Framework for Generating Personalized Network Datasets for NIDS Based on Traffic Aggregation

In this paper, we addressed the problem of dataset scarcity for the task of network intrusion detection. Our main contribution was to develop a framework that provides a complete process for generating network traffic datasets based on the aggregation of real network traces. In addition, we proposed a set of tools for attribute extraction and labeling of traffic sessions. A new dataset with botnet network traffic was generated by the framework to assess our proposed method with machine learning algorithms suitable for unbalanced data. The performance of the classifiers was evaluated in terms of macro-averages of F1-score (0.97) and the Matthews Correlation Coefficient (0.94), showing a good overall performance average.
A Review on the Overall Optimization of Production–Living–Ecological Space: Theoretical Basis and Conceptual Framework

The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward the optimization of territorial space development patterns as the primary measure of ecological civilization construction, and put forward the goal of “promoting intensive and efficient production space, livable and moderate living space, and beautiful (picturesque scenery) ecological space”. Through literature research and summing induction, this paper combs the research progress of the overall optimization of “Production–Living–Ecological” space (PLES) systematically. It is found that the existing work mainly focuses on the overall optimization of PLES from the perspectives of land-use quality, land-use suitability evaluation, resource and environmental carrying capacity, and comparative advantages. However, due to the lack of understanding of the scientific connotation of PLES, and the imperfect construction of quantitative identification methods and classification system, there are many problems in the technical approaches of the overall optimization of PLES, which remain to be clarified. In the future, the technological approach to the overall optimization of PLES should be guided by the vision of building a beautiful China, with the theory of a human–Earth coupling system as the core, and systematically build a theoretical system and technical framework to identify and optimize territorial space.
In Vitro Determination of Inhibitory Effects of Humic Substances Complexing Zn and Se on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Replication

(1) Background: Humic substances are well-known human nutritional supplement materials and they play an important performance-enhancing role as animal feed additives. For decades, ingredients of humic substances have been proven to carry potent antiviral effects against different viruses. (2) Methods: Here, the antiviral activity of a humic substance containing ascorbic acid, Se− and Zn2+ ions intended as a nutritional supplement material was investigated against SARS-CoV-2 virus B1.1. 7 Variant of Concern (“Alpha Variant”) in a VeroE6 cell line. (3) Results: This combination has a significant in vitro antiviral effect at a very low concentration range of its intended active ingredients. (4) Conclusions: Even picomolar concentration ranges of humic substances, Vitamin C and Zn/Se ions in the given composition, were enough to achieve 50% viral replication inhibition in the applied SARS-CoV-2 virus inhibition test.
Bio-Signals in Medical Applications and Challenges Using Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has broadly connected the medical field at various levels of diagnosis based on the congruous data generated. Different types of bio-signal can be used to monitor a patient’s condition and in decision making. Medical equipment uses signals to communicate information to care staff. AI algorithms and approaches will help to predict health problems and check the health status of organs, while AI prediction, classification, and regression algorithms are helping the medical industry to protect from health hazards. The early prediction and detection of health conditions will guide people to stay healthy. This paper represents the scope of bio-signals using AI in the medical area. It will illustrate possible case studies relevant to bio-signals generated through IoT sensors. The bio-signals that retrospectively occur are discussed, and the new challenges of medical diagnosis using bio-signals are identified.
Cyanidin-3-O-Glucoside Supplement Improves Sperm Quality and Spermatogenesis in a Mice Model of Ulcerative Colitis

Impaired fertility and low sperm quality are the global health problem with high attention. It has been noted that inflammation may impact fertility by affecting testicular spermatogenesis. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside is a natural functional pigment with various health benefits. Nevertheless, studies on the mechanism by which C3G protects male reproduction in mice with ulcerative colitis remain scarce. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the potential mechanism of C3G for improving impaired fertility caused by colitis. A DSS-induced colitis model was applied to assess the effects of sperm quality with colitis and the health benefit role of C3G. Results indicated that C3G-treated mice exhibited higher body weight, longer colon length, less crypt damage and focal inflammation infiltration. Being consistent with that, low sperm count, low testis weight, high inflammation levels and abnormal thickness of seminiferous epithelium also observed in the DSS group were significantly recovered upon C3G treatment. These findings suggested that colitis has a close link to impaired fertility. Further analysis found that C3G could significantly suppress the inflammatory mediators in serum. Results conjointly indicated that C3G might improve the impaired fertility of mice with colitis by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines through the blood–testis barrier. C3G could be a promising daily supplement for ameliorating impaired fertility caused by colitis.
Winding temperature prediction in split-winding traction transformer

Incombustible features of resin make multiwinding dry-type transformers suitable for use in traction systems. Nevertheless, due to resin's heat transfer property and the special structure of traction transformers, temperature distribution in traction transformers is undesirable and it is essential to study its thermal behavior. In this research paper, the thermal behavior of traction transformers is modeled using thenite difference approach. After validating the model results (using the experimental results), the temperature distribution in a cast-resin traction transformer with split windings is calculated. The thermal behavior of the split-winding traction transformer is compared to the normal two-winding cast-resin transformer. A traction transformer usually feeds electronic converters; the converter system as a nonlinear load causes harmonics to appear in the winding currents. Thus, the thermal behavior of a traction transformer has been modeled in the presence of harmonic currents and their effects on temperature distribution have been discussed.
Selection of the Optimal Method for Creating Various Forms of Biocompatible Xenodermal Materials

The aim of the study was to select the optimal method for creating surgical porcine dermis-based biomaterials and to assess their biological safety. Materials and Methods To create xenodermal biomaterials, the native skin of a 4-month-old Landrace pig was used. The porcine dermis was processed with saline (protocol No.1), peroxide-alkaline (protocol No.2), and alkaline (protocol No.3) solutions. The obtained samples were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and a DAPI fluorescent dye. Quantitative DNA analysis and assessment of cytotoxicity by the LIVE/DEAD assay were also performed. Samples were implanted/injected subcutaneously to 6-month-old male Wistar rats (n=30) weighing 260±20 g and explanted on day 14 of the experiment. Histological sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin. Computer morphometry was performed using GraphPad Prism v. 6.04. Results Samples of surgical materials obtained according to the three protocols had different physical characteristics: dermis treated according to protocol No.1 was dense and white in color after processing; samples processed by protocol No.2 were transparent and dense, and samples treated according to protocol No.3 had transparent gel-like structures. Histological analysis has shown oxyphilicity and extracellular matrix structure loss in all samples, and DAPI staining has revealed the destruction of cell nuclei. Nevertheless, DNA amount in the samples processed according to protocol No.1 did not meet the established quality criterion for decellularization (50 ng/mg dry weight). Further cytotoxicity assessment in vitro and in vivo was carried out only for samples fabricated according to protocols No.2 and No.3. According to the LIVE/DEAD analysis, both samples were not cytotoxic. On day 14 after the subcutaneous sample implantation, no signs of suppuration and immune rejection were found in the animals. Conclusion To obtain surgical materials in the form of bioplastic coatings, it is recommended to use alkaline-peroxide treatment of the dermis, while hydrogel coatings are produced by alkaline hydrolysis.
Strategizing the performance of Non- Government Organisations: Exploring Organisational Practices and Managerial Leadership Behaviour in Indian NGOs

ABSTRACT Organisational practices like mandatory practices, management practices, involvement in policy-advocacy-lobbying-networking practices and governance practices are considered healthy practices that contribute to organisational performance. This paper identifies some of the standard organisational practices of NGOs (N = 33) in Kerala State, India. From the study, it was evident that the NGOs were more into mandatory practices. The relation orientation of the Managerial leadership Behaviour showed a higher mean value of 2.8567 ± 0.49331SD than the task orientation. The study unravels the need for an updated policy in the voluntary sector and affirming the role of social work professionals in the organisation.
A Multinational Pilot Study on Patients’ Perceptions of Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms on the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-GINET21 Questionnaires

Among the available neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN)-specific HR-QoL scales, only the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-G.I. NET21 questionnaires have been validated in several languages. We aim to assess patients’ perceptions of these questionnaires. A cross-sectional qualitative pilot study was conducted among 65 adults from four countries with well-differentiated advanced gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) or unknown primary NENs. Patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-G.I. NET21 questionnaires and then a survey containing statements concerning the questionnaires. The majority of patients had a small intestine NET (52%). Most tumors were functioning (55%) and grade 2 NET (52%). Almost half of the patients identified limitations in the questionnaires, with nine (14%) patients scoring the questionnaires as poor and 16 (25%) patients as moderate. Overall, 37 (57%) patients were positive towards the questionnaires. Approximately a quarter of patients considered the questionnaires not suitable for all ages, missing some of their complaints, not representative of their overall HR-QoL regarding the treatment of their NET and too superficial. The current validated EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-G.I. NET21 questionnaires may show some limitations in the design of questions and the patients’ final satisfaction reporting of the questionnaire. Large-scale, high-quality prospective studies are required in HR-QoL assessment regarding NETs.
Measurement of Corona Discharges under Variable Geometry, Frequency and Pressure Environment

Aeronautical industry is evolving towards more electric aircrafts (MEA), which will require much more electrical power compared to conventional models. To satisfy this increasing power demand and stringent weight requirements, distribution voltages must be raised, which jointly with the low-pressure environment and high operating frequencies increase the risk of electrical discharges occurrence. Therefore, it is important to generate data to design insulation systems for these demanding applications. To this end, in this work a sphere-to-plane electrode configuration is tested for several sphere geometries (diameters ranging from 2 mm to 10 mm), frequencies of 50 Hz, 400 Hz and 800 Hz and pressures in the 20–100 kPa range, to cover most aircraft applications. The corona extinction voltage is experimentally determined by using a gas-filled tube solar blind ultraviolet (UV) sensor. In addition, a CMOS imaging sensor is used to locate the discharge points. Next, to gain further insight to the discharge conditions, the electric field strength is calculated using finite element method (FEM) simulations and fitted to equations based on Peek’s law. The results presented in this paper could be especially valuable to design aircraft electrical insulations as well as for high-voltage hardware manufacturers, since the results allow determining the electric field values at which the components can operate free of surface discharges for a wide altitude range.
Identification of the Right Moment for Motor Vehicle Replacement—Life-Cycle Analysis in Serbia and Montenegro

This paper deals with the issue of planning the end-of-life phase of motor vehicle life cycles in Serbia and Montenegro. This topic is trending around sustainability issues, given the very unfavorable age structure of vehicles and the increasing import of used cars, which intensifies the problem of the number of waste vehicles. On average, a motor vehicle is in active use for a period of 10 to 15 years. Individual phases of its life cycle are indicated differently, using multiple parameters. All phases are influenced by many factors, but this paper focuses on the phases of active use and the end of life of a motor vehicle. This paper investigates these two phases in terms of the influencing elements. The main aim of this study is to lay the foundations for making adequate decisions on how to handle end-of-life vehicles, from the perspective of their drivers. The study includes performing quantitative research analysis via the k-means clustering technique on a sample of 1240 drivers (private and commercial vehicles), in order to draw concrete conclusions through appropriate statistical analysis. The key findings suggest that different market, business, and environment indicators define the phases of active use and end of life, throughout the life cycle of a motor vehicle. Future research will expand the sample to surrounding countries.
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Mechanisms of Tumor Progression and Novel Therapeutic Targets

Simple Summary The tumor microenvironment plays an important role in determining the biological behavior of several of the more aggressive malignancies. Among the various cell types evident in the tumor “field”, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogenous collection of activated fibroblasts secreting a wide repertoire of factors that regulate tumor development and progression, inflammation, drug resistance, metastasis and recurrence. Insensitivity to chemotherapeutics and metastatic spread are the major contributors to cancer patient mortality. This review discusses the complex interactions between CAFs and the various populations of normal and neoplastic cells that interact within the dynamic confines of the tumor microenvironment with a focus on the involved pathways and genes. Abstract Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a heterogenous population of stromal cells found in solid malignancies that coexist with the growing tumor mass and other immune/nonimmune cellular elements. In certain neoplasms (e.g., desmoplastic tumors), CAFs are the prominent mesenchymal cell type in the tumor microenvironment, where their presence and abundance signal a poor prognosis in multiple cancers. CAFs play a major role in the progression of various malignancies by remodeling the supporting stromal matrix into a dense, fibrotic structure while secreting factors that lead to the acquisition of cancer stem-like characteristics and promoting tumor cell survival, reduced sensitivity to chemotherapeutics, aggressive growth and metastasis. Tumors with high stromal fibrotic signatures are more likely to be associated with drug resistance and eventual relapse. Clarifying the molecular basis for such multidirectional crosstalk among the various normal and neoplastic cell types present in the tumor microenvironment may yield novel targets and new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. This review highlights the most recent concepts regarding the complexity of CAF biology including CAF heterogeneity, functionality in drug resistance, contribution to a progressively fibrotic tumor stroma, the involved signaling pathways and the participating genes.
The neuroglia of the optic nerve. Part II. Fractal morphometry of astrocytes

The astrocytes of the optic nerve form a network of cells around the nerve fibers and - in particular - establish contacts with the meningeal envelope of the nerve. The morphology of these cells has been analyzed by applying fractal methods (FracLac software) to camera lucida (two-dimensional) drawings of astrocytes, taking the following three parameters into consideration: fractal dimension (DB), lacunarity (lambda) and density. These parameters provide information on the morphological complexity, heterogeneity and size of the cells respectively. All three parameters demonstrate that differences exist between astrocytes located in the central region of the optic nerve and those in a marginal position. The former are larger than the latter, which are closely associated with the meningeal envelope of the nerve. Our results suggest that peculiarities in the morphology of astrocytes are related to the anatomical region in which they are located, where they adapt to the gaps that remain between other neural elements, as is the case of the myelinated nerve fibers of the white matter. This theory is supported by the results of a study in which the morphology of the astrocytes of the corpus callosum were analyzed by applying the same fractal geometry methods.
Intent Profile Strategy for Virtual Power Plant Participation in Simultaneous Energy Markets With Dynamic Storage Management

The emergence of distributed energy resources in the electricity system involves new scenarios in which domestic consumers can be aggregated in virtual power plants to participate in energy markets. In this paper, a reconfigurable hierarchical multi-time scale framework is developed by combining the concepts of dynamic storage virtualization and intent profiling with model predictive control. The combined implementation of these concepts allows the simultaneous weighted participation in different energy markets, not only according to some aggregators’ criteria, but also to several risk factors. In a first stage, the framework optimizes the strategy for bidding in day-ahead market whereas the second one consists of a control stage to mitigate deviations and potential penalties. The smart management of individual storage virtualization enables the participation in the demand-response program, which improves the forecasted economical profit related to the day-ahead participation. The changes in the schedule are performed considering new potential penalties. The framework is reconfigurable at every sample time at control stage. This enables to make dynamic participations depending on node availability or system peaks. The proposed case studies cover day-ahead and demand-response participations, but the framework is open to other multi-service configurations. The results have been assessed with satisfactory conclusions.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients: outcomes and predictive factors

Background Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is an important rescue therapy for patients with refractory respiratory or circulatory failure. High cost and associated complications warrant careful case selection. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes and factors associated with mortality in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients who received ECMO support, and to externally validate preexisting ECMO survival prediction scoring systems. Methods This retrospective study enrolled acute hypoxemic respiratory failure patients who received veno-venous (VV) or veno-arterial (VA) ECMO support at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) from 2010 to 2020. All relevant baseline patient characteristics including ECMO survival prediction scores were recorded. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results Of a total of 65 patients, 34 (52%) were male, the median (IQR) age was 61 years (49–70 years), the median body mass index (BMI) was 22.6 kg/m2 (20.6–28 kg/m2), and the median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score was 13 [11–16]. Forty-three patients (66%) received VV-ECMO, and 22 (34%) received VA-ECMO support. In-hospital mortality was 69%. Multivariate analysis identified a SOFA score >14, hospitalized >72 hours before ECMO initiation, PaO2/FiO2 ratio <60, and pH <7.2 as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. These four parameters were combined to create the SHOP (S: SOFA >14, H: hospitalize >72 hours, O: PF ratio <60, and P: pH <7.2) score. Compared with three different preexisting ECMO survival prediction scoring systems, the SHOP score had the highest area under the curve (AUC) for predicting in-hospital mortality (overall: 0.873, VV-EMCO: 0.866, and VA-EMCO: 0.891). Conclusions In-hospital mortality among ECMO-supported patients was high at 69%. SOFA score >14, hospitalized >72 hours, PaO2/FiO2 ratio <60, and pH <7.2 were found to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. A SHOP score of 2 or higher significantly predicts in-hospital mortality in EMCO-supported patients. Trial Registration www.clinicaltrials. gov (reg. No. NCT 04031794).
Anti-COVID-19 Nanomaterials: Directions to Improve Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Following the announcement of the outbreak of COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, unprecedented efforts were made by researchers around the world to combat the disease. So far, various methods have been developed to combat this “virus” nano enemy, in close collaboration with the clinical and scientific communities. Nanotechnology based on modifiable engineering materials and useful physicochemical properties has demonstrated several methods in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. Here, based on what has been clarified so far from the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2, through an interdisciplinary perspective based on computational science, engineering, pharmacology, medicine, biology, and virology, the role of nano-tools in the trio of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is highlighted. The special properties of different nanomaterials have led to their widespread use in the development of personal protective equipment, anti-viral nano-coats, and disinfectants in the fight against SARS-CoV-2 out-body. The development of nano-based vaccines acts as a strong shield in-body. In addition, fast detection with high efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 by nanomaterial-based point-of-care devices is another nanotechnology capability. Finally, nanotechnology can play an effective role as an agents carrier, such as agents for blocking angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, gene editing agents, and therapeutic agents. As a general conclusion, it can be said that nanoparticles can be widely used in disinfection applications outside in vivo. However, in in vivo applications, although it has provided promising results, it still needs to be evaluated for possible unintended immunotoxicity. Reviews like these can be important documents for future unwanted pandemics.