Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mgr Hash Function

GOST-R is a Russian Standard Cryptographic Hash function which was first introduced in 1994 by Russian Federal for information processing, information security and digital signature. In 2012, it was updated to GOSTR 34.11-2012 and replaced older one for all its applications from January 2013. GOST-R is based on modified Merkle-Damg̊ard construction. Here, we present a modified version of GOST-R (MGR-hash). The modified design is based on wide pipe construction which is also a modified Merkle-Damg̊ard construction. MGR is much more secure as well as three times faster than GOST-R. AES like block cipher has been used in designing the compression function of MGR because AES is one of the most efficient and secure block cipher and it has been evaluated for more than 12 years. We will also analyze the MGR hash function with respect to its security and efficiency.
Analytical Interpretation of Feed-Forward Nets outputs after Training

The minimization quadratic error criterion which gives rise to the back-propagation algorithm is studied using functional analysis techniques. With them, we recover easily the well-known statistical result which states that the searched global minimum is a function which assigns, to each input pattern, the expected value of its corresponding output patterns. Its application to classification tasks shows that only certain output class representations can be used to obtain the optimal Bayesian decision rule. Finally, our method permits the study of other error criterions, finding out, for instance, that absolute value errors lead to medians instead of mean values.
The Impact of Minimum Trading Units on Stock Value and Price Volatility

Abstract We study how minimum trading unit changes on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange impact a stock's trading activity, price volatility, and value. The value effects are consistent with Merton's (1987) model, i.e., an increase in the investor base (trading volume) and a decrease in price noisiness affect stock value positively. Our results extend Amihud, Mendelson, and Uno's (1999) tests of Merton by demonstrating a clear relation between price noisiness changes and stock value changes, and by showing that the response to a minimum trading unit decrease becomes less favorable (and arguably even negative) in the thinnest trading stocks.
Bistable, Irregular Firing and Population Oscillations in a Modular Attractor Memory Network

Attractor neural networks are thought to underlie working memory functions in the cerebral cortex. Several such models have been proposed that successfully reproduce firing properties of neurons recorded from monkeys performing working memory tasks. However, the regular temporal structure of spike trains in these models is often incompatible with experimental data. Here, we show that the in vivo observations of bistable activity with irregular firing at the single cell level can be achieved in a large-scale network model with a modular structure in terms of several connected hypercolumns. Despite high irregularity of individual spike trains, the model shows population oscillations in the beta and gamma band in ground and active states, respectively. Irregular firing typically emerges in a high-conductance regime of balanced excitation and inhibition. Population oscillations can produce such a regime, but in previous models only a non-coding ground state was oscillatory. Due to the modular structure of our network, the oscillatory and irregular firing was maintained also in the active state without fine-tuning. Our model provides a novel mechanistic view of how irregular firing emerges in cortical populations as they go from beta to gamma oscillations during memory retrieval.
Two Wound-Inducible Soybean Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors Have Greater Insect Digestive Proteinase Inhibitory Activities than a Constitutive Homolog

Diverse functions for three soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) cysteine proteinase inhibitors (CysPIs) are inferred from unique characteristics of differential regulation of gene expression and inhibitory activities against specific Cys proteinases. Based on northern blot analyses, we found that the expression in leaves of one soybean CysPI gene (L1) was constitutive and the other two (N2 and R1) were induced by wounding or methyl jasmonate treatment. Induction of N2 and R1 transcript levels in leaves occurred coincidentally with increased papain inhibitory activity. Analyses of kinetic data from bacterial recombinant CysPI proteins indicated that soybean CysPIs are noncompetitive inhibitors of papain. The inhibition constants against papain of the CysPIs encoded by the wound and methyl jasmonate-inducible genes (57 and 21 nM for N2 and R1, respectively) were 500 to 1000 times lower than the inhibition constant of L1 (19,000 nM). N2 and R1 had substantially greater inhibitory activities than L1 against gut cysteine proteinases of the third-instar larvae of western corn rootworm and Colorado potato beetle. Cysteine proteinases were the predominant digestive proteolytic enzymes in the guts of these insects at this developmental stage. N2 and R1 were more inhibitory than the epoxide trans-epoxysuccinyl-L-leucylamide-(4-guanidino)butane (E-64) against western corn rootworm gut proteinases (50% inhibition concentration = 50, 200, and 7000 nM for N2, R1, and E-64, respectively). However, N2 and R1 were less effective than E-64 against the gut proteinases of Colorado potato beetle. These results indicate that the wound-inducible soybean CysPIs, N2 and R1, function in host plant defense against insect predation, and that substantial variation in CysPI activity against insect digestive proteinases exists among plant CysPI proteins.
A Framework for Spatial Risk Assessments: Potential Impacts of Nonindigenous Invasive Species on Native Species

Many populations of wild animals and plants are declining and face increasing threats from habitat fragmentation and loss as well as exposure to stressors ranging from toxicants to diseases to invasive nonindigenous species. We describe and demonstrate a spatially explicit ecological risk assessment that allows for the incorporation of a broad array of information that may influence the distribution of an invasive species, toxicants, or other stressors, and the incorporation of landscape variables that may influence the spread of a species or substances. The first step in our analyses is to develop species models and quantify spatial overlap between stressor and target organisms. Risk is assessed as the product of spatial overlap and a hazard index based on target species vulnerabilities to the stressor of interest. We illustrate our methods with an example in which the stressor is the ecologically destructive nonindigenous ant, Solenopsis invicta, and the targets are two declining vertebrate species in the state of South Carolina, USA. A risk approach that focuses on landscapes and that is explicitly spatial is of particular relevance as remaining undeveloped lands become increasingly uncommon and isolated and more important in the management and recovery of species and ecological systems. Effective ecosystem management includes the control of multiple stressors, including invasive species with large impacts, understanding where those impacts may be the most severe, and implementing management strategies to reduce impacts.
Effects of prolonged repetitive stimulation of median, ulnar and peroneal nerves

It is important to know the effects of prolonged repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) when it is used in neurophysiological studies. RNS with up to 100 supramaximal stimuli was given to the median, ulnar, and peroneal nerves of normal subjects and the ulnar nerves of subjects with early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), recording evoked compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs). In all nerves, there was a decline in the CMAP area and a decrease in CMAP duration. For the peroneal nerve there was a decline in the CMAP amplitude, but a similar decline was not seen in the median or ulnar nerves. Cooling of the muscles resulted in decrement of both the amplitude and area with RNS. In ALS subjects, CMAP amplitude and area both declined after RNS of the ulnar nerve. In this study we describe the changes in CMAP with prolonged RNS among commonly tested normal nerves. Our findings have important implications with regard to RNS. Muscle Nerve, 2010
" & ! / " 01 # " ' $ 2 Laboratory in Natural Language Processing

The Lab offers a number of practical projects in Natural Language Processing (NLP), focusing on (but not limited to) processing of Hebrew. Some projects require previous knowledge of computational linguistics but some assume no previous background. All projects involve programming: the end result is a relatively large-scale, well-documented and efficient software package. Some of the projects may involve also some research (e.g., reading a research paper and implementing its ideas).
Epitaxial LiNbO_3 thin films on sapphire substrates grown by solid source MOCVD

C- axis LiNbO_3 epitaxial films have been grown on c -plane sapphire substrates by solid source metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) using the tetramethylheptanedionate sources, Li(thd) and Nb(thd)_4. Stoichiometric LiNbO_3 films were deposited from Li(thd)-rich source compositions. Rocking curve FWHM values as low as 0.044°were measured on films grown at 710 °C. Rocking curve peak widths became broader as films were grown at progressively lower substrate temperatures. Single prism coupling experiments revealed clearly visible optical waveguiding, with optical attenuation values as low as 2 dB/cm in the best films.
Bowed String Sequence Estimation of a Violin Based on Adaptive Audio Signal Classification and Context-Dependent Error Correction

he sequence of strings played on a bowed string instrument is essential to understanding of the fingering. Thus, its estimation is required for machine understanding of violin playing. Audio-based identification is the only viable way to realize this goal for existing music recordings. A naive implementation using audio classification alone, however, is inaccurate and is not robust against variations in string or instruments. We develop a bowed string sequence estimation method by combining audio-based bowed string classification and context-dependent error correction. The robustness against different setups of instruments improves by normalizing the F0-dependent features using the average feature of a recording. The performance of error correction is evaluated using an electric violin with two different brands of strings and an acoustic violin. By incorporating mean normalization, the recognition error of recognition accuracy due to changing the string alleviates by 8 points, and that due to change of instrument by 12 points. Error correction decreases the error due to change of string by 8 points and that due to different instrument by 9 points.
Investigation of retinoic acid induced phenotype of neuroblastoma cells

Retinoic acid and its synthetic derivatives are considered as potential agents in cancer therapy because of its pharmacological effect to promote differentiation and to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells. However, clinical trials are greatly hindered by the side effect of retinoic acid with pharmacological dose and limited knowledge of retinoic acid functionalizing exerted on entire cells. Here, we applied atomic force microscopy as a less invasive approach to monitor the retinoic acid induced effect on entire live neuroblastoma cells. Our studies demonstrated that the live SH-SY5Y cells were stiffened and demonstrated the morphology of orientated growth. The Young's modulus and surface roughness of cells were increased under retinoic acid stimulus, which could serve as novel indicators for possibly development of anti-cancer drug screening.
Characterisation of a graphite calorimeter in scanned proton beams.

The NPL graphite proton calorimeter is used to measure the dose deposited from irradiation by proton beams. This thesis describes the first measurements carried out with the calorimeter in proton pencil beams as well as well as an analysis of the calorimeter data in scanned proton beams. In doing this analysis, a greater understanding of the response and heat flows within the calorimeter was achieved. These measurement results are compared to simulations carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics®, a finite-element simulation software package. A model of the calorimeter was built in TOPAS, a Monte Carlo platform which wraps and extends the GEANT-4 simulation toolkit. This model was used to calculate two correction factors: the gap correction factor, which increased with energy from 1.00064(08) at 60 MeV to 1.00359(15) at 230 MeV; and the volume averaging correction factor which was 0.99936(44) at 60 MeV and 1.00515(154) at 230 MeV. TOPAS was also used to build a model of the Clatterbridge beamline, producing Bragg peak and modulated depth-dose curves for the 62 MeV proton beam. This can be used for future, more detailed investigations and coupled TOPAS/COMSOL simulations.
Exercise in Computer Vision A Comparison of Thresholding Methods –NTNU–

This paper contains a comparison of common, simple thresholding methods. Basic thresholding, two-band thresholding, optimal thresholding (Calvard Riddler), adaptive thresholding, and p-tile thresholding is compared. The diﬀerent thresholding methods has been implemented in the programming language c, using the image analysis library Xite 1 . The program sources should accompany this paper.
MODELING ROUTING IN WIRELESS AD-HOC NETWORKS USING CELL-DEVS

Ad-hoc networks are self-organizing systems conformed by wireless cooperating nodes that use the concept of neighboring nodes to build networks with variable topology. Analyzing these networks is a complex task due to the irregular nature of their behavior. Cell-DEVS is an extension to Cellular Automata in which each cell in the system is considered a DEVS model. The approach permits defining models with asynchronous behavior, and to execute them with high efficiency. Here we show how these techniques can be used to model ad-hoc networks, easing model definition, and developing new experiments and to define new routing techniques.
Patterns of molecular genetic variation among African elephant populations

The highly threatened African elephants have recently been subdivided into two species, Loxodonta africana (savannah or bush elephant) and L. cyclotis (forest elephant) based on morphological and molecular studies. A molecular genetic assessment of 16 microsatellite loci across 20 populations (189 individuals) affirms species level genetic differentiation and provides robust genotypic assessment of species affiliation. Savannah elephant popula‐tions show modest levels of phylogeographic subdivision based on composite microsatellite genotype, an indication of recent population isolation and restricted gene flow between locales. The savannah elephants show significantly lower genetic diversity than forest elephants, probably reflecting a founder effect in the recent history of the savannah species.
Application of the Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite Sensor Array Indisplacement Measurement

An Ionic Polymer-Metal Composite (abbr. IPMC) is a type of a smart materialconsisting of two layers of noble metal and an ion-conducting layer between them. Smart ma-terials are generally capable of actuating and sensing. Mechanical deformation of the IPMCbeam produces an electric potential di erence (in the order of mV) proportional to the tipdisplacement on the electrodes. In this paper, the sensing capabilities of IPMC samples will beinvestigated. The composites are manufactured in a form of a thin (0.3 mm) plate, which arecut into rectangular samples. Tests will be performed on separate samples and two electricallyconnected samples. Response to various frequencies will be tested for each sample and for twomechanically and electrically coupled samples, creating a simple sensor array.
The practical needs of integrating scope, cost, and time

The primary goal of tracking scope, cost, and time throughout the construction process is to facilitate the early detection of problem activities that are running over budget or falling behind scheduled progress. Current practice tracks this information using separate processes, which leads to inconsistencies between the information and inaccuracies when determining the cost and schedule status. Project managers need an integrated suite of project management tools so that the project's scope, cost, and time are in sync and the work in place is accurately reflected in the project control system. In this paper, we will provide a case study that demonstrates the practical needs of project managers to support integration throughout the life of a project. We will also demonstrate how those needs are not being addressed by existing software tools, by standards developed for the project management domain, and by information models that have been developed in research. This paper will show that the following issues must be addressed to enable the integration throughout the construction process: the information must be integrated at the start of construction; the mapping scheme between the different hierarchical representations of scope, cost, and time must be defined; and the shared information must be defined.
The abamectin derivative ivermectin is a potent P‐glycoprotein inhibitor

Among the compounds endowed with the capacity to reverse the P-glycoprotein (Pgp)-mediated multidrug resistance of cancer cells, a powerful agent was found to be the cyclosporin D derivative SDZ PSC 833. After in vivo treatment with SDZ PSC 833, mice showed a decreased tolerability to cyclosporin A (CsA), but also to ivermectin, a widely used polycyclic lactone pesticide of Streptomyces avermitills origin. The sequels were suggestive of CsA- or ivermectin-induced central nervous system dysfunction; they were interpreted as caused by the neutralization of the Pgp at the blood-brain barrier level, implying that CsA and ivermectin were Pgp substrates. CsA was already known to display both Pgp substrate and Pgp inhibitor properties. It now appears that ivermectin may also inhibit Pgp function. When compared in short-term assays for Pgp function inhibition, which measure the restoration of the retention of two Pgp probes in multidrug-resistant (MDR) cells to their parental (Par) cell levels, ivermectin appeared only a few fold weaker than SDZ PSC 833 in the case of murine monocytic leukemia MDR-P388 cells and nearly as active as SDZ PSC 833 in the case of human lymphocytic leukemia MDR-CEM cells. Therefore, like CsA or FK-506, ivermectin may be both a substrate and an inhibitor of Pgp.
Secure multiparty aggregation with differential privacy: a comparative study

This paper considers the problem of secure data aggregation in a distributed setting while preserving differential privacy for the aggregated data. In particular, we focus on the secure sum aggregation. Security is guaranteed by secure multiparty computation protocols using well known security schemes: Shamir's secret sharing, perturbation-based, and various encryption schemes. Differential privacy of the final result is achieved by distributed Laplace perturbation mechanism (DLPA). Partial random noise is generated by all participants, which draw random variables from Gamma or Gaussian distributions, such that the aggregated noise follows Laplace distribution to satisfy differential privacy. We also introduce a new efficient distributed noise generation scheme with partial noise drawn from Laplace distributions. We compare the protocols with different privacy mechanisms and security schemes in terms of their complexity and security characteristics. More importantly, we implemented all protocols, and present an experimental comparison on their performance and scalability in a real distributed environment.
Phosphorylation of C / EBP Depends on Histone Deacetylase and Lipopolysaccharides in Macrophages The Response of Secondary Genes to

LPS induces the expression of NO synthase 2 ( nos2 ) in macrophages. The expression of this molecule is one of the hallmarks of classical activation. In this paper, we describe that trichostatin A (TSA), which inhibits deacetylase activity, blocks LPS-dependent nos2 expression. TSA speciﬁcally inhibits LPS-dependent genes of secondary response, which require new protein synthesis for their induction but not those belonging to the primary response, which do not depend on this process. Deacetylase activity acts at the transcriptional level because RNA polymerase II was not bound after LPS stimulus when we added TSA. A link between the global acetylation caused by HDAC inhibitor and gene promoter recruitment of CDK8 was found. This Mediator complex subunit associates with Med 12, Med13, and cyclin C to form a submodule that is a transcriptional negative regulator. We also found that TSA reduces C/EBP b phosphorylation without affecting its binding to DNA. Taken together, these results shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of LPS-treated macrophages and on how TSA targets critical LPS-induced genes, such as nos2 and tnf- a , in inﬂammatory macrophage response. The Journal of Immunology , 2014, 192: 000–000. noprecipitation (ChIP) p65 binding The of was using unrelated Abs. Ampliﬁcation of c-jun coding region also was used as a control of nonspeciﬁc immunoprecipitation. Data were expressed as relative immunoprecipitation related to the level of c-jun ampliﬁcation in each sample. In subsequent experiments in which we used this technique, similar controls were performed. These results suggest that nos2 down-regulation by TSA is not due to an effect on NF- k B.
Shape representation via elementary symmetric polynomials: A complete invariant inspired by the bispectrum

We address the representation of two-dimensional shape in its most general form, i.e., arbitrary sets of points, that may arise in multiple situations, e.g., sparse sets of specific landmarks, or dense sets of image edge points. Our goal are recognition tasks, where the key is balancing two contradicting demands: shapes that differ by rigid transformations or point re-labeling should have the same representation (invariance) but geometrically distinct shapes should have different representations (completeness). In the paper, we introduce a new shape representation that marries properties of the elementary symmetric polynomials and the bispectrum. Like the power spectrum, the bispectrum is insensitive to signal shifts; however, unlike the power spectrum, the bispectrum is complete. The elementary symmetric polynomials are complete and invariant to variable relabeling. We show that the elementary symmetric polynomials of the shape points depend on the shape orientation in a way that enables interpreting them in the frequency domain and building from them a bispectrum. The result is a shape representation that is complete and invariant to rigid transformations and point-relabeling. The paper also reports experiments that illustrate the proved properties.