Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A secure system architecture for measuring instruments under legal control

In many fields, application software must be stable and withstand attacks. Due to the trend of the ”Internet of Things” these attacks increase in all areas where devices are connected via the open network. Meanwhile, even everyday devices such as smartphones, tablets and measuring instruments, on which the concrete focus of this thesis lies, have evolved into powerful universal devices with an open system architecture. It should be noted that IT systems running conventional operating systems can be barely protected. New approaches for measuring instruments are needed to counter the growing number of threats. With the use of separation kernels, the components of a software system can be isolated in terms of space as well as time, which makes the whole system highly reliable. This ensures that the malfunction of a component may have no effect on the interoperability of other modules in the system. The risk of a malfunction can be lowered to the extent that critical applications are executable, which is also important for legally monitored measuring devices. In this thesis, a modular system architecture for measuring instruments under legal control, which is running on a micro/separation kernel, is being constructed, fulfilling the European directives and guides. A further requirement of regularized meters is the easy verification of system integrity, such as the file system. If the files and the file system structure have not changed on the instrument, one can assume that it is still running the same software, which has been approved. For this purpose, the measuring instrument shall output a so-called software identifier. Until now, no specific method has been described as to how this software identifier is to be formed. The method presented in this thesis is focused on an efficient and succinct verification of file system integrity. Its focus lies on the usability on embedded and low-resource devices. In doing so, the legal requirements of the measuring system are complied with and a comprehensible method is provided up to the hash calculation. It allows the files and the file system to be moved to other devices (for example, in the case of Cloud applications) and also remote hash verification over open networks, to replace the on-site examination. Hereby, an efficient calculation of the file system structure with low space consumption is made possible. This thesis analyzes specifically the requirements for measuring instruments under legal control with the focus on software. A solution for a secure software system architecture, which meets all these requirements is given. Additionally, a new approach for file system integrity checking for market surveillance to verify the integrity of the software in commission is being described.
Regulation of plant aquaporin activity

Accumulating evidence indicates that aquaporins play a key role in plant water relations. Plant aquaporins are part of a large and highly divergent protein family that can be divided into four subfamilies according to amino acid sequence similarity. As in other organisms, plant aquaporins facilitate the transcellular movement of water, but, in some cases, also the flux of small neutral solutes across a cellular membrane. Plant cell membranes are characterized by a large range of osmotic water permeabilities, and recent data indicate that plant aquaporin activity might be regulated by gating mechanisms. The factors affecting the gating behaviour possibly involve phosphorylation, heteromerization, pH, Ca2+, pressure, solute gradients and temperature. Regulation of aquaporin trafficking may also represent a way to modulate membrane water permeability. The aim of this review is to integrate recent molecular and biophysical data on the mechanisms regulating aquaporin activity in plant membranes and to relate them to putative changes in protein structure.
Novel anti-adherence activity of mulberry leaves: inhibition of Streptococcus mutans biofilm by 1-deoxynojirimycin isolated from Morus alba.

OBJECTIVES The present study focused on isolation, characterization and evaluation of purified compounds from Morus alba against Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation. METHODS The effect of crude extract from M. alba leaves was evaluated against oral pathogens, chiefly S. mutans. MICs were determined by the microdilution method. The compound was purified by employing silica gel chromatography and critically analysed with GC-MS, NMR and IR spectroscopy. The S. mutans traits of adherence and biofilm formation were assessed at sub-MIC concentrations of the crude extract and purified compound. Both water-soluble and alkali-soluble polysaccharide were estimated to determine the effect of the purified compound on the extracellular polysaccharide secretion of S. mutans. Its effect on biofilm architecture was also investigated with the help of confocal microscopy. RESULTS The purified compound of M. alba showed an 8-fold greater reduction of MIC against S. mutans than the crude extract (MICs, 15.6 and 125 mg/L, respectively). The extract strongly inhibited biofilm formation of S. mutans at its active accumulation and plateau phases. The purified compound led to a 22% greater reduction in alkali-soluble polysaccharide than in water-soluble polysaccharide. The purified compound was found to be 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ). Confocal microscopy revealed that DNJ distorts the biofilm architecture of S. mutans. CONCLUSIONS The whole study reflects a prospective role of DNJ as a therapeutic agent by controlling the overgrowth and biofilm formation of S. mutans.
The surface aerosol optical properties in the urban area of Nanjing, west Yangtze River Delta, China

Abstract. Observational studies of aerosol optical properties are useful for reducing uncertainties in estimations of aerosol radiative forcing and forecasting visibility. In this study, the observed near-surface aerosol optical properties in urban Nanjing are analysed from March 2014 to February 2016. Results show that near-surface urban aerosols in Nanjing are mainly from local emissions and the surrounding regions. They have lower loadings but are more scattering than aerosols in most cities in China. The annual mean aerosol extinction coefficient (EC), single-scattering albedo (SSA) and asymmetry parameter (ASP) at 550 nm are 381.96 Mm−1, 0.9 and 0.57, respectively. The aerosol absorption coefficient (AAC) is about 1 order of magnitude smaller than its scattering coefficient (SC). However, the absorbing aerosol has a larger Angstrom exponent (AAE) value, 1.58 at 470∕660 nm, about 0.2 larger than the scattering aerosols (SAE). All the aerosol optical properties follow a near-unimodal pattern, and their values are mostly concentrated around their averages, accounting for more than 60 % of the total samplings. Additionally, they have substantial seasonality and diurnal variations. High levels of SC and AAC all appear in winter due to higher aerosol and trace gas emissions. AAE (ASP) is the smallest (largest) in summer, possibly because of high relative humidity (RH) which also causes considerably larger SC and smaller SAE, although intensive gas-to-particle transformation could produce a large number of finer scattering aerosols in this season. Seasonality of EC is different from the columnar aerosol optical depth. Larger AACs appear during the rush hours of the day while SC and back-scattering coefficient (Bsp) only peak in the early morning. Aerosols are fresher in the daytime than at night-time, leading to their larger Angstrom exponent and smaller ASP. Different temporal variations between AAC and SC cause the aerosols to be more absorbing (smaller SSA) in autumn, winter and around rush hours. ASP has a good quasi-log-normal growth trend with increasing SC when RH is below 60 %. The correlation between AAC and SC at the site is close but a little smaller than that in suburban Nanjing in spring. Atmospheric visibility decreases exponentially with increasing EC or SC, more sharply in spring and summer, and it could be further deteriorated with increasing SSA and ASP.
Profile of trifluridine/tipiracil hydrochloride in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: efficacy, safety, and place in therapy

TAS-102, with its robust survival efficacy and feasible toxicity, is one of the standard salvage-line treatments for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). No definitive data are available to determine which drug should be administered first during salvage-line treatment. Therefore, it is imperative that we establish the sequence of administration by considering drug toxicity profiles based on patient characteristics, such as age, performance status, comorbidities, tolerability to previous treatments, and patient preferences. The identification of predictive biomarkers in response to TAS-102 or its toxicity is urgently needed for better patient selection. Moreover, to strengthen efficacy or relieve toxicity, combinations with other agents, which could potentially emerge as standard treatment regimens, have been investigated and compared to existing active regimens for mCRC.
Logic synthesis and defect tolerance for memristive crossbar arrays

Contrary to abundant memory related studies of memristive crossbar structures, logic oriented applications are only gaining popularity in recent years. In this paper, we study logic synthesis, regarding both two-level and multi level designs, and defect aspects of memristor based crossbar architectures. First, we introduce our two-level and multi-level logic synthesis techniques. We elaborate on advantages and disadvantages of both approaches with experimental results regarding area cost. After that, we devise a defect model in alignment with the conventional stuck-at open and closed paradigm. In addition, we determine the effects of defects to the operational capacity of the crossbar. Furthermore, we propose a preliminary defect tolerant Boolean logic mapping approach. In order to evaluate our approach, we conduct extensive Monte Carlo simulations with industrial benchmarks. Finally, we discuss future directions concerning both existing two-level and prospective multi-level logic designs as well as defect tolerance with area redundancy.
Grafter: Remixing 3D-Printed Machines

Creating new 3D printed objects by recombining models found in hobbyist repositories has been referred to as "re-mixing". In this paper, we explore how to best support users in remixing a specific class of 3D printed objects, namely those that perform mechanical functions. In our survey, we found that makers remix such machines by manually extracting parts from one parent model and combine it with parts from a different parent model. This approach often puts axles made by one maker into bearings made by another maker or combines a gear by one maker with a gear by a different maker. This approach is problem-atic, however, as parts from different makers tend to fit poorly, which results in long series of tweaks and test-prints until all parts finally work together. We address this with our interactive system grafter. Grafter does two things. First, grafter largely automates the process of extracting and recombining mechanical elements from 3D printed machines. Second, it enforces a more efficient approach to reuse: it prevents users from extracting indi-vidual parts, but instead affords extracting groups of me-chanical elements that already work together, such as axles and their bearings or pairs of gears. We call this mecha-nism-based remixing. In a final user study, all models that participants had remixed using grafter could be 3D printed without further tweaking and worked immediately.
Local Invariants For Recognition

Geometric invariants are shape descriptors that remain unchanged under geometric transformations such as projection or changing the viewpoint. A new method of obtaining local projective and affine invariants is developed and implemented for real images. Being local, the Invariants are much less sensitive to occlusion than global invariants. The invariants' computation is based on a canonical method. This consists of defining a canonical coordinate system by the intrinsic properties of the shape, independently of the given coordinate system. Since this canonical system is independent of the original one, it is invariant and all quantities defined in it are invariant. The method was applied without the use of a curve parameter. This was achieved by fitting an implicit polynomial to an arbitrary curve in a vicinity of each curve point. Several configurations are treated: a general curve without any correspondence and curves with known correspondences of one or two feature points or lines. Experimental results for different 2D objects in 3D space are presented. >
Comparative Analysis of Refractive and Topographic Changes in Early and Advanced Keratoconic Eyes Undergoing Corneal Collagen Crosslinking

Purpose: To compare the refractive and topographic changes at 1 year in eyes with early and advanced keratoconus undergoing corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL). A prospective, nonrandomized comparative clinical intervention study. Methods: Thirty eyes of patients with keratoconus underwent CXL. They were divided into 2 groups based on their mean central keratometry: group A [mean central K ⩽ 53 diopters (D)] and group B (mean central K > 53 D). Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, topography, pachymetry, and endothelial cell counts were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Results: The mean baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) UCVA and logMAR BCVA in group A was 1.007 ± 0.30 and 0.566 ± 0.21, respectively. The values improved to 0.727 ± 0.29 (P = 0.001) and 0.306 ± 0.15 (P = 0.001) at 1-year post CXL. The mean baseline logMAR UCVA and logMAR BCVA in group B were 1.040 ± 0.24 and 0.641 ± 0.25, respectively. It changed to 0.953 ± 0.26 (P = 0.054) and 0.633 ± 0.27 (P = 0.891) at 1 year. The improvement in the UCVA and BCVA was statistically significant in group A as compared with that in group B. The mean baseline flattest, steepest, central, and apical keratometry in group A were 48.7 ± 2.5 D, 54.9 ± 3.3 D, 49.5 ± 1.4 D, and 57.3 ± 2.3 D, respectively. At 12 months, the values changed to 47.8 ± 2.4 D, 54.1 ± 3.0 D, 48.8 ± 1.8 D, and 56.2 ± 2.7 D, the change being statistically significant for mean flat and apical K only (P < 0.05). All the 4 indices did not show any statistically significant difference at 12 months in group B (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Corneal CXL is more effective in improving the refractive and topographical parameters at 1 year when it is performed early in the course of the disease.
Metrological Characterization for Vital Sign Detection by a Bioradar

In space missions, during the long isolation at extreme conditions for human health, it is of paramount importance to monitor vital parameters. One such parameter is the breathing rate. Indeed, several factors can induce some breathing anomalies during the sleep, which may cause apnea episodes. In order to act timely with the right therapy, an early diagnosis is required. Conventional devices are usually uncomfortable since they require electrodes or probes in contact with the subject. An alternative way to perform this kind of measurement in a remote sensing modality is provided by a continuous wave bioradar operating in the microwave frequency band. This is an effective contactless tool for monitoring the respiratory activity through the measurement of chest deformation due to inhalation and exhalation. The radar emits a low power electromagnetic wave at a single frequency, which is reflected by the human chest. By measuring of the phase shift between the incident and reflected wave, it is possible to detect and monitor the respiratory rate. The main contribution of this work is concerned with a metrological characterization of the continuous wave bioradar; which is a topic not thoroughly assessed in the relevant literature. In particular, the bioradar measurements are also compared with data recorded by a spirometer, which is a standard medical device that measures the air volume inhaled and exhaled by the subject. The purpose of this study is the characterization of the measurement standard uncertainty to enable the assessment of the bioradar system performance.
An Experimental Study of Cryptocurrency Market Dynamics

As cryptocurrencies gain popularity and credibility, marketplaces for cryptocurrencies are growing in importance. Understanding the dynamics of these markets can help to assess how viable the cryptocurrnency ecosystem is and how design choices affect market behavior. One existential threat to cryptocurrencies is dramatic fluctuations in traders' willingness to buy or sell. Using a novel experimental methodology, we conducted an online experiment to study how susceptible traders in these markets are to peer influence from trading behavior. We created bots that executed over one hundred thousand trades costing less than a penny each in 217 cryptocurrencies over the course of six months. We find that individual "buy" actions led to short-term increases in subsequent buy-side activity hundreds of times the size of our interventions. From a design perspective, we note that the design choices of the exchange we study may have promoted this and other peer influence effects, which highlights the potential social and economic impact of HCI in the design of digital institutions.
Supporting Meaningful Personal Fitness: the Tracker Goal Evolution Model

While the number of users sporting fitness trackers is constantly increasing, little is understood about how tracking goals can evolve over time. As recent studies have shown that the long-term health effects of trackers are limited, we need to readdress how trackers engage users. We conducted semi-structured interviews and an online survey to explore how users change their tracking goals. Based on our results, we created the Tracker Goal Evolution Model. The model describes how tracker goals can evolve from internal user needs through qualitative goals to quantitative goals that can be used with trackers. It also includes trust and reflection as key contextual factors contributing to meaningful transitions between goals. We postulate showing how tracker goals relate to other personal fitness goals as key for long-term engagement with trackers. Our model is useful for designers of future trackers as a tool to create evolving and meaningful tracking goals.
A 0.8-V 230-$\mu$ W 98-dB DR Inverter-Based $\Sigma \Delta$ Modulator for Audio Applications

This paper presents a ΣΔ modulator based on a gain-boost class-C inverter for audio applications. The gain-boost class-C inverter behaves as a low-voltage subthreshold amplifier and boosts its dc gain for the high-precision requirement. Meanwhile, an on-chip body bias is used to compensate the performance degradation of the inverter at a slow process corner or low supply voltage. The proposed inverter-based modulator is fabricated in a 65-nm mixed-signal CMOS process with a die area of 0.3 mm 2. The experimental chip achieves 91-dB peak signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio (SNDR), 94-dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and 98-dB dynamic range (DR) over a 20-KHz audio band with a 5-MHz sampling frequency and a 0.8-V supply voltage consuming only 230-μW power, which demonstrates that the gain-boost class-C inverter is particularly suitable for low-voltage micro-power high-resolution applications.
Synthesis and antiproliferative evaluation of novel 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-phenyl- 1H-benzimidazole derivatives

Abstract A series of novel 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-phenyl-1H-benzimidazoles (5–14) were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against the human leukemia cell line HL-60. Compounds 5–7 and 10–12 exhibited potent antiproliferative activities against this cell line. The quantitative analysis of apoptosis by flow cytometry demonstrated that the percentages of apoptotic HL-60 cells treated with compounds 5 and 10–12 were significantly higher than in the control.
Performance comparison of speaker recognition systems using GMM and i-Vector methods with PNCC and RASTA PLP features

Biometrie recognition techniques using features such as iris, fingerprint, face etc. are nowadays being popularly used for the purpose of verification or authentication of individuals. Speech is one of the most natural forms of communication among humans and it has been proven that voice biometric also provides a unique identity measure of a person. Features extracted from speech represent speaker specific characteristics which help us to uniquely identify a person. Speaker recognition is now being employed in various applications such as transaction authentication, forensic purposes etc. In this paper, the performances of Text-Independent Speaker Recognition (SR) systems implemented using Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) and i-Vector method with Probabilistic Linear Discriminant Analysis (PLDA) classifier are compared. Both systems have been realized with two types of features namely, Power Normalized Cepstral Coefficients (PNCC) and Relative Spectral Perceptual Linear Prediction (RASTA PLP) coefficients. It has been seen that PNCC features provide a closer approximation of human auditory system than RASTA PLP. The results also show that the performance of SR system is better with GMM for short utterances and is better for i-vector method for longer utterances.
Complement in organ transplantation

Purpose of reviewThe aim of this review is to bring to attention the most recent advances made in understanding the role of complement components in both innate and adaptive immune responses in solid organ transplantation with emphasis on the kidney. Recent findingsAlongside recent findings related to the role of anaphylatoxins in modulating adaptive immune responses, there has been a genomic study to assess the expression of inflammatory markers in kidney transplantation, showing significant involvement of some complement molecules in predicting graft function. Modulators of complement pathway activity such as decay accelerating factor (CD55) and CD59 have also been shown to have a role in graft rejection. Potential new therapeutic targets related to complement proteins are being investigated. SummaryThe mechanism of rejection in solid organ transplantation is influenced by the initial inflammatory response and subsequent adaptive allo-immune response, both of which have been shown to be affected by various complement components. Due to limitations of existing treatments, new approaches are needed to better control these responses to improve graft survival. Built on an expanding knowledge of complement involvement, targeted blocking of the effector complement molecules and modulating the expression of complement inhibitors has suggested potentially useful approaches for reducing the effect of inflammatory damage from cold ischaemia as well as reducing the activation of the adaptive immune system related to complement.