Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
FPGA implementation of a coupled‐map‐lattice‐based cryptosystem

In this paper, a multimedia cryptosystem is first proposed and then implemented by a field programmable gate array (FPGA). A stream cipher is designed for the cryptosystem based on a coupled map lattice (CML), which can exhibit extremely complex spatiotemporal chaos. To improve the encryption speed, it is digitized and implemented in the FPGA. A user‐friendly interface is designed for users to input data from a PC, to manipulate the cryptosystem to encrypt/decryt and to observe the results. The data communication between a user's PC and the FPGA is realized via an enhance parallel port. The performance of the cryptosystem, i.e. statistical properties, security and speed, are quantitatively analyzed to be satisfactory. Further, the effectiveness of applying the cryptosystem in a text file, an audio file and an image file is verified by investigating the distributions and correlations of a plain‐media (i.e. plain‐text, plain‐audio or plain‐image) and its cipher‐media (i.e. cipher‐text, cipher‐audio or cipher‐image), and the diffusion with respect to a plain‐media. It is shown that the cryptosystem has high security, high speed, low cost and easy‐to‐use property, and can be widely applied for encrypting multimedia. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A high-fat diet as a model of fatty liver disease in rats.

PURPOSE The objective of the present study was to analyze the physiological and metabolic changes occurring in rats subjected to high-fat diet for one month. METHODS The animals received a modified AIN-93 diet with increased lipid content and decreased carbohydrate content, while the control group received the normal AIN-93 diet. RESULTS It was observed that the high-fat diet did not induce weight gain but led to greater gain of hepatic fat compared to control. Biochemical parameters, glycemia, total cholesterol and serum protein did not differ between groups. In parallel, rats receiving the high-fat diet consumed less feed. CONCLUSION The development of obesity through high-fat diet is associated with increased energy intake and time of exposure to the diet, while the metabolic syndrome is more associated with the combination of a diet rich in fat and carbohydrates.
The effects of intensified training on resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition and performance in trained cyclists

Background Recent research has demonstrated decreases in resting metabolic rate (RMR), body composition and performance following a period of intensified training in elite athletes, however the underlying mechanisms of change remain unclear. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate how an intensified training period, designed to elicit overreaching, affects RMR, body composition, and performance in trained endurance athletes, and to elucidate underlying mechanisms. Method Thirteen (n = 13) trained male cyclists completed a six-week training program consisting of a “Baseline” week (100% of regular training load), a “Build” week (~120% of Baseline load), two “Loading” weeks (~140, 150% of Baseline load, respectively) and two “Recovery” weeks (~80% of Baseline load). Training comprised of a combination of laboratory based interval sessions and on-road cycling. RMR, body composition, energy intake, appetite, heart rate variability (HRV), cycling performance, biochemical markers and mood responses were assessed at multiple time points throughout the six-week period. Data were analysed using a linear mixed modeling approach. Results The intensified training period elicited significant decreases in RMR (F(5,123.36) = 12.0947, p = <0.001), body mass (F(2,19.242) = 4.3362, p = 0.03), fat mass (F(2,20.35) = 56.2494, p = <0.001) and HRV (F(2,22.608) = 6.5212, p = 0.005); all of which improved following a period of recovery. A state of overreaching was induced, as identified by a reduction in anaerobic performance (F(5,121.87) = 8.2622, p = <0.001), aerobic performance (F(5,118.26) = 2.766, p = 0.02) and increase in total mood disturbance (F(5, 110.61) = 8.1159, p = <0.001). Conclusion Intensified training periods elicit greater energy demands in trained cyclists, which, if not sufficiently compensated with increased dietary intake, appears to provoke a cascade of metabolic, hormonal and neural responses in an attempt to restore homeostasis and conserve energy. The proactive monitoring of energy intake, power output, mood state, body mass and HRV during intensified training periods may alleviate fatigue and attenuate the observed decrease in RMR, providing more optimal conditions for a positive training adaptation.
Disparities of Potential Gains in Life Expectancy Development between the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.

AIM The purpose of this paper is to determine how many years a person could be expected to live if a specific cause of death was eliminated, and to compare potential gains in life expectancy (PGLEs) between Slovakia (SVK) and the Czech Republic (CZE). METHODS PGLEs were computed from mortality reports (1996-2013) for deaths from the main groups of chronic diseases, namely ischaemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular diseases (CVD), cancer (CA), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) for the Slovak and Czech populations in five-year age groups. Country comparative analysis was conducted by constructing rate ratios of PGLEs. RESULTS In 2013, life expectancy at birth for the Slovak and Czech populations was 76.5 and 78.3 years. Overall trends of standardised mortality rates of chronic diseases roughly paralleled the PGLEs trend. During 1996-2013, SVK reported the highest PGLEs of IHD at an average of 4.54 years, compared to PGLEs of CA reaching a value of 3.61 years in CZE. The PGLEs of IHD showed the largest gap between SVK and CZE, with an average of 1.65 higher values in SVK. With the elimination of CVD as the third most influential disease in both countries, PGLEs decreased from 1.65 to 0.93 years in CZE; a negligible drop from 1.13 to 1.05 was recorded in SVK. The lowest impacts on life expectancy were recorded in DM and CRD. However, since 2005 these trends have deteriorated in CZE. In 2013, IHD had a similar impact on life expectancy in all age groups in SVK and a decreasing impact among 50-54 year olds in CZE. Similarly to SVK, people in CZE aged 45-49 could gain 0.94 years in LE after CVD elimination, which is nearly the same as at birth. CONCLUSIONS The higher the life expectancy after elimination of the cause of death is, the higher the impact of the disease on life expectancy. Health prevention programs should be mainly aimed at CA mortality in CZE, while the highest burden of IHD is seen in SVK.
Experimentally Validated Survey Evidence on Individual Risk Attitudes in Rural Thailand

This study validates a survey-based measure of general risk attitude with an incentive compatible experiment with more than 900 participants in rural Thailand. The survey measure of self-assessed risk attitude provides a useful approximation of the experimentally derived risk attitude. This is further confirmed by adding various sociodemographic control variables taken from a representative household survey that are related to risk attitude in plausible ways. The survey measure also predicts individual behavior toward risk in other cases and even outperforms the experimental measure in this respect.
Neuroanatomical maps of psychosis onset: voxel-wise meta-analysis of antipsychotic-naive VBM studies.

BACKGROUND Despite impressive advancements in early interventions in psychosis, there is an urgent need of robust neurobiological markers to improve the predictive value of psychosis transition. Available structural imaging literature in the field is undermined by several methodological caveats and a number of confounders such as exposure to antipsychotic treatment. METHODS Fourteen voxel-based morphometry studies of antipsychotic-naive subjects at enhanced clinical risk for psychosis (high risk [HR]) or experiencing a first-episode psychosis (FEP) were included. Formal meta-analysis of effect sizes and "signed differential mapping" voxel-based meta-analysis were combined to control the results for sample sizes, strength of individual findings, and confounding variables. RESULTS Formal effect size meta-analysis indicated consistent gray matter (GM) reductions both in subjects at enhanced clinical risk for psychosis and in first-episode subjects when compared with control groups. Voxel-based meta-analysis showed GM reductions in the temporal, limbic prefrontal cortex within the HR group and in the temporal insular cortex and cerebellum within the FEP group. Psychosis onset was characterized by GM decreases in temporal, anterior cingulate, cerebellar, and insular regions. GM alterations in the temporal regions directly related to severity of psychotic symptoms. There was no publication bias. Heterogeneity across studies was low. Sensitivity analyses confirmed robustness of the above results. CONCLUSIONS Vulnerability to psychosis is associated with consistent GM decreases in prefrontal and temporolimbic areas. The onset of full disease is accompanied by temporoinsular, anterior cingulate, and cerebellar GM reductions. Neuroanatomical alterations in temporal regions may underlie the clinical onset of psychotic symptoms.
Comparison of Packaging Technologies for RF MEMS Switch

The present paper describes an integrated approach for design, fabrication and encapsulation of RF MEMS switches in view of the optimal performance subsequent to packaging. 'Top and bottom contact' fabrication approaches are explored using different RF MEMS switch topologies. In the 'bottom contact package (BCP)' the packaging cap alignment is less critical as compared to the top contact packaging (TCP) approach where contact via is an integral part of the cap. In this case, the connection layout through silicon via holes is independent of the cavity geometry. For the devices under consideration, bulk etched silicon cavity height has been optimized to 50µm for optimal RF performance, e.g., isolation and insertion loss. Parasitic effects of top silicon cap are reduced by altering CPW impedance. Mechanical parameter damping is simulated for different cavity heights and found to be independent from cavity height after 20µ mo nwards.
Novel Technique for 3D Face Recognition Using Anthropometric Methodology

This manuscript presents an improved system research that can detect and recognize the person in 3D space automatically and without the interaction of the people's faces. This system is based not only on a quantum computation and measurements to extract the vector features in the phase of characterization but also on learning algorithm using SVM to classify and recognize the person. This research presents an improved technique for automatic 3D face recognition using anthropometric proportions and measurement to detect and extract the area of interest which is unaffected by facial expression. This approach is able to treat incomplete and noisy images and reject the non-facial areas automatically. Moreover, it can deal with the presence of holes in the meshed and textured 3D image. It is also stable against small translation and rotation of the face. All the experimental tests have been done with two 3D face datasets FRAV 3D and GAVAB. Therefore, the test's results of the proposed approach are promising because they showed that it is competitive comparable to similar approaches in terms of accuracy, robustness, and flexibility. It achieves a high recognition performance rate of 95.35% for faces with neutral and non-neutral expressions for the identification and 98.36% for the authentification with GAVAB and 100% with some gallery of FRAV 3D datasets.
Mutations in H5N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin that Confer Binding to Human Tracheal Airway Epithelium

The emergence in 2009 of a swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus as the first pandemic of the 21st Century is a timely reminder of the international public health impact of influenza viruses, even those associated with mild disease. The widespread distribution of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus in the avian population has spawned concern that it may give rise to a human influenza pandemic. The mortality rate associated with occasional human infection by H5N1 virus approximates 60%, suggesting that an H5N1 pandemic would be devastating to global health and economy. To date, the H5N1 virus has not acquired the propensity to transmit efficiently between humans. The reasons behind this are unclear, especially given the high mutation rate associated with influenza virus replication. Here we used a panel of recombinant H5 hemagglutinin (HA) variants to demonstrate the potential for H5 HA to bind human airway epithelium, the predominant target tissue for influenza virus infection and spread. While parental H5 HA exhibited limited binding to human tracheal epithelium, introduction of selected mutations converted the binding profile to that of a current human influenza strain HA. Strikingly, these amino-acid changes required multiple simultaneous mutations in the genomes of naturally occurring H5 isolates. Moreover, H5 HAs bearing intermediate sequences failed to bind airway tissues and likely represent mutations that are an evolutionary “dead end. ” We conclude that, although genetic changes that adapt H5 to human airways can be demonstrated, they may not readily arise during natural virus replication. This genetic barrier limits the likelihood that current H5 viruses will originate a human pandemic.
Word to Sentence Level Emotion Tagging for Bengali Blogs

In this paper, emotion analysis on blog texts has been carried out for a less privileged language like Bengali. Ekman's six basic emotion types have been selected for reliable and semi automatic word level annotation. An automatic classifier has been applied for recognizing six basic emotion types for different words in a sentence. Application of different scoring strategies to identify sentence level emotion tag based on the acquired word level emotion constituents have produced satisfactory performance.
An Experimental Test of Condition-Dependent Male and Female Mate Choice in Zebra Finches

In mating systems with social monogamy and obligatory bi-parental care, such as found in many songbird species, male and female fitness depends on the combined parental investment. Hence, both sexes should gain from choosing mates in high rather than low condition. However, theory also predicts that an individual's phenotypic quality can constrain choice, if low condition individuals cannot afford prolonged search efforts and/or face higher risk of rejection. In systems with mutual mate choice, the interaction between male and female condition should thus be a better predictor of choice than either factor in isolation. To address this prediction experimentally, we manipulated male and female condition and subsequently tested male and female mating preferences in zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata, a songbird species with mutual mate choice and obligatory bi-parental care. We experimentally altered phenotypic quality by manipulating the brood size in which the birds were reared. Patterns of association for high- or low-condition individuals of the opposite sex differed for male and female focal birds when tested in an 8-way choice arena. Females showed repeatable condition-assortative preferences for males matching their own rearing background. Male preferences were also repeatable, but not predicted by their own or females' rearing background. In combination with a brief review of the literature on condition-dependent mate choice in the zebra finch we discuss whether the observed sex differences and between-studies differences arise because males and females differ in context sensitivity (e.g. male-male competition suppressing male mating preferences), sampling strategies or susceptibility to rearing conditions (e.g. sex-specific effect on physiology). While a picture emerges that juvenile and current state indeed affect preferences, the development and context-dependency of mutual state-dependent mate choice warrants further study.
Identification and Functional Demonstration of miRNAs in the Fungus Cryptococcus neoformans

microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous posttranscriptional repressors by base-pairing of their cognate mRNAs in plants and animals, have mostly been thought lost in the kingdom of fungi. Here, we report the identification of miRNAs from the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. With bioinformatics and Northern blotting approaches, we found that these miRNAs and their hairpin precursors were present in this fungus. The size of miR1 and miR2 is 22 nt and 18 nt, respectively. The precursors are about ∼70 nt in length that is close to mammalian pre-miRNAs. Characteristic features of miRNAs are also found in miR1/2. We demonstrated that the identified miRNAs, miR1 and miR2, caused transgene silencing via the canonical RNAi pathway. Bioinformantics analysis helps to reveal a number of identical sequences of the miR1/2 in transposable elements (TEs) and pseudogenes, prompting us to think that fungal miRNAs might be involved in the regulation of the activity of transposons and the expression of pseudogenes. This study identified functional miRNAs in C. neoformans, and sheds light on the diversity and evolutionary origin of eukaryotic miRNAs.
A polymeric microfluidic valve employing a pH-responsive hydrogel microsphere as an actuating source

In this paper, we propose a new fabrication method for pH-responsive microfluidic valves. Conventionally, an in situ photopolymerization method has been employed to build the micro functional structure inside a microfluidic channel. Here, we suggest a new method that allows the mass production of a stimuli-responsive microsystem through the use of a pre-made microstructure as an actuating element, like the assembly of commercial products in a factory. We have massively fabricated pH-responsive microspheres that act as an actuating component through the use of PDMS-based microfluidic apparatus and an ‘on the fly’ photopolymerization method. By incorporation of this microsphere into the microvalve during the fabrication process, we have produced a pH-responsive microfluidic valve in a simple way. The operation and the function of the fabricated microvalve were evaluated through diverse experiments. The microvalve was successfully fabricated, and functioned well according to the pH change.
Risk and protective factors for comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems among economically disadvantaged African American youth

Abstract Comorbidity of internalizing and externalizing problems and its risk and protective factors have not been well incorporated into developmental research, especially among racial minority youth from high-poverty neighborhoods. The present study identified a latent comorbid factor as well as specific factors underlying internalizing and externalizing problems among 592 African American adolescents living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods (291 male; M age = 15.9 years, SD = 1.43 years). Stressful life events and racial discrimination were associated with higher comorbid problems, whereas stressful life events and exposure to violence were associated with higher specific externalizing problems. Collective efficacy was associated with both lower specific externalizing problems and lower comorbid problems. Moreover, high collective efficacy buffered the risk effects of stressful life events and racial discrimination on comorbid problems. Our results demonstrated the advantages of latent variable modeling to understanding comorbidity by articulating impacts of risk factors on comorbid and specific components underlying internalizing and externalizing problems. They also highlighted the protective effect of collective efficacy in mitigating risks for these problems. These findings broadly call for more studies on comorbidities in developmental psychopathology among youth from diverse sociocultural backgrounds.
Reduced Proliferation in the Adult Mouse Subventricular Zone Increases Survival of Olfactory Bulb Interneurons

Neurogenesis in the adult brain is largely restricted to the subependymal zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, olfactory bulb (OB) and the dentate subgranular zone, and survival of adult-born cells in the OB is influenced by factors including sensory experience. We examined, in mice, whether survival of adult-born cells is also regulated by the rate of precursor proliferation in the SVZ. Precursor proliferation was decreased by depleting the SVZ of dopamine after lesioning dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra compacta with 6-hydroxydopamine. Subsequently, we examined the effect of reduced SVZ proliferation on the generation, migration and survival of neuroblasts and mature adult-born cells in the SVZ, rostral migratory stream (RMS) and OB. Proliferating cells in the SVZ, measured by 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) injected 2 hours prior to death or by immunoreactivity against Ki67, were reduced by 47% or 36%, respectively, 7 days after dopamine depletion, and by 29% or 31% 42 days after dopamine depletion, compared to sham-treated animals. Neuroblast generation in the SVZ and their migration along the RMS were not affected, neither 7 nor 42 days after the 6-hydroxydopamine injection, since the number of doublecortin-immunoreactive neuroblasts in the SVZ and RMS, as well as the number of neuronal nuclei-immunoreactive cells in the OB, were stable compared to control. However, survival analysis 15 days after 6-hydroxydopamine and 6 days after BrdU injections showed that the number of BrdU+ cells in the SVZ was 70% higher. Also, 42 days after 6-hydroxydopamine and 30 days after BrdU injections, we found an 82% increase in co-labeled BrdU+/γ-aminobutyric acid-immunoreactive cell bodies in the granular cell layer, while double-labeled BrdU+/tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cell bodies in the glomerular layer increased by 148%. We conclude that the number of OB interneurons following reduced SVZ proliferation is maintained through an increased survival of adult-born precursor cells, neuroblasts and interneurons.
Determination of Selected Chemical Levels in Room Air and on Surfaces after the Use of Cartridge- and Tank-Based E-Vapor Products or Conventional Cigarettes

There is an ongoing debate regarding the potential of secondhand exposure of non-users to various chemicals from use of e-vapor products (EVPs). Room air levels of 34 chemicals (nicotine, propylene glycol (PG), glycerol, 15 carbonyl chemicals, 12 volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), and four selected trace elements) were measured where EVPs and cigarettes were used by n = 37 healthy adult tobacco users in an exposure chamber. The products used were MarkTen® 2.5% Classic (Group I), a Prototype GreenSmoke® 2.4% (Group II), Ego-T® Tank with subjects’ own e-liquids (Group III) and subjects’ own conventional cigarettes (Group IV). Products were used under controlled conditions and 4-h ad libitum use. Background (without subjects) and baseline levels (with subjects) were measured. Cumulative 4-h. levels of nicotine, PG and glycerol measured were several-fold below the time-weighted average limits used in workplace exposure evaluation. Most the other chemicals (>75%) were at or below the limit of quantification during EVP use. Significant levels of chemicals (17 out of 34) were observed in Group IV. Overall, our results indicate that under the study conditions with the products tested, cumulative room air levels of the selected chemicals measured over 4-h were relatively small and were several-fold below the current occupational regulatory and consensus limits.