Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiparty Computations Information-Theoretically Secure Against an Adaptive Adversary

In this thesis we study a problem of doing Verifiable Secret Sharing (VSS) and Multiparty Computations (MPC) in a model where private channels between the players and a broadcast channel is available. The adversary is active, adaptive and has an unbounded computing power. The thesis is based on two papers [CDD00, CDD99]. In [CDD00] we assume that the adversary can corrupt any set from a given adversary structure. In this setting we study a problem of doing efficient VSS and MPC given an access to a secret sharing scheme (SS). For all adversary structures where VSS is possible at all, we show that, up to a polynomial time black-box reduction, the complexity of adaptively secure VSS is the same as that of ordinary secret sharing (SS), where security is only required against a passive, static adversary. Previously, such a connection was only known for linear secret sharing and VSS schemes. We then show an impossibility result indicating that a similar equivalence does not hold for Multiparty Computation (MPC): we show that even if protocols are given black-box access for free to an idealized secret sharing scheme secure for the access structure in question, it is not possible to handle all relevant access structures efficiently, not even if the adversary is passive and static. In other words, general MPC can only be black-box reduced efficiently to secret sharing if extra properties of the secret sharing scheme used (such as linearity) are assumed. The protocols of [CDD99] assume that we work against a threshold adversary structure. We propose new VSS and MPC protocols that are substantially more efficient than the ones previously known. Another contribution of [CDD99] is an attack against a Weak Secret Sharing Protocol (WSS) of [RBO89]. The attack exploits the fact that the adversary is adaptive. We present this attack here and discuss other problems caused by the adaptiveness (one of the examples are taken from [CDD01]). All protocols in the thesis are formally specified and the proofs of their security are sketched.
Efficiency based reactive shared control for collaborative human/robot navigation

Autonomous robots are capable of navigating on their own. In some cases, though, it is interesting to allow humans to influence navigation. Shared control is typically achieved either by giving control to the human or the robot at some specific situations. In this work, we propose a method to share control between humans and robots at each point of a given trajectory, so that both have weight in the resulting behavior of the mobile. This is achieved by estimating their respective local efficiencies at each time instant and combining their commands into a single order. In order to achieve a seamless combination, this procedure is integrated into a bottom-up architecture via a reactive layer. The system is meant to be used in wheelchair control for people with disabilities. Thus far, we have tested the proposed method using a Pioneer AT robot driven by several volunteers. Results have been satisfactory both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view.
A Research on Development of Chinese B2C E-Commerce Trust

The future of e-commerce development has been a researching focus in the net era. B2C e-commerce also presents great energy. The third party payment appears like a rising wind and scudding clouds in 2005 and the continuous innovation of online banking business in 2008 predicate e-commerce is a flourishing industry. From the global developing tendency of e-commerce we can see that the number of net users is increasing incessantly. The public has accepted the mode of e-commerce which results in increasing of e-commerce trading volume. However, the income of online deals is so limited compares to offline ones. Trust lacking is one of the main reasons that why consumers are unwilling to purchase online. B2C e-commerce trust becomes the bottleneck of e-commerce development in China. We firstly introduce the present situation of B2C e-commerce trust developing in China. Secondly, we point out problems consist in Chinese B2C e-commerce trust with comparing it with overseas B2C e-commerce trust. Lastly, we advise some measurements according to the corresponding problems, which includes: establish ethics build up mechanism of B2C e-commerce trust, constitute enterprise reputation standing mechanism and to perfect e-commerce laws.
Computational Morphologies for Small Uralic Languages

This article presents a set of morphological tools for small Uralic languages. Various Hungarian research groups specialized in Finno-Ugric linguistics and a Hungarian language t chnology company (MorphoLogic) have initiated a project with the goal of producing annotated electronic corpora for small Uralic languages. The languages described include Mordvin, Udmurt (Votyak), Komi (Zyryan), Mansi (Vogul), Khanty (Ostyak), Tundra Nenets (Yurak) and Nganasan (Tavgi). Most of these languages are endangered, some of them are on the verge of extinction, so their documentation is an urgent scientific task. The most important subgoal of the project was to create morphological analyzers for the languages involved. 1
Vehicle localization using an AVM camera for an automated urban driving

This paper presents a map-matching-based vehicle localization algorithm for application to automated driving on urban road. Vehicle position estimation of centimeter-level with low-priced commercial sensor setup is one of the key issue in urban automated driving. The information fusion method of localization algorithm utilizes vehicle chassis sensor and Around View Monitoring (AVM) module with four fish-eyed cameras. The proposed localization algorithm consists of three sections: a lane detection, a position correction, and a localization filter. A lane information is extracted from AVM image around the vehicle. This lane information is possible to correct vehicle position by the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm which estimates the rigid transformation between the lane map and lanes obtained by AVM in real-time. The corrected vehicle position by this transformation is fused with the information of vehicle sensors based on an extended Kalman filter (EKF). In order to achieve higher accuracy, the covariance of the ICP algorithm is estimated by using Haralick's method. The performance of proposed localization is verified through vehicle experiments on proving ground and actual urban road.
Suppress interference by symbol-misalignment

This paper studies the interference reduction, which is one the most important issue to increase the network throughput, improve the energy efficiency (green communication) and so on. In doing so, we first induce the system model consisting of one interfering node, based on several network examples. After that, the impact of time asynchrony between the interfering signal and the target signal is investigated. Interestingly, we show that the interference asynchrony can actually improve the BER performance, compared with the situation in which symbols of all signals are aligned. In particular, it is shown that symbol misalignment can decrease the “effective interference power” and change the distribution of the interfering signals, in a way that results in lower BER (or higher SINR equivalently). To ensure that symbol misalignment can be consistently attained, we propose a simple scheme that introduces time-varying symbol offsets to obtain an “average” performance of random symbol misalignment. Notably, our schemes do not change the simple receiver design structure; only the transmitters are modified in a minor way.
A Modified E-Shaped Microstrip Antenna for Ultra Wideband and ISM band applications

Summary In this paper, the analysis of a modified E-shaped patch antenna is presented. The purpose of the modification over the original Eshaped structure is to accommodate the operating frequency band and signal bandwidth requirements of the Ultra Wideband (UWB) wireless system. Simulation results show that the modified E-shaped has fulfilled the frequency band and signal bandwidth requirements of the UWB system. A resonance frequency of 3.5 GHz and signal bandwidth of 29.3% is achieved for the presented structure. The radiation pattern for these antennas is almost omnidirectional. For the applications of ISM (industrial, scientific, and medical) band where directive antennas are needed, multi-reflectors are used with the E-shaped antenna. The analysis of the proposed antenna has been done using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) with Perfect Matched layer (PML) approach in addition to numerical package based on the method of moment (MOM). Results have been compared with published data and good agreements are found.
Protofilaments and Rings, Two Conformations of the Tubulin Family Conserved from Bacterial FtsZ to od13 and /Tubulin

The instant methods and compositions represent an advance in controlling drug resistance in microbes. AcrAB-like efflux pumps have been found to control resistance to drugs, even in highly resistant microbes. Accordingly, methods of treating infection, methods of screening for inhibitors of AcrAB-like efflux pumps, and methods of enhancing antimicrobial activity of drugs are provided. Pharmaceutical composition comprising an inhibitor of an AcrAB-like efflux pump and an antimicrobial agent are also provided.
Unsupervised classifier based on geodesic invariant 3D curve for face surfaces analysis

Here, we intend to introduce new face invariant descriptors, composed by two kinds of features, in order to explore the problem of faces classification. The first kind is defined from the p-order moments of a curvature function of the geodesic curve according to its arc length. The second one describes relative positions between important localities of faces. Two classes Fisher discriminate analysis is applied for a dimension reduction. A two dimensional multi classes Expectation Maximization algorithm (2D-EM) is used to identify the components of the mixture distribution. Then, the classification is obtained after applying the Bayes decision rule which is the most optimal for the minimization of the classification error. Such classification gives the sub groups having homogenous similar faces.
A novel low-voltage cross-coupled passive sampling branch for reset- and switched-opamp circuits

This paper proposes a novel cross-coupled passive input sampling branch that can be applied to low-voltage switched- and reset-operational amplifier circuits. The proposed circuit allows the direct passive interface from the external input signal to the 1/sup st/ stage switched- and reset-operational amplifier, directly providing a sample-and-hold-and-reset output without the use of an extra-stage of operational amplifiers as in the case of traditional interface designs that implement only track-and-reset output, thus saving one front-stage operational amplifier power. Simulations with real switches in 1-V supply voltage are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed circuit.
Integrating Neural Network Strategies for Discrimination, Recognition and Clustering

A way of achieving robustness for real-world pattern recognition problems may be through integrating neural network strategies for discrimination, recognition and clustering. Making use of the knowledge that these diverse strategies provide would require us to look at structural design, connectionist versus non-connectionist combination methodologies, and possibly any neurophysiological equivalence.
Competitive Wireless Multi-Access - Implications and Research Issues

No single wireless access solution or radio technology is capable of providing affordable wireless access in all scenarios and for all user needs. Large investments are already made in existing networks and technologies that already provide cost efficient solutions for certain applications, e.g. wide-area voice and medium rate data WLANs etc. However, multimode terminals can adapt to both new services and new wireless access technologies in a much faster, flexible and more cost efficient way than the infrastructure itself. The fact that "full coverage" not necessary for all access options is probably the key factor. Infrastructure can be incrementally deployed, where needed and cost efficient. Effective access competition may provide additional benefits for the users but will create disruptive changes as well as new opportunities and cost reduction benefits to infrastructure providers. New research issues related to competitive access include access advertising and negotiation as well as competitive radio resource management. The paper will discuss these implication and outline some of the new research topics and research projects where they are studied
Cloning, Characterization and Effect of TmPGRP-LE Gene Silencing on Survival of Tenebrio Molitor against Listeria monocytogenes Infection

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are a family of innate immune molecules that recognize bacterial peptidoglycan. PGRP-LE, a member of the PGRP family, selectively binds to diaminopimelic acid (DAP)-type peptidoglycan to activate both the immune deficiency (Imd) and proPhenoloxidase (proPO) pathways in insects. A PGRP-LE-dependent induction of autophagy to control Listeria monocytogenes has also been reported. We identified and partially characterized a novel PGRP-LE homologue, from Tenebrio molitor and analyzed its functional role in the survival of the insect against infection by a DAP-type PGN containing intracellular pathogen, L. monocytogenes. The cDNA is comprised of an open reading frame (ORF) of 990 bp and encodes a polypeptide of 329 residues. TmPGRP-LE contains one PGRP domain, but lacks critical residues for amidase activity. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed a broad constitutive expression of the transcript at various stages of development spanning from larva to adult. RNAi mediated knockdown of the transcripts, followed by a challenge with L. monocytogenes, showed a significant reduction in survival rate of the larvae, suggesting a putative role of TmPGRP-LE in sensing and control of L. monocytogenes infection in T. molitor. These results implicate PGRP-LE as a defense protein necessary for survival of T. molitor against infection by L. monocytogenes.
Collaboration, Dialogue, and Human-Robot Interaction

Teleoperation can be significantly improved if humans and robots work as partners. By adapting autonomy and human-robot interaction to the situation and the user, we can create systems which are easier to use and better performing. In this paper, we discuss the importance of collaboration and dialogue in human-robot systems. We then present a system based on collaborative control, a teleoperation model in which humans and robots collaborate to perform tasks. Finally, we describe our experiences using this system for vehicle teleoperation.
Transcriptomic and behavioural characterisation of a mouse model of burn pain identify the cholecystokinin 2 receptor as an analgesic target

Burn injury is a cause of significant mortality and morbidity worldwide and is frequently associated with severe and long-lasting pain that remains difficult to manage throughout recovery. We characterised a mouse model of burn-induced pain using pharmacological and transcriptomic approaches. Mechanical allodynia elicited by burn injury was partially reversed by meloxicam (5 mg/kg), gabapentin (100 mg/kg) and oxycodone (3 and 10 mg/kg), while thermal allodynia and gait abnormalities were only significantly improved by amitriptyline (3 mg/kg) and oxycodone (10 mg/kg). The need for relatively high opioid doses to elicit analgesia suggested a degree of opioid resistance, similar to that shown clinically in burn patients. We thus assessed the gene expression changes in dorsal root ganglion neurons and pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning burn injury-induced pain using a transcriptomic approach. Burn injury was associated with significantly increased expression of genes associated with axon guidance, neuropeptide signalling, behavioural defence response and extracellular signalling, confirming a mixed neuropathic and inflammatory aetiology. Notably, among the pain-related genes that were upregulated post-injury was the cholecystokinin 2 receptor (Cckbr), a G protein-coupled receptor known as a pain target involved in reducing opioid effectiveness. Indeed, the clinically used cholecystokinin receptor antagonist proglumide (30 mg/kg) was effective at reversing mechanical allodynia, with additional analgesia evident in combination with low-dose oxycodone (1 mg/kg), including significant reversal of thermal allodynia. These findings highlight the complex pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning burn injury-induced pain and suggest that cholecystokinin-2 receptor antagonists may be useful clinically as adjuvants to decrease opioid requirements and improve analgesic management.
Independent Verification and Validation of an Industrial Simulation Model

The independent verification and validation (IV&V) of simulation models is largely restricted to applications in the military and public policy domains. There is little evidence of IV&V for industrial simulation models. This is largely because industrial simulations are normally of a much smaller scale and do not warrant a full IV&V. A procedure for IV&V of industrial simulation models is described that provides a viable alternative where the cost and time of IV&V must be contained. The procedure consists of the following activities: structured walkthrough, review of model assumptions, code examination, review of verification procedures, replications analysis, review of static analysis, review of output reporting, and investigation of results and experimentation. The IV&V of a Sellafield Limited supply chain model is described.
Genetics of Hybrid Incompatibility Between Lycopersicon esculentum and L. hirsutum

We examined the genetics of hybrid incompatibility between two closely related diploid hermaphroditic plant species. Using a set of near-isogenic lines (NILs) representing 85% of the genome of the wild species Lycopersicon hirsutum (Solanum habrochaites) in the genetic background of the cultivated tomato L. esculentum (S. lycopersicum), we found that hybrid pollen and seed infertility are each based on 5–11 QTL that individually reduce hybrid fitness by 36–90%. Seed infertility QTL act additively or recessively, consistent with findings in other systems where incompatibility loci have largely been recessive. Genetic lengths of introgressed chromosomal segments explain little of the variation for hybrid incompatibility among NILs, arguing against an infinitesimal model of hybrid incompatibility and reinforcing our inference of a limited number of discrete incompatibility factors between these species. In addition, male (pollen) and other (seed) incompatibility factors are roughly comparable in number. The latter two findings contrast strongly with data from Drosophila where hybrid incompatibility can be highly polygenic and complex, and male sterility evolves substantially faster than female sterility or hybrid inviability. The observed differences between Lycopersicon and Drosophila might be due to differences in sex determination system, reproductive and mating biology, and/or the prevalence of sexual interactions such as sexual selection.
Systemic treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma: review of literature and future perspectives

Up to 50% of patients with uveal melanoma develop metastatic disease with poor prognosis. Regional, mainly liver‐directed, therapies may induce limited tumor responses but do not improve overall survival. Response rates of metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM) to systemic chemotherapy are poor. Insights into the molecular biology of MUM recently led to investigation of new drugs. In this study, to compare response rates of systemic treatment for MUM we searched Pubmed/Web of Knowledge databases and ASCO website (1980–2013) for “metastatic/uveal/melanoma” and “melanoma/eye. ” Forty studies (one case series, three phase I, five pilot, 22 nonrandomized, and two randomized phase II, one randomized phase III study, data of three expanded access programs, three retrospective studies) with 841 evaluable patients were included in the numeric outcome analysis. Complete or partial remissions were observed in 39/841 patients (overall response rate [ORR] 4.6%; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 3.3–6.3%), no responses were observed in 22/40 studies. Progression‐free survival ranged from 1.8 to 7.2, median overall survival from 5.2 to 19.0 months as reported in 21/40 and 26/40 studies, respectively. Best responses were seen for chemoimmunotherapy (ORR 10.3%; 95% CI 4.8–18.7%) though mainly in first‐line patients. Immunotherapy with ipilimumab, antiangiogenetic approaches, and kinase inhibitors have not yet proven to be superior to chemotherapy. MEK inhibitors are currently investigated in a phase II trial with promising preliminary data. Despite new insights into genetic and molecular background of MUM, satisfying systemic treatment approaches are currently lacking. Study results of innovative treatment strategies are urgently awaited.
Enhanced tyrosine hydroxylase expression in PC12 cells co-cultured with feline mesenchymal stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete a variety of neuroregulatory molecules, such as nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor, which upregulate tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene expression in PC12 cells. Enhancing TH gene expression is a critical step for treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of this study was to assess the effects of co-culturing PC12 cells with MSCs from feline bone marrow on TH protein expression. We divided the study into three groups: an MSC group, a PC12 cell group, and the combined MSC + PC12 cell group (the co-culture group). All cells were cultured in DMEM-HG medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum for three days. Thereafter, the cells were examined using western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry. In western blots, the co-culture group demonstrated a stronger signal at 60 kDa than the PC12 cell group (p<0.001). TH was not expressed in the MSC group, either in western blot or immunocytochemistry. Thus, the MSCs of feline bone marrow can up-regulate TH expression in PC12 cells. This implies a new role for MSCs in the neurodegenerative disease process.
Cortical thickness analysis – The methods

Over the course of the last century, the cerebral cortex has been of interest for neuroscientists, and the work with mapping and measuring the cortex started in the early 1900s (Brodmann 1909). The advances in medical imaging over the recent decades has given the opportunity to measure the cortex in vivo, and several algorithms and types of software applications has been developed for this purpose. These software applications can be used to execute complex analysis to determine both cortex thickness and density.The algorithms and software applications presented in this paper are the ones most utilized to measure cortical thickness today, and include four software applications and two algorithms. The basic principles of these tools will be outlined, as well as their strengths and weaknesses.