Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building a Robust Federated Learning based Intrusion Detection System in Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as the next big technological revolution in recent years with the potential to transform every sphere of human life. As devices, applications, and communication networks become increasingly connected and integrated, security and privacy concerns in IoT are growing at an alarming rate as well. While existing research has largely focused on centralized systems to detect security attacks, these systems do not scale well with the rapid growth of IoT devices and pose a single-point of failure risk. Furthermore, since data is extensively dispersed across huge networks of connected devices, decentralized computing is critical. Federated learning (FL) systems in the recent times has gained popularity as the distributed machine learning model that enables IoT edge devices to collaboratively train models in a decentralized manner while ensuring that data on a user’s device stays private without the contents or details of that data ever leaving that device. In this paper, we propose a federated learning based intrusion detection system using LSTM Autoencoder. The proposed technique allows IoT devices to train a global model without revealing their private data, enabling the training model to grow in size while protecting each participants local data. We conduct extensive experiments using the BoT-IoT data set and demonstrate that our solution can not only effectively improve IoT security against unknown attacks but also ensure users data privacy.
Establishment of local diagnostic reference levels for CT colonography at a tertiary hospital

Background Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are an important metric in identifying abnormally high radiation doses in diagnostic examinations. National DRLs for CT colonography do not currently exist in South Africa, but there are efforts to collect data for a national DRL project. Objectives This study investigated radiation doses for CT colonography in adult patients at a large tertiary hospital in South Africa with the aim of setting local DRLs. Method Patient data from two CT scanners (Philips Ingenuity and Siemens Somatom go.Top) in the period March 2020 – March 2023 were obtained from the hospital’s picture archiving and communication system (PACS) (n = 115). Analysis involved determining the median computed tomography dose index-volume (CTDIvol) and dose-length product (DLP) values. The findings were compared with DRLs established internationally. Results Ingenuity median CTDIvol was 20 mGy and DLP was 2169 mGy*cm; Somatom median CTDIvol was 6 mGy and DLP was 557 mGy*cm. Ingenuity exceeded the United Kingdom’s (UK) recommended DRLs by 82% and 214%, respectively. Somatom median CTDIvol and DLP were 45% and 19% lower than UK NDRLs. Conclusion Somatom’s tin filter and other dose reduction features provided significant dose reduction. These data were used to set DRLs for CT colonography at the hospital; CTDIvol: 6 mGy and DLP: 557 mGy*cm. Contribution In addition to informing radiation protection practices at the level of the institution, the established local DRLs contribute towards implementing regional and national DRLs.
Continuation of survey GPS measurements and installation of continuous GPS sites at The Geysers, California, for geothermal deformation monitoring

We present updated time-series and velocities based on survey (episodic) Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements across the geothermal field at The Geysers, California. These surveys show that a slowing of the rapid rate of subsidence and contraction seen across The Geysers has occurred since the start of the Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline (SEGEP) in October 1997 and the Santa Rosa Geysers Recharge Pipeline (SRGRP) in September 2003, most significantly in areas close to high volume injector wells, although subsidence is still occurring. We also introduce the first continuous GPS sites in The Geysers, which were installed in December 2012 and January 2013. These continuous sites are intended to capture and monitor transient deformation associated with Calpine's Enhanced Geothermal Systems demonstration projects.
A Heterochromatin-Specific RNA Export Pathway Facilitates piRNA Production

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) guide transposon silencing in animals. The 22-30nt piRNAs are processed in the cytoplasm from long non-coding RNAs. How piRNA precursors, which often lack RNA processing hallmarks of export-competent transcripts, achieve nuclear export is unknown. Here, we uncover the RNA export pathway specific for piRNA precursors in the Drosophila germline. This pathway requires Nxf3-Nxt1, a variant of the hetero-dimeric mRNA export receptor Nxf1-Nxt1. Nxf3 interacts with UAP56, a nuclear RNA helicase essential for mRNA export, and CG13741/Bootlegger, which recruits Nxf3-Nxt1 and UAP56 to heterochromatic piRNA source loci. Upon RNA cargo binding, Nxf3 achieves nuclear export via the exportin Crm1, and accumulates together with Bootlegger in peri-nuclear nuage, suggesting that after export, Nxf3-Bootlegger delivers precursor transcripts to the piRNA processing sites. Our findings indicate that the piRNA pathway bypasses nuclear RNA surveillance systems to achieve export of heterochromatic, unprocessed transcripts to the cytoplasm, a strategy also exploited by retroviruses.
Robust online filter recommended algorithm based on attack profile

In view of the high vulnerability of traditional user-based recommendation algorithm to shilling attacks, In this paper, on the basis of the work of the group effect on the attack profiles, this paper analyzes the statistical features of the nearest neighbors of target users before and after attack, Design a kind of Attack Profiles online filter to attack the target user profile from the nearest neighbor filter. And this filter improves the user-based recommendation algorithm nearest neighbor selection strategy, thus proposes the Collaborative Recommendation algorithm based on Online Filter for Attack Profiles (CROFAP). Experiments show that attack profile online filter can accurately identify and filter out most attacks profile to ensure the robustness of the CROFAP algorithm.
In Vitro Bioactivities of Plants Used against Skin Diseases in the Eastern Free State, South Africa

Skin diseases are a worldwide issue, accounting for approximately 34% of all occupational illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate medicinal plants used to treat wounds and skin diseases in the eastern Free State Province of South Africa. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to gather information from traditional healers on plants they use to treat human ailments. Plants were collected and then investigated for antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties using standard assays. Cotyledon orbiculata, Dioscorea sylvatica, and Lycopodium clavatum had the highest frequency of citation (RFC) values among the 22 plants reported. Saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, and tannins were found in the phytochemical examination. L. clavatum had the greatest activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 0.39 mg/mL and 0.098 mg/mL, respectively. C. orbiculata and D. sylvatica extracts showed significant antifungal activity between 0.39 and 1.56 mg/mL. Antioxidant activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals was found in all extracts. The extracts had significant anti-inflammatory action against the 5-lipoxygenase enzyme, with IC50 values ranging from 0.02 to 0.49 g/mL. The usage of C. orbiculata, D. sylvatica, and L. clavatum in the treatment of skin problems in the Eastern Free State of South Africa was verified in this research.
Heat Shock Protein Genes Affect the Rapid Cold Hardening Ability of Two Invasive Tephritids

Simple Summary Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera correcta are two important fruit flies that are distributed in India and keep spreading to other countries due to global warming. To colonize other countries, they need to have the ability to adapt to winter temperatures, and it is thus important to know the factors behind their rapid cold hardening ability. In this study, we identified the temperature at which the two species showed the highest survival rate and performed transcriptome sequencing to explore the potential key genes involved in their rapid cold hardening ability. We identified four heat shock protein genes and tested their expression levels using RT-qPCR. Finally, we knocked down these genes to test their function in rapid cold hardening. We found that the survival rate after rapid cold hardening was related to the expression level of Hsp68 and Hsp70 in B. dorsalis and to that of Hsp23 and Hsp70 in B. correcta. This study helps elucidate the adaptation mechanism underlying the rapid cold acclimation-hardening ability of the two species and provides information for studies related to the mechanism of their tolerance to cold temperatures. Abstract Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera correcta are two invasive species that can cause major economic damage to orchards and the fruit import and export industries. Their distribution is advancing northward due to climate change, which is threatening greater impacts on fruit production. This study tested the rapid cold-hardening ability of the two species and identified the temperature associated with the highest survival rate. Transcriptome data and survival data from the two Bactrocera species’ larvae were obtained after rapid cold-hardening experiments. Based on the sequencing of transcripts, four Hsp genes were found to be affected: Hsp68 and Hsp70, which play more important roles in the rapid cold hardening of B. dorsalis, and Hsp23 and Hsp70, which play more important roles in the rapid cold hardening of B. correcta. This study explored the adaptability of the two species to cold, demonstrated the expression and function of four Hsps in response to rapid cold hardening, and explained the occurrence and expansion of these two species of tephritids, offering information for further studies.
Decentralized Replica Management in Latency-Bound Edge Environments for Resource Usage Minimization

The Internet is experiencing a fast expansion at its edges. The wide availability of heterogeneous resources at the Edge is pivotal in the definition and extension of traditional Cloud solutions toward supporting the development of new applications. However, the dynamic and distributed nature of these resources poses new challenges for the optimization of the behavior of the system. New decentralized and self-organizing methods are needed to face the Cloud-Edge scenario’s needs and optimize the exploitation of Edge resources. In this paper we propose a distributed and adaptive solution that reduces the number of replicas of application services that are executed throughout the system, all the while ensuring that the latency constraints of applications are met, thus allowing also to meet the end users’ QoS requirements. Experimental evaluations through simulation show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Depth Imaging of Plateau Basin: A Case Study of Kumkol Basin in the Northern Margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Prestack depth migration (PSDM) has been widely employed in oil and gas exploration, demonstrating its potential to greatly enhance the image of complex geological structures. Its application in continental deep seismic reflection, however, is rare due to the low signal-to-noise ratio data and difficulties in accurately constructing velocity models, even its feasibility is controversial. In this study, we apply the PSDM technique to the high-quality deep seismic reflection data collected in the Kumkol Basin on the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. During the PSDM processing, we obtain the interval velocity in depth which is consistent with the stratigraphic trend. The PSDM image reveals the detailed structure from the surface to the 20 km depth of the crust. Specifically, we find the deep structure of the basin is consistent with the surface geology, with three deformation styles in different surface structures. Moreover, the PSDM image shows high-angle thrusts and fault-propagation folds developed in the middle uplift area, which are not discernable in conventional processing. PSDM can reveal intricate structures such as high-angle thrusts in complex plateau basins without distortion, which confirms the feasibility and necessity of PSDM in deep continental seismic reflection data.
Virtual water balance estimation in Tunisia

The Virtual Water (VW) concept, defined by Allan (1997), as the amount of water needed to generate a product of both natural and artificial origin, this concept establish a similarity between product marketing and water trade. Given the influence of water in food production, virtual water studies focus generally on food products. At a global scale, the influence of these product’s markets with water management was not seen. Influence has appreciated only by analyzing water-scarce countries, but at the detail level, should be increased, as most studies consider a country as a single geographical point, leading to considerable inaccuracies. The main objective is the virtual water balance estimation of strategic crops in Tunisia (both irrigated and rainfed crops) to determine their influence on water resources management and to establish patterns for improving it. The virtual water balance was performed basing on farmer’s surveys and monitoring, crop and meteorological data, irrigation management and regional statistics. Results show that the majority of farmers realize a waste of the irrigation water especially for the vegetable crops and fruit trees. Thus, a good control of the cultural package may result in lower quantities of water used by crops while ensuring good production with a suitable economic profitability. Then, the virtual water concept integration in the production systems choice and policies affecting the use of water is very useful to save over this scarce resource and to support farmers in their production activities and maintaining the sustainability of farms.
Sample Entropy Improves Assessment of Postural Control in Early-Stage Multiple Sclerosis

Postural impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) is an early indicator of disease progression. Common measures of disease assessment are not sensitive to early-stage MS. Sample entropy (SE) may better identify early impairments. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of SE with linear measurements, differentiating pwMS (EDSS 0–4) from healthy controls (HC). 58 pwMS (EDSS ≤ 4) and 23 HC performed quiet standing tasks, combining a hard or foam surface with eyes open or eyes closed as a condition. Sway was recorded at the sternum and lumbar spine. Linear measures, mediolateral acceleration range with eyes open, mediolateral jerk with eyes closed, and SE in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions were calculated. A multivariate ANOVA and AUC-ROC were used to determine between-groups differences and discriminative ability, respectively. Mild MS (EDSS ≤ 2.0) discriminability was secondarily assessed. Significantly lower SE was observed under most conditions in pwMS compared to HC, except for lumbar and sternum SE when on a hard surface with eyes closed and in the anteroposterior direction, which also offered the strongest discriminability (AUC = 0.747), even for mild MS. Overall, between-groups differences were task-dependent, and SE (anteroposterior, hard surface, eyes closed) was the best pwMS classifier. SE may prove a useful tool to detect subtle MS progression and intervention effectiveness.
Effects of unstable flow on solute transport in the marsh soil and exchange with coastal water

Recent studies of marsh hydraulics have focused on tide‐induced pore water circulation as the main drive for solute transport in the marsh soil and exchange with coastal water. Our study revealed another important mechanism provided by unstable fingering flow, which largely modified solute transport paths. In the marsh interior, downward penetration of salt fingers forced ambient pore water and solute plumes to move upward and exit the marsh soil through marsh platform at relatively high concentrations, up to 2 orders of magnitude higher than exit solute concentrations at the tidal creek bed. The mixing of solute with ambient pore water in the marsh interior was intensified greatly by fingering flow. A critical distance to the creek was determined based on a field‐scale model simulation to distinguish tidal circulation‐dominated and fingering flow‐dominated solute transport zones. The new transport mechanism has implications for understanding the fate of solutes in particularly salt marshes of low creek densities.
Stroke after Cardiac Surgery: A Risk Factor Analysis of 580,117 Patients from UK National Adult Cardiac Surgical Audit Cohort

Cerebrovascular accident is the most ominous complication observed after cardiac surgery, carrying an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Analysis of the problem shows its multidimensional nature. In this study, we aimed to identify major determinants among classic variables, either demographic, clinical or type of surgical procedure, based on the analysis of a large dataset of 580,117 patients from the UK National Adult Cardiac Surgical Audit (NACSA). For this purpose, univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized to determine associations between predictors and dependent variable (Stroke after cardiac surgery). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were constructed for each independent variable. Statistical analysis allows us to confirm with greater certainty the predictive value of some variables such as age, gender, diabetes mellitus (diabetes treated with insulin OR = 1.37, 95%CI = 1.23–1.53), and systemic arterial hypertension (OR = 1.11, 95%CI = 1.05–1.16);, to emphasize the role of preoperative atrial fibrillation (OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 1.03–1.16) extracardiac arteriopathy (OR = 1.70, 95%CI = 1.58–1.82), and previous cerebral vascular accident (OR 1.71, 95%CI = 1.6–1.9), and to reappraise others like smoking status (crude OR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.93–1.07 for current smokers) or BMI (OR = 0.98, 95%CI = 0.97–0.98). This could allow for better preoperative risk stratification. In addition, identifying those surgical procedures (for example thoracic aortic surgery associated with a crude OR of 3.72 and 95%CI = 3.53–3.93) burdened by a high risk of neurological complications may help broaden the field of preventive and protective techniques.
Filial Maturity and Caregiving to Aging Parents

The aging of parents results in changes in the filial relationship. The increasing vulnerability of parents leads adult children to realize that they have individual needs and cannot fully function as sources of security and protection, as they did before. Simultaneously, the evidence of losses and disability imposes the need for care, which tends to be assumed by adult children. Therefore, there is a progressive change in the volume of support exchanges between parents and children, with more support from adult children to parents. The way adult children adapt to these transitions is influenced by several internal and relational factors. Filial maturity has been associated with filial caregiving towards aging parents. The concept of filial maturity describes a developmental stage in which the adult child overcomes the filial crisis, realizing and accepting that the parent also needs support and comfort and starting to relate to him/her beyond the strictly parental role. Thus, this study aims to explore the role of attachment and mental representation of caregiving in filial maturity. A total of 304 children aged between 35 and 64 years old participated in this study, with at least one of the living parents aged 65 years or older, not institutionalized. Attachment was assessed with the Adult Attachment Scale, mental representation of caregiving with the Mental Representations of Caregiving Scale and filial maturity with the Filial Maturity Measure. The results suggest that attachment, mental representation of caregiving and the interaction between the two explain 24.5% (p < 0.01) of variability in Comprehending and 11.1% (p < 0.05) of variability in Distance, two dimensions of filial maturity. These findings suggest that it is important to consider mental representation of caregiving and attachment when adult children must adapt to changes in the filial relationship and to the need to care for parents.
Determination of trace phosphate in cave dripping water and its paleoenvironment significance

The existence form and distribution of phosphorus can not be completely known due to low concentration of phosphate in cave dripping water.In order to resolve the above problem,the molybdophosphoric-blue spectrophotometry method,which set separation-enrichment-measurement in one process,for quantitatively measuring PO3-4 content in dripping water is developed in light of the classic method MAGIC.Four recovery tests show that the recovery rate of trace phosphate is 99 %,102 %,95 % and 96 % respectively,up to the requirement of quantitative analysis.Test of phosphates in dripping-water samples collected during 2005-2012 from the HS4 drop site in Heshang Cave,Hubei Province show that max content is 12.1 μg P/L and minimum 0.1 μg P/L,averages 4.55 μg/L.The concentration of phosphate in cave dripping-water presents seasonal fluctuations,high in summer and fall,low in spring and winter,which is consistent with homochronous temperature and water-dripping velocity and well responses the changes of climate and environment.
The Effects of Norms on Environmental Behavior

The study of norms is of paramount importance in understanding human behavior. An interdisciplinary literature, using varying definitions and conceptions, shows when and why norms emerge and spread, what form they can take, and how they are enforced. Here, we focus on theoretical and empirical literatures that treat norms as a factor influencing human behavior. We first present a new taxonomy of norms, which builds upon and merges previous taxonomies, to distinguish between different types of norms and enforcement mechanisms. We then provide a conceptual framework that identifies causes of the effects of norms based on psychological theories, which can serve as a foundation for much of the empirical economic literature measuring norm effects. Finally, we present an overview of empirical economic papers that study the effects of norms on environmentally relevant behavior, as a particularly relevant area for the study of norms. The aim of this overview is to highlight which effects have been insufficiently studied and to give a sense of the potential of norms, which should help policymakers to intervene in a more targeted way to address existing environmental problems.