Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time to Think the Security of WiFi-Based Behavior Recognition Systems

Behavior recognition plays an essential role in numerous behavior-driven applications (e.g., virtual reality and smart home) and even in the security-critical applications (e.g., security surveillance and elder healthcare). Recently, WiFi-based behavior recognition (WBR) technique stands out among many behavior recognition techniques due to its advantages of being non-intrusive, device-free, and ubiquitous. However, existing WBR research mainly focuses on improving the recognition precision, while rarely studying the security aspects. In this article, we reveal that WBR systems are vulnerable to manipulating physical signals. For instance, our observation shows that WiFi signals can be changed by jamming signals. By exploiting the vulnerability, we propose two approaches to generate physically online adversarial samples to perform untargeted attack and targeted attack, respectively. The effectiveness of these attacks are extensively evaluated over four real-world WBR systems. The experiment results show that our attack approaches can achieve 80% and 60% success rates for untargeted attack and targeted attack in physical world, respectively. We also show that our attack approaches can be generalized to other WiFi-based sensing applications, such as user authentication.
Special nuclear layer contacts between starburst amacrine cells in the mouse retina

Starburst amacrine cells are a prominent neuron type in the mammalian retina that has been well-studied for its role in direction-selective information processing. One specific property of these cells is that their dendrites tightly stratify at specific depths within the inner plexiform layer (IPL), which, together with their unique expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), has made them the most common depth marker for studying other retinal neurons in the IPL. This stratifying property makes it unexpected that they could routinely have dendrites reaching into the nuclear layer or that they could have somatic contact specializations, which is exactly what we have found in this study. Specifically, an electron microscopic image volume of sufficient size from a mouse retina provided us with the opportunity to anatomically observe both microscopic details and collective patterns, and our detailed cell reconstructions revealed interesting cell-cell contacts between starburst amacrine neurons. The contact characteristics differ between the respective On and Off starburst amacrine subpopulations, but both occur within the soma layers, as opposed to their regular contact laminae within the inner plexiform layer.
Controllability of linear and semilinear non-diagonalizable parabolic systems

This paper is concerned with the controllability of some (linear and semilinear) non- diagonalizable parabolic systems of PDEs. We will show that the well known null controllability prop- erties of the classical heat equation are also satisfied by these systems at least when there are as many scalar controls as equations and some (maybe technical) conditions are satisfied. We will also show that, in some particular situations, the number of controls can be reduced. The minimal amount is then determined by a Kalman rank condition.
A note on the calculation of consistent tangent operators for von Mises and Drucker-Prager plasticity

A comparison is made of implementations of consistent tangent operators that arise in implicit integration of Von Mises and Drucker-Prager yield criteria. When computing the consistent tangent operator a matrix inversion has to be performed at integration point level. The consequences of different formulations of the consistent tangent operator on the numerical accuracy are assessed.
Efficacy of Photobiomodulation Therapy in the Treatment of Pain and Inflammation: A Literature Review

The main objective of this literature review was to analyze the efficacy of (PBM) therapy application on subjects with chronic pain and inflammation, and furthermore, to evaluate the methodological quality of the collected literature. The search was conducted using five databases: PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro. The keywords “low level laser therapy”, “chronic pain”, and “inflammation” provided the selection of RCTs that were published within the last 5 years, conducted in humans, and written in English. The PEDro Internal Validity Scale (IVS) checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included studies. A total of 11 articles were selected, all of them RCTs. Of the articles, five showed that PBM positively influences chronic pain, while another showed the same but only in the short term. In two other articles, the patient’s inflammation improved markedly. In one article there was no improvement in chronic pain and in another, there was no improvement in inflammation. Four articles demonstrated that PBM is beneficial in acute pain. Furthermore, six studies were given an “excellent” score and the remaining five a “good” score based on the IVS. Photobiomodulation has beneficial effects on chronic pain and inflammation, although more research needs to be completed in this line for this to be clarified as the existence of RCTs on this subject is limited.
Prediction of the as Low as Diagnostically Acceptable CT Dose for Identification of the Inferior Alveolar Canal Using 3D Convolutional Neural Networks with Multi-Balancing Strategies

Ionizing radiation is necessary for diagnostic imaging and deciding the right radiation dose is extremely critical to obtain a decent quality image. However, increasing the dosage to improve the image quality has risks due to the potential harm from ionizing radiation. Thus, finding the optimal as low as diagnostically acceptable (ALADA) dosage is an open research problem that has yet to be tackled using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. This paper proposes a new multi-balancing 3D convolutional neural network methodology to build 3D multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) datasets and develop a 3D classifier model that can work properly with 3D CT scan images and balance itself over the heavy unbalanced multi-classes. The proposed models were exhaustively investigated through eighteen empirical experiments and three re-runs for clinical expert examination. As a result, it was possible to confirm that the proposed models improved the performance by an accuracy of 5% to 10% when compared to the baseline method. Furthermore, the resulting models were found to be consistent, and thus possibly applicable to different MDCT examinations and reconstruction techniques. The outcome of this paper can help radiologists to predict the suitability of CT dosages across different CT hardware devices and reconstruction algorithms. Moreover, the developed model is suitable for clinical application where the right dose needs to be predicted from numerous MDCT examinations using a certain MDCT device and reconstruction technique.
Epstein–Barr Virus Reactivation as a New Predictor of Achieving Remission or Lupus Low Disease Activity State in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Cutaneous Involvement

Although Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) reactivation has long been associated with the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), many aspects of this relationship remain unclear. Our objective was to investigate the association between EBV reactivation and the achievement of SLE remission and lupus low disease activity state (LLDAS) over a six-month period. Clinical, laboratory, and virological tests (anti-EBV antibodies and EBV DNA) were performed among 51 patients with the active form of SLE on two occasions six months apart. SLE remission and LLDAS achievement were assessed at the end of the follow-up period. Active EBV infection was detected in 45% of active SLE patients at baseline, and 77% transitioned to latent EBV infection at six months (p < 0.001). Multivariate regression revealed a higher titer of anti-EA(D) IgM-Abs and the presence of anti-EA(D) IgM-Abs as independent predictors of remission and LLDAS in SLE patients with mucocutaneous manifestations (p = 0.042) and rash only (p = 0.023), respectively. Since a higher C3 level was an independent predictor of transition to latent EBV infection (p = 0.027), the estimated cut-off value that could identify active SLE patients who will transition to latent EBV infection after six months was ≥0.780 g/L with a sensitivity of 70.6% and a specificity of 75.0% (AUC = 0.756, p = 0.003). EBV reactivation is common in patients with active SLE, and most of them transition to latent EBV infection after six months. Achieving remission and LLDAS in SLE patients with mucocutaneous manifestations can be predicted by a higher titer, whereas in SLE patients who have only a rash, the presence of anti-EA (D) IgM-Abs was a predictor of remission and LLDAS.
Damping rates of p-modes by an ensemble of randomly distributed thin magnetic flux tubes

Abstract The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) sausage tube waves are excited in the magnetic flux tubes by p-mode forcing. These tube waves thus carry energy away from the p-mode cavity which results in the deficit of incident p-mode energy. We calculate the loss of incident p-mode energy as a damping rate of f- and p-modes. We calculate the damping rates of f- and p-modes by a model Sun consisting of an ensemble of many thin magnetic flux tubes with varying plasma properties and distributions. Each magnetic flux tube is modelled as axisymmetric, vertically oriented and untwisted. We find that the magnitude and the form of the damping rates are sensitive to the plasma-β of the tubes and the upper boundary condition used.
Modulation of the Acute Inflammatory Response Induced by the Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide through the Interaction of Pentoxifylline and Florfenicol in a Rabbit Model

Background: Experimental reports have demonstrated that florfenicol (FFC) exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects, improving survival in a murine endotoxemia model. Considering the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of pentoxifylline (PTX) as an adjuvant to enhance the efficacy of antibiotics, the anti-inflammatory effects of the interaction FFC/PTX over the E. coli Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute inflammatory response was evaluated in rabbits. Methods: Twenty-five clinically healthy New Zealand rabbits (3.8 ± 0.2 kg body weight: bw), were distributed into five experimental groups. Group 1 (control): treated with 1 mL/4 kg bw of 0.9% saline solution (SS) intravenously (IV). Group 2 (LPS): treated with an IV dose of 5 µg/kg of LPS. Group 3 (pentoxifylline (PTX) + LPS): treated with an oral dose of 30 mg/kg PTX, followed by an IV dose of 5 µg/kg of LPS 45 min after PTX. Group 4 (Florfenicol (FFC) + LPS): treated with an IM dose of 20 mg/kg of FFC, followed by an IV dose of 5 µg/kg of LPS 45 min after FFC administration. Group 5 (PTX + FFC + LPS): treated with an oral dose of 30 mg/kg of PTX, followed by an IM dose of 20 mg/kg of FFC, and, 45 min after an IV dose of 5 µg/kg of LPS was administered. The anti-inflammatory response was evaluated through changes in plasma levels of interleukins (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and body temperature. Results: It has been shown that each drug produced a partial inhibition over the LPS-induced increase in TNF-α, IL-1β, and CRP. When both drugs were co-administered, a synergistic inhibitory effect on the IL-1β and CRP plasma concentrations was observed, associated with a synergic antipyretic effect. However, the co-administration of PTX/FFC failed to modify the LPS-induced increase in the TNF-α plasma concentrations. Conclusions: We concluded that the combination of FFC and PTX in our LPS sepsis models demonstrates immunomodulatory effects. An apparent synergistic effect was observed for the IL-1β inhibition, which peaks at three hours and then decreases. At the same time, each drug alone was superior in reducing TNF-α levels, while the combination was inferior. However, the peak of TNF-α in this sepsis model was at 12 h. Therefore, in rabbits plasma IL-1β and TNF-α could be regulated independently, thus, further research is needed to explore the effects of this combination over a more prolonged period.
Chromospheric Emission in Metal-poor Solar-Type Stars

Cool stars like the Sun show chromospheric activity, which is largely attributed to nonradiative sources of energy linked to rotationally driven magnetic fields. However, a nonmagnetic process, such as dissipation of acoustic waves, may operate side by side with the first process. We report detections of chromospheric emission reversals in Mg II 2800 Å spectra for nine metal-poor solar-type stars, some believed to be among the oldest stars known, whose great age and slow rotation argue against strong magnetic activity. Although interstellar absorption is always present, in seven stars with high radial velocities each reversal profile is seen to be doubly peaked, with the blue peak stronger than the red, much like such profiles from the quiet Sun. Despite having as little as 1/300th as much metal as the Sun and being 3 times as old, these stars have chromospheric activity comparable to that in solar quiet regions. While these data do not rule out magnetic fields, they support an acoustic origin of chromospheric emission and show that relatively inactive solar-type stars of all ages have chromospheres whose characteristics are largely independent of metallicity.
Effect of Crushed Clay Brick as Partial Fine Aggregate Replacement on Properties of Concrete

The continuous construction activity increases the demand for concrete production. At the same time, the construction and demolition activity also generate solid waste which is disposed of at landfills. The approach of discarding waste such as concrete waste, brick waste, and timber waste pollutes the environment. Thus, the present research investigates the effect of integrating local clay brick waste as a partial fine aggregate replacement on the properties of concrete. Several concrete mixes were prepared by integrating various percentages of crushed clay brick ranging from 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% as partial sand replacement in concrete. All specimens were subjected to continuous water curing until the testing date which is 7 days and 28 days. The finding shows that the use of up to 10% crushed clay brick successfully enhances the compressive strength of concrete. The water absorption of concrete increase as larger content of crushed clay brick waste is integrated in the mix. Basically, the use of clay brick waste in concrete would help to reduce dependency on river sand supply for concrete manufacturing and promote a cleaner environment.
An integrated TDM architecture for AAPN networks

The Agile All-photonic Backbone Network (AAPN) architecture has been proposed by the telecommunication industry as a potential candidate for the ultra high speed Next Generation Optical Network (NGON) architecture. AAPN network structure is composed of adaptive optical core switches and edge routers in an overlaid star physical topology. The AAPN employs fast packet switching architecture for the network traffic, and the packet scheduling is the main part of the AAPN. The objective is to forward the packets to their destination with the lowest drop rate and delay, the bandwidth allocation can be either located at the core node or the edge switch. Two types of scheduling are considered in the AAPN architecture, namely the centralized and the distributed schemes. In the centralized scheme all decisions are made at the core node while in the distributed scheme, they are made at the edge nodes. In this paper, we want to compare both scheduling schemes. We would also like to propose a promising integrated TDM architecture that combines the good attributes of both centralized and distributed scheduling schemes. We shall characterize such architecture by various measures such as delay and loss probabilities.
Nitrogen and phosphorous dynamics with stand development of Pinus massoniana plantations in Southeast China

Introduction Nutrient resorption is a key mechanism to conserve nutrients and overcome nutrient limitation in perennial plants. As an important afforested tree species in subtropical regions, Pinus massoniana grows well in nutrient-poor environments, however, the age-related pattern of nutrient acquisition strategy and the underlying mechanisms in P. massoniana plantations remain unclear. Methods In this study, concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were measured in green and senesced needles, roots and soil samples collected from P. massoniana plantations with different stand ages (9-, 17-, 26-, 34- and 43-year-old) in south China. From these samples, nutrient resorption efficiency (RE) and stoichiometry were calculated. Results Needle PRE significantly decreased with stand age, while there was no clear pattern of NRE along the stand development. Green needle N:P in older stands was significantly lower than in younger ones. Senesced needle C:P and N:P significantly decreased with stand age. Root and soil available P concentrations were significantly higher in older stands than in younger ones, and PRE was negatively correlated with soil available P concentration. Discussion There was a shift from “conservative consumption” to “resource spending” P-use strategy, and P limitation decreased with stand development of P. massoniana plantations. The results provide information of changes in nutrients dynamics, which is relevant for the sustainable management of subtropical forest plantations.
Design and analysis of cryogenic CO2 separation from a CO2‐rich mixture

In this study, we designed and optimized the main process for CO2 cryogenic separation and purification as well as the auxiliary process of refrigeration with ammonia, both these processes are modeled using Aspen HYSYS V11. The energy‐saving potential and greenhouse gas emission reduction potential of the process flow were analyzed using the Aspen Energy Analyzer V11. The effects of the plant inlet pressure, cooling temperature, tower pressure, and number of stages on two key parameters (energy consumption per unit of product and CO2 recovery rate) were studied in detail. Simultaneously, the appropriate design parameters of the plant were obtained, and the reason for the variation law was analyzed. Finally, grey relational analysis was used to explore the correlation between the influence factors and key parameters, indicating that the number of stages has the largest impact on the CO2 recovery rate and the energy consumption per unit of product, whereas tower pressure and cooling temperature have the least impact on the CO2 recovery rate and energy consumption per unit of product, respectively.
COHERENT FIELD APPROXIMATION OF PLANE WAVE SCATTERING FROM 1D-ROUGH MIRRORS

For an harmonic plane wave impinging on a perfectly re∞ecting smooth plane the total fleld, incident and re∞ected, satisfying on this plane a Dirichlet or Neumann boundaray condition, has an integral representation that we extend to the specular re∞ection from a perfectly re∞ecting rough plane. To make this generalization possible, some constraints must be imposed on the wavelength of the incident fleld and on the rough amplitude to make the difiuse fleld negligible so that only the coherent fleld is important and we may use the fact that the coherent power is identical to that of a smooth surface. This generalized integral representation supplies an approximation of the coherent fleld valid far from the rough plane. We limit the discussion to acoustic, TE, TM electromagnetic wave incident on 1D-perfectly re∞ecting rough planes with roughness described by zig-zag functions piecewise linear with opposite slop on adjacent intervals.
Enhancing multi-domain stability of nnU-Net based LGE-CMR left atrium segmentation using the correct data augmentation strategy

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, and Atrial Fibrillation is a critical risk factor. Late-stage gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) is of great value in the ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation. Throughout the years, many fully automatic neural network models have been innovated and applied to the segmentation of LGE-MRI scans. nnU-Net is the state-of-the-art universal framework for medical image segmentation, yet the performance of the network might decline when facing domain shift, which is always the case in clinical conditions, and few work are found that intends to optimize its multi-domain stability in LGE Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (LGE-CMR) segmentation. This paper aims to specify an effective data augmentation strategy taking into consider the nature of LGE-MRI and CMR to enhance the multi-domain invariance and robustness of the nnU-Net framework. The strategies are evaluated on a testing dataset from a different domain with the training dataset. The performance metrics include Dice, Average Surface Distance and Hausdorff Distance. The selected augmentation strategy achieved stable and outstanding performance across domains in LGE-CMR segmentation tasks.
Visual Question Generation From Remote Sensing Images

Visual question generation (VQG) is a fundamental task in vision-language understanding that aims to generate relevant questions about the given input image. In this article, we propose a paragraph-based VQG approach for generating intelligent questions in natural language about remote sensing (RS) images. Specifically, our proposed framework consists of two transformer-based vision and language models. First, we employ a swin-transformer encoder to generate a multiscale representative visual feature from the image. Then, this feature is used as a prefix to guide a generative pretrained transformer-2 (GPT-2) decoder in generating multiple questions in the form of a paragraph to cover the abundant visual information contained in the RS scene. To train the model, the language decoder is fine-tuned on RS dataset to generate a set of relevant questions from the RS image. We evaluate our model on two visual question-answering (VQA) datasets in RS. In addition, we construct a new dataset termed TextRS-VQA for better evaluation for our VQG model. This dataset consists of questions completely annotated by humans which addresses the high redundancy of the questions in prior VQA datasets. Extensive experiments using several accuracy and diversity metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed VQG model in generating meaningful, valid, and diverse questions from RS images.
SCATTERING ANALYSIS FROM A GAP IN THE INNER CONDUCTOR OF A COAXIAL LINE

This paper presents a scattering analysis from a gap in the inner conductor of a coaxial line. The Fourier transform/series technique is used to represent the continuous and discrete modes of the scattered field. The mode matching is utilized to constitute a linear matrix equation for the discrete modal coefficients. The result is given in a fast-converging series form that facilitates the numerical computations. Numerical results illustrate the behavior of scattered field in terms of the geometry and the operating frequency.