Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statically Detecting Message Confusions in a Multi-Protocol Setting

In a multi-protocol setting, different protocols are concurrently executed, and each principal can participate in more than one. The possibilities of attacks therefore increase, often due to the presence of similar patterns in messages. Messages coming from one protocol can be confused with similar messages coming from another protocol. As a consequence, data of one type may be interpreted as data of another, and it is also possible that the type is the expected one, but the message is addressed to another protocol. In this paper, we shall present an extension of the LySa calculus [7, 4] that decorates encryption with tags including the protocol identifier, the protocol step identifier and the intended types of the encrypted terms. The additional information allows us to find the messages that can be confused and therefore to have hints to reconstruct the attack. We extend accordingly the standard static Control Flow Analysis for LySa, which over-approximates all the possible behaviour of the studied protocols, included the possible message confusions that may occur at run-time. Our analysis has been implemented and successfully applied to small sets of protocols. In particular, we discovered an undocumented family of attacks, that may arise when Bauer-Berson-Feiertag and the Woo-Lam authentication protocols are running in parallel. The implementation complexity of the analysis is low polynomial.
Types of assessing student-programming knowledge

High failure and dropout rates are common in higher education institutions with introductory programming courses. Some researchers advocate that sometimes teachers don't use correct methods of assessment and that many students pass in programming without knowing how to program. In this paper authors describe the assessment methodology applied to a first year, first semester, Biomedical Engineering programming course (2015/2016). Students' programming skills were tested by playing a game in the first class, then they were assessed with three tests and a final exam, each with topics the authors considered fundamental for the students to master. A correlation analyses between the different types of tests and exam questions is done, to evaluate the most suitable, for assessing programming knowledge, showing that it is possible to use different question types as a pedagogical strategy, to assess student difficulty levels and programming skills, that help students acquire abstract, reasoning and algorithm thinking in an acceptable level. Also, it is shown that different forms of questions are equivalent to assess equal knowledge and that it is possible to predict the ability of a student to program at an early stage.
0.25–4 ns 185 MS/s 4-bit pulse-shrinking time-to-digital converter in 130 nm CMOS using a 2-step conversion scheme

An area and power efficient pulse-shrinking delay-line time-to-digital converter (TDC) using a 2-step conversion scheme is presented. The proposed TDC quantizes time variables using a coarse pulse-shrinking TDC with a large per-stage time shrinkage and a fine pulse-shrinking TDC with a small per-stage time shrinkage. It offers low power and silicon consumption, and good linearity without sacrificing resolution. The proposed TDC has been designed in an IBM 130 nm 1.2 V CMOS technology. The input range of the TDC is 4 ns, conversion rate 185 MS/s, resolution 250 ps, INL of 1 LSB, and figure-of-merit 0.163 pJ/conv.step.
Malignant T Cells Exhibit CD45 Resistant Stat3 Activation and Proliferation in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

CD45 is a protein tyrosine phosphatase, which is well-known for regulating antigen receptor signalling in T and B cells via its effect on Src kinases. It has recently been shown that CD45 can also dephosphorylate Janus kinases (Jaks) and thereby regulate Signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) activation and cytokine-induced proliferation in lymphocytes. Consequently, CD45 dysregulation could be implicated in aberrant Jak/Stat activation and proliferation in lymphoproliferative diseases. Despite high expression of the CD45 ligand, Galectin-1, in skin lesions from cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), the malignant T cells exhibit constitutive activation of the Jak3/Stat3 signalling pathway and uncontrolled proliferation. We show that CD45 expression is down-regulated on malignant T cells when compared to non-malignant T cells established from CTCL skin lesions. Moreover, CD45 cross-linking does not suppress the constitutive activation of Stat3 in the malignant T cells and there is no correlation between the level of activated Stat3 and the level of CD45 expression on the malignant T cells. Furthermore, in contrast to non-malignant T cells, the malignant T cells are protected against CD45-mediated inhibition of proliferation. In conclusion, our data suggest that CD45 dysregulation might play a role in the aberrant proliferation and Jak3/Stat3 activation in CTCL. keywoards: CD45, T cell lymphoma, CTCL, STAT, galectin.
Patron aggression in the academic library: A study of the Main Library at the University of the West Indies, Mona

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence of patron aggressive behaviour toward library staff at the Main Library of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, and also to determine the causes of this kind of behaviour. The paper also aims to suggest solutions for tackling this problem.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted among those staff members who regularly interface with the library's clientele. A total of 40 questionnaires was sent to various categories of staff at the Main Library at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus. A total of 35 staff members responded.Findings – Verbal abuse was the most prevalent form of aggressive behaviour towards library staff. Over 50 per cent of the respondents were concerned about the aggressive behaviour of library patrons. A common reason given for aggressive behaviour included: general frustration with the library; not being able to locate needed material; and being unable to borrow material from the li.
The Theme-Mine in Query Expansion

Query expansion (QE) is one of the most important mechanisms in the information retrieval field. A typical QE method usually redefines the query with related terms. These techniques suffer from retrieval performance degradation due to imprecise choice of query's additive terms in the QE process. Semantic expansion is proposed to improve query precision, while the expansion concept is hard to be obtained due to less information. In this paper we introduce a novel theme mine technique which finding the expansion theme by users log analysis and topic clustering. The experimental results show that the theme, which mined by this method, exactly coincides with the user's real intent, thus improve the power of query expansion.
“Just be yourself!”: Towards neo‐normative control in organisations?

Purpose – The paper seeks to explore the nature and employee experience of an emergent approach to managing employees which emphasises “being yourself” through the expression of fun, individuality and difference.Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilises interviews and observations in a US‐owned call centre in Australia.Findings – The management approach outlined is located within the emergence of market rationalism and associated claims of the limitations of normative control. With its emphasis on diversity and identity derived from non‐(paid) work contexts, it is presented as complementary to, but distinct from, the group conformity and organisational identity associated with conventional culture and “fun” management. The seemingly liberal regime is shown to be controlling in its limited scope and by exposing more of the employees' self to the corporation. This raises questions about the nature of workplace control, resistance and the meaning of authenticity at work.Originality/value – The researc.
Differential effects of transforming growth factor-beta2 on corneal endothelial cell proliferation-A role of serum factors.

PURPOSE To determine the influence of serum on transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta2 mediated effects on the proliferation of corneal endothelial cells (CE). METHODS Rat CE were grown in explant culture and the proliferation of CE was measured by [(3)H]thymidine bioassay. Subconfluent cells were synchronized in the G0 (quiescent) phase of the cell cycle by serum starvation for 24hr. Serum and [(3)H]thymidine were then added to the cells in the presence or absence of a physiological concentration (5ngml(-1)) of exogenous active TGF-beta2. Radioactivity was measured at various time points to detect DNA synthesis. These experiments were repeated without adding serum after serum starvation. Preincubation of exogenous TGF-beta2 with neutralizing antibody was used to test the cytokine specificity. RESULTS Without TGF-beta2, a linear increase in [(3)H]thymidine incorporation, indicating S-phase, began approximately 16hr after serum addition, then plateaued at approximately 24hr. Serum promoted DNA synthesis of CE in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0.5-10%. In cultures with 10% serum, TGF-beta2 (0.5, 1, 5, and 20ngml(-1)) suppressed CE growth dose-dependently. The growth amplitude decreased and the time before S-phase entry, G1 phase, was prolonged to 24hr. In culture with 1% serum, TGF-beta2 (5ngml(-1)) suppressed the CE proliferation by delaying S-phase entry without suppressing growth amplitude. In cultures without serum, TGF-beta2 promoted CE growth to a level similar to that of cultures supplemented with 0.5% serum. CONCLUSIONS Responses of cultured CE to exogenous TGF-beta2 depended on the concentration of serum in the medium. This result implies a possibility that in vivo serum influx through a compromised blood-ocular barrier could influence the CE growth by changing the responses of these cells to TGF-beta2 in aqueous humor.
The Missing Link?! Verbindungen zwischen konzeptionellen und empirischen Zugängen zur Kompetenzmodellierung an Hochschulen

Kompetenzen werden in der Evaluation und Qualitatssicherung von Hochschule und Hochschulpolitik unterschiedlich konzeptioniert und empirisch erfasst. Einschatzungen zu individuellen Kompetenzen in Absolventinnen- und Absolventenstudien dienen als empirische Indikatoren fur eine erfolgte Kompetenzentwicklung im Studium. Inwieweit die verwendeten Items eine geeignete Form der Beschreibung sind und wie diese zu den Konzeptionen des Deutschen Qualifikationsrahmens fur Hochschulabschlusse, des Deutschen Qualifikationsrahmens und einem weiteren Kompetenzmodell passen, wird anhand von konfirmatorischen Faktoranalysen untersucht. Hieruber werden konzeptionelle Schwachstellen, empirische Hurden und Uberarbeitungsbedarf der Kompetenzmodellierung sichtbar. 19.10. 2012 | Bernadette Dilger, Anna Ebert & Mareike Landmann (Koln)
Efficacy of a hip protector to prevent hip fracture in nursing home residents: the HIP PRO randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Past studies of the efficacy of hip protectors to prevent hip fracture in nursing home residents have had conflicting results, possibly due to potential biases from clustered randomization designs and modest adherence to intervention. OBJECTIVE To determine whether an energy-absorbing and energy-dispersing hip protector would reduce the risk of hip fracture when worn by nursing home residents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial in which 37 nursing homes were randomly assigned to having residents wear a 1-sided hip protector on the left or right hip. Participants were 1042 nursing home residents (mean [SD] aged 85 [7] years; 79% women) who consented and adhered to the hip protector use during a 2-week run-in period and were enrolled. Participating facilities were in greater Boston, Massachusetts, St Louis, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland from October 2002 to October 2004. Mean duration of participation for nursing home residents was 7.8 months. None were withdrawn because of adverse effects. INTERVENTION(S) Undergarments with a 1-sided hip protector made of a 0.32-cm outer layer of polyethylene (2.7 kg/m3) backed by a hard high-density polyethylene shield (0.95 cm) that was backed by 0.9 kg/m3 of 1.27-kg ethylene vinyl acetate foam. Each facility was visited 3 times per week to assess adherence and provide staff support. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Adjudicated hip fracture occurrences on padded vs unpadded hips. RESULTS After a 20-month follow-up (676 person-years of observation), the study was terminated due to a lack of efficacy. The incidence rate of hip fracture on protected vs unprotected hips did not differ (3.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8%-4.4% vs 2.5%; 95% CI, 1.3%-3.7%; P = .70). For the 334 nursing home residents with greater than 80% adherence to hip protector use, the incidence rate of hip fracture on protected vs unprotected hips did not differ (5.3%; 95% CI, 2.6%-8.8% vs 3.5%; 95% CI, 1.3%-5.7%; P = .42). Overall adherence was 73.8%. CONCLUSIONS In this clinical trial of an energy-absorbing/shunting hip protector conducted in US nursing homes, we were unable to detect a protective effect on the risk of hip fracture, despite good adherence to protocol. These results add to the increasing body of evidence that hip protectors, as currently designed, are not effective for preventing hip fracture among nursing home residents. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00058864.
Block of neuronal chloride channels by tetraethylammonium ion derivatives

The block by the symmetric tetraethylammonium (TEA) ion derivatives tetrapropylammonium (TPrA), tetrabutylammonium (TBA), and tetrapentylammonium (TPeA) ions of fast chloride channels in acutely dissociated rat cortical neurons was studied with the excised inside- out configuration of the patch-clamp technique. When applied to the intracellular membrane surface, all three of the quaternary ammonium compounds (QAs) induced the appearance of short-lived closed states in a manner consistent with a blocking mechanism where the blocker preferentially binds to the open kinetic state and completely blocks ion current through the channel. The drug must leave the channel before the channel can return to a closed state. The mechanism of block was studied using one-dimensional dwell-time analysis. Kinetic models were fit to distributions of open and closed interval durations using the Q- matrix approach. The blocking rate constants for all three of the QAs were similar with values of approximately 12-20 x 10(6) M-1s-1. The unblocking rates were dependent on the size or hydrophobicity of the QA with the smallest derivative, TPrA, inducing a blocked state with a mean lifetime of approximately 90 microseconds, while the most hydrophobic derivative, TPeA, induced a blocked state with a mean lifetime of approximately 1 ms. Thus, it appears as though quaternary ammonium ion block of these chloride channels is nearly identical to the block of many potassium channels by these compounds. This suggests that there must be structural similarities in the conduction pathway between anion and cation permeable channels.
Natural Regulatory T Cells and De Novo-Induced Regulatory T Cells Contribute Independently to Tumor-Specific Tolerance1

Thymus-derived, naturally occurring CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (nTregs) and Tregs induced in the periphery (iTregs) have both been implicated in regulating immune responses. However, the relationship between these populations in the same host, and their relative contribution to the overall Treg pool, has not been examined. Using a tumor-induced T cell tolerance model, we find that expansion of nTregs and de novo generation of iTregs both contribute to tumor-specific T cell tolerance. In this system in which the number of tumor-specific nTregs can be controlled, the efficiency of nTreg expansion significantly exceeds that of the induction of Tregs from uncommitted progenitors in the tumor-bearing host. However, pre-existing nTregs are neither required for the induction of Tregs nor measurably impact on the extent of their accumulation. Instead, induction of Ag-specific regulatory cells from naive cells is intrinsically influenced by the tumor microenvironment and the presence of tumor Ag.
Toward a region-based 3D face recognition approach

3D face has recently emerged as a major trend in face recognition. While 3D face is reputed to be relatively invariant to lighting conditions and pose, one still needs to cope with facial expression variations for a reliable face recognition solution. Many works in the literature try to define some invariants with respect to facial expressions. In this paper, we consider facial expressions as results of moving parts of a facial surface, and thus a careful study of anatomical face enables us to set up a region-based face surface matching, giving more importance to stable facial regions in the comparison. The very first experiments show the effectiveness of our approach.
Designing a Culturally Appropriate Format of Formative Peer Assessment for Asian Students: The Case of Vietnamese Students

Peer assessment has recently been widely recommended in Vietnamese classrooms. However, there are argumentative opinions about this assessment because it has many conflicts with the learning culture of Vietnamese students. To date, there has not been any study addressing this issue. The present study investigated how Vietnamese students participate in peer assessment and how peer assessment should be designed to interest local students. In sum, 145 second-year students participated in a one-semester study. The results show that the students refused to participate in intragroup peer assessment because they were not confident in exchanging feedback directly and face-to-face. By contrast, intergroup peer assessment interested the students more because they could avoid direct conflicts with their friends and were guaranteed to save face by their group mates.
Implications of cultural differences between West and East on User Experience and Interaction Design

Psychologists have until lately been rather likeminded when it comes to how the human brain is interpreting and processing different types of information. We react in certain ways when exposed to certain information but considering those reactions stem from experiments mainly conducted on Americans is not something that is considered to be of importance. Whereas these statements tend to hold true for many aspects, lately some studies executed on people from different countries with very different cultural background have investigated if those psychological rules indeed are applying on every individual being (Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). When it comes to how Westerners and Easterners (especially Americans and Chinese) process information, remarkably enough plenty of differences were discovered. This thesis will discuss those differences and attempt to analyse whether or not those inequalities could be used to understand how we may adjust technical products when it comes to designing products, mainly focusing on interaction design and user experience. It was found that there may be several relations to cultural background and that they might affect preference towards user interfaces. Even though the amount of participants lacked in some user groups, and more test subjects would be needed, some noticeable patterns were still discovered. It seems like a preference towards more interactivity and more complex and colourful design may be more appreciated by the typical Chinese user, while it seems like it’s basically the opposite for the typical western user.
An O(log n) dominating set protocol for wireless ad-hoc networks under the physical interference model

Dealing with interference is one of the primary challenges to solve in the design of protocols for wireless ad-hoc networks. Most of the work in the literature assumes localized or hop-based interference models in which the effect of interference is neglected beyond a certain range from the transmitter. However, interference is a more complex phenomenon that cannot, in general, be captured by localized models, implying that protocols based on such models are not guaranteed to work in practice. This paper is the first to present and rigorously analyze a distributed dominating set protocol for wireless ad-hoc networks with O(1) approximation bound based on the physical interference model, which accounts for interference generated by all nodes in the network. The proposed protocol is fully distributed, randomized, and extensively uses physical carrier sensing to reduce message overhead. It does not need node identifiers or any kind of prior information about the system, and all messages are of constant size (in bits). We prove that, by appropriately choosing the threshold for physical carrier sensing, the protocol stabilizes within a logarithmic number of communication rounds, w.h. p., which is faster than the runtime of any known distributed protocol without prior knowledge about the system under any wireless model that does not abstract away collisions.
Parkin deficiency results in accumulation of abnormal mitochondria in aging myocytes

Autophagy plays a critical role in cellular quality control and is involved in removing damaged or excess organelles. Dysfunctional mitochondria are quickly cleared from the cell by autophagosomes before they can cause damage to the cell. Parkin is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that selectively ubiquitinates proteins on dysfunctional mitochondria, thereby marking those mitochondria for degradation by autophagosomes. In our recent study, we investigated the functional role of Parkin in the myocardium and discovered that Parkin is dispensable in the adult heart under normal conditions. Instead, our findings suggest that Parkin plays an important role in clearing damaged mitochondria in myocytes during stress. Here, we report that Parkin deficiency results in the accumulation of abnormal mitochondria in myocytes with age.
Model-Free Feature Screening for Ultrahigh Dimensional Discriminant Analysis

This work is concerned with marginal sure independence feature screening for ultrahigh dimensional discriminant analysis. The response variable is categorical in discriminant analysis. This enables us to use the conditional distribution function to construct a new index for feature screening. In this article, we propose a marginal feature screening procedure based on empirical conditional distribution function. We establish the sure screening and ranking consistency properties for the proposed procedure without assuming any moment condition on the predictors. The proposed procedure enjoys several appealing merits. First, it is model-free in that its implementation does not require specification of a regression model. Second, it is robust to heavy-tailed distributions of predictors and the presence of potential outliers. Third, it allows the categorical response having a diverging number of classes in the order of O(nκ) with some κ ⩾ 0. We assess the finite sample property of the proposed procedure by Monte Carlo simulation studies and numerical comparison. We further illustrate the proposed methodology by empirical analyses of two real-life datasets. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.