Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
System-level Non-interference for Constant-time Cryptography

Cache-based attacks are a class of side-channel attacks that are particularly effective in virtualized or cloud-based environments, where they have been used to recover secret keys from cryptographic implementations. One common approach to thwart cache-based attacks is to use constant-time implementations, i.e., which do not branch on secrets and do not perform memory accesses that depend on secrets. However, there is no rigorous proof that constant-time implementations are protected against concurrent cache-attacks in virtualization platforms with shared cache; moreover, many prominent implementations are not constant-time. An alternative approach is to rely on system-level mechanisms. One recent such mechanism is stealth memory, which provisions a small amount of private cache for programs to carry potentially leaking computations securely. Stealth memory induces a weak form of constant-time, called S-constant-time, which encompasses some widely used cryptographic implementations. However, there is no rigorous analysis of stealth memory and S-constant-time, and no tool support for checking if applications are S-constant-time. We propose a new information-flow analysis that checks if an x86 application executes in constant-time, or in S-constant-time. Moreover, we prove that constant-time (resp. S-constant-time) programs do not leak confidential information through the cache to other operating systems executing concurrently on virtualization platforms (resp. platforms supporting stealth memory). The soundness proofs are based on new theorems of independent interest, including isolation theorems for virtualization platforms (resp. platforms supporting stealth memory), and proofs that constant-time implementations (resp. S-constant-time implementations) are non-interfering with respect to a strict information flow policy which disallows that control flow and memory accesses depend on secrets. We formalize our results using the Coq proof assistant and we demonstrate the effectiveness of our analyses on cryptographic implementations, including PolarSSL AES, DES and RC4, SHA256 and Salsa20.
Characterizing Obfuscated JavaScript Using Abstract Syntax Trees: Experimenting with Malicious Scripts

Obfuscation, code transformations that make the code unintelligible, is still an issue for web malware analysts and is still a weapon of choice for attackers. Worse, some researchers have arbitrarily decided to consider obfuscated contents as malicious although it has been proven wrong. Yet, we can assume than some web attack kits only feature a fraction of existing obfuscating transformations which may make it easy to detect malicious scripting contents. However, because of the undecidability on obfuscated contents, we propose to survey, classify and design deobfuscation methods for each obfuscating transformation. In this paper, we apply abstract syntax tree (AST) based methods to characterize obfuscating transformations found in malicious JavaScript samples. We are able to classify similar obfuscated codes based on AST fingerprints regardless of the original attack code. We are also able to quickly detect these obfuscating transformations by matching these in an analyzed sample's AST using a pushdown automaton (PDA). The PDA accepts a set of sub trees representing obfuscating transformations previously learned. Such quick and lightweight sub tree matching algorithm has the potential to detect obfuscated pieces of code in a script, to be later extracted for deobfuscation.
Toth 95 Experiences with frame CCD arrays and direct georeferencing

The rapid technological developments of the 90’s have completely redefined the mapping practice as a whole. In less than a decade, digital techniques have come to outnumber the traditionally analog data acquisition and processing methods. Supported by unprecedented demand for large-volume, accurate spatial data, these new digital techniques emerged as dominant mapping technologies by the end of the decade. Technological change has also recently reached the analog camera-based aerial surveying practice, which supplies about two-thirds of spatial data for mapping and was the last stronghold of analog techniques. Two key components of this emerging technology are the electronic sensorbased digital camera and GPS/INS-based direct platform orientation. In fact, these new platform orientation systems are rapidly becoming a core component of modern airborne mapping and remote sensing systems. This paper investigates the calibration and performance validation aspects of a GPS/INS/CCD prototype system, including the digital camera calibration and the boresighting misalignment calibration of the positioning component. The calibration performance of the system is evaluated based on data collected during several test flights.
RNase-Based Self-Incompatibility: Puzzled by Pollen S[W]

Many plants have a genetically determined self-incompatibility system in which the rejection of self pollen grains is controlled by alleles of an S locus. A common feature of these S loci is that separate pollen- and style-expressed genes (pollen S and style S, respectively) determine S allele identity. The long-held view has been that pollen S and style S must be a coevolving gene pair in order for allelic recognition to be maintained as new S alleles arise. In at least three plant families, the Solanaceae, Rosaceae, and Plantaginaceae, the style S gene has long been known to encode an extracellular ribonuclease called the S-RNase. Pollen S in these families has more recently been identified and encodes an F-box protein known as either SLF or SFB. In this perspective, we describe the puzzling evolutionary relationship that exists between the SLF/SFB and S-RNase genes and show that in most cases cognate pairs of genes are not coevolving in the expected manner. Because some pollen S genes appear to have arisen much more recently than their style S cognates, we conclude that either some pollen S genes have been falsely identified or that there is a major problem with our understanding of how the S locus evolves.
miR-191: an emerging player in disease biology

Specific microRNAs have emerged as key players in disease biology by playing crucial role in disease development and progression. This review draws attention to one such microRNA, miR-191 that has been recently reported to be abnormally expressed in several cancers (>20) and various other diseases like diabetes-type 2, Crohn’ s, pulmonary hypertension, and Alzheimer’ s. It regulates important cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration by targeting important transcription factors, chromatin remodelers, and cell cycle associated genes. Several studies have demonstrated it to be an excellent biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis leading to two patents already in its kitty. In this first review we summarize the current knowledge of the regulation, functions and targets of miR-191 and discuss its potential as a promising disease biomarker and therapeutic target.
Characterization of Active Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Ovarian Serous Carcinomas

Purpose: Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) plays a pivotal role in signal transduction. Activation of MAPK is regulated by upstream kinases including KRAS and BRAF, which are frequently mutated in low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma. This study evaluates the expression of active MAPK in ovarian serous carcinomas, with response to treatment and survival. Experimental Design: Expression of active MAPK was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 207 cases of ovarian serous tumors. Immunoreactivity was correlated with tumor grade, mutational status of KRAS and BRAF, in vitro drug resistance, and clinical outcome. Result: There was a lower frequency of expression of active MAPK in high-grade ovarian serous carcinomas as compared with low-grade serous tumors, including borderline tumors and low-grade serous carcinoma (P < 0.001). Active MAPK was present in all of the 19 low-grade tumors with either KRAS or BRAF mutations as well as in 14 (41%) of 34 tumors with wild-type KRAS and BRAF in both low- and high-grade carcinomas. Expression of active MAPK alone served as a good survival indicator in the 2-year follow-up (P = 0.037) but not in the 5-year follow-up (P = 0.145). However, a combination of expression of active MAPK and in vitro sensitivity of paclitaxel significantly correlated with a better prognosis in 5-year survival rate (P = 0.048) in patients with advanced-stage high-grade serous carcinoma. Conclusions: Active MAPK is more frequently expressed in low-grade than in high-grade ovarian serous carcinoma. Active MAPK serves as a good prognostic marker in patients with high-grade serous carcinomas.
Title of Thesis: Rendering of Multi-resolution Graphics Models Captured from Images Rendering of Multi-resolution Graphics Models Captured from Images

In both computer graphics and computer vision, scenes and objects must be represented mathematically in some way. Representations tailored to ease scene acquisition in vision, may be inefficient to render. Likewise, models designed specifically for efficient rendering may be difficult, if not impossible, to capture from cameras. In this thesis, we explore potential graphical models which are both convenient to acquire from images, and well suited for real-time rendering using modern graphics hardware. Our representation is a hierarchical hybrid image/geometry based model for graphics objects and scenes. Each of three scales of detail macro, meso, micro is represented differently in an attempt to most efficiently store, render and capture the model. Macro scale is the large scale or overall shape, which we represent using a low-resolution polygonal mesh. Meso scale detail, which is defined loosely as lying between macro and micro, is represented using displacement mapping, for which a novel hardware accelerated rendering algorithm is presented. At the micro scale, light-surface interaction properties are represented using a parameterized texture mapping technique called dynamic texture, where a linear texture basis is precomputed from example images and blended when rendering to reproduce different lighting conditions. A system was built and used to capture this type of model from real-world objects, which were then rendered, and integrated into virtual scenes. Additionally, experiments were performed which evaluate each subsystem independently.
Fourteen Light Tasks for comparing Analogical and Phrase-based Machine Translation

In this study we compare two machine translation devices on twelve machine translation medicaldomain specific tasks, and two transliteration tasks, altogether involving twelve language pairs, including English-Chinese and English-Russian, which do not share the same scripts. We implemented an analogical device and compared its performance to the state-of-the-art phrase-based machine translation engine Moses. On most translation tasks, the analogical device outperforms the phrase-based one, and several combinations of both systems significantly outperform each system individually. For the sake of reproducibility, we share the datasets used in this study.
Attitudes to self-injury within a group of mental health staff.

BACKGROUND Self-wounding is a behaviour which remains poorly understood and which can evoke strong reactions from clinical staff. Such reaction may adversely influence treatment outcome and there have been calls for changes in the attitudes of professional staff towards this client group through improved training and awareness. There has, however, been little systematic study of how clinicians perceive those who self-injure or of how their attitudes are modified by training and other factors. METHOD This study aims to identify and explore factors governing professional attitude towards self-injury through postal survey of a large group of mental health staff. The survey assessed attitudes towards a representative case described in a vignette. RESULTS Five key factors were identified, with perception of control being the most dominant. Attitudes of clinical staff who had obtained additional qualification in counselling or psychotherapy differed significantly from those who had not. In contrast, no effect was found for specific training in handling self-injury. Attitude to the self-wounding woman was unaffected by gender, but was affected by age and work setting. The innate potential for the sample to self-polarize was examined statistically; a line of cleavage emerged between less tolerant staff who perceived her to have more control and to be more difficult to understand and those with opposing views. CONCLUSION Qualification in counselling or psychotherapy may modify attitude by reducing defensive attribution, allowing staff improved containment of their anxiety; alternatively, pre-existing attitudes may encourage certain staff to obtain such qualification.
Effect of Prunetin on TNF-α-Induced MUC5AC Mucin Gene Expression, Production, Degradation of IκB and Translocation of NF-κB p65 in Human Airway Epithelial Cells

Background We investigated whether prunetin significantly affects tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced MUC5AC mucin gene expression, production, inhibitory kappa B (IκB) degradation and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) p65 translocation in human airway epithelial cells. Methods Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with prunetin for 30 minutes and then stimulated with TNF-α for 24 hours or the indicated periods. MUC5AC mucin gene expression and mucin protein production were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The effect of prunetin on TNF-α-induced degradation of IκB and translocation of NF-κB p65 was investigated by western blot analysis. Results We found that incubation of NCI-H292 cells with prunetin significantly inhibited mucin production and down-regulated the MUC5AC gene expression induced by TNF-α. Prunetin inhibited TNF-α-induced degradation of IκB and translocation of NF-κB p65. Conclusion This result suggests that prunetin inhibits the NF-κB signaling pathway, which may explain its role in the inhibition of MUC5AC mucin gene expression and production regulated by the NF-κB signaling pathway.
Finland: An Exemplary STEM Educational System

There is a need for an increase in the number of students entering fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and the only way for that to happen is for educational reforms to be put into place (PCAST, 2012). Improvement and focus on STEM education are a concern of all nations whether they have an emerging economy or one that is long established. The world of the 21st century is such that in order to compete globally countries must invest in STEM education (Kennedy & Odell, 2014). The United States scores on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) were not in the top ten for reading, mathematics, nor science. To rectify this, it is imperative that changes be made to the educational system (Schleicher, ed., 2012). Looking at countries that are consistently at the top is one way to find potential solutions and models of reform. One country that has successfully reformed their educational system is Finland. Within their educational system, the strategies of collaboration and communication are widely utilized by the instructors as well as the students (Sislian, Gabardo, Macedo, & Ribeiro, 2015). While analyzing a single country’s instructional program can give insights into what makes it successful, it is beneficial to compare that country to others that are also achieving success in order to determine any trends and commonalities. The countries used for this comparison were chosen because they were different culturally, geographically, and politically, but in spite of their differences, they were among the top-scoring nations on the PISA.
Übertragungsdeutung als ein Widerstand gegen die freie Assoziation

Eines von Freuds fruhesten Konzepten der Ubertragung war die Entdeckung, das eine unbewuste Idee mit einer schon bestehenden Idee aus dem Vorbewusten verbunden werden mus, wenn sie ins Bewustsein treten soll. Diese Verbindung ist ein Transfer. Aufbauend auf diesem besonderen Ubertragungsmodell erleichtert Freuds Erfindung der analytischen Beziehung die Bewegung unbewuster Ideen ins Bewustsein auf ganz besondere Weise. Mit dem frei assoziierenden Analysanden und dem gleichschwebenden Analytiker, hier »das Freudsche Paar« genannt, fand Freud einen Weg, wie unbewuste Bedeutungen vom Analysanden an den Analytiker mitgeteilt werden, ohne das je alle Inhalte ins Bewustsein treten. Bedauerlicherweise wurde diese bemerkenswerte revolutionare Entdeckung, eine neue Form der Objektbeziehung, an den Rand gedrangt durch Freuds gebrauchlichere Definition der Ubertragung als Transfer der Gefuhle und Gedanken des Analysanden uber den Analytiker in Material und Verhalten wahrend der Sitzung. Der Autor stellt die These auf, der militante Gebrauch dieser Sichtweise sei zum Widerstand gegen Freuds profundere erste Sichtweise geworden, die spezifisch fur die Psychoanalyse ist – und sei im Fall der sogenannten ›Ubertragung im Hier und Jetzt‹ (wie sie zuerst von der Britischen psychoanalytischen Schule angenommen wurde), zu einem paranoiden Gedankensystem geworden, das sich von einer formalen Idee der Referenz nicht unterscheiden lasse. Die Implikationen dieser Entwicklung des Freudschen Paars werden diskutiert.
Possibilistic support vector machines for automatic phoneme recognition

We propose, in this paper, new support vector machines (SVM) formulation that incorporates possibilistic weights based upon the geometric distribution of the phoneme's data set input to the recognition system. Those possibilistic weights are computed based on a possibilistic distance. Hence, we introduce a new formulation of the standard SVM incorporating the possibilitic weights (PossSVM). The experimental results show a greater performance of the proposed method than the existing SVM in the phoneme recognition task. Moreover, in this paper we tested several possibilistic distances in aim to find the most suitable with our data sets.
Prolegomena to a Future Science of Biolinguistics

This essay reviews some of the problems that face biolinguistics if it is to someday succeed in understanding human language from a biological and evolutionary viewpoint. Although numerous sociological problems impede progress at present, these are ultimately soluble. The greater challenges include delineating the computational mechanisms that underlie different aspects of language competence, as implemented in the brain, and under-standing the epigenetic processes by which they arise. The ultimate chal-lenge will be to develop a theory of meaning incorporating non-linguistic conceptual representations, as they exist in the mind of a dog or chimpan-zee, which requires extensions of information theory incorporating context-dependence and relevance. Each of these problems is daunting alone; to-gether they make understanding the biology of language one of the most challenging sets of problems in modern science.
Novel insights into histamine H 2 receptor biology

Del Valle, John, and Ira Gantz. Novel insights into histamine H2 receptor biology. Am. J. Physiol. 273 (Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 36): G987–G996, 1997. —Histamine exerts multiple biological actions through one of three receptor subtypes (H1, H2, and H3). This review focuses on new developments regarding the structure and function of the H2 receptor. In addition to the important role this receptor plays in stimulating gastric acid secretion, recent studies have demonstrated that it is also involved in regulating gastrointestinal motility and intestinal secretion. The potential role of the H2 receptor in regulating cell growth and differentiation has also been added to the list of actions this biogenic amine may exert in both normal and transformed tissues. Molecular cloning of the gene indicates that it has the structural characteristics of a heptahelical G protein-linked receptor. Site-directed mutagenesis studies of this receptor reveal the presence of key amino acids within the third and fifth transmembrane domains that are critical for ligand recognition. Molecular approaches have also shed light on the structural components of the H2 receptor important in regulating desensitization and internalization. Although the H2 receptor was classically thought to couple to the adenylate cyclase pathway, recent work with the cloned receptor indicates that it can also activate the phosphoinositide signaling cascade through an independent G protein-dependent mechanism. The novel observation that histamine may stimulate c-fos gene expression lends further support to the possible role of this receptor in regulating cell growth and differentiation.
DC-DC converter design for battery-operated systems

This paper describes performance, design and optimization of DC-DC converters for energy limited, battery operated systems. Variable-frequency operation is used to achieve voltage regulation and high efficiency for an extremely wide range of load currents. An experimental 15 W, 3.3 V buck converter has been constructed to demonstrate design and optimization techniques. The converter employs synchronous rectification to reduce conduction losses, and discontinuous, variable-frequency, current-mode control with optimum peak current to maximize efficiency for a wide range of loads. Applications include portable computers, hand-held instruments, and telecommunications. <<ETX>>
Efficient and Practical Algorithms for Sequential Modular Decomposition

A module of an undirected graph G=(V,E) is a set X of vertices that have the same set of neighbors in V\X. The modular decomposition is a unique decomposition of the vertices into nested modules. We give a practical algorithm with an O(n+m? (m,n)) time bound and a variant with a linear time bound.
Secular decline in mortality from coronary heart disease in adults with diabetes mellitus: cohort study

Objective To examine trends in fatal coronary heart disease in adults with and without diabetes. Design Cohort study. Setting Two surveys of the Nord-Trøndelag health study (HUNT), a population based study in Norway. Participants 74 914 men and women from the first survey (1984-6) and 64 829 from the second survey (1995-7). Main outcome measure Age specific mortality from coronary heart disease among adults with and without diabetes during two consecutive nine year follow-up periods. Results A total of 2623 men and 1583 women died from coronary heart disease. Mortality rates were substantially lower during the most recent follow-up period: among men aged 70-79 without diabetes, deaths per 1000 person years declined from 16.38 to 8.79 (reduction 48%, 95% confidence interval 39% to 55%) and among women aged 70-79 from 6.84 to 2.68 (62%, 52% to 70%). Among the same age group with diabetes, deaths per 1000 person years in men declined from 38.97 to 17.89 (54%, 32% to 69%) and in women from 28.15 to 11.83 (59%, 37% to 73%). The reduction was more noticeable in age groups younger than 70 at baseline, and less pronounced among people aged 80 or more. Mortality from coronary heart disease was more than twofold higher in people with than without diabetes, with a slightly stronger association in women. The difference in mortality by diabetes status remained almost unchanged from the first to the second survey. Conclusion The strong general reduction in mortality rates from coronary heart disease from the first to the second follow-up period also benefited people with diabetes, but the more than twofold higher mortality from coronary heart disease associated with diabetes persisted over time.