Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Operational Security by Redesigning Password Strength Meters: Evidence from Randomized Experiments

Password-based authentication is the most commonly used method for gaining access to secured systems. Unfortunately, empirical evidence highlights the fact that most passwords are significantly weak and encouraging users to create stronger passwords is a challenge. In this research, we propose a password strength meter design that incorporates contextual information into the warning message. We evaluate our design by leveraging three independent and complementary methods: a survey-based study using students to evaluate contextual message saliency (proof-of-concept), a controlled experiment conducted on Amazon MTurk to test contextual message effectiveness (proof-of-value), and a field-implemented experiment conducted in collaboration with an online forum in Asia to establish proof-of-use. In each study, we observe the changes in users’ behavior in response to a warning message displayed by a password strength meter. We find that the context-based password strength meter is significantly effective at addressing the challenges of password-based authentication. Users exposed to this strength meter are more likely to change their password, leading to a new password that is significantly stronger. Furthermore, we find that users are willing to invest their time to learn about creating stronger passwords, even without contextual information in the password strength meter. Our findings suggest that incorporating contextual information in password strength meters is an effective method for promoting secure password behavior among end users.
Time-and Space-Efﬁcient Aggregate Range Queries over Encrypted Databases

—Much of the recent searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) and structured encryption (STE) literature has centered on the development of encrypted range structures . Such structures solve the traditional problem where the client queries the server with a range predicate, and the server responds with the set of records satisfying the given predicate. In practice, however, users are often not directly interested in the records within the queried range, but rather in the result of an aggregate function applied to some attribute of the records. In traditional range-reporting schemes, the encrypted form of the records means that the client must compute the desired aggregate function themselves, incurring bandwidth and client-side computation proportional to the number of records in the queried range. This makes searchable encryption schemes problematic to use in settings that necessitate high aggregate computation performance. In this work, we tackle this challenge by developing cryptographic schemes for handling range aggregate queries such as sum, minimum, median, and mode queries. For each of these query types, we propose new schemes that answer range aggregate queries and offer different time, space, and bandwidth tradeoffs for each of these queries. More generally, our work aims to demonstrate how one may unify techniques from the traditional data management literature with STE techniques to produce efﬁcient STE schemes with small amounts of leakage. We are the ﬁrst to present encrypted range query schemes for median and mode queries; our schemes speciﬁcally focus on the approximate variation of the problem in order to achieve practical, storage-efﬁcient constructions. We also present structures for sum and minimum queries that are more space-efﬁcient in practice over the previous structures presented by Demertzis et al. ( ACM Trans. Database Syst. ’18 ) at the cost of small leakage.
Health-related quality of life among older patients following an emergency department visit and emergency department-to-home coaching intervention: A randomized controlled trial

Introduction Many older patients experience repeated emergency department visits and hospitalizations and inadequate links to primary care. This fragmented care can result in anxiety, uncertainty, and poor health outcomes. This study compares the impact of an emergency department-to-home coaching intervention to usual, post-emergency department care on patient-reported health-related quality of life measures: information support, anxiety, and physical function. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial. Seven hundred and forty-nine chronically ill older adults presenting to emergency departments were randomized into Intervention (emergency department-to-home coaching) or Usual Care groups. Participants completed baseline, in-person and follow-up, telephone surveys. Within- and between-group differences in health-related quality of life were assessed using unweighted linear regression and propensity-weighted difference-in-difference analyses. Three Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement System measures were assessed: social health (informational support), mental health (anxiety/emotional distress), and physical health (physical functioning). Results Usual Care participants experienced statistically significant declines in informational support in unweighted (−3.13) and weighted (−2.84) analyses not observed in the Intervention group (−0.91 and −1.45, respectively). Self-reported anxiety was lowest and physical function highest at the time of emergency department visit. Patient-reported anxiety increased and physical function declined statistically significantly in Intervention participants. Conclusion Among older emergency department patients, health-related quality of life was highest at the emergency department visit and declined following the encounter. The emergency department visit per se appears to provide needed information, and in the short term, reassurance about patients’ medical conditions. The coaching intervention blunts the fall in informational support observed after usual, post-emergency department care but may heighten patients’ anxiety and awareness of chronic health conditions.
Health‐related quality of life in sickle cell disease

Advances in drug therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and technology have improved the morbidity and survival for those with sickle cell disease. The effect of this modern therapy on the health‐related quality of life (HRQL) of those with sickle cell disease is not known. HRQL provides an assessment of how an illness, its complications, and its treatment are experienced by a patient. This review will examine prior work in HRQL in sickle cell disease and the rationale for utilizing HRQL as an outcome to measure impact of treatment. In addition, issues to consider when reporting HRQL will be presented. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:5–9. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Feature Extraction Framework based on Contrastive Learning with Adaptive Positive and Negative Samples

In this study, we propose a feature extraction framework based on contrastive learning with adaptive positive and negative samples (CL-FEFA) that is suitable for unsupervised, supervised, and semi-supervised single-view feature extraction. CL-FEFA constructs adaptively the positive and negative samples from the results of feature extraction, which makes it more appropriate and accurate. Thereafter, the discriminative features are re extracted to according to InfoNCE loss based on previous positive and negative samples, which will make the intra-class samples more compact and the inter-class samples more dispersed. At the same time, using the potential structure information of subspace samples to dynamically construct positive and negative samples can make our framework more robust to noisy data. Furthermore, CL-FEFA considers the mutual information between positive samples, that is, similar samples in potential structures, which provides theoretical support for its advantages in feature extraction. The final numerical experiments prove that the proposed framework has a strong advantage over the traditional feature extraction methods and contrastive learning methods.
An ideotype of maize for conditions of high temperature and low moisture

Among the agronondcally impoitant grasses, maize is unusually suscq>tible to drought at flowering. Drou^t stimulates a protandrous pattern of development, w^ch lengthens the anthesis-silking interval Because maize has a short period of flowenng and pollen remains viable for small periods of time, each day of delay between pollen shed and silk emergence translates into a reduction in the rate of sexual fertilization, and an increase in barrenness. An ideotype of nuiize is proposed to overcome this problem The purpose is to reduce sensitivity to vvater deficit throu^ a series of morphological and anatomical modifications, inchiding: transference of the site of grain production from the axil of a leaf to the apex of the plant; condensation of the upper intemodes of the stem; and reduction of plant height and leaf number. The research efforts were concentrated in two areas; selection to integrate in one plant aH desired traits. Genetic diversty was found for all characters of mterest It was possible to identify and select mutants that exhibited in a single phenotype the proposed changes. However, several unde^able characteristics, such as lack of vigor and disease susceptibility, were also associated with the mutants and need to be in:q)roved. evahiation of the inq)act of proposed modifications on the performance of current cuhivars. Since tassel suppression and reduction in plant height are two in^portant characteristics of the ideotype, field e? q)eriments were conducted to evaluate their effect on maize tolerance to high plant population and drought stress.
Modélisation des structures de coeurs des dislocations dans les minéraux du manteau terrestre à l’aide du modèle de Peierls-Nabarro

La deformation plastique des mineraux des roches mantelliques joue un role-cle dans les phenomenes de convection globale a l’interieur de la Terre. Cependant, les mecanismes de deformation des mineraux sont encore mal compris. Generalement, la deformation plastique est assuree par le mouvement des dislocations qui sont des defauts lineaires du cristal. La mobilite des dislocations est determinee par la structure de coeur des defauts. Le modele de Peierls-Nabarro auquel nous avons recours est un concept fondamental qui decrit la resistance qu’oppose le cristal au mouvement des dislocations au travers du calcul de la contrainte de Peierls et qui fournit egalement l’etalement du coeur de la dislocation dans le cristal. Developpe il y a plus d'un demi-siecle, ce modele connut un regain d’interets dans les annees 70 avec l’introduction du concept de fautes d’empilement generalisees qui permet une description plus generale des coeurs de dislocations. La determination de ces fautes consiste a calculer ab initio ou a l’aide de potentiels empiriques des barrieres d’energie associees au cisaillement d’un plan cristallographique donne dans une, deux ou toutes les directions. L’etude menee durant cette these s’est portee sur la determination des structures de coeur des dislocations de la phase post-perovskite presente a la base du manteau mais egalement de la wadsleyite, de la forsterite et du diopside, trois mineraux majeurs entre la croute et 520km de profondeur. L’utilisation du modele de Peierls-Nabarro unidimensionnel dans un premier temps a ete etendue aux trois dimensions de l’espace dans le but de modeliser des structures de coeur de dislocations de plus en plus complexes.
Denial‐of‐Service Attacks

Availability requires that computer systems function normally without loss of resources to legitimate users. One of the most challenging issues to availability is the denial-of-service (DoS) attack. DoS attacks constitute one of the major threats and among the hardest security problems in today’s Internet. The main aim of a DoS is the disruption of services by attempting to limit access to a machine or service. Depending on the attackers’ strategy, the target resources may be the file system space, the process space, the network bandwidth, or the network connections. These attacks achieve their goal by sending at a victim a stream of packets in order to exhaust the bandwidth of its network traffic or its processing capacity denying or degrading service to legitimate users. There have been some large-scale attacks targeting high-profile Internet sites.
The social and discursive construction of computing skills

In this article a social constructionist approach to information technology (IT) literacy is introduced. This approach contributes to the literature on IT literacy by introducing the concept of IT self as a description of the momentary, context-dependent, and multilayered nature of interpretations of IT competencies. In the research literature, IT literacy is often defined as sets of basic skills to be learned, and competencies to be demonstrated. In line with this approach, research on IT competencies conventionally develops models for explaining user acceptance, and for measuring computer-related attitudes and skills. The assumption is that computer-related attitudes and self-efficacy impact IT adoption and success in computer use. Computer self-efficacy measures are, however, often based on self-assessments that measure interpretations of skills rather than performance in practice. An analysis of empirical interview data in which academic researchers discuss their relationships with computers and IT competence shows how a self-assessment such as “computer anxiety” presented in one discussion context can in another discussion context be consigned to the past in favor of a different and more positive version. Here it is argued that descriptions of IT competencies and computer-related attitudes are dialogic social constructs and closely tied with more general implicit understandings of the nature of technical artifacts and technical knowledge. These implicit theories and assumptions are rarely taken under scrutiny in discussions of IT literacy yet they have profound implications for the aims and methods in teaching computer skills.
An energy-efficient lightweight security protocol for optimal resource provenancein wireless sensor networks

: Security of resource sharing and provenance is a major concern in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), where the intruders can easily inject malicious intermediate nodes for various personal gains. This selective forwarding attack may reduce the flow of resource sharing and throughput in the network. Most of the existing techniques are complex and do not provide sufficient security to sensor nodes with low energy. This paper proposes an energy-efficient and lightweight security protocol for optimal resource provenance in multihop WSNs and the Internet of things (IoT) network. The sharing of the resources between the sensor nodes indicates the strength of the mutual cooperation between the nodes, which will act as a link to generate a cooperative correlating coefficient in the proposed security protocol. The cooperative correlating coefficient is computed and matched at the source and destination sensor node, which is broadcast to all the connecting intermediate sensor nodes. A higher value of the cooperative correlating coefficient indicates stronger and secure resource sharing between the sensor nodes with optimal resource provenance, and the lower value indicates the possibility of the presence of adversarial sensor nodes between the hops. We calculate the energy dissipated for the sensor nodes and the complete sensor network. The real-time cooperative correlating coefficient values are derived from the cooperation of two USRPs. The simulation for the detection of adversarial sensor node and resource provenance is done using MATLAB. The experimental result demonstrates secure resource provenance sharing in a sensor network with high energy efficiency compared to the existing techniques.
Determinant of Medication Adherence Among Patients with Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study

Hypertension means the increase of systolic and diastolic blood pressure upper 140 mmHg and 90 mmHg, respectively. Hypertension is a major problem in health that can be caused sudden death in patients. Globally the percentage of adherence towards HTN pharmacological treatment is poor due to the faint nature of the signs and symptoms. This study aims to investigate the factors that can be deﬁned as medication adherence in patients with hypertension, primarily the relation between acceptance and knowledge of disease related to hypertension towards patient adherence. In this study, 429 participants men and women who were diagnosed with essential hypertension voluntarily participate. The number of participants for men was 85 and for women was 344. This study uses the MMA-8, HK-LS, and acceptance of illness scale (AIS) questionnaires. The signiﬁcance of correlations between variables was analyzed using the Gamma test. The result shows that suggesting a signiﬁcant correlation with a moderate power between disease acceptance with medication adherence in patients with hypertension.
An integrated infant and young child feeding and micronutrient powderintervention does not affect anemia, iron status, or vitamin A status amongchildren 12-23 months in Eastern Uganda

Background: Micronutrient powders (MNP) can reduce iron deficiency and anemia in children. Objective: We evaluated the impact of an integrated infant and young child feeding (IYCF) – MNP intervention on anemia and micronutrient status among children 12–23mo in Eastern Uganda. The intervention focused on MNP distribution, IYCF education, and caregiver behavior change. Methods: Population-based cross-sectional surveys representative of children 12–23mo in Amuria (intervention) and Soroti (non-intervention) districts were collected in June/July 2015 at baseline (n=1,260) and 12 months after implementation at endline in 2016 (n=1,490). From pooled capillary blood, we assessed hemoglobin (Hb), malaria, ferritin, retinol binding protein (RBP), Creactive protein, and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Ferritin and RBP were regression-adjusted to correct for inflammation. Caregivers reported sociodemographic characteristics and MNP knowledge and practices. Linear regression estimated the difference-in-difference (DiD) effect of MNP on Hb, ferritin, and RBP and logistic regression estimated DiD effect of MNP on anemia (Hb <11.0 g/dL), iron deficiency (ferritin <12.0 μg/L), iron deficiency anemia (Hb <11.0 g/dL and Corresponding author: Nicole D. Ford, PhD, MPH. 4770 Buford Hwy. NE, Mailstop S107-5, Atlanta, GA 30341; Yex9@cdc.gov; Phone: +1.470.464.4401. Author Contributions: RB, LJR, CM, RDW, MEJ, SN, SH, MA, and AL contributed to the conception and design of the study. RB, SN, SH, MA, AL contributed to the acquisition of the data. NDF performed the literature search, conducted the statistical analyses, and wrote the initial draft of the paper. All authors interpreted findings, edited subsequent drafts, and approve the final version to be published. Publisher's Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or the World Food Programme. The findings and conclusions in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC, Makerere University, World Food Programme, or the Ministry of Health of Uganda. HHS Public Access Author manuscript J Nutr. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2021 May 17. Published in final edited form as: J Nutr. 2020 April 01; 150(4): 938–944. doi:10.1093/jn/nxz314. A uhor M anscript
Managing uncertain recovery for patients nearing the end of life in hospital; a mixed-method, feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial of the AMBER care bundle

Background: The AMBER (Assessment; Management; Best practice; Engagement; Recovery uncertain) care bundle is a complex intervention used in UK hospitals to support patients with uncertain recovery. However, it has yet to be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to identify potential benefits or harms. Aim: To investigate the feasibility of a cluster RCT of the AMBER care bundle. Methods: Mixed-method, feasibility cluster RCT. Prospective, quantitative data collected from patients (or proxies lacking capacity) to (i) examine recruitment, retention and follow-up rates; (ii) test trial data collection tools and determine their optimum timing; (iii) test methods to identify use of financial resources; (iv) explore the acceptability of study procedures for health professionals and patients. Descriptive statistical analyses and thematic analysis using the Framework approach. Results: 894 patients were screened, of whom, 220 were eligible and 19 (8.6%) declined to participate. Recruitment to the control arm was challenging; of the 728 patients screened, 647 (88.9%) were excluded. 65 (81.3% of the recruitment target) patients were recruited. Many were elderly (≥80 years 46.2%, n=30, mean-77.8 years SD=12.3 years). Over half (53.8%) had a non-cancer diagnosis, with a mean of 2.3 co-morbidities. 24.6% patients (n=16) died during their hospital stay and 35.4%, (n=23) within 100 days of discharge. In both trial arms, baseline IPOS subscale scores identified ‘moderate’ patient anxiety (mean 13.3 (SD 4.8) control, 13.3 (SD 5.1) intervention), and howRwe identified a ‘good’ care experience (mean 13.1 (SD 2.5) control, 11.5 (SD 2.1) intervention). Collection of quantitative service use/quality of life data was feasible. No patient participants regarded study involvement negatively. Focus groups with health professionals identified concerns regarding (i) subjectivity of the intervention eligibility criteria; (ii) the need to prognosticate to identify potential patients; (iii) consent procedures and questionnaire length. Conclusions: A full trial of the AMBER care bundle is
1,25(OH) 2 D 3 Strengthens the Vasculogenesis of Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Rat Bone Marrow by Regulating the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Background: Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have recently been reported to promote vasculogenesis by differentiating into endothelial cells and releasing numerous cytokines and paracrine factors. However, due to low cell activity, their potential for clinical application is not very satisfactory. This study aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH) 2 D 3 ) on the vasculogenesis of MSCs. Methods: MSCs were isolated from the femurs and tibias of rats and characterized by ﬂ ow cytometry. After treatment with different concentrations of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 (0 µM, 0.1 µM and 1 µM), the proliferation of MSCs was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and the migratory capability was measured by Transwell assays and cell scratch tests. Capillary-like structure formation was observed by using Matrigel. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of FLK-1 and vWF to investigate the differentiation of MSCs into endothelial cells. Western blotting and gelatin zymography were used to detect the expression and activities of VEGF, MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted by MSCs under the in ﬂ uence of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3. Finally, the VDR antagonist pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) and the PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY294002 were utilized to test the phosphorylation levels of key kinases in the PI3K/AKT pathway by Western blotting and the formation of capillary-like structures in Matrigel. Results: The proliferation and migratory capability of MSCs and the ability of MSCs to form a tube-like structure in Matrigel were enhanced after treatment with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 . Moreover, MSCs treated with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 showed high expression of vWF and Flk-1. There was a signi ﬁ cant increase in the expression of VEGF, MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted by MSCs treated with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3, as well as in the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The phosphorylation level of AKT increased with time after 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 treatment, while LY294002 weakened AKT phosphorylation. In addition, the ability to form capillary-like structures was reduced when the VDR and PI3K/AKT pathways were blocked. Conclusion: This study con ﬁ rmed that 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 treatment can strengthen the ability of MSCs to promote vasculogenesis in vitro, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.