Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stronger password-base authenticated key exchange protocols

Password authenticated key exchange protocols (PAKE) are designed to be secure over insecure networks even the users pick up a human-memorable password from a small space. Although a great deal of research of PAKE has been proposed and many formal definitions and settings in the area of AKE have been defined, few formal definitions and settings on PAKE are proposed. We, in this paper, extend and modify existing models and settings of AKE to the ones of PAKE so that our definitions can capture more realistic attacks on PAKE protocols than previous definitions and offer more powers to an adversary to break the protocols. In addition, we show that the protocols proposed by Halevi and Krawczyk are insecure in our definitions. After analyzing the attacks against their protocols, we extend and modify their protocols so that the extended protocols are secure in our definitions. Besides, our protocols can resist password exposure even if the long-term key is compromised.
An Information Global Optimization Algorithm with Local Tuning

We propose an algorithm using only the values of the objective function for solving unconstrained global optimization problems. This algorithm belongs to the class of the information methods introduced by Strongin [Numerical Methods in Multiextremal Problems, Nauka, Moskow,1978] and differs from the other algorithms of this class by the presence of local tuning which spies on the changes of the Lipschitz constant of the objective function over different sectors of the search region. We describe two versions of the method: for solving one-dimensional problems and for solving multidimensional problems (using Peano-type space-filling curves for reduction of imensionality). In both cases we establish sufficient conditions of convergence to the global minimum. We also report results of some numerical experiments.
Catabolism of 3-Nitrophenol by Ralstonia eutropha JMP 134

Ralstonia eutropha JMP 134 utilizes 3-nitrophenol as the sole source of nitrogen, carbon, and energy. The entire catabolic pathway of 3-nitrophenol is chromosomally encoded. An initial NADPH-dependent reduction of 3-nitrophenol was found in cell extracts of strain JMP 134. By use of a partially purified 3-nitrophenol nitroreductase from 3-nitrophenol-grown cells, 3-hydroxylaminophenol was identified as the initial reduction product. Resting cells of R. eutropha JMP 134 metabolized 3-nitrophenol to N-acetylaminohydroquinone under anaerobic conditions. With cell extracts, 3-hydroxylaminophenol was converted into aminohydroquinone. This enzyme-mediated transformation corresponds to the acid-catalyzed Bamberger rearrangement. Enzymatic conversion of the analogous hydroxylaminobenzene yields a mixture of 2- and 4-aminophenol.
Rising atmospheric methane: 2007–2014 growth and isotopic shift

From 2007 to 2013, the globally averaged mole fraction of methane in the atmosphere increased by 5.7 ± 1.2 ppb yr−1. Simultaneously, δ13CCH4 (a measure of the 13C/12C isotope ratio in methane) has shifted to significantly more negative values since 2007. Growth was extreme in 2014, at 12.5 ± 0.4 ppb, with a further shift to more negative values being observed at most latitudes. The isotopic evidence presented here suggests that the methane rise was dominated by significant increases in biogenic methane emissions, particularly in the tropics, for example, from expansion of tropical wetlands in years with strongly positive rainfall anomalies or emissions from increased agricultural sources such as ruminants and rice paddies. Changes in the removal rate of methane by the OH radical have not been seen in other tracers of atmospheric chemistry and do not appear to explain short‐term variations in methane. Fossil fuel emissions may also have grown, but the sustained shift to more 13C‐depleted values and its significant interannual variability, and the tropical and Southern Hemisphere loci of post‐2007 growth, both indicate that fossil fuel emissions have not been the dominant factor driving the increase. A major cause of increased tropical wetland and tropical agricultural methane emissions, the likely major contributors to growth, may be their responses to meteorological change.
Compost Sampling for Nutrient and Quality Parameters: Variability of Sampler, Timing and Pile Depth

In order to establish analysis-based quality guidelines for composts, it is necessary to have information about the variability of these traits as dependent on sampling methods. Composts exhibit significant spatial, site and time-related variability. In a preliminary survey of commercial and home users of compost in New York State, respondents indicated strong interest in test quality of purchased composts. However, little work has been done examining the consistency of reported values in composts sampled and shipped to laboratories. We evaluated within-farm and between-sampler variability of test traits at 7 farm compost sites. In one study we compared farmer and extension agents as separate samplers of the same compost piles. In the next study we examined repeated sampling by same sampler visiting the site a second time. Finally, we compared depth-based sampling variability at 3 selected farm compost sites. Analysis of variance was employed to distinguish effects of samplers, sampling timing and farms. The data showed very small differences in test values due to samplers for all parameters except weed seed and fecal coliforms. Geometric mean transformation eliminated fecal counts as a source of significant variability. Repeated sampling after two weeks of matured compost indicated no appreciable differences between points of time except for weed seeds. The sampling-depth study revealed significant variation of several selected test parameters attributed to pile stratification, and the variables most affected were moisture, potassium and weed seeds. Weed seed testing may not be useful for a quality parameter unless methodological variance is better understood. Overall, biological parameters varied less than chemical traits. The study underscores that prior to establishing numerical quality guidelines the preferred compost pile sampling protocol should be very carefully described.
Serotypes and antimicrobial resistance patterns of the recent Korean Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae isolates

In Korea, the addition of antibiotics to feed was banned in July 2011; since then, reports of outbreaks of porcine pleuropneumonia have increased. Therefore, knowledge of the characteristics of clinical isolates emerging in recent years is needed. This study analysed the serotype and antimicrobial susceptibility of 102 Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae isolates from pigs with pleuropneumonia in Korea from 2006 to 2010. Serotype 5 was the most frequently isolated but the incidence of serotype 1 significantly increased in 2010. The susceptibility to florfenicol decreased considerably from 2006 to 2010, as did that of a minor percentage of isolates to ampicillin and amoxicillin. Of 11 tetracycline resistance genes, tet (B) was predominant (62 per cent), followed by tet (H) and tet (O). The florfenicol resistance ( flo R) gene (34 per cent) and β-lactam antibiotic resistance ( bla ROB-1) gene (15 per cent) were also detected. The expression levels of the tetracycline repressor gene and resistance gene were not significantly correlated with the minimum inhibitory concentration values of tetracycline-resistant strains. Interspecies transferability of the resistance genes ( flo R, tet (B)/ bla ROB-1) was observed with frequencies of 5.7×10−3 and 3.5×10−2, respectively. In analysing DNA patterns using pulsed field gel electrophoresis, there was a slight positive correlation with serotypes but not with isolated location and year. This study acknowledges the emergence of new serotype and antimicrobial resistance of A pleuropneumoniae based on the current situation in Korea. This knowledge may be useful in controlling the disease caused by A pleuropneumoniae . Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is a causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a respiratory disease in pigs of all ages that may result in sudden death often detected in the postmortem inspection at slaughter, or in severe symptoms characterised by fibrinous pleuritis and haemorrhagic and fibrinous pneumonia with necrotic lung lesions (Bosse and others 2002 …
IN VITRO INVESTIGATION OF CYTOKINE-MEDIATED NUCLEUS PULPOSUS DEGENERATION

Degeneration of the lumbar intervertebral discs is strongly implicated as a cause of low back pain, and may also lead to impaired mobility. A lack of understanding of the pathomechanisms that underlie degeneration limits our ability to develop biological treatments that both alleviate painful symptoms and restore function. The process of degeneration is characterized by up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines—particularly interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)—within the central nucleus pulposus. Furthermore, the increased production of these cytokines is not matched by increasing amounts of their inhibitory regulators, resulting in an imbalance of catabolic and anabolic activity. In this study, we developed an in-vitro model of the nucleus pulposus that was used to investigate the effects of IL1β and TNFα on composition and mechanical function. In addition, we examined the capacity of IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1ra) and soluble TNF receptor 1 (sTNFR1), inhibitors of IL1β and TNFα respectively, to mitigate cytokine-mediated functional and compositional changes. Our results demonstrated that short-term exposure to IL1β, but not TNFα, causes loss of matrix components that significantly compromises mechanical function, suggesting that IL1β plays a more direct role than TNFα in driving matrix degradation in the nucleus pulposus. Our results also demonstrated that IL1ra can effectively prevent compositional and functional changes induced by IL1β, highlighting its therapeutic potential.
Moving Region Detection by Transportation Problem Solving

In this paper, we propose a novel moving region detection method from the viewpoint of solving the transportation problem. This method extracts the relations between regions as a solution to the transformation problem between pixels belonging to adjacent frames. Moving regions are detected by utilizing the properties of these relations. This method does not require any models such as prior knowledge or particular assumptions about moving objects or backgrounds in a video. Since the method adaptively detects moving regions from input frame data, it can deal with the fluctuations of moving objects or backgrounds. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method through several experiments conducted using actual videos.
Leishmania–sand fly interactions controlling species‐specific vector competence

Leishmaniasis is caused by a wide range of parasites that are transmitted by an even wider range of sand fly vectors. The phlebotomine vectors of Leishmaniasis are in some cases only permissive to the complete development of the species of Leishmania that they transmit in nature. The parasite–sand fly interactions that control this specificity are related to differences in the ability of the parasite to inhibit or to resist killing by proteolytic enzymes released into the mid‐gut soon after blood feeding, and/or to maintain infection in the mid‐gut during excretion of the digested blood meal. In each case, surface expressed or released phosphoglycan‐containing molecules appear to promote parasite survival. The evidence that the surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG) mediates promastigote attachment to the mid‐gut epithelium so as to prevent their loss during blood‐meal excretion is especially strong based on the comparison of development in sand flies using LPG‐deficient mutants. LPG displays interspecies polymorphisms in their phosphoglycan domains that in most cases can fully account for species‐specific vector competence.
Zebris Versus Myrin: A Comparative Study Between a Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Movement Analysis and an Inclinometer/Compass Method: Intradevice Reliability, Concurrent Validity, Intertester Comparison, Intratester Reliability, and Intraindividual Variability

Study Design. Experimental study. Objectives. To compare two devices for measuring cervical range of motion, a three-dimensional ultrasound motion device (Zebris) and a gravity-reference goniometer (Myrin). Summary of Background Data. Assessment of cervical range of motion is used to evaluate the effect of different treatments, determine impairment, and ascertain the relationship between neck disorders and cervical spine mobility. Methods. Sixty “neck-healthy” volunteers (25 men, 35 women; mean age 38 years, range 22–58 years) performed active maximal movements in flexion–extension, rotation, and lateral flexion. Maximal cervical range of motion was recorded simultaneously with the Zebris and Myrin devices. Intradevice reliability, concurrent validity, intertester comparison, intratester reliability, and intraindividual variability were computed. Results. Our study showed good agreement of full-cycle cervical range of motion measurement between devices, testers, and the test and retest (intraclass correlation [ICC] was >0.90 for intradevice reliability, >0.93 for concurrent validity, and >0.92 for intratester reliability). Method error, assessed with the within-subject coefficient of variation for 95% of the measurements, was 5.4% to 11.1% for intradevice reliability, 4.4% to 7.6% for concurrent validity, 3.6% to 7.6% for intratester reliability, and 5.3% to 9.9% for individual variability. Individual variability did not increase with an increased cervical range of motion. Conclusion. Both devices are reliable and showed good agreement. We conclude that the two techniques can be used interchangeably. Our study supports the continued use of the Myrin—a gravity-reference goniometer in routine clinical orthopedic work. The more sophisticated three-dimensional method adds information and allows evaluation of combined motion in two and three dimensions and is suitable for research.
Hydrogeophysical tracking of three‐dimensional tracer migration: The concept and application of apparent petrophysical relations

Direct estimation of groundwater solute concentrations from geophysical tomograms has been only moderately successful because (1) reconstructed tomograms are often highly uncertain and subject to inversion artifacts, (2) the range of subsurface conditions represented in data sets is incomplete because of the paucity of colocated well or core data and aquifer heterogeneity, and (3) geophysical methods exhibit spatially variable sensitivity. We show that electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) can be used to estimate groundwater solute concentrations if a relation between concentration and inverted resistivity is used to deal quantitatively with these issues. We use numerical simulation of solute transport and electrical current flow to develop these relations, which we call “apparent” petrophysical relations. They provide the connection between concentration, or local resistivity, and inverted resistivity, which is measured at the field scale based on ERT for media containing ionic solute. The apparent petrophysical relations are applied to tomograms of electrical resistivity obtained from field measurements of resistance from cross‐well ERT to create maps of tracer concentration. On the basis of synthetic and field cases we demonstrate that tracer mass and concentration estimates obtained using these apparent petrophysical relations are far better than those obtained using direct application of Archie's law applied to three‐dimensional tomograms from ERT, which gives severe underestimates.
Neuronal specification of direction and distance during reaching movements in the superior precentral premotor area and primary motor cortex of monkeys.

1. Single-unit neuronal activity was recorded in the primary motor and superior precentral premotor areas of two rhesus monkeys during an arm reaching task. The task involved moving a cursor displayed on a video terminal using a draftsman's arm-type manipulandum. From a centrally located start box the animal was required to move to 1 of 48 target boxes at eight different directions (0-360 degrees in 45 degrees intervals) and six distances (1.4-5.4 cm in 0.8-cm increments). Both direction and distance for the upcoming movement were unpredictable. 2. The activity of 197 arm movement-related cells was recorded and evaluated for each of the 48 targets. Histological examination showed the cells to be primarily in the primary motor cortex or in the premotor area around the superior precentral sulcus. Each cell's discharge was aligned on movement onset and averaged over five trials for each target. Movement kinematics including hand path velocity were also determined. The task time was divided into three epochs, a premovement period (PT), a movement period (MT), and total time (TT = PT+MT). For each epoch the average firing was correlated with the direction and distance of the movement using various regression procedures. 3. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the majority of neurons were modulated significantly by movement direction in each of the three time periods, PT (73.7%), MT (68.3%), and TT (78.5%). The relationship of the firing to direction was fit to a cosine tuning function for each significantly modulated cell. In 86.3% of the cells the firing was correlated significantly with a cosine function of movement direction in TT. A cell's preferred direction varied little for different movement distances. The mean difference in preferred direction for the smallest possible change in distance (0.8 cm) was 12.8 +/- 11.4 degrees (SD) and 17.1 +/- 14.7 degrees for the largest change in distance (4.0 cm). 4. Correlation analysis revealed that the activity of the majority of cells was modulated significantly by distance along at least one direction in each of the three time periods, PT (46.8%), MT (68.8%), and TT (67.7%). Subsequently, a univariate linear regression model was used to quantify a cell's discharge as a function of distance. For the regressions of firing with distance with a statistically significant correlation (r > 0.8), the mean slope was 3.59 +/- 0.17 spikes.s-1.cm-1 for the total time. The existence of a significant distance modulation was not invariably correlated with a cell's preferred movement direction. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Tobin's Q Model and Cash Flows from Operating and Investing Activities in Listed Companies in Iran

Tobin’s Q model is one of the economic models for evaluation of companies, proposed by Tobin in 1968 and represents the ratio of the market value of the companies’ shares plus the book value of its debts to the book value of its assets. It seems that one reason for the difference in abilities of the above said companies to produce cash from operating and investing activities. Therefore this research intends to find out a relationship between Tobin’s Q and cash flows from operating and investing activities so that market participants can gain necessary knowledge about market efficiency and choosing investment basket with the aid of it. The results obtained from the research shows that there is no relationship between Tobin’s Q ratios and cash flows from operating activities in the companies listed in TSE.
Elevated Serum CCL2 Concomitant with a Reduced Mycobacterium‐Induced Response Leads to Disease Dissemination in Leprosy

Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium tuberculosis are successful intracellular pathogens which downregulate host immune responses. T‐cell interferon‐γ (IFNγ) and macrophage tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNFα) activate chemokines such as, C‐C chemokine ligand‐2 (CCL2) and CCL5, which play a role in granuloma formation. Lepromatous leprosy is characterized by defective granulomas with lowered T‐cell‐ and macrophage‐mediated responses. Tuberculosis (TB) can be localized to the lung, whereby discreet granulomas are formed. The role of chemokines in leprosy infections is as yet unclear. We compared chemokine responses in lepromatous leprosy and pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Circulating serum CCL2 was raised while CCL5 was lowered in leprosy, as compared with TB patients and healthy controls. However, both Mycobacterium bovis BCG‐ (P = 0.08) and M. leprae‐induced (P = 0.05) CCL2 secretion was reduced in leprosy. In leprosy, BCG induced greater CCL2 (P = 0.01), TNFα (P = 0.02) and somewhat greater CCL5 (P = 0.08) than M. leprae, while CXCL8 induction was comparable. Overall levels of Mycobacterium‐induced CCL2, TNFα and CXCL8 were two to threefold lower, and CCL5 was 10‐fold lower in leprosy as compared with TB. Reduced inducible CCL2 combined with a lowered TNFα response in lepromatous leprosy may contribute to the unrestricted growth and dissemination of mycobacteria found in the disease.
A new scheme for sensitive detection of terahertz photons

Charge sensitive infrared photo transistors (CSIPs) made in GaAs/AlGaAs bilayer two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs) serve as sensitive photodetectors in the mid- and long-wavelength infrared regions. A new design of CSIP is proposed to expand the wavelength range to longer wavelengths (λ > 36 μm). Remarkably improved detector performance is demonstrated for λ ≈ 39 μm. In CSIPs electrons are photo-excited in a floating gate (FG) served by an isolated region of upper layer 2DESs. In the new design (i) a bow-tie antenna couples incident radiation to an FG far smaller in size (2–3 μm) than the wavelength and (ii) excited electrons ‘laterally’ escape from the FG via tunneling through a barrier formed by biased metal cross gates. The charge state of the FG is sensed by a source–drain channel in the lower layer of the 2DES. The sensitivity and the quantum efficiency have been greatly improved, indicating that CSIPs are promising detectors in an expanded wavelength range exceeding 36 μm.
Modified Reed–Muller Coding Scheme Made From the Bent Function for Dimmable Visible Light Communications

In this letter, we propose a new forward error correction (FEC) coding method using a coset constructed from a bent function and a Reed-Muller (RM) code for providing accurate dimming control in on-off keying-based visible light communication (VLC) systems. By partitioning the coset made from bent function and the first-order RM codes, the new FEC scheme can be made to be suitable for dimming close to 0% or 100%. Therefore, it can contain minimal compensation symbols in supporting multiple dimming target values, which causes improved coding gain when the total amount of frame data is fixed. Simulation results for various dimming target values show that the proposed scheme leads to about 1-dB signal-to-noise ratio gain in 10-2 bit error rate compared with other three FEC codes.
Effect of ricinoleic acid and other laxatives on net water flux and prostaglandin E release by the rat colon †

Ricinoleic acid, oleic acid, dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate, deoxycholic acid, sennoside A + B and mannitol reduced or reversed water flux from lumen to blood in rat colon in situ. Stearinic acid was without any effect. Ricinoleic acid, oleic acid, dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate, deoxycholic acid and sennoside A + B stimulated release of PGE‐like material into the colonic lumen whereas the osmotic laxative mannitol and stearinic acid did not. Inhibition of PGE biosynthesis by pretreatment of the rats with indomethacin significantly reduced (but did not abolish) the effect of ricinoleic, oleic and deoxycholic acids on net water flux and PGE release. Indomethacin reduced the effect of dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate and of sennoside A + B on PGE release but not their effect on the net water flux. The effect of mannitol was not influenced by indomethacin. The amount of PGE release in experiments with ricinoleic acid, oleic acid, stearinic acid and dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (with and without indomethacin) showed a good correlation (r = 0·99) with the change in net water flux. Deoxycholic acid, sennoside A + B and mannitol did not show this correlation. It is assumed that the action of non‐osmotic laxatives is partially mediated by PGE, although other mechanisms also seem to be involved in their mode of action.