Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Low Power RSA Design for Smartcard

Power consumption limits the usage of public key cryptosystem in portable devices. This paper proposed a low power design of 1,024-bit RSA. In algorithm, we select the Chinese Remainder Theorem (CRT) and an improved Montgomery algorithm to decrease the computation of RSA. In architecture and circuit, we use the operand isolation technique to avoid unnecessary flip-flops of the combinational logic, and clock gating technique to reduce power dissipation of the registers. The proposed design is functionally verified on Alter a FPGA EP2C8Q208C8N device. With SMIC 0.18mm CMOS process, the Synopsys synthesizing result shows that the area and the critical path are 7.1k gates and 5.3ns respectively, while the power is 2.56mW and the throughput can arrive 49 kbps. Thus the proposed design has lower power than previous designs.
Study of Image Enhancement Techniques: A Review

The aim of image enhancement is to improve the interpretability or perception of information in images for human viewers, or to providebetter' input for other automated image processing techniques. Histogram equalization (HE) is one of the effective & simple technique for enhancing image quality. However, the conventional histogram equalization methods usually result in excessive contrast enhancement. This paper presents a review of histogram techniques for image contrast enhancement. The major difference among the methods is only the criteria used to divide the input histogram.
A rare case of isolated tuberculous epididymitis in a young man

Genitourinary tuberculosis is the second most common extrapulmonary tuberculosis (ETB), after lymph nodes. Isolated tuberculous epididymitis (ITE) is a rare entity among genitourinary tuberculosis and is defined as epididymitis without clinical evidence of either renal or prostate involvement. We present a case of epididymal tuberculosis in a 26 year old male which presented as a right scrotal mass. We discussed this case to emphasize that tuberculous etiology should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of scrotal mass besides malignancy, and an image guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and stain for acid fast bacilli (AFB) play crucial role in diagnosis and treatment. IMC J Med Sci 2019; 13(1): 003
INFLUENCE OF PAPRIKA (Capsicum annuum L) ON QUALITY PARAMETERS AND BIOGENIC AMINES PRODUCTION OF A RIPENED MEAT PRODUCT (CHORIZO)

Paprika is the main spice used in the elaboration of chorizo contributing to both color and flavor, but until now there have not been studies evaluating its role in the sausage quality parameters. Therefore, our aims were: to know the effect of paprika on the quality parameters during ripening of chorizo, estimating an optimal time, and to simultaneously explore the evolution of biogenic amines during this operation. Two types of chorizo, one with paprika (CH) and the other without paprika (CWS), ripened for 33 days, were prepared for this study. Physico-chemical, texture and microbiological analyses were carried out. Additionally, the biogenic amines: tyramine, cadaverine and putrescine were analyzed by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) at 0, 12, 19 and 33 days. At day 19, the sample with paprika obtained the pH and aw values of 4.9 and 0.90, respectively, the highest growth of lactic acid bacteria, and a decrease in the coliform bacteria group and Enterobacteriaceae family. The total content of biogenic amines also decreased, mainly cadaverine, while tyramine content was lower than 100 mg/kg. In general, paprika favored the development and quality parameters of chorizo after 19 days of ripening and preserved the product for a longer time.
Statement supplementing the environmental risk assessment conclusions and risk management recommendations on genetically modified insect-resistant maize 59122 for cultivation in the light of new scientific information on non-target organisms and regionally sensitive areas

Following a request from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO Panel) was asked to supplement its environmental risk assessment conclusions and risk management recommendations on maize 59122 for cultivation in the light of new scientific information on non-target organisms and regionally sensitive areas. Having considered additional information relevant to the assessment of potential adverse effects of maize 59122 on non-target organisms, the Panel must revise two of its previous environmental risk assessment conclusions, invalidating its earlier statement on the environmental safety of maize 59122 in its 2013 Scientific Opinion. A gap in the event-specific data on the honeybee study performed by Maggi (2001) was identified, as a result of which uncertainty over the occurrence of adverse effects on pollinators due to potential unintended changes in maize 59122 remains. Therefore, the Panel is no longer in a position to complete its assessment on the occurrence of adverse effects on pollinators. The Panel reassessed the available dataset on ladybirds, including the Califf and Ostrem (2009) study, and considers the latter study does not enable resolving the remaining scientific uncertainty on the potential toxicity of the binary Cry34Ab1/Cry35Ab1 proteins on Coccinella septempunctata or other ladybirds. In both cases, the Panel recommends that an additional laboratory study is performed prior to authorisation. The Panel considered regionally sensitive areas in its assessment, but regards it as premature to recommend specific risk management strategies for susceptible insect species potentially found within and nearby such areas owing to the inconclusive nature of the assessment of potential adverse effects of maize 59122 on non-target organisms
Research on Automatic Summarization Based on Rules and Statistics for Chinese Texts

As automatic summarization is an important research topic in the natural language processing,the paper presents an approach for Chinese text summarization on the basis of traditional methods.For text structure analysis,an algorithm is proposed for multi-topic text partitioning based on sequential paragraphic similarity,which can makes the abstract of the multi-topic article have more general content and more balanced structure.Futhermore,a series of rules are combined to enhance the readability of the output abstract.Finally,a new evaluation method is put forward.The primary test shows that its value is stable.
Association of Carbapenem and Colistin Resistance in Pathogenic Gram Negative Bacteria

Diseases caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria continue to challenge physicians and endanger their patients’ lives. Polymyxins, including colistin, are the last resort antibiotics to treat serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study is to explore the resistance of Gram negative isolates recovered from 200 clinical specimens to carbapenem and colistin antibiotics, and the prevalence of plasmid-mediated mcr-1 gene in the resistant isolates. Clinical specimens were collected from two teaching hospitals and two private clinical laboratories in Cairo, Egypt. We identified one hundred and thirty isolates as Gram negative. These isolates were screened for their susceptibility to β-lactams antibiotics, carbapenems, colistin, polymyxin B, levofloxacin and amikacin. Thirty isolates were found to be resistant to the tested carbapenems. Of these, five isolates were found to be resistant to both carbapenem and colistin. They were tested for the presence of mcr-1, pmrB and pmrA genes; known to be among the reasons for colistin resistance. One isolate showed the presence of pmrA while three isolates showed the presence of pmrA and pmrB. Only one isolate showed the presence of mcr-1, pmrA and pmrB. This was tested by real time PCR to ensure the activity of this plasmid-mediated gene. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, the isolate showed 100% similarity to Escherichia coli strain K12 (MG1655). Here, we report a carbapenem-resistant and colistin-resistant Escherichia coli strain producing mcr-1gene that is the first to be reported in Egypt between human.
Effects of environmental variability on abundance of commercial marine species in the northern Gulf of California

Studies have shown that environmental variables significantly affect variation in stock abundance of marine populations. The northern Gulf of California (NGC) is a highly productive region of interest due to its fish resources and diversity. Conservation of the marine species inhabiting the region is of public interest. Our study analysed the influence of physical environmental factors on several commercial marine species, using catch per unit effort (CPUE) as a proxy for abundance. Generalized additive models were used to test the significance of selected environmental variables on stock abundance. Deseasonalized cross-correlation analysis was used to examine time-lagged correlations between CPUE and abiotic variables to identify response timings. The results suggest that for most commercial species the sea surface temperature and the long-term climate Pacific Decadal Oscillation index are the predominant predictors for species abundance, followed by the Colorado River discharge. The Multivariate ENSO Index and the Pacific-North American pattern indices also showed specific effects on certain species. The NGC is a highly dynamic region, where species respond to environmental changes according to the characteristics of their life histories.
Software Reconfiguration Based on Software Architecture and Component-oriented

One goal of software engineering is to provide for support for reconfiguration of software system that will enable us not only to use less labor to modify and evolve it,especially modify its designing and implementing documents, but to change it during system execution when new requirements or changing requirement occur.In this paper,firstly role of software architecture in reconfiguration of software is analyzed and then based on mapping model the software architecture based on hierarchical message bus is designed so that software qualities such as flexibility and adaptability can be improved,prolongation of software lifecycle and reuse of domain software achieved to the maximum extent. Finally, a case was given to prove the effectiveness of mapping model.
Research and improvement of Min-Min scheduling algorithm

Scheduling grid tasks onto the dynamic,heterogeneous grid environments is a complex and challenging task.The grid scheduling algorithm is analyzed and the classical Min-Min scheduling algorithm is studied,the algorithm's shortcomings are pointed out:The load is not balancing and can not be achieved from an economic aspect.The Min-Min scheduling algorithm has been improved from both load balancing and economic aspects.Analysis shows that the improved algorithm balances the loading and saves cost from an economic point of view to a certain extent,the feasibility of the improved algo-rithm is illustrated.
Knowledge Discovery in Databases

Business information received from advanced data analysis and data mining is a critical success factor for companies wishing to maximize competitive advantage. The use of traditional tools and techniques to discover knowledge is ruthless and does not give the right information at the right time. Knowledge discovery is defined as ``the non-trivial extraction of implicit, unknown, and potentially useful information from data''. There are many knowledge discovery methodologies in use and under development. Some of these techniques are generic, while others are domain-specific. In this paper, we present a review outlining the state-ofthe-art techniques in knowledge discovery in database systems
The use of physiological measures to validate driver monitoring

This chapter considers the use of physiological measures to validate driver monitoring, with special reference to alcohol and drugs, driver vigilance and driver task load. Careful research under controlled conditions is needed, to assess an individual's optimum and deviations from that optimum, with respect to the relationship between physiology and performance. Physiological changes, resulting from the intake of alcohol or other drugs, include effects on heart beat rate and the EEG (electroencephalogram) power density spectrum. Driving on a road with light traffic can be monotonous, and thus a vigilance task for experienced drivers, resulting in mental underload and making drivers more accident-prone. Underload conditions lead to changes in the EEG spectrum. High-pressure situations, resulting in mental overload, may be a major cause of intersection-related accidents, for example. They can be correlated with heart rate and heart rate variability. The author concludes that combined measurements of a driver's physiology and behaviour have demonstrated the feasibility of developing a monitoring device, using only a limited number of unobtrusive vehicle parameters. However, it is very difficult if not impossible to predict the reduction in casualties from introducing risk-reducing driving aid systems, because there are no valid data from which to estimate the risks of specific traffic behaviours. For the covering abstract see IRRD 861934.
Phylogenetic Signal of Indels and the Neoavian Radiation

The early radiation of Neoaves has been hypothesized to be an intractable “hard polytomy”. We explore the fundamental properties of insertion/deletion alleles (indels), an under-utilized form of genomic data with the potential to help solve this. We scored >5 million indels from >7000 pan-genomic intronic and ultraconserved element (UCE) loci in 48 representatives of all neoavian orders. We found that intronic and UCE indels exhibited less homoplasy than nucleotide (nt) data. Gene trees estimated using indel data were less resolved than those estimated using nt data. Nevertheless, Accurate Species TRee Algorithm (ASTRAL) species trees estimated using indels were generally similar to nt-based ASTRAL trees, albeit with lower support. However, the power of indel gene trees became clear when we combined them with nt gene trees, including a striking result for UCEs. The individual UCE indel and nt ASTRAL trees were incongruent with each other and with the intron ASTRAL trees; however, the combined indel+nt ASTRAL tree was much more congruent with the intronic trees. Finally, combining indel and nt data for both introns and UCEs provided sufficient power to reduce the scope of the polytomy that was previously proposed for several supraordinal lineages of Neoaves.
A bird survey in a transitional area between two major conservation hotspots in southeastern Brazil

Transitional areas may have higher species richness than those located within established environments, as these ecotones provide a variety of resources that facilitate the maintenance of specific fauna. However, they tend to be overlooked in wildlife surveys. In this context, the western region of the state of São Paulo in Brazil is important because it contains areas of ecological transition between 2 major conservation hotspots in Brazil: the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. We surveyed the avifauna in a transitional area between these domains, using qualitative and quantitative methods between December 2016 and February 2019. We documented 220 species, of which 7 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest and 4 are endemic to the Cerrado. In addition, we documented 9 species that are threatened at some level (regional, national, or global), demonstrating the high conservation value of this area for birds. Therefore, our results show the potential of transitional areas for maintaining regional biodiversity.
Neuroprotective and Restorative Potential of Remote Ischemic Conditioning Following Stroke

Remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) is a noninvasive procedure where blood flow to a limb is repetitively reduced, sometimes called an “exercise memetic”. RIC delivered before (pre-RIC) or after (post-RIC) stroke is reportedly neuroprotective in preclinical stroke models. A review of the preclinical RIC literature revealed that studies almost exclusively use male subjects and a single stroke model (MCAO) that produces a large injury (~34% of hemisphere). To improve clinical translation, efficacy should be demonstrated in multiple stroke models and both sexes. Furthermore, the restorative potential of RIC (delivered past the neuroprotection window) to improve stroke recovery remains to be investigated. In male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (n=129) a standardized session (5min inflation, 5min deflation, 4 repetitions) of RIC was delivered using a pressurized cuff on the hindlimb. RIC was either delivered once 18h before, once 4hr acutely after or daily for 28 days beginning day 5 after endothelin-1 (ET-1) stroke. Infarct volumes were assessed 24hrs after stroke using MRI. To determine if RIC efficacy varied across stroke size, a hierarchical cluster analysis was used to divide rats into subgroups based on stroke size (small/large). RIC was effective in ET-1 which produced smaller strokes (“small”:5.2%, “large”:18.0% of hemisphere) than MCAO (~34%). This is more comparable to injury sizes seen clinically (4.5-14.0%). “Small” (42±4mm 3 ) strokes were reduced by 39% (p=0.010, d=0.29) and “large” (146±8mm 3 ) strokes were reduced by and 35% (p<.00001, d=1.41). Pre-RIC reduced infarct volume by 41% (p=<0.0001, d=0.92) versus 29% (p=0.009, d=0.43) in post-RIC. Interestingly, RIC is more effective in males, with double the infarct volume reduction of 46% (p<0.0001, d=0.94)
Brain connectivity during Alzheimer’s disease progression and its cognitive impact in a transgenic rat model

It is known that brain alterations associated to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) start decades before its diagnose. However, the understanding of the disease progression is still an open issue, due partly to the difficult to follow-up patients from asymptomatic to advanced stages. In this sense, animal models become essential to improve the characterization of AD from early to symptomatic stages. In the present work, transgenic TgF344-AD rats were evaluated longitudinally, every 3 months, starting when the animals were 6 months of age. At each time point, cognitive abilities were evaluated by a memory-related task, the delayed non-matched-to-sample task (DNMS), and functional and structural connectivity were analysed based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Brain networks were estimated and characterized by graph metrics. Differences between connectivity and its evolution with age in transgenic and control animals were evaluated, as well as the relationship between brain networks and cognition. Results shown alterations in the structural network of transgenic animals since the first evaluated time point. Likewise, aging had a significant effect in the network metrics of these animals, while such an effect was not observed in the control group. The relationship between cognition and connectivity differed between groups. While DNMS results were influenced by the structural brain network in transgenic animals, functional network has a major effect in the performance of control subjects. This different relationship was present even though effects of group or interaction between group and age were not significant in neither the functional networks or cognitive performance, In summary, the connectivity analysis of TgF344-AD provides a highly translational approach to characterize early stages and progression of AD. The results confirm findings observed in human populations at risk of AD and provide new insights in the evolution of brain networks affected by the disease. Results support the idea of AD as a continuum and the disconnection hypothesis, pointing to different organization of structural brain network whose consequences in cognitive impairment could be compensated by functional connectivity until advanced stages of AD, suggesting the influence of cognitive reserve in the preservation of functional abilities in AD subjects.
Developmental exposure to pesticide contaminated food impedes bumblebee brain growth predisposing adults to become poorer learners

Understanding the risk to biodiversity from pesticide exposure is a global priority. For bees, an understudied step in evaluating pesticide risk is understanding how pesticide contaminated foraged food brought back to the colony can affect developing individuals. Provisioning bumblebee colonies with pesticide (neonicotinoid) treated food, we investigated how exposure during two key developmental phases (brood and/or early-adult), impacted brain growth and assessed the consequent effects on adult learning behaviour. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) scanning and 3D image analysis, we compared brain development for multiple neuropils in workers 3 and 12-days post-emergence. Mushroom body calyces were the neuropils most affected by exposure during either of the developmental phases, with both age cohorts showing smaller structural volumes. Critically, reduced calyces’ growth in pesticide exposed workers was associated with lower responsiveness to a sucrose reward and impaired learning performance. Furthermore, the impact from brood exposure appeared irrecoverable despite no exposure during adulthood.
Use of Gabor filters and deep networks in the segmentation of retinal vessel morphology

The segmentation of retinal morphology has numerous applications in assessing ophthalmologic and cardiovascular disease pathologies. The early detection of many such conditions is often the most effective method for reducing patient risk. Computer aided segmentation of the vasculature has proven to be a challenge, mainly due to inconsistencies such as noise, variations in hue and brightness that can greatly reduce the quality of fundus images. Accurate fundus and/or retinal vessel maps give rise to longitudinal studies able to utilize multimodal image registration and disease/condition status measurements, as well as applications in surgery preparation and biometrics. This paper further investigates the use of a Convolutional Neural Network as a multi-channel classifier of retinal vessels using the Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction database, a standardized set of fundus images used to gauge the effectiveness of classification algorithms. The CNN has a feed-forward architecture and varies from other published architectures in its combination of: max-pooling, zero-padding, ReLU layers, batch normalization, two dense layers and finally a Softmax activation function. Notably, the use of Adam to optimize training the CNN on retinal fundus images has not been found in prior review. This work builds on prior work of the authors, exploring the use of Gabor filters to boost the accuracy of the system to 0.9478 during post processing. The mean of a series of Gabor filters with varying frequencies and sigma values are applied to the output of the network and used to determine whether a pixel represents a vessel or non-vessel.