Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On-Line Evaluation and Monitoring of Security Features of an RO-Based PUF/TRNG for IoT Devices

The proliferation of devices for the Internet of Things (IoT) and their implication in many activities of our lives have led to a considerable increase in concern about the security of these devices, posing a double challenge for designers and developers of products. On the one hand, the design of new security primitives, suitable for resource-limited devices, can facilitate the inclusion of mechanisms and protocols to ensure the integrity and privacy of the data exchanged over the Internet. On the other hand, the development of techniques and tools to evaluate the quality of the proposed solutions as a step prior to their deployment, as well as to monitor their behavior once in operation against possible changes in operating conditions arising naturally or as a consequence of a stress situation forced by an attacker. To address these challenges, this paper first describes the design of a security primitive that plays an important role as a component of a hardware-based root of trust, as it can act as a source of entropy for True Random Number Generation (TRNG) or as a Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) to facilitate the generation of identifiers linked to the device on which it is implemented. The work also illustrates different software components that allow carrying out a self-assessment strategy to characterize and validate the performance of this primitive in its dual functionality, as well as to monitor possible changes in security levels that may occur during operation as a result of device aging and variations in power supply or operating temperature. The designed PUF/TRNG is provided as a configurable IP module, which takes advantage of the internal architecture of the Xilinx Series-7 and Zynq-7000 programmable devices and incorporates an AXI4-based standard interface to facilitate its interaction with soft- and hard-core processing systems. Several test systems that contain different instances of the IP have been implemented and subjected to an exhaustive set of on-line tests to obtain the metrics that determine its quality in terms of uniqueness, reliability, and entropy characteristics. The results obtained prove that the proposed module is a suitable candidate for various security applications. As an example, an implementation that uses less than 5% of the resources of a low-cost programmable device is capable of obfuscating and recovering 512-bit cryptographic keys with virtually zero error rate.
Speed Response Improvement Design of Electric Motor for Vehicle Electrification Based on Electro-Mechanical Analytic Model

According to vehicle electrification trends, the application of electric motors more often occurs. Therefore, in the aspect of the supply instability preparation for rare-earth materials, research on the rare-earth-free motor is getting more attention. Moreover, the electric motor for the vehicles should have not only high power density but also fast response. Especially, electric motors for advanced driver assistant systems or autonomous driving vehicles should have a fast response speed to secure the driver’s safety. This paper introduces the electro-mechanical response improvement design of concentrated flux synchronous motors for vehicle electrification. Improvement design is carried out targeting motors for electric power steering system. The development of the electro-mechanical analytic (EMA) model of the electric motor is firstly explained. Then, based on the developed EMA model, electro-mechanical response modeling is performed. Finally, the speed response improvement design is conducted using the developed EMA model. In addition, the results are validated not only in finite element analysis but also experimentally.
Identify, Estimate and Bound the Uncertainty of Reinforcement Learning for Autonomous Driving

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has emerged as a promising approach for developing more intelligent autonomous vehicles (AVs). A typical DRL application on AVs is to train a neural network-based driving policy. However, the black-box nature of neural networks can result in unpredictable decision failures, making such AVs unreliable. To this end, this work proposes a method to identify and protect unreliable decisions of a DRL driving policy. The basic idea is to estimate and constrain the policy’s performance uncertainty, which quantifies potential performance drop due to insufficient training data or network fitting errors. By constraining the uncertainty, the DRL model’s performance is always greater than that of a baseline policy. The uncertainty caused by insufficient data is estimated by the bootstrapped method. Then, the uncertainty caused by the network fitting error is estimated using an ensemble network. Finally, a baseline policy is added as the performance lower bound to avoid potential decision failures. The overall framework is called uncertainty-bound reinforcement learning (UBRL). The proposed UBRL is evaluated on DRL policies with different amounts of training data, taking an unprotected left-turn driving case as an example. The result shows that the UBRL method can identify potentially unreliable decisions of DRL policy. The UBRL guarantees to outperform baseline policy even when the DRL policy is not well-trained and has high uncertainty. Meanwhile, the performance of UBRL improves with more training data. Such a method is valuable for the DRL application on real-road driving and provides a metric to evaluate a DRL policy.
Inhibition of TRF2 Leads to Ferroptosis, Autophagic Death, and Apoptosis by Causing Telomere Dysfunction

Background Gastric cancer (GC) is an aggressive malignancy with a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Telomeric repeat-binding factor 2 (TRF2) is a critical telomere protection protein. Emerging evidence indicates that TRF2 may be an essential treatment option for GC; however, the exact mechanism remains largely unknown. Objective We aimed to explore the role of TRF2 in GC cells. The function and molecular mechanisms of TRF2 in the pathogenesis of GC were mainly discussed in this study. Methods Relevant data from GEPIA and TCGA databases regarding TRF2 gene expression and its prognostic significance in GC samples were analyzed. Analysis of 53BP1 foci at telomeres by immunofluorescence, metaphase spreads, and telomere-specific FISH analysis was carried out to explore telomere damage and dysfunction after TRF2 depletion. CCK8 cell proliferation, trypan blue staining, and colony formation assay were performed to evaluate cell survival. Apoptosis and cell migration were determined with flow cytometry and scratch-wound healing assay, respectively. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were carried out to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels after TRF2 depletion on apoptosis, autophagic death, and ferroptosis. Results By searching with GEPIA and TCGA databases, the results showed that the expression levels of TRF2 were obviously elevated in the samples of GC patients, which was associated with adverse prognosis. Knockdown of TRF2 suppressed the cell growth, proliferation, and migration in GC cells, causing significant telomere dysfunction. Apoptosis, autophagic death, and ferroptosis were also triggered in this process. The pretreatment of chloroquine (autophagy inhibitor) and ferrostatin-1 (ferroptosis inhibitor) improved the survival phenotypes of GC cells. Conclusion Our data suggest that TRF2 depletion can inhibit cell growth, proliferation, and migration through the combined action of ferroptosis, autophagic death, and apoptosis in GC cells. The results indicate that TRF2 might be used as a potential target to develop therapeutic strategies for treating GC.
Toxicity of herbicides used for control of waterhyacinth in the California Delta towards the planthopper Megamelus scutellaris released for biological control

ABSTRACT The water hyacinth planthopper Megamelus scutellaris has been released for biological control of waterhyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes or Pontederia crassipes) in Florida and is widely established there, with additional releases in Louisiana and California, USA, and in South Africa. Management still often requires the use of herbicides. Knowledge of their direct toxicity to M. scutellaris would aid in integrated management. We tested the contact toxicity of 2,4-D, diquat, glyphosate, imazamox and penoxsulam as well as a paraffinic oil-based and a vegetable oil-based adjuvant, by exposing planthoppers to dipped leaves in the laboratory, and by applying chemicals to infested mesocosms in the field. Exposure to 2,4-D, glyphosate, imazamox and penoxsulam did not cause significant mortality to M. scutellaris compared to exposure to water-dipped leaves in the laboratory, and did not consistently reduce final counts of M. scutellaris compared to counts in water-sprayed mesocosms in field trials. Laboratory exposure to diquat-dipped leaves caused significantly (45%–69%) higher mortality than did exposure to water-dipped leaves, and exposure to leaves dipped in paraffinic-oil based adjuvant also increased mortality (40–50%). In field mesocosms, application of diquat reduced recovery of live M. scutellaris by 64% in one trial, and the same adjuvant reduced recovery by 36%–49% in two trials. The results suggest that biological and chemical control of water hyacinth using M. scutellaris can be safely integrated using most of the herbicides applied for control of this weed in California.
Comparison of Compartmental and Non-Compartmental Analysis to Detect Biopharmaceutical Similarity of Intravenous Nanomaterial-Based Rifabutin Formulations

Pharmacometric analysis is often used to quantify the differences and similarities between formulation prototypes. In the regulatory framework, it plays a significant role in the evaluation of bioequivalence. While non-compartmental analysis provides an unbiased data evaluation, mechanistic compartmental models such as the physiologically-based nanocarrier biopharmaceutics model promise improved sensitivity and resolution for the underlying causes of inequivalence. In the present investigation, both techniques were applied to two nanomaterial-based formulations for intravenous injection, namely, albumin-stabilized rifabutin nanoparticles and rifabutin-loaded PLGA nanoparticles. The antibiotic rifabutin holds great potential for the treatment of severe and acute infections of patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis. The formulations differ significantly in their formulation and material attributes, resulting in an altered biodistribution pattern as confirmed in a biodistribution study in rats. The albumin-stabilized delivery system further undergoes a dose-dependent change in particle size which leads to a small yet significant change in the in vivo performance. A second analysis was conducted comparing the dose fraction-scaled pharmacokinetic profiles of three dose levels of albumin-stabilized rifabutin nanoparticles. The dose strength affects both the nanomaterial-related absorption and biodistribution of the carrier as well as the drug-related distribution and elimination parameters, increasing the background noise and difficulty of detecting inequivalence. Depending on the pharmacokinetic parameter (e.g., AUC, Cmax, Clobs), the relative (percentage) difference from the average observed using non-compartmental modeling ranged from 85% to 5.2%. A change in the formulation type (PLGA nanoparticles vs. albumin-stabilized rifabutin nanoparticles) resulted in a similar level of inequivalence as compared to a change in the dose strength. A mechanistic compartmental analysis using the physiologically-based nanocarrier biopharmaceutics model led to an average difference of 152.46% between the two formulation prototypes. Albumin-stabilized rifabutin nanoparticles tested at different dose levels led to a 128.30% difference, potentially due to changes in particle size. A comparison of different dose strengths of PLGA nanoparticles, on average, led to a 3.87% difference. This study impressively illustrates the superior sensitivity of mechanistic compartmental analysis when dealing with nanomedicines.
Femtosecond Inscription of a Fiber Bragg Grating Spectral Array in the Same Spatial Location

A five fiber Bragg grating (FBG) array is inscribed at the same spot with a single uniform phase-mask (PM). The inscription setup consists of a near-infrared femtosecond laser, a PM, a defocusing spherical lens and a cylindrical focusing lens. The tunability of the center Bragg wavelength is achieved by a defocusing lens, and by translating the PM, which results in a different magnification of the PM. A first FBG is inscribed, followed by four cascading FBGs, which are inscribed exactly at the same spot only after the translation of the PM. The transmission and reflection spectra of this array are measured, showing a second-order Bragg wavelength at ~1.56 µm with a transmission dip of ~−8 dB. The spectral wavelength shift between each consecutive FBG is ~2.9 nm, and the total wavelength shift is ~11.7 nm. The reflection spectrum of the third-order Bragg wavelength is measured at ~1.04 µm, showing a wavelength separation of ~1.97 nm between neighboring FBGs, and the total spectral span between the first FBG and the last one is ~8 nm. Finally, the wavelength sensitivity to strain and temperature is measured.
Episodic Long‐Term Exhumation of the Tianshan Orogenic Belt: New Insights From Multiple Low‐Temperature Thermochronometers

The Tianshan orogenic belt, part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, offers an opportunity to examine the complexities of an orogenic system that records long‐term intracontinental deformation. The Tianshan have been reactivated multiple times since the Mesozoic, but the mechanisms and driving forces of these various orogenic events are not well constrained. Moreover, the spatial exhumation pattern of the entire Tianshan remains poorly studied. We present new zircon and apatite (U‐Th)/He and apatite fission track thermochronological data for samples from the northwestern part of the Chinese Western Tianshan. They indicate three distinctive phases of rapid cooling in the late Carboniferous‐early Permian, Late Triassic‐Early Jurassic, and Cretaceous. The first phase can be linked to uplift and exhumation related to the subduction/closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean, while the episodic cooling during the Late Triassic‐Early Jurassic (250–190 Ma) and Cretaceous (115–80 Ma) are interpreted as related to uplift and exhumation associated with strike‐slip deformation and Mesozoic clockwise or anticlockwise rotation of the Junggar basin. Our new data, in concert with a compilation of previously published data from elsewhere in the region, reveal that the Tianshan underwent a greater amount of exhumation in the southern section, and less exhumation took place to the north. All available data also support the notion that the exhumation process has been essentially the same in tectonic blocks along strike since late Paleozoic. During the Cenozoic, the Tianshan experienced large‐scale, rapid exhumation starting in the late Miocene (12–10 Ma) and not the early Miocene as has been previously proposed.
Diagnosis and management of thoracic endometriosis syndrome: Case report

Introduction: While the diagnosis of endometriosis is relatively common, thoracic endometriosis is a rare manifestation. Thoracic Endometriosis Syndrome (TES) most commonly presents with pneumothorax, 3% which are bilateral, making this case unique in the already limited breadth of TES with catamenial hemopneumothorax. Additionally, this patient had laboratory values constant with ovarian suppression yet continued menses and recurrent hemopneumothorax, necessitating surgical intervention. We propose that with this severity of disease a combination of surgical intervention and hormonal therapy is the ideal approach, providing the lowest rate of recurrence. Case description: A 33 year old woman with 2-day history of chest pain and shortness of breath with heavy menstrual cycles and significant dysmenorrhea. A chest radiograph and computed tomography scan revealed right-sided pneumothorax and bilateral hemothoraces with left-sided diaphragmatic hernia. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery confirmed sanguinous pleural effusions and biopsy proven endometriotic lesions. The patient was started on a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and experienced short-interval recurrence of her symptoms. An aromatase inhibitor was added to her regimen and she underwent a left diaphragmatic hernia repair. Conclusions: The recurrence of symptoms despite complete hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis suppression, in addition to the surgical requirements and findings make this case unique in the already limited breadth of thoracic endometriosis syndrome with catamenial hemopneumothorax.
Mechanisms Driving the Effect of Weight Loss on Arterial Stiffness

Aims Arterial stiffness decreases with weight loss in overweight and obese adults, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are poorly understood. We aimed to elucidate these mechanisms. Methods We evaluated carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a measure of aortic stiffness, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a mixed measure of central and peripheral arterial stiffness, in 344 young adults (mean age 38 yrs, mean body mass index (BMI) 32.9 kg/m2, 23% male) at baseline, 6 and 12 months in a behavioral weight loss intervention. Linear mixed effects models were used to evaluate associations between weight loss and arterial stiffness and to examine the degree to which improvements in obesity-related factors explained these associations. Pattern-mixture models using indicator variables for dropout pattern and Markov Chain Monte Carlo multiple imputation were used to evaluate the influence of different missing data assumptions. Results At 6 months (7% mean weight loss from baseline), there was a statistically significant median decrease of 47.5 cm/s (interquartile range (IQR) -44.5, 148) in cfPWV (p<0.0001) and a mean decrease of 11.7 cm/s (standard deviation (SD) 91.4) in baPWV (p=0.049). At 12 months (6% mean weight loss from baseline) only cfPWV remained statistically significantly reduced from baseline (p=0.02). Change in BMI (p=0.01) was statistically significantly positively associated with change in cfPWV after adjustment for changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) or any other measured obesity-related factor. Common carotid artery diameter (p=0.003) was associated and heart rate (p=0.08) and MAP (p=0.07) marginally associated longitudinally with cfPWV. Reductions in heart rate (p<0.0001) and C-reactive protein (p=0.02) were associated with reduced baPWV, and each removed the statistical significance of the effect of weight loss on baPWV. Pattern-mixture modeling revealed several differences between completers and non-completers in the models for cfPWV, but marginal parameter estimates changed little from the original models for either PWV measure. Conclusions The public health importance of this thesis is that firstly, weight loss improves arterial stiffness in overweight and obese young adults. Secondly, its effect on baPWV may be explained by concurrent reductions in heart rate and inflammation. Missing data did not appear to bias these results.
A Systematic Approach to Stable Grasping of a Two-Finger Robotic Hand Activated by Jamming of Granular Media

A systematic approach is presented to achieve the stable grasping of objects through a two-finger robotic hand, in which each finger cavity was filled with granular media. The compaction of the latter, controlled by vacuum pressure, was used to adjust the structural and contact stiffness of the finger. The grasping stability was studied under the concurrent effect of an external torque and applied vacuum pressure. Stable grasping was defined as the no slippage condition between the grasped object and the two fingers. Three control schemes were adopted and applied experimentally to ensure the effectiveness of the grasping process. The results showed that stable and unstable grasping regions exist for each combination of applied torque and vacuum pressure. The two-finger robotic hands can be further improved for applications that require high load-carrying capabilities.
A Magnitude-Based Parametric Model Predicting the Audibility of HRTF Variation

This work proposes a parametric model for just noticeable differences of unilateral differences in head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). For seven generic magnitude-based distance metrics, common trends in their response to inter-individual and intra-individual HRTF differences are analyzed, identifying metric subgroups with pseudo-orthogonal behavior. On the basis of three representative metrics, a three-alternative forced-choice experiment is conducted, and the acquired discrimination probabilities are set in relation with distance metrics via different modeling approaches. A linear model, with coefficients based on principal component analysis and three distance metrics as input, yields the best performance, compared to a simple multi-linear regression approach or to principal component analysis–based models of higher complexity.
Efficient Photodegradation of Rhodamine B by Fiber-like Nitrogen-Doped TiO2/Ni(OH)2 Nanocomposite under Visible Light Irradiation

N-TiO2/Ni(OH)2 nanofiber was successfully prepared by combining the electrospinning and solvothermal method. It has been found that under visible light irradiation, the as-obtained nanofiber exhibits excellent activity for the photodegradation of rhodamine B, and the average degradation rate reaches 3.1%/min−1. Further insight investigations reveal that such a high activity was mainly due to the heterostructure-induced increase in the charge transfer rate and separation efficiency.
Multiple linear instability of layered stratified shear flow

We develop a simple model for the behaviour of an inviscid stratified shear flow with a thin mixed layer of intermediate fluid. We find that the flow is simultaneously unstable to oscillatory disturbances that are a generalization of those discussed by Holmboe (1962), purely unstable modes analogous to those considered by Taylor (1931), and a new type of oscillatory disturbance at large wavelength. The relative significance of these different types of instability depends on the ratio R of the depth of the intermediate layer to the depth of the shear layer. For small values of R, the new type of oscillatory wave has both the largest growthrate for given bulk Richardson number Ri0, and is also primarily unstable to disturbances propagating at an angle to the mean flow, i.e. such modes violate the conditions of Squire's theorem (1933), and thus the assumption of initial two dimensionality of such flows is invalid. For intermediate values of R, the Holmboe-type modes and the Taylor-types modes may have wavelengths and phase speeds conducive to the formation of a resonant triad over a wide range of Ri0. Thus the presence of an intermediate layer in a stratified shear flow markedly changes its stability properties.