bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Plasmonic Nanocavities-based Aperiodic crystal for Protein-Protein Recognition SERS sensors
Authors: Rippa M. , Castagna R. , Pannico M. , Musto P. , Bobeico E. , Zhou J. , Petti L. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe revelation of protein-protein interactions is one of the main preoccupations in the field of proteomics. Nanoplasmonics has emerged as an attractive surface-based technique because of its ability to sense protein binding under physiological conditions in a label-free manner. Here, we present a detailed experimental study of the use of aperiodic photonic nanocavities for plasmonic Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) protein detection and recognition. The plasmonic crystal is designed on a 2D Thue-Morse array configuration. The SERS nanosensor is coated with a proper self-assembled monolayer to covalently bind Bovine Serum Albumin that is a well known model to study biological (specifically, protein) systems. The performance of the nanosensor is assessed by recording a new Raman (SERS) peak in the fingerprint region and by a giant enhancement of the SERS signal intensity, both reported and discussed.
Utilization of agroindustrial waste for biosurfactant production by native bacteria from chiapas
Authors: Yañez-Ocampo Gustavo , Somoza-Coutiño Gilberto , Blanco-González Cristina , Wong-Villarreal Arnoldo 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
In this work, two agro-industrial wastes, namely Waste Cooking Oil (WCO) and Coffee Wastewater (CW) have been used as the carbon source for the production of biosurfactants, due to their low cost and high availability. Biosurfactant-producing bacterial isolates from the Mexican state of Chiapas were used. The selected biosurfactant-producer strains were evaluated in a liquid medium with 2% (v/v) of WCO as the carbon source. The assay was conducted in an Erlenmeyer flask containing 300 mL aliquots of mineral salt media (MSM) + residue and incubated at 100 rpm at room temperature for 96 hours. The biosurfactant produced in the samples reduced the surface tension from 50 to 30-29 mN/m. Strains A and 83 showed the maximum emulsification index at 58-59%. Strain A showed the highest biosurfactant yield with a production of 3.7 g/L in comparison with strains B, 83 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853. Our results suggest that the biosurfactant produced by strain A has great potential in the treatment of wastewater with a high content of fatty acids, and of soils contaminated by pesticides or oil hydrocarbons.
Roots, Tubers and Bananas: Planning and research for climate resilience
Authors: Thiele Graham , Khan Awais , Heider Bettina , Kroschel Jürgen , Harahagazwe Dieudonné , Andrade Maria , Bonierbale Merideth , Friedmann Michael , Gemenet Dorcus , Cherinet Mihiretu , Quiroz Roberto , Faye Emile , Dangles Olivier 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) includes vegetatively propagated staple crops linked by common breeding, seed, and postharvest issues, and by the frequency with which women are involved in their production and use. RTB crops are the backbone of food security across the humid tropics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in more localized areas of Asia and Latin America. Around 300 million poor people in developing countries currently depend on RTB value chains for food security, nutrition and income. Climate change poses challenges which could undo progress in poverty reduction and markedly increase food insecurity. This article examines planning and research for climate resilience across RTB crops, with a particular focus on the contrasting potato and sweet potato cases in SSA. A six-step framework for climatesmart breeding is proposed: (1) downscaling climate change models and crop modeling; (2) identifying and understanding key climate change responsive traits; (3) breeding and varietal selection; (4) phenotyping and genomic research to accelerate gains; (5) developing management options for climate-smart varieties; and (6) deployment (seed systems). In summary, climate-smart breeding means we need to do what we already do but faster, better, and smarter.
Gender-sensitive Value Chain Intervention Improved Profit Efficiency among Orange-fleshed Sweetpotato Producers in Rwanda
Authors: Bocher Temesgen , Low Jan W. , Sindi Kirimi , Rajendran Srinivasulu 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The Rwanda Super Foods project sought to develop a value chain for processed orange-fleshed sweetpotato products to respond to farmer concerns over lack of markets. This study used data collected from five districts in rural Rwanda under supper food project between August and September 2014. The study applied a stochastic profit frontier model to data collected from 846 households growing sweetpotato, among which 327 were value chain participants; 312 were “spillover” households that received planting material from participant households, and the remainder control households with no project links. Results showed that average level of profit efficiency in sweetpotato production systems is 55%; suggesting that an estimated 45% of profit is lost due to the combined effect of technical, allocative and scale inefficiency. The profit efficiency of participant households was 64% compared to 20% of the control households. Moreover, the profit efficiency of the female beneficiary, female spillover, and male beneficiary households was found to be 55%, 70%, and 90% against 17% for male control households, respectively. Findings suggest that an orange-fleshed sweetpotato based value chain intervention can enhance the profit efficiency of the poor and disadvantageous households, if designed with special attention to women’s needs. Thus, polices and programs aiming at improving the livelihood of smallholder should be designed targeting women and resource poor.
The Visegrád Group – A Rising Star Post-Brexit? Changing Distribution of Power in the European Council
Authors: Göllner Ralf Thomas 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The portmanteau Brexit describes the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) which will cause a shift of power in the European institutions. The departure of one of the largest EU members will affect the voting power of member countries in the European Council significantly. This Council is the central hub of political decision making in the EU, defining the overall political direction and priorities and setting the policy agenda for the entirety of the EU. Using the Banzhaf power index, we have measured the voting power before and after the Brexit and analyzed the increasing power of the members of the Visegrád Group compared to other European states. We have found that there is growth in the voting power of all Visegrád states, with Poland experiencing the biggest increase. However, the extent by which the Visegrád Group will profit from this statistically growing power depends on the coordination of their voting behavior in the future.
A Place of Encounter with a Divine. Heidegger on the Spatiality of Religious Experience
Authors: Nitsche Martin 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The paper explores how different models of space articulate the nature of religious experience. Analyses are focused primarily on Heidegger’s phenomenology. Throughout his work, three models of space are determined: an opened, an empty, and a topological space. According to these models, there are three types of sacred places, that is, places of encounter with Divine: 1. a sacred place defined by coordinates materialized in a sacred building or symbolized by a cultic procedure; 2. a negative place, a place of a negative form of encounter; 3. a place as a path-mark, defined by a transitive (wayfaring) involvement into a lived environment.
Method vs. form – an attempt to classify cartographic presentation methods
Authors: Mazur Marcin 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The author of the article discusses the subject of terminology in the field of cartographic methodology. The general purpose is to propose an internally consistent system of concepts which allows classification of cartographic presentation methods based on unambiguous criteria. For this purpose, in the article the concept of presentation method and the concept of presentation form were differentiated, the cartographic presentation method was divided into stages, and possible data transformation and visualization aspects during application of a method were specified. Then, review of the previous classifications of cartographic presentation methods was conducted which allows differentiation of two fundamental approaches to classification and comparison of the applied criteria. On this basis, the author’s classification of cartographic presentation methods was suggested in which three qualitative and four quantitative methods were differentiated. It constitutes a compromise between accepting unambiguous criteria and the possibility to differentiate methods fixed in cartographic convention.
Evaluation of selected maps used in early school education in Poland and proposal of a new solution
Authors: Słomska Katarzyna 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The author presents criteria of evaluation and assumption for early school education maps. Attention was payed to needs and perceptual possibilities of map users and cartographic correctness of maps. Main criteria of map evaluation – content and form of a map – have their unique attributes. In case of the first criterion they are accuracy and currency, classification of content and usability. Second criterion consist of: composition, colours, labels on the map and readability. Materials commissioned by Ministry of National Education were evaluated on the said criteria basis. Evaluation of maps for early school education revealed their flaws, among which absence of a scale can be named. Afterwards assumptions were developed and used to prepare own proposal of a map. Achieving maximum readability was a priority. Other assumptions concerned graphic balance, classification and hierarchy of content, simplicity of elaboration, usage of readable typefaces and adjustment of transmission to the age of users.
Geological content on maps and in accompanying texts developed until the end of the 18th century
Authors: Szaniawska Lucyna 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
For many centuries on general geographical maps and early maritime maps geological information was rarely included. The map of the Wadi Hammamat valley, the Borgia world map, the Catalan world map and Carta de nauigar per le Isole nouamente... portolan chart were indicated as examples. Places where minerals occurred were presented mainly using textual descriptions.
Among Renaissance maps and later maps published before the second half of the 18th century, the map of the Kingdom of Bavaria by Philipp Apian and the map of the Duchy of Świdnica in Silesia by Johann Wieland and Matthaus Schubart were discussed as examples. Distribution of raw materials and places of their extraction were shown using simple geometric signs with graphic characteristics for a given period.
Mineralogical maps published in the second half of the 18th century were described based on the example of maps by Jean-Étienne Guettard and Johann Jirasek. Their content was compared with the texts accompanying them, developed under patronage of the contemporary scientific institutions and relevant methods of geological information presentation were described. From the late Renaissance symbols signifying extraction sites of raw materials had simplified and rather random shapes which indicates ‘unhurried’ development of cartographic methods on geological maps.
Classifying BCI signals from novice users with extreme learning machine
Authors: Rodríguez-Bermúdez Germán , Bueno-Crespo Andrés , José Martinez-Albaladejo F. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBrain computer interface (BCI) allows to control external devices only with the electrical activity of the brain. In order to improve the system, several approaches have been proposed. However it is usual to test algorithms with standard BCI signals from experts users or from repositories available on Internet. In this work, extreme learning machine (ELM) has been tested with signals from 5 novel users to compare with standard classification algorithms. Experimental results show that ELM is a suitable method to classify electroencephalogram signals from novice users.
Privacy-Preserving Computation with Trusted Computing via Scramble-then-Compute
Authors: Dang Hung , Dinh Tien Tuan Anh , Chang Ee-Chien , Ooi Beng Chin 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe consider privacy-preserving computation of big data using trusted computing primitives with limited private memory. Simply ensuring that the data remains encrypted outside the trusted computing environment is insufficient to preserve data privacy, for data movement observed during computation could leak information. While it is possible to thwart such leakage using generic solution such as ORAM [42], designing efficient privacy-preserving algorithms is challenging. Besides computation efficiency, it is critical to keep trusted code bases lean, for large ones are unwieldy to vet and verify. In this paper, we advocate a simple approach wherein many basic algorithms (e.g., sorting) can be made privacy-preserving by adding a step that securely scrambles the data before feeding it to the original algorithms. We call this approachScramble-then-Compute(StC), and give a sufficient condition whereby existing external memory algorithms can be made privacy-preserving via StC. This approach facilitates code-reuse, and its simplicity contributes to a smaller trusted code base. It is also general, allowing algorithm designers to leverage an extensive body of known efficient algorithms for better performance. Our experiments show that StC could offer up to 4.1× speedups over known, application-specific alternatives.
SeaGlass: Enabling City-Wide IMSI-Catcher Detection
Authors: Ney Peter , Smith Ian , Cadamuro Gabriel , Kohno Tadayoshi 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Cell-site simulators, also known as IMSI-catchers and stingrays, are used around the world by governments and criminals to track and eavesdrop on cell phones. Despite extensive public debate surrounding their use, few hard facts about them are available. For example, the richest sources of information on U.S. government cell-site simulator usage are from anonymous leaks, public records requests, and court proceedings. This lack of concrete information and the difficulty of independently obtaining such information hampers the public discussion. To address this deficiency, we build, deploy, and evaluate SeaGlass, a city-wide cellsite simulator detection network. SeaGlass consists of sensors that measure and upload data on the cellular environment to find the signatures of portable cell-site simulators. SeaGlass sensors are designed to be robust, low-maintenance, and deployable in vehicles for long durations. The data they generate is used to learn a city’s network properties to find anomalies consistent with cell-site simulators. We installed SeaGlass sensors into 15 ridesharing vehicles across two cities, collecting two months of data in each city. Using this data, we evaluate the system and show how SeaGlass can be used to detect signatures of portable cell-site simulators. Finally, we evaluate our signature detection methods and discuss anomalies discovered in the data.
Why can’t users choose their identity providers on the web?
Authors: Corre Kevin , Barais Olivier , Sunyé Gerson , Frey Vincent , Crom Jean-Michel 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Authentication delegation is a major function of the modern web. Identity Providers (IdP) acquired a central role by providing this function to other web services. By knowing which web services or web applications access its service, an IdP can violate the enduser privacy by discovering information that the user did not want to share with its IdP. For instance, WebRTC introduces a new field of usage as authentication delegation happens during the call session establishment, between two users. As a result, an IdP can easily discover that Bob has a meeting with Alice. A second issue that increases the privacy violation is the lack of choice for the end-user to select its own IdP. Indeed, on many web-applications, the end-user can only select between a subset of IdPs, in most cases Facebook or Google. In this paper, we analyze this phenomena, in particular why the end-user cannot easily select its preferred IdP, though there exists standards in this field such as OpenID Connect and OAuth 2? To lead this analysis, we conduct three investigations. The first one is a field survey on OAuth 2 and OpenID Connect scope usage by web sites to understand if scopes requested by websites could allow for user defined IdPs. The second one tries to understand whether the problem comes from the OAuth 2 protocol or its implementations by IdP. The last one tries to understand if trust relations between websites and IdP could prevent the end user to select its own IdP. Finally, we sketch possible architecture for web browser based identity management, and report on the implementation of a prototype.
A Usability Evaluation of Tor Launcher
Authors: Lee Linda , Fifield David , Malkin Nathan , Iyer Ganesh , Egelman Serge , Wagner David 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Although Tor has state-of-the art anticensorship measures, users in heavily censored environments will not be able to connect to Tor if they cannot configure their connections. We perform the first usability evaluation of Tor Launcher, the graphical user interface (GUI) that Tor Browser uses to configure connections to Tor. Our study shows that 79% (363 of 458) of user attempts to connect to Tor in simulated censored environments failed. We found that users were often frustrated during the process and tried options at random. In this paper, we measure potential usability issues, discuss design constraints unique to Tor, and provide recommendations based on what we learned to help more users connect to Tor while reducing the time they take to do so. Tor Browser incorporated the changes proposed by this study.
Privacy-Preserving Interdomain Routing at Internet Scale
Authors: Asharov Gilad , Demmler Daniel , Schapira Michael , Schneider Thomas , Segev Gil , Shenker Scott , Zohner Michael 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) computes routes between the organizational networks that make up today’s Internet. Unfortunately, BGP suffers from deficiencies, including slow convergence, security problems, a lack of innovation, and the leakage of sensitive information about domains’ routing preferences. To overcome some of these problems, we revisit the idea of centralizing and using secure multi-party computation (MPC) for interdomain routing which was proposed by Gupta et al. (ACM HotNets’12). We implement two algorithms for interdomain routing with state-of-the-art MPC protocols. On an empirically derived dataset that approximates the topology of today’s Internet (55 809 nodes), our protocols take as little as 6 s of topology-independent precomputation and only 3 s of online time. We show, moreover, that when our MPC approach is applied at country/region-level scale, runtimes can be as low as 0.17 s online time and 0.20 s pre-computation time. Our results motivate the MPC approach for interdomain routing and furthermore demonstrate that current MPC techniques are capable of efficiently tackling real-world problems at a large scale.
A Leakage-Abuse Attack Against Multi-User Searchable Encryption
Authors: Van Rompay Cédric , Molva Refik , Önen Melek 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Searchable Encryption (SE) allows a user to upload data to the cloud and to search it in a remote fashion while preserving the privacy of both the data and the queries. Recent research results describe attacks on SE schemes using the access pattern, denoting the ids of documents matching search queries, which most SE schemes reveal during query processing. However SE schemes usually leak more than just the access pattern, and this extra leakage can lead to attacks (much) more harmful than the ones using basic access pattern leakage only. We remark that in the special case of Multi-User Searchable Encryption (MUSE), where many users upload and search data in a cloud-based infrastructure, a large number of existing solutions have a common leakage in addition to the well-studied access pattern leakage. We show that this seemingly small extra leakage allows a very simple yet powerful attack, and that the privacy degree of the affected schemes have been overestimated. We also show that this new vulnerability affects existing software. Finally we formalize the newly identified leakage profile and show how it relates to previously defined ones.
DataLair: Efficient Block Storage with Plausible Deniability against Multi-Snapshot Adversaries
Authors: Chakraborti Anrin , Chen Chen , Sion Radu 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Sensitive information is present on our phones, disks, watches and computers. Its protection is essential. Plausible deniability of stored data allows individuals to deny that their device contains a piece of sensitive information. This constitutes a key tool in the fight against oppressive governments and censorship. Unfortunately, existing solutions, such as the now defunct TrueCrypt [5], can defend only against an adversary that can access a user’s device at most once (“single-snapshot adversary”). Recent solutions have traded significant performance overheads for the ability to handle more powerful adversaries able to access the device at multiple points in time (“multi-snapshot adversary”). In this paper we show that this sacrifice is not necessary. We introduce and build DataLair1, a practical plausible deniability mechanism. When compared with existing approaches, DataLair is two orders of magnitude faster for public data accesses, and 5 times faster for hidden data accesses. An important component in DataLair is a new write-only ORAM construction which improves on the complexity of the state of the art write-only ORAM by a factor of O(logN), where N denotes the underlying storage disk size.
Mast cells in neuropathic pain: an increasing spectrum of their involvement in pathophysiology
Authors: Kaur Gunjanpreet , Singh Nirmal , Jaggi Amteshwar Singh 
Published: July 2017

AbstractMast cells are immunological cells that are diversely distributed in different parts of the body. Their role in various pathological conditions such as hypersensitivity, atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, and male infertility has been reported by different scientists. Apart from these, a number of studies have shown their important role in pathogenesis of neuropathic pain of diverse aetiology. They have been found to release active mediators, primarily histamine and serotonin on degranulation in response to different stimuli including chemical, nerve damage, toxin or disease-related conditions. The mast cells stabilizer has shown pain attenuating effects by preventing degranulation of mast cells. Similarly, compound 48/80 (first dose 200 μg/100 g and after 6-h interval, second dose of 500 μg/100 g) caused the degranulation of the accumulated endoneurial histamine and 5-HT antagonists have shown pain relieving effects by attenuating the effects of histamine and serotonin, respectively. On the other hand, the mast cell degranulator compound 48/80 has shown dual action depending on its time of administration. The present review discusses the critical role of mast cells in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain in experimental models.