Low-Mid Adversarial Perturbation against Unauthorized Face Recognition System

In light of the growing concerns regarding the unauthorized use of facial recognition systems and its implications on individual privacy, the exploration of adversarial perturbations as a potential countermeasure has gained traction. However, challenges arise in effectively deploying this approach against unauthorized facial recognition systems due to the effects of JPEG compression on image distribution across the internet, which ultimately diminishes the efficacy of adversarial perturbations. Existing JPEG compression-resistant techniques struggle to strike a balance between resistance, transferability, and attack potency. To address these limitations, we propose a novel solution referred to as \emph{low frequency adversarial perturbation} (LFAP). This method conditions the source model to leverage low-frequency characteristics through adversarial training. To further enhance the performance, we introduce an improved \emph{low-mid frequency adversarial perturbation} (LMFAP) that incorporates mid-frequency components for an additive benefit. Our study encompasses a range of settings to replicate genuine application scenarios, including cross backbones, supervisory heads, training datasets, and testing datasets. Moreover, we evaluated our approaches on a commercial black-box API, \texttt{Face++}. The empirical results validate the cutting-edge performance achieved by our proposed solutions.Comment: published in Information Science

Chinese Consumers' E-Learning Satisfaction and Continuance Purchase Intention on Paid Online Python Course

With the development of internet technology, e-learning has become an essential part of the modern education system. However, the e-learning market faces enormous competition. Consumers' continuance purchase intention has become a vital factor in the success of e-learning courses. Thus, factors that influence consumers' continuance purchase intention should be examined in the e-learning market. However, little research has focused on identifying the continuance purchase intention of an e-learning course. Based on the information system continuity model ISC), this paper develops a research model to investigate the factors influencing satisfaction and continuance purchase intention in e-learning. A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based research design was used in this study. We collected data from consumers who had enrolled in paid online Python courses. In total, 508 paid online Python course users completed the online survey. SmartPLS software was used for data analysis. The results demonstrated that perceived course quality, service quality, convenience, and usefulness significantly affect consumers' satisfaction with the experience course. Moreover, the findings show that satisfaction, self-efficacy, and e-word of mouth (e-WOM) determine the consumers' continuance purchase intention of the reminder course. This study also found that satisfaction mediates the effects of experience courses on consumers' continuance purchase intention of the online Python course. The implications for theory and practice and future research directions are discussed

金属薄膜の紫外線酸化による酸化物半導体の作製およびヘテロ接合の形成

電気通信大学201

Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary Expansion, and Expression Profile of Homeodomain-Leucine Zipper Gene Family in Poplar (Populus trichocarpa)

BACKGROUND: Homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-ZIP) proteins are plant-specific transcriptional factors known to play crucial roles in plant development. Although sequence phylogeny analysis of Populus HD-ZIPs was carried out in a previous study, no systematic analysis incorporating genome organization, gene structure, and expression compendium has been conducted in model tree species Populus thus far. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, a comprehensive analysis of Populus HD-ZIP gene family was performed. Sixty-three full-length HD-ZIP genes were found in Populus genome. These Populus HD-ZIP genes were phylogenetically clustered into four distinct subfamilies (HD-ZIP I-IV) and predominately distributed across 17 linkage groups (LG). Fifty genes from 25 Populus paralogous pairs were located in the duplicated blocks of Populus genome and then preferentially retained during the sequential evolutionary courses. Genomic organization analyses indicated that purifying selection has played a pivotal role in the retention and maintenance of Populus HD-ZIP gene family. Microarray analysis has shown that 21 Populus paralogous pairs have been differentially expressed across different tissues and under various stresses, with five paralogous pairs showing nearly identical expression patterns, 13 paralogous pairs being partially redundant and three paralogous pairs diversifying significantly. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis performed on 16 selected Populus HD-ZIP genes in different tissues and under both drought and salinity stresses confirms their tissue-specific and stress-inducible expression patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Genomic organizations indicated that segmental duplications contributed significantly to the expansion of Populus HD-ZIP gene family. Exon/intron organization and conserved motif composition of Populus HD-ZIPs are highly conservative in the same subfamily, suggesting the members in the same subfamilies may also have conservative functionalities. Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses showed that 89% (56 out of 63) of Populus HD-ZIPs were duplicate genes that might have been retained by substantial subfunctionalization. Taken together, these observations may lay the foundation for future functional analysis of Populus HD-ZIP genes to unravel their biological roles

Microgravity-Induced Alterations of Inflammation-Related Mechanotransduction in Endothelial Cells on Board SJ-10 Satellite

Endothelial cells (ECs) are mechanosensitive cells undergoing morphological and functional changes in space. Ground-based study has provided a body of evidences about how ECs can respond to the effect of simulated microgravity, however, these results need to be confirmed by spaceflight experiments in real microgravity. In this work, we cultured EA.hy926 ECs on board the SJ-10 Recoverable Scientific Satellite for 3 and 10 days, and analyzed the effects of space microgravity on the ECs. Space microgravity suppressed the glucose metabolism, modulated the expression of cellular adhesive molecules such as ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD44, and depressed the pro-angiogenesis and pro-inflammation cytokine secretion. Meanwhile, it also induced the depolymerization of actin filaments and microtubules, promoted the vimentin accumulation, restrained the collagen I and fibronectin deposition, regulated the mechanotransduction through focal adhesion kinase and Rho GTPases, and enhanced the exosome-mediated mRNA transfer. Unlike the effect of simulated microgravity, neither three-dimensional growth nor enhanced nitric oxide production was observed in our experimental settings. This work furthers the understandings in the effects and mechanisms of space microgravity on ECs, and provides useful information for future spaceflight experimental design

Study on toughness improvement of a rosin-sourced epoxy matrix composite for green aerospace application

A high temperature epoxy resin was formulated by using a rosin-sourced anhydride-type curing agent, i.e., maleopimaric acid (RAM), and a two-component epoxy consisting of an E51-type epoxy and a solid phenolic epoxy to form a bio-sourced green matrix resin. The glass transition temperature of the final resin was 238◦C Carbon fiber composite prepreg and was manufactured and laminated into composite specimens. Interleaving Toughening Technology (ITT) was applied to the laminates by using Polyamide interleaf veils. The interlaminar fracture toughness and compression after impact (CAI) strength were investigated and showed that the opening Mode I interlaminar fracture toughness GIC and the Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness GIIC of the specimens with interleaves were significantly improved from 227.51 J/m2 to 509.22 J/m2 and 1064.3 J/m2 to 1510.8 J/m2, respectively. Correspondingly, the drop-weight impact test shows that the interleaves reduced the impact damage area from 20.9% to 11.3% of the total area, and the CAI residual strength was increased from 144 MPa to 191 MPa. Meanwhile, mechanical tests showed that the in-plane properties of the interleaved laminates were slightly reduced due to carbon fiber volume fraction reduction. In conclusion, the high glass transition temperature, fracture toughness and CAI behaviour make the green resin matrix composite a potential candidate for aerospace applications

Measuring discrepancies between simple medullary and synchronous medullary/papillary thyroid carcinomas: a comparative cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo study the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with synchronous medullary and papillary thyroid carcinomas.MethodsThe clinical data of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) operated in our hospital (Department of Thyroid Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University) from February 2009 to February 2023 were evaluated using an analytical review approach. They were divided into an observation group (patients with synchronous MTC and papillary thyroid carcinoma PTC) and a control group (simple MTC) according to whether the clinical data were associated with MTC, in order to compare the clinical features, pathological types, stage characteristics and molecular biology characteristics of the two groups and to investigate the follow-up of the two groups.ResultsThe study included 122 MTC, 30 with synchronous MTC/PTC and 92 simple MTC. When the data were compared, the sex ratio, preoperative calcitonin level, preoperative CEA level, presence of calcifications in the MTC lesions, surgical methods, number of MTC lesions, presence of nodular goitre and presence of thyroiditis were higher in the observation group than in the control group. There was a significant difference between the groups when the MTC lesion diameter was ≤1cm in terms of preoperative CEA value (P<0.05); when the MTC lesion diameter was >1cm, there was a statistical difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative Ctn value (P<0.05). Type III was significantly different from the simple group, while type IV was more similar to the simple group. The preoperative serum Ctn value was positively correlated with maximum tumour diameter in both groups, although the correlation was stronger in the easy group. Preoperative CEA was positively correlated with maximum tumour diameter in both groups, with a stronger correlation in the combination group. Preoperative Ctn and CEA were positively correlated with lymph node metastasis in the simple group, whereas there was no apparent correlation with lymph node metastasis in the combination group. The cut-off value of preoperative serum Ctn for cervical lymph node metastases in the simple group was 39.2pg/ml and for lateral cervical lymph node metastases 195.5pg/ml. The cut-off value of preoperative serum Ctn for cervical lymph node metastases in the combination group was 60.79pg/ml and for lateral cervical lymph node metastases 152.6pg/ml. In the simple group, prognosis was significantly worse in the progression group (P<0.001), with no statistical difference between the remission and stable groups. In the combination group, the prognosis of the progression and stable groups was significantly worse than that of the remission group (P<0.001), with no statistical difference between the progression and stable groups.ConclusionIn patients with synchronous medullary and papillary thyroid carcinomas, preoperative Ctn and CEA levels, calcifications, solitary lesions, combined goitre or thyroiditis differ significantly from simple MTC. Therefore, clinical management should pay attention to the above factors and early risk screening should be performed to improve prognosis as much as possible