Avast-CTU Public CAPE Dataset

There is a limited amount of publicly available data to support research in malware analysis technology. Particularly, there are virtually no publicly available datasets generated from rich sandboxes such as Cuckoo/CAPE. The benefit of using dynamic sandboxes is the realistic simulation of file execution in the target machine and obtaining a log of such execution. The machine can be infected by malware hence there is a good chance of capturing the malicious behavior in the execution logs, thus allowing researchers to study such behavior in detail. Although the subsequent analysis of log information is extensively covered in industrial cybersecurity backends, to our knowledge there has been only limited effort invested in academia to advance such log analysis capabilities using cutting edge techniques. We make this sample dataset available to support designing new machine learning methods for malware detection, especially for automatic detection of generic malicious behavior. The dataset has been collected in cooperation between Avast Software and Czech Technical University - AI Center (AIC)

Novel pharmacological strategies and pathophysiological insights in experimental heart failure.

The current thesis explored a novel therapy for congesive heart failure and the role of cardiac unloading upon myocardial structure and endocrine function. The first two studies explored the therapeutic potential of a recently identified new natriuretic peptide DNP to unload the heart. The third study explored the adaptive changes in the mechanical unloaded myocardium. Specifically, this latter study focused on the relative primacy of mechanical unloading compared with neurohumoral stimulation by endogenous pro-hypertrophic factors endothelin and angiotensin II on myocardial structure and endocrine function. This thesis reports for the first time that acute intravenous administration of synthetic DNP pharmacologically unloads the heart. Specifically, administration of exogenous DNP has potent cardiovascular, renal and neurohumoral actions in normal dogs and dogs with experimental severe congestive heart failure. In severe congestive heart failure DNP potently decreases cardiac filling pressures, enhances natriuresis and diuresis, uniquely increases glomerular filtration rate and has rennin suprssing properties. These actions are associated with a potent activation of the cGMP system. In addition to these findings this thesis reports again for the first time that DNP immunoreactivity is present in mammalian non-human species. Specifically, DNP immunoreactivity was found in the canine plasma, urine and myocardium and increased in the experimental heart failure. This thesis also provides important insight into the adaptive changes in the structure and endocrine function of the unloaded heart. In model of chronic mechanical unloading, dramatic structural and endocrine changes of the heart were demonstrated. Specifically, chronic mechanical unloading of the heart resulted in myocardial atrophy despite the marked activation of the known pro-hypertrophic factors endothelin and angiotensin II. These changes were also associated with the quiescence of myocardial endocrine function. These studies advance our understanding of physical and biochemical mechanisms, which modulate myocardial structure and endocrine function in vivo, underscoring the primacy of myocardial load compared to neurohumoral mechanisms during chronic cardiac unloading. Thus, this thesis provides seminal new insights into new pharmacological strategies for heart failure and an enhanced understanding of the consequences of unloading the heart which occurs with the treatment of heart failure, a syndrome that is increasing in society and requires our further investigation.Available from STL, Prague, CZ / NTK - National Technical LibrarySIGLECZCzech Republi