Towards Traitor Tracing in Black-and-White-Box DNN Watermarking with Tardos-based Codes

The growing popularity of Deep Neural Networks, which often require computationally expensive training and access to a vast amount of data, calls for accurate authorship verification methods to deter unlawful dissemination of the models and identify the source of the leak. In DNN watermarking the owner may have access to the full network (white-box) or only be able to extract information from its output to queries (black-box), but a watermarked model may include both approaches in order to gather sufficient evidence to then gain access to the network. Although there has been limited research in white-box watermarking that considers traitor tracing, this problem is yet to be explored in the black-box scenario. In this paper, we propose a black-and-white-box watermarking method that opens the door to collusion-resistant traitor tracing in black-box, exploiting the properties of Tardos codes, and making it possible to identify the source of the leak before access to the model is granted. While experimental results show that the method can successfully identify traitors, even when further attacks have been performed, we also discuss its limitations and open problems for traitor tracing in black-box.Comment: This work has been submitted to the IEEE International Workshop on Information Forensics and Security (WIFS) 2023 for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessibl

Perceived discrimination and self-rated health in the immigrant population of the Basque Country, Spain

Objective To examine the effect of perceived discrimination and self-rated health among the immigrant population in the Basque Country, Spain, and determine whether this effect varies according to region of origin, age, sex and education. Methods Descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population included immigrants aged 18 and older residing in the Basque Country. Data from the 2014 Foreign Immigrant Population Survey (n=3,456) were used. Log-binomial regression was used to quantify the association between perceived discrimination and self-rated health before and after checking for the selected characteristics. Results Almost 1 in 10 immigrant adults reports perceiving discrimination. In adjusted analyses, the immigrants perceiving discrimination were almost were 1.92 more likely to rate their health as poor (prevalence ratio: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.44–2.56) than those who did not report discrimination. This association did not vary according to region of origin, age, sex or educational level. Conclusions Perceived discrimination shows a consistent relationship with perceived health. Moreover, this association did not depend on the region of origin, age, sex or educational level of immigrants. These results show the need for implementing inclusive policies to eliminate individual and institutional discrimination and reduce health inequalities between the immigrant and native populations

Synthesis and characterization of silver vanadates thin films for photocatalytic applications

Silver vanadates thin films were deposited by a hybrid deposition system combining laser ablation and thermal evaporation. A high purity vanadium target was ablated using the third harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser whereas high purity silver pellets were evaporated. The as-deposited thin films were subjected to thermal treatments at 400 °C to obtain crystalline films. For films without Ag amorphous V2O5 thin films were deposited and as the Ag is incorporated in the material different silver vanadates were obtained. The effect of the silver load on the composition, structure, optical properties, surface morphology and photocatalytic response of the deposited films was studied. The film composition, determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, reveals Ag contents from 5.5 to 18.9 at.%. The crystalline phases formed were identified by micro-Raman Spectroscopy; the results indicate the formation of three silver vanadates depending on the silver content. The morphology was observed using scanning electron microscopy, the filmś surface changes from a smooth surface to belts covering the surface and finally Ag nanoparticles are observed at the higher Ag contens. Optical properties determined from UV–vis reveal the presence of the surface plasmon signal in films containing silver. The films were tested in the photocatalytic degradation of Malachite Green dye reaching maximum degradations degrees close to 53% under solar irradiation. Reactive species trapping experiments suggest that O2 − produced by the O2 reduction via the photogenerated electrons drives the photodegradation mechanismCB-168827 CB-240998 F. Gonzalez-Zavala thanks to CONACyT for the PhD and Beca Mixta grants, and also to the SIEA-UAEM for the beca movilidad para estudios avanzados 2016. E. Rodríguez-Castellón thanks to project CTQ2015-68951-C3-3-R of Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) and FEDER funds

Realistic correction of sky-coloured points in Mobile Laser Scanning point clouds

The enrichment of the point clouds with colour images improves the visualisation of the data as well as the segmentation and recognition processes. Coloured point clouds are becoming increasingly common, however, the colour they display is not always as expected. Errors in the colouring of point clouds acquired with Mobile Laser Scanning are due to perspective in the camera image, different resolution or poor calibration between the LiDAR sensor and the image sensor. The consequences of these errors are noticeable in elements captured in images, but not in point clouds, such as the sky. This paper focuses on the correction of the sky-coloured points, without resorting to the images that were initially used to colour the whole point cloud. The proposed method consists of three stages. First the region of interest where the erroneously coloured points are accumulated, is selected. Second, the sky-coloured points are detected by calculating the colour distance in the Lab colour space to a sample of the sky-colour. And third, the colour of the sky-coloured detected points is restored from the colour of the nearby points. The method is tested in ten real case studies with their corresponding point clouds from urban and rural areas. In two case studies, sky-coloured points were assigned manually and the remaining eight case studies, the sky-coloured points are derived from the acquisition errors. The algorithm for sky-coloured points detection obtained an average F1-score of 94.7%. The results show a correct reassignment of colour, texture, and patterns, while improving the point cloud visualisation.Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUGXunta de Galicia | Ref. ED481B-2019-061Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431C 2020/01Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-105221RB-C43Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2019-108816RB-I0

Determinación de la presencia de Helicobacter pylori mediante un dispositivo cromatográfico específico, en cerdos sacrificados en el Frigorífico Vijagual.

Pathologies of uncertain etiology manifested by gastric ulcers have been observed in pig. This research paper shows the association of Helicobacter sp. as the main causing agent of this disorder by studying a sample of 100 pigs slaughtered at the Vijagual abattoir in the Bucaramanga city. Sera samples were analyzed and samples of gastric tissue were processed by histopathological methods using Hematoxiline-Eosine and Warthin-Starry to confirm the correlation between spiral bacteria and gastric lesions. Blood sera of positive pigs in the histopathological examination were examined by a specific chromatographic device or immunoassay (ACON ®). Analysis of results was based on a experimental model describing the number of positive and negative pigs to Helicobacter sp. bacteria. Histopathologically, 53% of the animals were positive and 47% were negative. The species of bacteria assosiated were Helicobacter pylori (60,3%) and Helicobacter hellmanii (39,6%). For the serological procedure, 25 positive and 25 negative samples to Helicobacter sp. were analyzed. A reliability of 92% with the specific test and 75% of negative confirmation was found. The statistical test of Chi Square was utilized to evaluate the association of Helicobacter sp. to gastric lesions. Standardization was carried out by the ACON ®specific chromatographic device. This test is designed for the detection of IgG antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in human serum for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases. Based on this method, reliability and specificity of the test was demonstrated for the determination of Helicobacter pylori in sera of pigs with gastric lesions. This technique represents a precise aid for the management of gastric clinical malfunctions that are frequentin porcine exploitations nowadays.    En las unidades de producción porcina se han presentado patologías de etiología incierta que indican la presencia de lesiones gástricas compatibles con infección por Helicobacter sp. Ante la necesidad de determinar la asociación entre los hallazgos clínicos y la infección con Helicobacter sp., el trabajo se propuso confirmar por serología la presencia de la bacteria. El desarrollo de la investigación utilizó una muestra de 100 cerdos de sacrificio del Frigorífico Vijagual, de la ciudad de Bucaramanga, realizando el muestreo sanguíneo y de tejido gástrico que fue procesado histopatológicamente con hematoxilina-eosina y warthin-starry para correlacionar la presencia de bacterias espiraladas con lesiones gástricas, y serológicamente confirmando la presencia de Helicobacter pylori mediante un dispositivo cromatográfico específico o inmunoensayo (ACONâ) en cerdos positivos al examen histopatológico.El análisis de resultados se basó en un modelo experimental que describe el número de cerdos positivos y negativos a bacterias del género helicobacter sp., donde histopatológicamente se hallaron 53% positivos y 47% negativos; se identificaron 60,3% compatibles a helicobacter pylori y 39,6% a helicobacter hellmanii. Para el procedimiento serológico se tomaron 25 sueros positivos y 25 negativos a Helicobacter sp., lo que expresó un 92% de confiabilidad con la prueba específica y un 76% que confirma la seronegatividad. Estos resultados utilizaron la prueba estadística de chi cuadrada para evaluar la asociación de la presencia de Helicobacter sp. y lesiones gástricas mediante la estandarización del dispositivo cromatográfico específico ACONâ.Esta prueba está diseñada para la detección de anticuerpos IgG contra Helicobacter pylori en suero humano para el diagnóstico de enfermedades gastrointestinales. Apoyados en esto hemos demostrado la confiabilidad y especificidad de la prueba para la determinar la presencia de Helicobacter pylori en suero de cerdos con lesiones gástricas, proporcionando la ayuda precisa para el manejo de cuadros clínicos gástricos, muy comunes en las actuales explotaciones porcinas

The human CD53 gene, coding for a four transmembrane domain protein, maps to chromosomal region 1p13

The rat OX44/CD53 protein is the prototypic member of a"novel" family of proteins. These proteins are characterizedby four highly hydrophobic transmembrane domains, twosmall extracellular domains, one of which is extensively N-glycosylated,and both the amino and the carboxy terminus intracytoplasmic.This work has been supported by grants from Fundación Ramón Areces and CICYT (SAL90-0209 and SAL91-0043) to P.A.L. and FIS(92-0889) to S.R.CS

The HL-60 human promyelocytic cell line constitutes an effective in vitro model for evaluating toxicity, oxidative stress and necrosis/apoptosis after exposure to black carbon particles and 2.45 GHz radio frequency

The cellular and molecular mechanisms by which atmospheric pollution from particulate matter and/or electromagnetic fields (EMFs) may prove harmful to human health have not been extensively researched. We analyzed whether the combined action of EMFs and black carbon (BC) particles induced cell damage and a pro-apoptotic response in the HL-60 promyelocytic cell line when exposed to 2.45 GHz radio frequency (RF) radiation in a gigahertz transverse electromagnetic (GTEM) chamber at sub-thermal specific absorption rate (SAR) levels. RF and BC induced moderately significant levels of cell damage in the first 8 or 24 h for all exposure times/doses and much greater damage after 48 h irradiation and the higher dose of BC. We observed a clear antiproliferative effect that increased with RF exposure time and BC dose. Oxidative stress or ROS production increased with time (24 or 48 h of radiation), BC dose and the combination of both. Significant differences between the proportion of damaged and healthy cells were observed in all groups. Both radiation and BC participated separately and jointly in triggering necrosis and apoptosis in a programmed way. Oxidative-antioxidant action activated mitochondrial anti-apoptotic BCL2a gene expression after 24 h irradiation and exposure to BC. After irradiation of the cells for 48 h, expression of FASR cell death receptors was activated, precipitating the onset of pro-apoptotic phenomena and expression and intracellular activity of caspase-3 in the mitochondrial pathways, all of which can lead to cell death. Our results indicate that the interaction between BC and RF modifies the immune response in the human promyelocytic cell line and that these cells had two fates mediated by different pathways: necrosis and mitochondria-caspase dependent apoptosis. The findings may be important in regard to antimicrobial, inflammatory and autoimmune responses in humansS

Sex and gender perspectives in colorectal cancer

Gender; Toxicity; Tumour biologyGènere; Toxicitat; Biologia tumoralGénero; Toxicidad; Biología tumoralHistorically women were frequently excluded from clinical trials and drug usage to protect unborn babies from potential harm. As a consequence, the impact of sex and gender on both tumour biology and clinical outcomes has been largely underestimated. Although interrelated and often used interchangeably, sex and gender are not equivalent concepts. Sex is a biological attribute that defines species according to their chromosomal makeup and reproductive organ, while gender refers to a chosen sexual identity. Sex dimorphisms are rarely taken into account, in either preclinical or clinical research, with inadequate analysis of differences in outcomes according to sex or gender still widespread, reflecting a gap in our knowledge for a large proportion of the target population. Underestimation of sex-based differences in study design and analyses has invariably led to 'one-drug' treatment regimens for both males and females. For patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), sex also has an impact on the disease incidence, clinicopathological features, therapeutic outcomes, and tolerability to anticancer treatments. Although the global incidence of CRC is higher in male subjects, the proportion of patients presenting right-sided tumours and BRAF mutations is higher among females. Concerning sex-related differences in treatment efficacy and toxicity, drug dosage does not take into account sex-specific differences in pharmacokinetics. Toxicity associated with fluoropyrimidines, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies has been reported to be more extensive for females with CRC than for males, although evidence about differences in efficacy is more controversial. This article aims to provide an overview of the research achieved so far into sex and gender differences in cancer and summarize the growing body of literature illustrating the sex and gender perspective in CRC and their impact in relation to tumour biology and treatment efficacy and toxicity. We propose endorsing research on how biological sex and gender influence CRC as an added value for precision oncology

The impact of clinical and translational research on the quality of life during the metastatic colorectal cancer patient journey

Colorectal cancer; Patient journey; Quality of lifeCàncer colorectal; Viatge del pacient; Qualitat de vidaCáncer colorrectal; Viaje del paciente; Calidad de vidaThe journey of metastatic colorectal cancer patients is complex and challenging, requiring coordination and collaboration between multiple healthcare providers. Understanding patients’ needs, fears, feelings, concerns, and behaviors is essential for providing individualized patient-centered care. In recent years, mCRC patients have experienced improvements in clinical outcomes, from 16 months of overall survival to 32 months, thanks to research. However, there is still room for improvement, and integrating clinical and translational research into routine practice can help patients benefit from treatments and techniques that would not be an option. In the Journey of mCRC patients, living well with cancer and quality of life becomes a priority given the outcomes of the disease. Patient reported outcomes (PRO) and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are becoming therefore new estimands in Oncology. Patient advocates represent important figures in this process by prioritizing issues and research questions; evaluating research designs and the performance of the research; the analysis and interpretation of data; and how results are disseminated. Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards and shared decision-making is essential for designing treatment strategies for individual patients. Quality of Life is often prioritized only when it comes to refractory advanced disease and end-of-life care, but it has to be integrated from the beginning, as the emotional impact of diagnosis leads to a vulnerable situation where patients’ needs and preferences can be easily overseen. First-line treatment will be chosen among more treatment options than subsequent lines, with longer progression-free survival and a bigger impact on the outcomes. Practicing patient-centered care and optimizing first-line treatment for colorectal cancer patients requires a comprehensive understanding of patient experience and treatment outcomes, which can guide clinical practice and inform regulatory decisions for the benefit of patients