Updates-Leak: Data Set Inference and Reconstruction Attacks in Online Learning

Machine learning (ML) has progressed rapidly during the past decade and the major factor that drives such development is the unprecedented large-scale data. As data generation is a continuous process, this leads to ML service providers updating their models frequently with newly-collected data in an online learning scenario. In consequence, if an ML model is queried with the same set of data samples at two different points in time, it will provide different results. In this paper, we investigate whether the change in the output of a black-box ML model before and after being updated can leak information of the dataset used to perform the update. This constitutes a new attack surface against black-box ML models and such information leakage severely damages the intellectual property and data privacy of the ML model owner/provider. In contrast to membership inference attacks, we use an encoder-decoder formulation that allows inferring diverse information ranging from detailed characteristics to full reconstruction of the dataset. Our new attacks are facilitated by state-of-the-art deep learning techniques. In particular, we propose a hybrid generative model (BM-GAN) that is based on generative adversarial networks (GANs) but includes a reconstructive loss that allows generating accurate samples. Our experiments show effective prediction of dataset characteristics and even full reconstruction in challenging conditions

Organized Current Patterns in Disordered Conductors

We present a general theory of current deviations in straight current carrying wires with random imperfections, which quantitatively explains the recent observations of organized patterns of magnetic field corrugations above micron-scale evaporated wires. These patterns originate from the most efficient electron scattering by Fourier components of the wire imperfections with wavefronts along the $\pm 45^{\circ}$ direction. We show that long range effects of surface or bulk corrugations are suppressed for narrow wires or wires having an electrically anisotropic resistivity

Multicentre study of Wilm’s tumours treated by different therapeutic strategies in two different countries

Background and purpose According to the treatment of Wilm’s tumours, two different therapeutic strategies were established in the second half of the last century. Both National Wilm’s Tumour Study (NWTS) group and the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) have helped to improve the clinical management and outcome of patients with Wilm’s tumours. In this study, we compared three groups of patients with Wilm’s tumours from different racial backgrounds and therapeutic strategies.Patients and methods A clinicopathological review was carried out for 40 patients treated at Kyushu University Hospital in Japan from 1960 to 2006 according to NWTS, 79 patients treated at the South Egypt Cancer Institute from 2002 to 2009 according to the SIOP protocol and 33 patients treated at the Pediatric Surgery Department of Assiut University Hospital from 2000 to 2009 according to the NWTS protocol.Results In the Kyushu University group, a favourable histology was diagnosed in 80% of patients and an unfavourable histology in 20% of patients. The distribution of the clinical stage was as follows: I = 40%, II =22.5%, III = 22.5%, IV = 7.5% and V = 7.5%. The 5-year overall survival was 82.5%, with the 5-year stage-related survival as follows: I= 93.7%, II =83.3%, III= 62.5%, IV = 33.3% and V = 100%. In the South Egypt Cancer Institute group, favourable histology was diagnosed in 89.9% of patients, unfavourable histology in 8.8% of patients and benign disease in 1.3% of patients. The distribution of the clinical stage (before and after chemotherapy) was as follows: I = 25.3%-50%, II= 19%-20%, III= 35.4-15%, IV = 12.5%-5% and V = 7.6%-7.6%. No case of intraoperative tumour rupture was recorded. The overall 5-year survival rate of 84% with a 5-year stage-related survival was as follows: I= 92%, II =80%, III= 50%, IV = 31% and V = 30%. In the Assiut University group, a favourable histology was diagnosed in 79% of patients and an unfavourable histology in 9% of patients. The distribution of the clinical stage was as follows: I= 39.4%, II =21.2%, III = 21.2%, IV = 12% and V =6%. The overall 5-year survival rate was 77% and the 5-year stage-related survival was as follows: I= 85%, II= 75%, III = 52%, IV = 33% and V = 33%.Conclusion The Egyptian patients with Wilm’s tumour presented at a younger age and had less incidence of an unfavourable histology compared with Japanese patients. Preoperative chemotherapy increased the rate of stage I disease and decreased the incidence of intraoperative tumour rupture and relapse. However, there was a possibility that chemotherapy had been administered in the case of benign disease. Keywords: intraoperative tumour rupture, NWTS, SIOP, Wilm’s tumou

Problems of Bacteriological Pollution in Water Wells in Wadi Hadramout Water Project

This paper presents an existing problem of drinking water pollution for a small project and one of the model projects of drinking water in Yemen, designed to save and preserve good quality water for the present and future generations in the area. The paper gives the details of the project and explains the problem of bacteriological pollution and the steps undertaken to solve the problem. Some of the results for short-term solutions and recommendation for the long-term solutions are also given

Design and manufacture a new solar unit for distillation and water heating in Basrah City

In this paper a new solar unit for water heating and distillation has been designed and manufactured. It was operated for a period of 6 month from December 2013 to May 2014 in Basrah city which lies on longitude (47o45 ) and latitude (30o33 ). The average daily productivity of distilled water at the operated month was ranged between (8.4 -14.56) liter/m2 and a hot water at a temperature of 43-70 Co at a normal flow of 65 ml/min. Keywords: solar collector , solar energy , solar distillation , solar water heating , solar still.

Band structure in classical field theory

Stability and instability bands in classical mechanics are well-studied in connection with systems such as described by the Mathieu equation. We examine whether such band structure can arise in classical field theory in the context of an embedded kink in 1+1 dimensions. The static embedded kink is unstable to perturbations but we show that if the kink is dynamic it can exhibit stability in certain parameter bands. Our results are relevant for estimating the lifetimes of various embedded defects and, in particular, loops of electroweak Z-string.Comment: 6 pages, 4 fig. Reference added, Fig. 3 updated with improved numerical code, minor comments added. Version to be published in Phys. Rev.

Spectrum and diffusion for a class of tight-binding models on hypercubes

We propose a class of exactly solvable anisotropic tight-binding models on an infinite-dimensional hypercube. The energy spectrum is analytically computed and is shown to be fractal and/or absolutely continuous according to the value hopping parameters. In both cases, the spectral and diffusion exponents are derived. The main result is that, even if the spectrum is absolutely continuous, the diffusion exponent for the wave packet may be anything between 0 and 1 depending upon the class of models.Comment: 5 pages Late

A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis to Investigate the Correlation Vegetable Irrigation with Wastewater and Concentration of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTES): a Case Study of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus)

Water shortage and stress around the world lead to the reuse of wastewater in many sectors while the recycling of water in agriculture as one of the most consumed sectors can boost the contamination of crops by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the correlation between the accumulation of PTEs (Fe, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, As, Cd, and Se) in edible parts of spinach and radish plants and sewage irrigation by the aid of a meta-analysis. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic risk (N-CR) and carcinogenic risk (CR) for health risk assessment of consumers were assessed through actual total target hazard quotient (TTHQact) and carcinogenic risk (CRact). After the screening process, 51 articles with 75 studies were included. According to findings, the rank order of PTEs in spinach and radish were Fe > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd > As > Se and Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Pb > As > Cd > Se, respectively. PTE adsorption by edible parts of spinach (leafy vegetable) was higher than radish. The health risk assessment shows that residents in Iran, India, and China are at N-CR while the population of Iran, India, and Pakistan are facing CR. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Do the Barker Codes End?

A Barker code is a binary code with k^th autocorrelation <= 1 for all nonzero k. At the workshop, the Barker code group split into four non-disjoint subgroups: - An "algebra group", who explored symmetries of the search space that preserve the autocorrelations' magnitude. - A "computing group", who explored methods for quickly finding binary codes with very good autocorrelation properties. - A "statistics group", who explored ways to quantify what has been empirically observed about autocorrelation in the search space S_2^N. - A "continuous group", who explored a non-discrete analogue of the problem of finding sequences with good autocorrelations