Indexing and Retrieving Photographic Images Using a Combination of Geo-Location and Content-Based Features

This paper presents a novel method that automatically indexes searches for relevant images using a combination of geo-coded information and content-based visual features. Photographic images are labeled with their corresponding GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates and UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time) information at the moment of capture, which are then utilized to create spatial and temporal indexes for photograph retrieval. Assessing the performance in terms of average precision and F-score with real-world image collections revealed that the proposed approach significantly improved and enhanced the retrieval process compared to searches based on visual content alone. Combining content and context information thus offers a useful and meaningful new approach to searching and managing large image collections

Chronological Notes on Byzantine Documents II

Recently, we proposed a new clock-free nanowire crossbar architecture based on a delayinsensitive paradigm called Null Convention Logic (NCL). The proposed architecture has simple periodic structure that is suitable for non-deterministic nanoscale assembly and does not require a clock distribution network - so it is intrinsically free from timing-related failure modes. Even though the proposed architecture offers improved manufacturability, it is still not free from defects. This paper elaborates on the different programming techniques to map a given threshold gate macro on a random PGMB (Programmable Gate Macro Block) with predefined dimension. Defect-Aware and Defect Unaware approaches have been considered to map a given threshold gate onto a PGMB without affecting its functionality. Defect aware approach uses a defect map, gate table which help in efficient programming and also conservative use of resources. Defect unaware approach on the other hand is faster than defect aware approach, does not use defect maps and is not as efficient as defect aware approach. Parametric simulation results using MATLAB are used to show the programmability of these approaches under various circumstances

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Circulating microRNAs in sera correlate with soluble biomarkers of immune activation but do not predict mortality in ART treated individuals with HIV-1 infection: A case control study

Introduction: The use of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically reduced HIV-1 associated morbidity and mortality. However, HIV-1 infected individuals have increased rates of morbidity and mortality compared to the non-HIV-1 infected population and this appears to be related to end-organ diseases collectively referred to as Serious Non-AIDS Events (SNAEs). Circulating miRNAs are reported as promising biomarkers for a number of human disease conditions including those that constitute SNAEs. Our study sought to investigate the potential of selected miRNAs in predicting mortality in HIV-1 infected ART treated individuals. Materials and Methods: A set of miRNAs was chosen based on published associations with human disease conditions that constitute SNAEs. This case: control study compared 126 cases (individuals who died whilst on therapy), and 247 matched controls (individuals who remained alive). Cases and controls were ART treated participants of two pivotal HIV-1 trials. The relative abundance of each miRNA in serum was measured, by RTqPCR. Associations with mortality (all-cause, cardiovascular and malignancy) were assessed by logistic regression analysis. Correlations between miRNAs and CD4+ T cell count, hs-CRP, IL-6 and D-dimer were also assessed. Results: None of the selected miRNAs was associated with all-cause, cardiovascular or malignancy mortality. The levels of three miRNAs (miRs -21, -122 and -200a) correlated with IL-6 while miR-21 also correlated with D-dimer. Additionally, the abundance of miRs -31, -150 and -223, correlated with baseline CD4+ T cell count while the same three miRNAs plus miR- 145 correlated with nadir CD4+ T cell count. Discussion: No associations with mortality were found with any circulating miRNA studied. These results cast doubt onto the effectiveness of circulating miRNA as early predictors of mortality or the major underlying diseases that contribute to mortality in participants treated for HIV-1 infection

Development and Validation of a Risk Score for Chronic Kidney Disease in HIV Infection Using Prospective Cohort Data from the D:A:D Study

Ristola M. on työryhmien DAD Study Grp ; Royal Free Hosp Clin Cohort ; INSIGHT Study Grp ; SMART Study Grp ; ESPRIT Study Grp jäsen.Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue for HIV-positive individuals, associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Development and implementation of a risk score model for CKD would allow comparison of the risks and benefits of adding potentially nephrotoxic antiretrovirals to a treatment regimen and would identify those at greatest risk of CKD. The aims of this study were to develop a simple, externally validated, and widely applicable long-term risk score model for CKD in HIV-positive individuals that can guide decision making in clinical practice. Methods and Findings A total of 17,954 HIV-positive individuals from the Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti-HIV Drugs (D:A:D) study with >= 3 estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values after 1 January 2004 were included. Baseline was defined as the first eGFR > 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 after 1 January 2004; individuals with exposure to tenofovir, atazanavir, atazanavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, other boosted protease inhibitors before baseline were excluded. CKD was defined as confirmed (>3 mo apart) eGFR In the D:A:D study, 641 individuals developed CKD during 103,185 person-years of follow-up (PYFU; incidence 6.2/1,000 PYFU, 95% CI 5.7-6.7; median follow-up 6.1 y, range 0.3-9.1 y). Older age, intravenous drug use, hepatitis C coinfection, lower baseline eGFR, female gender, lower CD4 count nadir, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) predicted CKD. The adjusted incidence rate ratios of these nine categorical variables were scaled and summed to create the risk score. The median risk score at baseline was -2 (interquartile range -4 to 2). There was a 1: 393 chance of developing CKD in the next 5 y in the low risk group (risk score = 5, 505 events), respectively. Number needed to harm (NNTH) at 5 y when starting unboosted atazanavir or lopinavir/ritonavir among those with a low risk score was 1,702 (95% CI 1,166-3,367); NNTH was 202 (95% CI 159-278) and 21 (95% CI 19-23), respectively, for those with a medium and high risk score. NNTH was 739 (95% CI 506-1462), 88 (95% CI 69-121), and 9 (95% CI 8-10) for those with a low, medium, and high risk score, respectively, starting tenofovir, atazanavir/ritonavir, or another boosted protease inhibitor. The Royal Free Hospital Clinic Cohort included 2,548 individuals, of whom 94 individuals developed CKD (3.7%) during 18,376 PYFU (median follow-up 7.4 y, range 0.3-12.7 y). Of 2,013 individuals included from the SMART/ESPRIT control arms, 32 individuals developed CKD (1.6%) during 8,452 PYFU (median follow-up 4.1 y, range 0.6-8.1 y). External validation showed that the risk score predicted well in these cohorts. Limitations of this study included limited data on race and no information on proteinuria. Conclusions Both traditional and HIV-related risk factors were predictive of CKD. These factors were used to develop a risk score for CKD in HIV infection, externally validated, that has direct clinical relevance for patients and clinicians to weigh the benefits of certain antiretrovirals against the risk of CKD and to identify those at greatest risk of CKD.Peer reviewe

A Formally Verified Security Scheme for Inter-gNB-DU Handover in 5G Vehicle-to-Everything

Cellular technology has evolved over the decades for mobile network operators to accommodate the ever-growing demands of services for connecting Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). The 5G infrastructure facilitates V2X communications, where a small-cell base station operating at ultra-high radio frequency with limited coverage becomes pervasive. These small-cell base stations in 5G-V2X must be strategically deployed near the consumers to realize several use cases. More recently, the architectural split solutions in Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) are introduced, in which the gNB is divided into the distributed unit (gNB-DU) and control unit (gNB-CU). This functional split intends to improve scalability, performance, and network orchestration optimization. In this case, frequent user equipment (UE) handover between gNB-DUs is inevitable. However, the current 5G standard did not consider securing the path between these two entities. Hence, the NG-RAN could likely experience various security threats if the current handover procedure standard is employed without changes. Consequently, this paper introduces potential threats like resource depletion at NG-RAN caused by the useless execution of resource-demanding procedures to complete the transfer of attachment of UE to target gNB-DU. Another is UE being denied from accessing services caused by unsuccessful uplink and downlink synchronization during random access procedure execution, requiring establishing security and mutual authentication between the entities. Motivated by this, we proposed a security protocol composed of two phases, namely initial and handover. While the former phase assists in mutual authentication and key agreement between UE and serving gNB-DU, the latter secures UE’s mobility in inter-gNB-DU handover. This protocol aims to preserve the existing quality of service and support essential security requirements, including confidentiality, integrity, mutual authentication, secure key exchange, and perfect forward secrecy. The security requirements are formally verified using BAN logic and Scyther, and the proposed protocol demonstrated lower handover latency than EAP-AKA’, AKA, EAP-TLS, and EAP-IKEv2