Direct Attack Research Articles

Adversarial robustness and attacks for multi-view deep models

Recent work has highlighted the vulnerability of many deep machine learning models to adversarial examples. It attracts increasing attention to adversarial attacks, which can be used to evaluate the security and robustness of models before they are deployed. However, to our best knowledge, there is no specific research on the adversarial robustness and attacks for multi-view deep models. Based on the fact that adversarial examples generalize well among different models, this paper takes the adversarial attack on the multi-view convolutional neural network as an example to investigate the adversarial robustness of multi-view deep models, and further proposes effective multi-view adversarial attacks. This paper proposes two strategies, two-stage attack (TSA) and end-to-end attack (ETEA), to attack against well-trained multi-view models. With the mild assumption that the single-view model on which the target multi-view model is based is known, we first propose the TSA strategy. The main idea of TSA is to attack the multi-view model with adversarial examples generated by attacking the associated single-view model, by which state-of-the-art single-view attack methods are directly extended to the multi-view scenario. Then we further propose the ETEA strategy where the multi-view model is provided publicly. The ETEA is applied to accomplish direct attacks on the target multi-view model, where we develop three effective multi-view attack methods. Extensive experimental results show that multi-view models are more robust than single-view models and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed multi-view adversarial attacks.

Reverse Mortgage: A Financial Planning Tool for the Retirees— Case Study Approach in India

Reverse mortgage has always been viewed as a product meant exclusively for the elderly with financial hardship. However, there is a brighter side to it too. This article attempts to project reverse mortgage as a financial planning tool through a case study analysis. Using the coordinated strategy, this case explores how the line-of-credit option in reverse mortgage can meet the cash needs of a retiree during market downturns, allowing his portfolio to stay invested. The suggested strategy is a direct attack on investment risks, especially, sequence of return risk. Using this strategy, the depreciated assets are allowed to recover their original value and appreciate, ensuring better returns and longevity of investments. Dilemma: Is reverse mortgage a sustainable retirement plan? How can it be used as a financial planning tool to fund retirement? With the increasing proportion of elderly population in India (projected to be 19% by 2050), reverse mortgage has emerged as an efficient option to fund retirement days. Seeing its success in foreign countries, the dilemma, is: Is it an adequate solution to fund retirement in India? Theory: The premise of the present research is based on a coordinated strategy, used by Sacks and Lafaye (2016) where it is proposed that the client, using the line of credit option in reverse mortgage, would borrow only during market downturns, thereby leaving their market investments untouched and maximizing their gains. Basis of the Case: Phenomena-based case: financial planning for a retiree. Type of the Case: This is basically an applied decisional case, attempting to determine where reverse mortgage is an effective retirement plan or not. Protagonist Present: Mr Rajesh Sharma and Mr Anand Malhotra. Findings: After 20 years into retirement. Mr Rajesh Sharma who does not choose reverse mortgage ends up exhausting his complete investment portfolio value in the 19th year of his retirement life. Thus, he is in financial distress and has no resort to meet his financial needs except to fall back upon his children. On the contrary, Mr Anand Malhotra who opts for the line of credit option in reverse mortgage has positive net worth at the end of 20 years that can ensure a comfortable future for him. Discussions: The case recommends utilising reverse mortgage as financial planning tool for the elderly. Mr Rajesh Sharma is in financial distress and has no resort to meet his financial needs except to fall back upon his children. Mr Anand Malhotra by making the smart choice of reverse mortgage, ensured that his portfolio stayed invested longer, providing it sustenance and longevity. By opting for reverse mortgage, Mr Anand Malhotra not only shielded his investments from unnecessary withdrawals, but the option also gave him the confidence to tide over his financial exigencies The case concludes that reverse mortgage can provide greater probability of the investments/savings to survive the retirement period, coupled with a high probability of greater net worth at the end of the period. It can be safely concluded that reverse mortgage is definitely a golden walking stick for the elderly. If the government and the lending institutions take cognizance of this aspect of reverse mortgage and market it accordingly, it can turn out to be a vanguard product for the Indian elderly.

A multilayer perceptron model for anomaly detection in water treatment plants

Early and accurate anomaly detection in critical infrastructure (CI), such as water treatment plants and electric power grid, is necessary to avoid plant damage and service disruption. Several machine learning techniques have been employed for the design of an effective anomaly detector in such systems. However, threats such as from insiders and state actors, introduce challenges in the design of an effective anomaly detector. This work presents a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) based anomaly detector that uses an unsupervised approach to safeguard CI from the adverse impacts of cyber-attacks. The proposed detector was trained using the data collected under the normal operation of the plant. The model captures the temporal dependencies between the samples and predicts the plant behavior. Further, the well-known CUmulative SUM (CUSUM) approach was used to detect the abnormal deviations between the observed and predicted sensor values for the identification and reporting of anomalies. Experimental validation of the proposed method was carried out using a dataset obtained from Secure Water Treatment (SWaT) an operational water treatment testbed under normal operation as well as under direct and stealthy attacks. The performance of MLP-CUSUM was compared against the state-of-the-art machine learning models in terms of its classification accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and the false alarm rate.

Modeling the Mineralization Kinetics of Visible Led Graphene Oxide/Titania Photocatalytic Ozonation of an Urban Wastewater Containing Pharmaceutical Compounds

In a water ozonation process, dissolved organics undergo two reactions at least: direct ozone attack and oxidation with hydroxyl radicals generated from the ozone decomposition. In the particular case of urban wastewater contaminated with pharmaceuticals, competition between these two reactions can be studied through application of gas–liquid reaction kinetics. However, there is a lack in literature about kinetic modeling of ozone processes in water specially in photocatalytic ozonation. In this work, lumped reactions of ozone and hydroxyl radicals with total organic carbon have been proposed. Urban wastewater containing a mixture of eight pharmaceutical compounds has been used to establish the kinetic model that simulates the mineralization process. The kinetic model is based on a mechanism of free radical and molecular reactions and the knowledge of mass transfer, chemical reaction rate constants, and radiation transfer data. According to the model, both single ozonation and photocatalytic ozonation present two distinct reaction periods characterized by the absence and presence of dissolved ozone. In the first period (less than 10 min), pharmaceuticals mainly disappear by direct ozone reactions and TOC variation due to these compounds has been modeled according to gas–liquid reaction kinetics through a lumped ozone-pharmaceutical TOC fast second order reaction. The corresponding rate constant of this reaction was found to change with time from 3 × 105 to 200 M−1 s−1 with Hatta values higher than 0.3. In the second period (nearly 5 h), competition between direct and hydroxyl radical reactions takes place and a kinetic model based on a direct and free radical reaction mechanism is proposed. Main influencing parameters to be known were: Direct ozone reaction rate constant, catalyst quantum yield, and hydroxyl radical scavengers. The first two take values of 0.5 M−1 s−1 and 5 × 10−4 mol·photon−1, respectively, while a fraction of TOC between 10% and 90% that changes with time was found to possess hydroxyl radical scavenger nature.

Live (Life) Streaming: Virtual Interaction, Virtual Proximity, and Streaming Everyday Life during the COVID- 19 Pandemic

This paper proposes to examine the digital event of live streaming as an entanglement of digital engagement, virtual proximity, and virtual embodiment as a possible posthuman concern, foregrounded by the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic. The transition witnessed in the medium of communication between humans has significantly deconstructed our understanding of the ‘normal’, consequently introducing a new phase of lost corporeality, digitally. Unforeseen excessive employment of the virtual engagement system of live (life) streaming is a testament to the current human extremity. In the light of this transition, the paper attempts to explore the possibility of witnessing some semblance of reality by altering the praxis of normalcy in the practice of the COVID appropriate ‘new normal’ through the virtual medium of a live stream. Since the ontology of human exceptionalism has come under direct attack due to the current pandemic, a reassessment of the human/ technology interphase and its consequent posthuman predicament is urgent. Drawing on Rosi Braidotti’s concept of life beyond the self and N. Katherine Hayles’s concept of embodied virtuality, this paper analyses the technical feature of live streaming as the ‘digital’ becoming of human beings in the contemporary COVID- 19 world, further complicating the modes of construction of embodiment through live (life) streaming.

Análisis del comportamiento en los patrones tácticos ofensivos de los equipos masculinos del fútbol profesional en primera división de Bogotá, durante el torneo finalización 2017

Este artículo pretende analizar las variables que influyen en las fases ofensivas de los equipos masculinos del fútbol profesional en primera división de Bogotá, durante el Torneo Finalización 2017, cuando se encontraban cuatro equipos de la capital colombiana disputando el torneo de primera división (Millonarios, Santa Fe, La Equidad y Tigres). Para cada una de las acciones ofensivas analizadas se utilizan siete variables: resultado parcial, comienzo del patrón ofensivo, jugadores que participan, cantidad de técnicas individuales ofensivas, zonas de juego, fases del ataque y culminación del juego ofensivo, mediante un análisis observacional que permita distinguir si existen patrones tácticos ofensivos en los equipos analizados y si algunas de las variables inciden directamente en las maneras de atacar. Utilizando el software de registro LINCE, se analizaron cinco partidos de cada equipo, observados de manera secuencial (jornada 1, 5, 10, 15 y 20) para un total de 20 partidos. Los resultados afirman que en el fútbol colombiano los patrones tácticos ofensivos son muy cortos y no tienen analogía entre ellos. Además, se manifiestan ataques directos y jugadas de balón detenido como la estrategia más usual utilizada por los equipos para atacar.

Focus on coronavirus disease 2019 associated coagulopathy.

Focus on coronavirus disease 2019 associated coagulopathy.

Tetrabutylammonium fluoride initiated anionic ring-opening polymerizations of N–sulfonyl aziridines

Ionic pair tetrabutylammonium halide (TBAX) was efficient initiator in anionic ring-opening polymerizations (AROPs) of N-sulfonyl aziridines, in which the tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) was the optimal initiator effect controlled/living AROPs. TBAX initiated AROPs of 2-methyl-N-tosylaziridine (TsMAz) by relative activities on halide X in sequence of F > Cl > Br > I, which was corroborated to the nucleophilicities of the halides. Homopolymers and diblock copolymers of TsMAz and EsMAz were prepared. The AROPs possessed living nature by first order kinetics with fast polymerizations (0.5 to several hours), high conversions (90–99%), narrow dispersities (Đ < 1.16), and predicted molecular weights. Mechanism of initiation by direct attack on the aziridine ring with fluoride and propagation by sulfonyl amidate anion was proposed. This protocol provided new entry in design of catalyst/initiator of ionic pair for polymerizations, and developed synthetic toolbox for mild and efficient anionic ring-opening polymerizations.

Pathogenesis of inclusion body myositis.

To review the pathogenesis of inclusion body myositis (IBM). IBM is an autoimmune disease. Multiple arms of the immune system are activated, but a direct attack on muscle fibers by highly differentiated T cells drives muscle destruction. Further understanding of the pathogenesis of IBM guides rational approaches to developing therapeutic strategies.

Assessing the Validity of an Election’s Result: History, Theory, and Present Threats

In the wake of President Trump’s acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, the United States will need to hold a presidential election in unprecedented circumstances. Never before has an incumbent president run for reelection after the opposing party in Congress has declared that the fairness of the election cannot be “assured” as long as the incumbent is permitted on the ballot. This uniquely acute challenge to holding an election that the public will accept as valid follows other stresses to electoral legitimacy unseen before 2016. The Russian attack on the election that year caused Americans to question their capacity to hold free and fair elections in a way that Americans had not questioned previously. Given these challenges, this essay tackles the basic concept of what it means for the outcome of an election to be valid. It turns out that, because of the way American history has unfolded, this basic concept is contested now although it had been settled previously. Current circumstances require renewing a shared conception of electoral validity. Otherwise, participants in electoral competition — winners and losers alike — cannot know whether or not the result qualifies as authentically democratic. Accordingly, after reviewing the history that has led to the present difficulties, this essay offers a renewed conception of electoral validity and both explains the theoretical basis for this renewed conception and then applies it to some of the most salient threats to electoral validity that are foreseeable in this year’s and future elections. In brief, the proposed standard of electoral validity distinguishes sharply between (1) direct attacks on the electoral process that negate voter choice and (2) indirect attacks that improperly manipulate voter choice. Direct attacks undermine electoral validity, whereas indirect attacks do not. It is essential, however, that the category of direct attacks encompasses the disenfranchisement of eligible voters, which prevents them from casting a ballot, as well as the falsification of votes reported in the tallies of counted ballots.

Direct oxidation of antibiotic trimethoprim by unactivated peroxymonosulfate via a nonradical transformation mechanism

Application of activated peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate sulfate radical or hydroxyl radical is a promising strategy for wastewater treatment, while our knowledge on the background reaction, namely, the direct interaction between PMS and target contaminants is quite limited. In this contribution, the degradation kinetics, stoichiometry, products and mechanism of the reaction between unactivated PMS and trimethoprim (TMP), one of the most commonly detected micro-pollutants in the aquatic system were investigated systematically. The results indicated that TMP was susceptible to degradation by direct PMS oxidation via a non-radical process. By recording the decay of two reactants simultaneously, the stoichiometric ratio between PMS and TMP was estimated to be approximately 1. Higher PMS levels exhibited a promotion effect on PMS decay. And the degradation was pH-dependent, basic conditions were favorable for TMP degradation, which could be well modeled based on the species-specific reactions. The two amine groups on the pyrimidine ring were identified as the reactive sites. After direct attacks by PMS, they would be oxidized to form hydroxylamine-products, namely, N8–OH-TMP and N9–OH-TMP. These two hydroxylamine-products were quite stable and resistant to further oxidation by PMS, preventing the formation of more toxic nitroso- and nitro-products. The new findings in the present work would provide beneficial information on the strategy choice for the elimination of specific pollutants, like TMP, as PMS also exhibits relatively high reactivity towards them.

Adjusting venues and voices: populist and right-wing parties, the European Parliament and civil society equality organizations 2014–2019

ABSTRACT The European Parliament (EP) offers channels for policy input through committees, intragroups, and the commissioning of reports and studies. Civil society equality organizations (CSOs) promoting diversity, gender equality and sexual rights are among the actors using such channels. Today they experience severe cut-backs and direct attacks by populist and radical-right parties who increasingly gained electoral support in several member states. The trajectory on the supranational level is less clear. This article examines the question of whether the increase in populist and right-wing parties in the EP changed how supranational CSOs promoting (gender) equality used venues for making their voice heard in EP policy-making in the 2014–2019 legislature. We investigate the challenges to the relationships between the EP, its committees and political groups, and equality CSOs. Analysing documents and interviews with MEPs and CSOs, our findings show that in the changing political environment, CSOs have moved towards more informal channels of participation, thereby avoiding polarization and conflict and maintaining an effective presence on the political stage.

DANGER IN HERITAGE BY FORGETFULNESS. VICENTE SANCHO ARCHITECTURE

Abstract. We are used to considering the risks on the architectural heritage as direct attacks on it, such as abandonment, degradation of materials, … However, the loss of said assets can be caused simply by ignorance of them. This is the case of Vicente Sancho Fuster and his work. Vicente Sancho Fuster worked during the first decade of the 20th century in Valencia. His work is part of the trend of Valencian Art Nouveau, along with Vicente Ferrer and Demetrio Ribes. However, he is barely known due to his sudden death at age 35. His work continues being virtually unknown today, even by architects, despite its enormous interest and significance for the history of local and national Art Nouveau architecture. The greatest impediment to the study of his creation is the location of the works he created, because the references found are marked by inaccuracy and lack of data. As a result we find both: works attributed to Vicente Sancho Fuster that are not his own, and works attributed to other authors but in which his signature appears. At the same time, when his work is compared with some of the Art Nouveau buildings which have been protected by municipal law, it can be shown that both deserve to have the same consideration.

Recent advances in asymmetric synthesis with CO2

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important and appealing C1 building block in chemical synthesis due to its nontoxicity, abundance, availability and sustainability. Tremendous progress has been achieved in the chemical transformation of CO2 into high value-added organic chemicals. However, the asymmetric synthesis with CO2 to form enantioenriched molecules, especially the catalytic process, has lagged far behind. The enantioselective incorporation of CO2 into organic compounds is highly desirable, as the corresponding chiral products, such as carboxylic acids and amino acids, are common structural units in a vast array of natural products and biologically active compounds. Herein, we discuss recent progress toward the enantioselective incorporation of CO2 into organic molecules, which mainly rely on three strategies: 1) kinetic resolution or desymmetrization of epoxides with CO2 to form chiral cyclic carbonates and polycarbonates; 2) nucleophilic attack of O- or N-nucleophiles to CO2 in tandem with asymmetric C–O bond formation to prepare chiral cyclic carbonates and carbamates; 3) direct enantioselective nucleophilic attack of organometallic reagents to CO2 with asymmetric C–C bond formation. Finally, challenges and future outlook in this area are also presented.

Scrutinizing the vital role of various ultraviolet irradiations on the comparative photocatalytic ozonation of albendazole and metronidazole: Integration and synergistic reactions mechanism

Herein, TiO2 nanoparticles were immobilized on the ceramic surface using the sol-gel dip-coating method, which confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Then, a semi-batch reactor containing the prepared ceramic plates, which irradiated by the various UV lights was used for the degradation of the albendazole (ALZ) and metronidazole (MTZ) pharmaceuticals by the photocatalytic ozonation process. The control experiments were performed to compare the photocatalysis, ozonation, photo-ozonation and photocatalytic ozonation processes under the same operational conditions with the UV-A, UV-B and UV-C irradiations. The synergistic effect of photocatalysis and ozonation was observed; moreover, the results revealed that the UV-A/TiO2/O3 had the highest efficiency for the ALZ and MTZ degradation owing to the synergistic heterogeneous reactions (SHRs), which led to more reactive oxygen species (ROS). The MTZ and ALZ degradation were probed by monitoring the dissolved ozone, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide concentrations during the various processes including the UV-A/TiO2/O3 process. The obtained results disclose that the ALZ degradation is lower than the MTZ due to its resistant nature with more direct attacks of the ozone in the bulk solution compared to the MTZ. Furthermore, the various compounds as the holes (h+) and ROS scavengers or ozone solubility enhancers were added to the reaction bulk to investigate the exact mechanism of the photocatalytic-ozonation. Eventually, the degradation intermediates of the pharmaceuticals generated in the photocatalytic-ozonation process were successfully recognized by the Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and the possible degradation paths were suggested for the degradation of pollutants considering the responsible ROS in each case.

Laboratory abnormalities and risk factors associated with in-hospital death in patients with severe COVID-19.

BackgroundIn the context of the COVID‐19 outbreak of worldwide, we aim to analyze the laboratory risk factors of in‐hospital death in patients with severe COVID‐19.MethodsAll ≥18‐year‐old patients with confirmed severe COVID‐19 admitted to Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China) from February 3 to February 20, 2020, were retrospectively enrolled and followed up until March 20, 2020. Epidemiological, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data were collected and explored the risk factors associated with in‐hospital death.ResultsA total of 73 severe patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 20 (27%) patients died in hospital during the average 28 days of follow‐up period. The median age of non‐survivors was significantly older than survivors (69 [64‐76.5] years vs 64 [56‐71.3] years, P = .033) and 15 (75%) patients were males. The laboratory abnormalities of non‐survivors mainly presented in serious inflammation response and multiple organ failure, with high levels of cytokines and deranged coagulation parameters. Multivariable regression showed that neutrophil count greater than 4.47 × 109/L (OR, 58.35; 95%CI: 2.16‐1571.69; P = .016), hypersensitivity C‐reactive protein greater than 86.7 mg/L (OR, 14.90; 95%CI: 1.29‐171.10; P = .030), creatine kinase greater than 101 U/L (OR, 161.62; 95%CI: 6.45‐4045.20; P = .002), and blood urea nitrogen greater than 6.7 mmol/L (OR, 11.18; 95%CI: 1.36‐91.62; P = .024) were risk factors for in‐hospital death.ConclusionThe risk factors of neutrophil count, hypersensitivity C‐reactive protein, creatine kinase, and blood urea nitrogen could help clinicians to early identify COVID‐19 severe patients with poor outcomes on admission. Virus direct attack and cytokine storm play a major role in the death of COVID‐19.

Bacterial lyso-form lipoproteins are synthesized via an intramolecular acyl chain migration

All bacterial lipoproteins share a variably acylated N-terminal cysteine residue. Gram-negative bacterial lipoproteins are triacylated with a thioether-linked diacylglycerol moiety and an N-acyl chain. The latter is transferred from a membrane phospholipid donor to the α-amino terminus by the enzyme lipoprotein N-acyltransferase (Lnt), using an active-site cysteine thioester covalent intermediate. Many Gram-positive Firmicutes also have N-acylated lipoproteins, but the enzymes catalyzing N-acylation remain uncharacterized. The integral membrane protein Lit (lipoprotein intramolecular transacylase) from the opportunistic nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis synthesizes a specific lysoform lipoprotein (N-acyl S-monoacylglycerol) chemotype by an unknown mechanism that helps this bacterium evade immune recognition by the Toll-like receptor 2 family complex. Here, we used a deuterium-labeled lipoprotein substrate with reconstituted Lit to investigate intramolecular acyl chain transfer. We observed that Lit transfers the sn-2 ester-linked lipid from the diacylglycerol moiety to the α-amino terminus without forming a covalent thioester intermediate. Utilizing Mut-Seq to analyze an alanine scan library of Lit alleles, we identified two stretches of functionally important amino acid residues containing two conserved histidines. Topology maps based on reporter fusion assays and cysteine accessibility placed both histidines in the extracellular half of the cytoplasmic membrane. We propose a general acid base-promoted catalytic mechanism, invoking direct nucleophilic attack by the substrate α-amino group on the sn-2 ester to form a cyclic tetrahedral intermediate that then collapses to produce lyso-lipoprotein. Lit is a unique example of an intramolecular transacylase differentiated from that catalyzed by Lnt, and provides insight into the heterogeneity of bacterial lipoprotein biosynthetic systems.

Letter: Neurosurgery and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic: Doing our Part.

Letter: Neurosurgery and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic: Doing our Part.

Modified Public Key Cryptosystem Based On Circulant Matrix

Experts believe that public key cryptosystems on non-commutative algebraic structures are resistant to the attack of quantum algorithms. In recent years, public key cryptosystems based on Polynomial Symmetrical Decomposition (PSD) on the non-commutative group have been developed. However, they are vulnerable to direct attack, linearization equations attack, and overdefined systems of multivariate polynomial equations attack. This cryptosystem has also been improved by experts. However, the operation of the proposed PSD Improvement still uses complex computing and untested. Therefore in this paper, we replace PSD on a non-commutative group into a non-commutative matrix group. We chose the circulant matrix on the key agreement protocol and the key distribution. The results show that the cryptosystem proposed on the circulant matrix is resistant to direct attack, linearization equations attack, and overdefined systems of multivariate polynomial equations attack.

The possible impairment of respiratory-related neural loops may be associated with the silent pneumonia induced by SARS-CoV-2.

As compared to many other viral pulmonary infections, there existed several peculiar manifestations in the COVID‐19 patients, including the “silence” of pneumonia in both mild and severe cases and a long intensive care unit stay for those requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Similar silent pneumonia has been documented in the infectioninduced by H5N1 influenza virus HK483 and was found to result from the direct attack of the virus on the bronchopulmonary C‐fibers at the early stage and the final infection in the brainstem at the late stage. The long stay of critical patients in the intensive care unit is possibly due to the depression of central respiratory drive, which resulted in the failure to wean from the mechanic ventilation. Carotid and aortic bodies and bronchopulmonary C‐fibers are two key peripheral components responsible for the chemosensitive responses in the respiratory system, while triggering respiratory reflexes depends predominantly on the putative chemosensitive neurons located in the pontomedullary nuclei. In view of the findings for the H5N1 influenza virus, the silence of pneumonia induced by SARS‐CoV‐2 may be due to the possible impairment of peripheral chemosensitive reflexes as well as the damage to the respiratory‐related central neurons.