University of Lorraine

About: University of Lorraine is a education organization based out in Nancy, France. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Nonlinear system. The organization has 11942 authors who have published 25010 publications receiving 425227 citations. The organization is also known as: Lorraine University.

Video clip assessment of a salivary gland ultrasound scoring system in Sjögren’s syndrome using consensual definitions: an OMERACT ultrasound working group reliability exercise

Abstract: Objective To develop ultrasound (US) definitions and a US novel scoring system for major salivary gland (SG) lesions in patients with primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) and to test their intrareader and inter-reader reliability using US video clips. Methods Twenty-five rheumatologists were subjected to a three-round, web-based Delphi process in order to agree on (1) definitions and scanning procedure of salivary gland ultrasonography (SGUS): parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands (PG, SMG and SLG); (2) definitions for the elementary SGUS lesions in patients with Sjogren’s syndrome; (3) scoring system for grading changes. The experts rated the statements on a 1–5 Likert scale. In the second step, SGUS video clips of patients with pSS and non-pSS sicca cases were collected containing various spectrums of disease severity followed by an intrareader and inter-reader reliability exercise. Each video clip was evaluated according to the agreed definitions. Results Consensual definitions were developed after three Delphi rounds. Among the three selected SGs, US assessment of PGs and SMGs was agreed on. Agreement was reached to score only greyscale lesions and to focus on anechoic/hypoechoic foci in a semiquantitative matter or, if not possible on a qualitatively (present/absent) evaluation of fatty or fibrous lesions. Intrareader reliability for detecting and scoring these lesions was excellent (Cohen’s kappa 0.81) and inter-reader reliability was good (Light’s kappa 0.66). Conclusion New definitions for developing a novel semiquantitative US score in patients with pSS were developed and tested on video clips. Inter-reader and intrareader reliabilities were good and excellent, respectively.

Aligot: cryptographic function identification in obfuscated binary programs

Abstract: Analyzing cryptographic implementations has important applications, especially for malware analysis where they are an integral part both of the malware payload and the unpacking code that decrypts this payload. These implementations are often based on well-known cryptographic functions, whose description is publicly available. While potentially very useful for malware analysis, the identification of such cryptographic primitives is made difficult by the fact that they are usually obfuscated. Current state-of-the-art identification tools are ineffective due to the absence of easily identifiable static features in obfuscated code. However, these implementations still maintain the input-output (I/O) relationship of the original function. In this paper, we present a tool that leverages this fact to identify cryptographic functions in obfuscated programs, by retrieving their I/O parameters in an implementation-independent fashion, and comparing them with those of known cryptographic functions. In experimental evaluation, we successfully identified the cryptographic functions TEA, RC4, AES and MD5 both in synthetic examples protected by a commercial-grade packer (AsProtect), and in several obfuscated malware samples (Sality, Waledac, Storm Worm and SilentBanker). In addition, our tool was able to recognize basic operations done in asymmetric ciphers such as RSA.

Phase transformations and mechanical properties in heat treated superaustenitic stainless steels

Abstract: A microstructure–properties relationship study in two superaustenitic stainless steels (S31254 and S32654) was carried out, following exposure at elevated temperatures for various ageing times. Due to high temperature ageing, most stainless steel grades suffer the formation of various precipitates, directly affecting their properties. The full characterization of those precipitates and the correlation with the mechanical behavior of the steels is the primary aim of this study. Samples of the steel grades studied, were exposed to isothermal heat treatments within the temperature range of 650–950 °C, for ageing times varying between 0.5 h and 3000 h, followed by water quenching at room temperature. Microstructural examination indicated the formation of four different secondary phases, sigma phase (σ), chi phase (χ), Laves phase and β-Cr2N nitride, which were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction. The results obtained permitted the construction of the time–temperature–precipitation (TTP) plots. In addition, tensile and Vickers hardness testing were utilized and the modulus of toughness was calculated. The kinetics of the formation of various precipitates with increasing temperature and aging duration was also observed. It was found that various precipitates had a significant effect on all mechanical properties studied.

Safety and Efficacy of Once-Weekly Exenatide Compared With Insulin Glargine Titrated to Target in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Over 84 Weeks

Abstract: OBJECTIVE We recently reported that after 26 weeks, exenatide once weekly (EQW) resulted in superior A1C reduction, reduced hypoglycemia, and progressive weight loss compared with daily insulin glargine (IG) in patients with type 2 diabetes who were taking metformin alone or with sulfonylurea. This 84-week extension study assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of EQW versus IG. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This multicenter, open-label, randomized, two-arm, parallel trial assessed change in A1C, proportions of patients achieving A1C RESULTS Of 415 patients who completed 26 weeks, 390 (194 EQW and 196 IG patients) entered the extension study. At 84 weeks, A1C decreased from baseline (8.3%) by −1.2% for EQW vs. −1.0% for IG ( P = 0.029). The proportions of patients who achieved end point A1C targets P = 0.084) and 31.3% for EQW patients vs. 20.2% for IG patients ( P = 0.009), respectively. Patients taking EQW lost 2.1 kg of body weight, whereas those taking IG gained 2.4 kg ( P P P P CONCLUSIONS After 84 weeks, patients treated with EQW continued to experience better glycemic control with sustained overall weight loss and a lower risk of hypoglycemia than patients treated with IG.