Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying New Spam Domains by Hosting IPs: Improving Domain Blacklisting

This paper studies the possibility of using hosting IP addresses to identify potential spam domains. Current domain blacklisting may not be effective if spammers keep replacing blacklisted domains with newly registered domains. In this study, we cluster spam domains based on their hosting IP addresses and associated email subjects. We found some hosting IP addresses were heavily used by spammers to host a large number of domains and persisted for much longer period of time than related domains. Our results show that hosting IP blacklisting should be effective against many point-of-sale spam campaigns, such as pharmaceutical, sexual enhancement and luxury good spam, which mainly use static IP addresses to host their websites. The IP addresses remain active from several days to even a couple of months before replaced by a set of new IPs. Therefore, even when new spam domains appear from time to time, they can be immediately detected as spam domains by looking up the hosting IP address. The reported IP addresses are also useful for law enforcement investigators to identify ISPs that provide bulletproof hosting services to spammers. The detection and termination of spam domains and their hosts will severely impede spammers’ capability to generate revenue from spam.
Robust, object-based high-resolution image reconstruction from low-resolution video

We propose a robust, object-based approach to high-resolution image reconstruction from video using the projections onto convex sets (POCS) framework. The proposed method employs a validity map and/or a segmentation map. The validity map disables projections based on observations with inaccurate motion information for robust reconstruction in the presence of motion estimation errors; while the segmentation map enables object-based processing where more accurate motion models can be utilized to improve the quality of the reconstructed image. Procedures for the computation of the validity map and segmentation map are presented. Experimental results demonstrate the improvement in image quality that can be achieved by the proposed methods.
Frequentist evaluation of group sequential clinical trial designs

Group sequential stopping rules are often used as guidelines in the monitoring of clinical trials in order to address the ethical and efficiency issues inherent in human testing of a new treatment or preventive agent for disease. Such stopping rules have been proposed based on a variety of different criteria, both scientific (e.g. estimates of treatment effect) and statistical (e.g. frequentist type I error, Bayesian posterior probabilities, stochastic curtailment). It is easily shown, however, that a stopping rule based on one of these criteria induces a stopping rule on all other criteria. Thus, the basis used to initially define a stopping rule is relatively unimportant so long as the operating characteristics of the stopping rule are fully investigated. In this paper we describe how the frequentist operating characteristics of a particular stopping rule might be evaluated to ensure that the selected clinical trial design satisfies the constraints imposed by the many different disciplines represented by the clinical trial collaborators. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
HELIUM CORE WHITE DWARFS IN CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES

Binary evolution predicts a population of helium core (M < 0.5 M☉) white dwarfs (WDs) that are slowly accreting hydrogen-rich material from low-mass main-sequence or brown dwarf donors with orbital periods less than 4 hr. Four binaries are presently known in the Milky Way that will reach such a mass-transferring state in a few Gyr. Despite these predictions and observations of progenitor binaries, there are still no secure cases of helium core WDs among the mass-transferring cataclysmic variables. This led us to calculate the fate of He WDs once accretion begins at a rate set by angular momentum losses. We show here that the cold He core temperatures (Tc < 107 K) and low result in ∼10−3 M☉ of accumulated H-rich material at the onset of the thermonuclear runaway. Shara and collaborators noted that these large accumulated masses may lead to exceptionally long classical nova (CN) events. For a typical donor star of 0.2 M☉, such binaries will only yield a few hundred CNe, making these events rare among all CNe. We calculate the reheating of the accreting WD, allowing a comparison to the measured WD effective temperatures in quiescent dwarf novae and raising the possibility that WD seismology may be the best way to confirm the presence of a He WD. We also find that a very long (>1000 yr) stable burning phase occurs after the CN outburst, potentially explaining enigmatic short orbital period supersoft sources like RX J0537–7034 (Porb = 3.5 hr) and 1E 0035.4–7230 (Porb = 4.1 hr).
Pricing and Persistence of Accruals and Cash Flows: Evidence from Indian Midcap Companies

Based on the models developed by Ohlson (1995 and 1999), the paper examines the persistency, forecasting and valuation relevance of earning components (accruals and cash flows) for a period of 10 years using NSE midcap 50 companies. The empirical research which uses panel data analysis (fixed effect) provides evidence regarding persistence ability and valuation relevance of earning components. The study, however, shows differing results regarding forecasting relevance of earning components. While cash flows tend to exhibit forecasting relevance (cash flows help in forecasting future abnormal earnings incremental to abnormal earnings and book value), accruals do not aid in forecasting future abnormal earnings, thereby showing forecasting irrelevance in the Indian midcap space.
Retinoic Acid Signalling Is Activated in the Postischemic Heart and May Influence Remodelling

Background All-trans retinoic acid (atRA), an active derivative of vitamin A, regulates cell differentiation, proliferation and cardiac morphogenesis via transcriptional activation of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) acting on retinoic acid response elements (RARE). We hypothesized that the retinoic acid (RA) signalling pathway is activated in myocardial ischemia and postischemic remodelling. Methods and Findings Myocardial infarction was induced through ligating the left coronary artery in mice. In vivo cardiac activation of the RARs was measured by imaging RARE-luciferase reporter mice, and analysing expression of RAR target genes and proteins by real time RT-PCR and western blot. Endogenous retinoids in postinfarcted hearts were analysed by triple-stage liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Cardiomyocytes (CM) and cardiofibroblasts (CF) were isolated from infarcted and sham operated RARE luciferase reporter hearts and monitored for RAR activity and expression of target genes. The effect of atRA on CF proliferation was evaluated by EdU incorporation. Myocardial infarction increased thoracic RAR activity in vivo (p<0.001), which was ascribed to the heart through ex vivo imaging (p = 0.002) with the largest signal 1 week postinfarct. This was accompanied by increased cardiac gene and protein expression of the RAR target genes retinol binding protein 1 (p = 0.01 for RNA, p = 0,006 for protein) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A2 (p = 0.04 for RNA, p = 0,014 for protein), while gene expression of cytochrome P450 26B1 was downregulated (p = 0.007). Concomitantly, retinol accumulated in the infarcted zone (p = 0.02). CM and CF isolated from infarcted hearts had higher luminescence than those from sham operated hearts (p = 0.02 and p = 0.008). AtRA inhibited CF proliferation in vitro (p = 0.02). Conclusion The RA signalling pathway is activated in postischemic hearts and may play a role in regulation of damage and repair during remodelling.
Intermittent bolus dosing of ceftazidime in critically ill patients.

Ceftazidime is frequently used in critically ill patients, particularly for the treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. The recommended dosing regimen is based on pharmacokinetic data obtained in healthy volunteers and may not be appropriate in the critically ill. We administered ceftazidime in the maximum recommended dose (2 g i.v. every 8 h) to ten critically ill patients with normal plasma creatinine. Eighteen arterial blood samples were taken from each patient over the first 8 h for measurement of ceftazidime concentrations and subsequent compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. An additional trough sample was taken from each patient on day 3. Although mean pharmacokinetic variables did not differ from previously reported data in normal volunteers there was wide variability in plasma drug concentrations. Three of our patients had plasma ceftazidime concentrations less than the MIC for P. aeruginosa (8 mg/L) and nine had concentrations less than 5 x MIC, which has been recommended to ensure efficacy. On day 3 trough ceftazidime concentrations were less than the MIC in four out of the seven patients in whom measurements were made and less than 5 x MIC in the remaining three. There was no clinical predictor of which patients would have low plasma concentrations. Our results show that plasma concentrations of ceftazidime are very variable when the recommended intermittent bolus dosing regimen is used and may result in inadequate plasma concentrations of drug in critical infections. This may result in treatment failure and the emergence of antibiotic resistance. A loading dose followed by continuous infusion should overcome these problems but this awaits in-vivo evaluation.
UNVEILING A COMPACT CLUSTER OF MASSIVE AND YOUNG STARS IN IRAS 17233-3606

We have analyzed sensitive high spatial resolution archival radio continuum data at 1.3, 2.0, 3.6, and 6.0 cm as well as the H2O maser molecular line data obtained using the Very Large Array (VLA) in its hybrid AB configuration toward the high-mass star-forming region IRAS 17233-3606 (G351.78-0.54). We find nine compact radio sources associated with this region, six of them are new radio detections. We discuss the characteristics of these sources based mostly on their spectral indices and find that most of them appear to be optically thin or thick ultra- and hyper-compact H ii regions ionized by B zero-age main-sequence stars. Furthermore, in a few cases the radio emission may arise from optically thick dusty disks and/or cores; however more observations at different wavelengths are necessary to firmly confirm their true nature. In addition, we compared our centimeter maps with the mid-infrared images from the Spitzer Space Observatory GLIMPSE survey revealing a cluster of young protostars in the region together with multiple collimated outflows, some of which might be related to the compact centimeter objects. Finally, we find that one of these centimeter objects, VLA2d, is well centered in an apparent strong and compact north–south bipolar outflow traced by OH masers and we therefore suggest that this object is energizing the latter.
The primordial binary population. I. A near-infrared adaptive optics search for close visual companions to A star members of Scorpius OB2

We present the results of a near-infrared adaptive optics survey with the aim to detect close companions to Hipparcos members in the three subgroups of the nearby OB association Sco OB2: Upper Scorpius (US), Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL) and Lower Centaurus Crux (LCC). We have targeted 199 A-type and late B-type stars in the K S band, and a subset also in the J and H band. We find 151 stellar components other than the target stars. A brightness criterion is used to separate these components into 77 background stars and 74 candidate physical companion stars. Out of these 74 candidate companions, 41 have not been reported before (14 in US; 13 in UCL; 14 in LCC). The angular separation between primaries and observed companion stars ranges from 0.22 to 12.4. At the mean distance of Sco OB2 (130 pc) this corresponds to a projected separation of 28.6 AU to 1612 AU. Absolute magnitudes are derived for all primaries and observed companions using the parallax and interstellar extinction for each star individually. For each object we derive the mass from K S , assuming an age of 5 Myr for the US subgroup, and 20 Myr for the UCL and LCC subgroups. Companion star masses range from 0.10 M ○. to 3.0 M ○. The mass ratio distribution follows f(q) = q -Γ with r = 0.33, which excludes random pairing. No close (ρ ≤ 3.75) companion stars or background stars are found in the magnitude range 12 mag 14 mag are observed. If these components are very low-mass companion stars, a gap in the companion mass distribution might be present. The small number of close low-mass companion stars could support the embryo-ejection formation scenario for brown dwarfs. Our findings are compared with and complementary to visual, spectroscopic, and astrometric data on binarity in Sco OB2. We find an overall companion star fraction of 0.52 in this association. This is a lower limit since the data from the observations and from literature are hampered by observational biases and selection effects. This paper is the first step toward our goal to derive the primordial binary population in Sco OB2.
The Conditional Price of Basis Risk: An Investigation Using Foreign Exchange Instruments

Abstract: This paper uses a conditional multifactor model and shows that the basis of foreign currency instruments includes a time-varying risk premium that is related to the conditional risk of the basis and to the conditional prices of systematic risk present in all assets markets. The result therefore reinforces the view, initially put forward by Bailey and Chan (1993) , that the basis is priced rationally in an efficient market. The article also shows that the premium for basis risk increases with the maturity of the instruments used for hedging. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2004.
Fast, robust quadruped locomotion over challenging terrain

We present a control architecture for fast quadruped locomotion over rough terrain. We approach the problem by decomposing it into many sub-systems, in which we apply state-of-the-art learning, planning, optimization and control techniques to achieve robust, fast locomotion. Unique features of our control strategy include: (1) a system that learns optimal foothold choices from expert demonstration using terrain templates, (2) a body trajectory optimizer based on the Zero-Moment Point (ZMP) stability criterion, and (3) a floating-base inverse dynamics controller that, in conjunction with force control, allows for robust, compliant locomotion over unperceived obstacles. We evaluate the performance of our controller by testing it on the LittleDog quadruped robot, over a wide variety of rough terrain of varying difficulty levels. We demonstrate the generalization ability of this controller by presenting test results from an independent external test team on terrains that have never been shown to us.
Effects of Nandrolone Decanoate and Resistance Exercise on Skeletal Muscle in Adult Male Rats

El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los efectos del ejercicio de resistencia con o sin decanoato de nandrolona (DN) en el musculo esqueletico y la masa corporal de ratas macho adultas. El protocolo de entrenamiento consistio en 15 sesiones durante 6 semanas de saltos. DN 5mg/kg se administro dos veces durante la semana. El ejercicio fue efectivo para inducir un aumento en el area de las fibras de los musculos extensor largo de los dedos y soleo. El DN asociado con el ejercicio fue capaz de inducir un aumento en el area de las fibras de los musculos. En el grupo de DN sin entrenamiento, se observo un aumento en los parametros musculares evaluados. El ejercicio de resistencia sin DN fue capaz de promover un aumento en el area de las fibras de los musculos, lo que indica que despues de un periodo de adaptacion al ejercicio, el efecto en los musculos causada por la DN se logro por el ejercicio, sin una gestion DN y los consiguientes peligros para la salud.
Variability, regularity, and complexity of time series generated by schizophrenic patients and control subjects

We analyzed time series generated by 20 schizophrenic patients and 20 sex- and age-matched control subjects using three nonlinear methods of time series analysis as test statistics: central tendency measure (CTM) from the scatter plots of first differences of data, approximate entropy (ApEn), and Lempel-Ziv (LZ) complexity. We divided our data into a training set (10 patients and 10 control subjects) and a test set (10 patients and 10 control subjects). The training set was used for algorithm development and optimum threshold selection. Each method was assessed prospectively using the test dataset. We obtained 80% sensitivity and 90% specificity with LZ complexity, 90% sensitivity, and 60% specificity with ApEn, and 70% sensitivity and 70% specificity with CTM. Our results indicate that there exist differences in the ability to generate random time series between schizophrenic subjects and controls, as estimated by the CTM, ApEn, and LZ. This finding agrees with most previous results showing that schizophrenic patients are characterized by less complex neurobehavioral and neuropsychologic measurements.
An Optical Near-Infrared Study of Radio-loud Quasar Environments. I. Methods and z = 1-2 Observations

We have conducted an optical/near-infrared study of the environments of radio-loud quasars (RLQs) at redshifts z = 0.6-2.0. In this paper we discuss the sample selection and observations for the z = 1.0-2.0 subsample and the reduction and cataloging techniques used. We discuss technical issues at some length, since few detailed descriptions of near-IR data reduction and multicolor object cataloging are currently available in single literature references. Our sample of 33 RLQs contains comparable numbers of flat and steep radio spectrum sources and sources of various radio morphologies and spans a similar range of Mabs and Prad, which allows us to disentangle dependence of environment on optical or radio luminosity from redshift evolution. We use the standard "shift-and-stare" method of creating deep mosaicked images in which the exposure time (and thus the rms noise) at each pixel is not constant across the mosaic. An unusual feature of our reduction procedure is the creation of images with constant rms noise from such mosaics. We adopted this procedure to enable use of the FOCAS detection package over almost the entire mosaic instead of only in the area of deepest observation where the rms noise is constant, thereby roughly doubling our areal coverage. We correct the object counts in our fields for stellar contamination using the SKY model of Cohen and compare the galaxy counts to those in random fields. Even after accounting for possible systematic magnitude offsets, we find a significant excess of K ≳ 19 galaxies. Analysis and discussion of this excess population is presented by Hall & Green.
Distributed Neural Representation of Expected Value

Anticipated reward magnitude and probability comprise dual components of expected value (EV), a cornerstone of economic and psychological theory. However, the neural mechanisms that compute EV have not been characterized. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined neural activation as subjects anticipated monetary gains and losses that varied in magnitude and probability. Group analyses indicated that, although the subcortical nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activated proportional to anticipated gain magnitude, the cortical mesial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) additionally activated according to anticipated gain probability. Individual difference analyses indicated that, although NAcc activation correlated with self-reported positive arousal, MPFC activation correlated with probability estimates. These findings suggest that mesolimbic brain regions support the computation of EV in an ascending and distributed manner: whereas subcortical regions represent an affective component, cortical regions also represent a probabilistic component, and, furthermore, may integrate the two.
Resilience Towards Leaking or Why Julian Assange Might Be Wrong After All ( V 1 . 0 )

In his now (in)famous pamphlet "Conspiracy as Governance" JULIAN ASSANGE (JA) argues about the need for leaking as an efficient way to destroy "unjust" groups as the neo-feudalistic ones luring the conspiracy theory leaning hacker community into his belief system. Eventually, JA used a biologistic argument on the benefits and drawbacks that uncontrolled leaking might pose for "just" and "unjust" systems, arriving at the conclusion that "unjust" systems are hurt more and thus will be less viable, essentially being destroyed by more "just" systems. While an innovative proposal, the underlying assumptions on complexity, network theory, and especially the evolutionary perspectives were never critically assessed. Some blogs and media raised questions on details and potential threats to innocent bystanders. Still, fundamental problems with the philosophy were never addressed. This paper argues against the general validity of such theories. In particular, we will refute some of the biologistic arguments. Theoretical biology has long ago pointed out the hidden complexity in evolutionary processes and as such the envisioned "leaking revolution" might be a limited artifact: there might even arise situations where the leaking envisioned and encouraged by Wikileaks and the like can actually strengthen some "conspiracies". In this paper I will describe some research questions, that should be answered before given the “leaking philosophy” an unconditioned “thumbs-up”. Empirically, for example, a potential strengthening is illustrated by the rise of a ’neofeudalistic economy’, which is linked closely to the paradigm of "intellectual property" as it is to the security-financialpolitical complex. The players have effectively created a closed network or a "conspiracy" and might be resilient towards Wikileaks-like attacks. The paper concludes with an alternative to that proposal; in particular, a way to deal with the ’conspiracy’ that might be coined the rise of the neo-feudalistic society (which in itself is a self-sustainable, self-amplifying feedback loop, not necessarily a conscious conspiracy).
Heuristic Search-Based Stacking of Classifiers

Currently, the combination of several classifiers is one of the most active fields within inductive learning. Examples of such techniques are boosting, bagging and stacking. From these three techniques, stacking is perhaps the least used one. One of the main reasons for this relates to the difficulty to define and parameterize its components: selecting which combination of base classifiers to use and which classifiers to use as the meta-classifier. The approach we present in this chapter poses this problem as an optimization task and then uses optimization techniques based on heuristic search to solve it. In particular, we apply genetic algorithms to automatically obtain the ideal combination of learning methods for the stacking system.