Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Conditional Anonymity With Message Integrity and Authentication in a Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network

Vehicles in a vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET) broadcast beacons giving safety-related and traffic information. In an open-access environment, this means that the VANET is susceptible to security and privacy issues. In this paper, we propose a new pseudo-identity-based scheme for conditional anonymity with integrity and authentication in a VANET. The proposed scheme uses a pseudonym in the joining process with the road-side unit (RSU) to protect the real identity even from the RSU, in case it is compromised. All previous identity-based schemes have been prone to insider attackers, and have not met the revocation process. Our scheme resolves these drawbacks as the vehicle signs the beacon with a signature obtained from the RSU. Our scheme satisfies the requirements for security and privacy, and especially the requirements for message integrity and authentication, privacy preservation, non-repudiation, traceability, and revocation. In addition, it provides conditional anonymity to guarantee the protection of an honest vehicle’s real identity, unless malicious activities are detected. It is also resistant to common attacks such as modification, replay, impersonation, and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Although the numerous existing schemes have used a bilinear pairing operation, our scheme does not depend on this due to the complex operations involved, which cause significant computation overhead. Furthermore, it does not have a certification revocation list, giving rise to significant costs due to storage and inefficient communication. Our analysis demonstrates that our scheme can satisfy the security and privacy requirements of a VANET more effectively than previous schemes. We also compare our scheme with the recently proposed schemes in terms of communication and computation and demonstrate its cost-efficiency and appropriateness in working with the VANET. Meanwhile, the computation costs of the beacon signing and verification in our scheme are reduced by 49.9% and 33.3%, respectively.
Managerial and Usage Challenges Associated with the E-Zwich Payment System in Ghana

The study investigated managerial and usage challenges associated with the e-zwich smartcard. It focused on four different population categories namely Bank of Ghana, Ghana Interbank Payment Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), Participating Commercial Banks and Users of the e-zwich system. The total sample size selected from these population categories was 102 users, five managers from five commercial banks, and two personnel from the Bank of Ghana/GhIPSS. Inadequate point of sale (POS) terminals was the most prevalent challenge confronting users of the e-zwich card. This was the view expressed by 27% of the respondents who used e-zwich cards. 13% of respondents held the view that complex processes for conducting payments was a challenge associated with use of the e-zwich cards. Other major challenges mentioned were: Lack of knowledge and skills in basic computing; lack of trust in non-cash payments and inadequate marketing (advertisement) campaigns. It was concluded that, significant progress has been made in the use of the e-zwich card, however, many challenges still remain. Project owners and stakeholders should invest in an extensive education campaign, provide training and support on usability issues, implement efficient regulatory mechanisms/policies to drive operation of the e-zwich payment system.
A Novel Information and Energy Cooperation Transmission Scheme in Cognitive Spectrum Sharing-Based D2D Communication Systems

Spectrum efficiency and energy efficiency are two critical issues in designing wireless communication networks. In this paper, we consider cognitive spectrum sharing-based cooperation between a single-antenna primary system and a multi-antenna wireless-powered device-to-device (D2D) communication system. A novel joint time division and power splitting-based three-phase information and energy cooperation transmission scheme are proposed for cognitive spectrum sharing-based D2D communication system. In the proposed scheme, the cognitive D2D transceiver pair adopts the power splitting technique to receive information and energy simultaneously from the primary transmitter (PT) in the first phase. Then, they utilize the beamforming technique and the harvested energy as half-duplex (HD) relays to jointly forward the primary user (PU) signal in the second phase. Eventually, in the third phase, they can communicate directly with each other by using the licensed spectrum and their remaining energy. We focus on the design of time division ratios, power splitting ratios, and beamforming vectors, with the objective to maximize the data rate of the cognitive D2D communication system, subject to the quality of service (QoS) requirement of the primary system, and the cognitive D2D communication system’s minimum energy harvesting requirements and maximum power consumption constraints. The simulation results demonstrate that our proposed scheme is the best and significantly improves the average data rate of the cognitive D2D communication system under different PU target rate requirements or PT rated transmit power. Furthermore, a large number of simulations are demonstrated to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Fish community structure along a conservation gradient in Bodoquena Plateau streams‚ central West of Brazil

Laboratorio de Ictiologia, Departamento de Zoologia e Botanica, Instituto de Biociencias, Letras e Ciencias Exatas [long dash] IBILCE, Universidade Estadual Paulista [long dash] UNESP, Rua Cristovao Colombo, 2265, CEP 15054-000, Sao Jose do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
Comparative Design of NMOS and PMOS Capacitor-less Low Dropout Voltage Regulators (LDOs) Suited for SoC Applications

In this paper, two architectures of Low Dropout Voltage Regulator (LDO) using NMOS and PMOS pass transistors is designed and implemented using 130nm CMOS technology. The performance of the two designs is compared while using the same quiescent current, input voltage, output voltage, and compensation capacitors. The two architectures can provide output voltage of 1V from a 1.2V supply voltage and support output current from 30μA to 100mA while consuming a quiescent current of 6μA. Both LDOs can support a range of loading capacitor 0–50pF. The NMOS LDO is designed with an auxiliary charge pump (CP) to step up input voltage of 1.2V to 2V, thus three architectures of CPs are discussed, designed, and optimized to provide a stable 5μA using a 1MHz of switching frequency. The cross-coupled CP is chosen to be the auxiliary CP because it consumed the smallest silicon area. Both LDOs are fully integrated and consume low power so that it can be used in SoCs. The PVT simulations are implemented to ensure the reliability of the design, also the specifications are compared to other techniques reported previously.
Ileal digestibility of pea and faba bean carbohydrates in growing pigs

The experiment was carried out on six pigs with an initial body weight of about 34 kg. The pigs were fitted with a simple T-shape cannula and fed on six semisynthetic diets containing sucrose and legume seed meal as the main components. Faba bean (cvs Kamir and Alen), white-flowered pea (cvs Kwestor and Sol) and coloured-flowered pea (cvs Fidelia and Vatra) seeds were the only source of polysaccharides and protein for the experimental animals. Ileal digestibility of pea starch ranged from 85 to 87% and was similar for all the tested cultivars. The starch digestibility of faba bean was 86% for cv Alen and 82% for cv Kamir. Digestibility of pea and faba bean protein varied from 70 to 74%, a-galactosides of faba beans were microbiologically hydrolyzed up to 83%, and those of pea seeds up to 93% in the small intestine. Digestibility of non-starch polysaccharides averaged 39% for faba beans and from 27 to 43% for the pea cultivars. No differences were found between the two types of pea, indicating that tannins of the coloured-flowered pea did not interfere with ileal digestion of major nutrients fed to pigs.
The healthcare system in Saudi Arabia: How can we best move forward with funding to protect equitable and accessible care for all?

The Saudi Arabian healthcare system is currently undergoing a process of reform. While it previously adopted a universal access approach in which all health care was provided free-of-charge to citizens at the point of care, this has been identified as unsustainable into the future. The shift towards an ageing population and the increasing burden of chronic disease, along with increasing use of technology and development of expensive treatments, mean that health care costs in Saudi Arabia are likely to increase significantly in the near future. Therefore, new ways to fund healthcare have been explored, with the solution proposed being a social insurance model in which employment contributions pay for care. This study seeks to identify the different alternatives which are available to the Saudi government and investigate the outcomes of these alternatives in their respective countries of use. The study examined the private insurance system in the United States of America, the social insurance system in Australia, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, and the Public Private Partnership adopted by Singapore. It would seem that the Singaporean model is associated with the lowest level of government spending to maintain a high quality of patient care. However, further in-depth analysis is required to better understand how this model would apply to the Saudi Arabian context.
Communication Technologies Based on Voluntary Blinks: Assessment and Design

Some people with severe disabilities are confined in a state in which communication is virtually impossible, being reduced to communicating with their eyes or using sophisticated systems that translate thoughts into words. The EyeTrackers and Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) are suitable systems for those people but their main drawback is their cost. More affordable devices are capable of detecting voluntary blinks and translating them into a binary signal that allows the selection, for example, of an ideogram on a communication board. We tested four different systems based on infrared, bioelectrical signals (Electro-Oculography (EOG) and Electro-Encephalography (EEG)), and video processing. The experiments were performed by people with/without disabilities and analyzed the systems’ performances, usability, and method of voluntary blinking (long blinks or sequence of two short blinks). The best accuracy (99.3%) was obtained using Infrared-Oculography (IR-OG) and the worst with the EEG headset (85.9%) and there was a statistical influence of the technology on accuracy. Regarding the method of voluntary blinking, the use of long or double blinks had no statistical influence on accuracy, excluding EOG, and the time taken to perform double blinks was shorter, resulting in a potentially much faster interface. People with disabilities obtained similar values but with greater variability. The preferred technology and blinking methods were Video-Oculography (VOG) and long blinks, respectively. The several Open-Source Hardware (OSHW) devices have been developed and a new algorithm for detecting voluntary blinks has also been proposed, which outperforms most of the published papers in the reviewed literature.
Non-Executive Directors and Mortality Assurance in the NHS ? Are theyFit for Purpose?

In UK NHS organizations, Non-Executives on Boards of Directors play a critical role in ensuring that organizations are delivering safe patient care. The role of Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) is to ‘challenge the decisions of the Board and help develop proposals on priorities, risk mitigation, values, standards and strategy’. This paper examines the extent to which they are able to do this in areas where the assessment of risk and its mitigation requires highly technical medical knowledge. Specifically, whether the highly technical nature of trust mortality data represents an obstacle to the proper and effective functioning of the Non-Executive Directors and their ability to question and hold operational directors to account for poor performance. This work is pertinent in light of recent high profile failures in corporate governance, where abnormal mortality statistics (and other important indicators of poor patient safety) have not triggered an appropriate Board response or corresponding remedial action. Using a mixed methods approach generating both qualitative (interview) and quantitative (survey) data this paper provides an assessment of NEDs’ knowledge and capabilities in the area of mortality assurance. The findings show that with the exception of those that are clinically trained, NEDs feel that they are unable to properly scrutinize trust mortality rates and hold the Board to account for the suitability and appropriateness of responses. They perceived themselves to be heavily reliant on the integrity of the Medical Director and to be unable to provide independent assurance in this area. These findings suggest the need for additional specialized training for Non-Executive Directors in order for them to properly and fully undertake their roles. ‘Non-Executive Directors should satisfy themselves as to the integrity of financial, clinical and other information, and that financial and clinical quality controls and systems of risk management and governance are robust and implemented. ’
Determination of Open Pit Mining Zones Through Digital Processing of Multi-Spectral Images and PPI Method - A Case Study of Southern Ecuador

In the current study, the identification of open pit mining areas has been conducted using multispectral satellite images of medium (Landsat 8)and high (Sentinel 2B)spatial resolution of the province of Zamora Chinchipe in southern Ecuador. Such research involved several digital processes such as atmospheric correction, image fusion through the Brovey algorithm, noise elimination among others. We worked simultaneously with spatial and spectral patterns through the application of algorithms in order to increase spatial resolution. , and spectral indices that enhance variables of interest. In addition, the Pixel Purity Index (PPI)methodology has been applied in order to obtain the classes involved in the study area based on the pure pixels and the results were compared between the two methodologies. The zones considered open-pit mining have been obtained in both cases.
Stress management amongst bank executives : a case study.

This study was conducted within the Retail Credit Evaluation and Assessment (RCEA) units at one of the big four banks within South Africa. The aim of this study was to assess stress amongst employees that were employed within the credit evaluation and assessment unit of a financial institution and then evaluate the factors that contributed to these employees stress levels with an option of implementing stress management programmes and employee assistance programmes within the organisation. The objectives of this study was to determine the overall stress levels of employees working within this environment based on demographics, length of service and qualification levels. The questionnaire was designed around obtaining data on the objectives of the study and respondents were requested to give information on the stress levels, their qualification levels, and length of service, race and gender. Respondents were also requested to rate the items that they believed contributed to their stress levels using a five point Likert-scale measurement tool. The medical information of respondents was assessed and respondents were to identify the medical conditions that they suffered from and if it was stress related. Employees were also asked about whether they would be willing to participate in stress management programmes and interventions to assist in managing their stress levels. The RCEA environment is a relatively small business unit within the chosen bank and is based across the major cities of South Africa. The decision was taken to obtain information from as many staff as possible through a web based survey using the on-line software programme QuestionPro, in order for the survey to be accessible to all respondents. The results of the survey found that 47.3% of respondents identified their current stress levels as very high to high and a further 44.7% of respondents experienced moderate stress levels as opposed to 7.9% of respondents who rated their stress levels as low and very low. A salient feature of this study is that the majority of respondents were prepared to accept assistance in managing their stress levels in that 65.5% of respondents revealed that they would participate in a healthy lifestyle programme and that 67.6% of respondents would attend monthly physical checks by medical practioners if provided by the employer. The study can benefit the organization in identifying the factors that cause employees to experience stress and then develop and implement strategies to manage stress levels of employees. A healthy workforce is a more productive workforce.
Ocean acidification of the Greater Caribbean Region 1996–2006

[1] The global oceans serve as the largest sustained natural sink for increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. As this CO2 is absorbed by seawater, it not only reacts causing a reduction in seawater pH (or acidification) but also decreases the carbonate mineral saturation state (Ω), which plays an important role in calcification for many marine organisms. Ocean acidification could affect some of the most fundamental biological and geochemical processes of the sea in coming decades. Observations obtained in situ from Volunteer Observing Ships and multiple geochemical surveys have been extended using satellite remote sensing and modeled environmental parameters to derive estimates of sea-surface alkalinity (AT) and carbon dioxide partial pressure (pCO2,sw). Pairing estimates of AT and pCO2,sw have permitted characterization of the changes in sea-surface Ω, which have transpired over the past decade throughout the Greater Caribbean Region as a consequence of ocean acidification. The results reveal considerable spatial and temporal variability throughout the region. Despite this variability, we observed a strong secular decrease in aragonite saturation state (Ωarg) at a rate of approximately −0.012 ± 0.001 Ωarg yr−1 (r2 = 0.97, P < 0.001).
IS THE PHILLIPS CURVE USEFUL FOR MONETARY POLICY IN NIGERIA

The objective of this article is to determine if the Phillips curve is a relevant tool to conduct monetary policy in African countries wishing to adopt an inflation-targeting regime. I choose Nigeria as a case of study because it is in the early stage of the implementation of this regime. I estimate a medium-sized model for monetary policy analysis. The model reflects a synthesis between the New Keynesian and the Real Business Cycle (RBC) approaches. Then I estimate the model by using Bayesian econometric technique in order to overcome the shortage of data availability. The study concludes that there is evidence that central banks can control the inflation rate through a Phillips curve, a Taylor rule that includes the exchange rate, and the sterilization of the resources from oil exports. Nevertheless, there are limits to the stabilization program. The same evidence suggests that it is important to implement a credible inflation-targeting regime to reduce inflation gradually, instead of abrupt stabilization attempts with high costs in lost output.
Trade Unions’ Inflation Expectations and the Second-Round Effect in South Africa

Inflation expectations play a critical role in the formation of prices and wages. Hence, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) reacts to inflation’s direct effects by tightening the monetary policy in order to avoid any second-round effects. The study we conducted attempts to investigate whether the inflation rate are led by inflation expectations or vice versa. We analyse quarterly data using the Toda-Yamamoto causality technique and three different measures of inflation expectations of the trade union representatives. We also investigate the role of the exchange rate in leading or lagging the inflation rate. Overall, the results obtained demonstrate that the inflation and the exchange rates have bidirectional causality, while unidirectional causality exists from the inflation rate to inflation expectations. We therefore conclude that a second-round effect of inflation cannot be induced by changes in the inflation expectations of the trade unions, and provide some policy recommendations.
Ideology in the news through active , passive sentences and nominalization : A study on the terrorist attack in Ankara reported in British and American newspapers

This study focuses on the investigation of frequency and distribution of the active, passive sentences and nominalized structures in new reports about „the terrorist attack in Ankara on October 10th‟ (2015) across British and American newspapers. In the light of this purpose, the following research questions are addressed: 1.How is the news about the terrorist attack in Ankara reported in British and American newspapers as far as active, passive sentences and nominalized structures are concerned? 2.What are the frequencies and distributions of active, passive sentences and nominalized structures in news reports across British and American newspapers? The data of the study are analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by finding out the frequencies and distributions of the structures, and by explaining examples from the document analysis process respectively. American newspapers were found to present the agent more frequently compared to British newspapers. The results of the study show that there are instances of passivization in mitigating a claim about the agent, or attenuating to present the details of the events. The journalists use active voice in describing the actions and events whereas they prefer passive voice in presenting the actions in which the agent is unknown or irrelevant. As the newspapers examined within the domain of this study are the most circulating and leading newspapers, the choice of these structures and their potential role in conveying ideology have crucial role in presentation of the image of Turkey in external media (i.e. the news reported abroad about Turkey). © 2018 JLLS and the Authors Published by JLLS.
GCD-graphs and NEPS of complete graphs

A gcd-graph is a Cayley graph over a finite abelian group defined by greatest common divisors. Such graphs are known to have integral spectrum. A non-complete extended p-sum, or NEPS in short, is well-known general graph product. We show that the class of gcd-graphs and the class of NEPS of complete graphs coincide. Thus, a relation between the algebraically defined Cayley graphs and the combinatorially defined NEPS of complete graphs is established. We use this link to show that gcd-graphs have a particularly simple eigenspace structure, to be precise, that every eigenspace of the adjacency matrix of a gcd-graph has a basis with entries − 1, 0, 1 only.