Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A tale of two time series methods : representation learning for improved distance and risk metrics

In this thesis, we present methods in representation learning for time series in two areas: metric learning and risk stratification. We focus on metric learning due to the importance of computing distances between examples in learning algorithms and present Jiffy, a simple and scalable distance metric learning method for multivariate time series. Our approach is to reframe the task as a representation learning problem — rather than design an elaborate distance function, we use a CNN to learn an embedding such that the Euclidean distance is effective. Experiments on a diverse set of multivariate time series datasets show that our approach consistently outperforms existing methods. We then focus on risk stratification because of its clinical importance in identifying patients at high risk for an adverse outcome. We use segments of a patient’s ECG signal to predict that patient’s risk of cardiovascular death within 90 days. In contrast to other work, we work directly with the raw ECG signal to learn a representation with predictive power. Our method produces a risk metric for cardiovascular death with state-of-the-art performance when compared to methods that rely on expert-designed representations. Thesis Supervisor: John Guttag Title: Professor
Randomness Evaluation of Modified A5/1 Stream Cipher for Global System for Mobile Communication

While the A5/1 stream cipher encryption is known to aid in providing security and privacy for the mobile communication, it actually has numerous security vulnerabilities that leave it susceptible to attacks. Although newer technology standards have been developed, the majority of the mobile phones around the world still make use of the A5/1 stream cipher design, hence the urgent need to strengthen the latter. Numerous works have been done to improve the security of the A5/1, such as by altering its clocking mechanism, and the length of the linear feedback shift register, leading to the ultimate goal of producing a stream of random bits which are difficult to crack, with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Statistical Toolsuite used to analyse the randomness property of the results. However, none of them, to the best of the author’s knowledge actually carried out the analysis of the results according to the guideline as per recommended by the NIST, despite the fact that the interpretation of the results is crucial in determining the strength of the stream cipher, as to whether it is robust to attacks, or otherwise. In this paper, a new modified A5/1 stream cipher is proposed and tested using the NIST test suite. The results, interpreted according to the NIST guidelines, by analysing the proportion of sequences passing test and the uniformity of the P-value, shows that the new modified design is random and is a good alternative to the conventional A5/1 stream cipher. A selective review of the weaknesses of a few of the interpretations by the other researchers will also be included.
Does hardiness contribute to mental health during a stressful real-life situation? : The roles of appraisal and coping

Israeli recruits (N = 276) completed questionnaires on hardiness, mental health, cognitive appraisal, and ways of coping at the beginning and end of a demanding, 4-month combat training period. Path analysis revealed that 2 components of hardiness--commitment and control measured at the beginning of the training--predicted mental health at the end of the training through the mediation of appraisal and coping variables. Commitment improved mental health by reducing the appraisal of threat and the use of emotion-focused strategies and by increasing secondary appraisal. Control improved mental health by reducing the appraisal of threat and by increasing secondary appraisal and the use of problem-solving and support-seeking strategies.
The Role of Native Language in Teaching English for Specific Purposes

This study examines the controversial debate of the exclusion of adult learners’ native language by reporting learners’ and instructors overwhelmingly positive perceptions of its use in English for Specific Purpose (ESP) classes. In this study, multiple methods such as class observations, questionnaires and interviews were used. The research was undertaken in 14 ESP classes for the students of Engineering, Sciences and Humanities at Yazd University, Iran. Extensive qualitative and statistical analysis of the questionnaires revealed that a solid majority of learners from different academic majors and instructors responded positively regarding the use of native language as a pedagogic device for teaching various aspects of the target language. Correspondingly, class observations revealed that all the instructors teaching different academic disciplines resorted to the native language as an appropriate medium for cross-lingual, cross-cultural comparisons. Nevertheless, the results from the interview phase of the study revealed that a large majority of learners and instructors were not in favor of using the first language as a facilitating technique and as a means to reduce students’ anxiety.
Genotypic characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates causing bacteraemia in patients admitted to Tygerberg Hospital, Western Cape Province, South Africa

S. aureus causes serious infections in the hospital and community settings. The rate of MRSA infections are rapidly increasing worldwide. Currently, at Tygerberg hospital, approximately a third of S. aureus isolates are MRSA. This was the first epidemiological study of S. aureus conducted at Tygerberg Hospital that included prospective clinical data on patients with S. aureus bacteraemia together with spa typing of strains and the detection of the mecA and pvl genes in a multiplex PCR. Clonal cluster groups of S. aureus isolates were obtained by BURP analysis and compared to international important clones. The molecular epidemiology of hospital acquired (HA), health-care associated (HCA) and community acquired (CA) S. aureus bacteraemic strains at this hospital was examined. Lastly, repeat isolates of patients were collected to analyse any possible organism-related factors associated with persistent and recurrent bacteraemia. We investigated a total number of 113 S. aureus strains from 104 patients (70% MSSA, 30% MRSA). Repeat strains consisted of nine isolates (from 5 patients). All isolates were obtained from blood cultures collected during the period March 2008 to May 2009. Phenotypic and genotypic detection of methicillin resistance correlated well. According to the literature, most CA-MRSA strains are distinguishable from HA-MRSA strains based upon the presence of the PVL toxin. However, no CAMRSA was detected in our study, therefore the association between HA-MRSA versus CA-MRSA strains could not be analysed. In this study, CA-MSSA was identified in 22% of all MSSA isolates versus 0% CA-MRSA. PVL positive strains were found in 22.7% of all MSSA isolates with no detection in MRSA isolates. It was noted that MRSA strains clustered in spa CC-701 and CC-012, whereas CC-002 only contained MSSA strains. Likewise HA-strains representing the majority of MRSA strains also clustered in spa CC-701 and CC-012. Forty nine spa types were identified in 89.3% of all isolates, whereas 9.7% of these strains were non-typeable. Five novel spa types were revealed. We detected a diverse number of spa-types that correlated to international clones. The most predominant spa type found in our setting was t037 (only in MRSA), followed by t891. According to the literature, t037 is associated to the Brazilian/Hungarian clone (SCCmec type III;
‘Pardon me, I'm very drunk’: alcohol, creativity and performance anxiety in the case of Robert Wyatt

Abstract Robert Wyatt's relationship with alcohol is multifaceted. He acknowledges its deleterious effect on aspects of his personal life, most notably on his relationship with wife and creative partner Alfreda Benge, and he has been teetotal since attending Alcoholics Anonymous in 2007–8. In professional terms, however, Wyatt continues to view alcohol positively: as a means to overcome anxiety as a performer and recording artist and as an aid to writing. From this perspective, the fact that Wyatt has not released a solo album since sobering up may be more than mere coincidence. This paper aims to answer two questions. First, what is the evidence that alcohol can reduce anxiety for a performer and recording artist, and increase creativity for a songwriter? Secondly, what is the evidence that this is so in Wyatt's specific case? In answering these questions, the author will draw on secondary research, as well as interviews conducted with Wyatt and various associated musicians and family members between 2008 and 2013.
Online Instructor's Use of Audio Feedback to Increase Social Presence and Student Satisfaction.

This study investigates the impact of written group feedback, versus audio feedback, based upon four student satisfaction measures in the online classroom environment. Undergraduate students in the control group were provided both individual written feedback and group written feedback, while undergraduate students in the experimental treatment group were provided both individual written feedback and audio group feedback. Using a one-tailed t-test, the four student satisfaction measures were analyzed and one was found to be significant for students’ perception that the instructor seemed genuinely concerned with whether students learned. The authors believe the study, when combined with their previous research, has significant impact on understanding strategies for improving instructor effectiveness with online students. Furthermore, the authors believe this area of student satisfaction resides primarily in positive perceptions of instructors’ engagement and “social presence. ” In addition, the authors believe the provision of audio feedback (either individual or group) to be more time efficient, while allowing for increased instructor creativity. Finally, the use of audio feedback may be perceived as more accessible or practical by the student, rather than written feedback alone.
Students’ Perception of Surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) at Final Year MBBS, University of Khartoum, Sudan

Background: There is a lack of in-depth research into medical students’ perceptions regarding Surgical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Objective: To determine the undergraduate student’s perception regarding surgical OSCE. Methodology: The study conducted in Soba Hospital OSCE center using a self-administered questionnaire at the end of the surgical OSCE examination for final MBBS, University of Khartoum that held in December 2013. Main outcome measures were student perception of examination attributes. The collected data was analyzed statistically using SPSS version 21. Results:Total 297 final year medical students voluntarily and anonymously completed a self-administered questionnaire at the end of the OSCE examination. OSCE was considered as a fair examination method by 87.2% students. More than half of the students rated this examination as covering wide range of knowledge (58.6%), improves clinical skills and knowledge (68.4%), and is very useful and relevant to study and the type of work students will be doing after graduation (79.1%). Among respondents 87.2% highlighted OSCE may influence methods of teaching and 69.4% stated that it should be followed as the method of assessment in undergraduate surgical examination. Conclusion:OSCE was highly appreciated by the students as a tool to evaluate clinical competence among surgical students.
Secrecy Energy Efficiency for MIMO Single- and Multi-Cell Downlink Transmission With Confidential Messages

This work develops a beamforming framework for energy efficiency optimization in MIMO multi-user systems with confidentiality constraints. Two channel models are considered, namely, a broadcast channel with confidential messages (corresponding to single-cell downlink) and an interference channel with confidential messages (corresponding to multi-cell downlink), in which multiple messages are transmitted, and it must be ensured that only the intended receiver is able to perform data decoding, thus treating non-intended receivers as potential eavesdroppers. In this multi-user scenario, the new metric global secrecy energy efficiency is introduced and optimized. Moreover, the coupling among the secrecy energy efficiencies of different users is analyzed by providing an efficient way of computing the system secrecy energy efficiency Pareto boundary. Both contributions are achieved by developing an optimization framework which suitably combines fractional programming theory and sequential optimization theory. The proposed framework is provably convergent, enjoys affordable complexity, and fulfills first-order optimality properties. Finally, the closed form conditions are provided to support smart user selection algorithms for downlink transmission.
Towards Automating Big Texts Security Classification

The U.S Government has been the target of cyber-attacks from all over the world. Former President Obama accused the Russian government of leaking emails to WikiLeaks and declared that the U.S. might be forced to respond. While Russia denied involvement, it is clear that the U.S. has to take some defensive measures to protect its data infrastructure. In recent years, traditional cybersecurity safeguards have proven ineffective against insider threats. Insider threats have been the cause of other sensitive information leaks too, including the infamous Edward Snowden incident. Most of the recent leaks were in the form of text. Currently, unstructured sensitive texts are labeled manually by security officials of data owners. In an adversarial environment, insiders can leak texts through Email, printers, or any untrusted channels. Therefore the optimal defense is to automatically classify the security label of the unstructured text and enforce the appropriate protection mechanism without degrading services or daily tasks. Many researchers have focused on document-based classification with artificially labeled “confidential documents” for which security labels are assigned to the entire document when in reality only a portion of the document is sensitive. The drawback of this type of whole-document based security labeling is that it blocks the accesses of legitimate users to non-sensitive portions of the informa-
Learning Disabilities, Literacy, and Adult Education.

This book focuses on adults with severe learning disabilities (LD) and the educators who work with them. Experts in the fields of LD and adult literacy describe the characteristics, demographics, and education and employment status of adults with LD and discuss the laws that protect them in the workplace and in education settings. Combining cutting-edge research with instructional expertise, the authors examine screening procedures used to identify adults with LD, present a range of instructional strategies and staff development programs for teaching literacy skills to adults, and showcase exemplary programs that assist adults with LD in finding the right job. Sample forms, checklists, resource lists, and examples from successful staff preparation programs make this book a practical resource for educators, reading and learning disability specialists, literacy professionals, and administrators.
Visceral fat and weight loss in obese subjects.

This thesis describes the relationships between visceral fat accumulation and serum lipids, energy expenditure, and sex hormone levels in healthy obese men and premenopausal women undergoing weight loss therapy. The subjects, aged 27-51 years, with an initial body mass index of 28-38 kg/m 2 , received a controlled diet for 13 weeks providing a 4.2 MJ/day energy deficit. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to quantify fat depots. In women but not in men, visceral fat accumulation was associated with a less favourable serum lipid profile independent of age and body fat percentage. In addition, in women only, visceral fat predominance was positively related to resting metabolic rate (RMR) and diet- induced thermogenesis (DIT) as well as to a relatively increased androgenicity. In obese men, no relationship could be found between visceral fat accumulation and any of the sex hormone levels. The mean weight reduction of 12.2 ± 3.5 (SD) kg due to the energy-deficit diet, resulted in larger reductions in serum levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides and a larger increase in the HDL cholesterol/LDL cholesterol ratio in men compared with women. Men with an initially larger visceral fat depot than women did not lose more body weight, but they lost more visceral fat than women. Comparison of these average changes between both sexes suggests a potential role of visceral fat loss in improving the serum lipid profile. While in women, a loss of visceral fat was related to an increased HDL cholesterol, a more general beneficial effect of visceral fat loss was not seen using correlation analyses within each sex. In women but not in men, visceral fat accumulation before weight loss was associated with improvement of HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels after weight loss. In women only, a reduction in the visceral fat depot also seems to be accompanied by a relative reduction in androgenicity regardless of total body fat loss. In this study, the effect of weight loss alone on serum lipids could be separated from the effect of dietary fat modification usually accompanying a dietary weight loss treatment. The favourable effect of weight loss per se seems to be considerable in optimizing the serum lipid profile of obese subjects and even greater than that of dietary fat modification. It is concluded that there may be gender differences in the associations between visceral fat accumulation and serum lipids, energy expenditure (RMR and DIT), and sex hormone levels in healthy moderately obese subjects. In addition, particularly healthy moderately obese women with a visceral fat predominance benefit from a dietary weight loss treatment with respect to their serum lipid profile and sex hormone levels. In healthy moderately obese men, the critical role of the visceral fat depot could not be confirmed.
The Effects of the Activities of Current Textbook and 5 E Model on the Attitude of the Students: Sample of "The Global Effects of Natural Resources Unit".

This study aimed to determine the effects of the activities of current textbook and 5 E Model on the attitude of the students. This study is a research as an experimental model. For testing the effects of geography education supported by 5 E model and geography education based on activities of current textbook attitude of students, controlled pre-test and post-test is used. Process had gone on eight weeks. “Attitude test is developed to examine the level of student attitude after and before the application. In order to analyze the data, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t test were used. As a result of the research, it is observed that 5 E Model is effective on students’ attitude, but geography education based on activities of current textbook is not effective on students’ attitude; while teaching “the global effects of natural resources unit” in geography ninth lesson. Next researchs can be done to aim at test this situation. Beside, secondary geography text book can be prepared to based on 5 E model.
Case study on effects of the mandatory validation on bus commercial speed

The paper aims to define the new operational requirements and procedures to allow the Gruppo Torinese Trasporti (Torino public transport company) to implement mandatory validation without negative impacts on both the company and the users. To this end, a four-step methodology has been put forward: a) choice of the reference route; b) sampling plan and data collection; c) data analysis design and model specification and d) definition and analysis of future scenarios. Attained results show an increase of commercial speed from 1.5% to 14.5%, and an increase of the proportion of total dwell time on total trip time from 1 to 13 points. The most unfavourable situation for the company would be banning people from boarding the bus/tram through any door (the case today). Indeed, it would require an increase of trips in the morning peak hour in order to maintain the same time interval at bus stops. However, the impact on passengers’ travel time is non negligible since total vehicle trip time shows a rise of up to 10 minutes during weekends shifts (from 62 minutes in the current situation to 72 minutes for the worst case scenario). Thus, the present system limits the outcomes negatively for the users in terms of waiting time. However, a change could lead to such positive consequences as fuller passenger cooperation to validate tickets/passes and a more ordered boarding, thus reducing fraud and improving the image of the company.
In Their Own Words: Reasons Underlying the Achievement Striving of Students in Schools.

By analyzing the open-ended reasons for studying generated by 3 different groups of Korean middle school students, we aimed to provide partial answers to current issues in achievement goal research that are difficult to resolve solely with the use of survey ratings. We categorized student responses using the achievement goal frameworks of Midgley et al. (2000), Elliot and McGregor (2001), and Grant and Dweck (2003), as well as the social–academic goal framework of Dowson and McInerney (2003). The responses gained from interviews with the students (Study 2) supported our categorization. Grant and Dweck’s normative (Study 1) and outcome goals (Study 2) and Midgley et al.’s performance-approach goals (Study 3) appeared most frequently when competence-oriented responses were considered, while Dowson and McInerney’s social status goals were the most common for noncompetence responses. Grant and Dweck’s framework as a whole accounted for the largest proportion of competence-oriented responses. However, when present-oriented achievement goals were analyzed independently, Midgley et al.’s mastery goals (Grant and Dweck’s learning goals) accounted for the overwhelming majority of student responses. Grant and Dweck’s ability validation goals were also especially prominent among students subjected to ability grouping (Study 3), demonstrating the effect of the immediate learning environment on the types of achievement goals that students pursue. Elliot and McGregor’s mastery-avoidance goals were rare regardless of whether all achievement goals or only those in the immediate classroom context were examined. A majority of students also pursued only a single goal from within Elliot and McGregor’s 2 × 2 framework. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)