Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Efficient Deniable Authentication Protocol from Pairings to Protect Users ’ Privacy

Deniable authentication is a new cryptographic technique of authentication, by which it allows the sender to prove his legitimacy to the intended receiver, but the intended receiver cannot prove to the third party the identity of the sender. Meanwhile, in order to meet various circumstances of the resource limit mobile devices, Lu and Cao proposed a non-interactive deniable authentication protocol from bilinear pairings to achieve above properties and to reduce communication and computation costs; however, there are areas of improvement. This paper first reviewed how a receiver can convince the third party the identity of the sender by revealing some information in Lu and Cao’s protocol; then proposed a novel deniable authentication protocol from pairings to exterminate such security defect internally in Lu and Cao’s protocol. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the proposed protocol is more efficient than the previously deniable authentication protocols in terms of the communication costs and the computational complexities.
The Economic Profitability of IPO Underperformance*

This paper tests the economic profitability of a zero-investment trading strategy based on knowledge of IPO underperformance and on estimates of pre-IPO earnings management. This trading strategy is implemented by forming two-firm portfolios that take short positions in the IPOs and long positions in control firms matched by industry and market capitalization. The first test shows that significant positive abnormal returns can be earned trading on knowledge of IPO underperformance. However, the second test fails to show a link between the level of abnormal returns earned on this trading strategy and the level of pre-IPO earnings management.
Bottleneck allocation methodology (BAM): an algorithm

Takes the development of a new optimization process for production scheduling and develops it into a systematic‐mathematical algorithm. Tests this algorithm against a simulated production environment and compares the generated schedules against those generated by EOQ, MRP, JIT, and OPT. The result is that bottleneck allocation methodology (BAM), with its critical resource based capacity scheduling out‐performs these other models in an intermittent demand discrete manufacturing environment.
Asymmetric colour perception in point-of-sale: some implications for merchandising

In this work we evaluate the phenomenon of asymmetric perception of coloured stimuli located in an aisle of a virtual store. In an experimental context of rapid perception and stimulation of peripheral vision, it was found that coloured items were perceived more accurately and rapidly when placed on the left rather than on the right shelf. This result seems to reveal the existence of an inter-shelves effect. Our work is a first contribution to fill the gap between the seminal study by Rettie and Brewer (2000) and the subsequent literature which extended to other spheres of merchandising some findings originally concerning some problems of package design.
Product Market Competition and Conditional Accounting Conservatism

In this paper, we empirically evaluate two views on the relation between product market competition and conditional accounting conservatism. One view is that intense product market competition increases bankruptcy risk and consequently, exacerbates shareholder-bondholder conflict of interest and enhances the likelihood of litigation. In response, both bondholders and auditors demand a higher level of accounting conservatism. Under the second view, intense competition induces managers to strive to maximize firm profits, aligning the interests of both shareholders and bondholders and reducing auditor litigation risk. As such, it effectively reduces the demand for conditional conservatism. To disentangle which view is best supported by data, we conduct empirical tests using a sample of 99,315 firm-year observations covering the time period 1964-2006. Our results show a positive association between product market competition and accounting conservatism, which is consistent with more intense competition heightening litigation risk and bondholder-shareholder conflict of interest and as such, inducing greater demand by auditors and bondholders for more conservatism. Our findings are robust to the inclusion of a range of factors that have been identified to affect the demand for accounting conservatism. To further identify the causal relation, we assess and find an inter-temporal increase in accounting conservatism following industry deregulation. Overall, our evidence highlights the impact of product market competition on accounting properties. Prior research has highlighted the increase in the intensity of product market competition over the last four decades. Our findings suggest this increase in product market competition could also be viewed as a contributing factor to the increase in conditional accounting conservatism over time.
Top Managerial Prestige, Power and Tender Offer Response: A Study of Elite Social Networks and Target Firm Cooperation during Takeovers

In this paper we explore the following research question: When faced with a tender offer, why do some firms resist and others cooperate? In the past, researchers have suggested that the manner in which firms respond to takeover attempts may be, in part, a function of managers' personal motivations. We contribute to this line of research by questioning whether other factors might be involved. Specifically, we examine whether cooperation may be a function of the friendliness of the bidding company and the social networks shared by executives in the two firms (i.e., bidder and target). We examine how the power and connections of managers affect their responses to tender offers. Our results suggest that these factors do indeed play a role. We found, for example, that target managers are more likely to cooperate under two conditions: (1) if they have less prestigious connections than managers in the bidding firm, and (2) if the target and bidding firms' share numerous ties to the same prestigious networks. In .
Improvement of patient eligibility with the use of new generation endografts for the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. A comparison study among currently used endografts and literature review

ABSTRACT Background: Newer generation devices have attempted to accommodate a wider range of aortoiliac anatomies offering endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) to more patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). We aim to examine the anatomic suitability for the ultra-low profile Ovation endograft in our AAA patients and to compare them with other contemporary devices. Methods: 158 consecutive AAA patients treated with EVAR or open surgical repair (OSR) were tested for EVAR eligibility according to the most commonly used endografts’ instructions for use. Results: 106 patients underwent EVAR and 52 OSR. EVAR eligibility was higher for the Ovation system (72%) compared to the rest of the devices (Incraft: 63%, Nellix: 60%, Endurant-II: 59%, Excluder: 55%, Zenith-Flex: 36%, Aorfix: 35%, P-value<0.001). Non-suitable proximal neck anatomy followed by access vessel inadequacy were the primary reasons for ineligibility. Conclusion: New generation aortic endografts with innovative proximal sealing mechanisms and ultra-low profile delivery systems are increasing patient eligibility for EVAR.
Sovereign spreads in emerging economies: do natural resources matter?

Natural resource prices have been plunging since early 2014, constituing a threat to emerging markets whose revenues mainly stem from commodity exports. Within this context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent commodities are reflected in financial markets assessment of emerging country risk, and if a special premium is added for commodity exporters. We focus on 22 emerging markets sovereign spreads and assess how prices and their commodity trade structure are gauged by investors. Our results indicate that commodity prices are relevant for exporters, as they help relaxing the credit constraint in periods of increasing prices. As for resourcepoor countries, they are of no importance when assessing sovereign risk. Also, global financial markets do not pay attention to dependence on natural resources although they are now suffering from collapsing prices. Finally, high variations in commodity prices are not particularly reflected in the way markets assess sovereign risk.
Diverse accurate feature selection for microarray cancer diagnosis

Gene expression microarray data provides simultaneous activity measurement of thousands of features facilitating a potential effective and reliable cancer diagnosis. An important and challenging task in microarray analysis refers to selecting the most relevant and significant genes for data cancer classification. A random subspace ensemble based method is proposed to address feature selection in gene expression cancer diagnosis. The introduced Diverse Accurate Feature Selection method relies on multiple individual classifiers built based on random feature subspaces. Each feature is assigned a score computed based on the pairwise diversity among individual classifiers and the ratio between individual and ensemble accuracies. This triggers the creation of a ranked list of features for which a final classifier is applied with an increased performance using minimum possible number of genes. Experimental results focus on the problem of gene expression cancer diagnosis based on microarray datasets publicly available. Numerical results show that the proposed method is competitive with related models from literature.
Can Market Actors Help Monitor European Banks?

This paper focuses on the use of equity market information for the monitoring of European banks. To this end, we conduct two event studies: 1) whether equity market variables can in a timely manner anticipate changes with a constructed rating- proxy of the supervisory rating- named ‘Financial Situation Evaluation’ (FSEvaluation), for audited banks, 2) whether Rating Agencies (RAs) can help monitor European banks during the period 1990- 2006. Results show that equity market returns help to anticipate, several quarters in advance, a balance-sheet-based evaluation. However, they issue a counterintuitive signal when European banks are facing a negative evaluation of their risk and/or capital position. RAs have an additional role especially effective in summarising positive information. However, RAs are shown to take time to downgrade banks. Finally, results find evidence that investors' behaviour is, at least in part, encouraged by a “too big to fail” policy from which large European banks benefit.
SKICAT: Sky Image Cataloging and Analysis Tool

In astronomy and space sciences, we current ly face a data g lut crisis. The problem of dealing w i t h the huge volume of data accumulated f rom a variety of sources, of correlating the data and extract ing and visualizing the impor tan t trends, is now fu l ly recognized. This problem wi l l become more acute very rapidly, w i th the advent of new telescopes, detectors, and space missions, w i th the data flux measured in terabytes. We face a cri t ical need for in format ion processing technology and methodology w i th which to manage this data avalanche in order to produce interesting scientific results quickly and efficiently. Developments in the fields of machine learning and AI can provide at least some solutions. Much of the future of scientific in format ion processing lies in the implementat ion of these methods. We present an appl icat ion of supervised classification to the automat ion of the tasks of cataloging and analyzing objects in digi t ized sky images. The Sky Image Cataloging and Analysis Tool ( S K I C A T ) was developed for use on the images result ing f rom the 2nd Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS-II) conducted by the Cal i fornia Inst i tu te of Technology (Caltech). The photographic plates collected f rom the survey are digit ized at the Space Telescope Science Inst i tu te. Th is process w i l l result in about 3,000 digi ta l images of 23,040 x 23,040 16-bit pixels each, to ta l l ing over 3 terabytes of data. When complete, the survey w i l l cover the entire northern sky in three colors, detecting v i r tua l l y every sky object down to a B magnitude of 22. Th is is at least one magnitude fainter than previous comprable photographic surveys. We estimate that there are on the order of 10 galaxies 10 stellar objects ( including over 10 quasars) are detectable in this survey. Th is data set wi l l be the most comprehensive large-scale imaging survey produced to date and w i l l not be surpassed in scope unt i l the complet ion of a fu l ly d ig i ta l all-sky survey. The purpose of S K I C A T is to enable and maximize the extract ion of meaningful in format ion f rom such a large database in t imely manner. The system is bu i l t in a modular way, incorporat ing several existing algori thms and packages. There are three basic funct ional components to S K I C A T , serving the purposes of sky object catalog construct ion, catalog management, and high-level stat ist ical and scientific analysis.
Effects of a new amiodarone-like agent, SR 33589, in comparison to amiodarone, D,L-sotalol, and lignocaine, on ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias in anesthetized pigs.

We compared the ability of a new amiodarone-like agent, SR 33589, with that of amiodarone, D,L-sotalol, and lignocaine to reduce the incidence of ventricular fibrillation (VF) and associated arrhythmias caused by acute coronary artery occlusion in anesthetized pigs. Ischemia was induced by occlusion of the left coronary descending artery (LAD) for 30 min. Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), ventricular tachycardia (VT), and ventricular fibrillation (VF) were recorded during coronary occlusion. SR 33589 (1.25, 2.50, and 5 mg/kg intravenously, i.v.) markedly reduced the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias during ischemia. The incidence of VF was reduced from 90% in the control group to 30% (p < 0.05) with 1.25 mg/kg, to 10% (p < 0.001) with 2.50 mg/kg, and to 20% (p < 0.01) with 5 mg/kg. In addition, SR 33589, especially at the two higher doses, caused a sustained reduction in both the incidence of VT and the number of PVCs per minute. In comparison, amiodarone 10 and 20 mg/kg i.v. reduced the incidence of VF (40 and 50%, respectively), but these reductions never reached a level of statistical significance. The incidence of VT and the number of PVCs per minute were also decreased significantly by amiodarone. D,L-sotalol 3 mg/kg i.v. exerted significant anti-arrhythmic activity; the incidence of VF was reduced 20% (p < 0.01), and both the incidence of VT and number of PVC per minute were also reduced. In contrast, lignocaine given as a 2-mg/kg bolus followed by an infusion at 70 micrograms/kg/min had no antiarrhythmic or antifibrillatory activity in this preparation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Value‐added marketing in the digital domain: enhancing the utility of the Internet

The Internet marketing techniques detailed in this article provide tactics to maximize the utility of the Internet as a vehicle for marketing communications. We found that Internet marketers today must provide increasingly sophisticated users with an experience not easily replicated by conventional media. Furthermore, techniques utilized within the homepage of a company must accomplish specific marketing objectives. Over 50 homepages across various industries were visited and evaluated for this study. Quantitative analysis identified current industry utilization of Internet marketing techniques, as well as those techniques best suited to reach Internet user types and to meet marketing objectives. General guidance is given to determine which techniques are best suited to accomplish these ends.
Testing for linkage and association with rheumatoid arthritis a ptpn22 promoter polymorphism reported to be associated and linked with type 1 diabetes in the Caucasian population

The PTPN22 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) +1858 C/T (rs2476601) was found to be linked and associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 1 However, the frequency of the susceptibility +1858T allele range from 2% to 15% of south to north Europeans, and is not observed in an Asian population, suggesting the involvement of other disease-associated PTPN22 polymorphisms.2–4 A study performed in the type 1 diabetes (T1D) Japanese population led to the identification of the PTPN22 – 1123 G/C SNP (rs2488457), for which the –1123G allele was found to be associated with T1D.5 This allele in linkage disequilibrium with +1858T was also tested in a familial T1D UK Caucasian sample. The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) showed a significant excess of transmission of the –1123G allele compared with that …
Marketing Competencies: A Cross-Cultural Study in a Multinational Company

Most research into international marketing focuses on the differences in markets across countries and cultures in terms of the variation in customers and products involved. Arguably, if different products are developed and offered to different customers, then the roles and requirements of marketing employees may reflect these differences also. This research study used self-report measures by marketing employees in a large multinational automotive company in Australia and Britain. Using structural equation modelling, the study found that the relationship between individual marketing competencies and marketing performance varied across countries, suggesting that there may be cultural differences that influence both the role of managers in improving performance, and the degree to which a marketing employee’s intention to perform results in actual performance.
Temperature-sensitive Mutants of Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Four conditional-lethal temperature-sensitive mutants of RS virus were detected among the progeny of 454 plaques derived from virus grown in the presence of 10−4m 5-fluorouridine. These mutants were stable (reversion frequency, 10−5.0 or less and failed to produce plaques at 38 or 39 C. Plaquing efficiency was depressed 100-fold or more at 37 C. Variable suppression of growth at the restrictive temperature of 39 C was observed, ranging from 16-fold to complete suppression. The temperature-sensitive defect of three of the mutants appeared to affect functions which were expressed late in the replicative cycle. One of the mutants produced atypical nonsyncytial plaques.
Design of Transmission Power Control mechanism using Shortest-Path Technique

There are a number of studies that propose transmission power control algorithms in wireless sensor networks. However, these algorithms have a lot of overhead in the initialization phase since a number of packets have to be transmitted to determine the optimal transmission power level. Moreover, the optimal transmission power level brings about an increment of the mean hopcount. The high hop-count increases the overall message latency and the energy consumption by increasing the number of packets in multi-hop communication. This paper proposes the transmission power control technique considering the shortest-path to minimize the hop-count without the occurrence of any power control messages.
Dynein motor regulation stabilizes interphase microtubule arrays and determines centrosome position

Cytoplasmic dynein is a microtubule‐based motor protein responsible for vesicle movement and spindle orientation in eukaryotic cells. We show here that dynein also supports microtubule architecture and determines centrosome position in interphase cells. Overexpression of the motor domain in Dictyostelium leads to a collapse of the interphase microtubule array, forming loose bundles that often enwrap the nucleus. Using green fluorescent protein (GFP)–α‐tubulin to visualize microtubules in live cells, we show that the collapsed arrays remain associated with centrosomes and are highly motile, often circulating along the inner surface of the cell cortex. This is strikingly different from wild‐type cells where centrosome movement is constrained by a balance of tension on the microtubule array. Centrosome motility involves force‐generating microtubule interactions at the cortex, with the rate and direction consistent with a dynein‐mediated mechanism. Mapping the overexpression effect to a C‐terminal region of the heavy chain highlights a functional domain within the massive sequence important for regulating motor activity.
Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Stress in Late Adulthood: A Longitudinal Approach to Measuring Allostatic Load

Objectives: This study examines how the effects of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) may carry on into late adulthood. Methods: We examine how childhood SES affects both perceived stress and allostatic load, which is a cumulative measure of the body’s biologic response to chronic stress. We use the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, Waves 1 and 2, and suggest a novel method of incorporating a longitudinal allostatic load measure. Results: Individuals who grew up in low SES households have higher allostatic load scores in late adulthood, and this association is mediated mostly by educational attainment. Discussion: The longitudinal allostatic load measure shows similar results to the singular measures and allows us to include 2 time points into one outcome measure. Incorporating 2 separate time points into one measure is important because allostatic load is a measure of cumulative physiological dysregulation, and longitudinal data provide a more comprehensive measure.
Functional Properties of Opsins and their Contribution to Light-Sensing Physiology

Many animals have developed systems for sensing environmental conditions during evolution. In sensory cells, receptor molecules are responsible for their sensing abilities. In light sensing, most animals capture light information via rhodopsin-like photoreceptive proteins known as opsin-based pigments. A body of evidence from comparisons of amino acid sequences and in vitro experiments demonstrates that opsins have phylogenetically and functionally diversified during evolution and suggests that the phylogenetic diversity in opsins correlates with the variety of molecular properties of opsin-based pigments. In this review, we discuss the various molecular properties of opsin-based pigments and their contribution to light-sensing ability by providing two examples: i) contribution of photoregeneration ability and Chromophore retinal binding property of an Opn3 homolog to non-visual photoreception, and ii) contribution of an absorption characteristic of a visual pigment to depth perception in jumping spiders.