Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Packer classifier based on PE header information

Run-time binary packers are used in malware manufacturing to obfuscate the contents of the executable files. Such packing has proved an obstacle for antivirus software that relies on signatures, as the binary contents of packed malware often bears no resemblance to the original code on which the signature was generated. A naive approach, then, is to first attempt to unpack the malware before applying a signature. Unfortunately, malware authors make use of automated tools that drastically reduce the cost of constructing new packers, and as a result, attackers routinely use previously unseen packer when releasing new malware. As a first step towards addressing this problem, we seek to build a binary program classifier that can differentiate packers and identify new packers as they emerge. We hypothesize that programs generated from the same packer share many common attributes (e.g., PE header fields) and that these may be used for packer identification. Preliminary work shows that for some packers, we may be able to build effective classifiers. This is only the first step in a line of research that seeks to identify new packers, automate their unpacking, and ultimately track new versions of malware as they emerge.
Cross-sectional evolution of the U.S. city size distribution

We report nonparametrically estimated nonlinear stochastic transition kernels for the evolution of the distribution of populations of metropolitan areas, for the period 1900 to 1990, based on US Census data. Comparison of kernels across successive time periods with the kernel for a pooled sample suggests a fair amount of uniformity in the patterns of mobility during the study period. The distribution of city sizes is predominantely characterised by persistence. Comparison of the kernel for the pooled sample with the kernel for city sizes relative to their own regional average does not reveal any stark differences in intra-region mobility patterns. We then develop measures that allow us to characterise the nature of intra-distribution dynamics for the city size distribution: one is the first-order "serial" (across the ranking) correlation coefficient of the differences in relative sizes of cities with successive rankings; the second is the mean squared variation of the differences in relative sizes of cities with successive rankings. These measures have the major advantages that they do not require discretization of the city size distribution, nor do they obscure subtle changes within the distribution. We employ these measures to study the degree of mobility within the US city size distribution and, separately, within regional and urban subsystems. We find that different regions show different degrees of intra-distribution mobility. In addition, in contrast to received wisdom, second-tier cities show more mobility than top-tier cities.
Perspectives on a whole class mindfulness programme

Abstract This study sought to establish pupil and teacher views about a six-hour, whole-class mindfulness programme called Paws.b. Pupil post-intervention focus groups and teacher semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain what was interesting and useful about Paws.b, and how it could be developed. Audio recordings were transcribed and thematically analysed. Findings indicated the vast majority of pupils enjoyed Paws.b and it was deemed to be both accessible to pupils and feasible for teachers to deliver. A number of themes highlighted the impact of Paws.b upon pupils’ attention but also on their metacognition and social/emotional functioning, both within and beyond the classroom. Several potentially fruitful adaptations were also proposed. Findings are discussed relative to mindfulness and educational psychology literature, and future directions for research are outlined.
Universal One-Way Hash Functions and Average Case Complexity via Inaccessible Entropy

This paper revisits the construction of Universal One-Way Hash Functions (UOWHFs) from any one-way function due to Rompel (STOC 1990). We give a simpler construction of UOWHFs, which also obtains better efficiency and security. The construction exploits a strong connection to the recently introduced notion of
Secure Lossless Aggregation for Smart Grid M2M Networks

Whilst security is generally perceived as an important constituent of communication systems, this paper offers a viable security-communication-tradeoff particularly tailored to Advanced Metering Infrastructures (AMIs) in Smart Grid systems. These systems, often composed of embedded nodes with highly constrained resources, require e.g.~metering data to be delivered efficiently whilst neither jeopardizing communication nor security. Data aggregation is a natural choice in such settings, where the challenge is to facilitate per-hop as well as end-to-end security. The prime contribution of this paper is to propose a secure aggregation protocol that meets the requirements of Smart Grids, and to analyze its efficiency considering various system configurations as well as the impact of the wireless channel through packet error rates. Relying on analysis and corroborative simulations, unprecedented design guidelines are derived which determine the operational point beyond which aggregation is useful as well quantifying the superiority of our protocol w.r. t. non-aggregated solutions.
On Matrix Nearness Problems: Distance to Delocalization

In this paper we introduce a new matrix nearness problem that is intended to generalize the distance to instability. Due to its applicability in analyzing the robustness of eigenvalues with respect to the arbitrary localization sets (domains) in the complex plane, we call it the distance to delocalization. For the open left half-plane or the unit disk, the distance to the nearest unstable matrix is obtained as a special case. Following the theoretical framework of Hermitian functions and the Lyapunov-type localization approach, we present new Newton-type algorithms for the distance to delocalization: first using an explicit computation of the desired singular values (eD2D), and then using an implicit computation (iD2D). For both algorithms, we introduce a special stabilization technique of the Newton steps and, for a certain class of the localization domains, we provide an additional globality test. Since our investigations are motivated by several practical applications, we illustrate our approach on som.
Série Scientifique Scientific Series 2011 s-05 Optimum Commodity Taxation with a Non-Renewable Resource

Optimum commodity taxation theory asks how to raise a given amount of tax revenue while minimizing distortions. We reexamine Ramsey’s inverse elasticity rule in presence of Hotelling-type nonrenewable natural resources. Under standard assumptions borrowed from the non-renewableresource-extraction and from the optimum-commodity-taxation literatures, we show that a nonrenewable resource should be taxed in priority whatever its demand elasticity and whatever the demand elasticity of regular commodities. It should also be taxed at a higher rate than other commodities having the same demand elasticity and, while the tax on regular commodities should be constant, the resource tax should vary over time. The appropriate taxation rule depends on the government’s revenue needs; the higher these needs, the closer the consumer price to the monopoly price. Reserves are a form of capital and royalties tax its income; our results contradict Chamley’s conclusion that capital should not be taxed at all in the very long run. When reserves to be extracted are responsive to the taxation of extraction, in the absence of any subsidy to reserve discoveries, the optimal tax rate on extraction obeys an inverse elasticity rule almost identical to that of a commodity whose supply is perfectly elastic. As a matter of fact, there is a continuum of optimal combinations of extraction taxes and subsidies. When the government cannot commit, extraction rents are completely expropriated and subsidies are maximum. In general the optimum Ramsey tax not only causes a distortion of the extraction path, as happens when reserves are given, but also distorts the level of reserves developed for extraction. When that distortion is the sole effect of the tax, it is determined by a rule reminiscent of the inverse elasticity rule applying to elastically-supplied commodities.
Food Reconstruction Using Isotopic Transferred Signals (FRUITS): A Bayesian Model for Diet Reconstruction

Human and animal diet reconstruction studies that rely on tissue chemical signatures aim at providing estimates on the relative intake of potential food groups. However, several sources of uncertainty need to be considered when handling data. Bayesian mixing models provide a natural platform to handle diverse sources of uncertainty while allowing the user to contribute with prior expert information. The Bayesian mixing model FRUITS (Food Reconstruction Using Isotopic Transferred Signals) was developed for use in diet reconstruction studies. FRUITS incorporates the capability to account for dietary routing, that is, the contribution of different food fractions (e.g. macronutrients) towards a dietary proxy signal measured in the consumer. FRUITS also provides relatively straightforward means for the introduction of prior information on the relative dietary contributions of food groups or food fractions. This type of prior may originate, for instance, from physiological or metabolic studies. FRUITS performance was tested using simulated data and data from a published controlled animal feeding experiment. The feeding experiment data was selected to exemplify the application of the novel capabilities incorporated into FRUITS but also to illustrate some of the aspects that need to be considered when handling data within diet reconstruction studies. FRUITS accurately predicted dietary intakes, and more precise estimates were obtained for dietary scenarios in which expert prior information was included. FRUITS represents a useful tool to achieve accurate and precise food intake estimates in diet reconstruction studies within different scientific fields (e.g. ecology, forensics, archaeology, and dietary physiology).
Correlation of inhibition of platelet aggregation after clopidogrel with post discharge bleeding events: assessment by different bleeding classifications.

AIMS To correlate inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) with bleeding events assessed by TIMI, GUSTO, and BleedScore scales in a large cohort of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and ischaemic stroke (IS) treated with chronic low-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel. Data from recent trials and registries suggest a link between increased risk of bleeding and cardiovascular mortality. However, the potential association of bleeding risk and IPA is not established. It may play a critical role for the safety of more aggressive platelet inhibition or/and individual tailoring of antiplatelet strategies. METHODS AND RESULTS Secondary post hoc analyses of 5 microM ADP-induced IPA and bleeding complications assessed by TIMI, GUSTO, and BleedScore scales in a combined data set consisting of patients with documented CAD (n = 246) and previous IS (n = 117). Demographic characteristics differ substantially depending on the underlying vascular disease; however, IPA and bleeding risks were similar between CAD and IS. All three bleeding scales adequately captured serious haemorrhagic events, where the TIMI scale was the most exclusive, whereas BleedScore was the most inclusive. Over half of all patients experienced superficial event(s), most commonly occurring during two to three distinct bleeding episodes. There was no correlation between IPA and duration of antiplatelet therapy. Inhibition of platelet aggregation >50% strongly correlates with minor (r(2) = 0.58, P < 0.001; c-statistic = 0.92), but not severe (r(2) = 0.11, P = 0.038; c-statistic = 0.57), bleeding events. CONCLUSION Chronic oral combination antiplatelet regimens are associated with a very high (56.5-60.7%) prevalence of superficial bleeding episodes, which are grossly underestimated in trials and registries. The role of such frequent mild complications for the overall benefit of antiplatelet therapy is entirely unknown, as is their effect on compliance. Although IPA is well suited for defining the risk of minor complications, prediction of more severe bleeding events may be challenging.
K-SVD Dictionary Learning and Image Reconstruction Based on Variance of Image Patches

The sparsity of signal is the premise of compressed sensing theory. It has been the hot topic for many years to sparsely represent the original signal accurately and quickly. For the sparse representation of image, the K-SVD dictionary training algorithm exhibits excellent performance. By calculating the variance of each block, different K-SVD parameters are settled, then the image sparse representation and Compressed Sensing reconstruction is achieved. Experimental results show that this method can preserve more image detail, and gain higher PSNR of the reconstruction results.
Algorithms to estimating fractal dimension of textured images

Two algorithms that can obtain more accurate estimate of the fractal dimension are proposed. One is the shifting DBC (SDBC) algorithm and the other one is the scanning BC (SBC) algorithm. It is theoretically proven that the SDBC algorithm approaches the estimated value closer to the exact fractal dimension than the DBC method. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithms consistently give more satisfactory results on textured images.
Case Study on 4 Subjects to Determine the Best Determinant of VO 2 max : % Body Fat or Dietary Habits : 2008

The maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2 max) is very important because it is used to evaluate cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness. Without knowledge of their VO 2 max value, an obese person may not know how much at risk they are for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease which buttresses the need ‘in such an increasingly obese society, of knowing your VO 2 max which can be very beneficial’ (Wilmore and Costill, 1999); due to the fact that it provides you with a baseline idea of your cardiovascular health and aerobic fitness level. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between an individual’s percent body fat and their dietary habits in reference to their VO 2 max value. To determine if this relationship existed, a mixed method of quantitative and qualitative statistical analysis was carried out on four active individuals ranging from ages 18-30. For the purpose of this study, an R square value of 0.5 or more suggests a relationship between theVO 2 max value, and dietary intake value. With an R squared value of 0.89, percent body fat depicts the most significant relationship with VO 2 max. % Body fat is very important because the body uses fat for insulation, thermoregulation and, most importantly it is a form of energy storage. The most significant dietary components were carbohydrates (R = 0.50), total percentage of caloric intake from fats (R = 0.75), fruit (R = 0.65), grain (R = 0.78), and total fiber (R = 0.62). This study was based on only 4 subjects. As a result, data analysis can only be used to suggest relationships and guide future experiments, not to make conclusive statements or to state a level of significance.
The “inside out” transforaminal technique to treat lumbar spinal pain in an awake and aware patient under local anesthesia: results and a review of the literature

Surgical management of back and leg pain is evolving and changing due to a better understanding of the patho-anatomy well correlated with its pathophysiology. Pain is better understood with in vivo visualization and probing of the pain generators using an endoscopic access rather than just relying on symptoms diagram and image correlation. This has resulted in a shared decision making involving patient and surgeon, focused on a broader spectrum of surgical as well as non-surgical treatments, and not just masking the pain generator. It has moved away from decisions based on diagnostic images alone, that, while noting the image alterations, cannot explain the pain experienced by each individual as images do not always show variations in nerve supply and patho-anatomy. The ability to isolate and visualize “pain” generators in the foramen and treating persistent pain by visualizing inflammation and compression of nerves, serves as the basis for transforaminal endoscopic (TFE) surgery. This has also resulted in better pre surgical planning with more specific and defined goals in mind. The “Inside out” philosophy of TFE surgery is safe and precise. It provides basic access to the disc and foramen to cover a large spectrum of painful pathologies.
Aperiodic Consensus Control for Tracking Nonlinear Trajectories of a Platoon of Vehicles

This article presents an aperiodic control solution for the remote guidance of a convoy of intelligent vehicles tracking nonlinear trajectories. To accomplish this, it is assumed that the longitudinal and lateral stability problems are decoupled. A centralized self-triggered consensus controller ensures convoy stability, thus maintaining the desired distance between vehicles while also achieving a significant reduction in the number of times the channel is accessed. In addition, a decentralized self-triggered controller is designed for each follower to track nonlinear trajectories. With this self-triggered approach, each vehicle monitors its own state only at precise instants. The main contribution of this proposal is to reduce the wireless channel load while preserving the tracking performance of the convoy.
Self-We-Others Schemata Differentiation as a Base for Personal Agency and Social Attitudes

The extent to which the Self-schema is differentiated from the cognitive schemata representing other people has important meaning for diversification of social vs. individual identity (Snyder and Fromkin, 1980; Brewer, 1991; Jarymowicz, 1993), socialization and individuation (Ziller, 1964), and interdependence and individualism (Waterman, 1981). All these concepts must be taken into account in order to gain a better understanding of the social world (Greenwald and Pratkanis, 1984; Baumeister, 2005; Leary and Tangney, 2013).
Mood in relevance theory: a re-analysis focusing on the Spanish subjunctive

Accounts of non-interrogative mood in relevance theory have standardly assumed that what is encoded by these forms is information concerning the type of world they represent: actual, possible or potential. This paper highlights some problems with this view when it is applied to the indicative-subjunctive contrast in Spanish. An alternative account is proposed which makes use of a distinction, already present in relevance theory, between assumptions presented as relevant in their own right and those which serve to facilitate the processing of the utterance. A comparison with other accounts of the indicative/subjunctive contrast in Spanish is then made and broader implications for relevance theory are discussed.
How Is an Agent Like a Wolf ? : Dominance and Submission in Multi-Agent Systems

O Abstract Agents are automating many tasks that used to be done by people. As agents begin to address more complex domains of human life, they will need to develop an understanding of the dominance hierarchies that people understand intuitively. We present examples of species with social hierarchies that occur in the natural world, in particular the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), to show how an awareness of social status could benefit multi-agent systems. We present three main areas where dominance hierarchies could benefit these systems – as a mechanism for streamlining negotiation, as a means of facilitating mutually beneficial alliances among agents, and as a way of making interfaces to agents more intuitive for the people who create and interact with them. With regard to implementation, we propose that the three main elements necessary for an agent to participate in a social hierarchy are: an internal representation of its relationships with other agents, a means of communicating socially with those other individuals, and a desire to achieve its goals. As both a way of implementing multiagent systems and as a means of understanding them, dominance hierarchies will be a valuable tool for creating systems that can mirror human complexity and thrive in complex social environments.
The Moral Dimensions of Boredom: A Call for Research

Despite the impressive progress that has been made on both the empirical and conceptual fronts of boredom research, there is one facet of boredom that has received remarkably little attention. This is boredom's relationship to morality. The aim of this article is to explore the moral dimensions of boredom and to argue that boredom is a morally relevant personality trait. The presence of trait boredom hinders our capacity to flourish and in doing so hurts our prospects for a moral life.
Word2VisualVec: Cross-Media Retrieval by Visual Feature Prediction

This paper attacks the challenging problem of cross-media retrieval. That is, given an image find the text best describing its content, or the other way around. Different from existing works, which either rely on a joint space, or a text space, we propose to perform cross-media retrieval in a visual space only. We contribute \textit{Word2VisualVec}, a deep neural network architecture that learns to predict a deep visual encoding of textual input. We discuss its architecture for prediction of CaffeNet and GoogleNet features, as well as its loss functions for learning from text/image pairs in large-scale click-through logs and image sentences. Experiments on the Clickture-Lite and Flickr8K corpora demonstrate the robustness for both Text-to-Image and Image-to-Text retrieval, outperforming the state-of-the-art on both accounts. Interestingly, an embedding in predicted visual feature space is also highly effective when searching in text only.
Rear-end collision prevention using mobile devices

Portable devices like tablet PCs and smart phones are being used more often these days within the vehicular environment. Drivers use them for listening to music, navigation assistance, accessing internet and also mainly for speaking over the phone. Most of these features are made possible in the portable devices due to the availability and use of many sensors such as global positioning system (GPS), cameras, microphones, accelerometer sensors and gyroscope sensors. Although most of the sensors were designed for gaming or a better user experience, within a vehicular environment, they provide valuable information of the ego-vehicle and the surrounding environment. This paper probes into the possibility of using these sensors to measure vehicle dynamics, thus making a portable device a driving safety tool. We aim to design an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that warns drivers of potential rear-end collision scenarios. Toward this goal, this study focuses on front vehicle tail-light detection using the embedded camera of a portable device. This frontal vehicle tail-light detector is also used to estimate the distance between the egoand front-vehicles based on the size of the detected tail-light. We propose a smart warning system using this information, together with the ego-vehicle dynamics computed using inertial measurement units (IMUs) (accelerometer and gyroscope). This system detects when the vehicle ahead brakes or intends to turn, and generates the warning signals when the speed of the ego-vehicle does not change accordingly.