Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Explorer A general definition of malware

We propose a general, formal definition of the concept of malware (malicious software) as a single sentence in the language of a certain modal logic. Our definition is general thanks to its abstract formulation, which, being abstract, is independent of—but nonetheless generally applicable to—the manifold concrete manifestations of malware. From our formulation of malware, we derive equally general and formal definitions of benware (benign software), anti-malware (“antibodies” against malware), and medware (medical software or “medicine” for affected software). We provide theoretical tools and practical techniques for the detection, comparison, and classification of malware and its derivatives. Our general defining principle is causation of (in)correctness.
Differences in Lower-Body Stiffness Between Levels of Netball Competition

Abstract Pruyn, EC, Watsford, ML, and Murphy, AJ. Differences in lower-body stiffness between levels of netball competition. J Strength Cond Res 29(5): 1197–1202, 2015—There are many notable differences in physical and skill attributes between competition levels, especially in team sports. Stiffness is an important mechanical factor to measure when considering athletic performance and injury incidence. Active vertical stiffness (Kvert) during hopping and passive stiffness during lying and standing were measured during the preseason period for 46 female netballers (24.0 ± 3.7 years, 72.2 ± 7.6 kg, 175.2 ± 6.7 cm). Participants were classified as elite, sub-elite, representative or recreational based on their current level of competition. A 1-way analysis of variance revealed that elite players possessed significantly higher Kvert than recreational players (p = 0.018). Large effect sizes (ES) suggested that elite players also possessed higher Kvert than sub-elite (d = 1.11) and representative (d = 1.11) players. A number of large and moderate ES were also present when comparing the passive stiffness of elite players to their lower-ranked counterparts. The results of this study suggest that elite players possess higher levels of active stiffness when compared with their lower-ranked counterparts. The differences in stiffness levels may contribute to a player's ability to physically perform at an elite level and also provide one explanation into elevated rates of injury at higher levels of competition.
Genetic variations in PPARD and PPARGC1A determine mitochondrial function and change in aerobic physical fitness and insulin sensitivity during lifestyle intervention.

CONTEXT Mitochondrial function is associated with aerobic physical fitness and insulin sensitivity and may play an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-delta (gene PPARD) and PPARgamma coactivator 1alpha (gene PPARGC1A) are determinants of mitochondrial function in animals and in vitro. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to establish whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in PPARD and PPARGC1A modulate the effect of exercise training on change in aerobic physical fitness and insulin sensitivity and whether they affect mitochondrial function in human myotubes in vitro. SETTING The study setting was the Tuebingen Lifestyle Intervention Program in a university teaching hospital. RESULTS After 9 months of intervention, the minor G allele of SNP rs2267668 in PPARD and the minor serine-encoding allele of the common Gly482Ser SNP in PPARGC1A were independently associated with less increase in individual anaerobic threshold (n = 136, P = 0.002 and P = 0.005), a precise measurement of aerobic physical fitness. Moreover, individual anaerobic threshold (+11%) and insulin sensitivity (+4%) increased less in subjects carrying the minor alleles at both SNPs (X/G-X/Ser), compared with homozygous carriers of the major alleles (A/A-Gly/Gly, +120% and +40%; P < 0.0001 and P = 0.015), suggesting an additive effect of the SNPs. In addition, low skeletal muscle mitochondrial function in vitro was detected in young carriers of the G allele of the SNP rs2267668 in PPARD (n = 19, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS These data provide evidence that the rs2267668 A/G SNP in PPARD and the Gly482Ser SNP in PPARGC1A have both independent and additive effects on the effectiveness of aerobic exercise training to increase aerobic physical fitness and insulin sensitivity.
Improved NetArgus - A Suite of Wi-fi Positioning & SNMP Monitor

In this paper, field research was conducted in order to enrich and strengthen the “NetArgus” application that is able to monitor either a wired or a wireless network with all its possible aspects. Original algorithms were implemented in an effort to find the position of a moving station utilizing the signal level of wireless local area network (WLAN) devices. Exhausting sampling and research were done, in order to resolve various practical problems associated with the signal level of the wireless stations as well as the involved hardware. Various flaws and omissions of 802.11x protocols were discovered, such as the lack of definition of the signal level and its width range. Moreover, a plethora of positioning practical problems has been adequately managed. Hence, an application was constructed to draw paths and manipulate proper information from various network moving clients, using the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) as well as low level operating system libraries. Last but not least, “Kalman Filter” was implemented and fully tested in order to correct the positioning unavoidable mistakes.
The impact of information seeking mode and Web atmospherics on consumer perceived value and interaction with retail Web sites

This document describes a research study that investigates ways of designing the Web atmospherics of retail shopping sites to better support consumers in their product information seeking. In this regard, the document identifies two significant modes of product information seeking (product browsing and product searching) and concentrates on two specific types of Web atmospherics (information presentation and information focus). Information presentation concerns the format of information displayed on the Web shopping interface, while information focus concerns the granularity of this displayed information. Utilizing these theoretical constructs, this document proposes that: i) matching information presentation to information seeking mode will lead to increased levels of consumer perceived value with Web shopping sites; ii) information seeking mode will influence user preferences for Web page design elements of Web pages with different information focus granularities; iii) information seeking mode will yield distinctive patterns of on-line consumer behavior; and iv) information presentation will impact the extent to which consumers interact with a Web shopping site. In order to investigate the effects of information presentation and information focus on consumer Web information seeking, this document outlines a randomized experiment. The experiment places subjects into either a browsing or searching mode, and manipulates information presentation within a simulated Web shopping environment. Measured outcomes in terms of perceived hedonic and utilitarian values are used to determine interactions between information seeking mode and information presentation. An analysis of test subjects' usage of the experimental Web site is conducted to assess: i) how information presentation and information seeking mode impact test subjects' preferences for Web pages and Web page design elements of different information focus granularities; and ii) the extent to which analysis of the interactions yield distinctive patterns of on-line behavior. Findings from the experiment provide support for two distinct behavioral patterns corresponding to searching and browsing information seeking modes: i) searchers and browsers chose to view Web pages and Web page design elements consistent with their information focus; and ii) on-line behavior is moderated by varying the level of information presentation. Specifically, browsing is associated with a more diffuse information focus than is searching; and as predicted, browsers view more pages and click on hyper-links that are of a more diffuse information focus (category-level pages, view related products) than do searchers. Further the moderating role of information presentation is seen in the number of search pages viewed by searchers and browsers at each level of information presentation. The results also indicate that the perceived hedonic and utilitarian value scales are likely not sufficiently sensitive to measure the experimental manipulations in this experiment
Why Do They Leave: Modeling Participation in Online Depression Forums

Depression is a major threat to public health, accounting for almost 12% of all disabilities and claiming the life of 1 out of 5 patients suffering from it. Since depression is often signaled by decreasing social interaction, we explored how analysis of online health forums may help identify such episodes. We collected posts and replies from users of several forums on healthboards.com and analyzed changes in their use of language and activity levels over time. We found that users in the Depression forum use fewer social words, and have some revealing phrases associated with their last posts (e.g., cut myself ). Our models based on these findings achieved 94 F1 for detecting users who will withdraw from a Depression forum by the end of a 1-year observation period.
Second-Order Fluid Flow Models: Reflected Brownian Motion in a Random Environment

This paper considers a stochastic fluid model of a buffer content process {Xt, t â? 0} that depends on a finite-state, continuous-time Markov process {Zt, t â? 0} as follows: During the time-intervals when Zt is in state i, Xt is a Brownian motion with drift µi, variance parameter ? i2and a reflecting boundary at zero. This paper studies the steady-state analysis of the bivariate process {Xt, Zt, t â? 0} in terms of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a nonlinear matrix system. Algorithms are developed to compute the steady-state distributions as well as moments. Numerical work is reported to show that the variance parameter has a dramatic effect on the buffer content process.
Applying Extreme Value Theory and Tail Risk Measures to Reduce Portfolio Losses (Available on Internet)

Risks and returns of portfolios consisting of stock, bond, and commodity indices from, respectively, the U.S. and European markets, are analysed. Di erent risk measures and statistical distributions are utilised in the construction of the risk models, in purpose to assess the usefulness of the di erent models for risk averse investors. Models under investigation include the well-known Gaussian mean variance model, the minimum variance model, and the distribution mean in combination with Value at Risk (VaR) and expected shortfall (ES), calculated both from historical returns and from estimated generalised Pareto distribution (GPD) parameters. The traditional Gaussian mean variance model works well as a rst estimate, but expected losses can be reduced utilising other risk measures. ES in particular appears to work consistently in combination with di erent con dence levels and distribution models. Moreover, calculations concerning ES are not noticeably more complicated, compared with other risk measures. According to expectations, the portfolio risk is minimised when the minimum variance model is applied. The simple strategy of holding equal fractions of all assets in the portfolio leads to absent returns in the best case, and in the worst case to disaster. The recommended strategy is to make a rst estimate with the mean variance model, and then adjust to investor preferences utilising mean ES models. Daily asset returns imply persistence of returns with relation to di erent risk measures. The di erent models have some forecasting power due to this persistence. However, GPD models in particular require an extensive amount of observations in order to produce
A Simple but Effective Way to Identify Persistent Performances Among Actively-managed Mutual Funds

We show the number of stocks contributing to the overall performance of an actively managed mutual fund is related to the persistency of the fund performance. Among the funds that have similar risk-adjusted returns, the funds that rely on a few high return stocks underperform the funds that hold many above-median return stocks. The difference between two groups is as large as 8% annual risk-adjusted return empirically. This result holds throughout our sample period, and is not generated by survivorship bias, look-back bias, or fund expenses.
Endogenous Phosphorylation of Distinct γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor Polypeptides by Ser/Thr and Tyr Kinase Activities Associated with the Purified Receptor (*)

We have investigated the phosphorylation of γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor purified from bovine cerebral cortex in the absence of added kinases. Incubation of the affinity-purified receptor with [γ-32P]ATP and 500 μM MnCl2 yielded incorporation of 0.45 mol of 32P/mol of muscimol binding sites within 2 h at 30°C. Mn2+ was much more effective than Mg2+ as activator. Phosphorylation of the receptor was observed on at least three different polypeptides of 51, 53, and 55 kDa. It was predominant on 51- and 53-kDa polypeptides that co-migrate with the [3H]flunitrazepam photoaffinity-labeled bands, suggesting that 32P incorporation mainly occurs on α-subunits. A monoclonal antibody specific for α-subunits adsorbed the endogenously phosphorylated GABAA receptor with a stoichiometry close to 1 mol of phosphate/mol of muscimol. The phosphorylation of the 51-kDa polypeptide, corresponding to α1-subunit, exhibited a micromolar affinity for ATP and sigmoid kinetics (nH = 2). Major incorporation of phosphate occurred on serine and threonine residues in roughly equimolar ratio. By enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting studies we also detected a minor incorporation on tyrosine residues; this was specific for a 55-kDa polypeptide. Comparison with molecular data suggests that at least α1- and α2-subunits (Ser and Thr residues) and possibly γ2-subunits (Tyr residue) are endogenously phosphorylated by multiple kinases, with a clear preference for α1-subunit. The β-subunits were not phosphorylated in our experimental conditions. The corresponding kinase activities are closely associated to the receptor protein, indicating a new complexity in the regulation of the GABAA receptor.
Degeneracy in the regulation of short‐term plasticity and synaptic filtering by presynaptic mechanisms

We develop a new biophysically rooted, physiologically constrained conductance‐based synaptic model to mechanistically account for short‐term facilitation and depression, respectively through residual calcium and transmitter depletion kinetics. We address the specific question of how presynaptic components (including voltage‐gated ion channels, pumps, buffers and release‐handling mechanisms) and interactions among them define synaptic filtering and short‐term plasticity profiles. Employing global sensitivity analyses (GSAs), we show that near‐identical synaptic filters and short‐term plasticity profiles could emerge from disparate presynaptic parametric combinations with weak pairwise correlations. Using virtual knockout models, a technique to address the question of channel‐specific contributions within the GSA framework, we unveil the differential and variable impact of each ion channel on synaptic physiology. Our conclusions strengthen the argument that parametric and interactional complexity in biological systems should not be viewed from the limited curse‐of‐dimensionality standpoint, but from the evolutionarily advantageous perspective of providing functional robustness through degeneracy.
Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt for treatment of portal hypertension due to extramedullary hematopoiesis in idiopathic myelofibrosis.

Patients with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) present with variable clinical, as well histomorphologic, features. In the fibrotic stage of the disease, bone marrow fibrosis causes ineffective erythropoiesis, which leads to extramedullary hematopoiesis, mainly in the spleen and the liver. [1][1] [2][2
Low voltage analog digital converter using sigma-delta modulator

This paper proposes low voltage, low power discrete sigma-delta modulator for DVB-H. Full-feedforward structure and double sampling technique were used in order to achieve low voltage and wide bandwidth. To overcome the noise folding problem, generated when double sampling technique is applied, fully floating DAC is used. Simulated results of the modulator, designed in a 0.18 mum CMOS technology, achieves a 58 dB SNDR in a 4 MHz bandwidth and dissipates 8 mW from a 1.2 V supply.
Electrophysiologically Dissociating Episodic Preretrieval Processing

Contrasts between ERPs elicited by new items from tests with distinct episodic retrieval requirements index preretrieval processing. Preretrieval operations are thought to facilitate the recovery of task-relevant information because they have been shown to correlate with response accuracy in tasks in which prioritizing the retrieval of this information could be a useful strategy. This claim was tested here by contrasting new item ERPs from two retrieval tasks, each designed to explicitly require the recovery of a different kind of mnemonic information. New item ERPs differed from 400 msec poststimulus, but the distribution of these effects varied markedly, depending upon participants' response accuracy: A protracted posteriorly located effect was present for higher performing participants, whereas an anteriorly distributed effect occurred for lower performing participants. The magnitude of the posterior effect from 400 to 800 msec correlated with response accuracy, supporting the claim that preretrieval processes facilitate the recovery of task-relevant information. Additional contrasts between ERPs from these tasks and an old/new recognition task operating as a relative baseline revealed task-specific effects with nonoverlapping scalp topographies, in line with the assumption that these new item ERP effects reflect qualitatively distinct retrieval operations. Similarities in these effects were also used to reason about preretrieval processes related to the general requirement to recover contextual details. These insights, alongside the distinct pattern of effects for the two accuracy groups, reveal the multifarious nature of preretrieval processing while indicating that only some of these classes of operation are systematically related to response accuracy in recognition memory tasks.
Measuring the severity of Clostridium difficile infection: implications for management and drug development

The appropriate management of Clostridum difficile infection (CDI) has become a growing clinical and economic issue, as a new epidemic strain with enhanced virulence is causing increased morbidity and mortality. Presently, only two antibiotics (metronidazole and vancomycin) are routinely used to treat CDI. Both increasing disease severity and recurrent infections have been an impetus not only to develop new agents, but also to better recognize which patients are at highest risk for treatment failure and/or recurrence so that treatments can be optimized from the outset. The availability of a standardized and validated system for stratifying CDI severity could improve patient management and potentially accelerate the development of new treatment agents.
Strategic Management: Issues and Cases

1. What Is Strategic Management. 2. Situational Analysis: The Firm & Its Environment. 3. Strategic Choice. 4. The Resource--Based View Of The Firm. 5. Organization & Strategy. 6. The Management Of Strategic Change. 7. Present & Future Issues In Strategic Management.
Virtual Assistants Support Customer Relations and Business Processes

Introduction Research lead in artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction and ebusiness resulted in the creation of virtual assistants intelligent humanoid interfaces functioning within e-commerce environment. Unlike traditional programs, virtual assistants are supposed to be autonomous, proactive and adaptive. These advantages make them particularly useful in e-commerce environment, where they establish and maintain Internet-based customer relations and carry out e-business processes. Virtual assistants currently experience a renaissance and have a wide range of applications. They perform their functions in various areas, but mostly they act as virtual representatives of their employers, kind of a showcase with humanoid face. Their possible applications are extensive: from being customer service consultants responding to any inquiries regarding companies’ products and services, through advising and supporting sales processes in electronic stores, surveying customers and maintaining friendly relations with them, to being a tool for discovering customer preferences and expectations related to products and services.
Fine-Scale Map of Encyclopedia of DNA Elements Regions in the Korean Population

The International HapMap Project aims to generate detailed human genome variation maps by densely genotyping single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CEPH, Chinese, Japanese, and Yoruba samples. This will undoubtedly become an important facility for genetic studies of diseases and complex traits in the four populations. To address how the genetic information contained in such variation maps is transferable to other populations, the Korean government, industries, and academics have launched the Korean HapMap project to genotype high-density Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) regions in 90 Korean individuals. Here we show that the LD pattern, block structure, haplotype diversity, and recombination rate are highly concordant between Korean and the two HapMap Asian samples, particularly Japanese. The availability of information from both Chinese and Japanese samples helps to predict more accurately the possible performance of HapMap markers in Korean disease-gene studies. Tagging SNPs selected from the two HapMap Asian maps, especially the Japanese map, were shown to be very effective for Korean samples. These results demonstrate that the HapMap variation maps are robust in related populations and will serve as an important resource for the studies of the Korean population in particular.