Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Defeating Anti-Debugging Techniques for Malware Analysis Using a Debugger

Article history: Received: 31 August, 2020 Accepted: 25 November, 2020 Online: 14 December, 2020 Cyberattacks such as spear phishing and malspam pretending to be companies, institutes, and government officials are increasing and evolving. Malware has a variety of purposes, such as collecting personal information and illegal access to the system. New types of malware are increasing every day, and many malware programs spread all over the Internet, causing severe problems. To analyze such malware effectively, analysts first need to understand the inner structure of the malware. They can try to analyze malware manually and automatically. However, attackers who create malware use many different kinds of techniques, such as antireverse engineering, to hinder and delay analysis. They also extend malware life through a combination of different techniques, such as social engineering and anti-debugging. These techniques make the malware more sophisticated; thus, it is hard for an analyst to detect the malware. Anti-debugging, one way to protect malware, is a deadly poison to malware analysts because it makes the analysis more difficult by detecting a debugger or debugging environments. Therefore, this paper describes malware’s anti-debugging techniques and how to defeat them through anti-anti-debugging mechanisms. It applies its findings to analyze a sample program, packed files, and actual malware with anti-debugging modules and performs various experiments to verify the proposed techniques. After the experiments, it confirms whether its countermeasure is useful for malware analysis.
EFFICIENCY OF THREE CHEMICAL AND TWO BIOLOGICAL INSECTICIDES ON TUTA ABSOLUTA LARVAE IN THE FIELD OF TOMATO AT EL BEHEIRA GOVERNORATE

Chemical insecticides: Coragen (chlorantraniliprole), VoliamFlexi (thimethoxam 20% + chlorantraniliprole) and Proclaim (emamectin benzoate), and the two bioinsecticides Vertimec (abamectin) and Dipel 2X (Bacillus thuringiensis), were evaluated in the present study in Bader district during tomato spring plantation 2016, for their efficacy in the control of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) infesting tomato plants. The grand mean effect of the two tested applications showed that Vertimec. was the superior in the control of the insect pest causing 72.7% reduction in larval stages , followed by 69.7% for both of VoliamFlexi and Coragen, while Dipel 2X recorded (65.3%) and Proclaim (64.16%).
Single- and Double-Loop Learning

Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) developers often make a single contribution to a project and then no more, making project management difficult. To improve understanding around why developers leave, this work explores the relationship between FLOSS developer motivations and their attitudes and behavior related to projects. In particular, we add insight to the current understanding of these issues by proposing single- and double-loop learning as intervening mechanisms that connect developer motivations to outcomes and thereby help clarify when developer motivations have negative and positive impacts for the project. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 132 FLOSS developers. We find that intrinsic motivations (motivation to learn) and social motivations (motivation to collaborate) positively influence single- and double-loop learning while extrinsic motivations negatively impact both types of learning. We further find that single- and double-loop learning have differential impacts on contribution to the focal project and other projects. While single-loop learning is associated with lower turnover intentions, double-loop learning is associated with higher turnover intentions. Implications of our findings for research and management are provided in the discussion.
Impacts of US-China trade friction on stock prices: An empirical study of machinery companies

ABSTRACT The address by President Trump on the trade between US and China in May, 2019 had a significant and global influence on manufacturing companies. In this paper, we extracted the stock price decline patterns due to the address by using Singular Value Decomposition Method with the intention of introducing a new approach to measure patterns of effects of such contingencies which happen once in a while on stock prices. The results are expected to have also meaningfulness for investors as well as analysts. Our analyses include two types. The first analysis focuses on the extraction of patterns among companies which have high intensity of business engagement in China and the second one among counties. In the first analysis we used only Japanese companies’ data because of data availability. As to the second analysis, we used only machinery industry’s data of Germany, Japan and US which compete in the global market and have mature stock markets respectively. The analyses made differences of patterns among businesses such as B-to-B and B-to-C stand out in the first analysis and differences among countries in the second analysis. Those results are expected to inspire further research, especially, exploration of new methodologies in the area of analysis of stock price fluctuations due to economic crises such as global trade or political affairs.
Pandemic and modern medicine: Time to recognize and correct previous misconceptions

A sudden increase in the number of viral pneumonias with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed defects in the provision of medical care for acute pneumonia in the lungs. Localization of the inflammatory process and its functional consequences indicate the identity of all forms of acute pneumonia, regardless of the etiology, and the need to develop treatment principles based on the pathogenesis of the disease.
UWS Academic Portal Salivary nitrite production is elevated in individuals with a higher abundance of oral nitrate-reducing bacteria Burleigh,

Nitric oxide (NO) can be generated endogenously via NO synthases or via the diet following the action of symbiotic nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity. Given the important role of NO in smooth muscle control there is an intriguing suggestion that cardiovascular homeostasis may be intertwined with the presence of these bacteria. Here, we measured the abundance of nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity of 25 healthy humans using 16S rRNA sequencing and observed, for 3.5 hours, the physiological responses to dietary nitrate ingestion via measurement of blood pressure, and salivary and plasma NO metabolites. We identified 7 species of bacteria previously known to contribute to nitrate-reduction, the most prevalent of which were Prevotella melaninogenica and Veillonella dispar. Following dietary nitrate supplementation, blood pressure was reduced and salivary and plasma nitrate and nitrite increased substantially. We found that the abundance of nitrate-reducing bacteria was associated with the generation of salivary nitrite but not with any other measured variable. To examine the impact of bacterial abundance on pharmacokinetics we also categorised our participants into two groups; those with a higher abundance of nitrate reducing bacteria (>50%), and those with a lower abundance (<50%). Salivary nitrite production was lower in participants with lower abundance of bacteria and these individuals also exhibited slower salivary nitrite pharmacokinetics. We therefore show that the rate of nitrate to nitrite reduction in the oral cavity is associated with the abundance of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Nevertheless, higher abundance of these bacteria did not result in an exaggerated plasma nitrite response, the best known marker of NO bioavailability. These data from healthy young adults suggest that the abundance of oral nitrate-reducing bacteria does not influence the generation of NO through the diet, at least when the host has a functional minimum threshold of these microorganisms.
EXAMINING THE ROLES OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN FOREIGN-OWNED FIRMS: FOCUS ON THREE CEE COUNTRIES AND AUSTRIA

Foreign-owned firms enter foreign markets for traditional reasons (market acquisition, securing resources, and diversification), but lately they have also been seeking better economies of scale and a more rational allocation of expenditures, via shifting processes and activities to lower-cost countries. The aim of this paper is to analyse the major foreign direct investments (FDI) and impacts on Human Resource Management through seven case studies in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. Multinational Corporations are considered the driving force behind the internationalization of business. The shift from a domestic to a global business perspective also has a profound impact on corporate human resources management activities. The analysis confirms the general viewpoint in literature that HR work in subsidiaries of MNCs has shifted from an administrative role to a strategic contributor role. The strategic impact is especially big when it comes to fields which need to be “culturally translated”: recruitment, compensation and benefits, and talent management. However, that influence is still limited to national HR work on a national level.
Measuring cognitive reflection without maths: Development and validation of the verbal cognitive reflection test

The Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) became popular for its impressive power to predict how well people reason and make decisions. Despite the popularity of the CRT, a major issue complicates its interpretation: the numerical nature of the CRT confounds reflection ability with mathematical ability. We have addressed this issue by developing the Verbal CRT (CRT-V), a novel 10-item measure of cognitive reflection, using non-mathematical problems with good statistical and psychometric properties and with low familiarity. First, we selected suitable items with relatively low familiarity and optimal difficulty as identified in two different populations (Studies 1 and 2) and with high content validity as judged by an expert panel (Study 3). Second, we demonstrated a good criterion and construct validity for the test in different populations with a wide range of variables (Studies 4-6, 8) and a good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Study 7). The Verbal CRT was less associated with numeracy than the original CRT and it was test equivalent across gender, age groups and administration setting. In contrast with the original CRT (Hedge’s g = 0.29, 95% CI[0.17, 0.40]), the Verbal CRT showed no gender differences (Hedge’s g = -0.06, 95% CI[-0.18, 0.06]). The Verbal CRT can complement existing tests of cognitive reflection.
Childlessness in Brazil: socioeconomic and regional diversity

Until recently talking about childlessness in Brazil would not find sound research grounds. Since 2005 the country has reached fertility replacement level and the newest estimates indicate that fertility continues its decline path, from 1.9 in 2010 falling to 1.7 in 2011. Fertility schedule is diverse when compared to other countries because childbearing starts early and also stops early in women’s life. In such low fertility regimes it would be expected that a high percentage of women retreat from childbearing as in several European countries. However, the average in 2010 is that 13% of women aged 40-49, that is, women born between 1961 and 1970, at the beginning of fertility transition, did not have any children, a figure much lower than in most European countries. On the other hand, given the high inequality present in almost all socioeconomic indicators, childlessness is very different for well-educated and loweducated women, for wealth and poor people. The objective of this paper is to analyze the tendencies of childlessness in Brazil taking into account the socioeconomic and regional differences in order to advance some hypothesis to the future level of fertility in Brazil. The question we try to answer is whether Brazil will become a childless society or if only some segments of the population will be under such regime.
Coproduction Challenges in the Context of Changing Rural Livelihoods

Coproduction is a process that involves scientists and citizens engaging throughout the production of knowledge, decisions, and/or policies. This approach has been widely applied in an international context for addressing global environmental issues. It is customary for scientists to travel to rural communities, where both scientists and local knowledge holders work together and jointly design solutions to pressing problems. Such collaboration, however, often involves high costs for both residents and scientists, which can reduce project effectiveness. This study examines the challenges associated with coproduction in the context of changing rural livelihoods in beneficiary communities. We specifically conduct a self-analysis of the coproduction process led by our own university team, where scientists designed tools for water and crop management together with community members in Peru’s Caylloma province. We collected qualitative data on the coproduction challenges in five local districts in Caylloma, using focus groups and semistructured interviews. Our results indicate that changing socioeconomic conditions in rural communities undermined the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the coproduction efforts and deliverables. These included increased migration, market integration, and reliance on regional institutions for water and crop management.
Patients with Hepatorenal Syndrome Should Be Dialyzed? COMMENTARY.

Introduction The rate of RRT for AKI in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC) is on the rise. In a study of 3,655,700 DC hospitalizations, the proportion of DC hospitalizations with AKI requiring RRT doubled between 2009 and 2012 (1). Of the many causes of AKI in patients with DC, hepatorenal syndrome type 1 (HRS-1) is perhaps the most vexing. Reasons for this include its complex pathophysiology involving splanchnic vasodilation and intrarenal vasoconstriction; its everchanging diagnostic criteria and nomenclature; and high short-term mortality leading to a widespread perception of clinical futility (2). Liver transplantation (LT) is the definitive therapy for HRS-1 and liver failure, but HRS-1 often progresses to advanced kidney failure before LT (2,3). In this context, nephrologists are faced with the dilemma of initiating RRT in patients with exceptionally poor shortterm survival. In this issue of Kidney360, Dr. Wadei and Dr. Velez were tasked with debating the use of RRT in patients with HRS-1. This commentary aims to provide background on HRS-1 and highlight this debate’s key issues.
Comparison of radiation measurements by BTN and R3DR instruments outside International Space Station

The article presents the first attempt to analyze data obtained simultaneously by the Russian BTN and Bulgarian R3DR instruments, flown in 2010 on the Zvezda module of the International space station (ISS). Both instruments have well established sensitivity against gamma radiation. This was verified in space, when the Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-16, initially docked to the aft port of the Zvezda module, was relocated to the zenith-facing port of the Poisk module on January 21, 2010. This maneuver brings a gamma ray source in the angle of view of both the BTN and R3DR instruments. The comparison of the data, after the relocation, for the first channels of the spectrometers reveals that they are elevated. This situation continues till March 18, 2010 when Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft was undocked from the ISS and landed. The final part of the paper, investigate the decrease of the R3DR instrument dose rates in the region of the South Atlantic anomaly (SAA), generated by the additional mass of the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft.
Real-time 3D Perception of Scenes with Monocular Camera

— Depth is a vital prerequisite for the fulfillment of various tasks such as perception, navigation, and planning. Estimating depth using only a single image is a challenging task since the analytic mapping is not available between the intensity image and its depth where the features cue of the context is usually absent in the single image. Furthermore, most current researchers rely on the supervised Learning approach to handle depth estimation. Therefore, the demand for recorded ground truth depth is important at the training time, which is actually tricky and costly. This study presents two approaches (unsupervised learning and semi-supervised learning) to learn the depth information using only a single RGB-image. The main objective of depth estimation is to extract a representation of the spatial structure of the environment and to restore the 3D shape and visual appearance of objects in imagery.
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Gene Polymorphisms and Risk of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Previously published studies have examined whether the polymorphisms (G894T, 4b/a, and T786C) in the Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) gene are associated with risk of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (aSAH), have reported conflicting results. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis to examine the potential association between these three single nucleotide gene polymorphisms (SNPs) of eNOS gene and aSAH risk. A literature search was carried out for eligible candidate gene studies published before April 30, 2020 in the PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar and Trip databases. The strength of association between eNOS and G894T, 4b/a, and T786C gene polymorphisms was calculated by pooled Odds Ratios (ORs) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CIs) using either a fixed-effect model (I2<50%) or a random-effect model (I2>50%). Heterogeneity between studies was examined using influence diagnostics analysis and publication bias was evaluated using Begg’s funnel plots. All the statistical analyses were assessed using R version 3.6. 2 software.13 case-control studies involving 2131 aSAH cases and 2223 controls were analyzed in our meta-analysis. In the overall analysis, no evidence of significant association for G894T (OR= 1.04; 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.23; p=0.52), T786C (OR= 1.16; 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.40, p=0.14) and 4b/a (OR= 1.17; 95% CI: 0.81 to 1.68, p<0.01) eNOS gene polymorphisms and
Ovule-gall stimulating a large fake fruit on Miconia chamissois Naudin (Melastomataceae): a structural overview

The developmental processes of galls are better known when they are induced on vegetative organs, whereas they have hardly ever been described for reproductive ones. Herein, galls induced by Allorhogas uberlandiensis (Hymenoptera) on ovules of Miconia chamissois Naudin (Melastomataceae) were analyzed in terms of morphological, anatomical, histochemical, and cytological characteristics. Galls are induced on the ovules before fertilization, and act as a physiological seed. Therefore, the ovary grows and develops into a fruit-like gall. The ovule-galls are on average 20-times larger than the seeds, and fruit-like gall volume is on average 5.4-times greater than that of mature fruits. These are related to cell hypertrophy and tissue hyperplasia in the host organ. There is a typical nutritive-tissue formation in the ovule-gall with lipid, protein, and pectin storage, as well as a storage tissue close to the epidermis. This nutritive tissue shows a smooth endoplasmic reticulum, multivesicular bodies, and mitochondria-rich cells. After gall induction, all of the ovules degenerate, and the ovary and hypanthium hypertrophy to form the fruit-like gall. The fruit-like galls form a physical barrier blocking the anthesis, thereby preventing fertilization and keeping only ovule-galls. Our study shows that the galling insect A. uberlandensis may reduce the reproductive success of M. chamissois, thus acting as a biological control agent for this host-plant population.
Comparative metabolites profiling of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua seed during sand storage and germination

Background: The seeds of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua have dormancy phenomenon. Previous studies have shown that sand storage factors effects of the seed dormancy of P. cyrtonema Hua seeds and enhance the seed germination process. Subsequently, metabolic activities and different changes during the sand storage and germination process of P. cyrtonema Hua seed has not been heavily researched.Results: In this study the changes in the metabolites of P. cyrtonema Hua seeds at different sand storage times and germination stages, we used untargeted metabolomics to determine them. Most of the sugar and glycoside contents in seed coat increased after 30 d on the other hand, in peeled seeds increased at 30 d and decreased at 60 d after sand storage treatment. The content of proline and benzoic acid decreased in the seed coat after sand storage. PCA, OPLS-DA and HCA showed that the contents of most metabolites increased after 7 d and decreased after 14 d of seed germination. The process of 7 d to 14 d was the key stage of seed germination of P. cyrtonema Hua. Differential metabolic pathway analysis showed that seed germination was controlled by multiple metabolic pathways. Metabolic correlation revealed the interdependence between seed germination metabolites and metabolic pathways. Conclusion: Sand storage can significantly increase the rate of seed germination and play a vital role in seed dormancy of P. cyrtonema Hua. There was inherent differences in metabolites during different storage time and germination stages in P. cyrtonema Hua. Our work provides a first glimpse of the metabolome in seed germination of P. cyrtonema Hua, and provides a valuable informations for revealing the mechanism of breaking seed dormancy.
Monocular vision and calculation of regular three-dimensional target pose based on Otsu and Haar-feature AdaBoost classifier

Using machine vision to identify and sort scattered regular targets is an urgent problem to be solved in automated production lines. This study proposed a three-dimensional (3D) recognition method combining monocular vision and machine learning algorithms. According to the color characteristics of the targets, to convert the original color picture into YCbCr mode and use the 2D Otsu algorithm to perform gray level image segmentation on the Cb channel. Then the Haar-feature training was carried out. The comparison of feature training and Haar method for Hough transform showed that the recognized time of Haar-feature AdaBoost trainer reached 31.00 ms, while its false recognized rate was 3.91%. The strong classifier was formed by weight combination, and the Hough contour transformation algorithm was set to correct the normal vector between plane coordinate and camera coordinate system. The monocular vision system ensured that the field of camera view had not obstructed while the dots were being struck. It was measured and calculated angles between targets and the horizontal plane which coordinate points of the identified plane feature. The testing results were compared with the Otsu and AdaBoost trainer where the prediction and training set have an error of no more than 0.25 mm. Its correct rate can reach 95%. It shows that the Otsu and Haar-feature based on AdaBoost algorithm is feasible within a certain error ranges and meet the engineering requirements for solving the poses of automated regular three-dimensional targets. Keywords: Otsu, Haar-feature, AdaBoost, 3D position, target pose, monocular vision, error analysis DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe. 20201305.5013 Citation: Li Y H, Wang H J, Zhou W L, Xue Z H. Monocular vision and calculation of regular three-dimensional target pose based on Otsu and Haar-feature AdaBoost classifier. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2020; 13(5): 171–180.