Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zero-delay Lightweight Defenses against Website Fingerprinting

Website Fingerprinting (WF) attacks threaten user privacy on anonymity networks because they can be used by network surveillants to identify the webpage being visited by extracting features from network trafﬁc. A number of defenses have been put forward to mitigate the threat of WF, but they are ﬂawed: some have been defeated by stronger WF attacks, some are too expensive in overhead, while others are impractical to deploy. In this work, we propose two novel zero-delay lightweight defenses, FRONT and GLUE. We ﬁnd that WF attacks rely on the feature-rich trace front, so FRONT focuses on obfus-cating the trace front with dummy packets. It also random-izes the number and distribution of dummy packets for trace-to-trace randomness to impede the attacker’s learning process. GLUE adds dummy packets between separate traces so that they appear to the attacker as a long consecutive trace, rendering the attacker unable to ﬁnd their start or end points, let alone classify them. Our experiments show that with 33% data overhead, FRONT outperforms the best known lightweight defense, WTF-PAD, which has a similar data overhead. With around 22%–44% data overhead, GLUE can lower the accuracy and precision of the best WF attacks to a degree comparable with the best heavyweight defenses. Both defenses have no latency overhead.
Sharpness, Restart and Compressed Sensing Performance

: We show that several classical quantities controlling compressed sensing performance directly match parameters controlling algorithmic complexity. We ﬁrst describe linearly convergent restart schemes on ﬁrst-order methods using a sharpness assumption. The Lojasievicz inequality shows that sharpness bounds on the minimum of convex optimization problems hold almost generically. Here, we show that sharpness directly controls the performance of restart schemes. For sparse recovery problems, sharpness at the optimum can be written as a condition number, given by the ratio between true signal sparsity and the largest signal size that can be recovered by the observation matrix. Overall, this means that in compressed sensing problems, a single parameter directly controls both computational complexity and recovery performance.
Sweet Second-Order Footsteps Illusions

In the ‘‘footsteps illusion’’, light and dark squares travel at constant speed across black and white stripes. The squares appear to move faster and slower as their contrast against the stripes varies. We now demonstrate some second-order footsteps illusions, in which all edges are defined by colors or textures—even though luminance-based neural motion detectors are blind to such edges.
Artificial Neural Networks in Option Pricing

This thesis examines the application of neural networks in the context of option pricing. Throughout the thesis, different architecture choices and prediction parameters are tested and compared in order to achieve better performance and higher accuracy in option valuation. Two different volatility forecast mechanisms are used to compare neural networks performance with Black Scholes parametric model. Moreover, the performance of a neural network is compared also to more advanced modular neural networks. A new technique of adding rational prediction assumptions to neural network prediction is tested and the thesis shows the importance of adding virtual options fulfilling these assumptions in order to achieve better training of the neural network. This method comes out to increase the prediction power of the network significantly. The thesis also shows the neural network prediction outperforms the traditional parametric methods. The size and number of hidden layers in a neural network is tested with an emphasis to provide a benchmark and a structured way how to choose neural network parameters for future applications in option pricing. JEL Classification C13, C14, G13
ICSE: G: Fighting Software Conﬁguration Errors with Combined Static and Dynamic Program Analyses

This paper presents ConfDiagnoser, a general technique for diagnosing software conﬁguration errors. ConfDiagnoser identiﬁes the root cause of a conﬁguration error — a single conﬁguration option that can be changed to produce desired behavior. It uses user demonstration and combined static and dynamic program analyses to link the undesired behavior to speciﬁc conﬁguration options. ConfDi-agnoser differs from existing approaches in four key aspects: (1) it does not require users to provide a testing oracle (to check whether the software functions correctly) and thus is fully-automated; (2) it can diagnose both crashing and non-crashing errors; (3) it does not require any OS-level support; and (4) it is cognizant of software evolution and can diagnose conﬁguration errors introduced during software evolution. We demonstrated ConfDiagnoser’s accuracy and speed on 22 real-world software conﬁguration errors from 7 conﬁgurable software systems. For 17 errors, the root cause was one of ConfDiagnoser’s top 3 suggestions. Overall, ConfDiagnoser produced signiﬁcantly better results than existing techniques. ConfDiagnoser runs in just a few minutes, making it an attractive alternative to manual debugging.
Feature Matching for Outer Orientation of Single Images Using 3-D Wireframe Controlpoints

The paper presents an automatic model-based outer orientation (AMOR) of a single image using pattern recognition techniques. Models are 3-D wireframe models of buildings. The development of AMOR is part of an effort of the Survey Department Bonn, to automate the production of digital orthophoto maps. Extensive tests confirm the high reliability of the approach, and also the internal decisive measures for selfdiagnosis, and suggest the matching technique to be widely applicable.
Comparative Study of the Nutritive Values and Acceptability of Different Types of Bhatura in India

The Indian population depends mainly on cereals, pulses and their products for nutrition. All cereals and pulses undergo several processing methods (soaking, malting, germination, fermentation, cooking etc.). Among these fermentation is one of the oldest techniques that improves flavour and digestibility of ingredients for human consumption and enhances keeping quality and shelf life. Therefore, fermented foods like Bhatura, Kulcha, Idli, Dosa, Khaman etc. are becoming popular. It was found that fermentation and cooking both had increased the iron, total soluble sugar, reducing sugar and non reducing sugar content in all types of bhaturas, whereas moisture, starch and phenol content were decreased. No change in calcium and fibre content was observed after processing in all types of bhatura samples. When different types of bhatura were compared in relation to their nutrients ash, fat, calorie, total soluble sugar, non reducing sugar, phenol, and titrable acidity were found to be highest in traditional bhatura as compared to instant and bread bhatura. At the same time instant bhatura was found to have lowest ash, protein, fat, calories, iron, total soluble sugar, phenol, amylase activity and terrible acidity with highest carbohydrate, reducing sugar and starch content when compared to traditional and bread bhatura, Although moisture, iron and amylase activity were found maximum in bread bhatura while starch and carbohydrate were found minimum when a comparison was made with traditional and instant bhatura. Relationship of amylase with reducing sugar and starch in all bhatura samples was also studied and it was observed that as amylase activity was increased starch content was decreased with a simultaneous increase in reducing sugar with processing. On performing the sensory evaluation instant bhatura was found to be the most acceptable following the bread bhatura and traditional bhatura.
Control System for a Vehicle Exhaust Waste Heat Recovery System

Most motor vehicles currently operate with an internal combustion engine (ICE), responsible for the emission of polluting substances which directly influence the chemical composition of the air. The waste heat recovery (WHR) system, for the thermal energy contained in the exhaust gases through an Organic Rankine cycle (ORC), is a promising approach to reduce fuel consumption as well as exhaust emissions from the engines of motor vehicles. In this work, the H∞ and H2 control strategies were developed with the goal of rejecting any effects triggered by disturbances in the thermal energy available for the ORC, commonly due to variations of mass flow and exhaust gas temperature. Thus, control is essential to ensure a stable performance of the system and to avoid the deterioration of the same. The controllers developed in this work are able to reject some of the effects caused by small amplitude disturbances. Moreover, due to a superior performance H∞ control has proven to be more suitable than H2 control.
The Relationships between Perceived Systemic Family Violence and Children’s Problematic Behaviors

This study examined the effect of systemic family violence (e.g. marital conflict between parents, parentchild conflict, and sibling conflict) on children’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. 540 sixth grade students in East Taiwan participated in this study and were invited to fill out questionnaires of the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTSS-A form, Straus and Gelles, 1979) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR, Achenbach, 1991). 492 questionnaires were valid for analyses. The results indicated that sibling conflict is most frequent, followed by parent-child conflict. Forms of family violence can co-occur, and each type of domestic violence was significantly related to specific internal or external behavior problems. Gender and ethnicity effect were found in children’s perception of family conflict and their report of behavioral problems. Girls tended to perceive more sibling conflict and more withdrawal problems than boys. Children whose fathers were aboriginal perceived more martial conflict, father-child conflict, sibling conflict and more somatic complaints and criminal behaviors.
TOMODENSITOMETRY APPLIED TO CHARACTERIZE ROCK PROPERTIES OF A CONVENTIONAL HETEROGENOUS CARBONATE RESERVOIR IN EASTERN CANADA

Little is known about this specific sector of the St. Lawrence River area but Oil and gas operators have drilled over 6000 meters of wells in the past ten years building an unprecedented subsurface dataset. Several wells revealed oil or gas shows associated with naturally fractured zones notably within the carbonate Sayabec Formation (Fm). Carbonate reservoirs are genetically complex and spatially heterogeneous due to their bioclastic content, the presence of fractures and their complex diagenetic history responsible either for creation or occlusion of porosity. Tomodensitometry has been commonly applied to core analyses within the Oil and Gas sector in order to analyse permeability, fractures patterns, or assess fluid flow in porous rocks [1-3]. However the methodology is mainly applied to clastic reservoir rocks or relatively homogenous carbonate reservoir [4, 5]. In the Massé structure area, the Sayabec Fm is 300 meters thick in average. The upper part of the Sayabec Fm displays a wide range of carbonate facies, from well sorted peloidal packstone to poorly sorted packstone with crinoids, bioturbated mudstone and locally bryozoans and/or stromatopores boundstones. These carbonate facies are interbedded with plurimetric layers of siltstones. Industry partner needs a rapid and efficient tool to optimize their drilled wells in order to locate the most porous and permeable intervals and help planning future drilling.
A Macro-Financial Model of Monetary Policies with Leveraged Intermediaries∗ PRELIMINARY DRAFT: CLICK HERE FOR LATEST VERSION

This article presents a macro-financial model in which leveraged intermediaries play the key role in the transmission of monetary policies. Liquidity frictions in the money market create a role for central bank reserves as the ultimate mean of settlement. The model is able to reproduce and rationalize a series of facts both in normal times and in financial crises: (i) monetary policy can be implemented by manipulating both the interest paid on excess reserves (IOER) and the quantity of excess reserves (ii) a strong correlation between money market stresses and credit spreads (iii) a spiraling doom loop between funding and market liquidity (iv) liquidity injection from central banks alleviating liquidity stresses and (v) asset purchase programmes stabilizing asset prices by extracting and suppressing funding liquidity risk from the market. ∗Disclaimer: This paper should not be reported as representing the views of the European Central Bank. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the ECB. †European Central Bank ‡European Central Bank and Sciences Po
A Comparative Overview of Evidence-Based Treatment of Stuttering in Bulgaria and in the USA and Canada

Introduction: The move towards evidence-based practice (EBP) requires speech-language pathologists (logopedists) to understand the types of studies that build an evidence base for the field as well as the standards for assessing the quality of evidence. Objectives: This article discusses the conceptual and methodological issues associated with EBP in Bulgaria, the USA, and Canada related to clinical stuttering intervention. This article discusses how the movement towards the current high-level standards of practice established in North America may challenge some of the traditional Bulgarian beliefs regarding stuttering treatment. Method: Theoretical overview and analysis of the existing literature data sources including systematic meta-analysis articles on EBP on stuttering. Results: The study outlines the steps of EBP accepted in SLP. Thirteen systematic reviews and meta-analyses are discussed concerning the application of research evidence to clinical decision making. These issues remain problematic for Bulgarian logopedists who received their training before or during the recent professional shift from a special education subspecialty to a health profession specialty as represented by speech-language pathology (SLP). Conclusions: The professional bodies that govern clinical practice in the Bulgarian health fields are not currently guided by EBP concepts. In Bulgaria, there is no evidence-based framework for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of stuttering as there is in the USA and Canada. In Bulgaria EBP stands as a fundamental way to promote changes appropriate for SLP as a health profession.
An Empirical Examination of Consumer Behavior for Search and An Empirical Examination of Consumer Behavior for Search and Experience Goods in Sentiment Analysis Experience Goods in Sentiment Analysis

With the explosive increase of user-generated content such as product reviews and social media, sentiment analysis has emerged as an area of interest. Sentiment analysis is a useful method to analyze product reviews, and product feature extraction is an important task in sentiment analysis, during which one identifies features of products from reviews. Product features are categorized by product type, such as search goods or experience goods, and their characteristics are totally different. Thus, we examine whether the classification performance differs by product type. The findings show that the optimal threshold varies by product type, and simply decreasing the threshold to cover many features does not guarantee improvement of the classification performance.
D13.0v0.3 Overview and Scope of WSMX

Process Designer allows a user to create the control flow of the process using BPEL constructs. Semantic Publication and Discovery Engine provide semantic matching based on subsumption and property matching. Constraint Analyzer dynamically selects services from candidate services, which are returned by the discovery engine. Execution environment performs actual late binding of services returned by the constraint analyzer and
Upregulation of microRNA-31 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with advanced colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) manifests after the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations along with tumor microenvironments. MicroRNA (miRNA/miR) molecules have been revealed to serve in critical roles in the progression various types of cancer, and their expression level is often an important diagnostic, predictive or prognostic biomarker. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of miRNAs as prognostic biomarkers for patients with advanced CRC. miRNA arrays were performed on CRC specimens obtained from tumors with various molecular statuses [e.g. KRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase (KRAS)/B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase (BRAF)/microsatellite instability (MSI)], and their paired normal mucosal specimens. The miRNA array revealed that miR-31-5p (miR-31) was specifically upregulated in CRCs with the BRAF V600E mutation, the results of which were supported by subsequent analysis of a dataset retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which contained information regarding 170 patients with CRC including 51 BRAF-mutant CRCs. Of our cohort of 67 patients with stage IV CRC, 15 (22%) and 4 (6%) showed KRAS and BRAF V600E mutations, respectively. Since the median miR-31 expression was 3.45 (range, 0.004–6330.531), the cut-off value was chosen as 3.5, and all tumors were categorized into two groups accordingly (high-/low-miR-31 expression). The high miR-31 expression group (n=33) was significantly associated with a poorer mortality (univariate hazard ratio=2.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.23–0.95; P=0.03) and exhibited a shorter median survival time (MST; 20.1 months) compared with the low miR-31 expression group (n=34) (MST, 38.3 months; P=0.03), indicating that miR-31 is a promising prognostic biomarker for patients with advanced CRC. Thus, performing a functional analysis of miR-31 expression may lead to the development of new targeted therapies for the various genetic subtypes of CRC.
S1 Appendix: Optical duplicate marking in elPrep 4

There are two reasons why read duplicates may occur in a BAM file [1]. Firstly, the same DNA fragment may be sequenced multiple times during the sample preparation step because of how library construction using PCR works. This creates PCR duplicates. Secondly, optical duplicates may occur because of mistakes made by the sequencer, namely when a single amplification cluster is incorrectly identified as multiple clusters by the optical sensor. In both cases, this will result in multiple reads being recorded that may look similar in the BAM file, but are not necessarily identical. In general, it is desirable to mark duplicates before statistical analysis of a BAM file as read duplicates are not independent observations. The Picard/GATK 4 duplicate marking tool also distinguishes between optical and PCR duplicates to generate a metrics file that specifies the ratio of optical versus PCR duplicates. This reveals useful information about the quality of the sample and sequencing run. We previously described a parallel algorithm we derived for elPrep from the Picard algorithm for duplicate marking [2]. In elPrep 4, we extend it to include optical duplicate marking.
Dosimétrie en ondes millimétriques : problématiques, enjeux et solutions actuelles Millimeter-wave dosimetry: current challenges and possible solutions

Due to the saturation of the lower part of the microwave spectrum and need in very high data rate transmissions, the operating frequencies of some professional wireless communication systems are now shifting towards the millimeterwave frequency band. Following significant research efforts undertaken in the field of millimeter-wave electronics, several 60-GHz wireless communication technologies have already been introduced to the consumer market (e. g. WiHD, WiGig). The biocompatibility of millimeter-wave devices and systems is an important issue due to the wide number of possible body-centric wireless applications. In this paper, fundamentals about the millimeter-wave interactions with the human body are recalled. The available literature data on the dielectric properties of skin and biological solutions and recently developed experimental skin models in the 60-GHz band are summarized. Electromagnetic and thermal dosimetric aspects of an incident plane millimeter wave at the air / skin interface are considered. Finally, challenges and some recent developments in the field of numerical and experimental millimeterwave dosimetry are drawn and discussed.
Antifungal Activity of Anastatica hierochuntica L. extracts against different groups of fungal pathogens: An in-vitro test

The antifungal activity of Anastatica hierochuntica L. was studied using ethanol, methanol and aqueous extracts against fungal pathogens by the well diffusion method. Methanol extract (150mg/mL) showed maximum inhibition against Microsporum audouinii followed by ethanol extract (150mg/mL) against Candida albicans. The extracts showed same inhibition pattern when compared with standard antifungal agents such as amphotericin B and nystatin (100μg/mL). Preliminary phytochemical analysis revealed that the extracts contain alkaloids and phenolic content. The minimum inhibitory concentration of A. hierochuntica against Candida albicans was 22mg/mL, followed by Cladosporium sp (25 mg/mL). Aspergillus flavus and Epidermophyton floccosum were inhibited by 50mg/mL concentration; whereas, Fusarium sp. was inhibited by 100mg/mL and Microsporum audouinii by 150mg/mL. The results of the present study show that A. hierochuntica contain antifungal components which can be explored further for antifungal formulations to cure mycosis.
The political economy of the welfare effect of immigration

This paper develops a model to analyze the welfare effect of immigration on the outcome of a majority vote among natives on both the composition of public spending and the quota of unskilled immigration. Public spending can be of two types, spending on rival goods (social transfers) and nonrival goods (public goods). I provide a theoretical framework that is consistent with the perception of the welfare effect of immigration at the individual level, which posits that welfare-dependent natives are more averse to immigration, and with macro-level evidence that countries with more generous welfare policies exhibit less restrictive views on immigration, in line with the compensation hypothesis. In particular, I derive the following equilibrium conditions : I find that an equilibrium with positive immigration is possible under some conditions on the size of the unskilled native majority and the level of redistribution in the host country, when social transfers are high enough with respect to low-skill natives labour income. I also provide some empirical support for the predictions of the model in OECD countries. JEL Classification: H41, H53, J61, D72
Forecasting of Ground Level Ozone around Chennai by Artificial Neural Network

: The aim of this research was to develop pure predictive models to provide short–term prediction of near surface ozone concentration for the Chennai capital city of Tamilnadu. The short–term prediction of near surface ozone levels is very important due to the negative impacts of ozone on human health, climate and vegetation . A new method for short-term prediction is presented using the neural network technique. Due to increase in industrial and anthropogenic activity, air pollution is a serious subject of concern today. Ground level ozone prediction using the technique of adaptive pattern recognition is developed. The model can predict the mean surface ozone based on the parameters like wind speed, temperature and % Relative Humidity. The Mean absolute Percentage of error of the data during testing is 8.647%. The model can perform well both in training and independent periods.