Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Hedging Effectiveness of Stock Index Futures: Evidence for the S&P CNX Nifty Index Traded in India

The Hedging Effectiveness of Stock Index Futures: Evidence for the S&P CNX Nifty Index Traded in India This study evaluates optimal hedge ratios and the hedging effectiveness of stock index futures. The optimal hedge ratios are estimated from the ordinary least square (OLS) regression model, the vector autoregression model (VAR), the vector error correction model (VECM) and multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (M-GARCH) models such as VAR-GARCH and VEC-GARCH using the S&P CNX Nifty index and its futures index. Hedging effectiveness is measured in terms of within sample and out of sample risk-return trade-off at various forecasting horizons. The analysis found that the VEC-GARCH time varying hedge ratio provides the greatest portfolio risk reduction and generates the highest portfolio returns.
Investigating the Effectiveness of Android Privacy Policies

Investigating the Effectiveness of Android Privacy Policies Yi Ping Sun Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2018 Smartphones are nowadays an indispensable tool for people around the world. Privacy issues, however, arise along with the increasing capabilities equipped on smartphones. Privacy policies are the main mechanism through which users are informed about data practices performed by smartphone applications. In this thesis, we investigate the effectiveness of privacy policies of Android applications through a series of three studies on policy accuracy, policy understandability, and policy template usage. In our study, almost 60% of apps provided inaccurate policies describing data collection. We found the majority of Android privacy policies likely difficult to read for 26% of the US population. Furthermore, we estimate that 25% of app developers use policy template services to generate pre-written policy text, and most of such services offer poor coverage for Android-related data practices, contributing to policy inaccuracy.
Novel graph analytics for enhancing data insight

Graph analytics is a fast growing and significant field in the visualization and data mining community, which is applied on numerous high-impact applications such as, network security, finance, and health care, providing users with adequate knowledge across various patterns within a given system. Although a series of methods have been developed in the past years for the analysis of unstructured collections of multi-dimensional points, graph analytics has only recently been explored. Despite the significant progress that has been achieved recently, there are still many open issues in the area, concerning not only the performance of the graph mining algorithms, but also producing effective graph visualizations in order to enhance human perception. The current thesis deals with the investigation of novel methods for graph analytics, in order to enhance data insight. Towards this direction, the current thesis proposes two methods so as to perform graph mining and visualization. Based on previous works related to graph mining, the current thesis suggests a set of novel graph features that are particularly efficient in identifying the behavioral patterns of the nodes on the graph. The specific features proposed, are able to capture the interaction of the neighborhoods with other nodes on the graph. Moreover, unlike previous approaches, the graph features introduced herein, include information from multiple node neighborhood sizes, thus capture long-range correlations between the nodes, and are able to depict the behavioral aspects of each node with high accuracy. Experimental evaluation on multiple datasets, shows that the use of the proposed graph features for the graph mining procedure, provides better results than the use of other state-of-the-art graph features. Thereafter, the focus is laid on the improvement of graph visualization methods towards enhanced human insight. In order to achieve this, the current thesis uses non-linear deformations so as to reduce visual clutter. Non-linear deformations have been previously used to magnify significant/cluttered regions in data or images for reducing clutter and enhancing the perception of patterns. Extending previous approaches, this work introduces a hierarchical approach for non-linear deformation that aims to reduce visual clutter by magnifying significant regions, and leading to en-
LazyFP: Leaking FPU Register State using Microarchitectural Side-Channels

Modern processors utilize an increasingly large register set to facilitate efficient floating point and SIMD computation. This large register set is a burden for operating systems, as its content needs to be saved and restored when the operating system context switches between tasks. As an optimization, the operating system can defer the context switch of the FPU and SIMD register set until the first instruction is executed that needs access to these registers. Meanwhile, the old content is left in place with the hope that the current task might not use these registers at all. This optimization is commonly called lazy FPU context switching. To make it possible, a processor offers the ability to toggle the availability of instructions utilizing floating point and SIMD registers. If the instructions are turned off, any attempt of executing them will generate a fault. In this paper, we present an attack that exploits lazy FPU context switching and allows an adversary to recover the FPU and SIMD register set of arbitrary processes or VMs. The attack works on processors that transiently execute FPU or SIMD instructions that follow an instruction generating the fault indicating the first use of FPU or SIMD instructions. On operating systems using lazy FPU context switching, the FPU and SIMD register content of other processes or virtual machines can then be reconstructed via cache side effects. With SIMD registers not only being used for cryptographic computation, but also increasingly for simple operations, such as copying memory, we argue that lazy FPU context switching is a dangerous optimization that needs to be turned off in all operating systems, if there is a chance that they run on affected processors.
PHENOTYPING, VIRULENCE CHARACTERISTICS OF AEROMONAS SPECIES AND THE EFFECTS OF ESSENTIAL PLANT OILS AS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AGAINST PATHOGENIC ISOLATES FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES

Aeromonas species are increasingly recognized as enteric pat hogens. Faecal samples from 20 cow, 45 sheep; 60 goat and 60 camels were examined for the presence of Aeromonas species, which was also sought in the available drinking water (55 well water and 52 drinking chlorinated tap water were also examine d). Aeromonas species was isolated more frequently from goats (2 1.7%) than from other animal groups sampled and isolated more frequently from well water (38.2%) than chlorinated supplies (23.0%). A. hydrophilia was the most dominant species isolated from differ ent kinds of samples (13.4%). Whereas A. sobria and A. caviae were isolated in much lower rates 4.7 and 2.1% res pectively. There was significant association between the isolation of Aeromonas species from all animal faeces and its presence in drinking water. All isolated strains were examined for the c haracteristics that are reputed to have roles in pathogenicity. The data reported in this study indi cates that the distributions of virulence factors, that regulate the pathogenicity of Aeromonads, are diffe rent in clinical and enviromental samples. Aeromonas isolates exhibited multi-drug resistanc amoxicillin , carbenicillin and ampicillin. The most potent ant ibiotics against Aeromonas species isolated in this study were ceftriaxone, c eftazidime, cefotaxime, cefepime. Essential oils have been tested for in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity. Clove, Olive and Pepp ermint oil exhibited a wide spectrum of antimicrobial acti vity against all strains used in this study, showed a zone of inhibition ranging from 10.00±0.8 to 14.82±0.41 mm in diameter. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for selected oils ranged from 12.8 to 25.6 mg mL -1 . Treatment of mice with essential oil for 15 days led to enhance antibody levels in all treated group s and significant clearance of A. hydrophilia from animals. The treated animals had minimal histopatho logical changes and lower bacterial loads in the or gans examined. In conclusion, these findings indicate th at aeromonads have the potential to cause human illness and confirm the role of water as vehicles f or Aeromonas diseases. This study also demonstrated that the multi-factorial nature of the diseases and the influence of environmental conditions in the expression of the putative virulence properties. Th ese results suggested the potential value of essent ial oils as an additional or supporting treatment in ga strointestinal inflammations.
Phenotype, Function, and Mobilization of 6-Sulfo LacNAc-Expressing Monocytes in Atopic Dermatitis

Mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) are important immune regulatory cells in atopic dermatitis (AD). We previously identified 6-sulfo LacNAc-expressing monocytes (slanMo) as TNF-α- and IL-23-producing cells in psoriatic skin lesions and as inducers of IFN-γ-, IL-17-, and IL-22-producing T cells. These cytokines are also upregulated in AD and normalize with treatment, as recently shown for dupilumab-treated patients. We here asked for the role of slanMo in AD. Increased numbers of slanMo were found in AD skin lesions. In difference to other MPs in AD, slanMo lacked expression of FcɛRI, CD1a, CD14, and CD163. slanMo from blood of patients with AD expressed increased levels of CD86 and produced IL-12 and TNF-α at higher amounts than CD14+ monocytes and myeloid dendritic cells. While CD14+ monocytes from patients with AD revealed a reduced IL-12 production, we observed no difference in the cytokine production comparing slanMo in AD and healthy controls. Interestingly, experimentally induced mental stress, a common trigger of flares in patients with AD, rapidly mobilized slanMo which retained their high TNF-α-producing capacity. This study identifies slanMo as a distinct population of inflammatory cells in skin lesions and as proinflammatory blood cells in patients with AD. slanMo may, therefore, represent a potent future target for treatment of AD.
Allozyme variation in Czech populations of the invasive spiny-cheek crayfish Orconectes limosus (Cambaridae)

The North American spiny-cheek crayfish, Orconectes limosus , was most probably introduced into Europe only once, in 1890. The size of the founding population was just 90 individuals. Low genetic variability resulting from a bottleneck effect during introduction might therefore be supposed in European spiny-cheek crayfish populations. On the other hand, the fast spread of O. limosus in Europe and colonisation of various habitats suggest that this species does not suffer from inbreeding depression due to an introduction bottleneck. We analysed 14 O. limosus populations from the Czech Republic using allozyme electrophoresis to evaluate the level of intra- and among-population genetic variation. Out of eight well-scoring allozyme loci chosen for detailed analysis, six were variable in studied populations, suggesting that sufficient variability was maintained during the introduction. Genetic differentiation of Czech populations of the spiny-cheek crayfish was relatively low and did not show any clear geographic pattern, probably due to long-range translocations by humans.
A weighted centroid localization algorithm for wireless sensor networks based on weight correction

In wireless sensor networks, one of the core problems is the realization of positioning. In order to solve the issue of traditional centroid localization algorithm's localization accuracy, a weighted centroid of mass algorithm based on weight correction is proposed in this paper. Firstly, this improved algorithm converts the RSSI data received by unknown nodes into distance, then calculate the negative square of distance ratio as a mend weight. Finally, use the modified weight to further improving the positioning precision. The simulation results indicate that the proposed weighted centroid algorithm can greatly improve the accuracy of positioning and reduce the error of positioning.
A UNIFIED BLENDING FRAMEWORK FOR PANORAMA COMPLETION VIA GRAPH CUTS

Abstract. In this paper, we propose a unified framework for efficiently completing streetview and indoor 360° panoramas due to the lack of bottom areas caused by the occlusion of the acquisition platform. To greatly reduce the severe distortion at the bottom of the panorama, we first reproject it onto the ground perspective plane containing the whole occluded region to be completed. Then, we formulate the image completion problem in an improved graph cuts optimization framework based on the statistics of similar patches by strengthening the boundary constraints. To further eliminate image luminance differences and color deviations and conceal geometrical parallax among the optimally selected patches for completion, we creatively apply a multi-bland image blending algorithm for perfect image mosaicking from the completed patches and the originally reprojected image. Finally, we back-project the completed and blended ground perspective image into the cylindrical-projection panorama followed by a simple feathering to further reduce artifacts in the panorama. Experimental results on some representative non-panoramic images and streetview and indoor panoramas demonstrate the efficiency and robustness of the proposed method even in some challenging cases.
Public and Private Pension Spending: Principles, Practice and the Need for Reform

This paper surveys the issue of public spending on pensions. Drawing on evidence from systems around the world, but particularly in Britain, we outline the arguments for different types of public and private provision of pension income and consider how far they go towards meeting the objectives of pension provision. We discuss past trends in spending and look at future projections.
panISa: ab initio detection of insertion sequences in bacterial genomes from short read sequence data

Motivation The advent of next‐generation sequencing has boosted the analysis of bacterial genome evolution. Insertion sequence (IS) elements play a key role in prokaryotic genome organization and evolution, but their repetitions in genomes complicate their detection from short‐read data. Results PanISa is a software pipeline that identifies IS insertions ab initio in bacterial genomes from short‐read data. It is a highly sensitive and precise tool based on the detection of read‐mapping patterns at the insertion site. PanISa performs better than existing IS detection systems as it is based on a database‐free approach. We applied it to a high‐risk clone lineage of the pathogenic species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and report 43 insertions of five different ISs (among which three are new) and a burst of ISPa1635 in a hypermutator isolate. Availability and implementation PanISa is implemented in Python and released as an open source software (GPL3) at https://github.com/bvalot/panISa. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Improving and analyzing the quality of system model lexicons using semantic based information mining

In order to develop quality software, it must be designed according to the requirements. Software developers who need to demonstrate and deduce relationships, actions, and connections of the system modules using Unified Modeling Language (UML) notations. The software designer must go through the software requirements specifications (SRS) and has to select the identifiers manually for the UML Models. The appropriate choice of model terms persuades software comprehensibility and maintainability. In this paper we have proposed and analyzed a novel method to maintain system model terms consistent with high-level artifacts using semantic based information mining. The system has been implemented as an Eclipse plug-in. The research also reports on two controlled experiments performed with master's and bachelor's students. The goal of the experiments is to evaluate the quality of identifiers (in terms of their consistency with high-level artifacts) in the model produced when using or not using the developed plug-in. The achieved results confirm our conjecture that providing the analyzers/designers with similarity between system model terms and high-level artifacts helps to improve the quality of system model lexicon. This indicates the potential usefulness of developed plug-in as a feature for software development environments.
Genetic improvement of rice for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is among the most important food crops that provide a staple food for nearly half of the world's population. Rice crops are prone to various types of stresses, both biotic and abiotic. Biotic stresses include insect pests, fungus, bacteria, viruses, and herbicide toxicity. Among abiotic stresses, drought, cold, and salinity are also well studied in rice. Various genes have been identified, cloned, and characterized to combat these stresses and protect rice crops. The identified genes are successfully transformed into rice plants to produce transgenic plants. These transgenic rice plants are being evaluated under field conditions in different countries. Genetic engineering has a very positive impact on improvement of rice crops. The development of rice with improved traits of biotic and abiotic stress tolerance is discussed in this review article. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of recent research and development in the field of rice biotechnology.
Effect of Tidal Cycling Rate on the Distribution and Abundance of Nitrogen-Oxidizing Bacteria in a Bench-Scale Fill-and-Drain Bioreactor

Most domestic wastewater can be effectively treated for secondary uses by engineered biological systems. These systems rely on microbial activity to reduce nitrogen (N) content of the reclaimed water. Such systems often employ a tidal-flow process to minimize space requirements for the coupling of aerobic and anaerobic metabolic processes. In this study, laboratory-scale tidal-flow treatment systems were studied to determine how the frequency and duration of tidal cycling may impact reactor performance. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and epifluorescence microscopy were used to enumerate the key functional groups of bacteria responsible for nitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox), and N-removal efficiency was calculated via a mass-balance approach. When water was cycled (i.e., reactors were filled and drained) at high frequencies (16–24 cycles day−1), nitrate accumulated in the columns—presumably due to inadequate periods of anoxia that limited denitrification. At lower frequencies, such as 4 cycles day−1, nearly complete N removal was achieved (80–90%). These fill-and-drain systems enriched heavily for nitrifiers, with relatively few anammox-capable organisms. The microbial community produced was robust, surviving well through short (up to 3 h) anaerobic periods and frequent system-wide perturbation.
Loop Feed With Enhanced Performance

Loop feeds are very often used as primary feeds in electrically small parabolic dish antennas. A loop feed configuration for 70 cm was published by Luis Cupido – CT1DMK [1]. A version for 23 cm was published by Guenter Koellner –DL4MEA [2]. These two versions also differ with respect to reflector size. The Cupido version utilizes a 1λ diameter reflector, while the Koellner version utilizes a smaller, approximately λ/2, diameter reflector. The objective of this article is to identify and discuss some of the inherent problems with electrically small, deep, parabolic dish reflector antennas configured with prime-focus feeds and to describe the design of a loop feed suitable for these antennas. The main advantage of a loop feed is improved dish antenna efficiency in a very simple mechanical configuration.
Complete Genome Sequence of Ebrios, a Novel T7virus Isolated from the Ebrie Lagoon in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

ABSTRACT The lytic Escherichia coli phage Ebrios was isolated from a water sample collected in Ebrie Lagoon on the Adiopodoumé River in Abidjan (Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa). The linear genome of this Podoviridae family member contains 39,752 bp, has a G+C content of 52.9%, is composed of 53 open reading frames, and is related to the Stenotrophomonas maltophilia phage IME15.
Risk Factors for Hemorrhagic and Ischemic Stroke in Sub-Saharan Africa

Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a significant burden of ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS), although data on risk factors for each type are sparse. In this systematic review we attempt to characterize the risk factors. Methods We systematically reviewed (PubMed, EMBASE, WHOLIS, Google Scholar, Wiley online, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)) case-control studies and case series from 1980 to 2016 that reported risk factors for IS and/or HS in SSA. For each risk factor we calculated random-effects pooled odds ratios (ORs) for case-control studies and pooled prevalence estimates for case series. Results. We identified 12 studies, including 4,387 stroke patients. Pooled analysis showed that patients who had diabetes (OR = 2.39; 95% CI: 1.14–5.03) and HIV (OR = 2.46 (95% CI: 1.59–3.81) were at a significantly greater risk of suffering from all stroke types. There were insufficient data to examine these factors by stroke type. Among case series, the pooled prevalence of hypertension was higher for HS than for IS (73.5% versus 62.8%), while diabetes mellitus (DM) and atrial fibrillation (AF) were more prevalent among IS compared to HS (15.9% versus 10.6% and 9.6% versus 2.3%, respectively). Conclusions There remain too few data from SSA to reliably estimate the effect of various factors on the risk of IS and HS. Furthermore, the vast majority of cases were identified in hospital and so are unlikely to be representative of the totality of stroke cases in the community.
UWB high gain antenna array for SAR based breast cancer detection system

Microwave breast cancer detection has become an attractive method for cancer early detection process. These systems uses directional and efficient antenna for transmitting and receiving signals. This paper is focused on the implementation of ultra-wideband, high gain, and directional microstrip antenna array for breast cancer detection system. Metamaterial cells are used for antenna gain enhancement purpose. Permeability and permittivity of metamaterial unit cell are obtained all over the operating bandwidth. Based on the metamaterial cell performance its geometry is altered to enhance the antenna gain at specific frequency band. Ultra wide band (UWB) unequal power divider is used to feed the proposed four elements antenna array based on Chebyshev excitation method. The proposed antenna has reasonable 3 dB beamwidth (3dBBW) and gain of 17.7 degrees and 14.5 dB at 4.12 GHz, respectively. The operating bandwidth (BW) which extends from 5.6 GHz to 10.9 GHz. The proposed antenna is fabricated, measured, and good agreement is obtained between simulated and measured results. Simulated specific absorption rate SAR is obtained and investigated for breast phantom where a small tumor is placed. The SAR results show clearly the tumor location in breast tissues which ensures the suitability of the proposed antenna array for cancer detection system.