Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model of an Encrypted Cloud Relational Database Supporting Complex Predicates in WHERE Clause

Even though the concept of a Database-as-a-Service (DaaS) is becoming more popular and offers significant expenditure cuts, enterprises are still reluctant to migrate their data storing and processing to the cloud. One of the reasons to that is a lack of solid security guarantees. Encrypted database is one of the major approaches to address the security of cloud data processing. However, in order to provide processing capabilities over encrypted data, multiple techniques need to be combined and adjusted to work together. This paper introduces a modular and extensible framework model of an encrypted database, which makes it possible to execute a wide range of queries, including those with complex arithmetic expressions, retaining data privacy even with an adversary gaining full access to the database server. Proposed model could be used as a basis for encrypted database systems with various functional requirements.
Choroidal thickness after intravitreal ranibizumab injections for choroidal neovascularization

Purpose To study changes in choroidal thickness with ranibizumab treatment for choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Design Prospective case series. Methods This prospective study consisted of 60 CNV-affected eyes of 60 patients treated with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab using an on-demand protocol after an initial loading phase. The eyes studied included 20 with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), 20 with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), and 20 with myopic CNV. In the eyes with AMD and PCV, choroidal thickness at the fovea was measured with optical coherence tomography using enhanced depth imaging. In eyes with myopic CNV, the choroidal thickness was measured using standard optical coherence tomography without the enhanced depth imaging technique. Results With ranibizumab treatment, central retinal thickness decreased significantly (P < 0.001) and visual acuity improved significantly (P < 0.001). However, central choroidal thickness (167.2 ± 108.3 μm) showed no significant change at 1 month after the loading phase (165.2 ± 107.8 μm, P = 0.120) or at final examination (164.8 ± 107.7 μm, P = 0.115). At baseline, central retinal thickness in eyes with AMD was significantly greater that those with PCV (P = 0.005) or high myopia (P = 0.029). However, central choroidal thickness in eyes with myopic CNV was significantly thinner than in eyes with AMD (P < 0.001) or PCV (P < 0.001). In each type of disease, there was no significant change in central choroidal thickness with ranibizumab treatment. Conclusion The effect of ranibizumab on the choroidal thickness is minimal, if any.
Using WPSO in Clustering Protocol of the WSN

A new optimized method (WPSO) based on improving the inertia weight of the traditional PSO has been proposed to optimize the WSN routing protocol for the disadvantages of the using of the LEACH and its improved protocols in the clustering of the wireless sensor networks. The factors of the structural characteristics of the whole network and the residual energy of the node have been considered. The strategy of clustering has been optimized to balance the energy consumption of the whole network. The simulation and comparative analysis shows that the proposed method has many advantages in the process of the clustering. Its computing speed is fast. It makes the nodes of the network have a strong viability and can control the energy consumption of the network effectively. The death rate of the node has been reduced thus the survival cycle of the network is extended.
Network Modeling for Improving Scalability Using Graph Contraction Scheme

The objective of this work is to suggest the self-organizing algorithm by communication nodes with topological information. This paper describes the noble concept of future Internet architecture, graph contraction based self-organizing networks and the topology-aware address. The proposed network principle abstracts logical layers from large-scale physical networks with topological characteristic of nodes and defines the address of nodes by hierarchical logical layers. This concept can be a solution of some problems of current Internet such as scalability, mobility and the rapid increase of the routing table size. To validate proposed network model, we implemented network simulator focusing on self-organizing with proposed graph contraction algorithm and analyzed the proposed architecture. This simulator can show the organizing process and the allocation of topology-aware address through the three-dimensional windows and 3D viewer.
Concentration measurement of two-phase flow by means of FastICA and LS-SVM

Based on 66 capacitance values by 12-electrode capacitance sensor, combining Fast Independent Component Analysis (FastICA) with Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) algorithms, a new method for phase concentration measurement of two-phase flow was proposed. FastICA was used to extract the independent components from capacitance values. LS-SVM was used to establish the model for phase concentration measurement of two-phase. In this model, independent components were the inputs and the concentration was the output. In the measurement process, the capacitance values were obtained by ECT sensor; the independent components were extracted by FastICA algorithm; then the independent components were fed to the model and the concentration value was calculated. This new method implemented direct concentration measurement of two-phase flow without the need of time-consuming image reconstruction. The experimental results show that it is effective and the measurement error is within 5.3%.
Price Elasticities and Social Welfare in Secondary Electronic Markets

These propositions, while theoretically possible, are based on speculation as opposed to empirical evidence. In this research, we use a unique dataset collected from Amazon.com’s new and used marketplaces to estimate the impact of online used book markets on new book sales. Our analysis suggests that only 15 percent of used book sales at Amazon cannibalize new book purchases. The remaining 85 percent of used book sales apparently would not have occurred at Amazon’s new book prices. This low cannibalization means that book publishers lose approximately $32 million in gross profit (about 0.2 percent of total gross profit) from the presence of Amazon’s used book markets, while Amazon’s net revenues increased by $64.1 million dollars. Finally, consumer surplus increases by approximately $70.2 million. Thus, we find that the first-order impact of the availability of electronic used-book exchange markets at Amazon on total welfare is positive. Further, additional used book readership may mitigate author losses through increased revenue from secondary sources such as speaking and licensing fees.
An Ontology-Based Approach for Semantic Integration

One of the main challenges for enterprise application integration is the semantically correct integration of systems. There are many approaches that aim to address this problem, but most of them focus mainly on technical and syntactical aspects. This paper presents an Ontology-Based Approach for Semantic Integration (OBA-SI), which uses ontologies as conceptual models for defining mappings between applications in three layers: data, service and process. OBA-SI was applied for integrating two software tools supporting a Software Configuration Management process: a tool for controlling changes, and Subversion, a well known version control system.
On the observability of T Tauri accretion shocks in the X-ray band

Context. High resolution X-ray observations of classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) show a soft X-ray excess due to high density plasma (ne = 10 11 −10 13 cm −3 ). This emission has been attributed to shock-heated accreting material impacting onto the stellar surface. Aims. We investigate the observability of the shock-heated accreting material in the X-ray band as a function of the accretion stream properties (velocity, density, and metal abundance) in the case of plasma-β � 1 (thermal pressuremagnetic pressure) in the post- shock zone. Methods. We use a 1-D hydrodynamic model describing the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere of a CTTS, including the effects of radiative cooling, gravity stratification and thermal conduction. We explore the space of relevant parameters and synthesize from the model results the X-ray emission in the (0.5−8.0) keV band and in the resonance lines of O vii (21.60 A) and Ne ix (13.45 A), taking into account the absorption from the chromosphere. Results. The accretion stream properties largely influence the temperature and the stand-off height of the shocked slab and its sinking in the chromosphere, determining the observability of the shocked plasma affected by chromospheric absorption. Our model predicts that X-ray observations preferentially detect emission from low density and high velocity shocked accretion streams due to the large absorption of dense post-shock plasma. In all the cases examined, the post-shock zone exhibits quasi-periodic oscillations due to thermal instabilities with periods ranging from 3 × 10 −2 to 4 × 10 3 s. In the case of inhomogeneous streams and β � 1, the shock oscillations are hardly detectable. Conclusions. We suggest that, if accretion streams are inhomogeneous, the selection effect introduced by the absorption on observable plasma components may easily explain the discrepancy between the accretion rate measured by optical and X-ray data as well as the different densities measured using different He-like triplets in the X-ray band.
Combined therapy with lanthanum carbonate and calcium carbonate for hyperphosphatemia decreases serum FGF-23 level independently of calcium and PTH (COLC Study).

BACKGROUND Increased blood levels of fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) are associated with increased mortality. We evaluated the effect of combined therapy with lanthanum carbonate (LaC), a new phosphate binder and calcium carbonate (CaC) on serum levels of phosphate and FGF-23. METHODS This was a single-arm, open-label, multicenter study. Hemodialysis patients with a serum phosphate level >6.0 mg/dL despite CaC therapy were also given LaC for 16 weeks at a dose up to 2250 mg/day. CaC was given at a fixed dose throughout the 16-week period. RESULTS Of 42 patients enrolled, 36 completed the 16-week study. The serum phosphate level showed a significant decrease from 6.9 ± 1.4 mg/dL at week 0 to 5.5 + 1.2 mg/dL at week 16 (-20.0%, P < 0.05). The median FGF-23 level showed a significant decrease from 8250 ng/L at week 0 to 5000 ng/L at week 16 (-39.2%, P < 0.05). In contrast, corrected serum calcium and the serum parathyroid hormone level showed no significant changes. A significant positive correlation (r = 0.442, P = 0.007) was demonstrated between the percent reduction of serum FGF-23 and that of serum phosphate. CONCLUSION Both serum phosphate and FGF-23 levels were significantly decreased by treatment with LaC plus CaC.
Performance evaluation of interrupt-driven kernels in gigabit networks

The paper presents models and analytical techniques for studying system behavior of an interrupt-driven kernel due to high packet arrival rate found in gigabit networks. An analytical study is presented describing the impact of high interrupt rate on system performance. The performance is studied in terms of throughput, latency, and system power. Equations are derived for system throughput, latency, power, and stability condition. Results from both reported experimental findings and simulations show that our analytical model is valid and gives a good approximation. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this work is the first of its kind to study analytically the impact of interrupts on system performance.
Functional organization of owl monkey lateral geniculate nucleus and visual cortex.

The nocturnal, New World owl monkey (Aotus trivirgatus) has a rod-dominated retina containing only a single cone type, supporting only the most rudimentary color vision. However, it does have well-developed magnocellular (M) and parvocellular (P) retinostriate pathways and striate cortical architecture [as defined by the pattern of staining for the activity-dependent marker cytochrome oxidase (CO)] similar to that seen in diurnal primates. We recorded from single neurons in anesthetized, paralyzed owl monkeys using drifting, luminance-modulated sinusoidal gratings, comparing receptive field properties of M and P neurons in the lateral geniculate nucleus and in V1 neurons assigned to CO "blob," "edge," and "interblob" regions and across layers. Tested with achromatic stimuli, the receptive field properties of M and P neurons resembled those reported for other primates. The contrast sensitivity of P cells in the owl monkey was similar to that of P cells in the macaque, but the contrast sensitivities of M cells in the owl monkey were markedly lower than those in the macaque. We found no differences in eye dominance, orientation, or spatial frequency tuning, temporal frequency tuning, or contrast response for V1 neurons assigned to different CO compartments; we did find fewer direction-selective cells in blobs than in other compartments. We noticed laminar differences in some receptive field properties. Cells in the supragranular layers preferred higher spatial and lower temporal frequencies and had lower contrast sensitivity than did cells in the granular and infragranular layers. Our data suggest that the receptive field properties across functional compartments in V1 are quite homogeneous, inconsistent with the notion that CO blobs anatomically segregate signals from different functional "streams. "
PI-0623 The Effect of Pension Accounting on Corporate Pension Asset Allocation : A Comparative Study of UK and US

We investigate whether new pension disclosures and subsequent full pension recognition under FRS 17 and IAS 19 had any impact on pension asset allocation of UK companies. We also compare pension asset allocation of UK companies to that of US companies prior to and during the adoption of SFAS 158. Both FRS 17 and IAS 19 require pension assets and liabilities to be valued by reference to market conditions and the total surplus/deficit in the pension scheme to be recognized on the balance sheet. Additionally, periodical actuarial gains/losses are required to be recognized immediately in comprehensive income. Therefore, these standards introduce a large element of volatility into company balance sheets and comprehensive income. The requirements in FRS 17 and IAS 19 are similar to those of SFAS 158, which replaced SFAS 87 in December 2006. We identify a Disclosure period as the period in which UK companies had to disclose all the required data under FRS 17 in the notes to the financial statements without formally recognizing the full pension surplus/deficit on the balance sheet. We also identify a Full Recognition period starting one year prior to adoption until one year subsequent to the formal adoption of either FRS 17 or IAS 19. We hypothesize that there exists a shift of pension assets from equity to debt securities by UK sponsoring companies during the Disclosure period of FRS 17 due to the higher visibility of pensions in the UK and the anticipation of full recognition. We also predict a decline in pension funds allocated to equity securities during the Full Recognition period, around the adoption of FRS 17 and IAS 19. Similarly, we predict a decline in pension assets allocated to equity securities during the adoption of SFAS 158. We find that UK companies modified their pension asset allocation policies by shifting assets from equity to debt securities during both the Disclosure and the Full Recognition periods. We also find that prior to the adoption of SFAS 158, US companies maintained a stable allocation to equities and bonds. However, there is a shift from equity to debt securities during the SFAS 158 Full Recognition period. Finally, we find that UK and US firms with relatively larger pension schemes and larger magnitudes of actuarial gains/losses shift more pension assets from equity to debt securities.
An intelligent maintenance based on machine learning approach for wireless and mobile systems

To enhance wireless and mobile system dependability, audit operations are necessary, to periodically check the database consistency and recover in case of data corruption. Consequently, how to tune the database audit parameters and which operation order and frequency to apply becomes important aspects, to optimize performance and satisfy a certain degree of Quality of Service, over system life-cycle. The aim of this work is then to suggest an intelligent maintenance system based on reinforcement Q-Learning approach, built of a given audit operation set and an audit manager, in order to maximize the performance (performability and unreliability). For this purpose, a methodology, based on deterministic and stochastic Petri nets, to model and analyze the dependability attributes of different scheduled audit strategies is first developed. Afterwards, an intelligent (reinforcement Q-Learning) software agent approach is developed for planning and learning to derive optimal maintenance policies adaptively dealing with the highly dynamic evolution of the environmental conditions. This intelligent approach, is then implemented with feedforward artificial neural networks under the supervised gradient back-propagation learning to guarantee the success even with large state spaces, exploits intelligent behaviors traits (learning, adaptation, generalization, and robustness) to derive optimal actions in different system states in order to achieve an intelligent maintenance system.
Homoscedastic controlled calibration model

In the context of the usual calibration model, we consider the case in which the independent variable is unobservable, but a pre‐fixed value on its surrogate is available. Thus, considering controlled variables and assuming that the measurement errors have equal variances we propose a new calibration model. Likelihood‐based methodology is used to estimate the model parameters and the Fisher information matrix is used to construct a confidence interval for the unknown value of the regressor variable. A simulation study is carried out to asses the effect of the measurement error on the estimation of the parameter of interest. This new approach is illustrated with an example. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influência dos sites das Instituições de Ensino Superior Particulares Brasileiras sobre a escolha dos prospects Influencia de las páginas web de las instituciones de educación superior privada de Brasil en la elección de los futuros estudiantes

Las instituciones privadas de educacion superior en Brasil usan actualmente el Internet para atraer y retener estudiantes. El proposito de esta investigacion de tipo cientifico-cualitativa es el de analizar la influencia que tienen las paginas web de las grandes instituciones sobre las decisiones que toman los estudiantes con respecto a las instituciones y los cursos. Se realizo un cuestionario con 22 preguntas y se aplico en Jundiai, estado de Sao Paulo, lo cual dio como resultado 200 cuestionarios validos. Las principales conclusiones (con base en el total de las personas encuestadas fueron): 59.7% son mujeres, 56% son solteros, el 52% tiene entre 21 y 30 anos y el 73% no tiene hijos. Adicionalmente, el 88.5% busco informacion sobre las instituciones y cursos antes de matricularse y el 75.5% de la informacion que se encontro en las paginas web fue decisivo en el momento de elegir.
Pattern discovery and users classification through web usage mining

Web usage mining is a special area of web mining which is based upon the discovery and analysis of web usage patterns from web logs so as to effectively and efficiently serve the needs of the users visiting the websites. The main focus of this paper is on doing users classification on the basis of discovered patterns from web logs. Our proposed framework is based on three steps. In the first step, preprocessing is done to remove useless data from web log file so as to reduce its size. In the second step, this cleaned log file is used for discovering usage patterns. Finally, the discovered patterns lead to the classification of users: on the basis of countries; on the basis of direct entry to the site or referred by the other site; on the basis of ti me of access, i.e., either different seasons or different months or different days. This information can then be used by the website administrators for efficient administration and personalization of their websites and thus the specific needs of specific communities of users can be fulfilled and so the profit can be increased.
Fast and failure-consistent updates of application data in non-volatile main memory file system

Modern applications have their own update protocols to remain failure consistency. However, these protocols are implemented without a comprehensive understanding of the persistence properties of the underlying file systems and typically optimized for disk-based storage. As a result, they are complex, error-prone, and exhibit disappointing performance on emerging fast non-volatile memories (NVMs) due to excessive data copies.
Book Review: Collective Complexity out of Individual Simplicity

The concept of Swarm Intelligence (SI) was first introduced by Gerardo Beni, Suzanne Hackwood, and Jing Wang in 1989 when they were investigating the properties of simulated, self-organizing agents in the framework of cellular robotic systems [1]. Eric Bonabeau, Marco Dorigo, and Guy Theraulaz extend the restrictive context of this early work to include “any attempt to design algorithms or distributed problem-solving devices inspired by the collective behavior of social insect colonies,” such as ants, termites, bees, wasps, “and other animal societies. ” The abilities of such systems appear to transcend the abilities of the constituent individuals. In most biological cases studied so far, robust and capable high-level group behavior has been found to be mediated by nothing more than a small set of simple low-level interactions between individuals, and between individuals and the environment. The SI approach, therefore, emphasizes parallelism, distributedness, and exploitation of direct (agent-to-agent) or indirect (via the environment) local interactions among relatively simple agents. The title, Swarm Intelligence: From Natural to Artificial Systems, summarizes the content and the structure of the book well: Each of the central chapters starts by presenting experimental results of one or several biological studies (foraging, division of labor, clustering and sorting, nest building, cooperative transportation), then describes a model for explaining these results, and moves on to discuss engineering outcomes in the form of algorithms or collective robotic systems that have or could have been inspired by the biological examples. One of the strengths of this monograph is undoubtedly this extensive use of models as a quantitative and abstract interface for the implementation of natural principles in artificial systems. Without an adequate level of description provided by models, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to understand the collective behavior of natural systems or to explore parametric ranges, which can be of interest for engineering purposes, though not necessarily useful in nature. While the biological examples and their related modeling are well structured, the book tends to be less systematic in the myriad of engineering case studies that are associated with them. The global picture is far from being exhaustive and unitary: The book suffers from the current youth and rapidly developing nature of the SI field. The field currently lacks mature and sound methodologies to transfer biological mechanisms into useful engineering algorithms or to choose an adequate level of description for modeling. Bio-inspiration is a process fully dominated by the intuition and imagination of a few researchers. A full body of theory for designing and describing such distributed