Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrating Causality in Messaging Channels

Causal reasoning plays an important role in the comprehension of communication, but it has been elusive so far how causality should be properly preserved by instant messaging services. To the best of our knowledge, causality preservation is not even treated as a desired security property by most (if not all) existing secure messaging protocols like Signal. This is probably due to the intuition that causality seems already preserved when all received messages are intact and displayed according to their sending order. Our starting point is to notice that this intuition is wrong. Until now, for messaging channels (where conversations take place), both the proper causality model and the provably secure constructions have been left open. Our work fills this gap, with the goal to facilitate the formal understanding of causality preservation in messaging. First, we focus on the common two-user secure messaging channels and model the desired causality preservation property. We take the popular Signal protocol as an example and analyze the causality security of its cryptographic core (the double-ratchet mechanism). We show its inadequacy with a simple causality attack, then fix it such that the resulting Signal channel is causality-preserving, even in a strong sense that guarantees post-compromise security. Our fix is actually generic : it can be applied to any bidirectional channel to gain strong causality security. Then, we model causality security for the so-called message franking channels. Such a channel additionally enables end users to report individual abusive messages to a server (e.g., the service provider), where this server relays the end-to-end-encrypted communication between users. Causality security in this setting further allows the server to retrieve the necessary causal dependencies of each reported message, essentially extending isolated reported messages to message flows. This has great security merit for dispute resolution, because a benign message may be deemed abusive when isolated from the context. As an example, we apply our model to analyze Facebook’s message franking scheme. We show that a malicious user can easily trick Facebook (i
Analysis of the Diversity of Oral Bacteria in Young Adults with Chronic Periodontitis

Young adults are susceptible to chronic periodontal disease. Chronic periodontitis is thought to arise from the complex microflora in the oral cavity, which includes some putative periodontopathic bacteria. To unveil the diversity of periodontopathic bacteria, we conducted amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) to investigate and compare the bacterial diversity in the subgingival plaque (SP), gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and saliva samples of young adults with chronic periodontitis. Diversity indices were calculated by ARDRA results, which revealed that the bacterial communities in SP were more diverse than those in the GCF and saliva. In total, 65 operational taxonomic units from the SP library were identified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. These sequences could be assigned to 18 known bacterial genera, of which 15 are known to exist in the human oral cavity. The results of the phylogenetic study show that the predominant species in the SP of patients with chronic periodontitis are obligate anaerobes ( Selenomonas , Leptotrichia , Lachnospiraceae , Eubacterium , and Fusobacterium species), and that Gram-negative bacteria are associated with chronic periodontitis. These findings demonstrate the diversity of bacteria that exist in chronic periodontitis, which should be considered in the treatment strategy for these patients.
Becker Digital Commons

We present an evaluation of discovery power for two association tests that work well with common alleles but are applied to the Genetic Analysis Workshop 17 simulations with rare causative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (minor allele frequency [MAF] < 1%). The methods used were genome-wide single-SNP association tests based on a linear mixed-effects model for discovery and applied to the familial sample and sliding windows haplotype association tests for replication, implemented within causative genes in the unrelated individuals sample. Both methods are evaluated with respect to the simulated trait Q2. The linear mixed-effects model and haplotype association tests failed to detect the rare alleles of the simulated associations. In contrast, the linear mixed-effects model and haplotype association tests detected effects for the most important simulated SNPs with MAF > 1%. We conclude that these findings reflect inadequate statistical power (the result of small simulated samples) for the complex genetic model that underlies these data.
Developing a framework for integrating life cycle environmental and economic assessment of buildings

iv Publications . v Table of Contents . vi List of Tables . xii List of Figures . xv List of Acronyms . xix Chapter 1. Introduction . 1 1.1. Problem Statement . 2 1.2. Research Aim . 4 1.3. Scope . 4 1.4. Thesis Structure . 5 Chapter 2. Literature Review . 7 2.1. Introduction . 8 2.2. Energy, greenhouse gas emissions and buildings . 8 2.2.1. Operational energy and greenhouse gas emissions . 10 2.2.2. Embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions . 10 2.2.3. Operational life cycle stage focus . 11 2.2. 4. Current barriers to life cycle approach . 14 2.2. 5. Summary . 15 2.3. Quantifying life cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions of buildings . 17 2.3. 1. Life cycle assessment . 18 2.3. 1.1. Types of life cycle assessment . 18 2.3. 1.2. Life cycle assessment standards . 19 2.3. 1.3. Life cycle assessment framework . 20 2.3. 2. Methods available for operational energy and greenhouse gas emission analysis . 24 2.3. 3. Methods available for embodied energy and greenhouse gas emission analysis . 26
Simulation Environment for Validation of Automated Lane-Keeping System

—Automated Driving Systems (ADS) need to be validated in a wide range of conditions to ensure the safety of their operation. It is impossible to validate everything in a real environment, and simulation is the only viable alternative to cover testing under all needed conditions. We present the architecture of a simulation environment based on the CARLA simulator, aimed at validating the Automated Lane-Keeping System (ALKS), the first ADS with available legislation for its approval. We propose to simplify the development and deployment of such a complex software simulation environment through the use of the Nix package manager. We also propose how the example scenarios distributed with CARLA can be extended to make them suitable for validation of ALKS.
Land use impact on the Uruguay River discharge

The Uruguay River basin experienced extensive land use change during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of expansion of agricultural area, while streamflow and precipitation increased during the same period. This study assesses the impact of land use change between 1960 and 2000 on streamflow using a hydrology model that explicitly accounts for the role of land cover. Although the model suggests that land use change could have large effects on streamflow, changes in mean streamflow are attributable to climatic variations and not to land cover change. On the other hand, a faster runoff response to precipitation was observed toward the end of the period, which does appear to be attributable to land cover change. Overall, however, the positive trend observed in the Uruguay River streamflow during the second half of the past century should be attributed to increased precipitation, rather than land cover change.
PACO-PLUS Deliverable D1.1.1

In this report, we present the ongoing work on the humanoid robot ARMAR-III toward the implementation of the PACO-PLUS cognitive control architecture on a humanoid platform. The software architecture of the ARMAR-III interface has been adapted to provide mechanisms, which allow integrating modules of the different partners in a flexible manner. Furthermore, the perceptual and manipulative abilities of ARMAR-III has been extended in order to perform complex tasks on the humanoid platform and enable acquiring of OACs on a humanoid platform. Furthermore, we describe the further development of the humanoid active head and the extensions of the its sensor system as well as the latest development of the tactile sensor for the hand and the improvements of the hand control system. Keyword list: Humanoid robot ARMAR-III. Humanoid head with foveated active vision. Tactile sensor for a five-fingered hand. IST-FP6-IP-027657 / PACO-PLUS Page 2 of 10
Empathy and Hate Speech in Social Media: The Case of Indonesia

Hate speech on social media in Indonesia 10 years ago has become a very interesting topic of discussion. Many of these incidents occur and are perpetrated by teenagers, with implications for violence and their psychological well-being. Hate speech on social media, particularly in the Indonesian context, presents a multifaceted challenge that requires a combination of technological solutions, legal frameworks, and community interventions to effectively combat its spread and impact. By utilizing insights from research on hate speech detection, empathy promotion, and regulatory frameworks, stakeholders can work towards creating a safer and more inclusive online environment in Indonesia. Strengthening digital literacy, as suggested in the references, is essential to empower individuals to identify and respond effectively to hate speech. Legal measures, as emphasized in the references, play an important role in combating hate speech, with the establishment of specialized units such as the Indonesian Virtual Police contributing to monitoring and handling hate speech incidents. Community engagement and educational programs, as discussed in the references, are crucial in promoting dialogue, tolerance, and understanding to foster a culture of mutual respect and empathy.
Functional Feeding Groups, Species Richness, and Spatial Distributions of Fishes in Rocky and Sandy Beach Habitats of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Objectives were to identify and compare fish species richness, functional feeding group richness and diversity, and delineate distributions of fishes at rocky and sandy beach habitats at St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Visual observations using snorkel and mask were made at 3-m intervals seaward from shore during daylight hours. A total of 69 taxa (67 species) representing 33 families of fishes were observed. Total (53) and average fish species richness (32.7) at rocky beach habitats were greater than those (total=43; average=24.3) at sandy beach habitats. Twelve functional feeding groups were identified (diurnal planktivores, excavators/eroders, macroalgae browsers, macrocarnivores, mobile benthic invertivores, general omnivores, strict piscivores, sand invertivores, scrapers, coral/colonial sessile insectivores, territorial algae/detritus, and turf grazers). Total numbers of functional feeding groups (range=10-12) and species (range=29-46) per functional feeding groups at distances greater than 1 m from shore at rocky beach habitats were consistently higher than those (functional feeding group range=8-10; species per functional feeding group=19-30) at sandy beach habitats. Information on the number and composition of functional feeding groups in rocky and sandy beach habitats from this study can serve as a baseline for future investigations as changes in Caribbean habitats continue to occur.
Development of Virtual Reality-Based Project-Based Learning Media and its Effectiveness for Historical Thinking Skills

This development research aims to produce a Virtual Reality Media product based on Project Based Learning that is validated by experts and its effectiveness on Historical Thinking Skill. The development model used is the ASSURE Model. The development of this media has gone through stages of expert validation, user trials, small group trials, and main field trials involving 32 students to determine the level of effectiveness of the developed product. Data analysis was done using paired sample t-tests and effectiveness tests using eta squared formula. The expert validation results consisted of three experts: media design validation with a score of 4.5 (Above Average), subject matter validation with a score of 4.7 (Outstanding), and language validation with a score of 4.9 (Outstanding). In the user trial results, a score of 4.7 (Outstanding) was obtained. The expert validation results for media design showed that the media can be used with minimal revisions, while the validation results for subject matter, language, and user trials showed that the media can be used without revisions. The effectiveness test results of the media on historical thinking skills showed a value of 0.801 in the small group trial and a value of 0.61 in the large group trial, placing the effectiveness test results in the "large effect" category. Based on the effectiveness test results, the Virtual Reality media based on project-based learning has been proven to have a significant effect in improving students' historical thinking skills.
Unicycle Robot’s Navigation Control with Obstacle Avoidance and Asymptotic Stability

: This study builds upon the groundbreaking research of Asymptotic stability of unicycle-like robots with the Bessel’s controller continuing the exploration of asymptotic stability for non-holonomic robots through kinematic modeling that allows for obstacle avoidance. utilizing the previously derived Bessel's controller, the study defines an avoidance region containing obstacles, presenting an algorithm that relies solely on the distance to the obstacle. This novel algorithm introduces a new set of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) to recalibrate the controller. A MATLAB/Simulink example demonstrates the exact algorithm using Bessel's functions and an approximate solution, emphasizing a more tractable hardware implementation. The paper contributes a significant advancement in the field, combining asymptotic stability, obstacle avoidance, and efficient hardware implementation. In conclusion, this study introduces and validates a pioneering navigation algorithm tailored for unicycle-like robots, ensuring asymptotic stability even in the presence of obstacles. Building upon the earlier research framework utilizing Bessel's controllers, the paper highlights instances of asymptotic stability and convergence near the origin, addressing a notable gap in the existing literature regarding path planning and navigation algorithms for obstacle avoidance with asymptotic stability. The research trajectory initiated by previous paper proves instrumental in advancing the understanding and practical implementation of stable navigation algorithms for robotic systems, particularly in scenarios involving obstacles. This study not only extends the achievements of the previous work but also provides valuable insights and recommendations for future research directions in the pursuit of robust and efficient robotic navigation.
Financial risk pro ﬁ ling of millennials

Purpose – This study aims to assess the risk pro ﬁ le of millennial investors residing in the Delhi NCR region. In addition, the relationship between the risk pro ﬁ le and demographic traits of millennial investors was alsoanalyzed. Design/methodology/approach – Data was collected using a structured questionnaire segregated into two sections. In the ﬁ rst section, millennials were asked questions on socio-demographic factors, and the second section contained ten Likert-type statements to cover the multidimensionality of ﬁ nancial risk. Factor analysis and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the primary data collected for this study. Findings – The ﬁ ndings indicate that the risk pro ﬁ le of millennials is mainly affected by three factors: risk-taking capacity, risk attitude and risk propensity. Except for educational quali ﬁ cation and occupation, all other demographic features, such as age, gender, marital status, income and family size, seem to signi ﬁ cantly in ﬂ uence thefactorsde ﬁ ningmillennials ’ risk pro ﬁ le. Originality/value – Uncertainty is inherent in any ﬁ nancial decision, and an investor ’ s willingness to deal with these variations determines their investment risk pro ﬁ le. To make sound ﬁ nancial decisions, it is mandatory to understand one ’ s risk pro ﬁ le. The awareness of millennials ’ distinctive risk pro ﬁ le will come in handy to ﬁ nancial stakeholders because they account for one-third of India ’ s population, and their ﬁ nancial decisions will shape the ﬁ nancial world forthe decadesto come.
Emulating natural disturbances for the conservation of boreal forest birds

In the boreal biome, intensive forestry and fire suppression have led to the loss of natural disturbances regimes and changes in forest ecosystems at the landscape and local scale. A large proportion of the old-growth forests has been converted into even-aged single-species forests, with degraded understory layer and reduced availability of dead wood. This has resulted in the population decline of bird species that rely on structurally complex forest habitat. Restoring habitat structures by mimicking natural disturbance regimes can help to safeguard biodiversity. In this study I evaluated the effects of two ecological restoration measures – prescribed burning and gap cutting – on bird assemblage structure and breeding performance of the European pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca in boreal forests. Additionally, I identified biodiversity indicators and tested how ecological restoration can affect their indicator value. Lastly, I characterized substrate preferences and foraging behavior as measured through foraging time of the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus in forest stands subjected to prescribed burning and in unburned forests. Prescribed burning increased the abundance of long-distance migrants, ground breeders, strong cavity excavators and species preferring early-successional habitat. Furthermore, fire had positive effects on the body condition of nestlings of pied flycatchers, this suggest that local habitat quality improved. Gap cutting did not inﬂuence bird assemblage structures neither the reproductive output nor nestling body condition. The three-toed woodpecker and the Siberian jay Perisoreus infaustus were identified as potential biodiversity indicators among birds. However, after fire, the goldcrest Regulus regulus became the best predictor of high species richness. The main foraging substrate for three-toed woodpeckers can be characterized as freshly dead trees with a diameter breast height (DBH) of more than 15 cm. However, data on foraging behavior suggest that substrates in the 5-15 cm DBH range and living trees are important as well. The main conclusion from this study is that prescribed burning as a restoration treatment is an effective way to restore habitat for boreal forest birds in managed boreal forest landscapes. These results should encourage forest managers to reintroduce more fire in boreal forests as a complement to other conservation measures.
Institut für Mathematik

In this paper, we propose a local multilevel product algorithm and its additive version for linear systems arising from adaptive nonconforming ﬁnite element approximations of second order elliptic boundary value problems. The abstract Schwarz theory is applied to analyze the multilevel methods with Jacobi or Gauss-Seidel smoothers performed on local nodes on coarse meshes and global nodes on the ﬁnest mesh. It is shown that the local multilevel methods are optimal, i
Tax Notches in Pakistan: Tax Evasion, Real Responses, and Income Shifting ∗

Using administrative tax records from Pakistan, we investigate behavioral responses to income tax notches–discontinuous jumps in tax liability–o ﬀ ering an unusual and compelling source of identifying variation. Notches create regions of strictly dominated choice where the taxpayer can increase consumption and leisure by lowering earnings to the notch point, and therefore produce very strong incentives for bunching. We ﬁ nd evidence of large and sharp bunching at notches, which is used to estimate taxable income responses, real earnings responses, and income shifting. A recent tax reform faciliates a comparison be-tween the response to notches and the response to kinks created by discontinuous jumps in the marginal tax rate, and we ﬁ nd that the e ﬀ ects of notches are much larger and clearer. However, while the overall response to notches is large, it is fairly small in elasticity terms as the tax-price changes created by notches are extremely strong. In fact, we show that elasticities are too small to be consistent with the standard frictionless economic model, pointing to the presence of important optimization frictions. We explore the nature of such frictions and argue that they are likely to re ﬂ ect a low degree of “tax literacy”–such as misperception and unawareness of tax incentives–in Pakistan.
Stable Isotope Diet Reconstruction of Feral Horses on the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, USA

: Feral horse management has become a subject of significant controversy in the United States, resulting in part from opposing views of best management practices and limited empirical data. Feral horse densities increase in response to high reproductive rates and limited horse removal. with this increase, land managers are challenged with accurately quantifying horse diet selection and subsequent impacts on western rangelands. To accomplish this, we obtained tail hair isotopic values from samples collected from feral horses' tails in northwestern Nevada under the oversight of the Sheldon Refuge staff and animal use protocols. Plant samples were collected from two sites on the refuges (Little Sheldon and Badger Mountain). Plant biomass, abundance, and cover were determined at random locations within the two sites. The samples were dried and ground for analysis. Tail hair samples were taken from 10 mares and 10 stallions as they were being examined by Refuge staff. Tail hairs were cleaned and cut into 5 mm sections for analysis. The mean tail hair length was 807 mm. Horse tail hair has a growth rate of 0.72 mm/day which was used to set a timeline along the length of the hair strand, the bulb at time 0 to the end, approximately 1121 days. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic values were determined through mass spectroscopy on the tail hair section and the individual forage samples. IsoSource© software was used to compare isotopic values of tail hairs to those of plant tissues. The contribution of the various plant species to the tail hair mixture values was determined using. There were no plant isotope differences between the two sites. Chronology differences (p<0.05) between mares and stallions were found. Chronology was divided into seasons and seasonal shifts were determined. Seasonal variations were noted between mares and stallions (p<0.05) and between the three years (p<0.05). The horse diet consisted of mainly grasses (~55%) and shrubs (~45%) with remainder forbs. Stallions consumed fewer forbs (5-6%) than mares (9-11%; p<0.05). Forage availability and preference are most likely linked to seasonal consumption. The difference in mare and stallion foraging patterns was clearly shown using the isotope composition in the tail hair of these free-roaming horses. Combining plant species abundance in combination with tail hair is shown to be a method that can be used to monitor foraging patterns. Increasing the knowledge base of horse diets including plant species selection and forage consumption patterns allows land managers to make informed conservation decisions. This will then reduce negative habitat impacts and improve the prediction of appropriate horse population levels that sustain healthy feral horse populations.