Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decision-Theoretic and Game-Theoretic Approaches to IT Security Investment

Firms have been increasing their information technology (IT) security budgets significantly to deal with increased security threats. An examination of current practices reveals that managers view security investment as any other and use traditional decision-theoretic risk management techniques to determine security investments. We argue in this paper that this method is incomplete because of the problem's strategic nature—hackers alter their hacking strategies in response to a firm's investment strategies. We propose game theory for determining IT security investment levels and compare game theory and decision theory approaches on several dimensions such as the investment levels, vulnerability, and payoff from investments. We show that the sequential game results in the maximum payoff to the firm, but requires that the firm move first before the hacker. Even if a simultaneous game is played, the firm enjoys a higher payoff than that in the decision theory approach, except when the firm's estimate of the hacker effort in the decision theory approach is sufficiently close to the actual hacker effort. We also show that if the firm learns from prior observations of hacker effort and uses these to estimate future hacker effort in the decision theory approach, then the gap between the results of decision theory and game theory approaches diminishes over time. The rate of convergence and the extent of loss the firm suffers before convergence depend on the learning model employed by the firm to estimate hacker effort.
Treatment of acute bronchiolitis.

In this issue of the Journal, Wainwright et al.1 provide data from a clinical trial in which 194 infants hospitalized with bronchiolitis were treated with inhaled epinephrine or placebo. In this age of commercial support for clinical trials, funding is available only when commercial sponsors stand to make a profit from the manufacture of a drug. Thus, Wainwright et al. are to be congratulated for having tackled an important question using a multicenter, randomized, blinded clinical trial that does not involve a new drug. The authors' findings overturn the popular notion that treatment of bronchiolitis with inhaled epinephrine, as compared .
Spectral Bidirectional Reflectance of Antarctic Snow: Measurements and Parameterization

The bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) of snow was measured from a 32-m tower at Dome C, at latitude 75°S on the East Antarctic Plateau. These measurements were made at 96 solar zenith angles between 51° and 87° and cover wavelengths 350–2400 nm, with 3- to 30-nm resolution, over the full range of viewing geometry. The BRDF at 900 nm had previously been measured at the South Pole; the Dome C measurement at that wavelength is similar. At both locations the natural roughness of the snow surface causes the anisotropy of the BRDF to be less than that of flat snow. The inherent BRDF of the snow is nearly constant in the high-albedo part of the spectrum (350–900 nm), but the angular distribution of reflected radiance becomes more isotropic at the shorter wavelengths because of atmospheric Rayleigh scattering. Parameterizations were developed for the anisotropic reflectance factor using a small number of empirical orthogonal functions. Because the reflectance is more anisotropic at wavelengths at which ice is more absorptive, albedo rather than wavelength is used as a predictor in the near infrared. The parameterizations cover nearly all viewing angles and are applicable to the high parts of the Antarctic Plateau that have small surface roughness and, at viewing zenith angles less than 55°, elsewhere on the plateau, where larger surface roughness affects the BRDF at larger viewing angles. The root-mean-squared error of the parameterized reflectances is between 2% and 4% at wavelengths less than 1400 nm and between 5% and 8% at longer wavelengths.
What Is Natural? The Need for a Long-Term Perspective in Biodiversity Conservation

Ecosystems change in response to factors such as climate variability, invasions, and wildfires. Most records used to assess such change are based on short-term ecological data or satellite imagery spanning only a few decades. In many instances it is impossible to disentangle natural variability from other, potentially significant trends in these records, partly because of their short time scale. We summarize recent studies that show how paleoecological records can be used to provide a longer temporal perspective to address specific conservation issues relating to biological invasions, wildfires, climate change, and determination of natural variability. The use of such records can reduce much of the uncertainty surrounding the question of what is “natural” and thereby start to provide important guidance for long-term management and conservation.
Fusion of Ultrasound B-Mode and Vibro-Elastography Images for Automatic 3-D Segmentation of the Prostate

Prostate segmentation in B-mode images is a challenging task even when done manually by experts. In this paper, we propose a 3-D automatic prostate segmentation algorithm which makes use of information from both ultrasound B-mode and vibro-elastography data. We exploit the high contrast-to-noise ratio of vibro-elastography images of the prostate, in addition to the commonly used B-mode images, to implement a 2-D active shape model (ASM)-based segmentation algorithm on the mid-gland image. The prostate model is deformed by a combination of two measures: the gray level similarity and the continuity of the prostate edge in both image types. The automatically obtained mid-gland contour is then used to initialize a 3-D segmentation algorithm which models the prostate as a tapered and warped ellipsoid. Vibro-elastography images are used in addition to ultrasound images to improve boundary detection. We report a Dice similarity coefficient of 0.87 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\pm$</tex> </formula> 0.07 and 0.87 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\pm$</tex> </formula> 0.08 comparing the 2-D automatic contours with manual contours of two observers on 61 images. For 11 cases, a whole gland volume error of 10.2 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\pm$</tex></formula> 2.2% and 13.5 <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$\pm$</tex></formula> 4.1% and whole gland volume difference of <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$-7.2\pm 9.1\%$</tex></formula> and <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$-13.3\pm 12.6\%$</tex></formula> between 3-D automatic and manual surfaces of two observers is obtained. This is the first validated work showing the fusion of B-mode and vibro-elastography data for automatic 3-D segmentation of the prostate.
A Multimodal Approach for Protein Remote Homology Detection

Protein remote homology detection represents a crucial and challenging task in bioinformatics: even if effective methods appeared in recent years, in several cases a proper characterization of remote evolutionary correlation can not be derived. In such situations, it may be possible that information derived from other sources helps, provided that it is possible to properly integrate such (even partial) information into existing models. In this paper, we provide some evidence that this route is feasible: inspired by the multimodal retrieval literature, we show how it is possible to exploit a simple multimodal approach to improve a model learned from a set of sequences, by using knowledge derived from a partial set of corresponding 3D structures. We investigate (with the SCOP 1.53 benchmark) the suitability of the proposed multimodal scheme, showing that a beneficial effect can be obtained even when a very reduced amount of structures are available. A further detailed analysis on a member of the GPCR superfamily confirms that this multimodal approach can extract information that cannot be obtained from sequence-based techniques.
Centralspindlin: At the heart of cytokinesis

The final step in the cell cycle is the formation of two genetically identical daughter cells by cytokinesis. At the heart of cytokinesis in animal cells is the centralspindlin complex which is composed of two proteins, a kinesin‐like protein, Mitotic kinesin‐like protein 1, and a Rho GTPase activating protein (RhoGAP), CYK‐4. Through its targeted localization to a narrow region of antiparallel microtubule overlap immediately following chromosome segregation, centralspindlin initiates central spindle assembly. Centralspindlin has several critical functions during cell division including positioning of the division plane, regulation of Rho family GTPases, as well as midbody assembly and abscission. In this review, we will examine the biochemistry of centralspindlin and its multiple functions during cell division. Remarkably, several of its critical functions are somewhat unexpected. Although endowed with motor domains, centralspindlin has an important role in generating stable, antiparallel microtubule bundles. Although it contains a Rho family GAP domain, it has a central role in the activation of RhoA during cytokinesis. Finally, centralspindlin functions as a motor protein complex, as a scaffold protein for key regulators of abscission and as a conventional RhoGAP. Because of these diverse functions, centralspindlin lies at the heart of the cytokinetic mechanism. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Effectiveness of Ankle Taping on Ankle Joint Kinematics During Walking on Level Ground

Prescriptions for functional ankle instability are generally oriented to taping, which need to be validated as an efficient treatment. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of ankle taping on the subject’s foot pressure and gait pattern, including mediolateral analysis, according to tape application side. A sample of 20 right-handed healthy subjects volunteered to participate in this study, which was composed of 3 taping conditions: “with taping of the right ankle,” “with taping of both ankles,” and “with taping of the left ankle. ” Participants were asked to perform a walk on the walkway to get 2 footprints repeated 6 times. The variables measured were step length, step duration, double stance, and swing. The results clearly showed significant change in step duration and double phase when tape was applied to the left ankle, F(2, 54) = 12.03; P < . 05. Significant changes were also observed for step length and swing when tape was applied to the both ankles, F(2, 54) = 10.71; P < . 05]. This study showed that double stance and swing phase duration increases, and that the pressure is equalized on both feet when taping the unstable ankle. Taping a functionally unstable ankle is more likely to improve its stability. Levels of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II: Prospective comparative trial
Toward a Feminist Counter-geopolitics: Gender, Space and Islamist Politics in Istanbul

Geopolitical reasoning privileges the global scale as the locus of spatialised power relations. For the past 20 years, Islam and Islamist politics have figured prominently in geopolitical discourses of international conflict. This paper puts forth a feminist counter-geopolitics that focuses on how Islamist political practices and discourses are written into everyday life and urban spaces. Approaching political activity as comprising both formal voting behaviour and informal associational activities, this study uses survey and focus group data (collected in Istanbul in 1998/99) to explore gender and Islamist politics at national and local scales. Exploring women's activities within both formal and informal urban political spaces, the study reveals some of the ways in which women participate in the daily production and contestation of Islamist politics in Istanbul.
To what extent does participation in extracurricular music affect the future aspirations of 11–12-year-olds? A small-scale investigation

I undertook this project as a 12-year-old student while studying research methods at the Children's Research Centre at the Open University. It has already been shown that doing music improves children's Mathematics and English scores. The aim of this study was to find out if it also raises the aspirations of the children taking part. A questionnaire was given out to 80 Year 7 children at two schools in Milton Keynes. Questions investigated the children's musical participation and future aspirations as well as their parents' attitudes and education. The most important findings are that the musical participation of the children is positively correlated with their future aspirations. Musical participation is most closely linked with parental enthusiasm for it. Parental pressure and education were found to have no link with musical participation, but families with low incomes may find affording musical activities hard to maintain. It is recommended that more money be put into music education so children of low socio-economic backgrounds can have more of a chance to play musical instruments.
“The big OE”: self‐directed travel and career development

“OE” is overseas experience – periods of “working holiday” undertaken by young people autonomously exploring other countries and cultures. This paper investigates OE and considers its effect on career development. OE is a world‐wide phenomenon, but has special significance in Australia and New Zealand, where it is undertaken as a “rite of passage” by many young people. The paper reports results from an interview study of 50 OEs undertaken by young New Zealanders. It focuses on predisposing personal and situational factors prompting OE, the unplanned and improvisational nature of OE, the main forms of OE, and its apparent consequences for personal development and subsequent careers. The evidence suggests that OE brings benefits but that the process is complex and unpredictable because of confounding forces such as non‐career travel agendas and personal relationships. The special value of OE to careers in current conditions requiring greater self‐direction, flexibility and internationalisation is emphasised.
A trial of buspirone for the control of disruptive behaviors in community‐dwelling patients with dementia

We report the results of a pilot study examining the dose–response of buspirone for the treatment of agitated and disruptive behaviors in dementia patients. Patients were identified by physician referral, chart review and caregiver response to newspaper adverisements. All subjects met NINCDS–ADRDA criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. Twenty subjects were entered into the study, 12 completed the protocol. After a washout period, all subjects received 1 week of placebo followed by approximately 2 weeks each of buspirone 15 mg, 30 mg, 45mg and 60 mg daily. The primary outcome measure was the total score on Reisberg's Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (BEHAVE–AD), which was administered at baseline, the end of the placebo phase and at the end of each dosage interval. Significant improvement in the mean score was seen at a daily dosage of 30mg (p< 0.05 vs placebo). Significant improvement was also seen on the delusion, aggression and anxiety subscales of the BEHAVE‐AD. Few side‐effects were noted. These data suggest that the optimal starting dosage of buspirone for the treatment of behavioral pathology in dementia patients is 30mg daily. Individual patients may have their best response at dosages ranging from 15 to 60 mg daily. Confirmation of these findings requires a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trail.
Adolescent exposure to gambling promotions during televised sport: an exploratory study of links with gambling intentions

Young people are exposed to gambling promotions while watching televised sports; however, little research has examined how this influences gambling attitudes and intentions. This paper developed and tested a research model underpinned by the Theory of Reasoned Action and specifically aimed to examine (1) adolescents' exposure and attitudes to, and recall and perceptions of, gambling promotions during televised sport; (2) associations between adolescents' exposure and attitude to these gambling promotions, and their intention to gamble on sports and other gambling activities once of legal gambling age. An online survey was conducted of 131 Australian adolescents. Greater intention to gamble both on sports and non-sports was associated with higher frequency of watching televised sports, and more positive attitudes to gambling operators, to gambling promotions during televised sport and to promotional techniques used. Regression analysis indicated that the strongest predictors of sports betting intention were male gender and a more positive attitude to gambling sponsors and their promotions during televised sport. Strongest predictors of gambling intention were male gender, subjective norms and a more positive attitude to promotion of gambling during televised sport. Findings can inform advertising restrictions for gambling during general television viewing times, and health promotion messages countering promotion of gambling to adolescents.
On the Use of Information Measures in Studies of Form Perception

Information measures have made one major contribution to the study of form perception. This is the same contribution that they have made to other areas of psychological research. They have put the old, seemingly stale problems into a new, and sometimes exciting light. In so doing, they have stimulated renewed research interests in areas, some of which have not seen such lively activity since the passing of the first generation of the "new" psychology. The advance of a science is often limited for want of new research tools. Astronomy needed the optical telescope (and later the radio telescope) to open new heavenly vistas. The biological sciences needed the optical microscope, as they more recently needed the electron microscope, to provide new visions of the minute. Between these two extremes there are many other examples of interactions between scientific advances on the one hand, and instrument inventions on the other. Some of these instruments have been "tools" in a less literal sense. Analytic geometry, the calculus, and the psychophysical methods are three examples. That "information measures" form such a research tool is the theme to be developed in the present paper. The argument is that measures such as uncertainty, redundancy, equivocation, etc., provide useful, meaningful metrics for describing certain stimulus and response conditions under which man's behavior is observed and measured. This is not to imply that information theory (or cybernetics, or any other communication theory) is necessarily offered as a paradigm for the behavior of man, anymore than are the more commonly used statistical theories so offered. Rather, it is to say that information measures provide a way of gathering and systematizing psychological data, just as the correlation and variance measures have done in the past. They may color and otherwise influence psychological theories, but this does not mean that they necessarily are the theories. In being so used, information measures have revitalized certain areas of psychological research. One of these areas is that of the visual perception
Promoting the Participation of Children With Disabilities in Sports, Recreation, and Physical Activities

The benefits of physical activity are universal for all children, including those with disabilities. The participation of children with disabilities in sports and recreational activities promotes inclusion, minimizes deconditioning, optimizes physical functioning, and enhances overall well-being. Despite these benefits, children with disabilities are more restricted in their participation, have lower levels of fitness, and have higher levels of obesity than their peers without disabilities. Pediatricians and parents may overestimate the risks or overlook the benefits of physical activity in children with disabilities. Well-informed decisions regarding each child's participation must consider overall health status, individual activity preferences, safety precautions, and availability of appropriate programs and equipment. Health supervision visits afford pediatricians, children with disabilities, and parents opportunities to collaboratively generate goal-directed activity “prescriptions. ” Child, family, financial, and societal barriers to participation need to be directly identified and addressed in the context of local, state, and federal laws. The goal is inclusion for all children with disabilities in appropriate activities. This clinical report discusses the importance of physical activity, recreation, and sports participation for children with disabilities and offers practical suggestions to pediatric health care professionals for the promotion of participation.
The causes of perinatal death induced by prenatal exposure of rats to the pesticide, mirex. Part I: Pre-parturition observations of the cardiovascular system.

Prenatal exposure to mirex, a chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide, induces a high rate of perinatal death, but only a low incidence of visible abnormalities which could help to account for these deaths. This study is an attempt to determine the cause of these deaths. Pregnant rats were intubated with a moderate dose of mirex, in oil, 6 mg/kg/day, on days 8 1/2-15 1/2 of gestation. Observations, on 78 control and 136 treated fetuses, were made on the morning before parturition was expected. Fetuses were sequentially exposed and electrocardiograms obtained with the fetus attached to the placenta and uterus. ECGs were evaluated for rate of beat, regularity of beat, PR intervals, and other features. Fetuses were examined for edema level and vitality. None of the controls were dead and none had abnormal ECGs. Of the treated group, 14% were dead, 16% had a first-degree heart block, and 2% had a second-degree heart block. Some (6%) had slow, feeble atrial beats only, possibly a third-degree block, and appeared to be dying. The severity of the symptoms was proportional to the degree of visible edema. Most of the fetuses with little or no visible edema had normal ECGs, but the majority of the moderate to severely edematous fetuses (i.e., with a layer of subcutaneous edema across the back of 0.5 mm or more) had abnormal ECGs and/or were either dead or dying. These data show that the effects of mirex on the fetal cardiovascular system are a major factor in inducing prenatal death.
ENERGY EFFICIENT COVERAGE PROBLEMS IN WIRELESS Ad Hoc SENSOR NETWORKS

Coverage is a typical problem in wireless sensor networks to fulfil the issued sensing tasks. In general, sensing coverage represents how well an area is monitored by sensors. The quality of a sensor network can be reflected by the levels of coverage and connectivity that it offers. The coverage problem has been studied extensively, especially when combined with connectivity and energy efficiency. Constructing a connected fully covered, and energy efficient sensor network is valuable for real world applications due to the limited resources of sensor nodes. In this paper, we survey recent contributions addressing energyefficient coverage problems in the context of static WASNs, networks in which sensor nodes do not move once they are deployed and present in some detail of the algorithms, assumptions, and results. A comprehensive comparison among these approaches is given from the perspective of design objectives, assumptions, algorithm attributes and related results.