Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power System Reactive Power Optimization Based on Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Aiming at the precocious convergence problem of particle swarm optimization algorithm, adaptive particle swarm optimization (APSO) algorithm was presented. In this algorithm, inertia weight was nonlinearly adjusted by using population diversity information. Velocity mutation operator and position crossover operator were both introduced and the global performance was clearly improved. The algorithm had been applied to reactive power optimization. The simulation results of the standard IEEE-30-bus power system had indicated that APSO was able to undertake global search with a fast convergence rate and a feature of robust computation. It was proved to be efficient and practical during the reactive power optimization
WEAK-LENSING HALO NUMBERS AND DARK-MATTER PROFILES

Integral measures of weak gravitational lensing by dark-ma tter haloes, like the aperture mass, are sensitive to different physical halo properties dependent on the halo ma ss density profile. For isothermal profiles, the relation between aperture mass and virial mass is steeper than for hal oes with the universal NFW profile. Consequently, the halo mass range probed by the aperture mass is much wider f or NFW than for isothermal haloes. We use recent modifications to the Press-Schechter mass function i n CDM models normalised to the local abundance of rich clusters, to predict the properties of the halo sample e xp cted to be accessible with the aperture mass technique. While ∼ 10 haloes should be detected per square degree if the haloes h av NFW profiles, their number density is lower by approximately an order of magnitude if they have iso thermal profiles. These results depend only very mildly on the cosmological background model. We conclude th at counts of haloes with a significant weak-lensing signal are a powerful discriminator between different dark -matter profiles.
Anomalous C-C bond cleavage in sulfur-centered cation radicals containing a vicinal hydroxy group.

1,3-dithianyl cation radicals having alpha-hydroxy-neopentyl or similar groups in position 2, which are generated via oxidative photoinduced electron transfer, undergo anomalous fragmentation necessitating refinement of the accepted mechanism. Experimental and computational data support a rationale in which proton abstraction from the hydroxy group in the initial cation radical does not cause a Grob-like fragmentation, but rather produces a neutral radical species, the alkoxy radical, that undergoes fragmentation in either direction, i.e., cleaving the C-C bond to dithiane or to the tertiary alkyl group.
Adaptive Agent Models Using Temporal Discounting, Memory Traces and Hebbian Learning with Inhibition, and their Rationality

In this paper three adaptive agent models incorporating triggered emotional responses are explored and evaluated on their rationality. One of the models is based on temporal discounting second on memory traces and the third one on hebbian learning with mutual inhibition. The models are assessed using a measure reflecting the environment’s behaviour and expressing the extent of rationality. Simulation results and the extents of rationality of the different models over time are presented and analysed.
Spectropolarimetry of the Luminous Narrow-Line Seyfert Galaxies IRAS 20181–2244 and IRAS 13224–3809

We observed the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies IRAS 20181-2244 and IRAS 13224-3809 with a new spectropolarimeter on the Ritchey-Chrétien spectrograph at the CTIO 4 m telescope. Previously it had been suggested that IRAS 20181-2244 was a type 2 QSO and thus might contain an obscured broad-line region that could be detected by the presence of broad Balmer lines in the polarized flux. We found the object to be polarized at about 2% and constant with wavelength (unlike most narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies), but with no evidence of broad Balmer lines in polarized flux. The spectropolarimetry indicates that the scattering material is inside the broad-line region. IRAS 13224-3809, notable for its high variability in X-ray and UV wavelengths, has a low polarization consistent with a Galactic interstellar origin.
The Rise of Bilateralism in Trade and its Implications for Pakistan

This paper examines and critiques the worldwide mushrooming of preferential trading arrangements and traces its implications for Pakistan. It points out that this development is fundamentally contrary to the principle of most-favored-nation (MFN) treatment, which was the cornerstone of the post-war multilateral trading system as embodied in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The causes ofthe rise in bilateral and regional trading arrangements are discussed and it is shown that they pose a real threat to many relatively small economies, including Pakistan. The paper discusses the various preferential trade agreements Pakistan has already signed. It notes that, with the exception of its trade agreement with China, Pakistan has not succeeded in concluding preferential trading arrangements with any of the strategically and systemically more important countries, viz., the US, European Union, and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) could potentially be of considerable importance for Pakistan’s long-term economic growth, but this potential might not be realized if India and Pakistan fail to overcome their mutual differences. Finally, the paper explores steps that might be taken to promote Pakistan’seconomic interests in its bilateral relations. It points out that, apart from achieving a measure of macroeconomic stability, Pakistan needs to improve its international competitiveness through productivity improvements and be more strategic in its trading relations. Its market access to leading industrial countries that are entering free trade agreements (FTAs) with Pakistan’s competitors is a real threat and remedial actions are required.
Scale and Scope Economies in the Global Advertising and Marketing Services Business

We assess size and scope-related economies in the global advertising and marketing services business. A translog cost function is employed wherein a firm's costs vary according to its scale and two dimensions of the scope of its operations. Parameters of the model are estimated via three stage least squares using annual data for 1989-2001 for an unbalanced panel consisting of the eight largest firms in this industry. A firm's total variable costs are affected by its scale, scope (mix of services and markets served), and by the interaction of the two dimensions of scope. The latter effect suggests that economies of coordination may accompany the strategy of jointly offering advertising and marketing services globally. Estimates indicate that the industry's long-run cost function is subject to very slight economies of scale. Diseconomies of scale accompany growth in volume obtained by extending either breadth of service offerings or market coverage. A small cost advantage, typically of one to two percent, is uniformly associated with joint production of services for the domestic and overseas markets, as compared to splitting up the firm into smaller stand-alone entities. Scope economies of a similar magnitude arise consistently from the joint production of advertising and marketing services.
What Cannot Be Read, Cannot Be Leveraged? Revisiting Assumptions of JIT-ROP Defenses

Despite numerous attempts to mitigate code-reuse attacks, Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) is still at the core of exploiting memory corruption vulnerabilities. Most notably, in JIT-ROP, an attacker dynamically searches for suitable gadgets in executable code pages, even if they have been randomized. JIT-ROP seemingly requires that (i) code is readable (to find gadgets at run time) and (ii) executable (to mount the overall attack). As a response, Execute-no-Read (XnR) schemes have been proposed to revoke the read privilege of code, such that an adversary can no longer inspect the code after fine-grained code randomizations have been applied. We revisit these "inherent" requirements for mounting JIT-ROP attacks. We show that JIT-ROP attacks can be mounted without ever reading any code fragments, but instead by injecting predictable gadgets via a JIT compiler by carefully triggering useful displacement values in control flow instructions. We show that defenses deployed in all major browsers (Chrome, MS IE, Firefox) do not protect against such gadgets, nor do the current XnR implementations protect against code injection attacks. To extend XnR's guarantees against JIT-compiled gadgets, we propose a defense that replaces potentially dangerous direct control flow instructions with indirect ones at an overall performance overhead of less than 2% and a code-size overhead of 26% on average.
Multiagent system for the cognitive and collaborative filtering on web pages using GAIA methodology

This paper presents the development of a cognitive and collaborative filtering system that uses retrieval and filtering algorithms implemented in a multiagent system that runs in a distributed environment developed by using the GAIA methodology, which allows to identify agents, communication protocols, behaviors, and roles of each entity within the system. The end result is a prototype that allows the classification of documents according to the user preferences, to the contents of visited pages from recommendations made for users with similar interests as well.
BC-GA: A Graph Partitioning Algorithm for Parallel Simulation of Internet Applications

Static task mapping of parallel simulation is studied as a graph partitioning problem (GPP). However, the existing algorithms are primarily designed for partitioning finite element meshes or random graphs which are essentially different from the Internet-like topologies used in the field of large scale network simulation. In this paper, we present a new genetic algorithm, BC-GA, for effectively partitioning Internet-like topologies based on boundary crossing, a quite different principle inspired by the analysis of characteristic of the Internet topology and its related solutions. All operations of this algorithm are novel, such as pizza-cutting and autogamy propagation. We test this algorithm on a large extent of graphs, including the snapshots of the real AS-level Internet, the topologies produced by the Internet model generator and many traditional benchmark graphs. The experiment shows that our algorithm can outperform traditional approaches on partitioning Internet-like topologies and it is also better than or comparable to those on traditional GPP. The experiment also shows that a genetic algorithm can converge quickly if the domain knowledge is fitly combined.
Interstitial fluid pressure in soft tissue as a result of an externally applied contact pressure

Manipulation of interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) has a clinical potential when used in conjunction with near-infrared spectroscopy for the detection of breast cancer. In order to better interpret how the applied pressure alters the vascular space and interstitial water volumes in breast tissue, a study on tissue-mimicking, gelatin phantoms was carried out to mimic the translation of external force into internal pressures. A complete set of three-dimensional (3D) pressure maps were obtained for the interior volumes of phantoms as an external force of 10 mmHg was applied, using mixtures of elastic moduli 19 and 33 kPa to simulate adipose and fibroglandular values of breast tissue. Corresponding linear elastic finite element analysis (FEA) cases were formulated. Shear stress, nonlinear mechanical properties, gravity and tissue geometry were all observed to contribute to internal pressure distribution, with surface shear stresses increasing internal pressures near the surface to greater than twice the applied external pressure. Average pressures by depth were predicted by the linear elastic FEA models. FEA models were run for cases mimicking a 93 kPa tumor inclusion within regions of adipose, fibroglandular tissue, and a composite of the two tissue types to illustrate the localized high fluid pressures caused by a tumor when an external force is applied. The conclusion was that external contact forces can generate potentially clinically useful fluid pressure magnitudes in regions of sharp effective elastic modulus gradients, such as tumor boundaries.
Probabilistic Authentication with Very Lightweight Short Hash

As the communication capabilities are implemented in ever smaller devices with less and less computational capabilities and limited energy source, there is a need for lightweight cryptographic solutions. In this paper we describe lightweight solution for probabilistic authentication of computationally restricted devices. The solution relies on 4-bit lightweight hash, generated with help of substitution box of DESL. The security and weight of the described solutions are evaluated.
High-intensity focused ultrasound thermal mapping by using a thermocouple embedded in a tissue-mimicking material

High-intensity focused ultrasound is a non invasive technique for tumor ablation. Focused ultrasound concentrates energy at a small spot called “focus”. Temperature elevation at the focus can reach over 56°C rapidly. This causes irreversible damages to cells and provokes coagulative necrosis. Common acoustic characterization is performed by scanning with a hydrophone across and along the beam path. The disadvantage of this technique is that it has to be done at low power in order to avoid hydrophone damage. Thermocouple displacement across and along the beam path allows the temperature measurement at high acoustic power or at similar clinical conditions. In this paper, it is presented the temperature measurement as a complementary technique to characterize acoustic fields and to explore the thermal distribution at focus. HIFU thermal mapping is performed by recording the temperature sensed by a hypodermic thermocouple embedded in a tissue mimicking material. The thermal distribution of a HIFU transducer with focal distance of 17 mm is reported. Temperature maps 2 mm ahead and 2 mm behind the focal distance with a 1 mm z-displacement are presented. HIFU transducer was excited with a 1.9 MHz continuous wave at 20 W. Thermal maps showed a different temperature distribution for each transversal plane reconstructed.
Improved Torque Control of Electrical Load Simulator with Parameters and State Estimation

ELS is an important ground based hardware in the loop simulator used for aerodynamics torque loading experiments of the actuators under test. This work focuses on improvement of the transient response of torque controller with parameters uncertainty of Electrical Load Simulator (ELS). The parameters of load simulator are estimated online and the model is updated, eliminating the model error and improving the steady state torque tracking response of torque controller. To improve the Transient control performance the gain of robust term of SMC is updated online using fuzzy logic system based on the amount of uncertainty in parameters of load simulator. The states of load simulator which cannot be measured directly are estimated using luenberger observer with update of new estimated parameters. The stability of the control scheme is verified using Lyapunov theorem. The validity of proposed control scheme is verified using simulations. Keywords—ELS, Observer, Transient Performance, SMC, Extra Torque, Fuzzy Logic .
Time-Sharing Time Warp via Lightweight Operating System Support

The order according to which the different tasks are carried out within a Time Warp platform has a direct impact on performance, given that event processing is speculative, thus being subject to the possibility of being rolled-back. It is typically recognized that not-yet-executed events having lower timestamps should be given higher CPU-schedule priority, since this contributes to keep low the amount of rollbacks. However, common Time Warp platforms usually execute events as atomic actions. Hence control is bounced back to the underlying simulation platform only at the end of the current event processing routine. In other words, CPU-scheduling of events resembles classical batch-multitasking scheduling, which is recognized not to promptly react to variations of the priority of pending tasks (e.g. associated with the injection of new events in the system). In this article we present the design and implementation of a time-sharing Time Warp platform, to be run on multi-core machines, where the platform-level software is allowed to take back control on a periodical basis (with fine grain period), and to possibly preempt any ongoing event processing activity in favor of dispatching (along the same thread) any other event that is revealed to have higher priority. Our proposal is based on an ad-hoc kernel module for Linux, which implements a fine grain timer-interrupt mechanism with lightweight management, which is fully integrated with the modern top/bottom-half timer-interrupt Linux architecture, and which does not induce any bias in terms of relative CPU-usage planning across Time Warp vs non-Time Warp threads running on the machine. Our time-sharing architecture has been integrated within the open source ROOT-Sim optimistic simulation package, and we also report some experimental data for an assessment of our proposal.
An Asynchronous Implementation of a 32-bit DLX Microprocessor

Synchronous designs have grown dominant in terms of implementing digital systems because of their simpler design and well established design methodologies. However, using a global clock poses several disadvantages. Asynchronous implementations provide solutions to these problems. In this research, a fully asynchronous 32-bit DLX microprocessor is implemented using the HDL (hardware design language) design flow. The architecture of this system uses an asynchronous pipeline of registers. Sutherland’s control circuit for micropipelines is incorporated to handle the handshaking between the stages of the pipeline. By using the micropipeline concept, additional timing circuitries are added to facilitate the diverse triggering of the asynchronous modules. Post-synthesis characteristics of the final system show a 189.88% increase in the execution time attributed to the return-to-zero property of the four-phase handshaking protocol used in the system. An increase of 15.24% in the area is observed crediting from the unoptimized modules of the asynchronous control circuit. Lastly, a 19.81% decrease in total power consumption is observed on the Asynchronous DLX.
Deflation at Turnaround for Oscillatory Cosmology

It is suggested that dark energy in a brane world can help reconcile an infinitely cyclic cosmology with the second law of thermodynamics. A cyclic cosmology is described, in which dark energy with constant equation of state leads to a turnaround at finite future time, when entropy is decreased by a huge factor equal to the inverse of its enhancement during the initial inflation. Thermodynamic consistency of cyclicity requires the arrow of time to reverse during contraction. Entropy reduction in the contracting phase is infinitesimally smaller than entropy increase during expansion.
Understanding the motions of tools and vehicles

Many types of common objects, such as tools and vehicles, usually move in simple ways when they are wielded or driven. The natural axes of the object tend to remain aligned with the local trihedron defined by the object's trajectory. Based on this observation we use a model called Frenet-Serret motion which corresponds to the motion of a moving trihedron along a space curve. Knowing how the Frenet-Serret frame is changing relative to the observer gives us essential information for understanding the object's motion. This is illustrated here for four examples, involving tools (a wrench and a saw) and vehicles (an accelerating van, a turning taxi).
Activation of Cortical and Cerebellar Motor Areas during Executed and Imagined Hand Movements: An fMRI Study

Brain activation during executed (EM) and imagined movements (IM) of the right and left hand was studied in 10 healthy right-handed subjects using functional magnetic resonance imagining (fMRI). Low electromyographic (EMG) activity of the musculi flexor digitorum superficialis and high vividness of the imagined movements were trained prior to image acquisition. Regional cerebral activation was measured by fMRI during EM and IM and compared to resting conditions. Anatomically selected regions of interest (ROIs) were marked interactively over the entire brain. In each ROI activated pixels above a t value of 2.45 (p < 0.01) were counted and analyzed. In all subjects the supplementary motor area (SMA), the premotor cortex (PMC), and the primary motor cortex (M1) showed significant activation during both EM and IM; the somatosensory cortex (S1) was significantly activated only during EM. Ipsilateral cerebellar activation was decreased during IM compared to EM. In the cerebellum, IM and EM differed in their foci of maximal activation: Highest ipsilateral activation of the cerebellum was observed in the anterior lobe (Larsell lobule H IV) during EM, whereas a lower maximum was found about 2-cm dorsolateral (Larsell lobule H VII) during IM. The prefrontal and parietal regions revealed no significant changes during both conditions. The results of cortical activity support the hypothesis that motor imagery and motor performance possess similar neural substrates. The differential activation in the cerebellum during EM and IM is in accordance with the assumption that the posterior cerebellum is involved in the inhibition of movement execution during imagination.
Designing for individuals: usable touch-screen interaction through shared user models

Mobile touch-screen devices are becoming increasingly popular across a diverse range of users. Whilst there is a wealth of information and utilities available via downloadable apps, there is still a large proportion of users with visual and motor impairments who are unable to use the technology fully due to their interaction needs. In this paper we present an evaluation of the use of shared user modelling and adaptive interfaces to improve the accessibility of mobile touch-screen technologies. By using abilities based information collected through application use and continually updating the user model and interface adaptations, it is easy for users to make applications aware of their needs and preferences. Three smart phone apps were created for this study and tested with 12 adults who had diverse visual and motor impairments. Results indicated significant benefits from the shared user models that can automatically adapt interfaces, across applications, to address usability needs.
IMPROVING SECURITY AWARENESS AND TRAINING THROUGH COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING

Security awareness is a critical issue for all organisations that depend upon information technology. However, significant survey evidence suggests that the issue is often given inadequate attention in modern organisations, leading to problems through security incidents. This paper considers various means that can be used to instil greater awareness, and argues that the most effective method is likely to be via training and awareness programmes. Unfortunately, organisational constraints often preclude the pursuit of such programmes (either in-house or externally) in a traditional manner, and a substitute is needed that can be accessed on-demand, in a self-paced manner. Thus the use of computer-based training is proposed, and the paper discusses the ongoing realisation of an appropriate training tool. The prototype provides an environment that permits the user to explore security problem scenarios, and then select appropriate countermeasures to address the issues identified. It is considered that such an approach would be suitable for promoting day-to-day security awareness for general users, and conducting more specific training for staff with greater security responsibilities.