Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wearable Proxy Device-Assisted Authentication Request Filtering for Implantable Medical Devices

As the deepening of 5G’s support for the e-health industry, more and more wireless medical devices will suffer from various attacks and threats. Especially, the security of implantable medical devices (IMDs) which have limited computational capabilities and stringent power constraints becomes a critical issue. According to the channel state information, we exploit the special characteristics of the received signal strength (RSS) ratio between wearable proxy devices (WPDs) and IMDs in wireless body area networks (WBANs) to distinguish legitimate users and attackers. Moreover, based on the idea of proposed authentication request filtering (ARF), we design two corresponding light-weight security protocols to defend the forced authentication (FA) attacks and enhance the accessibility of IMD in emergency mode respectively. Simulation results show that the proposed ARF scheme to defend FA attacks achieves a high authentication response rate (ARR) with 99.2% for legitimate users and a low ARR with 2.4% for attackers at the maximum gap threshold point. Furthermore, when applied in emergency mode, the ARF scheme allows up to 96.3% emergency rescue devices to access the IMDs with only one attempt.
Consumer understanding and use of country-of-origin in food choice

Purpose – This study aimed to investigate consumers' understanding of country of origin (CoO) information and its relative importance in the context of their everyday food purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional intercept survey of 402 consumers in two cities in New Zealand was conducted. Respondents were asked to describe what they had considered when selecting a food item in their trolley. This was followed by questions to assess respondents' knowledge of CoO and their use and understanding of common CoO labels. Findings – Price (42 per cent), taste (40 per cent), health (18 per cent), and quality (18 per cent) were the most important factors that respondents mentioned. Only 3.5 per cent of respondents mentioned CoO as one of the factors influencing their decision. Of respondents 61 per cent, when prompted, stated that they knew the CoO of the food product selected. Of these respondents, 90 per cent were correct. Of respondents 62 per cent stated that they look at CoO labels .
Investors' Reaction to Managerial Discretion over Accruals: The Case of Jordanian Firms

This paper investigates the difference in the ability of accruals (both discretionary and nondiscretionary), as indicators of earnings quality, and cash flows from operations in measuring firm value. This issue is associated with the motivation of management to record high accruals for either signaling or for opportunistic purposes. The study covers all Jordanian manufacturing firms listed in both the first and the second markets in Amman Stock Exchange for the period 1999-2003. We find that total accruals provide incremental information to investors over cash flows from operations and that Jordanian investors are fixated on net income regardless of firms’ cash flows from operations. Furthermore, the relationship between discretionary accruals and return is insignificant. These results might suggest that either discretionary accruals are opportunistic and are negatively priced by the market (evidence of efficiency), or they are informative but negatively priced by the market (evidence of mispricing).
Causal Identification Based on Compressive Sensing of Air Pollutants Using Urban Big Data

This study addresses the causal identification of air pollutants from surrounding cities affecting Beijing’s air quality. A novel compressive sensing causality analysis (CS-Causality) method, which combines Granger causality analysis (GCA) and maximum correntropy criterion (MCC), is presented for efficient identification of the air pollutant causality between Beijing and surrounding cities. Firstly, taking the spatiotemporal correlation into consideration, the original data is mapped into low-dimensional space. Valid information is then obtained based on compressive sensing (CS), which can greatly reduce the dimensions of the data, thus decreasing the amount of data analysis required. Secondly, to analyze the causal relations, GCA, represented by the prediction from one time series to another, is extended to rule out “Non-Granger” causes of air pollutants in Beijing originating from its surrounding cities. Thirdly, the greatest impact on Beijing’s air quality is confirmed based on MCC. Finally, the accuracy of these results is verified using the transfer entropy.
Radioactivity Levels in Some Sediments and Water Samples from Qarun Lake by Low–Level Gamma Spectrometry

The specific activities of the natural radionuclides U, Ra, Th and K were measured in sediments and water samples collected from the Qarun lake (Middle Egypt) in order to gather information about radionuclides mobility and distribution. In the sediment and water in general, the concentration of U was found to be higher than that of the Th and the activities of Th, Ra and U in this lake falls within the worldwide ranges while K was observed in sediment samples, ranging from 410 to 1426 Bq kg be higher than the worldwide average. The results have been compared with other radioactivity measurements in different countries. Multivariate Statistical analyses were carried out between the parameters obtained from the radioactivity to know the existing relations and to study the spatial distribution of radionuclides.
Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Fast Food Operations

Describes the implementation of a total quality assurance system in a fast food restaurant. The operations of the restaurant were analysed to identify ways to improve the quality and efficiency of the production and service delivery systems. A total quality assurance system combining statistical quality control procedures and computer technology was successfully installed. The system resulted in improved service quality, efficient operations and increased profitability.
CIRNO: Leveraging Capacity Interference Relationship for Dense Networks optimization

To meet the rising data-offloading demands, IEEE 802.11-based WiFi networks have undergone consistent densification. The unlicensed spectrum has also been harnessed through LTE-WiFi coexistence. However, in dense and ultradense networks (DNs/UDNs), the network capacity is even more adversely impacted by the endemic interference. Yet, the precise nature of Capacity Interference Relationship (CIR) in DNs/UDNs and LTE-WiFi coexistence remains to be studied. Densification also exacerbates the challenges to network optimization. The conventional approaches to simplify the complex SINR-Capacity constraints lead to high convergence times in DN/UDN optimization. We investigate the CIR in dense and ultra-dense WiFi (IEEE 802. 11a) and LTE-WiFi (LTULAA) networks through real-time experiments. We then subject the empirical data to linear and polynomial regression to determine the nature of CIR and demonstrate that strong linear correlations may exist. We also study the impact of predictor variables, topology, and radio access technology on CIR. Most importantly, we propose CIRNO, a CIR-inspired network optimization approach, wherein the empirically determined CIR equation replaces the theoretically assumed SINR-Capacity constraints in optimization formulations. We evaluate CIRNO by implementing three recent works on optimization. We demonstrate the relevance of CIR and CIRNO in DNs/UDNs through a significant reduction in convergence times (by over 50%) while maintaining high accuracy (over 95%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to statistically analyze CIR in DNs/UDNs and LTE-WiFi heterogeneous networks (HetNets) and to use CIR regression equations in network optimization.
An OCC-APF control strategy for unbalanced grid conditions

In this work it is proposed a DSP based, OCC control strategy for APF, which is able to work in case of unbalanced grid voltage, i.e. when it is affected by a common mode voltage. Proposed strategy is based on an OCC rectifier control which utilizes an input resistance control to set up dc-link voltage and achieve a unity power factor as well, and a lead-lag compensator to average phase current. In this sense, APF proposed strategy uses input resistance control while lead-lag compensator is used to filter harmonics in grid current. Simulation and experimental results confirm present proposal.
ACADEMIC PRACTITIONER AUDITORS

Academic practitioner auditors engage in academic research on top of their audit activities. Based on constructive learnings theory and evidence-based management theory, we argue that engaging in research helps lead auditors to deliver higher audit quality. Moreover, we expect that this engagement enables lead auditors to develop their professional reputation and, hence, to generate higher audit fees. Using data from Germany, where lead auditors frequently engage in research, we find empirical evidence for these conjectures. Our study contributes to the current AAA and AICPA debate about the value of bridging the gap between academia and audit practice.
Security and trust: taking care of the human factor

In the e-business chain, the last link that needs to be convinced of the security of an online transaction is the end-user. That is why this article puts forward a user-centred perspective of the problem of trust in online payments, derived from the discipline of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). We will first offer a general account of e-commerce system design, showing that there is more to trust than only security. The last part gives some recommendations on what can be done to increase consumers' trust.
A Novel Spectrum Adaptive DS-UWB Pulse: Application in Cognitive Radio

In consideration of the overcrowded spectrum resource, it is of great importance to study the combination of the cognitive radio (CR) and ultra wideband impulse radio (UWBIR). In the cognitive UWB scene, the UWB pulse is supposed to constantly change its spectrum according to the state of the primary users to mitigate the potential interference to these vulnerale wireless systems. Meanwhile, the frequency utilization of the UWB pulse still eagerly requires improvement to guarantee their transmission reliability. In this paper, we propose a novel UWB pulse based on the neural network, and its simple implementation has also been presented. The frequency utilization of our designed UWB pulse can surpass any other existing UWB signals when no primary user is working around. Based on spectrum sensing information, our designed UWB pulse can adaptively alter its output spectrum to effectively avoid interference to the primary users. We also demonstrate that the proposed UWB pulse is much more suitable for the FCC emission limit than the ECC emission limit. KeywordsUltra wideband (UWB), impulse radio (IR), cognitive radio (CR), neural network, spectrum adaptive
A multicriteria System Using Gradual Fuzzy Rules and Fuzzy Arithmetic

We present a multicriteria fuzzy system that uses fuzzy gradual rules bases to model the user's preferences and fuzzy arithmetic to aggregate the results issued by the bases. We first present a multicriteria problem and its solution for the case of precise information. Then we extend the model to treat pieces of information that may involve imprecision/vagueness. We show that the use of residuated implication operators (employed by gradual rules), coupled with similarity relations (to guarantee consistency), offer a better treatment of the problem than a Mamdani-like approach. We illustrate the various features of the system by means of a simple example and describe an application of the formalism to social games.
Effect of transition metal ions (cobalt and nickel chlorides) on intestinal iron absorption

Background Haem biosynthesis may regulate intestinal iron absorption through changes in cellular levels of δ‐aminolaevulinic acid (ALA), haem and perhaps other intermediates. CoCl2 and NiCl2 are activators of haem oxygenase, the rate‐limiting enzyme in haem catabolism. Co2+ and Ni2+ may also regulate and increase iron absorption through a mechanism that simulates hypoxic conditions in the tissues.
Quality control of ER synthesized proteins: an exposed thiol group as a three‐way switch mediating assembly, retention and degradation.

Plasma cells secrete IgM only in the polymeric form: the C‐terminal cysteine of the mu heavy chain (Cys575) is responsible for both intracellular retention and assembly of IgM subunits. Polymerization is not quantitative, and part of IgM is degraded intracellularly. Neither chloroquine nor brefeldin A (BFA) inhibits degradation, suggesting that this process occurs in a pre‐Golgi compartment. Degradation of IgM assembly intermediates requires Cys575: the monomeric IgMala575 mutant is stable also when endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi transport is blocked by BFA. Addition of the 20 C‐terminal residues of mu to the lysosomal protease cathepsin D is sufficient to induce pre‐Golgi retention and degradation of the chimeric protein: the small amounts of molecules which exit from the ER are mostly covalent dimers. By contrast, when retained by the KDEL sequence, cathepsin D is stable in the ER, indicating that retention is not sufficient to cause degradation. Replacing the C‐terminal cysteine with serine restores transport through the Golgi. As all chimeric cathepsin D constructs display comparable protease activity in vitro, their different fates are not determined by gross alterations in folding. Thus, also out of its normal context, the mu chain Cys575 plays a crucial role in quality control, mediating assembly, retention and degradation.
Guest Editorial: Is Marketing Academia Losing Its Way?

There is an alarming and growing gap between the interests, standards, and priorities of academic marketers and the needs of marketing executives operating in an ambiguous, uncertain, fast-changing, and complex marketspace. This has gone beyond the familiar dilemma of academic research pitted against practical relevance. Our contention is that this widening divergence has become detrimental to the long-term health of the field. We share our concerns and offer proposals for better aligning the interests of marketing academics and practitioners to their mutual benefit. We are guided by the belief that the role of academic marketing is not just to advance theory and methods but also to have an impact on the practice of marketing.
Anti-HIV agents targeting the interaction of gp120 with the cellular CD4 receptor

Perhaps one of the most effective approaches to prevent and inhibit viral infections is to block host cell receptors that are used by viruses to gain cell entry. Major advances have been made over the past decade in the understanding of the molecular mechanism of HIV entry into target cells. A crucial step in this entry process is the interaction of the external HIV envelope glycoprotein, gp120, with the cellular CD4 receptor molecule. This binding step represents a potential target for new antiviral agents, and current efforts to develop safe and effective HIV entry inhibitors are focused on natural ligands and/or monoclonal antibodies that interfere with gp120/CD4 interaction. Also, small synthetic compounds obtained either by high-throughput screening of large compound libraries or by structure-guided rational design have recently entered the antiretroviral arena. In this review, the anti-HIV activity of novel entry inhibitors targeting gp120/CD4 interaction is outlined, and special attention is given to the cyclotriazadisulfonamide compounds, which are the most specific CD4-targeted antiviral drugs described so far.
Survey Data Collection Using Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview

The Audio Computer Assisted Self-Interview (ACASI) is a computer application that allows a research participant to hear survey interview items over a computer headset and read the corresponding items on a computer monitor. The ACASI automates progression from one item to the next, skipping irrelevant items. The research participant responds by pressing a number keypad, sending the data directly into a database. The ACASI was used to enhance participants’ sense of privacy. A convenience sample of 257 young urban women, ages 18 to 29 years, were interviewed in neighborhood settings concerning human immune deficiency virus (HIV) sexual risk behaviors. Notebook computers were used to facilitate mobility. The overwhelming majority rated their experience with ACASI as easy to use. This article will focus on the use of ACASI in HIV behavioral research, its benefits, and approaches to resolve some identified problems with this method of data collection.
Troglitazone Upregulates LDL Receptor Activity in HepG2 Cells

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the effect of troglitazone, a new oral antidiabetic agent, on LDL catabolism. HepG2 cells, which are cells from a well-differentiated cell line of hepatoma cells, were cultured and used to study LDL catabolism. Different concentrations of troglitazone, all within the therapeutic range for humans, were incubated in culture medium with 125I-labeled LDL to measure cell-associated and degraded 125I-LDL. Troglitazone increased cell-associated and degraded 125I-LDL by ∼30%. We also investigated if this effect occurred through a LDL receptor- mediated pathway or a non-LDL receptor pathway. By using dextran sulfate, a substance known to release bound LDL from its receptor, we found that troglitazone upregulated LDL receptor activity by ∼35%. In addition, we found that troglitazone increased the expression of the LDL receptor mRNA. The effect of troglitazone was comparable with that of a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, fluvastatin, with troglitazone having an upregulatory effect similar to that of fluvastatin. Insulin within human physiological concentrations also increased LDL receptor activity. We found that troglitazone and insulin had an additive effect on LDL catabolism. Also, the effect of troglitazone on LDL catabolism was studied in the presence of cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant drug that reduces LDL catabolism mainly by decreasing LDL receptor activity. The results showed that troglitazone can compensate for the reduced LDL receptor activity induced by cyclosporine, but that cyclosporine had a residual effect on the action of troglitazone. Thus troglitazone enhanced LDL binding, cell association, and degradation by increasing LDL receptor mRNA expression, with a subsequent increase in LDL receptor activity.
Recombinant Treponema pallidum rare outer membrane protein 1 (Tromp1) expressed in Escherichia coli has porin activity and surface antigenic exposure

We recently reported the cloning and sequencing of the gene encoding a 31-kDa Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum rare outer membrane porin protein, designated Tromp1 (D. R. Blanco, C. I. Champion, M. M. Exner, H. Erdjument-Bromage, R. E. W. Hancock, P. Tempst, J. N. Miller, and M. A. Lovett, J. Bacteriol. 177:3556-3562, 1995). Here, we report the stable expression of recombinant Tromp1 (rTromp1) in Escherichia coli. rTromp1 expressed without its signal peptide and containing a 22-residue N-terminal fusion resulted in high-level accumulation of a nonexported soluble protein that was purified to homogeneity by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC). Specific antiserum generated to the FPLC-purified rTromp1 fusion identified on immunoblots of T. pallidum the native 31-kDa Tromp1 protein and two higher-molecular-mass oligomeric forms of Tromp1 at 55 and 80 kDa. rTromp1 was also expressed with its native signal peptide by using an inducible T7 promoter. Under these conditions, rTromp1 fractionated predominantly with the E. coli soluble and outer membrane fractions, but not with the inner membrane fraction. rTromp1 isolated from the E. coli outer membrane and reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers showed porin activity based on average single-channel conductances of 0.4 and 0.8 nS in 1 M KCl. Whole-mount immunoelectron microscopy using infection-derived immune serum against T. pallidum indicated that rTromp1 was surface exposed when expressed in E. coli. These findings demonstrate that rTromp1 can be targeted to the E. coli outer membrane, where it has both porin activity and surface antigenic exposure.
Assessment of genetic, antigenic and pathotypic criteria for the characterization of IBDV strains

The aim of this work was the selection and comparison of representative infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strains. Nine strains of IBDV, isolated at different times and from different geographic regions of Europe and China, were characterized. Batches of all strains were prepared following standardized protocols and checked for the absence of contaminating viruses. Criteria used for their characterization were: (i) the nucleotide sequence of the VP2 variable region, (ii) binding to a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies in antigen capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and (iii) virulence in specific pathogen free chickens after infection with a standardized number of median embryo infective doses. Based on the first two criteria, two of nine strains were classified as classical virulent (cv) IBDV (F52/70, Cu-1wt), and five as very virulent (vv) IBDV (849VB, 96108, HK46, GX, Harbin). Remarkably, although a clear-cut difference was demonstrable between European cvIBDV (F52/70 and Cu-1wt) and vvIBDV (849VB and 96108) strains, there was a continuum in the pathogenicity of Chinese vvIBDVs. Our results indicate the probable existence of differences in virulence within IBDV lineages determined on the basis of antigenic typing using monoclonal antibodies and the alignment of the VP2 sequences. This indicates limitations in the analysis of IBDV pathotypes based on the VP2 variable region and emphasizes that these criteria may not be sufficient for the classification of IBDV strains.
Attitudes towards use of electronic data interchange in industrial buying: some Australian evidence

Considering the growing importance of EDI in improving business performance examines the level of EDI usage in industrial buying and attitudes towards EDI among Australian organizations. Reports the results of a survey. Suggests that the use of computers for communication is expected to increase considerably in the next five years for most activities in industrial buying. The majority of respondents felt that the introduction of EDI will have a dramatic effect on buyer/seller relationships with computers becoming the dominant form of communication with their suppliers in the future. General concern was expressed regarding the possible threat to the security of organizational databases from EDI. Also found that cost reduction, competitive advantage, accuracy and improved customer service were perceived to be the major advantages of EDI and there is a growing preference among firms to deal with vendors/customers who have EDI facilities.