Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous Graph Convolutional Networks for Android Malware Detection using Callback-Aware Caller-Callee Graphs

The popularity of the Android Operating System in the smartphone market has given rise to lots of Android malware. To accurately detect these malware, many of the existing works use machine learning and deep learning-based methods, in which feature extraction methods were used to extract fixed-size feature vectors using the files present inside the Android Application Package (APK). Recently, Graph Convolutional Network (GCN) based methods applied on the Function Call Graph (FCG) extracted from the APK are gaining momentum in Android malware detection, as GCNs are effective at learning tasks on variable-sized graphs such as FCG, and FCG sufficiently captures the structure and behaviour of an APK. However, the FCG lacks information about callback methods as the Android Application Programming Interface (API) is event-driven. This paper proposes enhancing the FCG to eFCG (enhanced-FCG) using the callback information extracted using Android Framework Space Analysis to overcome this limitation. Further, we add permission - API method relationships to the eFCG. The eFCG is reduced using node contraction based on the classes to get R-eFCG (Reduced eFCG) to improve the generalisation ability of the Android malware detection model. The eFCG and R-eFCG are then given as the inputs to the Heterogeneous GCN models to determine whether the APK file from which they are extracted is malicious or not. To test the effectiveness of eFCG and R-eFCG, we conducted an ablation study by removing their various components. To determine the optimal neighbourhood size for GCN, we experimented with a varying number of GCN layers and found that the Android malware detection model using R-eFCG with all its components with four convolution layers achieved maximum accuracy of 96.28%.
A case study of starting power requirement: for Visteon Integrated Starter-Alternator system

Recently, Visteon has developed an Integrated Starter-Alternator (V-ISA) system. A prototype vehicle was built to gain the initial data on the starting power needed for a rapid and frequent engine start-stops, the feature that that does not deter driver's comfort yet enables substantial fuel saving and emission reduction. The test results are presented in this paper.
Risk and Need-for-Work Premiums in Contractor Bidding

Contractors add significant premiums, on the order of 3%, to their bids when they have a low need for work or projects have high risk. An empirical study of the effect of need for work and project risk on contractor bid markups was conducted by assessing and analyzing utility functions obtained from construction contractors in a bid-simulation exercise. Thirty New England contractors participated in the study. The statistical analysis of utility data indicates, with a high level of confidence, that need for work and risk significantly affect contractor bid markups. A revised model of bidding is presented. The paper also discusses the implications of these need-for-work and risk premiums for owners, contractors, and the insurance industry. Specifically, project managers should seriously consider investing at least 1% of the project cost in studies that reduce the risk perceived by contractors.
Interleaving boost converters with a single-capacitor Turn-off Snubber

This paper proposes interleaving boost converters with a single-capacitor snubber to smooth out switch turn-off transition. The single-capacitor snubber is used to limit rising rate of drain-source voltage of the switch in the converters for reducing turn-off loss. In addition, the converters are operated at the boundary of continuous conduction mode and discontinuous conduction mode to reduce turn-on loss, and with an interleaving fashion to decrease output current ripple. As compared with the counterparts of conventional converter topologies, the proposed converters have the merits of less component counts, higher efficiency over a certain load range, smaller size, and they are easier to implement. Hardware measurement obtained from experimental prototypes have verified these merits.
PEER-REVIEWED PAPER:Partnering Continuum

Numerous publications have documented successes achieved through partnering. Such notable results have been achieved over a wide variety of applications, including public and private ownership, single-project and multiple-project agreements, and lump-sum and cost-plus contracts. Such accomplishment across a spectrum of application suggests that partnering, if applied properly, can work in almost any environment. Recent research by the Construction Industry Institute highlights this fact that many “shades” of partnering exist, based on the degree of objectives alignment between involved parties. To illustrate this, a partnering continuum has been developed, depicting four general stages—competition, cooperation, collaboration, and coalescence. “Competition” represents the traditional owner/contractor relationship, where each party possesses separate objectives, and minimal effort is expended toward “working together. ” This competitive pursuit occurs in the absence of partnering. The other three stages—coop.
Hybrid technology for large SM fiber performs

A hybrid technology for the preparation of standard and dispersion-modified single-mode (SM) fibers is discussed. Only the most important central region of the fibers is prepared by plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) techniques. The optical cladding is as a high-purity jacket tube using the normal rod-in-tube obtained from low-cost shaping and sintering technologies. Due to in situ plasma etching, no disturbance is caused by the interfaces. Low attenuation is achieved with less than 5% of the fiber volume consisting of PCVD core region. The hybrid technology allows economic mass production of preforms containing more than 300 km of fiber. >
Evolution du climat dans les régions polaires

Some polar areas currently undergo a warming faster than the global average. We show this recent trend as well as the estimates regarding the evolution of glaciers and ice caps mass balance. These variations are discussed in the framework of natural climate variations at both poles, using the oldest ice cores available and spanning more than 120 000 years in Greenland (NorthGRIP deep drilling) and 800 000 years in Antarctica (EPICA Dome C deep drilling).
Wideband microstrip antennas with sandwich substrate

A broadband microstrip antenna with low–high–low (sandwich) dielectric constant substrate combination using a microstrip line-via feed is presented for ultra-wideband applications. The proposed antenna consists of three dielectric substrates; low dielectric constant substrates that contain the microstrip feed line as well as parasitic patches and a high dielectric constant substrate that contains the driven patch. To achieve a large impedance bandwidth, parasitic patches and microstrip line-via combination feed to the driven patch in the multilayered microstrip antenna are used. The proposed antenna designed, fabricated and measured on the sandwich substrate. The antenna has measured 10 dB return loss bandwidth of 46.9% and directive gain >5.2 dBi at boresight across the impedance bandwidth. The total height of antenna is 5.77 mm or 0. 077λo at 4 GHz.
Environment Friendly Composite Materials: Biocomposites and Green Composites

Biocomposites can supplement and eventually replace petroleum-based composite materials in several applications. Several critical issues related to bio-fiber surface treatments is to make it a more suitable matrix for composite application and promising techniques need to be solved to design biocomposite of interest. The main motivation for developing biocomposites has been and still is to create a new generation of fiber reinforced plastics material competitive with glass fiber reinforced ones which are environmentally compatible in terms of products, use and renewal. There is an immense opportunity in developing new biobased products, but the real challenge isto design suitable bio-based products through innovation ideas. Green materials are the wave of the future. Bionanocomposites have very strong future prospects, though the present low level of production, some deficiency intechnology and high cost restrict them from a wide range of applications. Defence Science Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 2014, pp. 244-261, DOI:http://dx.doi. org/10.14429/dsj.64. 7323
Temperature dependence of avalanche multiplication in semiconductors

Expressions for the temperature dependence of the carrier mean free path for optical phonon scattering and the mean energy loss per collision are presented which predict avalanche multiplication as a function of electric field for any operating temperature once the appropriate parameters have been determined at a single temperature. This has been verified for electrons in Si by the correlation of measurements at 300°K, 213°K, and 100°K. The temperature dependence of the breakdown voltages of a variety of abrupt and linear‐graded Si and Ge p‐n junctions has also been predicted. The fractional change in breakdown voltage with increasing temperature is predicted to decrease with increased doping concentration and, for the same breakdown voltage, to be less for linear‐graded junctions than for abrupt junctions.
The role of managerial actions in the cost, time and quality performance of high-rise commercial building projects

An analysis of the effects of managerial actions on the objectives of reducing time, reducing cost and increasing quality is undertaken. This approach is proposed as contributing to a rationale for action in the building process. A sample of 25 high-rise office buildings was used to test this theory and the results analysed by partial correlations and multiple regression. Increases in construction planning during design and co-ordination across the design-construction interface are shown to have very strong effects on reducing construction time and increases in the former variable, which also included aspects of value analysis, reduce the cost of the building. However, increases in variations to the contract, the complexity of the building, the number of storeys and the extent of industrial disputes are shown to strongly increase construction time. At the same time the building cost is increased by increasing variations to the contract, the architectural quality and the number of nominated sub-contractors.
Nonlinear characteristics in radio frequency nanoelectromechanical resonators

The nonlinear oscillations of nanoelectromechanical resonators have previously been studied both experimentally and analytically. Nanoresonators have achieved superior sensitivity and high quality factors in many applications. However, the linear operating range of nanoresonators is significantly limited because of the small dimensions and thus the linear regime of nanoresonators may be required to expand performance in various conditions. In order to increase the linear operating range, we proposed that proper adjustments of simultaneous application of drive and electrothermal power can be used to optimize the resonance performance, providing a wider linear range as well as to tune the resonance frequency. For a nanoresonator operated by simultaneous drive and electrothermal power, experimental data are theoretically supported using nonlinear damping and spring terms. In the transition between linearity and nonlinearity by proper combinations of ac drive and dc electrothermal power, the experimental data can be better fitted, by theoretical study, with newly derived nonlinear damping terms. We believe that better understanding of these effects with different ac/dc combinations on radio frequency oscillation is crucial for utilizing nanoresonators for various applications such as sensors, oscillators and filters.
Uniformity in a Microirrigation with Partially Clogged Emitters

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different patterns of clogged emitters on the hydraulics in micro-irrigation laterals installed on flat and sloped terrain. Laterals with 8 different patterns of partially clogged emitters, laid on flat, 3%, and 7% down and up-sloped terrains, were tested. Results obtained from the field were compared with the theoretical results calculated by a computer simulation program. Head loss, pressure variation along lateral, coefficient of uniformity and field emission uniformity were examined. It is found that lateral’s slope was a major factor affecting the pressure variation along the lateral but its impact on uniformity is insignificant. The number and location of partially clogged emitters were found to be the most important factors affecting the coefficient of uniformity and field emission uniformity. The highest impact of emitter clogging on the uniformity occurred when the clogged emitters were located at the first one-third section of the lateral or randomly located along the lateral. Relationship between the uniformity of coefficient and the average degree of clogged emitters along the lateral was established. In all the eight different patterns studied, the field data deviate less than ±5% from the calculated theoretical results.
Engaging Blended Learning Students: An evolving approach to engaging students through the VLE

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Sodium line guide star laser using optical parametric oscillator

The aim of this project is to develop a novel, high average power source of highly coherent radiation at the 589nm sodium D2 resonance line for use in creating a laser guide star for use with adaptive optics systems such as astronomical telescopes and satellite ranging. Adaptive optics is used to improve the resolution of ground base telescope by compensating the atmospheric turbulence. To achieve this it is necessary to measure and correct the distortions caused by the atmosphere on the beam. A laser guide star provides a beacon which combined with a wavefront sensor allows the effect of the atmosphere to be quantified and mechanical corrections made to the adaptive optics in the telescope to cancel those distortions. Whilst laser guide stars have been demonstrated as effective in a number of astronomical observatories, at present there is no laser technology that dominates this application. This project will demonstrate a novel approach to the creation of high average power optical sources for guide star applications. The aim of the project is to build a prototype of high average power, synchronously pumped optical parametric oscillators pumped by novel high power solid state laser technology. The Magnesium Oxide doped periodically poled Lithium Niobate was used as the nonlinear crystal for the 532nm pumped singly resonant parametric oscillator. The oscillator was pumped by 1.4W of 532nm light which was created from a 3.5W mode-locked Nd:YVO4 laser by a Lithium Triborate second harmonic generator. With a grating period of 12. 05μm, the signal at the wavelength of 594nm was obtained at 150oC. There was unexpected green absorption of the crystal, which undermined the performance of the oscillator. However, from the experimental results of a Potassium Titanyl Phosphate optical parametric oscillator, it was demonstrated that highly efficient parametric oscillator can be built despite the idler absorption.
40 Gbit/s optical soliton transmission over 65 km

Optically time-division-multiplexed solitons are transmitted at 40 Gbit/s over 65 km of dispersion-shifted singlemode fibre with an optical demultiplexer driven by an electrical timing recovery circuit and a 10 Gbit/s optical receiver for the first time. No error rate floor was observed, and the measured receiver penalty of 1 dB is mostly attributed to the noise accumulation of the Er-doped fibre amplifiers.
Yet Another Latency Measuring Device

End-to-end latency - the time a computer system needs from an input event until output is displayed - directly influences task difficulty and user experience.It is therefore an important topic in HCI research. Different human-computer interfaces require different ways to measure latency as it is influenced by all involved hardware and software components.However, many approaches to measuring latency rely on professional lab equipment and are therefore hard to replicate.We propose a method for accurately measuring the end-to-end latency of traditional setups with a button-equipped input device and a display.To this end, a microcontroller closes the electrical contact of a mouse button to trigger an input event, and captures the screen response via a photo-resistor.Our approach combines parts of different existing methods to measure latency and only relies on cheap and off-the-shelf components to allow for easy replication.The latency values measured by our device are very close to those measured with a high-speed smartphone camera (240 Hz). The maximum error is below 2.64 ms - lower than the camera's temporal resolution and the screen refresh periods of high-fps computer displays.Therefore, our approach allows for repeatedly and reliably measuring end-to-end-latency.
Integration and road tests of a self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system for traffic detection

In this paper, a self-sensing carbon nanotube (CNT) concrete pavement system for traffic detection is proposed and tested in a roadway. Pre-cast and cast-in-place self-sensing CNT concrete sensors were simultaneously integrated into a controlled pavement test section at the Minnesota Road Research Facility (MnROAD), USA. Road tests of the system were conducted by using an MnROAD five-axle semi-trailer tractor truck and a van, respectively, both in the winter and summer. Test results show that the proposed self-sensing pavement system can accurately detect the passing of different vehicles under different vehicular speeds and test environments. These findings indicate that the developed self-sensing CNT concrete pavement system can achieve real-time vehicle flow detection with a high detection rate and a low false-alarm rate.
Applying GIS and SWAT to understand the stream network, hydrology, sediment and nutrient export from the Grand River watershed into Lake Erie

Headwater streams are important lotic systems that represent more than 80% of the total stream lengths in watersheds. The dynamic coupling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes in headwaters is responsible for regulating the chemical form, residence time and longitudinal transport of nutrients. Over time, stream modification (e.g. to enhance drainage in agricultural watershed) has altered natural stream flow-paths and thus, stream functionality. Such alteration has resulted in degradation of habitat and water quality, both in upland and downstream waters. Currently, nutrients exported from the Grand River (Ontario) watershed are contributing to eutrophication and Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Erie. With respect to the Grand River watershed, this thesis examined (1) the impact of agriculture on the existing stream network, (2) the utility of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to simulate hydrology, sediment and nutrient export that closely correlate with measured data, and (3) the application of Best Management Practices in the watershed with the intent of meeting provincial and transnational nutrient targets. The results showed that compared to the actual ground-truthed stream network, the predicted stream network based on topography underpredicted a total of 2,535 km of actual channel present in the watershed. Channels not anticipated by topography were mostly first-order, with low sinuosity, and were most common in areas with high agricultural land use, and are likely excavated extensions to headwater streams to facilitate drainage. Then, the sediment and nutrient loading at Dunnville, discharging to entering Lake Erie, was predicted to be 2.3[superscript⁻1] 105 t yr[superscript-1] of total suspended sediment, 7.9 [superscript⁻1] 103 t yr-1 of total nitrogen, and 2.5 ⁻1 102 t yr-1 of total phosphorus. Finally, implementing wide buffer strips, stabilizing channel banks and grassed waterways were found to be the most effective practices for reducing sediment and phosphorus loading into Lake Erie.
Tightened-Normal-Tightened Group Acceptance Sampling Plan for Assuring Percentile Life

The present paper extends the idea of tightened-normal-tightened sampling scheme to group acceptance sampling plans under the time truncated life tests. We consider three famous distributions that are widely used in the area of reliability such as the generalized exponential distribution, the Weibull distribution, and the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution in the proposed sampling plan. The plan parameters are determined such that the producer’s risk and the consumer’s risk are satisfied at the specified median life. Extensive tables showing plan parameters are provided at various values of the experiment time and the consumer’s risk for each of three distributions for the practical use. Some examples are given to illustrate the procedure of the proposed plan.
A Critical Study of the Coaxial Transmission Line Utilizing Conductors of Both Circular and Square Cross Section

By means of various conformal transformations we calculate the characteristic impedance of the coaxial line consisting of both square and circular cylinders. We also employ a complex potential function to match the boundary condition on one conductor completely and on either 12 points or 8 points on the other conductor to obtain exceptionally accurate results. Our present results are believed to be considerably better than our previous results quoted by Gunston [2].