A Proficient and Dynamic Bidding Agent for Online Auctions

E-consumers face biggest challenge of opting for the best bidding strategies for competing in an environment of multiple and simultaneous online auctions for same or similar items. It becomes very complicated for the bidders to make decisions of selecting which auction to participate in, place single or multiple bids, early or late bidding and how much to bid. In this paper, we present the design of an autonomous dynamic bidding agent (ADBA) that makes these decisions on behalf of the buyers according to their bidding behaviors. The agent develops a comprehensive method for initial price prediction and an integrated model for bid forecasting. The initial price prediction method selects an auction to participate in and then predicts its closing price (initial price). Then the bid forecasting model forecasts the bid amount by designing different bidding strategies followed by the late bidders. The experimental results demonstrated improved initial price prediction outcomes by proposing a clustering based approach. Also, the results show the proficiency of the bidding strategies amongst the late bidders with desire for bargai

Ranking spatial data by quality preferences

A spatial preference query ranks objects based on the qualities of features in their spatial neighborhood. For example, using a real estate agency database of flats for lease, a customer may want to rank the flats with respect to the appropriateness of their location, defined after aggregating the qualities of other features (e.g., restaurants, cafes, hospital, market, etc.) within their spatial neighborhood. Such a neighborhood concept can be specified by the user via different functions. It can be an explicit circular region within a given distance from the flat. Another intuitive definition is to assign higher weights to the features based on their proximity to the flat. In this paper, we formally define spatial preference queries and propose appropriate indexing techniques and search algorithms for them. Extensive evaluation of our methods on both real and synthetic data reveals that an optimized branch-and-bound solution is efficient and robust with respect to different parameters. © 2006 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

An improved wavelet analysis method for detecting DDoS attacks

Wavelet Analysis method is considered as one of the most efficient methods for detecting DDoS attacks. However, during the peak data communication hours with a large amount of data transactions, this method is required to collect too many samples that will greatly increase the computational complexity. Therefore, the real-time response time as well as the accuracy of attack detection becomes very low. To address the above problem, we propose a new DDoS detection method called Modified Wavelet Analysis method which is based on the existing Isomap algorithm and wavelet analysis. In the paper, we present our new model and algorithm for detecting DDoS attacks and demonstrate the reasons of why we enlarge the Hurst's value of the self-similarity in our new approach. Finally we present an experimental evaluation to demonstrate that the proposed method is more efficient than the other traditional methods based on wavelet analysis. © 2010 IEEE

Two axes re-ordering methods in parallel coordinates plots

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Visualization and interaction of multidimensional data are challenges in visual data analytics, which requires optimized solutions to integrate the display, exploration and analytical reasoning of data into one visual pipeline for human-centered data analysis and interpretation. Even though it is considered to be one of the most popular techniques for visualization and analysis of multidimensional data, parallel coordinate visualization is also suffered from the visual clutter problem as well as the computational complexity problem, same as other visualization methods in which visual clutter occurs where the volume of data needs to be visualized to be increasing. One straightforward way to address these problems is to change the ordering of axis to reach the minimal number of visual clutters. However, the optimization of the ordering of axes is actually a NP-complete problem. In this paper, two axes re-ordering methods are proposed in parallel coordinates visualization: (1) a contribution-based method and (2) a similarity-based method.The contribution-based re-ordering method is mainly based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm. It can not only provide users with the mathmetical theory for the selection of the first remarkable axis, but also help with visualizing detailed structure of the data according to the contribution of each data dimension. This approach reduces the computational complexity greatly in comparison with other re-ordering methods. A similarity-based re-ordering method is based on the combination of nonlinear correlation coefficient (NCC) and SVD algorithms. By using this approach, axes are re-ordered in line with the degree of similarities among them. It is much more rational, exact and systemic than other re-ordering methods, including those based on Pearson's correlation coefficient (PCC). Meanwhile, the paper also proposes a measurement of contribution rate of each dimension to reveal the property hidden in the dataset. At last, the rationale and effectiveness of these approaches are demonstrated through case studies. For example, the patterns of Smurf and Neptune attacks hidden in KDD 1999 dataset are visualized in parallel coordinates using contribution-based re-ordering method; NCC re-ordering method can enlarge the mean crossing angles and reduce the amount of polylines between the neighboring axes

A Fuzzy Social Network Analysis Method and a Case Study on Tianya

Social networking service (SNS) has become online service platforms that focus on facilitating the building of social networks among people who share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections and has had a rapid development in China in the past few years. This paper aims to develop a fuzzy social network service analysis method, which combines graph theory with related fuzzy approach, to analyze the social network structural features and the distribution characteristics of interpersonal nodes in SNS community. A case study on a very famous Chinese tourism BBS-Tianya-is conducted to illustrate and validate the proposed approach. The research findings are as follows: (1) The attraction degrees of various areas in the forum are significantly different; (2) interpersonal nodes in the forum are concentrated relatively; (3) the fuzzy out-degrees and the fuzzy in-degrees of interpersonal nodes in the forum conflict each other; and (4) the distribution of interpersonal nodes is influenced by geographical relations. These findings can directly support social network service management and particularly tourism online service developments. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

A pilot study comparing the metabolic profiles of elite-level athletes from different sporting disciplines

Background: The outstanding performance of an elite athlete might be associated with changes in their blood metabolic profile. The aims of this study were to compare the blood metabolic profiles between moderate- and high-power and endurance elite athletes and to identify the potential metabolic pathways underlying these differences. Methods: Metabolic profiling of serum samples from 191 elite athletes from different sports disciplines (121 high- and 70 moderate-endurance athletes, including 44 high- and 144 moderate-power athletes), who participated in national or international sports events and tested negative for doping abuse at anti-doping laboratories, was performed using non-targeted metabolomics-based mass spectroscopy combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Multivariate analysis was conducted using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Differences in metabolic levels between high- and moderate-power and endurance sports were assessed by univariate linear models. Results: Out of 743 analyzed metabolites, gamma-glutamyl amino acids were significantly reduced in both high-power and high-endurance athletes compared to moderate counterparts, indicating active glutathione cycle. High-endurance athletes exhibited significant increases in the levels of several sex hormone steroids involved in testosterone and progesterone synthesis, but decreases in diacylglycerols and ecosanoids. High-power athletes had increased levels of phospholipids and xanthine metabolites compared to moderate-power counterparts. Conclusions: This pilot data provides evidence that high-power and high-endurance athletes exhibit a distinct metabolic profile that reflects steroid biosynthesis, fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, and energy-related metabolites. Replication studies are warranted to confirm differences in the metabolic profiles associated with athletes’ elite performance in independent data sets, aiming ultimately for deeper understanding of the underlying biochemical processes that could be utilized as biomarkers with potential therapeutic implications

Options for early breast cancer follow-up in primary and secondary care : a systematic review

Background Both incidence of breast cancer and survival have increased in recent years and there is a need to review follow up strategies. This study aims to assess the evidence for benefits of follow-up in different settings for women who have had treatment for early breast cancer. Method A systematic review to identify key criteria for follow up and then address research questions. Key criteria were: 1) Risk of second breast cancer over time - incidence compared to general population. 2) Incidence and method of detection of local recurrence and second ipsi and contra-lateral breast cancer. 3) Level 1–4 evidence of the benefits of hospital or alternative setting follow-up for survival and well-being. Data sources to identify criteria were MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PSYCHINFO, ZETOC, Health Management Information Consortium, Science Direct. For the systematic review to address research questions searches were performed using MEDLINE (2011). Studies included were population studies using cancer registry data for incidence of new cancers, cohort studies with long term follow up for recurrence and detection of new primaries and RCTs not restricted to special populations for trials of alternative follow up and lifestyle interventions. Results Women who have had breast cancer have an increased risk of a second primary breast cancer for at least 20 years compared to the general population. Mammographically detected local recurrences or those detected by women themselves gave better survival than those detected by clinical examination. Follow up in alternative settings to the specialist clinic is acceptable to women but trials are underpowered for survival. Conclusions Long term support, surveillance mammography and fast access to medical treatment at point of need may be better than hospital based surveillance limited to five years but further large, randomised controlled trials are needed

Small RNA Profile in Moso Bamboo Root and Leaf Obtained by High Definition Adapters

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachy heterocycla cv. pubescens L.) is an economically important fast-growing tree. In order to gain better understanding of gene expression regulation in this important species we used next generation sequencing to profile small RNAs in leaf and roots of young seedlings. Since standard kits to produce cDNA of small RNAs are biased for certain small RNAs, we used High Definition adapters that reduce ligation bias. We identified and experimentally validated five new microRNAs and a few other small non-coding RNAs that were not microRNAs. The biological implication of microRNA expression levels and targets of microRNAs are discussed

Considering the Case for Biodiversity Cycles: Reexamining the Evidence for Periodicity in the Fossil Record

Medvedev and Melott (2007) have suggested that periodicity in fossil biodiversity may be induced by cosmic rays which vary as the Solar System oscillates normal to the galactic disk. We re-examine the evidence for a 62 million year (Myr) periodicity in biodiversity throughout the Phanerozoic history of animal life reported by Rohde & Mueller (2005), as well as related questions of periodicity in origination and extinction. We find that the signal is robust against variations in methods of analysis, and is based on fluctuations in the Paleozoic and a substantial part of the Mesozoic. Examination of origination and extinction is somewhat ambiguous, with results depending upon procedure. Origination and extinction intensity as defined by RM may be affected by an artifact at 27 Myr in the duration of stratigraphic intervals. Nevertheless, when a procedure free of this artifact is implemented, the 27 Myr periodicity appears in origination, suggesting that the artifact may ultimately be based on a signal in the data. A 62 Myr feature appears in extinction, when this same procedure is used. We conclude that evidence for a periodicity at 62 Myr is robust, and evidence for periodicity at approximately 27 Myr is also present, albeit more ambiguous.Comment: Minor modifications to reflect final published versio

Rudimentary G-Quadruplex-Based Telomere Capping In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

Telomere capping conceals chromosome ends from exonucleases and checkpoints, but the full range of capping mechanisms is not well defined. Telomeres have the potential to form G-quadruplex (G4) DNA, although evidence for telomere G4 DNA function in vivo is limited. In budding yeast, capping requires the Cdc13 protein and is lost at nonpermissive temperatures in cdc13-1 mutants. Here, we use several independent G4 DNA-stabilizing treatments to suppress cdc13-1 capping defects. These include overexpression of three different G4 DNA binding proteins, loss of the G4 DNA unwinding helicase Sgs1, or treatment with small molecule G4 DNA ligands. In vitro, we show that protein-bound G4 DNA at a 3\u27 overhang inhibits 5\u27-\u3e 3\u27 resection of a paired strand by exonuclease I. These findings demonstrate that, at least in the absence of full natural capping, G4 DNA can play a positive role at telomeres in vivo