Mask Off: Analytic-based Malware Detection By Transfer Learning and Model Personalization

The vulnerability of smartphones to cyberattacks has been a severe concern to users arising from the integrity of installed applications (\textit{apps}). Although applications are to provide legitimate and diversified on-the-go services, harmful and dangerous ones have also uncovered the feasible way to penetrate smartphones for malicious behaviors. Thorough application analysis is key to revealing malicious intent and providing more insights into the application behavior for security risk assessments. Such in-depth analysis motivates employing deep neural networks (DNNs) for a set of features and patterns extracted from applications to facilitate detecting potentially dangerous applications independently. This paper presents an Analytic-based deep neural network, Android Malware detection (ADAM), that employs a fine-grained set of features to train feature-specific DNNs to have consensus on the application labels when their ground truth is unknown. In addition, ADAM leverages the transfer learning technique to obtain its adjustability to new applications across smartphones for recycling the pre-trained model(s) and making them more adaptable by model personalization and federated learning techniques. This adjustability is also assisted by federated learning guards, which protect ADAM against poisoning attacks through model analysis. ADAM relies on a diverse dataset containing more than 153000 applications with over 41000 extracted features for DNNs training. The ADAM's feature-specific DNNs, on average, achieved more than 98% accuracy, resulting in an outstanding performance against data manipulation attacks

Factors influencing employee retention of academic home tutors in a private school

This study’s goal is to investigate the links between pay and benefits, worklife balance, professional development, and employee retention among academic home tutors in a Malaysian private school. Data from 80 respondents from this private school were gathered using a quantitative survey method. Statistical package for social science (SPSS) was employed throughout the study to analyze the data. The study results showed that salary & compensation and career enhancement positively correlate with employee retention. Meanwhile, work-life balance was not statistically linked with employee retention. The management should revise the human resource management practices by including these elements. The management should design salary & compensation packages that fit with individual knowledge, capabilities, and performance. The management may also consider offering flexible work schedules, such as training, mentoring, job mobility, and a reduction in working hours, as well as wellness assistance, such as counselling services and health and wellness initiatives. This will give employees the chance to advance their careers

Exploring lifelong learning outcomes among adult learners via goal orientation and information literacy self-efficacy

This study intends to explore the relationship between goal orientation, information literacy self-efficacy and lifelong learning outcomes of the adult learners. This study focuses on adult learners as they are actively participating in the development of the country socio-economy and recognized as the potential contributors towards the generation of knowledge-based economy. The findings of this study revealed that there was a significant relationship between mastery goal orientation and lifelong learning. However, information literacy self-efficacy was found to be a predictor instead of a moderator in the model. It is suggested that suitable and appropriate learning methods such as problem-based learning, case scenario presentations, portfolios and clinical debates can be designed specifically to facilitate adult learners’ mastery goal learning motivation in promoting lifelong learning. In addition, training and retraining to equip adult learners with new information literacy skills so as to keep up their self-efficacy level will definitely enhance lifelong learning. This study provides a database on the impact of goal orientation and information literacy self-efficacy towards lifelong learning in implementing policy formation, educational structure redesign and human capital development. As such, suitable and appropriate learning methods such as problem-based learning, case scenario presentations, portfolios and clinical debates can be designed specifically to facilitate student learning motivation in the classroom

Dependent Lung Opacity at Thin-Section CT: Evaluation by Spirometrically-Gated CT of the Influence of Lung Volume

ObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of lung volume on dependent lung opacity seen at thin-section CT.Materials and methodsIn thirteen healthy volunteers, thin-section CT scans were performed at three levels (upper, mid, and lower portion of the lung) and at different lung volumes (10, 30, 50, and 100% vital capacity), using spirometric gated CT. Using a three-point scale, two radiologists determined whether dependent opacity was present, and estimated its degree. Regional lung attenuation at a level 2 cm above the diaphragm was determined using semiautomatic segmentation, and the diameter of a branch of the right lower posterior basal segmental artery was measured at each different vital capacity.ResultsAt all three anatomic levels, dependent opacity occurred significantly more often at lower vital capacities (10, 30%) than at 100% vital capacity (p = 0.001). Visually estimated dependent opacity was significantly related to regional lung attenuation (p < 0.0001), which in dependent areas progressively increased as vital capacity decreased (p < 0.0001). The presence of dependent opacity and regional lung attenuation of a dependent area correlated significantly with increased diameter of a segmental arterial branch (r = 0.493 and p = 0.0002; r = 0.486 and p = 0.0003, respectively).ConclusionVisual estimation and CT measurements of dependent opacity obtained by semiautomatic segmentation are significantly influenced by lung volume and are related to vascular diameter

Relationship Between Earlobe Crease and Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity in Non-hypertensive, Non-diabetic Adults in Korea

OBJECTIVES: Several studies have found a significant association between the presence of earlobe crease (ELC) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Brachial-ankle Pulse Wave Velocity (baPWV) is a non-invasive and useful measure of arterial stiffness predicting cardiovascular events and mortality. However, few studies have reported the relationship between ELC and baPWV as a new measure of arterial stiffness. the purpose of this study was to determine whether ELC is related to baPWV in non-diabetic, non-hypertensive, and apparently healthy Korean adults. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 573 non-hypertensive, non-diabetic Korean adults aged 20-80 yr. Subjects were stratified into three groups according to gender and menopausal status. baPWV was measured by an automatic waveform analyser. the association between ELC and baPWV was assessed by multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting for conventional cardiovascular disease risk factors including age, gender, blood pressure, lipid profile, and smoking status etc. RESULTS: the overall frequency of ELC was 19.02% and the subjects with ELC showed significantly higher mean baPWV (p<0.0001). Multiple linear regression of subjects revealed that the presence of ELC was independently associated with baPWV (male, p<0.0001; premenopausal female p=0.0162; postmenopausal female p=0.0208). CONCLUSION: ELC had a significant correlation with baPWV, independently controlling for other classical cardiovascular risk factors in adults aged 20 yr or older. ELC is an important surrogate marker of increased arterial stiffness as measured by baPWV in Korean adults.ope