An Accurate Financial Aid System for University Students Built on a Cloud Platform

İslami finans alanında dünyada lider ülkelerden olan Malezya’da İslami bankaların varlıkları yanı sıra sukuk ve diğer İslami fonlar İslami finansal sistemde önemli bir pay almaktadır. Ülkede, İslami finansal sistemin gelişimini sürekli kılmak adına Şeriat kuralları dikkate alınarak yeni İslami finansal enstrümanların geliştirilmesi konusunda önemli inovasyon çalışmaları yapılmaktadır. Ülkede İslami bankacılık uygulamalarının başlatıldığı 1983 yılından günümüze sektörde önemli ilerlemeler kaydedilmiştir. Günümüzde 65 milyar $’ı aşan sermayesi ile İslami bankacılık sektöründe Malezya, model bir ülke konumundadır. İslami bankacılık sisteminin ortaya çıkışında mudilerden gelen faizsiz hizmet alma talebi önemli bir motivasyon olmuştur. Bankacılıkta dual/ikili sistemin uygulandığı ülkede, yerli ve yabancı İslami bankaların yanı sıra konvansiyonel bankalar da faaliyette bulunmaktadır. Malezya’da Şeriat kurallarınca uygun görülen Mudaraba, Muşaraka, Murabaha, Selem, Vadîa gibi çok çeşitli İslami kontrat modelleri uygulanmaktadır. Öte yandan, 2002 yılında Şeriat hükümlerine uygun olarak Sukuk ihracına başlanmıştır. Malezya günümüzde sukuk ihracı konusunda dünyanın önde gelen ülkeleri arasında yer almaktadır. Ancak Malezya’da, İslami finans konusunda diğer ülkelere göre rekabetçi üstünlüğe karşın, uygulamada bazı güçlükler yaşanmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Malezya’da İslami bankacılık ve İslami finans uygulamalarını incelemektir. Malezya’da İslami bankacılık ve İslami finans uygulamaları hakkında ayrıntılı bilgiler verildikten sonra bu ülkede İslami finansın geliştirilmesine yönelik öne çıkan politika önerileri üzerinde durulacaktır. Çalışma, Malezya’da finansal sistemin yapısı yanında İslami bankacılığın yapısı ve işleyişi, İslami finansal enstrümanlar, sukuk ve tekâfül uygulamaları ile İslami finans sistemin gelişmesine yönelik politika önerileri başlıklarından oluşmaktadır.

The concept of containerization and virtualization is getting traction in the cloud based IT environments. Docker engine is popular implementation for simplifying and streamlining containerization technology. IT industry realizes numerous automation and acceleration features and facilities through the embracement of the Docker-sponsored containerization paradigm, which is an operating system (OS)-level and lightweight virtualization. However the security issues affect the widespread and confident usage of Docker platform. In this paper, we have discussed important security issues of the Docker containers as well as the related work that is being carried out in this area. Also we have proposed security algorithms and methods to address DoS attacks related issues in the Docker container technology. The preliminary experiments and testing of the security methods are promising.

SummaryIn recent years, Docker container technology is being applied in the field of cloud computing at an explosive speed. The scheduling of Docker container resources has gradually become a research hotspot. Existing big data computing and storage platforms apply with traditional virtual machine technology, which often results in low resource utilization, a long time for flexible scaling and expanding clusters. In this paper, we propose an improved container scheduling algorithm for big data applications named Kubernetes‐based particle swarm optimization(K‐PSO). Experimental results show that the proposed K‐PSO algorithm converges faster than the basic PSO algorithm, and the running time of the algorithm is cut in about half. The K‐PSO container scheduling algorithm and algorithm experiment for big data applications are implemented in the Kubernetes container cloud system. Our experimental results show that the node resource utilization rate of the improved scheduling strategy based on K‐PSO algorithm is about 20% higher than that of the Kube‐scheduler default strategy, balanced QoS priority strategy, ESS strategy, and PSO strategy, while the average I/O performance and average computing performance of Hadoop cluster are not degraded.

In the Industrial 4.0 era, almost all activities and transactions are carried out via the internet, which basically uses web technology. For this reason, it is absolutely necessary to have a high-performance web server infrastructure capable of serving all the activities and transactions required by users without any constraints. This research aims to design a high-performance (high availability) web server infrastructure with low cost (low cost) and energy efficiency. low power) using Cluster Computing technology on the Raspberry Pi Single Board Computing and Docker Container technology. The cluster system is built using five raspberry Pi type 4B modules as cluster nodes, and the Web server system is built using docker container virtualization technology. Meanwhile, cluster management uses Docker Swarm technology. Performance testing (Quality of Service) of the cluster system is done by simulating a number of loads (requests) and measuring the response of the system based on the parameters of Throughput and Delay (latency). The test results show that the Raspberry Pi Cluster system using Docker Swarm can be used to build a High Availability Server system that is able to handle very high requests that reach Throughput = 161,812,298 requests / sec with an Error rate = 0%.

The programming foundation course which based on Python has become an important basic course for different disciplines in universities. In experimental teaching, the main difficulty is the environment configuration and rapid deployment of Python. Virtualization technology is a common method to solve this problem. However, there are some problems, such as low resource utilization, insufficient support for concurrent, slow start, and so on. So, a new method for constructing the teaching experiment platform of the course using Docker container technology is proposed. This method can quickly realize the dynamic allocation, deployment and management of the running environment image according to the needs of students. Experimental results show that this method has obvious advantages in terms of resource utilization, concurrent users, response time, construction cost and so on, compared with virtual machine technology

With the creation of the first federal student loans as part of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, the US postsecondary financial aid system was set on a path from which it has not fundamentally deviated in the intervening decades. While college financing has trended almost inexorably toward greater reliance on student borrowing as costs have outpaced families’ incomes, the major components of the financing “mix” have remained unchanged. Financial aid policy is sometimes tweaked around the edges to lighten the burden of student debt, give colleges a competitive edge, or address undesirable disincentives. For the most part, however, these reforms bear more resemblance to the classic “shell game” than to authentic innovations. What American students need are more powerful tools with which to approach their futures—tools that help them prepare for higher education, persist to completion, and then leverage returns on their degrees. What they get, however, are repackaged versions of the same blunt instruments. While everyone wants improved outcomes from our financial aid investments, the nation’s apparent inability or unwillingness to innovate truly novel approaches to paying for higher education stands in the way of progress. The goal of financial aid policy has been narrowly framed as only helping young adults pay for college, a low bar that completely ignores the role financial aid could play in influencing early education, postsecondary completion, and post-college financial health. As a result, instead of receiving support at critical junctures along the opportunity pipeline to a prosperous adulthood, students are largely left to their own devices except at the moment when the tuition bill becomes due. To capitalize on the resulting missed opportunities, the United States needs more than different loan repayment schedules or loosened rules on grant disbursement. What we need is a fundamental shift in how we think about financing higher education and what we believe about why it matters.

PurposeIn 1974, the UN General Assembly adopted a landmark resolution proclaiming the establishment of a New International Economic Order. One of the basic aims of this declaration was to enhance the voice and participation of developing countries in the international economic decision-making process based on norms of equitable governance. More than four decades have passed since its adoption. This paper aims to reflect on the past 43 years of the global financial regulatory system in light of the notion of equitable governance as envisioned by the “New International Economic Order”.Design/methodology/approachThis paper surveys the global financial regulatory system from the vantage point of equitable economic governance. This discussion covers the period that comes after the 1974 UN landmark resolutions that declare the establishment of a “New International Economic Order”. The authors use qualitative and quantitative approach in this study. They use descriptive statistics and intuitive discussions of certain cases to carry the objective of the paper forward.FindingsFirst, part of the development in global financial regulation manifests the establishment of informal networks that embark on global regulatory issues, while being very exclusive in their membership policies. Second, the lack of full and effective participation of developing countries in the decision-making and norm setting remains unsolved in the global financial regulatory system. Third, the shadow role of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund was of great significance in assisting the implementation of non-binding regulatory rules of international finance in developing countries despite the concerns of legitimacy and equity in the making of international standards. In sum, the global financial regulatory system that emerged in the past four decades is quite different from that aspired by the NIEO.Originality/valueThe declaration of NIEO coincides with the collapse of the Bretton Wood’s fixed exchange rate which in turn leads to the emergence of a new financial system and regulatory development. This period marked the proliferation of informal networks that make policy recommendations or non-binding rules with global implications. As far as the literature review goes far, this paper is the first to survey the post Bretton Wood’s period of the global financial regulatory architecture based on the tenets of the “New International Economic Order”.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of the university population at high-risk of developing an eating disorder and the prevalence of unhealthy eating attitudes and behaviours amongst groups at risk; gender, school or academic year differences were also explored.MethodsA cross-sectional study based on self-report was used to screen university students at high-risk for an eating disorder. The sample size was of 2551 university students enrolled in 13 schools between the ages of 18 and 26 years. The instruments included: a social-demographic questionnaire, the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ), the Symptom Check List 90-R (SCL-90-R), and the Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). The sample design is a non-proportional stratified sample by academic year and school. The prevalence rate was estimated controlling academic year and school. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate adjusted associations between gender, school and academic year.ResultsFemale students presented unhealthy weight-control behaviours as dieting, laxatives use or self-induced vomiting to lose weight than males. A total of 6% of the females had a BMI of 17.5 or less or 2.5% had amenorrhea for 3 or more months. In contrast, a higher proportion of males (11.6%) reported binge eating behaviour. The prevalence rate of students at high-risk for an eating disorder was 14.9% (11.6–18) for males and 20.8% (18.7–22.8) for females, according to an overall cut-off point on the EDI questionnaire. Prevalence rates presented statistically significant differences by gender (p < 0.001) but not by school or academic year.ConclusionThe prevalence of eating disorder risk in university students is high and is associated with unhealthy weight-control practices, similar results have been found in previous studies using cut-off points in questionnaires. These results may be taken into account to encourage early detection and a greater awareness for seeking treatment in order to improve the diagnosis, among students on university campuses.

IntroductionRegarding the problem of Internet addiction (IA) amongst university students under the pandemic, there are several research gaps. Firstly, few studies have examined IA of university students in Hong Kong, which is a Chinese society heavily influenced by Western values. In addition, findings on the socio-demographic correlates and psychological well-being predictors of IA in university students are unclear. Finally, researchers have not systematically examined the interaction effects of socio-demographic factors (particularly gender and personal infection of COVID-19) and psychological morbidity on IA. This pioneer study aimed to investigate the predictive role of socio-demographic factors and psychological morbidity in IA, and the moderating effects of gender and personal infection of COVID-19 on the relationship between psychological morbidity and IA.MethodsWe conducted an online survey (N = 1,020 university students) during the ending phase of Wave 5 of the pandemic in Hong Kong (late 2022 to early 2023). Socio-demographic correlates included age, gender, living status, personal and family financial situation, student status, personal and family infection of COVID-19. Participants responded to validated measures of psychological morbidity, including depression, suicidal behavior, and hopelessness. Hierarchical regression and simple slope analyses were used to examine the predictive role of socio-demographic variables and psychological morbidity in IA and the interactive effect of gender and personal infection of COVID-19 with psychological morbidity on IA.ResultsPersonal financial difficulty was a significant socio-demographic predictor of IA. Depression, suicidal behavior, and hopelessness positively predicted IA. We also found a significant interaction effect of gender and psychological morbidity on IA. While the predictive relationship between depression and IA was stronger in males than in females, hopelessness was more strongly related to IA in females than in males. Finally, there was a significant interaction effect of personal infection of COVID-19 and suicidal behavior on IA.ConclusionPersonal financial difficulty was a socio-economic correlate of IA. Psychological morbidity also predicted IA. Gender and personal infection of COVID-19 moderated the linkage between psychological morbidity and IA. The findings of the study enhance our understanding of individual differences in IA in university students during the pandemic, particularly concerning different ecological risk factors.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate long-run and short-run relationships between trade diversification, financial system development, capital formation and economic growth.Design/methodology/approachARDL estimation approach is applied to analyze long-run and short-run relationships between the financial system development, capital formation, economic growth and trade diversification in case of the Sultanate of Oman over the period 39 years starting from 1979 till 2017.FindingsThe results show that financial system development and economic growth has a positive impact on trade diversification in the short-run and long-run. However, capital formation has a negative impact on trade diversification in the short run and long run. The negative relationship between trade diversification and capital formation implies that over the period of study, the investment in capital goods was made to enhance the production capacity of the oil sector to maximize revenue.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is limited to analyze long-run and short-run relationship between the financial system development, capital formation and economic growth and trade diversification in case of Sultanate of Oman.Practical implicationsTo achieve the diversification goal, the policymakers need to formulate policies to strengthen the financial system and invest in infrastructure development to promote the non-oil sector. The research findings of this study will provide insights to the policymakers to formulate an effective diversification policy.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence of the short-run and long-run analysis of the selected variables in the context of an oil-dependent country.

Predictive analytics techniques applied to a broad swath of student data can aid in timely intervention strategies to help prevent students from failing a course. This paper discusses a predictive analytic model that was created for the University of Phoenix. The purpose of the model is to identify students who are in danger of failing the course in which they are currently enrolled. Within the model's architecture, data from the learning management system (LMS), financial aid system, and student system are combined to calculate a likelihood of any given student failing the current course. The output can be used to prioritize students for intervention and referral to additional resources. The paper includes a discussion of the predictor and statistical tests used, validation procedures, and plans for implementation.

The European Union is facing a period of profound political transition. Not only does it have to deal with acute crises, it is also being fundamentally challenged as a federation. It is catching up on constitutional discourses that should have taken place a quarter of a century ago, before the Maastricht Treaty became law. Under these circumstances, understanding how caesuras of federalism in other federal systems, such as the US, have led to readjustments will be helpful in comprehending federalism in the European context and enhance the federalist debate in Europe. Not unlike the European Union in the 21st century, the United States of the 19th and 20th centuries was challenged by territorial enlargement and the need of deepening political integration. The erratic development of fiscal federalism in the 19th century and the still controversial implementation of a national social policy during the New Deal in the 1930s demonstrate that centralization and decentralization are first and foremost political processes, which are neither uncommon nor disturbing, but caused by internal and external tensions and crises. Both are relevant to the discussion on the completing of Europes Economic and Monetary Union. The history of fiscal federalism in the US shows that a federation is not viable without a federal budget. After the Civil War the federal government decided that it would no longer surrender to the bailout demands of individual states. At the same time, the fiscal sovereignty of the individual states was strengthened as the federal government was prohibited from intervening in their budgetary management. As compensation for the bailout ban and the lack of financial compensation between individual states, the federal government set up a financial aid system in the 1960s. This now finances approximately one third of the states budgets. European Funds, in particular the European Social Fund, which enables structural improvements to employment policy in regions with below-average development, could be the basis for establishing a pan-EU fiscal capacity. Such a fiscal capacity will be indispensable to the Commissions project of developing a social pillar of the Monetary Union. However, the E.U. lacks its own fiscal tools for macroeconomic governance. Instead, it supervises the national budgets in order to stabilize the Economic and Monetary Union. This type of control federalism suffers from a democratic deficit and may affect the budgetary leeway considerably more than the classic fiscal federalism. In theory the Member States retain their fiscal competences, but in practice, the Commission and the other executive stakeholders are now in the legal position to govern every policy area by controlling national budgets. This article argues that the existing Treaties already provide legitimate groundwork for further – but wary – integration. It departs from the idea that the E.U. and its Member States occupy separate worlds of governance with exclusive legal competences. It does not see the E.U. and its Member States as rival and alien governments, but as co-existing partners with common concerns. The core element of this federalist New Deal is a cooperative federalism that is legally safeguarded by substantive judicial authority of the constitutional courts, rather than a formalistic division into mutually exclusive spheres. Furthermore, cooperative federalism will be safeguarded politically by the national parliaments, which should experience a strengthened role in the process of making and implementing E.U. laws.

Families who earn more or who heed the “experts&amp;apos; ” advice and save for college typically receive less financial aid. The financial aid system therefore implicitly taxes both income and assets. We use NPSAS aid award data to estimate these implicit taxes, and find that at average-priced colleges the marginal income tax ranges from 2 to 16 % and the marginal asset levy from 8 to 26%. A typical family loses aid worth about $11,000 at average-priced colleges and $15,000 at expensive colleges by accumulating an extra $50,000 in assets.

This study examines the enrollment decisions of freshmen applicants to highly selective private colleges relative to highly selective public colleges. The empirical analysis shows that college enrollment varies by family income—in particular, low‐income students with demonstrated financial need are less likely to enroll at private colleges, controlling for other factors including race and financial aid. Grant aid tends to have a moderating effect but the amount of aid under the existing college pricing and financial aid system appears to be inadequate. This finding provides support for recent revamping of financial aid offerings to low‐income students by some highly selective private colleges. In addition, the results suggest that while family income appears to be a strong determinant of enrollment at these colleges, race does not seem to play a role. (JEL I21)

In big data computing application, there are jobs of multiple computing modes mainly based on MapReduce. Therefore, compute-intensive cluster needs to maintain multiple computing modes. The utilization of virtual computing resources is not high because of the change of computing load. In order to optimize the resource utilization of virtual cluster, a dynamic deployment model is designed with the support of lightweight Docker container technology. The deployment model can adjust the form of virtual cluster according to the change of the resource request of job, mainly changing the type and size of computing nodes in real time. Simulation experiments show that the dynamic deployment model can optimize the utilization of virtual resources, with CPU utilization increased by 5.2%, and the execution efficiency of computing jobs is optimized. The dynamic deployment model can be applied to cloud environment and large-scale computing clusters, not only to achieve peak-taggering computing of user jobs, but also to achieve the purpose of dynamic customization of job execution environment.