Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lessons Learned : Statistical Techniques and Fair Lending

There remains strong concern that, even after several years of intense scrutiny, lending discrimination persists. The concerns encompass issues of lending denial disparities, use of predatory lending tactics, and potential disparate impact arising from increased use of credit scoring. This article specifically addresses disparate treatment of loan applications by analyzing data collected in fair lending examinations conducted at national banks during the period 1994 through mid-1999. This information will be useful to banks interested in monitoring their performance, to consumers interested in determining factors that influence their ability to purchase homes, and to policy makers concerned with discrimination issues. We find that statistical analysis can be used successfully to identify patterns of discrimination and that custom modeling, used to reflect an individual bank’s underwriting policies, is most effective for that purpose and we discuss variables found to be most predictive of the lending decision. We also suggest potential improvements in the examination of fair lending and identify areas that deserve additional research, given improved data availability.
Isolating Peer Effects in the Returns to College Selectivity

This paper asks how a student’s classmates affect her returns to college. We exploit a “tracking” admission system at a selective Colombian university that led to large differences in mean classmate ability for students in the same programs. In a regression discontinuity design, we find that students in higher-ability classes were more likely to fail courses and drop out, and had lower earnings one decade later. Testable predictions from a human capital model with peer externalities show that individuals learned less in more able classrooms. Our findings suggest that exposure to higher-ability college peers can harm an individual’s career trajectory.
The limits of transparency as a means of reducing corruption

We use a laboratory experiment to study the impact of transparency on reducing corruption in contexts where embezzlement and bribery can co-occur. These contexts are closely related to grand corruption settings, where different types of corruption occur and allow people in power to take advantage of their position. Transparency is expected to have a positive effect on reducing corruption. However, our results show that transparency decreases embezzlement by roughly ten percentage points, while it has no significant effect on bribery. The observed differential impact of transparency could be attributed to strategic lying by the resource manager, who acts as if low public investment rates were a consequence of bad luck (low budget) instead of misappropriation. This suggests that the impact of transparency cannot be generalized to all types of corruption when different types co-exist.
ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL PROFILE OF DENGUE FEVER

Background: World health organization also reported that as the high prevalence of dengue infection seen worldwide it requires immediate action and planning to combat the situation. It is reported that globally more than 2.5 billion of population living in the areas which are endemic for dengue viral infection. Approximately near about 50 million new dengue infections reported each year. Material & Methods: The present cross-sectional study includes 100 Patients who had dengue IgM antibody positive were enrolled from outdoor and from ward by simple random sampling. Clearance from Institutional Ethics Committee was taken before start of study. Written informed consent was taken from each study participant. Results: 92 % patients had myalgia which was followed by headache in 86% patients, 84% patients had retro-orbital pain and 83% patients had vomiting. Out of the total pain abdomen was present among 72% patients, bleeding tendencies were found among 21% patients, petechiae/purpura was present in 13% patients. Oliguria was found among 2% patients, 1% patient had altered sensorium and convulsions was present among 1% patient. Conclusion: The common presenting symptoms of dengue viral infections were fever, headache, myalgia, retro orbital pain, vomiting, pain abdomen, purpura and bleeding tendencies. The most common presenting sign was skin rash followed by ascites and splenomegaly. The most common presented complication was hepatic dysfunction.
Speculator Activity and Cross-Asset Predictability of FX Returns

The gradual information diffusion hypothesis (GIDH) suggests that information flows slowly across investors and asset markets and thus generates return predictability. We examine cross-asset return predictability of FX market strategies. Apply the GIDH to empirically investigate the role of speculator activity in cross-asset return predictability of FX market strategies. We hypothesize that when speculators in the FX market are active, the speed of information diffusion into the market increases which, invariably, weaken predictability between the equity and commodity market and FX strategies. Our reported results, which provide strong support for this view, show that when speculators are active in the FX market, predictability from the equity market dissipates and predictability from the commodity market diminishes. Our findings suggest that speculators play a vital role in enhancing informational efficiency in the FX market.
Ventilated Patients Effect of Manual Hyperinflation on Hemodynamics , Gas Exchange , and Respiratory Mechanics in

can be found at: Journal of Intensive Care Medicine Additional services and information for http://jic.sagepub. com/cgi/alerts Email Alerts: http://jic.sagepub. com/subscriptions Subscriptions: http://www.sagepub. com/journalsReprints.nav Reprints: http://www.sagepub. com/journalsPermissions.nav Permissions: http://jic.sagepub. com/cgi/content/refs/17/6/317 SAGE Journals Online and HighWire Press platforms): (this article cites 40 articles hosted on the Citations
Erk 5 and P 38 Kinase are Positive Regulators of Insulin and Tnf α-Stimulated Vcam-1 Expression in Rat Aorta Endothelial Cells

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a common disease in the Western world. Hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia and vascular inflammation are among the multitude of dysregulations in the Metabolic X Syndrome. Vascular remodeling, occlusion and rupture are effects of the inflammatory events. These events follow cellular increases in expression of cellular adhesion molecules, adhesion of soluble vascular monocytes, their transmigration to the intima of vessels and eventual expression of inflammatory cytokines. Here we show that hyperphysiological concentrations of insulin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) increase both total and cell surface Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in rat aorta endothelial cells (RAEC) and these actions are in part regulated by the mitogenactivated protein kinases ERK5 and p38. RAEC transfected with RNAi plasmids of ERK5 and p38 and subsequently stimulated with insulin or TNFα alone or in combination exhibited significant decreases in total and cell surface VCAM-1. Western-blot analysis, flow cytometry and confocal microscopy all indicate that ERK5 and p38 MAp kinases are positive regulators of insulin and TNFα stimulated VCAM-1 expression.
On the Influence of Composition and Structure of Carbon-Supported Pt-SnO2 Hetero-Clusters onto Their Electrocatalytic Activity and Durability in PEMFC

A detailed study of the structure, morphology and electrochemical properties of Pt/C and Pt/x-SnO2/C catalysts synthesized using a polyol method has been provided. A series of catalysts supported on the SnO2-modified carbon was synthesized and studied by various methods including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electrochemical methods, and fuel cell testing. The SnO2 content varies from 5 to 40 wt %. The TEM images, XRD and XPS analysis suggested the Pt-SnO2 hetero-clusters formation. The SnO2 content of ca. 10% ensures an optimal catalytic layer structure and morphology providing uniform distribution of Pt-SnO2 clusters over the carbon support surface. Pt/10wt %-SnO2/C catalyst demonstrates increased activity and durability toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in course of accelerated stress testing due to the high stability of SnO2 and its interaction with Pt. The polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell current–voltage performance of the Pt/10wt %-SnO2/C is comparable with those of Pt/C, however, higher durability is expected.
Exposed Column Base Connections for Minimizing Earthquake-induced Residual Deformations in Steel Moment-Resisting Framess

This paper proposes a new exposed column base (XCB) design concept for steel moment-resisting frames (MRFs) that promotes anchor rod yielding rather than plastic hinging at the bottom of the first story columns. A mechanics-based numerical model is first developed for simulating the complex XCB seismic behavior to further explore the design concept through simulations. Model validations with experimental data suggest that the proposed model is able to capture the hysteretic behavior of XCBs including yielding of each XCB component, contact and slip behavior, axial load – bending interaction, as well as their synergistic interaction. The new design concept is evaluated at the system-level by means of nonlinear response history analyses. The emphasis is placed on the earthquake-induced residual deformations of conventionally fixed base MRFs and those designed to promote anchor rod yielding. While global response quantities (e.g., peak story drift and residual lateral deformations) are nearly the same in both designs, local column base demands (e.g., residual column axial shortening) are considerably reduced when anchor rod yielding is promoted. From a repairability standpoint, the proposed concept shows promise and should be further explored in the future.
Parameter Estimation for Defocus Blurred Image Based on Polar Transformation

The accurate estimation scheme of point spread function (PSF) is very important for obtaining good restoration performance in image restoration. For the unknown blur parameter of a single defocus image, an estimation method is proposed. First, polar transformation is applied to the logarithmic power spectrum of the defocus image in the frequency domain. Then the defocus blur radius can be obtained by calculating the sum of the logarithmic spectrum along concentric circles in the polar coordinate. The experiment results show that for noise free blurred images, the method can achieve more accurate estimation of the point spread function within the blur radius range of 0 55 R   pixels; for Gaussian noise blurred images, the restoration of blurred and noisy images demonstrates good performance.
A teacher perspective on Scrum methodology in secondary chemistry education

Scrum methodology is a novel framework for teaching intended to scaffold students' learning process when they work on complex, real-world tasks. It is originally a project management framework frequently used in business and industry to manage projects. Scrum methodology is increasingly used in educational contexts. Yet, it is also a rather complex framework and more insight in how teachers understand and implement Scrum methodology is needed. Twelve teachers attended a professional development program and simultaneously implemented Scrum methodology in their chemistry lessons. Teachers' didactical expertise and pedagogical expertise appeared to play a key role during the implementation process, whereas teachers' subject matter expertise, and other factors such as teaching context, teaching experience and personal biography seemed to be less important. Didactical and pedagogical expertise enhances teaching with Scrum: it supports the implementation as well as increases its effectiveness, independently of teaching context, experience and personal biography. This would mean Scrum methodology offers possibilities for teachers to enhance and enrich their teaching practice.
Outcome of interim multidrug-resistant tuberculosis treatment in Yemen

Purpose: To assess the interim therapy outcomes of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Yemen. Methods: This study was performed in four major tuberculosis (TB) centers in Yemen, namely, Alhodidah, Taiz, Sana’a, and Aden. Data were collected between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016, and consistent methods were adopted to obtain data from MDR-TB patients. The standardized WHO method of calculating and reporting the interim therapy outcomes patients enrolled in the study was applied, and the relation between dependent and independent variables was obtained by logistic regression. Results: A total of 85 MDR-TB cases were reported between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016. Of these cases, 62 reported available interim results. Among the 62 MDR-TB cases, only 40 (64.5 %) were categorized into successful interim therapy outcome group. This study found a baseline weight ≤ 40 kg, comorbidity, and first-line drug (FLD) resistance (> 3) as risk factors influencing unsuccessful interim therapy outcomes. Conclusion: This cohort study reports an alarmingly high rate of unsuccessful interim therapy outcomes among Yemeni MDR-TB patients. Enhancement of the clinical management of patients with a baseline weight ≤ 40 kg, comorbidity, and FLD resistance (>3) may improve TB therapy outcomes.
Data-driven Agricultural Market Prediction

Data-driven Agricultural Market Prediction Using Data from Hog-farm Management Information System Yeseul Hwang Regional Information Major Graduate School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development Seoul National University In the information age, many economic problems have been solved using accumulated data from information systems. This study tries to relieve two controversial issues in market prediction using such data. First, the controversies often exist over the theoretical model, Rational Expectation Hypothesis (REH) model, and the empirical model, the time-series model. REH has been questioned for its overly restrictive assumptions and its poor forecasting performance. Second, this study tries to verify their better predictive power of machine-learning method over time-series method in the case with the agent-level data. The machine-learning methods in this study adopt disaggregated farm-level data to improve flexibility, which has not been attempted in previous studies. They are compared with the conventional time-series methods. Consequently, the explanatory and predictive power of the REH model was found to be worse than the model with farm-level data. Also, the time-series model dominates the REH model in supply forecasting, which is consistent with previous studies. Furthermore, machinelearning methods using disaggregated data performed better than the time-series models, when forecasting the far future.
A 5G C-RAN Optical Fronthaul Architecture for Hotspot Areas Using OFDM-Based Analog IFoF Waveforms

Analog fronthauling is currently promoted as a bandwidth and energy-efficient solution that can meet the requirements of the Fifth Generation (5G) vision for low latency, high data rates and energy efficiency. In this paper, we propose an analog optical fronthaul 5G architecture, fully aligned with the emerging Centralized-Radio Access Network (C-RAN) concept. The proposed architecture exploits the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technique and multicarrier intermediate-frequency-over-fiber (IFoF) signal generation per wavelength in order to satisfy the demanding needs of hotspot areas. Particularly, the fronthaul link employs photonic integrated circuit (PIC)-based WDM optical transmitters (Txs) at the baseband unit (BBU), while novel reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) cascaded in an optical bus are used at the remote radio head (RRH) site, to facilitate reconfigurable wavelength switching functionalities up to 4 wavelengths. An aggregate capacity of 96 Gb/s has been reported by exploiting two WDM links carrying multi-IF band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals at a baud rate of 0.5 Gbd with sub-carrier (SC) modulation of 64-QAM. All signals exhibited error vector magnitude (EVM) values within the acceptable 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) limits of 8%. The longest reach to place the BBU away from the hotspot was also investigated, revealing acceptable EVM performance for fiber lengths up to 4.8 km.
Hyperparameter Tuning for Deep Learning in Natural Language Processing

Deep Neural Networks have advanced rapidly over the past several years. However, it still seems like a black art for many people to make use of them efficiently. The reason for this complexity is that obtaining a consistent and outstanding result from a deep architecture requires optimizing many parameters known as hyperparameters. Hyperparameter tuning is an essential task in deep learning, which can make significant changes in network performance. This paper is the essence of over 3000 GPU hours on optimizing a network for a text classification task on a wide array of hyperparameters. We provide a list of hyperparameters to tune in addition to their tuning impact on the network performance. The hope is that such a listing will provide the interested researchers a mean to prioritize their efforts and to modify their deep architecture for getting the best performance with the least effort.
The Role of Interleukin-9 in Patients with Allergic Rhinitis

*Corresponding Author: Shymaa A. Mansour Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University Tel. : 01026919619 shymaa_abdelazim@yahoo.com Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common allergic disease. It has a marked effect on quality of life. Various populations of effector and regulatory T cells and their cytokines play a crucial role in allergic inflammation. Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate serum levels of IL-9 in subjects with allergic rhinitis and to investigate the association of its serum level with the severity of the disease, and its clinical parameters. Methodology: This study included 19 AR cases and 19 healthy controls. All patients and controls were subjected to the followings: full medical history, allergy skin test, nasal smear to detect eosinophilia, and measurement of serum levels of IL-9 by enzyme linked immune-sorbent assay (ELISA). Cases were classified according to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines into mild, moderate and severe. Results: The median values of serum levels of IL-9 in AR cases were higher than in the controls (8.5 vs 6.85 pg/ml) with statistically significant difference (p =0.02). Roc curve analysis, also showed significant association between the serum level of IL-9 in AR patients than controls (P value < 0.0001), the cut point was >7.5 pg/ml in AR patients with sensitivity and specificity of 77.78 and 83.33 % respectively. In addition, there was a significant association between the serum levels of IL-9 and degree of disease severity (P=0.01), and AR symptoms (nasal obstruction and irritative symptoms). There was a significant association between sensitization to multiplicity of allergens and the mean level of IL-9 in AR cases (P< 0.05). Conclusion: The elevated serum level of IL-9 in AR cases may provide new insight into the patho-physiology of the disease and into development of novel therapeutic targets.
Retrogressive thaw slumps : From slope process to the landscape sensitivity of northwestern Canada

Retrogressive thaw slumping is an important driver of geomorphic change in ice-rich, glaciogenic landscapes. Here we summarize research on the processes of thaw slump development, with focus on studies from northwestern Canada. In the Peel Plateau, individual slumps commonly exceed 20 ha in area. These “mega slumps” displace downslope up to 10 m of previously frozen materials, reconfigure drainage networks, and significantly increase stream sediment and solute loads. The significant acceleration of slump activity has caused this process to become a dominant driver of geomorphic change in several ice-rich environments across the western Arctic. Landsat satellite imagery (1985 to 2011) and high frequency climatic and photographic time-series from the Peel Plateau indicate that an increase in rainfall has accelerated downslope sediment flux from slump scar zones, perpetuating slump activity and intensifying this disturbance regime. Increasing summer rainfall is likely the main factor driving recent geomorphic change. Remotely sensed mapping of slump-impacted terrain across a 1, 275, 000 km area of northwestern Canada indicates the close association with ice-rich hummocky moraine landscapes deposited at the margins of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet. This mapping provides a quantitative basis for evaluating the potential for climate-driven landscape change and assessing the spatial distribution of ice-cored permafrost across northwestern Canada. RÉSUMÉ Les glissements régressifs de dégel représentent un processus thermokarstique dynamique et influencent la géomorphologie des environnements circumpolaires d’origine glaciaire. Les glissements présents sur le plateau de la rivière Peel, affectent fréquemment des superficies excédant 20 ha. Ces «méga-glissements» déstabilisent jusqu’à 10 m de sédiments, reconfigurent le drainage et augmentent la charge de transport des cours d’eau en aval. Une augmentation de leur activité est observée dans les environnements de pergélisol riche en glace de l’ouest de l’arctique. Les données satellitaires Landsat (de 1985 à 2011) ainsi que les imageries et reconstitution climatique à hautes fréquences indiquent qu’une augmentation des précipitations sous forme de pluie accélère le taux de transport sédimentaire en provenance de zones des parois d’instabilités. Ce mécanisme empêche la stabilisation naturelle des parois et intensifie le processus de glissement régressif. Une cartographie par télédétection des zones affectées par des glissements régressifs sur une superficie de 1, 275, 000 km du Nord-Ouest Canadian indique une forte association entre la présence de glissements et les moraines frontales riches en glace de l’inlandsis laurentien. Cette cartographie, considérée conjointement avec les processus de formation des glissements, permet une évaluation quantitative des changements géomorphologiques liés au climat, ainsi qu’une mesure de la distribution géographique des zones de pergélisol riche en glace du Nord-Ouest Canadian.
The Draft Genome of a Hydrogen-producing Cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis NIES-46

Arthrospira is an economically important cyanobacterium that contains many useful products, including proteins, vitamins, lipids, and pigments, and it is distributed in several alkaline soda lakes. Arthrospira platensis NIES-46 produces large amounts of hydrogen. In this study, we sequenced the NIES-46 draft genome and performed comparative analyses among Arthrospira species to elucidate the genomic background of this strain. The genome consists of 5.7 Mbp with a GC% of 44.5% and encodes 5,008 proteins. Our phylogenetic analysis using multiple orthologous proteins shows that Arthrospira is divided into two clades and that NIES-46 is closely related to A. platensis NIES-39. The genome structure and protein functions are highly conserved between A. platensis NIES-39 and NIES-46, suggesting that these two strains have recently diverged. Genes involved in hydrogen production are well-conserved among Arthrospira species, indicating conserved abilities to produce hydrogen.