Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Counts as Fraud? An Empirical Study of Motions to Dismiss Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This article presents the findings of a study of the resolution of motions to dismiss securities fraud lawsuits since the passage of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act in 1995. Our sample consists of decisions on motions to dismiss in securities class actions by district and appellate courts in the Second and Ninth Circuits for cases filed after the passage of the Reform Act to the end of 2001. These circuits are the leading circuits for the filing of securities class actions and are generally recognized as representing two ends of the securities class action spectrum. Post-PSLRA, the Second Circuit applies the least restrictive pleading standard to securities claims and the Ninth Circuit applies the most restrictive. We find some evidence that the Ninth Circuit's post-PSLRA reputation as being a tougher venue in which to win securities fraud class actions is born out by a significantly higher dismissal rate. The differences between the two circuits are also reflected in factors that correlate with dismissal. For example, allegations of violations of accounting principles other than revenue recognition correlate negatively with dismissal in the Second Circuit. This coefficient, however, is insignificant in our regressions for the Ninth Circuit. Allegations of revenue recognition violations are insignificant in both circuits, whether or not the issuer has been forced to restate those revenues. The circuits part ways on other factors as well: the Second Circuit is significantly less likely to dismiss cases with allegations of false forward-looking statements, a surprising result given the stringent standards for such statements imposed by the PSLRA. The Ninth Circuit is significantly less likely to dismiss complaints with allegations of '33 Act violations and the Second Circuit is more likely to dismiss cases brought by the Milberg Weiss firm. When it comes to insider trading, however, the two circuits are both skeptical and the allegations correlate with dismissal in both circuits.
SYSTEMS DESIGN AND MODELING: A VISUAL ANALYTICS APPROACH

The process of designing unconventional aerospace vehicle configurations is characterized by a lack of relevant data, information, and knowledge, which prevents the designer from applying traditional design methods. To address this issue, significant amount of data need to be generated, collected, and analyzed to increase the designer’s knowledge about the physics of the problem and to explore the diverse spectrum of available design options. However, the amounts of data required to successfully pursue unconventional designs can rapidly become overwhelming, hence limiting the designer’s ability to fully comprehend the problem to be solved. This paper presents a multidisciplinary perspective termed Visual Analytics which can be applied to address these issues in the context of the pre-conceptual/conceptual design of unconventional configurations. The paper discusses the enabling techniques essential for the visual analytics approach and illustrates that the main requirements for a successful preconceptual/conceptual design are to reduce the designer’s cognitive burden, foster his rapid understanding of the design problem, and support informed decision making. Finally this paper discusses and demonstrates, through the design of a supersonic business jet, the importance and benefits of implementing these enablers and of integrating Visual Analytics into the design process. More importantly, this work illustrates that the benefits to the analyst and decision maker of enablers such as surrogate modeling or probability theory are limited if they are not integrated with the visualization, interaction, and analytical reasoning capabilities provided by Visual Analytics.
Using an N-gram-Based Mapping Approach to Content-Based Music Information Retrieval

Studies on query-by-humming (QBH) have recently become increasingly popular. On the basis of the fact that MP3 and MIDI formats have the advantages of small storage space and high audio quality, thereby making them suitable for Internet applications, we propose a novel approach based on QBH to retrieve information from MP3 and MIDI formats. In the database establishment phase, each music file is first partitioned into a set of musical data objects encoded via mapping function, including bi-gram, tri-gram and four-gram approaches, to establish a music database. In the retrieval phase, the file most similar to the musical test segment can be retrieved from the music database. Experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Factors Influencing Public Employee Engagement and Its Impact on Organizational Performance

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing employee engagement and its possible outcomes. Using data from a large-scale survey of employees in 72 US federal government agencies, and several organi- zational factors in public setting as control variables, the study empirically tested three contextual factors (participative leadership support, organizational fairness, and supportiveness of organizational context) that influence employee engage- ment in federal agencies. The study also examined the mediating role of employee engagement between the three contextual variables and organizational performance. The results indicate that participative leadership support and sup- portiveness of organizational context predict employee engagement. In addition, employee engagement mediated the relationship between antecedents and orga- nizational performance.
Sequence variation among populations of sawfish (Pristiformes: Pristidae) from Indonesia and Australia

Sutarno, Budiharjo A, Setyawan AD, Lymbery AJ. 2017. Sequence variation among populations of sawfishes (Pristiformes: Pristidae) from Indonesia and Australia. Biodiversitas 18: 850-856. The sawfishes (Pristiformes: Pristidae) are very rare and critically endangered species globally, calling for conservation efforts around the world. This species is taxonomically interesting because molecular research in recent years has led to re-groupings in some species. The aim of this research was to sequence the control region (CR) of mitochondrial DNA of sawfishes from Indonesia and Australia, compare the sequences between samples, and construct phylogenetic trees to know the relationship of those samples. To achieve these aims, dried rostra of samples from both countries are collected, total DNA were purified and amplified using PCR, followed by sequencing reaction. The sequence data were then lined followed by constructing phylogenetic trees. The results of the BLASTN and phylogenetic tree analysis found two species, the all Australian samples belong to Pristis pristis (formerly P. microdon), one Indonesian sample also belongs to P. pristis, while the other Indonesian samples belong to Anoxypristis cuspidata.
The TAROT observatory data management

TAROT (T elescope a Action Rapide pour les Objets Transitoires, Rapid Action Telescope for Transient Objects) is an autonomous ground based observatory (Calern, France) whose primary goal is the rapid detec- tion of variable objects, peculiarly optical counterparts of Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) sources. We present the obser- vatory data management architecture which is composed of 3 main modules: The MAJORDOME module whose aim is to optimally schedule the observation requests sent to the telescope through socket connections, e-mail or even a web interface, The CONTROL module which monitors the hardware, and a data processing software TAITAR which detects, deblends, measures, classies sources and detects variable objects by comparison with a catalogue. This paper will mainly focus on the MAJORDOME.
A Study of Alternative Axiomatic Justifications for the Entropy Function, and of its Use in Uncertain Reasoning

The nature of information is examined. The axiom of information theory: that the object of a measure of information should be a probability distribution, is discussed, as is the relationship of information to uncertainty. Several desiderata of an information measure from the literature are presented and discussed, together with justifications and criticisms of these. Various axiomatizations of Shannon? s information measure are considered and compared, together with alternative justifications and characterizations of alternative measures. Arguments for extending the domain of an information measure to include partial (non-exhaustive) probability distributions are examined and found to be convincing.Various justifications of the Maximum Entropy Principle (MEP) are similarly discussed and compared. These include the information theoretic justification which relies on the justification of H as a measure of information, as well as others which do not.The Minimum Gain Inference Process, is introduced in order to explore the consequences of allowing assignment of zero probabilities (in contrast to the MEP). Its behaviour is explored through a simple case-study. It is shown to satisfy certain principles of inductive reasoning, and is also shown not to satisfy certain others. It is found unlikely to be of great use due to certain undesirable properties.
Embedded probabilistic programming in Clojure

Probabilistic programming is a powerful tool to specify probabilistic models directly in terms of a computer program. Here, I present a library that allows to embed probabilistic computations into Clojure. Automatic tracking of dependencies between probabilistic choice points enables an efficient way to sample from the distribution corresponding to a probabilistic program.
Potentiality of Using Spreading Sargassum Species From Indonesia as an Interesting Source of Antibacterial and Radical Scavenging Compounds: a Preliminary Study

As an archipelagic country with 95,181 km long coastline, Indonesia has great potential as the producer of seaweeds. The diverse phyla of marine macroalgae (red, brown and green seaweeds) are known to produce molecules which are attractive for diverse industries. Applications of algal products range from simple biomass production for food, feed and fuels to valuable products such as sugar polymers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pigments, and food supplements. Seaweeds also have the potential to be used as a source of new bioactive for human, animal or plant health, as well as a source of new synthons and biocatalysts in sustainable chemistry (Bourgougnon and Stiger-Pouvreau, 2011). In this paper, among species of economic value we focus on brown seaweeds belonging to family Sargassaceae and genus Sargassum spreading along Indonesian coasts. Members of this genus are especially abundant in tropical and subtropical regions (Zemke-White and Ohno, 1999). The purpose of this study is to analyze the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of three species of Sargassum, i.e. S. echinocarpum , S. duplicatum and S. polycystum. Both polar and non-polar extracts have been prepared from those three species. In vitro antibacterial activities of extracts were evaluated against Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. Results indicated all the three species tested showed an antibacterial activity. The most effective antibacterial activity against S. aerous was from S. echinocarpum with ethil asetat, inhibition zone 1.13 ± 0.25 mm; S. duplicatum with N-Hexane was most effective against E. coli , 1.20 ± 0.28 mm. Key words: Antibacterial, Sargassum, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli.
On the tidal environment of an outwardly migrating F ring

Saturn’s F-ring is a unique narrow ring that lies radially close to the tidally disruptive Roche limit of Saturn for water ice. Significant work has been done on the system that shows it to be one of the most dynamic places in the Solar System. Aggregates fortunate enough to form constantly battle against the strong tidal forces of Saturn and the nearby moons Prometheus and Pandora, which act to gravitationally stir up ring material. Planetary rings are also known to radially spread, with the outer ring edge migrating outwards. As the F ring lies at the edge of the main rings, we investigate the effect of an outwardly migrated F ring and its interaction with Prometheus. For each model with decreasing local tidal environment, an increase in maximum number density of particles at the channel edges is observed. In the same locations as particles with maximum number densities, radial velocity dispersion's are observed to fall below escape velocities of a 150m icy moonlet (<10 cm s^(-1)), and are gravitationally unstable with Toomre parameters Q<2. Additionally, in locations of the ring where Q<2 is observed, more particles are seen to fall below or close to critical values as the radial location of the ring increases.
Model synthesis and identification of a Hodgkin-Huxley-type GnRH neuron model

GnRH neurons are key elements of the reproduc- tive neuroendocrine system and play important central regulat- ing role in the dynamics of the hormonal cycle. A conductance- based Hodgkin-Huxley model structure is proposed in this paper in the form of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that is able to take into account up-to-date biological literature data related to ion channels. Measurement data were available for parameter estimation, which are originated from laboratory experiments done in the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the form of whole cell patch-clamp recordings. The proposed neuron model is highly nonlinear in parameters and the evaluation of the objective function is computationally expensive, therefore the asynchronous parallel pattern search (APPS) procedure has been used for identification which is a gradient-free optimiza- tion method that can handle linear equality and inequality constraints and has advantageous convergence properties. The model with high number of estimated parameters provides a qualitatively good fit of both voltage clamp and current clamp traces.
Determination of anti-filarial efficacy of selected medicinal plants of combretaceae family against bovine filarial parasite Setaria cervi

The present investigation deals with the antifilarial activity study of six combretaceae family plants in terms of worm motility, MTT reduction and GST inhibition assays. The antifilarial activity was assessed by the treatment of methanolic extracts on target parasite Setaria cervi at doses 2.5, 5 and 10mg/ml with simultaneous use of control or untreated worms. In vitro worm motility and MTT reduction assay exhibited that methanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna was most active among all the six plant extracts showing motility inhibition at only 2hrs of incubation at 37 oC with IC50 value of 1.8mg/ml. DEC standard showed IC50 value of 2.84mg/ml i.e. higher than the T. arjuna plant extract. Inhibition effect of active extracts of T. arjuna and C. albidum at 5 and 10mg/ml along with DEC standard on Glutathione-stransferase was studied by spectrophotometric method. The methanolic extract of T. arjuna plant showed percentage inhibition value of 69.98% at 10mg/ml on GST of Setaria cervi. The GST activity was studied on both treated and untreated worms. We found that the methanolic extract of Terminalia arjuna contains some active constituents that selectively kill the adult parasites thereby providing maximum efficacy among all the six plant extracts and DEC standard.
Antiurolithc activity of Ceropegia bulbosa extract in rats

In present study antiurolithic activity of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Ceropegia bulbosa was investigated in animal models of urolithiasis. Urolithiasis was induced by Ethylne glycol (0.75 % v/v). Investigation was done on the basis of elevated level of oxalate, phosphate, calcium, uric acid, BUN and creatinine due to urolithiasis. At 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg dose extract significantly protected animal’s kidney from urolithiasis.
Dealing with the cultural heritage aspect of environmental impact assessment in Europe

The Environment Assessment Directive of the European Union (EU) requires that the potential impacts on cultural heritage of proposed developments are examined. This paper considers how well cultural heritage is considered in environmental impact assessments (EIAs) within the EU by analysing the results of three studies that encompass an examination of an ‘information processing’ and an ‘institutionalist’ model for EIA. In combination, the studies provided evidence for inadequate consideration of cultural heritage. The three main issues are: cultural heritage is mainly restricted to built heritage in studies; there is a need for better guidance on how best to consider the implications of proposals on cultural heritage; and cultural heritage needs to be considered earlier in the process and should include greater public participation.
Sensorimotor Integration in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a multifactorial disorder with more questions than answers. In past years, research has mainly focused on 5 areas: genetic factors, neurological mechanism dysfunction, hormone/metabolic dysfunction, skeletal growth abnormalities, and biomechanical factors. As adolescents with any known functional or structural disorder in the somatosensory pathway are more susceptible to scoliosis during growth than healthy adolescents, it is possible that subclinical somatosensory impairment may be associated with AIS.
Evaluation of the Technical Condition of the Active Part of the High Power Transformer Based on Measurements and Analysis of Vibroacoustic Signals

This article presents the results of research connected with the development and industrial use of vibroacoustic methods for the evaluation of the technical condition of the active part of transformers. The article presents the results of the analysis of vibrations generated by the high power transformer in which a defect was found on the basis of tests of oil carried out using the chromatography tests. In order to confirm the damage of the active part of this transformer, vibroacoustic measurements were performed in three states of its operation. The measurement using the classical vibroacoustic method included the registration of vibrations at the idle speed and during the load operation of the transformer. The original diagnostic method, so-called the modified vibroacoustic method, was also used during the measurement. The analysis of signals recorded using the classical vibroacoustic method was carried out in the frequency domain by indicating the amplitude of even harmonic vibrations. However, the analysis of signals measured during the commissioning of the transformer was conducted in the time-frequency domain using the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and discrete wavelet transform (DWT). On the basis of the analysis of the results obtained it was stated that the increased level of vibrations of this transformer is a consequence of the loss of rigidity of the mechanical structure of its core.
The variability of the warm absorber in I Zwicky 1 as seen by XMM–Newton

We present new XMM-Newton observations of the intriguing warm absorber in I Zwicky 1. This luminous and nearby narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy shows ionized absorption by two components of outflowing gas; a low and a high-ionization phase with log $\xi$~0 and log $\xi$~2 respectively. Detailed modelling of these data reveal a complex and variable multi-phase warm absorber. However, we find the changes in the ionization state of the gas not to be straightforwardly correlated with the variability of the intrinsic continuum source, in apparent contrast with photoionization equilibrium. The observed variability hints instead at a close connection between the two gas components, possibly both directly connected to the accretion disc activity. We thus suggest a phenomenological model capable of explaining these observations, consisting of a clumpy outflow where the high and the low-ionization components are closely linked. Changes in ionization over the years are mainly driven by the different densities of the clumps crossing the observer's line-of-sight, in which the `skin' layer facing the source accounts for the more ionized component.
High nitrite removal capacity of an aerobic denitrifier Klebsiella oxytoca DF-1 isolated from aquaculture ponds in coastal mudflats

The aims of this study were to help the development of the models describing denitrification in the recirculation aquaculture systems and to contribute to the knowledge on the role of heterotrophic bacteria in aquaculture nutrient removal systems in mudflats along the coast. Six aerobic denitrifying strains were isolated by bromothymol blue (BTB) plate technique from the fish farm sediments in mudflat along the coast. The strain DF-1 was selected for the aerobic denitrification studies as it was highly effective in removing nitrite compared with other strains; it lowered the nitrite nitrogen (nitrite-N) concentration from 10 mg/L to zero in 20 h. The aerobic denitrification by the strain DF-1 occurred at significantly higher rates of nitrite-N degradation than the positive controls (sterile screening media) under different pH, temperature, and various concentrations of nitrite and salinity. The rate of nitrite-N degradation was 99.3, 97.7, 99.5, 96.5, and 91.8% when sucrose, glucose, sodium acetate, sodium succinate and potassium sodium tartrate, respectively, were used as the carbon source. The strain DF-1 contained the nirK gene as indicated by the amplification of nitrite reductase. The strain DF-1 was identified asKlebsiella oxytoca by the morphological observation and 16SrRNA gene analysis. Key words: Coastal pollution, high nitrogen risk, aerobic denitrification, Klebsiella oxytoca, nitrite nitrogen degradation rate, aquaculture.
Evaluating the Robustness of Top Coatings Comprising Plasma-Deposited Fluorocarbons in Electrowetting Systems

Abstract Thin dielectric stacks comprising a main insulating layer and a hydrophobic top coating are commonly used in low voltage electrowetting systems. However, in most cases, thin dielectrics fail to endure persistent electrowetting testing at high voltages, namely beyond the saturation onset, as electrolysis indicates dielectric failure. Careful sample inspection via optical microscopy revealed possible local delamination of the top coating under high electric fields. Thus, improvement in the adhesion strength of the hydrophobic top coating to the main dielectric is attempted through a plasma-deposited fluorocarbon interlayer. Interestingly enough the proposed dielectric stack exhibited (a) resistance to dielectric breakdown, (b) higher contact angle modulation range and (c) electrowetting cycle reversibility. Appearance of electrolysis in the saturation regime is inhibited, suggesting the use of this hydrophobic dielectric stack for the design of more efficient electrowetting systems. The possible causes of the improved performance are investigated by nanoscratch characterization.