Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Demographics of Mortality in California

Differences in health outcomes between racial and ethnic groups are of concern to government agencies, health providers, and policymakers. To the extent that they reflect differential access to and quality of health care, differences in health outcomes are particularly troubling. Congress has passed laws, and health agencies have established programs, with the intention of eliminating racial and ethnic disparities in health. In California, the Office of Multicultural Health was established in 1993 to reduce gaps in health status between California’s diverse population groups. The most basic measures of a population’s health—mortality rates and life expectancies— have not been estimated for many of California’s racial and ethnic groups. One primary reason for this absence of vital information has been the lack of reliable estimates of the base populations needed to make these measurements. Recently released data from the 2000 census provide detailed population counts for many of California’s racial and ethnic groups. In this edition of California Counts, we combine California administrative records on deaths with census population counts to develop mortality rates for 19 groups in California. We calculate infant mortality rates and life expectancies—a summary measure of age-specific death rates— to describe these death rates, and we examine them as they vary by age, gender, and nativity (U.S.-born versus foreign-born) for racial and ethnic groups. Caution must be exercised in using and interpreting our results. Data limitations could lead to inaccuracies in our measurements. We find substantial differences in life expectancies between men and women, between U.S. natives and immigrants, and across racial and ethnic groups in California. Some of the greatest variations are found between racial and ethnic groups. Life expectancies of Asian Public Policy Institute of California
Relationship between depression and pathological internet use among university students

There is a rapid growth in internet use in Kenya and especially among university students. This puts them at risk of becoming pathological internet users. This study sought to establish the relationship between depression and pathological internet use among university students in Kenya. The study used correlational design to establish the relationship between the variables. The target population was university students in Kenya. Convenience sampling was used to sample students from one public university and one private university. A total of 400 respondents participated in the study. Young’s Internet Addiction Test and Beck Depression Inventory were adapted to measure pathological internet use and depression respectively. Davis’ cognitive model of pathological internet use provided a theoretical basis for the study. Percentages and measures of central tendency were used to describe the data. The findings revealed a prevalence of 16.8% of pathological internet use and a prevalence of 23.6% of depression. Independent samples T-test was used to test for differences in pathological internet use between male and female students. The findings revealed that female students were likely to be pathological internet users compared to male students. Pearson’s product moment correlation was used to establish the relationship between depression and pathological internet use and it was found that a weak positive relationship existed between depression and pathological internet use. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there was need to identify and help the affected students exercise moderation and self control when using the internet in order for them to achieve their academic and lifetime goals. The findings of the study also provide empirical evidence on the gender differences in depression and pathological internet use which may be useful in improving counseling interventions for university students.
The limits of social-democratic politics

How did social-democracy turn from being one of the most successful political mass movements in history into a series of national parties in political crises and deep ideological disarray during the course of one hundred years since the formation of the Second International in 1889? The thesis in this article is that the crisis of social-democracy is a long-term result of the fundamental problems that the reformist strategy of any workers’ movement invariably encounters in relation to the state and the economy. They have yet to be solved. These problems will increasingly bring the question to the fore: is the goal of social-democracy to be a party in government or an organization for social transformation? Whilst this may at one point have been synonymous to its members, it will be argued why it necessarily ceases to be so with the passage of time.
Efficient Mining and Exploration of Multiple Axis-Aligned Intersecting Objects

Identifying and quantifying the size of multiple intersections among a large number of axis-aligned geometric objects is an essential computational geometry problem. The ability to solve this problem can effectively inform a number of spatial data mining methods and can provide support in decision making for a variety of applications. Currently, the state-of-the-art approach for addressing such intersection problems resorts to an algorithmic paradigm, collectively known as the sweep-line algorithm. However, its application on specific instances of the problem inherits a number of limitations. With that mind, we design and implement a novel, exact, fast and scalable yet versatile, sweep-line based algorithm, named SLIG. Our algorithm can be employed in a number of problems and applications involving the efficient computation of numerous axis-aligned object intersection problems in multiple dimensions. The key idea of our algorithm lies in constructing an auxiliary data structure when the sweep line algorithm is applied, an intersection graph. This graph can effectively be used to provide connectivity properties among overlapping objects, as well as to inform the much harder problem of finding the location and size of the common area defined by multiple overlapping objects. A thorough experimental evaluation on synthetic data of various characteristics and sizes, demonstrates that SLIG performs significantly faster than classic sweep-line based algorithms. SLIG is not only faster and more versatile, but also provides a suite of powerful querying capabilities. To support the reproducibility of our methods, we make source code and datasets available.
Development of a BPMN Model Validation and Automatic Correction Tool for SAP Solution Manager

The goal of this thesis is the creation of a tool that assesses Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) models created with SAP Solution Manager (SolMan) according to readability and usability guidelines. Necessary corrections are performed based on this assessment, resulting in a new BPMN file that can be imported back into SolMan. SAP Solution Manager is an Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) product used in the organization and maintenance of a company’s business and IT operations. BPMN is a standard for the graphical representation of business processes in a process model. While SolMan provides a tool for creating process models with BPMN, it does not provide a function to validate these models, unlike similar tools in the market. After research and selection of guidelines, creation of a proof-of-principle prototype, and construction of the product using an iterative and incremental development model, a functional web application that is able to review and make corrections according to seven guidelines was successfully developed. Eidesstattliche Erklärung Ich versichere hiermit an Eides Statt, dass diese Arbeit von niemand anderem als meiner Person verfasst worden ist. Alle verwendeten Hilfsmittel wie Berichte, Bücher, Internetseiten oder ähnliches sind im Literaturverzeichnis angegeben, Zitate aus fremden Arbeiten sind als solche kenntlich gemacht. Die Arbeit wurde bisher in gleicher oder ähnlicher Form keiner anderen Prüfungskommission vorgelegt und auch nicht veröffentlicht. Affirmation of independent work I hereby declare that I wrote this thesis myself without sources other than those indicated herein. All parts taken from published and unpublished scripts are indicated as such. Berlin, September 4, 2019 Rainier Raymond Robles
Climate change communication : Challenges , insights , and opportunities 3

Despite the widely lauded, landmark Paris Agreement reached by the planet’s nations in 2015, serious questions and doubts about the international community’s ability to act in concert on climate change remain. The populist and largely isolationist political uprisings of 2016 (e.g., U.S. presidential election, “Brexit” in the United Kingdom) in particular highlight the continued challenges we collectively face in effectively confronting this challenging collective action problem. Although not accepted or identified universally as a key driver of these challenges, many scientists, policymakers, issue advocates, and others point to relatively weak public engagement with the issue as a core barrier to intraand international action on climate change (e.g., Hulme, 2009; Weber & Stern, 2011). In the United States in particular, much attention has been paid to citizens’ attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and preferences (political and behavioral) about the issue (e.g., Kahan et al., 2012; Leiserowitz, 2006; Whitmarsh, 2011). Hundreds of public opinion polls and surveys have consistently revealed significant heterogeneity amongst Americans with respect to nearly every aspect of their engagement (e.g., cognitive, affective, behavioral) with climate change (e.g., Leiserowitz, Maibach, Roser-Renouf, Feinberg, & Rosenthal, 2016; Pew, 2016); this heterogeneity stands in stark contrast to the strong consensus that exists amongst scientists who study climate change and are intimately familiar with what is currently known to science about the phenomenon (see Cook et al., 2016; Pew, 2015). Although issue advocates, academics, and others have called for a variety of responses to address the observed heterogeneity of public engagement with climate change, perhaps none has received as enthusiastic an embrace as the call for “better communication” of the issue. As Susanne Moser and others have detailed (e.g., McCright & Dunlap, 2010; Moser, 2010), efforts to engage the public on the issue of climate change through communication, often but not always with the aim of increasing support for ameliorative action, have a long history, reaching back at least three decades (e.g., James Hansen’s congressional testimony in 1988; McKibben, 1989). For the purposes of the present chapter, climate change communication (CCC) refers to any effort—explicit or otherwise—that aims to raise public awareness, understanding, and/or active engagement with the issue (Moser, 2010). Such a broad definition of CCC is necessary because so many approaches to communicating with
Web based Adaptive Educational Games-Exploitation in Computer Science Education

In the context of this dissertation, issues relate d to design and development of educational games that support the teachi ng of programming are studied. Specifically, the dissertation is placed in t he context of supporting the learning process by utilizing the Web and especiall y Web based, Adaptive Educational Games. A Web based Adaptive and Multiplaye r Educational Game TALENT (Teaching ALgorithms EnvironmeNT) was design ed and implemented, which motivates and supports students in le ar ing programming.
Delineation of the Pannonian vegetation region 9

This manuscript is contextually identical with the following published paper: 1 Fekete G; Király G; Molnár Z (2016) Delineation of the Pannonian vegetation region. 2 COMMUNITY ECOLOGY, 17: (1) pp. 114-124. DOI: 10.1556/168.2016. 17.1. 14 3 The original published PDF available in this website: 4 http://www.akademiai. com/doi/abs/10.1556/168.2016. 17.1. 14 5 6 7 Point of View 8 Delineation of the Pannonian vegetation region 9 G. Fekete 1 , G. Király 2 and Z. Molnár 3 10 11 1 Dávid F. u. 9, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary 12
Optogenetic actuation, inhibition, modulation and readout for neuronal networks generating behavior in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Elucidating the mechanisms by which nervous systems process information and generate behavior is among the fundamental problems of biology. The complexity of our brain and plasticity of our behaviors make it challenging to understand even simple human actions in terms of molecular mechanisms and neural activity. However the molecular machines and operational features of our neural circuits are often found in invertebrates, so that studying flies and worms provides an effective way to gain insights into our nervous system. Caenorhabditis elegans offers special opportunities to study behavior. Each of the 302 neurons in its nervous system can be identified and imaged in live animals [1, 2], and manipulated transgenically using specific promoters or promoter combinations [3, 4, 5, 6]. The chemical synapses and gap junctions made by every neuron are known from electron micrograph reconstruction [1]. Importantly, forward genetics can be used to identify molecules that modulate C. elegans’ behavior. Forward genetic dissection of behavior is powerful because it requires no prior knowledge. It allows molecules to be identified regardless of in vivo concentration, and focuses attention on genes that are functionally important. The identity and expression patterns of these molecules then provide entry points to study the molecular mechanisms and neural circuits controlling the behavior. Genetics does not provide the temporal resolution required to study neural circuit function directly. However, neural activity can be monitored using genetically encoded sensors for Ca2+ (e.g., GCaMP and cameleon) [7, 8, 9, 10] and voltage (e.g., mermaid, arclight or VSFPButterfly) [11, 12, 13]. In C. elegans, imaging studies have focused largely on single neurons in immobilized animals [14]. However, it is now becoming possible to image the activity of single neurons in freely moving animals, and of multiple neurons in three dimensions. Additionally, increasingly sophisticated hardware allows precise spatial control of neural activity in freely moving C. elegans, using light activated channels and pumps (see Section 6.2). From a reductionist perspective, the worm model is very exciting because it has the potential to reveal how neural circuits work in enormous detail. This potential has fostered collaborations between physicists, engineers, and neuroscientists. Here we try to convey some of the excitement in this fast moving field.
HAP: Building Pipelines with Heterogeneous Data

The increasing number of available datasets gives opportunities to build large and complex applications which aggregate results coming from several sources. These emerging usecases require new systems where combinations of heterogeneous sources are both allowed and efficient. We propose a set of high-level primitives – called Hap – to facilitate the description of processing chains. Hap descriptions are formed from the combination of several queries written in popular query languages such as sparql and XPath. From any Hap description we generate a single sql query. This makes it possible to apply automatic optimizations on the whole pipeline description at compile-time. For the need of this demonstration, we generate queries in HiveQL form that we execute with Hive.
Fancy sharing an air taxi ? Uncovering the impact of 1 variety seeking on the demand for new shared mobility 2 services

Shared mobility has been burgeoning in recent years and there is 8 growing interest in replicating ground-based shared-mobility services in the 9 air. This is expected to significantly reduce travel time and alleviate traffic 10 congestion. The entry of a new travel service (e.g. air taxi) results in changes 11 in conditions of the transport system and induces changes in individual mode 12 choices. In this paper, we examine the impact of variety-seeking on the adop13 tion of such new modes and services. We distinguish between two specific 14 effects associated with variety-seeking, namely novelty-seeking (i.e. the incli15 nation to adopt new modes) and alternation (i.e. the inclination to vary ones’ 16 behaviour regularly by selecting different modes continuously). This paper ex17 amines travel demand for various shared mobility services (including the up18 coming air taxi service) and conventional modes. We propose a new latent class 19 model with a latent variable of variety-seeking. Specifically, intra-individual 20 preference heterogeneity is accommodated on top of inter-individual prefer21 ence heterogeneity to control for the alternation effect. The results suggest 22 that novelty seekers are more likely to fall into the class with higher proba23 bilities to switch from existing modes to the new air taxi service than novelty 24 avoiders, and alternation seekers are more likely to belong to the class with 25 higher probabilities to exhibit intra-individual preference heterogeneity than 26 alternation avoiders. This paper therefore provides empirical evidence about 27 F. Song Institute for Transport Studies & Choice Modelling Centre, University of Leeds, UK E-mail: tsfs@leeds.ac. uk S. Hess Institute for Transport Studies & Choice Modelling Centre, University of Leeds, UK E-mail: S.Hess@leeds.ac. uk (S. Hess) T. Dekker Institute for Transport Studies & Choice Modelling Centre, University of Leeds, UK E-mail: T.Dekker@leeds.ac. uk (T. Dekker) 2 Fangqing Song et al. market shares when the new air taxi service enters the market and helps to 1 identify target customers. 2
A new application for heart rate variability: diagnosing the sleep apnoea syndrome

The unique heart rate rhythm in the sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) may provide the basis for an effective screening tool. This paper assesses the variability (HRV), using the Discrete Fourier Transform (DHWT). Spectral HRV results are compared to those of the current screening method of oximetry. Diagnostic indicator of the SAHS in both NREM and REM sleep. The DHWT offers advantages over the DFT in that it supplies greater time resolution and is computationally more efficient.
Critical Review TOXICITY REFERENCE VALUES FOR METHYLMERCURY EFFECTS ON AVIAN REPRODUCTION: CRITICAL REVIEW AND ANALYSIS

Effects of mercury (Hg) on birds have been studied extensively and with increasing frequency in recent years. The authors conducted a comprehensive review of methylmercury (MeHg) effects on bird reproduction, evaluating laboratory and field studies in which observed effects could be attributed primarily to Hg. The review focuses on exposures via diet and maternal transfer in which observed effects (or lack thereof) were reported relative to Hg concentrations in diet, eggs, or adult blood. Applicable data were identified for 23 species. From this data set, the authors identified ranges of toxicity reference values suitable for risk-assessment applications. Typical ranges of Hg effect thresholds are approximately 0.2mg/kg to>1.4mg/kg in diet, 0.05mg/kg/d to 0.5mg/kg/d on a dose basis, 0.6mg/kg to 2.7mg/kg in eggs, and 2.1mg/kg to >6.7mg/kg in parental blood (all concentrations on a wet wt basis). For Hg in avian blood, the review represents the first broad compilation of relevant toxicity data. For dietary exposures, the current data support TRVs that are greater than older, commonly used TRVs. The older diet-based TRVs incorporate conservative assumptions and uncertainty factors that are no longer justified, although they generally were appropriate when originally derived, because of past data limitations. The egg-based TRVs identified from the review are more similar to other previously derived TRVs but have been updated to incorporate new information from recent studies. While important research needs remain, a key recommendation is that species not yet tested for MeHg toxicity should be evaluated using toxicity data from tested species with similar body weights. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;9999:1–26. # 2016 SETAC
An Assessment of Social Capital in Georgia

(SC) situation in Georgia.1 It is a complement to the Final Report, based on findings from the research that CRRC conducted on Social Capital in Georgia between November and December 2010. A summary of the research can be found in the HandsOn Guide, and a review of scholarly literature that sets out the main standards of the current Social Capital debate is presented in Social Capital: A Literature Review.
Optimized Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing

Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (GPSR), a most preferable routing protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN) which uses the positions of nodes for packet’s destination to make packet forwarding decisions efficiently. It offers immediate routing support for WSN. Because of asymmetric nature of WSN, symmetric links with bidirectional dataflow is not sufficient when the destination is outside the boundary of GPSR. When the route becomes outside the boundary then it affects the energy efficiency of GPSR. So in this paper optimized approach as genetic algorithm is introduced into the GPSR to identify optimal route based on energy utilization and overcome problems in GPSR so that energy efficiency of using GPSR in asymmetric WSN can be increased. The simulation result proves that the factor including delay and energy is minimized and hence the proposed protocol outperforms the existing routing protocol for WSN.
Funding Constraints and Informational Efficiency

We develop a tractable rational expectations model that allows for general pricedependent portfolio constraints and study a setting where constraints arise because of margin requirements. We argue that constraints affect and are affected by informational efficiency, leading to a novel amplification mechanism. A decline in wealth tightens constraints and reduces investors’ incentive to acquire information, lowering price informativeness. Lower informativeness, in turn, increases the risk borne by financiers who fund trades, leading them to further tighten constraints. This information spiral implies that risk premium, return volatility, and Sharpe ratio may rise significantly as investors’ wealth declines. JEL Classification:
Taxation and the SuperrichWe thank Alan Auerbach, Tim Besley, Casey Rothschild and Uwe Thümmel for helpul comments, and Emily Horton, Paul Kindsgrab and Simona Sartor for excellent research assistance

This paper addresses the modern optimal tax progressivity literature, which clarifies the key role of the behavioral response to taxation and accounts for the incomes of the superrich being qualitatively different than others. Some may be “superstars,” for whom small differences in talent are magnified into much larger earnings differences, while others may work in winner-take-all markets, such that their effort to climb the ladder of success reduces the returns to others. We stress that pivotal tax-rate elasticities are not structural parameters, and will be smaller the broader and less plastic is the tax base and the more effective is the enforcement of tax evasion. For this reason, normative analysis of tax rates should be accompanied by attention to the tax base, with a special focus on capital gains, which comprise a large fraction of the taxable income of the superrich.