Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Formal statistical analysis of the data in disparate impact cases provides sounder inferences than the U . S . government ’ s ‘ four-fifths ’ rule : an examination of the statistical evidence in Ricci v

Many countries have fair employment laws to protect racial, gender, religious or ethnic minorities from discrimination and courts in the USA can order remedies such as one out of every three new hires should be a member of a protected group after finding an employer discriminated. What steps can an employer undertake to ensure its employment practices do not disadvantage minorities when it does not need to comply with a court order? This issue arose in Ricci v. DeStefano , a ‘reverse discrimination’ case under review by the U.S. Supreme Court. Seventeen Whites and 1 Hispanic who achieved sufficiently high scores qualifying them for promotion to lieutenant or captain of the New Haven Fire Department sued the city because it cancelled the examinations af er eeing that no African American could be appointed to an existingvacancy. The City of New Haven justified its action on the basis that both examinations had a disparate impact on African Americans and Hispanics because the ratios of their pass rates to that of Whites were less than 80%, contrary to a ‘rule of thumb’ in the government’s Uniform Guidelines. The city did not conduct statistical tests, which are referred to in the guidelines. The lower courts accepted New Haven’s explanation and granted summary judgement to it. A statistical study of the various criteria considered by the city and lower courts in their review of the data demonstrates that nearly 70% of the time a fair non-discriminatory test for eitherposition will fail the government’s ‘80% rule’ and at least 60% of the time both fair tests would fail this ‘four-fifths rule’. Since the city created a new criterion after seeing the results, it is difficult to formulate precisely the other ‘rare’ or ‘unusual’ outcomes that would lead to cancellation of the examination. Would New Haven reject a list withno Hispanics orno Whites eligible for an immediate promotion? Would it require that all three groups be represented in the pool eligible for advancement to eachposition? From the viewpoint of statistical theory, the hypothesis being tested and the definition of pass or selection rates that will be compared should be decided beforeexamining the data. Formal statistical tests on several relevant pass rates show that the lieutenant examination had a disparate impact on minority applicants, but the differences in the pass rates on the captain examination were not close to statistical significance. Furthermore, when the city cancelled both examinations, it only focused on the demographic mix of the high scorers who could receive an immediatepromotion and ignored the 2-year life cycle of the list. Neither likely retirements nor job turnover during the 2-year life cycle
Facilitate Knowledge Communications in Multimedia e-learning Environments

With current multimedia information management techniques, the knowledge communications among users in multimedia e-Learning environments are still limited at a relative low single type media servicing level. New developments in multimedia knowledge discovery, representation and integration are needed to improve the intelligence of the knowledge management and communications at the semantic level. This paper proposes a novel contextual knowledge management framework to improve the current isolated learning information retrieval and communication status, by enabling flexible knowledge representation beyond heterogeneous multimedia learning resources and facilitating multilevel knowledge communications between instructors and learners. Based on knowledge communication model analysis in university e-Learning environments, a contextual knowledge representation model is presented. Corresponding knowledge retrieval techniques are discussed afterwards. To demonstrate the proposed concepts and techniques, a case study in a virtual scenario-based learning environment shows how the presented framework works with existing e-Learning content description standards and multimedia information retrieval techniques, and consequently enables a semantic-based interactive learning environment.
Asthma Management Application for Consumers: Nudging as a Feature

Asthma is a serious global health problem and can be seen in all age groups and a number of asthma management applications have been created aiming to increase self-management. The aim of this paper is to identify nudg-ing strategy for the asthma management application based on the context awareness. Nudging feature is proposed to increase the self-management, patient engagement, and symptoms control. The final proposed application was implemented from a theoretical perspective.
The machine that changed the world : based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5-million dollar 5-year study on the future of the automobile

This book is based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 5-million-dollar 5-year study on the future of the automobile. Designated the International Motor Vehicle Program (IMVP), the MIT study explored the differences between mass production and lean production in the automobile industry. Lean production, pioneered by Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno at the Toyota Motor Company in Japan, combines the advantages of craft and mass production, while avoiding the high cost of the former and the rigidity of the latter. Toward this end, lean producers employ teams of multiskilled workers at all levels of the organization and use highly flexible, increasingly automated machines to produce volumes of products in enormous variety. Lean production (a term coined by IMVP researcher John Krafcik) is "lean" because it uses less of everything compared with mass production. Also, it requires keeping far less than half the needed inventory on site, results in many fewer defects, and produces a greater and ever growing variety of products. Lean production changes how people work. Most will find their jobs more challenging and will become more productive, but, at the same time, they may find their work more stressful. Lean production calls for learning far more professional skills (than in mass production) and applying these creatively in a team setting (rather than a rigid hierarchy). This book is organized in three sections. The first, "The Origins of Lean Production," traces the evolution of lean production. The second, "The Elements of Lean Production," looks at how lean production works in factory operations, product development, supply-system coordination, customer relations and as a total lean enterprise. Finally, in the third section, "Diffusing Lean Production," the authors examine how lean production is spreading across the world and to other industries and, in the process, is revolutionizing how people live and work. Also examined are the barriers that are preventing companies and countries from becoming lean. Creative ways leanness can be achieved are suggested.
Gluten-Free Bread Enriched with Vegetable Flours

The effects of different vegetable flours (broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, fennel, zucchini and mushroom) added to gluten-free bread on sensory quality, antioxidant properties and glycemic response were assessed. Among the vegetable flours, the addition of fennel flour significantly improved sensory bread quality. Artichoke flour has the highest phenolic (26.51 ± 1.92 mg/g dw) and flavonoid content (26.43 ± 1.93 mg/g dw). Even though the content of total phenol and flavonoids in vegetable flours was higher when compared to supplemented bread, the addition of artichoke and zucchini flours increased the total phenolic and flavonoid content and improved antioxidant activity. The incorporation of high level of vegetable flours (15%) also decreased the glycemic index of bread, in particular with artichoke and zucchini flours (59 ± 1.21 and 62 ± 0.49, respectively). To sum up, the results are very interesting because the addition of vegetable flours into gluten-free bread can improve nutritional and sensory properties of bread.
Surface formation rates and impact crater densities on Venus

Impact crater density has been used to estimate relative ages of major Venus geologic units, typically based on the assumption of short, globally synchronous formation periods. The total number density of craters is the only parameter which may be quantified for most Venus subregions, in contrast to the size-frequency analysis often used for other planetary studies. This paper examines the statistical limits on such crater counts and the predicted crater density for various possible time-varying surface formation rate functions. These results show that (1) the true mean crater density is poorly constrained due to the limited sample size provided by aggregate geologic units, and (2) any given crater density can be accommodated by a very short pulse of unit formation at some age T, Gaussian-distributed formation functions of mean age <T, exponential functions with initiation ages between T and 2T, or a host of other more complicated rate functions. These results, when coupled with the unknown rate of crater removal by tectonic or volcanic activity, indicate that the crater counts for specific landforms on Venus offer little constraint on the relative timing or duration of their development. The hypothesis of globally synchronous formation of landforms such as volcanoes or coronae cannot be validated with the available crater data.
The relationship between stock market development and macroeconomic fundamentals in the Visegrad Group Comparative

This study examines the effect of specific macroeconomic factors on the stock prices of selected financial sector companies listed on the Central European Exchanges (Budapest Stock Exchange, Prague Stock Exchange, Bratislava Stock Exchange, or Warsaw Stock Exchange). We investigate the nature of the causal relationships between macroeconomic factors and stock prices. The long‐term causality, tested using the Johansen cointegration test, and the short‐run dynamics between the variables, examined using the VECM model, are explored using quarterly data from the 2005–2014 period. The short‐term causality shows the possibility of time series fluctuations; however a steady state should be achieved in the long‐term. In general, we confirmed that macroeconomic fundamentals had a negative impact on stock prices. The interest rate, which also has a negative impact, is the most prominent predictor of the long‐run developments. We also found very rare examples of macroeconomic variables that explain changes in stock prices within the VECM framework.
Communication In Situ Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of ' 5 N Pulse Labels Monitors Different Routes for Nitrogen Assimilation 1

Nuclear magnetic resonance offers the possibility of noninvasive in situ observation of 15N pulse labeling in the presence of light. In vivo, exclusively the 5-nitrogen of Gin is labeled in the cyanobacterium Microcystis firma when glutamate synthase is inhibited by azaserine. In contrast, the green alga Chlorella fusca is additionally capable of incorporating nitrogen into Glu, thus providing evidence for an anabolic function of glutamate dehydrogenase in this organism. of pulse labels under aerobic, dark conditions were reported for spruce buds (16) and cell suspension cultures of carrots (12). The aim of the present work was to develop further the in vivo "5N NMR studies by following the assimilation of ammonia in photoautotrophic microorganisms under photosynthetic conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental search for the origin of low-energy modes in topological materials

Point-contact spectroscopy of several non-superconducting topological materials reveals a low temperature phase transition that is characterized by a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-type of criticality. We find such a behavior of differential conductance for topological surfaces of non-magnetic and magnetic Pb$_{1-y-x}$Sn$_y$Mn$_x$Te. We examine a possible contribution from superconducting nanoparticles, and show to what extent our data are consistent with Brzezicki's et al. theory [arXiv:1812.02168], assigning the observations to a collective state adjacent to atomic steps at topological surfaces.
Quantique ? Alors c'est géométrique.

Jean-Marie Souriau propose une lecture geometrique de la mecanique quantique a travers la notion de groupe. Il montre notamment comment ce point de vue permet de faire apparaitre les probabilites, generes par les groupes eux-memes. Le principe epistemologique qui guide cette interpretation est le suivant : a la source de chaque systeme dynamique (auxquels Souriau donne le simple nom de "choses"), il y a l'action d'un groupe.
Comparing bevacizumab and ranibizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration : a meta-analysis of noninferiority randomized controlled trials

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is the main cause of blindness in populations aged over 50 years old. The objective of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy and safety of off-label use of bevacizumab with licensed ranibizumab for the treatment of nAMD. Five noninferiority randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing bevacizumab with ranibizumab for treatment of nAMD were included. Three reviewers independently extracted data. Data on efficacy and safety outcomes were collected. Pooled risk ratios, weighted mean difference (WMD), and associated 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. There were 1,346 patients in the bevacizumab group and 1,392 patients in the ranibizumab group. There were no significant differences between the two drugs in the change of BCVA (WMD=-0.63; 95% CI, -1.72 to 0.46, P=0.26). The mean difference was -0.63 letters with a lower limit in the 95% CI of -1.72 letters. This lower bound was above all the noninferiority margins chosen in the RCTs (-3.5 to -5). Bevacizumab was more effective in reducing central retinal thickness than ranibizumab (WMD=11.14; 95% CI, 2.12 to 20.15, P=0.02). The pooled risk ratios comparing the incidences of death, arteriothrombotic events, venous thrombotic events, ≥ 1 serious systemic events, and ocular adverse events were not statistically different. The pooled evidence confirmed that bevacizumab is non-inferior to ranibizumab for treatment of nAMD. However, bevacizumab tended to have better anatomical outcome. There was no difference in adverse events between the two drugs. Further trials are still needed to strengthen results because of the limited number of studies.
Differential Expression of Proteins in Datong Yak and Chaidamu Yellow Cattle Longissimus lumborum Muscles and Relation to Meat Water Holding Capacity

We investigated that proteins differently expressed in Datong Yak and Chaidamu Yellow Cattle Longissimus longurum muscles and their relation to tissue water-holding capacity. Samples were classified according to breed and postmortem aging into Yak0h, Cattle0h, Yak24h and Cattle24h groups. Fifty seven differentially expressed proteins were confirmed by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS. Twenty eight proteins could be identified and were divided into five main categories: structural proteins, metabolic enzymes, stress related proteins, transporter proteins and binding proteins. Myosin light chain (MLC), Heat Shock 27kDa (HSP 27) and Keratin 10 (KRT 10) proteins showed significant differences in expression between yak and cattle meat and may have the potential to be used as biological markers of tissue WHC. Bioinformatics analysis showed differentially these proteins included both metabolic enzymes and structural proteins. The functions of the identified proteins contribute to a more detailed molecular view of the processes behind WHC and are a valuable resource for future investigations.
NLP based Optimization Technique for Performance Improvement of knn

Conventional techniques such as spatial inverted index used for nearest neighbor search extends the conventional inverted index to cope with multidimensional data, and also able to answer the nearest neighbor queries with keywords in real time, which, as shown in this paper, has a few deficiencies that seriously impact its performance. Motivated by this, I develop a new access method based on natural language processing that improves the performance of k nearest neighbor search.
A Study on Green Product and Innovation for Sustainable Development

Green technology is potentially important concept which plays a role to achieve the global sustainable development. Today the world needs a new serious innovation, which would lead for a better environment. The basic objective of the study is to realize the requirement of innovative green products for today’s global market and also try to identify the negative impact of non-green products. For the purpose of the study, a particular city (Coimbatore city –Tamil Nadu State) has been selected, collected required data from various available resources, analysed with suitable statistical methods and identified facts. The study reveals that the so called green products or organic products has more positive impact to the mankind’s and helps to eradicate certain issues pertaining to green technology. It helps for the sustainable development. The study also throws a light on future research opportunities.
Verifying Information Flow Security in Visibly Pushdown Automata ?

Information flow control is an important area in computer security. It aims at restricting what a low level observer can deduce from his observations about high level system behavior. We investigate the problem of verifying possibilistic information flow properties for visibly pushdown automata. Such properties can be expressed by Basic Security Predicates (BSPs) in the Modular Assembly Kit for Security [15]. They are, however, known to be undecidable for context free languages [8]. The class of visibly pushdown languages (VPLs) [2] lies between regular and deterministic context free languages. Still, VPLs share many desirable properties with the class of regular languages. In addition, they allow for model checking non-regular properties like stack inspection or preand post-conditions. Assuming a low level observable stack, we show in this paper how BSPs can be automatically verified for VPLs. In a second step, we extend this result to intransitive information flow properties.
Bias in Filter-Based Aerosol Light Absorption Measurements Due to Organic Aerosol Loading: Evidence from Laboratory Measurements

Light absorption by soot or nigrosin dye aerosol particles were measured in the laboratory using a particle soot absorption photometer (PSAP) and a photo-acoustic spectrometer (PAS) to assess the influence of non-absorbing organic aerosol (OA) on the PSAP measurements. For the PSAP, particle light absorption is measured after collection on a filter, whereas for the PAS light absorption is measured while the particles remain suspended in the gas phase. OA was generated from the reaction of α -pinene with ozone. It was observed that the presence of this OA in an external mixture of absorbing aerosol and OA can cause an increase in the light absorption measured by the PSAP, relative to that measured by the PAS, by more than a factor of two. This enhancement in the PSAP absorption was found to increase as the amount of OA increased relative to the absorbing compound. Additionally, experiments where absorbing aerosol was deposited on a PSAP filter prior to addition of OA demonstrated that the non-absorbing OA can actually appear as if it were absorbing, with measured single scattering albedo values as low as 0.92. These results indicate that filter-based measurement techniques may significantly overestimate light absorption by aerosols in the atmosphere under conditions where the organic loading is large, with consequent implications for understanding and calculating the Earth's radiation budget. These laboratory experiments aid in the interpretation of results from a recent field study, discussed in a companion article (Lack et al. 2008).
Improving Driver Emotions with Affective Strategies

Drivers in negative emotional states, such as anger or sadness, are prone to perform bad at driving, decreasing overall road safety for all road users. Recent advances in affective computing, however, allow for the detection of such states and give us tools to tackle the connected problems within automotive user interfaces. We see potential in building a system which reacts upon possibly dangerous driver states and influences the driver in order to drive more safely. We compare different interaction approaches for an affective automotive interface, namely Ambient Light, Visual Notification, a Voice Assistant, and an Empathic Assistant. Results of a simulator study with 60 participants (30 each with induced sadness/anger) indicate that an emotional voice assistant with the ability to empathize with the user is the most promising approach as it improves negative states best and is rated most positively. Qualitative data also shows that users prefer an empathic assistant but also resent potential paternalism. This leads us to suggest that digital assistants are a valuable platform to improve driver emotions in automotive environments and thereby enable safer driving.
A Spectrum Tree Kernel

Learning from tree-structured data has received increasing interest with the rapid growth of tree-encodable data in the World Wide Web, in biology, and in other areas. Our kernel function measures the similarity between two trees by counting the number of shared sub-patterns called tree q-grams, and runs, in effect, in linear time with respect to the number of tree nodes. We apply our kernel function with a support vector machine (SVM) to classify biological data, the glycans of several blood components. The experimental results show that our kernel function performs as well as one exclusively tailored to glycan properties.
INTERRELATIONSHIPS AMONG HIPPOCAMPAL THETA ACTIVITY, VISUAL EVOKED RESPONSE AND RAPID EYE MOVEMENT DURING PARADOXICAL SLEEP IN RATS1

Visual evoked response (VER) to flash was averaged at the occipital cortex during paradoxical sleep (PS) in rats. The peak-to-peak amplitude with about 30 to 80 msec latency decreased as rapid eye movement (REM) rates during PS increased. Theta frequency increased with REM rates but there was no clear relationship between VER amplitude and theta frequency when no REM occurred. Further, after the medial septal lesions which abolished hippocampal theta activity, the relationship between the VER amplitude and REM rates remained while the VER amplitude, as a whole, was enhanced. Thus cortical VER may be assumed to be controlled by two inhibitory systems associated with (a) REM and (b) hippocampal theta activity. Usually they are highly related but may function independently at least in rats.