84 research outputs found
Interpretable Distribution-Invariant Fairness Measures for Continuous Scores
Measures of algorithmic fairness are usually discussed in the context of
binary decisions. We extend the approach to continuous scores. So far,
ROC-based measures have mainly been suggested for this purpose. Other existing
methods depend heavily on the distribution of scores, are unsuitable for
ranking tasks, or their effect sizes are not interpretable. Here, we propose a
distributionally invariant version of fairness measures for continuous scores
with a reasonable interpretation based on the Wasserstein distance. Our
measures are easily computable and well suited for quantifying and interpreting
the strength of group disparities as well as for comparing biases across
different models, datasets, or time points. We derive a link between the
different families of existing fairness measures for scores and show that the
proposed distributionally invariant fairness measures outperform ROC-based
fairness measures because they are more explicit and can quantify significant
biases that ROC-based fairness measures miss. Finally, we demonstrate their
effectiveness through experiments on the most commonly used fairness benchmark
datasets
Semantic Shopping: A Literature Study
The digitalization of the economy and society overall has a significant impact on customersâ shopping behavior. After being conditioned by experiences in entertainment or simple Internet search, customers increasingly expect that a smart shopping assistant understands his/her shopping intentions and transfers these to shopping recommendations. Thus, the emerging opportunity in this context is to facilitate an intention-based shopping experience similar to the way semantic search engines provide responses to enquiries. In order to progress this new area, we differentiate alternative types of shopping intentions to provide the first set of conversation patterns. Grounded in the Speech Act Theory and a structured literature review, semantic shopping is defined and different types of shopping intentions are deduced
Mastering Omni-Channel Retailing Challenges with Industry 4.0 Concepts
Omni-Channel Management is an important trend, which allows retailers to improve customer experiences. Notwithstanding, entirely seamless integration of all channels, for example, in terms of customer or pricing data or consistent product offerings, is still a challenging endeavor. Technological developments, such as Industry 4.0 (I4.0), lead to innovation opportunities in the production industry. As there are intersections between I4.0 and Omni-Channel retailing, we propose that prominent Omni-Channel retailing challenges can be overcome by integrating knowledge from both research domains. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to investigate, which I4.0 concepts are utilized in scientific literature to overcome challenges and how these concepts can be transferred to Omni-Channel Management. To make this knowledge tangible for retailers, this article deduces opportunities on the application of I4.0 concepts in Omni-Channel retailing. The results show that especially IoT networks offer numerous deployment options and even Cyber-Physical Systems and Smart Factories provide related potentials
Smart Service Systems in Manufacturing: An Investigation of Theory and Practice
The digitalization has put forward numerous devices dubbed as âsmartâ. This development can be observed throughout the entire value chain and across industries with fundamental implications on the co-creation of value. In order to structure this phenomenon, the service science discipline conceptualized so-called smart service systems. This article transfers the theoretical conceptualization into the domain of manufacturing. To assess the state of research on smart services in manufacturing, a structured literature review is performed. As the transfer from a general conceptualization into a concrete domain calls for a more practice-oriented approach, we support our literature study through in-depth interviews with a leading automation technology provider. By interpreting the domain as a smart service system, five barriers to adoption in practice are identified and discussed regarding their implications for research
A Procedure Model for Integrating Retailers into Digital Platforms
The integration into digital platforms is a vital countermeasure for retailers to counter rising customer expectations, emerging competition, and rapid technological developments. To break down the behemoth of integration projects into smaller steps, we synthesized a procedure model incorporating requirements from scientific literature and practice. We applied design science research to derive a well-structured and scientifically sound artifact that was evaluated in eleven interviews with practitioners. Our analysis revealed that integrating retailers into digital platforms can be standardized for different types and depths following specific guidelines outlined in the proposed procedure model of this work. Furthermore, the integration shows many similarities to other domains, especially when considering small- and medium-sized organisations. However, there are some peculiarities for retailers that could rationalize a distinct view on the integration
Implantable loop recorders in patients with unexplained syncope: Clinical predictors of pacemaker implantation
Background: Implantable loop recorders (ILR) are a valuable tool for the investigation of unexplained syncopal episodes. The aim of this retrospective single center study was to identify predictive factors for pacemaker implantation in patients with unexplained syncope who underwent ILR insertion.
Methods: One hundred six patients were retrospectively analyzed (mean age 59.1 years; 47.2% male) with unexplained syncope and negative conventional testing who underwent ILR implantation. The pri- mary study endpoint was detection of symptomatic or asymptomatic bradycardia requiring pacemaker implantation.Â
Results: The average follow-up period after ILR implantation was 20 ± 15 months. Pacemaker im- plantation according to current guidelines was necessary in 22 (20.8%) patients, mean duration until index bradycardia was 81 ± 88 (2â350) days. Ten (45.5%) patients received a pacemaker due to sinus arrest, 7 (31.8%) patients due to third-degree atrioventricular block, 2 (9.1%) patients due to second- degree atrioventricular block and 1 (4.5%) patient due to atrial fibrillation with a slow ventricular rate. Three factors remained significant in multivariate analysis: obesity, which defined by a body mass index above 30 kg/m2 (OR: 7.39, p = 0.014), a right bundle branch block (OR: 9.40, p = 0.023) and chronic renal failure as defined by a glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min (OR: 6.42, p = 0.035).
Conclusions: Bradycardia is a frequent finding in patients undergoing ILR implantation due to un- explained syncope. Obesity, right bundle branch block and chronic renal failure are independent clinical predictors of pacemaker implantation
The contemporary "Trojan Horse"
Pathogens frequently associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) phenotypes,
including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae
(ESBL-E) and Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from horses admitted to horse
clinics, pose a risk for animal patients and personnel in horse clinics. To
estimate current rates of colonization, a total of 341 equine patients were
screened for carriage of zoonotic indicator pathogens at hospital admission.
Horses showing clinical signs associated with colic (n = 233) or open wounds
(n = 108) were selected for microbiological examination of nostril swabs,
faecal samples and wound swabs taken from the open wound group. The results
showed alarming carriage rates of Gram-negative MDR pathogens in equine
patients: 10.7% (34 of 318) of validated faecal specimens were positive for
ESBL-E (94%: ESBL-producing Escherichia coli), with recorded rates of 10.5%
for the colic and 11% for the open wound group. 92.7% of the ESBL-producing E.
coli were phenotypically resistant to three or more classes of antimicrobials.
A. baumannii was rarely detected (0.9%), and all faecal samples investigated
were negative for Salmonella, both directly and after two enrichment steps.
Screening results for the equine nostril swabs showed detection rates for
ESBL-E of 3.4% among colic patients and 0.9% in the open wound group, with an
average rate of 2.6% (9/340) for both indications. For all 41 ESBL-producing
E. coli isolated, a broad heterogeneity was revealed using pulsed-field gel
electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns and whole genome sequencing (WGS) -analysis.
However, a predominance of sequence type complex (STC)10 and STC1250 was
observed, including several novel STs. The most common genes associated with
ESBL-production were identified as blaCTX-M-1 (31/41; 75.6%) and blaSHV-12
(24.4%). The results of this study reveal a disturbingly large fraction of
multi-drug resistant and ESBL-producing E. coli among equine patients, posing
a clear threat to established hygiene management systems and work-place safety
of veterinary staff in horse clinics
Serials Spoken HereâReports of Conferences, Institutes and Seminars
This quarter's column offers a report from the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline Lodge, held May 14â17, 2016, in Timberline Lodge, Oregon, and also provides coverage of multiple sessions from the Kraemer Copyright Conference, held June 6â7, 2016, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Some reports are collected, as well, from the NASIG Annual Conference, held June 9â12, 2016, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, held June 23â28, 2016, in Orlando, Florida. Lastly, there is a report from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress, held August 13â19, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. Topics covered include open access, linked data, copyright, text mining, e-resource management, and digitization
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