In-Contextual Bias Suppression for Large Language Models

Despite their impressive performance in a wide range of NLP tasks, Large Language Models (LLMs) have been reported to encode worrying-levels of gender bias. Prior work has proposed debiasing methods that require human labelled examples, data augmentation and fine-tuning of the LLMs, which are computationally costly. Moreover, one might not even have access to the internal parameters for performing debiasing such as in the case of commercially available LLMs such as GPT-4. To address this challenge we propose bias suppression, a novel alternative to debiasing that does not require access to model parameters. We show that text-based preambles, generated from manually designed templates covering counterfactual statements, can accurately suppress gender biases in LLMs. Moreover, we find that descriptive sentences for occupations can further suppress gender biases. Interestingly, we find that bias suppression has a minimal adverse effect on downstream task performance, while effectively mitigating the gender biases.Comment: 13 page

Konfigurering och ibruktagning av KNX system

Detta examensarbete behandlar grunderna i KNX samt programmering av KNX enheter med datorprogrammet ETS 4. I arbetet beskrivs hur KNX systemet fungerar, hur det är uppbyggt och de olika överföringsmedium som kan användas då KNX enheter kommunicerar. Jag beskriver också hur ETS 4 installeras på datorn och hur man kommer igång med programmeringen av KNX enheterna. Inför detta examensarbete har jag studerat en del av ABB:s KNX enheter samt deras funktioner och konfigurationsmöjligheter. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att skapa en liten handbok för hur ett KNX system är uppbyggt samt hur KNX enheterna programmeras med ETS 4.Tämä opinnäytetyö käsittelee KNX:n perusteita ja KNX-laitteiden ohjelmointia ETS 4 tietokoneohjelman avulla. Työssä kuvaillaan, miten KNX-järjestelmä toimii, millä tavalla se on rakennettu sekä mitä eri siirtomedioita voidaan käyttää KNX-laitteiden viestinnässä. Työssä kuvaillaan myös, miten ETS-ohjelma asennetaan tietokoneella ja miten päästään aloittamaan KNX-laitteiden ohjelmointi. Ennen tätä opinnäytetyötä kirjoittaja on opiskellut ABB:n KNX-laitteita sekä niiden toimintoja ja konfiguraatiomahdollisuuksia. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena on tehdä pieni käsikirja, joka kertoo, miten KNX- järjestelmä on rakennettu sekä millä tavalla KNX-laitteet ohjelmoidaan ETS 4:llä.In this thesis I deal with the basics of KNX as well as the programming of KNX devices with the computer software ETS 4. In the thesis I describe how the KNX system works, how it is built and the different communication media that are used for communication between KNX devices. I also describe how ETS 4 is installed on a personal computer and how to get started with the programming of the KNX devices. When preparing for this thesis I studied a part of ABB’s KNX devices, their functions as well as their configuration possibilities. The purpose of this thesis is to create a small manual that can be used to see how a KNX system is built and to check how KNX devices are programmed with ETS 4

Transformation of the Higher Education Policy-making Process in the 2010s: From Ministry-led to Executive-led Higher Education Policy

This book is composed of the results of the Higher Education Policy Research Project of the Japanese Association of Higher Education Research, which was proposed by the President of the Association, Masayuki Kobayashi, and was carried out by a group of researchers within the association under the leadership of board member Takashi HATA. Research on higher education policy-making has been one of the major topics of interest since the establishment of the Association. Indeed, the association’s mission statement declares, “the establishment of an academic society is becoming an ever more critical issue for promoting cooperation and exchanges among the researchers from different study fields, strengthening the theoretical and methodological basis of research, seeking further deepened and developed research, dissemination of the outcomes of this research and contribution to the solution of practical and policy-related challenges.” This research project aims to study the process of policy-making for higher education in Japan, which has changed rapidly in recent years. This change is occurring not only in Japan but also in Europe and the United States. In order to study from a global perspective, the research project was carried out with the participation of experts studying higher education in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, and new research results were produced through comparative higher education policy analysis. In the Higher Education Policy Project, members interviewed officials from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), and have been energetically studying the policy-making process, especially the relationship between the official residence and the MEXT. At the same time, they have analyzed the decision-making process of higher education policies in each country. We believe that research that examines the decision-making process of higher education policies in so many countries is unparalleled and offers an unprecedented contribution to higher education research.はじめに… 小林雅之 1 序章　高等教育政策決定過程の変容を探求する－研究の課題… 羽田貴史 3 第1章　2010年代高等教育政策決定過程の変容… 羽田貴史 9 第2章　高等教育政策にかかわる会議体とアクター… 丸山和昭 33 第3章　「高等教育の修学支援新制度」の形成過程－政治と官邸主導による新制度創設… 白川優治 51 第4章　高大接続改革への疑義… 荒井克弘 65 第5章　アメリカの高等教育政策決定過程と大統領府… 塙武郎 83 第6章　フランスの高等教育政策決定過程… 大場淳 97 第7章　イギリスの高等教育政策決定過程と首相官邸－証拠に基づく政策形成（EBPM）の仕組み… 田中正弘 109 おわりに… 羽田貴史 12

Comparison of Targeted vs Random Biopsies for Surveillance of Ulcerative Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer

Background & AimsA random biopsy is recommended for surveillance of ulcerative colitis (UC)-associated colorectal cancer. However, a targeted biopsy might be more effective. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to compare rates of neoplasia detection by targeted vs random biopsies in patients with UC.MethodsWe performed a study of 246 patients with UC for 7 years or more, seen at 52 institutions in Japan from October 1, 2008 through December 31, 2010. Patients were randomly assigned to the random group (4 random biopsies collected every 10 cm in addition to targeted biopsies, n = 122) or the target group (biopsies collected from locations of suspected neoplasia, n = 124). The primary end point was the number of neoplastic lesions detected in a single surveillance colonoscopy. We estimated the ratio and difference in the mean number of neoplastic lesions between the groups. We also evaluated the non-inferiority between the groups as an exploratory study. A non-inferiority margin of 0.65 (0.13 of 0.20) was considered for the ratio of the mean number of neoplastic lesions between groups.ResultsThe mean number of biopsies found to contain neoplastic tissue per colonoscopy was 0.211 (24 of 114) in the target group and 0.168 (18 of 107) in the random group (ratio of 1.251; 95% confidence interval, 0.679–2.306). The lower limit was above the non-inferiority margin of 0.65. Neoplasias were detected in 11.4% of patients in the target group and 9.3% of patients in the random group (P = .617). Larger numbers of biopsy samples per colonoscopy were collected in the random group (34.8 vs 3.1 in the target group; P < .001), and the total examination time was longer (41.7 vs 26.6 minutes in the target group; P < .001). In the random group, all neoplastic tissues found in random biopsies were collected from areas of the mucosa with a history or presence of inflammation.ConclusionsIn a randomized controlled trial, we found that targeted and random biopsies detect similar proportions of neoplasias. However, a targeted biopsy appears to be a more cost-effective method. Random biopsies from areas without any signs of present or past inflammation were not found to contain neoplastic tissues. Clinical Trial Registry: UMIN000001608

An interlaboratory study of TEX86 and BIT analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2009. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 10 (2009): Q03012, doi:10.1029/2008GC002221.Recently, two new proxies based on the distribution of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) were proposed, i.e., the TEX86 proxy for sea surface temperature reconstructions and the BIT index for reconstructing soil organic matter input to the ocean. In this study, fifteen laboratories participated in a round robin study of two sediment extracts with a range of TEX86 and BIT values to test the analytical reproducibility and repeatability in analyzing these proxies. For TEX86 the repeatability, indicating intra-laboratory variation, was 0.028 and 0.017 for the two sediment extracts or ±1–2°C when translated to temperature. The reproducibility, indicating among-laboratory variation, of TEX86 measurements was substantially higher, i.e., 0.050 and 0.067 or ±3–4°C when translated to temperature. The latter values are higher than those obtained in round robin studies of Mg/Ca and U37 k′ paleothermometers, suggesting the need to primarily improve compatibility between labs. The repeatability of BIT measurements for the sediment with substantial amounts of soil organic matter input was relatively small, 0.029, but reproducibility was large, 0.410. This large variance could not be attributed to specific equipment used or a particular data treatment. We suggest that this may be caused by the large difference in the molecular weight in the GDGTs used in the BIT index, i.e., crenarchaeol versus the branched GDGTs. Potentially, this difference gives rise to variable responses in the different mass spectrometers used. Calibration using authentic standards is needed to establish compatibility between labs performing BIT measurements

Prolonged varicella-zoster virus reinfection in an adult after unrelated cord blood transplantation

Most varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infections after cord blood transplantation (CBT) present as localized herpes zoster. Here, we report a case of VZV reinfection in an adult patient after CBT that appeared clinically to be varicella. A 50-year-old Japanese man underwent CBT for the management of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Seventeen months later, he developed a small number of vesicles with umbilicated centers. A skin biopsy showed an intraepidermal blister containing degenerated balloon cells. Subsequently, the skin eruption developed over his entire body. The patient was treated with intravenous acyclovir for 5 days, followed by oral valacyclovir for 9 days. It took more than 3 weeks for most of the skin lesions to scab. Serum levels of anti-VZV IgG on days 3 and 33 after the onset of the skin eruption were negative and 260 mIU/ml, respectively. Serum anti-VZV IgM on days 3 and 33 was not detected. Our patient was diagnosed with VZV reinfection