Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars. I. Chemical Compositions of 26 Stars

The chemical compositions of 26 metal-poor stars that exhibit strong CH and/or C2 molecular bands are determined. Twenty-two stars in our sample satisfy our definition for carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) stars based on the carbon abundance ratio ([C/Fe]) and the evolutionary status. In addition, we measure Na abundances for nine known carbon-enhanced stars. Combining our new sample with the results of previous work, we investigate the abundance and evolutionary status of a total of 64 CEMP stars. The following results are obtained: (1) All but one of the 37 stars with [Fe/H] ≥ -2.6 exhibit large excesses of barium ([Ba/Fe] > +0.5), while the other 27 stars with lower metallicity exhibit a large scatter in their barium abundance ratios (-1.2 < [Ba/Fe] < +3.3). (2) A correlation between the carbon and barium abundance ratios ([C/Fe] and [Ba/Fe]) is found in Ba-enhanced objects (comprising 54 stars), suggesting that the origin of the observed carbon excess in Ba-enhanced stars is nucleosynthesis in AGB stars, where the main s-process occurs. (3) The majority of the Ba-enhanced stars have -1.0 < [C/H] < 0.0, and a clear cutoff exists at [C/H] ~ 0, which we take as the limit of carbon enrichment by metal-poor AGB stars. The [C/H] values of Ba-normal stars are relatively low, with a wide distribution. (4) The difference in the distributions of evolutionary status between Ba-enhanced and Ba-normal CEMP stars suggested by our previous work is not statistically confirmed by the present, enlarged sample. (5) Excesses of Na are found in stars with extremely large enhancements of C, N, and Ba, suggesting efficient production of this element by AGB nucleosynthesis. The implications of these results on the origins of carbon in CEMP stars are discussed.
Distorted Information : Evidence from Quality Signals in School Markets ⇤

When information in a market is distorted, choices will potentially be ine cient. We study educational markets in Chile, where school quality is signaled using test scores. We show that quality signals are distorted due to di↵erences in student attendance the day of the test, which translates into misleading information used by parents when choosing schools. We then estimate a school choice model and show that a low-cost information policy that eliminates distortions has positive and non-trivial e↵ects on welfare.
Integrating gender considerations in rice research for development in Africa

(eds M.C.S. Wopereis et al.) 343 crop in others, while in many places, the gender pattern for rice cultivation is complex. In spite of the active involvement of both men and women in rice farming, processing and marketing, the overall research-for-development agenda has not always fully appreciated or considered the gender perspective (Poats, 1991). Consequently, the technologies and knowledge generated through rice research may not have reached the women end-users. A gender perspective needs to be integrated into agriculture – specifically in rice research for development – as a strategic pathway towards sustainable and effective rice development in Africa.
Intra-Industry Trade and the Single Market: Quality Matters

Analysing data on values and unit values of bilateral trade flows at a very detailed level (some 10,000 product items), we examine the nature of intra-EC trade over the period 1980-94, identify its general determinants and then estimate the specific impact of the Single European Market programme. Trade patterns are identified by breaking up total trade into three trade types: one-way (i.e. inter-'industry') trade, two-way (i.e. intra-'industry') trade in horizontally differentiated products, and two-way trade in vertically differentiated products. One of the main findings is that the observed increase in intra-'industry' trade in Europe is almost entirely due to two-way trade in vertical differentiation: thus, the 1980-94 period is characterized by a increasing specialization of countries along ranges of qualities within products, suggesting a 'qualitatively' division of labour in Europe. General determinants as well as direct and indirect effects of the single market in this evolution are assessed with an econometric model integrating country, industry and integration variables. We conclude that the first years of the Single market have neither validated the optimistic scenario entailed in ex-ante studies, nor led to a more pronounced inter-industry specialization of European members potentially associated with cohesion costs. Adjustments have taken place within industries, on the quality spectrum.
A Report to the Federal Office of Road Safety on the THE EFFECT OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE

This study investigates how visual impairment affects driving performance and whether this can be predicted by visual testin! in a clinic. Visual impairment [cataracts, visual field restriction and monocular vision) was simulated for a group of young normal subjects. Driving performance was assessed (on a closed road circuit) by measuring peripheral awareness, manoeuvring, reversing, reaction times, speed estimation, road positioning and time to complete the course. Subjects function was assessed by measurement using a visuai search and localisation measure, a divided attention reaction time completed a questionnaire of their own perception of their driving performance under conditions of visual impairment. Visual the greatest detriment to driving performance followed by binocular visual field restriction, even though drivers would have measure, and measurement of visual acuity for low contrast letters, using the Pelli-Robson charts. Simulated cataracts cause passed the vision test employed by the driving licence Authorities. The monocular condition did not significantly affect drivin performance for any of the driving tasks assessed. Visual impairment significantly reduced visual search ability and increasec would assist in the appropriate licensing of drivers. reaction time. Visual impairment also increased low contrast visual acuity. There is a strong indication that these visual test! Summary In modern society, driving is important for participation in many daily activities and may be regarded as an essential component for maintenance of independence. To deny a person the right to drive imposes a significant limitation on that person, and for the elderly will often be the first compromise to their autonomy. The colnnlunity is aging. Long term projections estimate a 100% increase in people aged 65 years and over. The incidence of visual impaimlent increases with age, thus over the next decade the number of persons with visual impairment applying for license renewal will increase. This is important as it has been suggested that vision comprises the major sensory input for driving. How the changing characteristics of the driving population, particularly visual characteristics, will affect road systems is as yet unknown. The aim of the study was to investigate how visual impairment affects driving performance and whether this can be predicted by visual testing in a clinic. Visual impairment was simulated for a group of young nomlal subjects. The subjects wore goggles designed to simulate the effects of cataracts, visual field restriction and monocular vision. Given an imposed visual impairment, driving perfomlance could only be assessed on a closed road circuit. …
Deposit Insurance, Regulation, and Moral Hazard in the Thrift Industry: Evidence from the 1930's

This paper compares risk-taking of insured.and uninsured thrifts operating under strict and less-strict regulatory regimes during the 1930's. Analysis of balance-sheet data indicates that while newly insured thrifts undertook less risk than their uninsured counterparts, possibly because of screening by deposit-insurance authorities, moral hazard emerged gradually. Insured institutions operating under relatively permissive regulatory regimes were more prone to undertake risky lending activities than their more tightly regulated counterparts, possibly because of screening by deposit-insurance authorities, moral hazard emerged gradually. Insured institutions operating under relatively premissive regulatory regimes were more prone to undertake risky lending activities than their more tightly regulated counterparts. Given the current system of deposit insurance, the results suggest that effective regulation and supervision will play a key role in maintaining thrift stability in the 1990s. Copyright 1992 by American Economic Association.
Nonmetastatic Ewing family tumors: high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue in poor responder patients. Results of the Italian Sarcoma Group/Scandinavian Sarcoma Group III protocol.

BACKGROUND High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) was added to conventional chemotherapy in Ewing sarcoma family tumor (EFT) patients, poor responders (PRs) to induction chemotherapy in order to improve their survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients aged ≤40 years with nonmetastatic Ewing sarcoma (ES) received vincristine (V), doxorubicin (A), cyclofosfamide (C), actinomycin (Ac), ifosfamide (I) and etoposide (E) (VACAc-IE regimen) as induction chemotherapy. As maintenance treatment, good responders (GR) received nine cycles of VACAc-IE regimen. PRs received three cycles of VAC-IE, mobilizing cycle with CE and HDT with Busulfan and Melphalan with stem cell support. RESULTS Three hundred patients [median age 15 years (3-40 years)] entered the study. One patient refused local treatment, 242 (81%) underwent surgery [with radiotherapy (RT) in 80] and 57 (19%) RT alone. No toxic deaths were recorded. Overall GR were 146 (49%). Twenty-eight PR did not receive HDT. At a median follow-up of 64 months (21-116 months), 5-year overall and event-free survival (EFS) were 75% and 69%, respectively. Five-year EFS was 75% for GR, 72% for PR treated with HDT and 33% for PR who did not receive HDT. CONCLUSIONS High-dose therapy added to the VACA-IE regimen in PR patients is feasible and effective. Selected groups of patients with ES can benefit from HDT.
Entrainment to Video Displays in Primary Visual Cortex of Macaque and Humans

Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) display images refreshed at high frequency, and the temporal waveform of each pixel is a luminance impulse only a few milliseconds long. Although humans are perceptually oblivious to this flicker, we show in V1 in macaque monkeys and in humans that extracellularly recorded action potentials (spikes) and visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) align with the video impulses, particularly when high-contrast stimuli are viewed. Of 91 single units analyzed in macaque with a 60 Hz video refresh, 29 cells (32%) significantly locked their firing to a uniform luminance display, but their number increased to 75 (82%) when high-contrast stimuli were shown. Of 92 cells exposed to a 100 Hz refresh, 21 (23%) significantly phase locked to high-contrast stimuli. Phase locking occurred in both input and output layers of V1 for simple and complex cells, regardless of preferred temporal frequency. VEPs recorded in humans showed significant phase locking to the video refresh in all seven observers. Like the monkey neurons, human VEPs more typically phase locked to stimuli containing spatial contrast than to spatially uniform stimuli. Phase locking decreased when the refresh rate was increased. Thus in humans and macaques phase locking to the high strobe frequency of a CRT is enhanced by a salient spatial pattern, although the perceptual impact is uncertain. We note that a billion people worldwide manage to watch TV without obvious distortion of their visual perception despite extraordinary phase locking of their V1s to a 50 or 60 Hz signal.
Linux containers networking: Performance and scalability of kernel modules

Linux container virtualisation is gaining momentum as lightweight technology to support cloud and distributed computing. Applications relying on container architectures might at times rely on inter-container communication, and container networking solutions are emerging to address this need. Containers can be networked together as part of an overlay network, or with actual links from the container to the network via kernel modules. Most overlay solutions are not quite production ready yet; on the other hand kernel modules that can link a container to the network are much more mature. We benchmarked three kernel modules: veth, macvlan and ipvlan, to quantify their respective raw TCP and UDP performance and scalability. Our results show that the macvlan kernel module outperforms all other solutions in raw performance. All kernel modules seem to provide sufficient scalability to be deployed effectively in multi-containers environments.
Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) Is Necessary for the Correct Migration of Cortical Interneurons

Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is a prominent susceptibility gene for major psychiatric disorders. Previous work indicated that DISC1 plays an important role during neuronal proliferation and differentiation in the cerebral cortex and that it affects the positioning of radial migrating pyramidal neurons. Here we show that in mice, DISC1 is necessary for the migration of the cortical interneurons generated in the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). RT-PCR, in situ hybridizations, and immunocytochemical data revealed expression of DISC1 transcripts and protein in MGE-derived cells. To study the possible functional role of DISC1 during tangential migration, we performed in utero and ex utero electroporation to suppress DISC1 in the MGE in vivo and in vitro. Results indicate that after DISC1 knockdown, the proportion of tangentially migrating MGE neurons that reached their cortical target was strongly reduced. In addition, there were profound alterations in the morphology of DISC1-deficient neurons, which exhibited longer and less branched leading processes than control cells. These findings provide a possible link between clinical studies reporting alterations of cortical interneurons in schizophrenic patients and the current notion of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Knowledge Discovery for Pareto Based Multiobjective Optimization in Simulation

We present a novel knowledge discovery approach for automatic feasible design space approximation and parameter optimization in arbitrary multiobjective blackbox simulations. Our approach does not need any supervision of simulation experts. Usually simulation experts conduct simulation experiments for a predetermined system specification by manually reducing the complexity and number of simulation runs by varying input parameters through educated assumptions and according to prior defined goals. This leads to a error-prone trial-and-error approach for determining suitable parameters for successful simulations.In contrast, our approach autonomously discovers unknown relationships in model behavior and approximates the feasible design space. Furthermore, we show how Pareto gradient information can be obtained from this design space approximation for state-of-the-art optimization algorithms. Our approach gains its efficiency from a novel spline-based sampling of the parameter space in combination within novel forest-based simulation dataflow analysis. We have applied our new method to several artificial and real-world scenarios and the results show that our approach is able to discover relationships between parameters and simulation goals. Additionally, the computed multiobjective solutions are close to the Pareto front.
Crowdsourcing Preference Tests, and How to Detect Cheating

We describe an approach to crowdsource the evaluation of TTS systems by preference tests and report on lessons learnt from running 127 real-life crowdsourced tests. We show that at least one type of cheating becomes more prevalent over time if left unchecked and develop metrics to exclude cheaters. We demonstrate that their exclusion improves test outcomes. Index Terms: TTS, speech synthesis, listening test, preference test, crowdsourcing, cheating
An empirical examination of hiring decisions of experienced auditors in public accounting: Evidence from Hong Kong

Purpose - This study aims to examine the potential factors influencing the hiring decisions of experienced auditors in public accounting practices in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach - Multinomial logistic regression is used to analyze the survey data, which is the first time such an approach has been used in the literature. A total of 337 interview rating forms are collected in actual employment interviews from two Big 4 firms. Graves and Powell's hiring model is adapted to this Hong Kong study. Interpersonal attraction theory is employed to assist in analyzing the results. Findings - The results indicate that subjective qualifications have the highest explanatory power. Big 4 recruiters regard subjective qualifications as important considerations in the evaluation of experienced auditors. Interpersonal attraction is the second most important factor. These findings are consistent with the theory of interpersonal attraction. Perceived similarity and objective qualifications are also perceived as significant factors. Physical attractiveness, dress effect and gender are not found to be factors influencing the hiring decisions, in contrast to the findings of earlier literature in the USA. Originality/value - These findings indicate that recruiters would look for attributes other than those primarily based on objective qualifications. Job relevant skills, knowledge and demonstrated initiatives are important. The accounting profession could conduct more training programs for auditors to improve and demonstrate their “soft skills” in the interview process so as to enhance their chances of employment, particularly during a recessionary environment.
Comparison of 7 Published LC-MS/MS Methods for the Simultaneous Measurement of Testosterone, Androstenedione, and Dehydroepiandrosterone in Serum.

BACKGROUND Recently, LC-MS/MS was stated to be the method of choice to measure sex steroids. Because information on the mutual agreement of LC-MS/MS methods is scarce, we compared 7 published LC-MS/MS methods for the simultaneous measurement of testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). METHODS We used 7 published LC-MS/MS methods to analyze in duplicate 55 random samples from both men and women. We performed Passing-Bablok regression analysis and calculated Pearson correlation coefficients to assess the agreement of the methods investigated with the median concentration measured by all methods, and we calculated the intraassay CV of each method derived from duplicate results and the CVs between the methods. RESULTS Median concentrations of testosterone were 0.22-1.36 nmol/L for women and 8.27-27.98 nmol/L for men. Androstenedione and DHEA concentrations were 0.05-5.53 and 0.58-18.04 nmol/L, respectively. Intraassay CVs were 2.9%-10%, 1.2%-8.8%, 2.7%-13%, and 4.3%-16% for testosterone in women, testosterone in men, androstenedione, and DHEA. Slopes of the regression lines calculated by Passing-Bablok regression analysis were 0.92-1.08, 0.92-1.08, 0.90-1.13, and 0.91-1.41 for all testosterone values, testosterone in women, androstenedione, and DHEA. Intermethod CVs were 14%, 8%, 30%, and 22% for testosterone in women, testosterone in men, androstenedione, and DHEA. CONCLUSIONS In general, the LC-MS/MS methods investigated show reasonable agreement. However, some of the assays show differences in standardization, and others show high variation.
Luminosity and Stellar Mass Functions of Local Star-forming Galaxies

We present the optical and near-infrared luminosity and mass functions of the local star-forming galaxies in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) Survey. A bivariate method that explicitly deals with the Hα selection of the survey is used when estimating these functions. Total stellar masses have been calculated on a galaxy-by-galaxy basis taking into account differences in star formation histories. The main difference between the luminosity distributions of the UCM sample and the luminosity functions of the local galaxy population is a lower normalization (ϕ*), indicating a lower global volume density of UCM galaxies. The typical near-infrared luminosity (L*) of local star-forming galaxies is fainter than that of normal galaxies. This is a direct consequence of the lower stellar masses of our objects. However, at optical wavelengths (B and r), the luminosity enhancement arising from the young stars leads to M* values that are similar to those of normal galaxies. The fraction of the total optical and near-infrared luminosity density in the local universe associated with star-forming galaxies is 10%-20%. Fitting the total stellar mass function using a Schechter parameterization, we obtain α = -1.15 ± 0.15, log ℳ* = 10.82 ± 0.17 ℳ☉, and log ϕ* = -3.04 ± 0.20 Mpc-3. This gives an integrated total stellar mass density of 107.83±0.07 ℳ☉ Mpc-3 in local star-forming galaxies (H0 = 70 km s-1 Mpc-1, ΩM = 0.3, and Λ = 0.7). The volume-averaged burst strength of the UCM galaxies is b = 0.04 ± 0.01, defined as the ratio of the mass density of stars formed in recent bursts (with an age of <10 Myr) to the total stellar mass density in UCM galaxies. Finally, we derive that in the local universe, 13% ± 3% of the total baryon mass density in the form of stars is associated with star-forming galaxies.
Quality framework in education through application of interpretive structural modeling: An administrative staff perspective in the Indian context

Purpose – The Indian higher educational system is one of the largest in the world. Besides, the growth of students and universities, the range of disciplines and universities in professional and vocational education has greatly increased. With the sudden immense growth of the educational institutes all over the country, educational institutions must improve the quality of their services to compete and achieve a leading position. Orientation towards quality and competitiveness in higher education in India has thus started gaining the attention of the policy makers, educational planners, and administrators as also the various stakeholders of the educational system. With the internal and external stakeholders becoming more demanding in a gradually liberalizing Indian economy, the issues related to quality need to be addressed from varying perspectives on the very conceptualization, implementation, and assessment. Starting with a theoretical background, the purpose of this paper is to present the results of a.
The Housing Meltdown: Why Did it Happen in the United States?

The crisis enveloping global financial markets since August 2007 was triggered by actual and prospective credit losses on US mortgages. Was the United States just unlucky to have been the first to experience a housing crisis? Or was it inherently more susceptible to one? I examine the limited international evidence available, to ask how the boom-bust cycle in the US housing market differed from elsewhere and what the underlying institutional drivers of these differences were. Compared with other countries, the United States seems to have: built up a larger overhang of excess housing supply; experienced a greater easing in mortgage lending standards; and ended up with a household sector more vulnerable to falling housing prices. Some of these outcomes seem to have been driven by tax, legal and regulatory systems that encouraged households to increase their leverage and permitted lenders to enable that development. Given the institutional background, it may have been that the US housing boom was always more likely to end badly than the booms elsewhere.