Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient estimation with smooth penalization ∗

This paper proposes an oracle efficient estimator in the context of a sparse linear model. The estimator optimizes a penalized least squares objective, but, unlike existing methods, the penalty is once differentiable, and hence the estimator does not engage in model selection. This feature allows the estimator to reduce bias relative to a popular oracle efficient method (SCAD) when small, but not insignificant, coefficients are present. Consequently the estimator delivers a lower realized squared error of coefficients of interest. Furthermore, the objective function with the proposed penalty is shown to be convex; paired with differentiability, this ensures good computational properties of the estimator. These findings are illustrated by simulation evidence, and the proposed approach is applied to the estimation of effects of location-specific human capital in agricultural productivity in Indonesia.
Description of a New Species of the Genus Epidendrium from Japan , with Taxonomical Comments on the Taxa Previously Assigned to the Genus Alora in the Northwestern Paci c ( Gastropoda : Epitoniidae )

The northwestern Paci c species of the genus Epidendrium Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005, and those previously assigned to the genus Alora are reviewed based mainly on the conchological characters. The species previously identi ed as Alora billeeana (DuShane & Bratcher, 1965) in this area is correctly identi ed herein as E. aureum Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005, and another species in the genus, E. sordidum Gittenberger & Gittenberger, 2005, is recorded for the rst time in the Japanese waters. Alora reticulata (Habe, 1962) is transferred to the genus Epidendrium, and an additional new species is described as E. parvitrochoides n. sp. from Japan. Alora annulata (Kuroda & Ito, 1961) is retained in the genus Alora following most recent works, and Alora kiiensis Nakayama, 2000 is transferred to the genus Tuba Lea, 1833 in the basal heterobranch family Mathildidae based on the characteristic heterostrophic protoconch and overall teleoconch features.
AInix: An open platform for natural language interfaces to shell commands

This report discusses initial work on the AInix Platform. This platform is designed to allow developers to add natural language interfaces to Unix-like shell commands. This can be used with the aish shell, which allows users to intermix natural language with shell commands. We create a high-level way of specifying semantic parsing grammars and collect a dataset of basic shell commands. We experiment with seq2seq models, abstract syntax networks (ASN), and embedded nearest neighbor-based models. We ﬁnd highest accuracy is achieved with seq2seq models and ASN’s. While not as accurate, we ﬁnd that when embedders are pretrained on large-scale code-related text, nearest neighbor models can achieve decent performance.
Loss to Follow-Up (LTFU) during Tuberculosis Treatment

Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is a serious issue in the field of tuberculosis (TB) since it can lead to TB outbreaks and drug resistance. The proportion of LTFU patients differs among different countries, regions, year, and institutions. In some countries, the number of patients that were LTFU nearly reaches half of the total patients. Underlying factors such as age, gender, education, residence, financial factors, migration, and social stigma are discussed in this chapter. These factors should always be taken into consideration whenever a treatment program is designed. Suggestions have been made regarding some interventions that could potentially solve the problem of LTFU. With these points in mind, an ambitious approach should be taken to reduce the number of LTFU patients up to zero.
Otolith morphology varies between populations , sexes and male alternative reproductive tactics in a vocal toad fi sh Porichthys notatus

In this study, the morphology of sagittal otoliths of the plainfin midshipman fish Porichthys notatus was compared between populations, sexes and male alternative reproductive phenotypes (known as ‘type I males or guarders’ and ‘type II males or sneakers’). Sagitta size increased with P. notatus size and changes in shape were also detected with increasing body size. Porichthys notatus sagittae begin as simple rounded structures, but then elongate as they grow and take on a more triangular and complex shape with several prominent notches and indentations along the dorsal and caudal edges. Moreover, the sagittae of the two geographically and genetically distinct populations of P. notatus (northern and southern) differed in shape. Porichthys notatus from the north possessed taller sagittae with deeper caudal indentations compared to P. notatus from the south. Sagitta shape also differed between females and males of the conventional guarder tactic. Furthermore, guarder males had smaller sagittae for their body size than did sneaker males or females. These differences in sagittal otolith morphology are discussed in relation to ecological and life history differences between the sexes and male tactics of this species. This is the first study to investigate teleost otolith morphology from the perspective of alternative reproductive tactics.
Comparison of IDS Suitability for Covert Channels Detection

The goal of the project is to extend an open source Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect network-based covert channels. At the moment there are a lot of academic literatures for for proposed covert channels techniques and how to detect them, but there is no integrated approach to detect coverts channel yet. This is due to the vast possibilities of covert channel which means that it is not feasible to address each covert channel separately (huge overhead). The project will bridge this gap between academic and public space by exploring the idea of a flexible and extensible framework inside an IDS and provide a proof of concept implementation to show the framework’s usability. In addition, we will also explore the idea of generalizing covert channel detection techniques based on patterns [1] which further boosts the flexibility.
The Relationship between Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth of Selected ASEAN Countries

The intention of this research is to examine the relationship between foreign direct investment and economic growth of selected ASEAN nations, namely, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia over the study period from 1991 to 2013. In theoretical terms, the neoclassical growth and endogenous growth theories have been mainly applied in order to support this study. The different methods of Levin, Lin and Chu (LLC) (1992), Im, Pesaran and Shin (IPS) (1997), and Fisher-Type unit root tests where used to analyze our data set to determine whether they have unit root, or, if not, whether they are stationary. This resulted that some are stationary at the I(0) and some are stationary at I(1). In addition, panel granger causality test was carried out and found that there is only one way causality from GDP to FDI; the countryâ€™s economic prospects attracts foreign direct investment inflows of the selected countries. By choosing panel ARDL approach, it is proper for this study due to it can analyze long-run and short-run dynamics even when the variables are mix of stationary and non-stationary time-series. Pooled mean group (PMG), mean group (MG) and traditional dynamic fixed-effect estimator (DFE) where used to forecast the short-run and long run relationship between variables. As the PMG and DFE are efficient estimation methods according to the Hausman Test, we cannot conclude that foreign direct investment has positive or negative impact on the economic growth in the long-run as the results are not significant, but the FDI impact on GDP is positive in the short-run at the panel level. As the second of individual level findings, foreign direct investment (FDI) of Myanmar, Thailand, and Singapore has an encouraging impact on the growth process of their economies except Malaysia and Indonesia. Moreover, the trade openness impact is either positive or negative on GDP for Malaysia while it shows negative in Myanmar. Furthermore, apparently, the effect of exchange is significantly negative on the economic performance of the countryâ€™s GDP of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Validation of RANS simulations of the flow in a short highly bent intake duct

The current development of modern aircraft concepts often focuses on fully integrated propulsion systems. These fully integrated propulsion systems require the use of short highly bent intake ducts. At the Institute of Jet Propulsion a short highly bent intake duct, the Military Engine Intake Research Duct (MEIRD), was designed and developed. The MEIRD was investigated experimentally as well as with steady state RANS simulations with many different numerical setup parameters. From this extensive study, one setup was chosen for detailed investigations. To ensure the validity of the predicted flow phenomena inside the MEIRD, the results were compared with experimental data, gained at the Institute’s jet engine test facility. It is shown that good qualitative and quantitative data can be achieved using a proper numerical setup.
The Status of Middle Schools in the Southeastern United States: Perceptions and Implementation of the Middle School Model

For more than 100 years, education communities have debated how best to educate the young adolescent. Proponents of both the junior high school model and the current middle school model have advocated for a specialized approach to educating adolescents that emphasizes the developmental needs of students. To accomplish this, various organizational structures and instructional approaches are recommended. This survey study examines the perceptions of these middle school practices and the implementation of those practices in middle schools in the Southeastern region of the United States. We note several key trends in our results and highlight key differences in perception of importance and implementation of middle school components and strategies compared to the most recent large scale survey administered by McEwin and Greene (2011).
INFLUENCE OF STEERING TORQUE FEEDBACK AND NEUROMUSCULAR DYNAMICS ON DRIVER AND VEHICLE RESPONSE TO LATERAL FORCE DISTURBANCE

An existing driver-vehicle model with neuromuscular dynamics is improved in the areas of cognitive delay, intrinsic muscle dynamics and alpha-gamma co-activation. The model is used to investigate the influence of steering torque feedback and neuromuscular dynamics on the vehicle response to lateral force disturbances. When steering torque feedback is present, it is found that the longitudinal position of the lateral disturbance has a significant influence on whether the driver's reflex response reinforces or attenuates the effect of the disturbance. The results also have implications for the design of semi-autonomous steering controls.
A Burden on the Low-Educated : Wage Implications of British Columbia ’ s Revenue-Recycling Policy :

This paper inspects distributional wage effects arising from British Columbia’s revenuerecycling carbon tax. I find the policy negatively affecting wages across all education-levels, with the low-educated being impacted most severely. Relative to the rest of Canada, British Columbia’s low-, medium-, and high-educated experience a decrease in wages of 6.7%, 4.0%, and 3.9%, respectively. I conclude this to be a result of tax-inducing sectoral reallocation accompanied by a province-wide spillover effect. Hence, this paper suggests revenue-neutral carbon taxes may result in unequal distributional consequences.
The Effect of School Quality on Prices versus Rents

It is a widely stylized fact that residential home values are higher in areas with good schools. Many researchers have studied the quantitative effects of school quality and sale prices, but very few have looked at the effect of school quality on rents. Specifically, there is little understanding on whether good schools are capitalized more in prices or rents. I build price-rent ratios for over 50,000 homes in Orange County, CA using a scrapped dataset from Zillow.com and compare the price-rent ratio of each home to the quality of its assigned schools. I find that prices capitalize school quality 2.8x more compared to rents. I find that this difference is largest in more affordable homes and in response to elementary schools. I include a number of additional data specifications to ensure the robustness of my results. I offer a possible explanation for the results and present possible extensions for future research.
Expression analysis and introgression of transcriptional factor ( DREB 1 A ) in tomato for cold tolerance

Crop productivity is impaired by a wide range of abiotic stresses. Cold stress is the main factor that causes the decrease in productivity of tomato. Through genetic engineering, a single gene can be easily transferred with desired characteristics into local best performing varieties. CBF/DREB1 is the most effectively used gene family to engineer cold stress tolerance in tomato. The aim of this study was to focus on the transgene expression and inheritance pattern in segregating generation of tomato lines and impact of transgene in different genetic backgrounds. In this study, transfer of transgene through conventional breeding into two elite cultivars (BSX-935 and 95017) was carried out. The lines used for detection and confirmation of transgene were previously developed by genetic transformation with a construct containing the AtDREB1A gene driven by the stress-inducible promoter lip-9. Transformants of T4 generation were identified by PCR and were selfpollinated to generate T5 progeny. The confirmed transgenics were used to evaluate different morphological traits such as plant height, fruit size, number of fruit per plant and number of seeds per fruit compared with nontransgenic counterparts. By using Completely Randomized Design, non-significant differences were found between transgenics and their non-transgenics plants. To check the expression pattern in transgenic plants, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was done. Progenies of T5 transgenic lines were used as pollinators for introgression into two elite cultivars BSX-935 and 95017. Successful F1 hybrids were confirmed through molecular analysis. These F1 hybrids may be used as a source for development of cold tolerant nearly isogenic lines through backcross breeding program in future.
Developing a Dengue Forecasting Model: A Case Study in Iligan City

Dengue is a viral mosquito-borne infection that is endemic and has become a major public health concern in the Philippines. Cases of dengue in the country have been recorded to be increasing, however, it is reported that the country lacks predictive system that could aid in the formulation of an effective approach to combat the rise of dengue cases. Various studies have reported that climatic factors can influence the transmission rate of dengue. Thus, this study aimed to predict the probability of dengue incidence in Iligan City per barangay based on the relationship of climatic factors and dengue cases using different predictive models with data from 2008 to 2017. Multiple Linear Regression, Poisson Regression, and Random Forest are integrated in a mini-system to automate the display of the prediction result. Results indicate that Random Forest works better with 73.0% accuracy result and 33.58% error percentage, with time period and mean temperature as predictive variables.
How real is ‘ hypothetical bias ’ in the context of risk and time preference elicitation ?

This paper presents experimental evidence that even the most straightforward types of risk and time preference elicitation items can be susceptible to systematic hypothetical bias in a survey context. The implemented experimental design allows evaluating the magnitude of this bias on an individual level, highlighting that hypothetical bias might prevail on an individual level whilst remaining hidden on the aggregate level. Furthermore, a twofold decomposition of observed within-subject deviations suggests that observed bias on the individual level is non-random in one-shot elicitation frameworks, but related – amongst other factors – to individuals’ ability to handle unexpected situations.
Support RAND PANEL TWO: SARBANES-OXLEY ACCOUNTING ISSUES CATACLYSMIC LIABILITY RISK AMONG BIG FOUR AUDITORS

RAND reprints present previously published journal articles, book chapters, and reports with the permission of the publisher. RAND reprints have been formally reviewed in accordance with the publisher’s editorial policy, and are compliant with RAND’s rigorous quality assurance standards for quality and objectivity. Visit RAND at www.rand. org Explore RAND Labor and Population View document details For More Information This PDF document was made available from www.rand. org as a public service of the RAND Corporation.
Anomaly Inflow and the η-Invariant

Perturbative fermion anomalies in spacetime dimension d have a well-known relation to ChernSimons functions in dimension D = d + 1. This relationship is manifested in a beautiful way in “anomaly inflow” from the bulk of a system to its boundary. Along with perturbative anomalies, fermions also have global or nonperturbative anomalies, which can be incorporated by using the η-invariant of Atiyah, Patodi, and Singer instead of the Chern-Simons function. Here we give a nonperturbative description of anomaly inflow, involving the η-invariant. This formula has been expected in the past based on the Dai-Freed theorem, but has not been fully justified. It leads to a general description of perturbative and nonperturbative fermion anomalies in d dimensions in terms of an η-invariant in D dimensions. This η-invariant is a cobordism invariant whenever perturbative anomalies cancel. (To be submitted to the proceedings of the Shoucheng Zhang Memorial Workshop.)
Obstacles Restraining Productivity Improvement Programs in a Developing Country

Since manufacturing is a key sector in Oman, efforts should be made to improve its productivity. The need for such efforts is becoming increasingly important in the present era of globalization. However, manufacturing organizations can face obstacles that make productivity improvement efforts ineffective or even prevent improvement operations. This report summarizes a study investigating the internal obstacles restraining productivity improvement in the manufacturing sector of Oman. Data required for this study were collected through a questionnaire from production and operations managers at 51 manufacturing organizations of different size. The results of applying factor analysis to a data set of 15 obstacles showed that these obstacles can be reduced into three major factors which directly relate to poor management, employee dissatisfaction, and lack of proper training.
Experimental Testing of Partially Bonded Fiber-Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators

Originally presented as a low-cost alternative, Fiber-Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators (FREIs) have been shown to achieve similar performance as conventional steel-reinforced elastomeric isolator designs. A component of the cost reduction centred on positioning the isolator unbonded between the upper and lower supports, eliminating the need for large steel end plates and bonding procedures. Unbonded FREIs exhibit a unique deformed shape, known as rollover. Rollover is associated with a reduction in the effective lateral stiffness (lateral softening) as the isolator is displaced; an advantageous feature to increase the efficiency of the isolation system that also allows for adaptive design. Although the unbonded application is a necessity for rollover to occur, it is also attributed to perceived limitations. Notably, unbonded FREIs rely solely on friction to transfer the lateral force, which may allow slip in certain loading conditions, and does not allow for the transfer of vertical tensile forces. It has been proposed that these concerns can be alleviated by partially bonding the isolator to the supports, thereby forming a hybrid between an unbonded isolator and a conventional fully bonded isolator. This concept, known as Partially Bonded Fiber-Reinforced Elastomeric Isolators (PB-FREIs), merges the beneficial characteristics of both types of isolators to prevent slip, transfers a vertical tensile force, and retains the desirable lateral softening due to rollover. The concept of PB-FREIs is discussed and new experimental and numerical findings are presented to bring further depth to the concept.
The Effect of Blended Learning Instructional Approach on Secondary School Students Academic Achievement in Geography in Akure , Ondo State , Nigeria

The study examined the effect of blended learning instructional approach on students’ academic achievement in geography. Two research hypotheses were generated to guide the study. A pre-test posttest control group quasi experimental research design was adopted in the study. A total of 110 senior secondary students were used in the study. Two instruments used in the study are: Geography student achievement test (GSAT) and blended learning package (BLP). Descriptive statistics and t-test were used in the analysis of data. The findings of the study revealed that blended learning instructional approach was more effective in enhancing students’ achievement in geography than conventional teaching method. The result also revealed that there was no significant difference between the academic achievement of male and female students. Based on these findings it was recommended that trainings, seminars and workshops should be organized for the secondary school teachers on the use of blended learning instructional approach and online learning in the teaching of various subjects especially geography. The study also recommended that schools should be equipped with adequate computer systems and internet facilities.
QoS-based multipath routing for the Internet

Q oS-based M ulti-p ath R outing For T h e Internet by Bing Chen Dr. Shahram Latifi, Examination Committee Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering University of Nevada, Las Vegas The new generation of network services is being developed for incorporation in commimication infrastructure. These services, generally called Quahty of Services (QoS), should accommodate data file, video, and audio applications. The different performance requirements of these apphcations necessitate a re-examination of the main architectural components of today’s networks, which were designed to support traditional data applications. Routing, which determines the sequence of network nodes a packet traverses between source and destination, is one such component. Here, we examine the potential routing problems in future Internet and discuss the advantages of class-based m ulti-path routing methods. The result is a new approach to routing in packet-switched networks, which is called Two-level Class-based Multipath routing with Prediction (TCMP). In TCMP, we compute multiple paths between each source and destination based on link propagation delay and bottleneck band­ width. A leaky bucket is adopted in each router to monitor the bottleneck bandwidth on equal paths during the network’s stable period, and to guide its traffic forwarding. The TCMP can avoid frequent flooding of routing information in a dynamic routing method; therefore, it can be applied to large network topologies.