Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multivariate normal approximation of the maximum likelihood estimator via the delta method

We use the delta method and Stein's method to derive, under regularity conditions, explicit upper bounds for the distributional distance between the distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) of a $d$-dimensional parameter and its asymptotic multivariate normal distribution. Our bounds apply in situations in which the MLE can be written as a function of a sum of i.i. d. $t$-dimensional random vectors. We apply our general bound to establish a bound for the multivariate normal approximation of the MLE of the normal distribution with unknown mean and variance.
Cyber Risk for the Financial Sector: A Framework for Quantitative Assessment

Cyber risk has emerged as a key threat to financial stability, following recent attacks on financial institutions. This paper presents a novel documentation of cyber risk around the world for financial institutions by analyzing the different types of cyber incidents (data breaches, fraud and business disruption) and identifying patterns using a variety of datasets. The other novel contribution that is outlined is a quantitative framework to assess cyber risk for the financial sector. The framework draws on a standard VaR type framework used to assess various types of stability risk and can be easily applied at the individual country level. The framework is applied in this paper to the available cross-country data and yields illustrative aggregated losses for the financial sector in the sample across a variety of scenarios ranging from 10 to 30 percent of net income.
Statistical analysis of mirror mode waves in sheath regions driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejection

Abstract. We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of mirror mode waves and the properties of their plasma surroundings in sheath regions driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME). We have constructed a semi-automated method to identify mirror modes from the magnetic field data. We analyze 91 ICME sheath regions from January 1997 to April 2015 using data from the Wind spacecraft. The results imply that similarly to planetary magnetosheaths, mirror modes are also common structures in ICME sheaths. However, they occur almost exclusively as dip-like structures and in mirror stable plasma. We observe mirror modes throughout the sheath, from the bow shock to the ICME leading edge, but their amplitudes are largest closest to the shock. We also find that the shock strength (measured by Alfven Mach number) is the most important parameter in controlling the occurrence of mirror modes. Our findings suggest that in ICME sheaths the dominant source of free energy for mirror mode generation is the shock compression. We also suggest that mirror modes that are found deeper in the sheath are remnants from earlier times of the sheath evolution, generated also in the vicinity of the shock. Keywords. Interplanetary physics (plasma waves and turbulence; solar wind plasma) – space plasma physics (waves and instabilities)
The Impact of Public Transfers on Intra Household Resource Allocation : Evidence from a Supplementary School Feeding Program

Can public transfers targeted towards individuals improve their welfare or do they crowd out household resources allocated to that individual and nullify the expected gains to the intended beneficiary? This paper draws upon a unique non experimental survey data to test the implication of the theory of altruism on intra household resource allocation by analyzing the impact of a school feeding program on a child’s daily nutrient intake in rural India. The results suggest that the school meal scheme raises nutrient consumption by a fraction of the transfer. To the extent that the nutrient intake of the child rises by less than the full amount of the transfer obtained from the school meal, the results provide evidence of reallocation of resources by the household to consumption of other members or goods. This result is robust to changes in specification of the empirical model which correct for possible endogeneity of program participation at the individual, school and community level. __________________ *This study was supported by a pre-dissertation fellowship from the Population Council. I thank Bill Axinn, Julie Cullen, Jean Dreze, David Lam and Rohini Somanathan, for their advice. I am indebted to Dr. Santosh Passi for her guidance on the design of the nutrition survey, in the training of the field workers, and in the computation of nutrients. I am also grateful to the district administration of Chindwara for its cooperation in the conduct of the survey.
Enhanced selective CO2 adsorption on polyamine/MIL-101(Cr) composites

The global climate change induced by greenhouse gases has stimulated active research for developing efficient strategies to mitigate CO2 emission. In the present study, we prepared a series of polyamine/metal–organic framework (MOF) composites as highly selective CO2 adsorbents from a CO2/N2 mixture, which is relevant to CO2 capture in flue gas. We show that loading polyethyleneimine (PEI) into MIL-101(Cr) frameworks can significantly enhance the selective CO2 adsorption capacity at low pressure and ambient temperature. Further, the comparative study reveals that both the particle size of the MOF and the molecular-weight of PEI play an important role in the CO2 capture ability. Regarding the particle size, smaller MIL-101(Cr) particles can facilitate the loading of PEI into the inner pores and result in lower surface area/pore volume. Thus, the resulting PEI/MIL-101(Cr) composites possess lower CO2 adsorption capacity, but are compensated by higher selectivity of CO2 over N2. On the other hand, lower molecular-weight linear PEI could readily diffuse into the inner pores and effectively block the N2 adsorption. As a result, the as-prepared A-PEI-300 sample in this work exhibits an excellent CO2 uptake of 3.6 mmol g−1 and ultrahigh CO2/N2 selectivity at 0.15 bar and 25 °C. In contrast, the higher molecular-weight branched PEI is advantageous at elevated temperature, since the composites can retain high CO2 adsorption capacity owing to the large amount of primary amine groups. Overall, polyamine/MOF composites are shown to be good candidate adsorbents for CO2 capture from flue gas. To achieve the optimal CO2 capture ability, comprehensive optimization of the polyamine and MOF structures should be performed.
Landscape and Urban Planning

Throughout Europe climate change has rendered many plant species used in contemporary urban planting design less fit for use in public greenspaces. A growing evidence base exists for the ecological value of introducing non-native species, yet urban policy and practice guidance continues to portray non-native species negatively, focusing on their assumed invasiveness. In this context there is a lack of research focusing on the cultural relevance of non-native species in the urban landscape. To address this gap we surveyed 1411 members of the UK public who walked through designed and semi-natural planting of three levels of visual nativeness: “strongly native”; “intermediate” and “strongly non-native”, whilst completing a site-based questionnaire. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were then carried out with 34 questionnaire participants. A majority (57.6%) of our respondents would be happy to see more non-native planting in UK public spaces, rising to 75.3% if it were better adapted to a changing climate than existing vegetation. Respondents recognised the three broad levels of nativeness, yet this was not a factor driving perceptions of the attractiveness of the planting. In addition to climate change, we identified four key factors driving acceptance and rejection of non-native planting: aesthetics; locational context; historic factors and inevitability; and perceptions of invasiveness and incompatability with native wildlife. Our research indicates that in the context of a changing climate, focus should be placed on the potentially positive role of non-invasive, climate-adapted, aesthetically pleasing species within urban planting schemes as these could be well-received by the public. © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Ridge estimation of network models from time‐course omics data

Time‐course omics experiments enable the reconstruction of the dynamics of the cellular regulatory network. Here, we describe the means for this reconstruction and the downstream exploitation of the inferred network. It is assumed that one of the various vector‐autoregressive models (VAR) models presented here serves as a reasonably accurate description of the time‐course omics data. The models are estimated through ridge penalized likelihood maximization, accompanied by functionality for the determination of optimal penalty paramaters. Prior knowledge on the network topology is accommodated by the estimation procedures. Various routes that translate the fitted models into more tangible implications for the medical researcher are described. The network is inferred from the—nonsparse—ridge estimates through empirical Bayes probabilistic thresholding. The influence of a (trait of a) molecular entity at the current time on those at future time points is assessed by mutual information, impulse response analysis, and path decomposition of the covariance. The presented methodology is applied to the omics data from the p53 signaling pathway during HPV‐induced cellular transformation. All methodology is implemented in the ragt2ridges package, freely available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network.
Telling twins apart: exo-Earths and Venuses with transit spectroscopy

The planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2018 will herald a new era of exoplanet spectroscopy. JWST will be the first telescope sensitive enough to potentially characterize terrestrial planets from their transmission spectra. In this work, we explore the possibility that terrestrial planets with Venus-type and Earth-type atmospheres could be distinguished from each other using spectra obtained by JWST. If we find a terrestrial planet close to the liquid water habitable zone of an M5 star within a distance of 10 parsec, it would be possible to detect atmospheric ozone if present in large enough quantities, which would enable an oxygen-rich atmosphere to be identified. However, the cloudiness of a Venus-type atmosphere would inhibit our ability to draw firm conclusions about the atmospheric composition, making any result ambiguous. Observing small, temperate planets with JWST requires significant investment of resources, with single targets requiring of the order of 100 transits to achieve sufficient signal to noise. The possibility of detecting a crucial feature such as the ozone signature would need to be carefully weighed against the likelihood of clouds obscuring gas absorption in the spectrum.
Satellite detection of severe convective storms by their retrieved vertical profiles of cloud particle effective radius and thermodynamic phase

[1] A new conceptual model that facilitates the inference of the vigor of severe convective storms, producing tornadoes and large hail, by using satellite-retrieved vertical profiles of cloud top temperature (T)–particle effective radius (re) relations is presented and tested. The driving force of these severe weather phenomena is the high updraft speed, which can sustain the growth of large hailstones and provide the upward motion that is necessary to evacuate the violently converging air of a tornado. Stronger updrafts are revealed by the delayed growth of re to greater heights and lower T, because there is less time for the cloud and raindrops to grow by coalescence. The strong updrafts also delay the development of a mixed phase cloud and its eventual glaciation to colder temperatures. Analysis of case studies making use of these and related criteria show that they can be used to identify clouds that possess a significant risk of large hail and tornadoes. Although the strength and direction of the wind shear are major modulating factors, it appears that they are manifested in the updraft intensity and cloud shapes and hence in the T-re profiles. It is observed that the severe storm T-re signature is an extensive property of the clouds that develop ahead in space and time of the actual hail or tornadic storm, suggesting that the probabilities of large hail and tornadoes can be obtained at substantial lead times. Analysis of geostationary satellite time series indicates lead times of up to 2 h.
Using the Quantum Chemistry for Genesis of a Nano Biomembrane with a Combination of the Elements Be, Li, Se, Si, C and H

Preliminary bibliographic studies did not reveal any works with characteristics studied here. With this arrangement of atoms and employees with such goals. Going beyond with imagination using quantum chemistry in calculations to obtain probable one new bio-inorganic molecule, to the Genesis of a biomembrane with a combination of the elements Be, Li, Se, Si, C and H. After calculation a bio-inorganic seed molecule from the previous combination, it led to the search for a molecule that could carry the structure of a membrane. From a simple molecular dynamics, through classical calculations, the structure of the molecule was stabilized. An advanced study of quantum chemistry using ab initio, HF (Hartree-Fock) method in various basis is applied and the expectation of the stabilization of the Genesis of this bio-inorganic was promising. The calculations made so far admit a seed molecule at this stage of the quantum calculations of the arrangement of the elements we have chosen, obtaining a highly reactive molecule with the shape polar-apolar-polar. Calculations obtained in the ab initio RHF method, on the set of basis used, indicate that the simulated molecule,C_13H_20BeLi_2SeSi, is acceptable by quantum chemistry. Its structure has polarity at its ends, having the characteristic polar-apolar-polar. Even using a simple base set the polar-apolar-polar characteristic is predominant. The set of basis used that have the best compatible, more precise results are CC-pVTZ and 6-311G(3df,3pd). In the CC-pVTZ base set, the charge density in relation to 6-311G (3df, 3pd) is 50% lower. The structure of the bio-inorganic seed molecule for a biomembrane genesis that challenge the current concepts of a protective mantle structure of a cell such as biomenbrane to date is promising, challenging. Leaving to the biochemists their experimental synthesis.
Astrophysical interpretation of the anisotropies in the unresolved gamma-ray background

Recently, a new measurement of the auto- and cross-correlation angular power spectrum (APS) of the isotropic gamma-ray background was performed, based on 81 months of data of the Fermi Large-Area Telescope (LAT). Here, we fit, for the first time, the new APS data with a model describing the emission of unresolved blazars. These sources are expected to dominate the anisotropy signal. The model we employ in our analysis reproduces well the blazars resolved by Fermi LAT. When considering the APS obtained by masking the sources listed in the 3FGL catalog, we find that unresolved blazars underproduce the measured APS below ∼1 GeV . Contrary to past results, this suggests the presence of a new contribution to the low-energy APS, with a significance of, at least, 5σ . The excess can be ascribed to a new class of faint gamma-ray emitters. If we consider the APS obtained by masking the sources in the 2FGL catalog, there is no underproduction of the APS below 1 GeV, but the new source class is still preferred over the blazars-only scenario (with a significance larger than 10σ ). The properties of the new source class and the level of anisotropies induced in the isotropic gamma-ray background are the same, independent of the APS data used. In particular, the new gamma-ray emitters must have a soft energy spectrum, with a spectral index ranging, approximately, from 2.7 to 3.2. This complicates their interpretation in terms of known sources, since, normally, star-forming and radio galaxies are observed with a harder spectrum. The new source class identified here is also expected to contribute significantly to the intensity of the isotropic gamma-ray background.
Criminal Profiling: Principles and Practice

What Is Criminal Profiling? Smoke and Mirrors: The Illusions of Accuracy in Criminal Profiles Rhetoric vs Reality: Investigating the Skills and Accuracy of Criminal Profiling The Components and Processes of Criminal Profiling Defining Serial Violent Crime Operational Interpretation of the CAP Models Criminal Profiling of Serial Rape Offenses Criminal Profiling of Sexual Murder Offenses Criminal Profiling of Serial Arson Offenses Offense Location Patterns: Geographic Profiles Procedural Considerations and Format Guidelines Epilogue: Fighting Fire With Fire Appendix A: Understanding Descriptive and Inferential Statistics: A Beginner's Guide Appendices B-G: Variable and Coding Tables Index
Ethnic differences in compulsory admissions for psychiatric disorders in the UK: a systematic review and meta-analysis

It is postulated by Mann et al. that some ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom (such as Asian and Black patients) experience more difficulty in being conventionally admitted for psychiatric conditions, and therefore present later with severe symptoms necessitating compulsory admission. (1) This systematic review evaluates whether compulsory admission rates differ between ethnicities in the UK and whether patients are accessing psychiatric healthcare through conventional systems (i.e. referral from primary care). In our meta-analysis of 10 studies, ethnic minorities were more likely to be compulsorily admitted. Non-White patients were 2.38 times (95% CI: 1.55 – 3.65) more likely to be compulsorily admitted than White patients. Black patients were 2.77 times (95% CI: 1.84 – 4.18) more likely to be compulsorily admitted than White patients. Interestingly, there was no significant difference in compulsory admittance rate between Asian patients and White patients, with Asian patients being 0.96 times (95% CI: 0.78 – 1.17) more likely to be compulsorily admitted than White patients. Although admission rates differed between different races, there was no clear consensus on an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders amongst minorities based on 32 studies in the United Kingdom. The systematic review discusses possible causes for the greater likelihood for compulsory admissions in Black patients compared to White patients, as well as the non-significant result in Asian patients compared to White patients. The possible causes encompass social stigma associated with psychiatric disorders, and cultural and language barriers to conventional psychiatric healthcare in ethnic minorities.
Odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells induced by silicate-based bioceramics via activation of P38/MEPE pathway

To investigate whether silicate-based bioceramics have an odontogenic function, researchers mainly study the odontogenic differentiation potential of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) cultured with the silicate-based Ca7Si2P2O16 (CSP) bioceramic extracts and the underlying mechanism. Firstly, the effects of CSP extracts on proliferation and odontogenic differentiation of hDPCs were studied. The dentine-related protein expression stimulated by CSP extracts was investigated and the influence of P38/MEPE pathway in this process was further explored. The results showed that CSP bioceramics not only presented good cytocompatibility with hDPCs, but also promoted the odontogenic gene and protein expression (DSPP, DMP1, OPN and RUNX2) of hDPCs. Western blot results further indicated that the possible mechanism might be related to the activation of P38/MEPE pathway. In summary, our findings suggest that CSP bioceramics can induce the odontogenic differentiation of hDPCs, offering essential evidence for the potential application of silicate-based bioceramics as pulp capping materials or additives.
Synthetic advanced baseline imager true-color imagery

True-color imagery, which is formed via a weighted combination of red, green, and blue (RGB) spectral information, has important operational applications for qualitative environmental characterization, including the detection of smoke plumes, volcanic ash, and other aerosols that are not as easily discerned in conventional visible or infrared imagery, but may be more readily characterized via color properties. Despite its universal popularity, true-color is currently unavailable from geostationary satellites, and the next-generation GOES-R advanced baseline imager (ABI) will fall one band (green; 0.55 μm) short of doing so. However, approximations exist, and a process for simulating true-color imagery representative of capabilities anticipated from the ABI is presented and assessed here. High-resolution atmospheric model simulations are used to produce the ABI reflective band imagery required for true-color imagery. Those simulations are then rendered at ABI spatial (0.5-km visible) and temporal (5 min) resolution, to provide realistic data, long before the anticipated 2015 launch of GOES-R. An additional analysis, a color-space transformation, is used to assess the true-color (RGB) ABI images. The resulting hue images verify the less-green bias in the synthetic-green band and synthetic-RGB images created on ABI simulated data. Assessing the deficiencies in the RGB process will hopefully lead to an improved and standard means for generating an RGB product from the ABI data stream. Finally, as one of the many product applications of true-color imagery, an example of synthetic true-color imagery with added smoke is presented. The incorporation of aerosol properties into simulated imagery may help reveal the limits of detectability for atmospheric aerosols with future ABI.
Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians’ hearing and hearing protection

Musicians’ hearing has received increased attention due to the rising prevalence of hearing loss among general and musical populations. This paper reports results of a national survey exploring professional musicians’ awareness of, and perceptions surrounding, their hearing health, and associated help-seeking behavior including attitudes towards hearing protection. Professional musicians (N = 693) took part, the majority being orchestral or instrumental musicians. Forty percent of the sample had experienced hearing loss or other hearing issues and many attributed hearing problems to their musical careers. Fifty percent of the musicians were worried about noise at work; however, less than a third had taken a hearing test. Reasons for having a test included subsidized tests and experiencing symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus, while reasons for not having a test included a lack of awareness about options. Data revealed an on-going tension between a concern to protect hearing and the perceived negative outcomes of wearing protection during musical performance, and highlighted the need for more in-depth research into the experiences of musicians in high-risk instrumental groups (e.g., amplified/band musicians, brass, percussion). Providing advice to musicians about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) prior to experiencing symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus will support improved protection behavior.