Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strengthening State Capacity: Civil Service Reform and Public Sector Performance during the Gilded Age*

We use newly digitized records from the Post Office to study the effects of strengthened state capacity in over 2,300 cities between 1875-1905. Exploiting the staggered implementation of the Pendleton Act – a landmark statute which shielded bureaucrats from political interference – we find that civil service reform reduced postal delivery errors and increased productivity. These improvements were most pronounced during election years when the reform dampened bureaucratic turnover. Finally, we provide suggestive evidence that reformed cities witnessed declining local partisan newspapers. Separating politics from administration, therefore, not only improved state effectiveness but also weakened the role of local politics. JEL codes: D73, O3, N41 *Abhay Aneja: aneja@berkeley.edu (UC Berkeley, School of Law, 225 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720.); Guo Xu: guo.xu@berkeley.edu (corresponding author, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 2220 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720.). We thank participants of the NBER DAE meeting, Harvard/MIT Development Seminar, Berkeley Economic History Seminar, UVA Law & Economics Seminar, UT Empirical IP Conference, UC Merced, UPF, Sciences Po, PUC, USC, Northwestern Kellogg, and Stanford for their helpful suggestions. We are grateful to the UC Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) and the Hellman Foundation for generously providing financial assistance needed for data collection. We thank John Friedman for excellent research assistance.
Pratiques, 171-172 | 2016

In this article, we present recent neuroimaging studies performed to identify the neural network involved in handwriting. These studies, carried out in adults and in children, suggest that the mastery of handwriting is based on the involvement of a network of brain structures whose involvement and inter-connection are specific to writing alphabet characters. This network is built upon the joint learning of writing and reading and depends on the level of expertise of the writer. In addition, a part of this graphomotor network is also brought into play during the identification letters during visual reading. These skills are also the basis for the development of more complex language activities involving orthographic knowledge and composition of texts. The studies presented cover two perspectives: that of neuroscience and that of cognitive psychology, as both are necessary to understand a complex process of writing and both depend on natural interactions and the influence of educational exposure. Dans cet article, nous présentons des études récentes de neuro-imagerie destinées à identifier le réseau neuronal impliqué dans l’écriture manuscrite. Ces études, réalisées chez l’adulte et chez l’enfant, montrent que la maitrise de l’écriture manuscrite repose sur la mise en jeu d’un réseau de structures cérébrales dont l’implication et l’interconnexion sont spécifiques de l’écriture des caractères alphabétiques, se construisent au cours de l’apprentissage conjoint de l’écriture et de la lecture et dépendent du niveau d’expertise du scripteur. En outre, une partie de ce réseau graphomoteur est aussi mise en jeu au cours de l’identification des lettres sur base visuelle et de la lecture. Ces compétences graphomotrices servent également de base au développement d’activités plus complexes impliquant les connaissances orthographiques et la composition de textes. Les études présentées ici sont abordées de deux perspectives, celles des neurosciences et de la recherche en psychologie cognitive, car elles s’avèrent toutes deux nécessaires pour comprendre un processus aussi complexe que l’écriture, à la fois tributaire d’interactions naturelles et éducationnelles. Neuroanatomy of Handwriting and Related Reading and Writing Skills in Adults . Pratiques, 171-172 | 2016 10
A comparison of Wav2Vec 2.0 and humans in handling frequency shifted speech: A Qualitative Analysis

With the current highs of AI, the exploration of speech recognition has become a big part of the field of Natural Language Processing, with attention also given to exploring the quantitative differences between human and AI speech model performance. Building on the foundation of Adolfi et al. (2023) and the time domain perturbed speech, the current study aimed to look into how the AI language model, particularly Wav2Vec2.0, qualitatively performs with the manipulated speech in the frequency domain as compared to humans and if there is a convergence in their performance curve with different manipulation conditions, while some of Adolfi’s et al. manipulations were also replicated. It was found that the qualitative performance curve of wav2vec2.0 for each manipulation is consistent with that of humans. However, it should be noted that the study utilised only ten audio samples, which represented a limitation. Therefore, a future recommendation is made to conduct a comparative analysis between human and AI models using a larger sample size and a standardised experimental setup.
A note on the finite-dimensional Dirichlet prior

ABSTRACT As an approximation to the Dirichlet process which involves the infinite-dimensional distribution, finite-dimensional Dirichlet prior is a widely appreciated method to model the underlying distribution in non parametric Bayesian analysis. In this short note, we present some key characteristics of finite-dimensional Dirichlet process and exploit some important sampling properties which are very useful in Bayesian non parametric/semiparametric analysis.
Helicopter vibratory loads and vibrations reduction using higher-harmonic control

This paper studies vibratory hub loads and cabin vibrations reduction using higher harmonic control. The dynamic analysis of the rotor is performed using a comprehensive analysis tool coupled with a gradient based optimization algorithm to evaluate the higher harmonic cyclic input which is expected to minimize vibratory hub loads. The hub force minimization problem is converted into a cabin vibration reduction problem using a comprehensive aeroservoelastic helicopter model which includes a linear time invariant aeroelastic rotor model, rigid and elastic fuselage modes, servo actuators and sensors for vibration measurement. The optimal higher harmonic control inputs are then applied and the accelerations are measured at the selected sensor locations and additionally aeroservoelastic stability analysis is performed. For the same aeroservoelastic model, a cabin vibration reduction procedure is formulated considering direct acceleration reduction at sensor locations. All studies are conducted on a light utility helicopter. Vibratory hub loads and sensor accelerations are presented and the differences in the objectives of minimum force at hub and minimum vibration at sensors are discussed.
A Penny Synthesized is a Penny Earned? An Exploratory Analysis of Accuracy in the SIPP Synthetic Beta

The Census Bureau has expressed interest in using modern synthetic data modeling techniques for privacy and confidentiality protection in future microdata releases. In order to aid understanding of the accuracy and usability of synthetic microdata going forward, we perform an exploratory analysis comparing results generated using an early synthetic microdata release known as SIPP Synthetic Beta to results from the same analyses using the corresponding confidential microdata. We compare numerous descriptive and model-based use cases of the data and discuss explanations for how performance of the synthetic data relates to modeling decisions by the data provider and methodology choices by the data user. We also summarize differences in confidence interval overlap and statistical conclusions. There is a strong association between the GSF and SSB results in terms of both magnitudes and statistical conclusions, but the SSB is not a perfect replication of the GSF. Finally, we discuss the implication of our results for the role of modeling decisions and user feedback when creating synthetic data, validation and verification options, and the evolving science of creating synthetic data. Importantly, we consider our findings to be something of a lower bound for the accuracy of future synthetic microdata because of improvement in synthetic data modeling since the SSB was created and the fact that we do not account for other sources of survey error when comparing the confidential data to the synthetic data.
A 3 . VALIDITY GENERALIZATION STUDIES

 Meta-Analysis o The Five-Factor Model and Job Performance o Personality-Based Validity Coefficient Benchmarking o Summary of Meta-Analysis Results for Generalizing Validity of Five-Factor Model Personality Measures o Gathering Meta-Analysis Evidence for Generalizing Validity of the HPI and HDS at the Job Family Level  Transportability of Validity o Gathering Transportability Validity Evidence  Synthetic/Job Component Validity o Gathering Synthetic Validity Evidence TECHNICAL BRIEF
HISDAC-ES: historical settlement data compilation for Spain (1900–2020)

Abstract. Multi-temporal measurements quantifying the changes to the Earth's surface are critical for understanding many natural, anthropogenic, and social processes. Researchers typically use remotely sensed Earth observation data to quantify and characterize such changes in land use and land cover (LULC). However, such data sources are limited in their availability prior to the 1980s. While an observational window of 40 to 50 years is sufficient to study most recent LULC changes, processes such as urbanization, land development, and the evolution of urban and coupled nature–human systems often operate over longer time periods covering several decades or even centuries. Thus, to quantify and better understand such processes, alternative historical–geospatial data sources are required that extend farther back in time. However, such data are rare, and processing is labor-intensive, often involving manual work. To overcome the resulting lack in quantitative knowledge of urban systems and the built environment prior to the 1980s, we leverage cadastral data with rich thematic property attribution, such as building usage and construction year. We scraped, harmonized, and processed over 12 000 000 building footprints including construction years to create a multi-faceted series of gridded surfaces, describing the evolution of human settlements in Spain from 1900 to 2020, at 100 m spatial and 5-year temporal resolution. These surfaces include measures of building density, built-up intensity, and built-up land use. We evaluated our data against a variety of data sources including remotely sensed human settlement data and land cover data, model-based historical land use depictions, and historical maps and historical aerial imagery and find high levels of agreement. This new data product, the Historical Settlement Data Compilation for Spain (HISDAC-ES), is publicly available (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.22009643, Uhl et al., 2023a) and represents a rich source for quantitative, long-term analyses of the built environment and related processes over large spatial and temporal extents and at fine resolutions.
Thermodynamics and information in linear quantum lattices

When a quantum system is coupled to several heat baths at different temperatures, it eventually reaches a non-equilibrium steady state (NESS) featuring stationary internal heat currents. From one side, these currents are responsible to cause decorehence and produce entropy in the system. However, their existence also induce correlations between different parts of the system. In this work, we explore this two-folded aspect of NESSs. Using phase-space techniques we calculate the Wigner entropy production on general linear networks of harmonic nodes. Working in the ubiquitous limit of weak internal coupling and weak dissipation, we obtain simple closedform expressions for the entropic contribution of each individual quasi-probability current. Our analysis also shows that, it is exclusively the (reversible) internal dynamics which maintain the stationary (irreversible) entropy production. From the informational point of view, we address how to quantify the amount of information that disconnected parts of a quantum chain share in a non-equilibrium steady-state. As we show, this is more precisely captured by the conditional mutual information (CMI), a more general quantifier of tripartite correlations than the usual mutual information. As an application, we apply our framework to the paradigmatic problem of energy transfer through a chain of oscillators subject to self-consistent internal baths that can be used to tune the transport from ballistic to diffusive. We find that the entropy production scales with different power law behaviors in the ballistic and diffusive regimes, hence allowing us to quantify what is the “entropic cost of diffusivity”. We also compute the CMI for arbitrary sizes and thus find the scaling rules connecting information sharing and diffusivity. Finally, we discuss how this new perspective in the characterization of non-equilibrium systems may be applied to understand the issue of local equilibration in non-equilibrium states.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Super Mario Bros

Within this master’s thesis, a fine-tuned reinforcement learning model capable of preparing an intelligent agent able to play the Super Mario Bros. game has been created. Its architecture is based on conducted research on current state-of-the-art reinforcement learning techniques where the most relevant models for this type of task have been compared between each other. In order to compare the models, research and description of tools that allow the model to interact with the game had been done. Based on the comparison results, the most suitable approach was selected. Experiments with applying various modifications to the selected model have been done in order to find the most suitable modifications for the Super Mario Bros. game. The fine-tuned model has been used to train an intelligent agent, whose performances were tested on the level he was trained on and also on two levels that he had never seen before. The agent’s performances were really good and showed nice behavioral patterns, mainly on the level he was trained on, as his performance on the unseen levels was understandably worse.
Dynamic simulation of a coated microbubble in an unbounded flow: response to a step change in pressure

A numerical method is developed to study the dynamic behaviour of an encapsulated bubble when the viscous forces of the surrounding liquid are accounted for. The continuity and Navier–Stokes equations are solved for the liquid, whereas the coating is described as a viscoelastic shell with bending resistance. The Galerkin Finite Element Methodology is employed for the spatial discretization of the flow domain surrounding the bubble, with the standard staggered grid arrangement that uses biquadratic and bilinear Lagrangian basis functions for the velocity and pressure in the liquid, respectively, coupled with a superparametric scheme with $B$ -cubic splines as basis functions pertaining to the location of the interface. The spine method and the elliptic mesh generation technique are used for updating the mesh points in the interior of the flow domain as the shape of the interface evolves with time, with the latter being distinctly superior in capturing severely distorted shapes. The stabilizing effect of the liquid viscosity is demonstrated, as it alters the amplitude of the disturbance for which a bubble deforms and/or collapses. For a step change in the far-field pressure the dynamic evolution of the microbubble is captured until a static equilibrium is achieved. Static shapes that are significantly compressed are captured in the post-buckling regime, leading to symmetric or asymmetric shapes, depending on the relative dilatation to bending stiffness ratio. As the external overpressure increases, shapes corresponding to all the solution families that were captured evolve to exhibit contact as the two poles approach each other. Shell viscosity prevents jet formation by relaxing compressive stresses and bending moments around the indentation generated at the poles due to shell buckling. This behaviour is conjectured to be the inception process leading to static shapes with contact regions.
Ab initio approach to quantum field theories on the light front

We develop and apply methods for solving non-perturbative quantum field theories in the Hamiltonian formalism. The current work is a first step towards an ab initio approach to QCD bound-state problems. In particular, we investigate heavy quarkonium within the basis light-front quantization approach. We implement a phenomenological confinement from the Light-Front Holographic QCD and a theoretically derived one-gluon exchange effective interaction. We adopt the holographic light-front wavefunctions as our basis and solve the bound-state problem by diagonalizing the Hamiltonian matrix. We obtain the mass spectrum for charmonium and bottomonium. We also compute the decay constants and the elastic form factors for selected mesons. The results compare favorably with experimental measurements and with other established methods. We also address systematic non-perturbative renormalization in a simpler model, the scalar Yukawa model, using the a Fock sector dependent renormalization scheme. We apply the Fock sector truncation up to four constituent particles. The eigenvalue equation is properly renormalized and a set of coupled integral equations are derived. We solve these equations by a parallel numerical iterative procedure. We find that the lowest (oneand two-body) Fock sectors dominate the physical state up to a non-perturbative coupling α ≈ 1.7. By comparing with lower sector truncations, we show that the form factor converges with respect to the Fock sector expansion in the perturbative and non-perturbative regime. This calculation demonstrates the use of the systematic Fock sector expansion with a proper non-perturbative renormalization as an ab initio approach to solve light-front quantum field theory. These results initiate a pathway for solving the strong interaction bound-state problems from first principles.
CHO-produced RBD-Fc subunit vaccines with alternative adjuvants generate immune responses against SARS-CoV-2

Subunit vaccines feature critical advantages over other vaccine platforms such as stability, price, and minimal adverse effects. To maximize immunological protection of subunit vaccines, adjuvants are considered as main components that are formulated within the subunit vaccine. They can modulate adverse effects and enhance immune outcomes. However, the most suitable formulation providing the best immunological outcomes and safety are still under investigation. In this report, we combined recombinant RBD with human IgG1 Fc to create an RBD dimer. This fusion protein was expressed in CHO and formulated with alternative adjuvants with different immune activation including Montanide ISA51, Poly (I:C), and MPLA/Quil-A® as potential vaccine candidate formulations. Using the murine model, a potent induction of anti-RBD IgG antibodies in immunized mice sera were observed. IgG subclass analyses (IgG1/IgG2a) illustrated that all adjuvanted formulations could stimulate both Th1 and Th2-type immune responses in particular Poly (I:C) and MPLA/Quil-A®, eliciting greater balance. In addition, Montanide ISA51-formulated RBD-Fc vaccination provided a promising level of neutralizing antibodies against live wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in vitro followed by Poly (I:C) and MPLA/Quil-A®, respectively. Also, mice sera from adjuvanted formulations could strongly inhibit RBD:ACE2 interaction. This study offers immunogenicity profiles, forecasted safety based on Vaccine-associated enhanced disease (VAED) caused by Th1-skewed immunity, and neutralizing antibody analysis of candidates of RBD-Fc-based subunit vaccine formulations to obtain an alternative subunit vaccine formulation against SARS-CoV-2.
Malaria infection and its association with socio-demographics, long lasting insecticide nets usage and hematological parameters among adolescent patients in rural Southwestern Nigeria

Background There is increasing evidence suggesting that adolescents are contributing to the populations at risk of malaria. This study determined the prevalence of malaria infection among the adolescents and examined the associated determinants considering socio-demographic, Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLINs) usage, and hematological factors in rural Southwestern Nigeria. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2021 and September 2022 among 180 adolescents who were recruited at a tertiary health facility in rural Southwestern Nigeria. Interviewer administered questionnaire sought information on their socio-demographics and usage of LLINs. Venous blood samples were collected and processed for malaria parasite detection, ABO blood grouping, hemoglobin genotype, and packed cell volume. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The prevalence of malaria infection was 71.1% (95% CI: 68.2%-73.8%). Lack of formal education (AOR = 2.094; 95% CI: 1.288–3.403), being a rural residence (AOR = 4.821; 95% CI: 2.805–8.287), not using LLINs (AOR = 1.950; 95% CI: 1.525–2.505), genotype AA (AOR = 3.420; 95% CI: 1.003–11.657), genotype AS (AOR = 3.574; 95%CI: 1.040–12.277), rhesus positive (AOR = 1.815; 95% CI:1.121–2.939), and severe anemia (AOR = 1.533; 95% CI: 1.273–1.846) were significantly associated with malaria infection. Conclusion The study revealed the prevalence of malaria infection among the adolescents in rural Southwestern Nigeria. There may be need to pay greater attention to adolescent populations for malaria intervention and control programs.
Experiences of Diverse Introductory Computer Science Students Moving to Online Classes in a Pandemic

Research question: For students enrolling in introductory computer science classes at community colleges, how did they experience the class in an emergency remote teaching environment, particularly in contrast to in-person instruction at the start of the semester? Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 students from diverse backgrounds who were enrolled in introductory computer science at a community college in California during the first semester of online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded theory data analysis was conducted on the interview data. Results: Students’ overall educational trajectories were largely unchanged by the shift to emergency remote teaching. However, one crucial factor in many students’ learning experiences was the lack of a physical transition to the campus and a corresponding transition into a school or studying mode supported by physically gathering with other students and away from distractions at home. Experiences in the classroom were found less engaging by many, and virtual interactions were sometimes awkward. Students struggled to get individualized help from instructors and campus resources and to interact with peers. Conclusions/Contributions: Instructors and administrators in community colleges need to be aware that the loss of college campus spaces and embodied peer interactions may pose an especially large barrier to success for the population they serve. An important takeaway for instructors is that the modalities and tools employed in emergency remote teaching are experienced quite differently by different students, and that additional supports, such as videotaped classes and flexibility in due dates, can be key for students’ success.