Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Measurement of Inequality

Measures of inequality are used by economists to answer a wide range of questions. Is the distribution of income more equal than it was in the past? Are underdeveloped countries characterised by greater inequality than advanced countries ? Do taxes lead to greater equality in the distribution of income or wealth? However, despite the wide use of these measures, relatively little attention has been given to the conceptual problems involved in the measurement of inequality and there have been few contributions to the theoretical foundations of the subject. In this paper, I try to clarify some of the basic issues, to examine the properties of the measures that are commonly employed, and to discuss a possible new approach. In the course of this, I draw on the parallel with the formally similar problem of measuring risk in the theory of decisionmaking under uncertainty and make use of recent results in this fie1d.l The problem with which we are concerned is basically that of comparing two frequency distributions f(u) of an attribute y which for convenience I shall refer to as income. The conventional approach in nearly all empirical work is to adopt some summary statistic of inequality such as the variance, the coefficient of variation or the Gini coefficientwith no very explicit reason being given for preferring one measure rather than another. As, however, was pointed out by Dalton 50 years ago in his pioneering article [3], underlying any such measure is some concept of social welfare and it is with this concept that we should be concerned. He argued that we should approach the question by considering directly the form of the social welfare function to be employed. If we follow him in assuming that this would be an additively separable and symmetric
Fiscal Deficit Forecasts by International Institutions: Evidence for a Double Standard?

Fiscal forecasts produced by international financial institutions came under strong criticism after the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis due to overly optimistic estimates for heavily indebted countries like Spain, Italy, and Portugal. Presently, in the face of strong divisions within the European political landscape, international organizations have also been accused of applying a double standard. Opponents often claim those organizations depict a more negative picture for governments described as populist in the mainstream media. The aim of this paper is to evaluate fiscal forecasts provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Commission (EC), and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Our analysis is based on a panel of European Union economies, other OECD members, and large non-OECD economies (e.g., China). Five years after the Sovereign debt crisis, we still find negative phenomenon reported earlier in the literature. In Europe, all organizations systematically present overly optimistic deficit forecasts for Portugal, Spain, and, to a lower extent, for Italy. Moreover, the EC and OECD are being indulgent to countries under the excessive deficit procedure. There is also an evidence for strong autocorrelation of ex-post fiscal forecast errors. On the other hand, we find no strong evidence suggesting that fiscal forecasts stigmatize the governments accused of populism or violating the rule of law. Finally, in the case of European emerging economies, some kind of wishful thinking is present. For example, the EC overestimates governments’ propensity to tighten fiscal policy during the expansion period of a business cycle and forecasts an overly pessimistic picture during a slowdown.
Robust Segmentation of Corpus Callosum in Multi-Scanner Pediatric T1-w MRI using Transfer Learning

The Corpus Callosum (CC) has been intensively studied in adults and it has been shown, for instance, that there is a relationship between its morphology and some neurological diseases. Fewer morphological studies have been conducted on children showing that variations in size and shape might be correlated with Multiple Sclerosis. T1-weighted MR scans are usually employed since the CC is entirely visible and distinguishable in the Mid-Sagittal Plane (MSP). State-of-the-art segmentation algorithms for adults, such as CCSeg and ART-yuki, are difficult to use with pediatric images due to the low contrast-to-noise ratio, short acquisition time (low resolution), presence of other parts of the body. In this work we present a robust method to segment the Corpus Callosum in Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Transfer Learning. The thesis was carried out throughout an internship of six months at LTCI (Laboratoire Traitement et Communication de l’Information) of the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications (TELECOM ParisTech), and is part of a much larger joint French-Brazilian project, named ANR-FAPESP Project STAP, which main topic is spatio-temporal analysis of pediatric MRI. We first train a CNN on adult T1-w MR images, then perform transfer learning on pediatric images with different scanners and protocols to improve generalization power. Pediatric radiologists of the Bicetre Hospital of Paris, who have collaborated in this work, suppose that the Corpus Callosum decreases in size and shape over time in Children who have MS, rather than in those affected by other inflammatory diseases, such as ADEM (Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis), transverse myelitis and optic myelitis. The second step of our research work is to verify these assumptions, thanks to the results obtained by our proposed method
The Rhetoric of Islamic Debate in Kazakhstani Mass Media

There is an ongoing debate in Kazakhstani mass media over what constitutes proper Islamic belief and conduct. This paper examines a running dispute between Zikiriya Zhandarbek, an intellectual based at a university in southern Kazakhstan, and scripturalist Islamic institutions, such as the Kazakhstani Muftiate and the Islamic television channel Asyl Arna. In his tirades against “Salafist” and “untraditional” members of the Muftiate and Asyl Arna, Zhandarbek uses rhetoric inviting identification with domestic traditions and Akhmed Yasawi, a local Sufi saint. Conversely, scripturalists’ rhetoric identifies them as scholars working to revive knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam. However, both parties claim to represent the Kazakh nation, showing the overwhelming importance of nationalist rhetoric in Kazakhstan today.
Adjustment Problems in Early Adulthood Among Victims of Childhood Physical Abuse: A Focus on Adolescent Risk and Protective Factors

Physical abuse in childhood places individuals at risk for many behavioral and mental health problems in adulthood. Nevertheless, not all abused children will ultimately experience these negative outcomes. Using a subsample of physically abused youth from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examined whether protective and risk factors in adolescence (intelligence, family attachments, and neighborhood disadvantage) explained why some victims fared better in early adulthood. Outcomes of violent offending, depressive symptoms, and low self-esteem were examined. Family attachments were found to be protective against depressive symptoms and low self-esteem, while the effects of intelligence were more limited. These findings emphasize that there is marked variability in how physically abused children fare in early adulthood.
Light transmittance characterization and energy-saving analysis of a new selective coating for in situ window retrofit

Windows are often pointed to as the weakest elements in building facades, given their low thermal resistance. Consequently, they are a main focus during building retrofits, when their substitution is often considered an expensive but necessary choice. This article describes a new high-performance glazing coating, which can be used for the in situ retrofit of existing windows. The easy application of this new liquid-applied coating on the internal side of the glazing makes it possible to reduce the solar heat gain coefficient of an existing window substantially and quickly, without interrupting the building occupancy. Experimental characterizations of light transmittance and thermal characteristics are presented in this article. Although the new coating allowed a reduction in the visible transmittance (VT) of only 0.1 compared to nontreated insulating glass units (IGUs), it proved to reduce significantly the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of the investigated IGUs to values below 0.45. This article also reports the results of aging studies aiming at assessing the risks of long-term performance reductions of this new liquid-applied coating. Finally, the results of energy simulations investigating the energy-efficiency improvements when this coating is applied to different kinds of windows in Canada are reported.
Filling in the Gaps: The Association between Intelligence and Both Color and Parent-Reported Ancestry in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997

Little research has dealt with intragroup ancestry-related differences in intelligence in Black and White Americans. To help fill this gap, we examined the association between intelligence and both color and parent-reported ancestry using the NLSY97. We used a nationally-representative sample, a multidimensional measure of cognitive ability, and a sibling design. We found that African ancestry was negatively correlated with general mental ability scores among Whites (r = −0.038, N = 3603; corrected for attenuation, rc = −0.245). In contrast, the correlation between ability and parent-reported European ancestry was positive among Blacks (r = 0.137, N = 1788; rc = 0.344). Among Blacks, the correlation with darker skin color, an index of African ancestry, was negative (r = −0.112, N = 1455). These results remained with conspicuous controls. Among Blacks, both color and parent-reported European ancestry had independent effects on general cognitive ability (color: β = −0.104; ancestry: β = 0.118; N = 1445). These associations were more pronounced on g-loaded subtests, indicating a Jensen Effect for both color and ancestry (rs = 0.679 to 0.850). When we decomposed the color results for the African ancestry sample between and within families, we found an association between families, between singletons (β = −0.153; N = 814), and between full sibling pairs (β = −0.176; N = 225). However, we found no association between full siblings (β = 0.027; N = 225). Differential regression to the mean results indicated that the factors causing the mean group difference acted across the cognitive spectrum, with high-scoring African Americans no less affected than low-scoring ones. We tested for measurement invariance and found that strict factorial invariance was tenable. We then found that the weak version of Spearman’s hypothesis was tenable while the strong and contra versions were not. The results imply that the observed cognitive differences are primarily due to differences in g and that the Black-White mean difference is attributable to the same factors that cause differences within both groups. Further examination revealed comparable intraclass correlations and absolute differences for Black and White full siblings. This implied that the non-shared environmental variance components were similar in magnitude for both Blacks and Whites.
Distinguishing mummified thyroid nodules from malignant thyroid nodules.

AIM To study the ultrasonographic (US) differences between "mummified" thyroid nodules and malignant thyroid nodules in order to achieve a more accurate imaging-based diagnosis and to avoid unnecessary biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the US features of mummified thyroid nodules, as confirmed by fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), in 193 cases. The US features included content, echo, shape, margin, microcalcification, suspicious lymph nodes and some characteristic features, including the cystic wall shrinkage sign, the concentric configuration or finger sign, calcification and halo. All of these features were classified and compared with those of 109 malignant lesions. The changes of these mummified nodules during the follow-up period were also examined. RESULTS The cystic wall shrinkage sign and the concentric configuration or finger sign were highly specific indicators of mummified thyroid nodules and could be used to distinguish mummified nodules from thyroid cancer with a specificity of 91.7% and 99.9%, respectively. A continuous decrease in the cyst size was observed during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Mummified thyroid nodules are characterized by the cystic wall shrinkage sign and the concentric configuration or finger sign on US and a continuous decrease in size during follow-up. These features may be useful for the differential imaging-based diagnosis of mummified versus malignant thyroid nodules.
O DÉFICIT NA CAPACIDADE ESTÁTICA DE ARMAZENAGEM DE GRÃOS EM MATOPIBA

A região Matopiba é considerada a nova fronteira agrícola do Brasil, ficando atrás apenas dos líderes nacionais em produção (MT, PR e RS). Diante disso, o objetivo desse trabalho foi analisar a capacidade estática e seu déficit de armazenagem de grãos na região Matopiba. Segundo um estudo, entre os anos de 2010 a 2016 houve um acréscimo de 30% no volume produzido e aumento apenas de 14,3% da capacidade estática dos armazéns. O sistema de armazenagem da região é deficitário e mal distribuído. Além disso, a logística é outro problema enfrentado pelos produtores deixando o frete mais caro. A armazenagem dos estados envolvidos não acompanha o crescimento da produção, apresentando um déficit de 56,4% na capacidade estática.
SOCIAL NETWORK SITE

Social networking sites (SNSs) are increasingly becoming a major type of online applications that facilitate online social interactions and information sharing among a large amount of users. Furthermore, privacy protection is an important issue in social networking. Users are not able to easily specify their access control requirements through the available privacy configuration interfaces. An approach assisting online users in composing and managing their access control policies to configure their privacy setting is proposed based on Decision Tree Learning. Moreover, Ontology APIs include social network ontology (SNO) to capture the information semantics in an SNS and an access control ontology (ACO) that is used to store rules from the classifier combining with existing access control rules. Therefore, a fine-gained OSN access control model based on semantic web technologies is proposed in order to automatically construct access control rules for the users' privacy settings with the minimal effort from the user.
High prevalence of genetic determined familial hypercholesterolemia in premature coronary artery disease

Background: Premature coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Increased low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) level is a major risk factor for CAD and thus the main target for its prevention. Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic inherited disorder characterized by high LDL-C, and subsequent premature CAD development. Early drug treatment with lipid-lowering medications in FH prevents cardiovascular disease onset. The FH prevalence in the Northern European general population is 0.3%, and it is estimated that it explains 20% of premature CAD cases in individuals with familial clustering. Despite the wide number of papers showing the prevalence of clinical FH in cardiovascular disease, the prevalence of genetic FH in individuals with premature CAD is not yet well known. Here, we examined the prevalence of genetically determined FH in individuals with premature CAD. Patients and methods: 66 patients who underwent coronary angiography with suspected premature acute coronary syndrome (age <50 years for men and <55 years for women) underwent genetic screening to identify FH-causing mutations. All patients underwent physical and clinical examinations. Information about family and personal history, drug therapy and habits were also collected. Results: We found FH-causative mutations in 3/66 (4.5%) screened individuals with premature CAD. When considering individuals with confirmed CAD after coronary angiography, the FH mutation prevalence was 6.1% (3/49). After excluding individuals with classical risk factors for CAD other than hypercholesterolemia, the FH mutation prevalence raised to 15.8% (3/19). Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that individuals with premature CAD have a more than 15-fold increased prevalence of FH mutations compared to the general population.
Wearable System Based on Flexible FBG for Respiratory and Cardiac Monitoring

There is a growing demand for strain sensors that can be embedded into wearables for several potential applications. Among others, respiratory and cardiac rates’ monitoring from chest wall displacements have driven the development of strain sensors based on fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) coupled with polymers. In this paper, we addressed the fabrication of a flexible sensor based on an FBG encapsulated into Dragon skin 20 silicone rubber. The sensor is intended to be used for developing a wearable system for respiratory and cardiac rates’ monitoring. The sensor’s response to strain, temperature changes, and relative humidity variations has been experimentally assessed. By considering the repetitive strains induced on the chest wall by the phenomena of interest, the hysteresis response has also been analyzed. Then, an elastic band was equipped with the flexible sensor. The feasibility of this wearable system has been preliminarily assessed on healthy volunteers to evaluate its suitability for monitoring respiratory frequency ( $f_{\mathbf {R}}$ ) and heart rate (HR). The interesting results suggest that the proposed system is easy to be worn, non-invasive, stretchy, and seems to be suitable to well-match the chest wall displacements for monitoring $f_{\mathbf {R}}$ and HR. Such findings call for further investigation targeted to evaluate the accuracy of the FBG-based wearable system in monitoring respiratory and cardiac activities and the system usability in both clinical and sports sciences.
TONY BROWN, UNA HANLEY, SUSAN DARBY AND NIGEL CALDER

With the introduction of any new initiative into the mathematics classroom, there is often an assumption that it will produce visible and measurable effects in teaching approaches and pupil progress. Yet, there is a body of research that tempers such optimism, drawing attention to a series of mitigating factors, for example, the deep-seated nature of teachers’ practices, their implicit or stated beliefs and values, and their lack of detailed awareness of how they perform in the classroom. Rather than make associative links between these factors and the success of the initiative, our intention is to examine the ways in which teachers are trying to interpret what the new scheme requires of them and how in turn, engaging with it causes them to re-describe both their pedagogic understanding and classroom practices relationally to earlier approaches. Employing data from a small project, we seek to examine four teachers’ moves to grapple with this attempted shift from one teaching paradigm to another by considering how certain key terms serve to anchor the teachers’ conceptions of themselves during this transition and find that their responses can be idiosyncratic and varied depending on the approaches in which they have been previously embedded. By using theoretical ideas from some neo-Marxist writers we examine these discursive shifts and their relevance to conceiving curriculum change. We suggest that the individual’s teaching practice develops as a result of it being understood and enacted through a succession of ideological filters, each adding to the cumulative experience of the teacher.
Creating a Maturity Model for Business Intelligence in Healthcare

Healthcare is a very complex, knowledge-driven industry. The accumulation of data is quickly outpacing the capacity to use the information to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare. At the same time, the demand for higher level knowledge to manage consumer information and to predict outcomes of care continues to rise. Business intelligence (BI) can help organizations improve efficiency in managing information and can provide decision makers with timely and accurate information. The use of a business intelligence maturity model can provide organizations with a systematic method for assessing their maturity level relative to important process areas critical to the organization’s success. The purpose of this dissertation is to evaluate existing BI maturity models and expand the use of a maturity model to include processes within healthcare. The processes, dimensions, and functionality at each maturity level in the model are created to encompass the complex information management needs within healthcare. This is done through an iterative process of development. The BI maturity model is then evaluated by verifying that problem requirements are met and validating its usefulness within a healthcare organization. An assessment tool for determining organizational maturity is created and administered to several key BI stakeholders within a healthcare system. The results of that assessment are then used to determine the BI maturity level of the organization. This validation process provides invaluable feedback not only to the maturity model creation; but also to the assessment and understanding of the maturity level within the organization. The creation of a maturity model specifically for healthcare as well as a useful maturity assessment tool can greatly assist healthcare organizations in determining their level of BI maturity. The maturity level of business intelligence within an organization is extremely important in strategy development. There is no doubt that information technology can help drive some of the changes needed for healthcare reform. Using a maturity model to create a BI roadmap will help the organization better understand and control the overall management of information within the
Smartpen Technology for Note Taking in Inclusive English/Language Art Classes

Abstract For high school students with disabilities, one major component of learning in inclusive content area classes, such as English/language arts (ELA), involves listening to verbal information and recording notes. Learning how to record verbal information in notes is a critical skill for students to succeed in these classes. Therefore, this study randomized 54 students with and without disabilities into experimental and control groups and asked them to record notes in inclusive ELA classes. Students in the experimental group, who were taught the smartpen intervention, scored significantly higher on notes and an achievement measure than control group students. The limitations of the research, implications for future research, and recommendations for teachers are discussed.