Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CluStEr-baSEd anCHor ItEm IdEntIFICatIon and SElECtIon

In order to compare scores of latent variables across groups or measurement occasions, the respec ve items presented to both groups or at both measurement occasions need to bemeasurement invariant, that is, show no differen al item func oning (DIF). In situa ons where this assump on is violated, researcher may strive for par al measurement invariance by iden fying a set of items (anchor items) that are DIF-free. Different approaches for detec ng DIF-free items exists. These either make the assump on of unbalanced DIF or the assump on that the majority of items is DIF-free. Recently, Bechger and Maris (2015) proposed an approach that instead of iden fying DIF-free items iden fies clusters of items that func on similarly. As such they do not make the assump on of unbalanced DIF or that the majority of items is DIF-free. While this approach is very promising, it is not applicable, yet, for substan ve research. 1. There is no clear criterion for the iden fica on of clusters. 2. There are no criteria for choosing a cluster as anchor for linking purposes. (a) We propose two procedures for cluster iden fica on, that are, the k-means clustering approach and the range-and-step-threshold approach. (b) We provide three selec on criteria (cluster homogeneity, cluster accuracy, and cluster size) that may aid the choice of a cluster. For illustra on, we apply the approach on data of a linking study in the Na onal Educa onal Panel Study comparing reading competence between grade 9 students and adults. The paper closes with a discussion of the advantages as well as the limita ons of the proposed methods and a delinea on of further research areas.
Water quantity management in a heterogeneous landscape with strategic farmers

Agricultural production contributes to many environmental problems. In semi-arid areas, agricultural irrigation causes the so-called waterlogging phenomenon. This phenomenon is both spatial and dynamic since percolations depends on soil quality summed up in landscape heterogeneity and evolves along time. Furthermore, farmers can develop strategies with respect to their contribution to percolation. We study regulation schemes to be implemented to restore the socially optimal spatial and temporal production plan of farmers in such a context. We show that both a temporal tax on percolation and a spatio-temporal tax on inputs (both at the extensive and at the intensive margin) are e cient for the restoration of the socially optimal solution. Furthermore, the error made when implementing a fiscal scheme designed for myopic farmers whereas they are strategic does not always increase with the degree of heterogeneity of the landscape.
Explicit towers of curves with many points

where C runs over all smooth, projective, geometrically connected curves over Fq up to isomorphism, is at most √ q − 1. Ihara, Drinfeld and Vlăduţ also proved that this bound is attained if q is a square, using supersingular points on modular curves. Serre proved that it A(q) is positive for all q. Garcia and Stichtenoth started looking for explicit equations for families of curves {Cn}n=1 in which g(Cn) → ∞ as n → ∞ and where limn→∞ #Cn(Fq)/g(C) is positive. In the first part of this talk we explain one of their examples, based on the expositional article [5]. Elkies has given explicit equations for certain families of modular curves; see for example [3]. He also showed that all of the explicit towers which had so far been published were actually examples of towers of modular curves (of elliptic, Shimura or Drinfeld type.) The second part of this talk is devoted to an explanation of Elkies’ method.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE FOR THE SECOND SCREEN

High Dynamic Range (HDR) will soon be just as much about delivering great video experiences to tablets and smartphones as it is about delivering to the big UHD TV in the living room. For video service providers, however, the challenges are different. UHD HDR content is crafted with the big screen in mind. As a result, the small localized highlights and spatial details of HDR content can be obliterated when it is scaled, filtered, and encoded using adaptive streaming protocols to fit handheld screens. This paper provides quantitative methods to optimize HDR for the second screen and adaptive bitrate services. We provide methods to measure and mitigate distortions of overall HDR luminance variations as well and the localized highlights and spatial details that are unique and significant in each video frame. A key take-away is that we provide methods to select the best combinations of bitrate and encoded resolution to use in multi-resolution adaptive streaming of HDR content.
Applications of convex optimisation to premium rating

In this paper we discuss the application of modern mathematical optimization techniques to some of the common problems in premium rating. The perspective of convex optimisation [1] is particularly attractive as it subsumes maximum likelihood estimation in exponential families of distributions (and by extension generalised linear models) and allows for a number of interesting additions to the GLM framework.
R please do not cite/circulate

Orphan (rare) diseases occur infrequently in the population, thus providing little incentives for drug development. However, rare diseases affect a non-negligible part of the population, raising policy relevant issues. Since the early 80s, orphan specific legislations have addressed the lack of incentives to invest in innovation for rare diseases. We provide new evidence on the heterogeneous effect of these provisions on innovation targeting rare diseases belonging to different classes of prevalence. A theoretical model is developed that distinguishes market-related and input-related incentives to show how the different provisions are crucial in defining the relative convenience to invest across different classes of prevalence. Data on US orphan designations, as a proxy for R&D effort, are used to empirically test the model and to estimate the effect of orphan legislations. We show that, while the number of designations has increased over time for all orphan diseases, those in the class with the lowest prevalence have done so at a much slower pace. Our findings support the idea that the type of incentives in place may be responsible for this increase in inequality within orphan
Support for endangered and low-resource languages via e-Learning, translation and crowd-sourcing

The R EVITA project aims to create an automated Web-based environment for language learning, supported by state-of-the-art, scalable methods. The system is currently deployed for several low-resource languages from the Finno-Ugric and Turkic families. Our approach rests on four main ideas. 1: Leveraging existing NLP tools and resources. 2: Providing personalized learning, intended for learners at the intermediate-to-advanced levels. The learner can practice, receive feedback, and make progress on one’s own, outside the classroom. 3: Making the learning process maximally interesting , ﬂexible and stimulating, to ensure longer practice time. 4: Engaging the learner in active production of language—following modern principles of didactics—rather than in passive memorization of linguistic material. In this paper we focus especially on crowd-sourcing and translation models for supporting e-Learning.
Adaptive sequential regression imputation methods using machine learning techniques

The digital technology, though more than fifty years old, is increasingly yielding data which can be used as a part of statistical infrastructure. Advances in computational resources such as processing powers, storage, development of algorithms and other computational infrastructure have made many administrative records, transactions, electronic health records etc use-able by statisticians in combination with the traditional data sources such as probability sample based surveys
School Field Trips: An Overview

Introduction As shown by the bibliography on pages 11-13, school field trips have received considerable attention. Koran, Ellis, & Koran (pages 7-10) summarize many of the research studies on field experiences. The current article attempts to provide a more general overview of the literature on field trips. Four phases of school field trip programs are reviewed: • Planning of the program • Pre-visit preparation • On-site Activities • Follow-up Activities Studies addressing each phase of the trip will be cited and gaps in current research will be noted. We assume (along with others, e.g., Eason & Linn, 1976; Screven, 1976) that evaluation should be a necessary part of any museum program including the field trip. Further, evaluation should take place in all four phases of the field trip program and adequate resources for evaluation should be provided. The major benefit of ongoing evaluation is continual improvement of the program. Evaluation should attempt to identify all aspects of the museum experience, not just gains in factual knowledge. As Engel & Hein (1977) and Hein (1985) argued, if learning is measured only by preand posttests or questionnaires, then the experience is reduced to "some fairly dry facts and few of them indicate the value of the program, or indicate the time and effort spent on them by children and adults. " Many have argued that measures other than cognitions (e.g., facts) should be included in evaluation (e.g., affective and psychomotor responses). For example, Sneider, Eason, & Friedman (1979) used multiple measures to evaluate an interactive astronomy exhibit. These measures included a psychomotor skill, the use of a telescope. Flexer & Borun (1984) had children demonstrate their knowledge with simple machines as an alternative to the usual paper-andpencil test. Bevins and Bitgood (1989) examined cognitive beliefs, emotional responses, and self-reported response tendencies to a live snake demonstration.
Public-Private Wage Gap and Corruption in a Macroeconomic Model∗

In developing countries, large public wage premiums are confirmed. On the other hand, in developed countries, small public wage premiums exist but they are close to zero. According to seminal theoretical works on corruption, offering public workers a higher wage than they can get elsewhere reduces corruption. However, data on corruption indicates that developing countries suffer more severe corruption. Thus, the observed evidence that larger public wage premiums and higher levels of corruption coexist in developing countries, while smaller or zero premiums and lower levels of corruption coexist in developed countries is puzzling. To the best of our knowledge, no theoretical study explains this puzzle. The aim of this paper is to provide an explanation for the aforementioned puzzle by analyzing the relationships among public wages, corruption, and economic development.
To compare the analgesic activity of Diacerein, Etoricoxib and Meloxicam in rats by using analgesiometer

Introduction: Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. It is not a disease by itself in fact it is a warning signal of noxious stimulus.Pain is a subjective experience, it occurs only in consciousness, in the mind. Pain can be experienced in response to both external perceived events and can sometimes follow from nociception. Analgesics are the drugs which possess significant pain relieving properties by acting in the CNS or on peripheral pain receptors without significantly affecting consciousness. The main aim of this study is to compare analgesic effect of Diacerein with standard drugs like Meloxicam (preferential COX2 inhibitor) and Etoricoxib (selective COX2 inhibitor). Objectives: To study the analgesic effect of Diacerein. 2.To compare the analgesic effect of Diacerein, Meloxicam and Etoricoxib in albino rats, using digital analgesiometer. Methodology: A Randomized controlled trail was conducted in the Dept. of Pharmacology, Dr Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation (Dr.PSIMS), Chinoutapalli, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh with the institutional ethical committee clearance. Total rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, 6 rats in each group. First group of rats were considered as controls and treated with 0.2 ml normal saline. Second group were considered as test drug and treated with Diacerein at doses of 1.4mg/kg, 2.8mg/kg, and 4.2 mg/kg body weight. Third group were considered as standard 1 and treated with Etoricoxib at doses of 5mg/kg, 10mg/kg and 15 mg/kg. , Fourth group were considered as standard 2 and treated with Meloxicam at doses of 0.214mg/kg, 0.428mg/kg, and 0.642 mg/kg. Conclusion: Diacerein an Interleukin-1 inhibitor drug is having analgesic property but Meloxicam and Etoricoxib are having more analgesic property when compared to Diacerein. However the above preclinical experiments only give us an idea about the analgesic effect of Diacerein but large scale clinical trials are necessary for final assessment.
Enhanced Drought Tolerance in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) Seedlings Upon Pretreatment with Exogenous Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid (SA) is an important signal transduction molecule that helps plants overcome external stress conditions. Drought stress can strongly impact plants during cultivation. In this study, we investigated the effects of pretreating Chinese cabbage seedlings with exogenous SA during drought stress through physiological and biochemical analyses. The study lasted for 39 days, including a period of 23-day during which Chinese cabbage seedlings were pretreated with SA. Plants were pretreated three or six times with SA (10 -4 M) or left untreated (control), and subjected to a 12-day drought period. Leaf samples were harvested before (day 0) and on days 3, 6, 9, and 12 of the drought period. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content, photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll fluorescence, total chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme (catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase) activities were determined during the drought period. Pretreatment with SA led to enhanced drought tolerance in Chinese cabbage seedlings. Pretreating seedlings six times was found to be more efficacious than three times. SA pretreatment reduced MDA synthesis and prevented leaf rolling and leaf scorching. Additionally, SA pretreatment preserved the photosynthetic apparatus and counteracted the reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes. These results demonstrate that pretreatment with exogenous SA protects Chinese cabbage seedlings from oxidative stress and promotes their growth. We thus conclude that pretreatment with exogenous SA can enhance drought tolerance in Chinese cabbage seedlings. Additional key words: abiotic stress, antioxidant enzyme, oxidative stress, photosynthetic apparatus, reactive oxygen species (ROS)
Regional Equilibrium Unemployment with Agglomeration Effects∗

Patterns of unemployment considerably vary along the geographical dimension. In this article, I study the role of agglomeration effects on the dynamics of local unemployment. An original model of the regional labor market with search and mobility frictions is built. The impact of place-based subsidies and unemployment benefits crucially depends on the sign and strength of the agglomeration forces. With agglomeration productivity gains, negative regional employment shocks are amplified because profit opportunities deteriorate, inducing higher mobility out of the region. The model is able to reproduce the strong persistence of the shock on the unemployment rate and the region’s size. JEL Code: J21, J61, L26, R13, R23
Strategy to evaluate Acropora palmata outplant design

FOREWORD: This document outlines tractable knowledge gaps in applying coral nursery/restocking practices developed rapidly for staghorn coral in its sister species, elkhorn coral. It provides a strategy for specific field experiments that SEFSC and CRF will be pursuing, under advice and input from management partners including FKNMS, NMFS/SERO, Florida DEP and FWC. This does not represent an exhaustive synthesis of related knowledge gaps, but rather a sequence of high priority questions that can be tractably addressed.
Employee stock ownership plan in European banks: The role of supportive measures

We investigate whether the different government supportive measures (legal, fiscal and political measures) are effective in promoting ESOPs for European banks, by taking into account the different nature of the conflicts of interest in widely-held and controlled banks. Legal measures appear to be the most effective measures for both controlled and widely-held banks. However, our findings show empirical evidence that the effectiveness of the ESOP measures is different in controlled and widely-held banks according to the strength of the conflicts of interest between insiders and outsiders. Opacity affects the effectiveness of political measures for both controlled and widely-held banks but in opposite ways. We furthermore find that supportive measures are effective to promote ESOPs in controlled banks only if they are located in countries with strong levels of shareholder protection. For widely-held banks, the supportive measures are effective to promote ESOPs adoption, independently of the level of shareholder protection. JEL Classification: G21, G28
D4.2v0.1 Formal Mapping and Tool to OWL-S

Web Services have added a new level of functionality on top of the current Web, enabling the use and combination of distributed functional components within and across company boundaries. The addition of semantic information to describe Web Services, in order to enable the automatic location, combination and use of distributed components, is nowadays one of the most relevant research topics due to its potential to achieve dynamic, scalable and cost-effective Enterprise Application Integration and eCommerce. In this context, two major initiatives aim to realise Semantic Web Services by providing appropriate description means that enable the effective exploitation of semantic annotations with respect to discovery, composition, execution and interoperability of Web Services, namely: WSMO and OWL-S. In this document, we provide a mapping between OWL-S and WSMO descriptions in order to get a better understanding of what is the relation between them and to enable the interoperation between OWL-S and WSMO services.
GoMAMN Strategic Bird Monitoring Guidelines: Seabirds-Strategic Bird Monitoring Guidelines for the Northern Gulf of Mexico

1. U.S. Geological Survey South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, and Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 2. Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 3. Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, and South Carolina Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina 4. Current Address: Department of Natural Resource Science, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 5. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gulf Restoration Office, Chiefland, Florida (*) Corresponding Author: pjodice@g.clemson. edu
HANDY: A Conﬁgurable Gesture Recognition System

—With the growing usage of computer systems in daily life, a natural and intuitive Human Computer Interaction (HCI) method to support the embedding of computer systems in our environment seems necessary. Gestures are of utmost importance for the design of natural user interfaces. Hand gesture recognition to extract meaningful expressions from the human hand movements and postures is being used for different applications. However, the recognition of hand gestures that contain different hand poses can be challenging. In this paper, we propose a system (called HANDY) for hand gesture recognition that is ﬂexible to be trained to recognize a variety of user-deﬁned gestures deﬁned as sequences of static hand postures. The system has been designed to be used in uncontrolled environments, to handle dynamic and cluttered backgrounds, and without the need of using any wearable sensor or any speciﬁc clothing. Evaluation results show a good average accuracy in gesture recognition.
Political Systems and the Inequality of Provision of Local Public Goods

This paper studies the provision of local public goods and the effect of the political system on its allocation. Recognizing that most public goods are de facto local, we propose a model of allocation of local public good under political competition. We derive predictions regarding the relationship between public good provision and population in localities that differ depending on the regime: majoritarian and proportional representation systems. Using the satellite nightlight data as a proxy for local public good provision, we show that the predicted patterns are observed. Our finding raises interesting questions regarding the measurement of inequality in public good allocation. EXTREMELY PRELIMINARY. PLEASE DO NOT POST OR DISTRIBUTE. JEL Classification Numbers:
Observation of vertical profiles of NO, O3, and VOCs to estimate their sources and sinks by inverse modeling in a Japanese larch forest

Trace atmospheric gases in the biosphere, such as ozone (O3), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), can affect the carbon cycle as well as the climate. Vertical profiles of nitric oxide (NO), O3, and volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations were measured at a Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) forest in the foothills of Mt. Fuji in Japan over an 11-day period in July 2012. The concentrations of NO and O3 during the day were highest above the canopy and decreased with proximity to the forest floor, but those of the VOCs had minimum and maximum points at different levels within the canopy depending on the species. Inverse multilayer models were applied to identify vertical sink and source distribution of these gases within the canopy. The model estimated that there was higher O3 deposition and absorption at the forest floor than in the canopy layer; therefore, the understory was an important O3 sink within the forest. A strong NO sink was simulated in the trunk space, where loss by reaction with O3 is expected. The sinks and sources of BVOC as well as their oxidized products are simulated in the canopy layer and the forest floor. The sink and source distribution suggested that VOC transportation from the neighboring forest also affected the vertical sink and source distribution within the canopy.
[Effect of aging on the syndrome of essential debility and evil reality--an exploration on mechanism of senility by traditional Chinese medicine].

: Effect of aging on essential debility and evil reality was explored by an epidemiological investigation of clinical syndrome with TCM in 878 cases of middle and old-aged patients, inquiring into their relation of senility with visceral weakness and stagnation of Qi, blood stasis, and phlegm turbid. The results indicated that (1) several viscera, feeble and damaged, were the basis of senility, and the feeble kidney was the stress; (2) the syndrome of stagnation of Qi, blood stasis and phlegm turbid speeded up process of senility. The mechanism of feeble phenomena appeared in the middle-old aged patients is that with the rise of age in the patients observed there was interaction between the feeble visceral function and the syndrome of stagnation of Qi, blood stasis and phlegm turbid, that is, there was interaction between essential debility and evil reality. Essential debility may lead to evil reality and the latter will worsen essential debility. Thus, on repeating themselves in alternate cycles, a systemic hypofunction will be formed up to exhaustion. Therefore, "to nourish essential debility first and to purge evil reality second" should be considered as an essential direction of preparing anti-aging drugs in TCM.