Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Close Is Close Enough?: Testing Nonexperimental Estimates Of Impact Against Experimental Estimates Of Impact With Education Test Scores As Outcomes

In this study we test the performance of some nonexperimental estimators of impacts applied to an educational intervention—reduction in class size—where achievement test scores were the outcome. We compare the nonexperimental estimates of the impacts to “true impact” estimates provided by a random-assignment design used to assess the effects of that intervention. Our primary focus in this study is on a nonexperimental estimator based on a complex procedure called propensity score matching. Previous studies which tested nonexperimental estimators against experimental ones all had employment or welfare use as the outcome variable. We tried to determine whether the conclusions from those studies about the performance of nonexperimental estimators carried over into the education domain. Project Star is the source of data for the experimental estimates and the source for drawing nonexperimental comparison groups used to make nonexperimental estimates. Project Star was an experiment in Tennessee involving 79 schools in which students in kindergarten through third grade were randomly assigned to small classes (the treatment group) or to regular-size classes (the control group). The outcome variables from the data set were the math and reading achievement test scores. We carried out the propensity-score-matching estimating procedure separately for each of 11 schools’ kindergartens and used it to derive nonexperimental estimates of the impact of smaller class size. We also developed proper standard errors for the propensity-score-matched estimators by using bootstrapping procedures. We found that in most cases, the propensity-score estimate of the impact differed substantially from the “true impact” estimated by the experiment. We then attempted to assess how close the nonexperimental estimates were to the experimental ones. We suggested several different ways of attempting to assess “closeness. ” Most of them led to the conclusion, in our view, that the nonexperimental estimates were not very “close” and therefore were not reliable guides as to what the “true impact” was. We put greatest emphasis on looking at the question of “how close is close enough? ” in terms of a decision-maker trying to use the evaluation to determine whether to invest in wider application of the intervention being assessed—in this case, reduction in class size. We illustrate this in terms of a rough cost-benefit framework for small class size as applied to Project Star. We find that in 30 to 45 percent of the 11 cases, the propensity-score-matching nonexperimental estimators would have led to the “wrong” decision. How Close Is Close Enough? Testing Nonexperimental Estimates of Impact against Experimental Estimates of Impact with Education Test Scores as Outcomes
Data Portability on the Internet: An Economic Analysis

Data portability allows users to transfer data from one online service to another service. As data gets increasingly valuable for online services and users alike, and as data portability will be politically enforced within the European Union by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we develop a game-theoretic model that incorporates the competitive effects arising from a right to data portability. We show, among others, that although data portability is designed to protect users, a right to data portability may hurt customers because new services increase the amount of collected data compared to the case without a right to data portability. However, profits for new services and total surplus unambiguously increase with a right to data portability, improving innovation and service variety. Consequently, policy makers should be aware that the decision to enforce data portability is far more complex than currently realized and should consider the case-specific effects.
La calidad de vida en el sector agropecuario colombiano: una mirada a la población rural

En Colombia se han realizado varios estudios sobre la pobreza y la distribucion del ingreso en el sector rural (Ocampo 2014). Arguello y Poveda (2016), por ejemplo, encuentran que la diversificacion de ingresos esta negativamente correlacionada con el tamano de las Unidades de Produccion Agricola (UPA) y positivamente asociada con el nivel de ingresos de los hogares. Tambien, concluyen que los hogares mas pobres del campo dependen casi en su totalidad de los salarios e ingresos agricolas. El Centro de Estudios Regionales Cafeteros y Empresariales (Crece, 2006) presenta un resumen de los distintos estudios disponibles para Colombia. Este trabajo tambien busca evaluar algunos de los factores que determinan el nivel de vida de la poblacion rural, utilizando ahora la amplia informacion proveniente del nuevo Censo nacional agropecuario (DANE, 2014). Ademas, utiliza modelos con variables dependientes discretas, tal como lo hacen Geda et al. (2005) para Kenia, y Bokosi (2007) para Malaui.
Photoelectron Spectroscopy of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite using intense ultrashort laser pulses

This thesis describes photoelectron emission measurements made at the surface of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) using ultrashort laser pulses. It concentrates on the observation and understanding of a new phenomenon whereby infrared laser pulses of just 1.5eV photon energy can be used to generate photoelectrons with kinetic energies of up to 80eV. Intensity dependence measurements depict a highly nonlinear excitation process and for p-polarised light observations can be explained by a high-order multiphoton excitation mechanism. Comparisons with photoelectron spectra taken using XUV pulse trains show a striking resemblance suggesting that the same final states excited by multiple IR pulses can also be reached by a single XUV photon. Interferometric autocorrelation measurements of the photoemission signal show increasingly high nonlinearity at greater photoelectron energies and a simulation of the interferometric data constructed using Optical Bloch Equations agreed with experiments showing that in the highly non-linear regime the autocorrelation shape depends almost exclusively on the nonlinearity of the excitation. XUV-IR pumpprobe measurements are also presented and the technical difficulties of such measurements discussed. Finally a novel technique of velocity map imaging of photoemission from a surface has been demonstrated for the first time at the HOPG surface.
Sarcopenia-related Traits, Body Mass Index and Ovarian Cancer Risk: Investigation of Causal Relationships Through Multivariable Mendelian Randomization Analyses

Objective: This study was aimed at exploring the causal relationships of four sarcopenia-related traits (appendicular lean mass, usual walking pace, right hand grip strength, and levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity) with body mass index (BMI) and ovarian cancer risk, by using univariable and multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) methods. Materials and Methods: Univariable and multivariable MR was performed to estimate causal relationships among sarcopenia-related traits, BMI, and ovarian cancer risk, in aggregated genome-wide association study (GWAS) data from the UK Biobank. Genetic variants associated with each variable (P < 5 × 10−8) were identified as instrumental variables. Three methods—inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis, weighted median analysis, and MR-Egger regression—were used. Results: Univariable MR analyses revealed positive causal effects of high appendicular lean mass (P = 0.02) and high BMI (P = 0.001) on ovarian cancer occurrence. In contrast, a genetically predicted faster usual walking pace was associated with lower risk of ovarian cancer (P = 0.03). No evidence was found supporting roles of right hand grip strength and levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity in ovarian cancer development (P = 0.56 and P = 0.22, respectively). In multivariable MR analyses, the association between a genetically predicted faster usual walking pace and lower ovarian cancer risk remained significant (P = 0.047). Conclusions: Our study highlights a role of slower usual walking pace in the development of ovarian cancer. Further studies are required to validate our findings and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Weighting Methods in Construction of Active Ageing Indicator

A newly developed tool to measure and promote the potential of the older population in EU countries is the Active Ageing Index (AAI). The index measures the active ageing performance across twenty indicators in four distinct domains with respect to employment, healthy, independent and autonomous living, and to make other unpaid family, social and cultural contributions to the society in a given country. For the construction of aggregation indices in years 2010, 2012 and 2014 one easy aggregation method based on the recommendation of the Expert group was used. The aim of this contribution is to show the differences in active ageing performance of European countries based on AAI when different methods for weights determination and different multi-criteria methods for ranking countries are used. The results of using the different weighting methods for aggregation of indicators and domains are compared and the recommendation for ranking countries is given.
ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION FOR EMERGING THIN-FILM MATERIALS AND APPLICATIONS Atomic layer deposition for nonconventional nanomaterials and their applications

Amorphous carbon, germanium oxide, and 2-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) are considered as promising materials for advanced nanoscale device fabrication processes and electronic devices, owing to their extraordinary characteristics. Deposition of these materials using ALD can overcome the limitations of current deposition techniques, including poor step coverage and wafer-scale uniformity, and uncontrollable stoichiometry. Despite these advantages, there has been a lack of research into these materials due to the absence of suitable precursors or optimized processes. In this review, we focus on these nonconventional materials, which have rarely been studied using ALD. The latest research progress and future outlook on these materials grown by ALD will be highlighted, with a particular focus on the applications of future nanoscale device fabrication processes and new concepts in device fabrication which could lead to a paradigm shift in electronics.
by explaining: an experimental study

The widely accepted view states that an intention to deceive is not necessary for lying. Proponents of this view, the so-called non-deceptionists, argue that lies are simply insincere assertions. We conducted three experimental studies with false explanations, the results of which put some pressure on non-deceptionist analyses. We present cases of explanations that one knows are false and compare them with analogical explanations that diﬀer only in having a deceptive intention. The results show that lay people distinguish between such false explanations and to a higher degree classify as lies those explanations that are made with the intention to deceive. Non-deceptionists fail to distinguish between such cases and wrongly classify both as lies. This novel empirical ﬁnding indicates the need for supplementing non-deceptionist deﬁnitions of lying, at least in some cases, with an additional condition, such as an intention to deceive.
Evaluation of Preferred Automated Driving Patterns Based on a Driving Propensity Using Fuzzy Inference System

With the rapid advancements in automated driving technologies, there is a growing demand for the commercialization of advanced automated vehicles. Through these technologies, we envision enjoying various types of entertainment in automated vehicles, apart from manual driving. To achieve widespread acceptance of automated driving, appropriated interactions between users and automated driving systems must occur. From users’ perspective, automated driving vehicle must be operated within users’ comfort, safe, and satisfying perception based on their personal driving style such as aggressive and defensive driving. Thus, during the motion planning phase of automated driving, consideration should be given to the implementation of a behavioral algorithm based on user propensity. However, user preferences for automated driving patterns exhibit considerable variation, making it essential to conduct an in-depth investigation into the preferred automated driving patterns corresponding to users’ propensity. In this study, we confirmed that the characteristics of preferred automated driving patterns can be deduced from comprehensive driving propensities, which were derived by combining inherent driving propensities with simulator-based driving behavior characteristics using the fuzzy logic method. This study confirmed that in the era of automated driving, the preferred automated driving patterns may vary depending on the propensity from the user’s perspective. Considering these differences, it is meaningful in which it suggests the need for automated driving motions to be implemented based on individual preferences that appear according to human factors such as user propensity.
Characterization of Polyphenolic Content and Antioxidation Activity of Pawpaw ( Asimina triloba ) and Its Anti-cancer Effects in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines-Derived From Racially Diverse Patients

This study was focused on assessing the phenolic content and antioxidant properties of three distinct pawpaw species. Moreover, it explored the impact of pawpaw treatment on the cell viability of hepatocellular carcinoma cells-derived from racially diverse patients. The findings revealed that the Atwood sample displayed the highest phenolic content, which was determined using Folin&Ciocalteu’s (FC) reagent, while the Sunflower sample exhibited the most significant antioxidant activity, as indicated by both the DPPH and ABTS assays. Additionally, the Atwood sample demonstrated the most potent inhibition of cell proliferation based on the WST-1 assay. Collectively, these experimental results lend support to the notion that pawpaw may possess anticancer effects on liver cancer cell lines; however, the effect was not significantly different between HCC derived from Caucasian and Africa American patients.
Aalborg Universitet Predictive Control of Demand Side Units Participating in the Primary Frequency Reserve

We consider an aggregator controlling a mixed portfolio of conventional power generators and demand side units. The generators are controllable within certain power and ramp limitations while the demand side units are characterized by flexible consumptions and therefore can be treated as energy storages of limited capacity. We address the problem of reducing the load on the conventional generators by letting the flexible consumers participate in the provision of primary frequency reserve. In particular, it is desired that the flexible consumers compensate for rapid grid frequency changes. In this work, we design an aggregator control strategy based on closed-loop model predictive control. The controller is able to mobilize the flexible consumers ahead of time such that we are able to reduce the load on the conventional generators by more extensive use of the demand side units.
Extremal Dependence : Internet Tra ffi c Applications Blinded Blinded October

For bivariate heavy tailed data, the extremes may carry distinctive dependence information not seen from moderate values. For example a large value in one component may help cause a large value in the other. This is the idea behind the notion of extremal dependence . We discuss ways to detect and measure extremal dependence. We apply the techniques discussed to internet data and conclude that for Þles transferred, Þle size and throughput (the inferred rate at which the Þle is transferred) exhibit extremal independence.
Model Predictive Path Integral Control of a Drone Using a Database of Motion Primitives

In this thesis, the Model Predictive Path Integral control methodology is used to con-trol a drone. The Model Predictive Path Integral method allows the use of a nonlinear model of the drone dynamics and a more general cost function at the cost of a high computational demand. To run the controller in real-time, the sampling-based optimization is performed in parallel on a graphics processing unit. An important part of the optimization is a correct initialization of the optimization variables — the control input sequence. A database containing short time-optimal trajectories is proposed to initialize the variables and guide the controller in real-time. The proposed methods are tested in two different drone dynamics simulators. These experiments demonstrate the ability of the controller to fly the drone along a specified sequence of 3D waypoints, even in an environment with obstacles.
Introduction to Web Information Retrieval : A User Perspective How to get what you want on the World Wide Web

The web began its existence around 1989 with a proposal called ‘Information Management: A proposal’ by Tim Berners-Lee, a researcher at CERN – the European organization for nuclear research in Switzerland. The proposal envisaged a network of remote documents linked physically using the internet and logically using hypertext. The proposal was called the ‘World Wide Web’. In response to this proposal, Berners-Lee’s boss had this remark: ‘Vague, but exciting’. A little more than ten years later, this small idea has grown to mammoth proportions beyond imagination. As of July 2001, the web contained 125,888,197 hosts (Source: Internet Software Consortium http:/ /www.isc.org/) serving almost 1 billion users around the globe. The vagueness and excitement today lies not just in creating documents and interconnecting them over the web; but in extracting required documents from the web. Introduction to Web Information Retrieval: A User Perspective
Efficient Inference on Deep Neural Networks by Dynamic Representations and Decision

The current trade-off between depth and computational cost makes it difficult 1 to adopt deep neural networks for many industrial applications, especially when 2 computing power is limited. Here, we are inspired by the idea that, while deeper 3 embeddings are needed to discriminate difficult samples, a large number of samples 4 can be well discriminated via much shallower embeddings. In this study, we 5 introduce the concept of decision gates (d-gate), modules trained to decide whether 6 a sample needs to be projected into a deeper embedding or if an early prediction can 7 be made at the d-gate, thus enabling the computation of dynamic representations 8 at different depths. The proposed d-gate modules can be integrated with any 9 deep neural network and reduces the average computational cost of the deep 10 neural networks while maintaining modeling accuracy. Experimental results show 11 that leveraging the proposed d-gate modules led to a ∼40% speed-up and 44% 12 FLOPS reduction on ResNet-101 and 45% speed-up and 36% FLOPS reduction on 13 DenseNet-201 trained on the CIFAR10 dataset with only ∼2% drop in accuracy. 14
FlexServ: an integrated tool for the analysis of protein flexibility

SUMMARY FlexServ is a web-based tool for the analysis of protein flexibility. The server incorporates powerful protocols for the coarse-grained determination of protein dynamics using different versions of Normal Mode Analysis (NMA), Brownian dynamics (BD) and Discrete Dynamics (DMD). It can also analyze user provided trajectories. The server allows a complete analysis of flexibility using a large variety of metrics, including basic geometrical analysis, B-factors, essential dynamics, stiffness analysis, collectivity measures, Lindemann's indexes, residue correlation, chain-correlations, dynamic domain determination, hinge point detections, etc. Data is presented through a web interface as plain text, 2D and 3D graphics. AVAILABILITY http://mmb.pcb. ub.es/FlexServ; http://www.inab. org
The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Insect Predator–Prey System Incorporating Refuge Effect

The insect predator–prey system mediates several feedback mechanisms which regulate species abundance and spatial distribution. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics of such discrete systems with the refuge effect remain elusive. In this study, we analyzed a discrete Holling type II model incorporating the refuge effect using theoretical calculations and numerical simulations, and selected moths with high and low growth rates as two exemplifications. The result indicates that only the flip bifurcation opens the routes to chaos, and the system undergoes four spatiotemporally behavioral patterns (from the frozen random pattern to the defect chaotic diffusion pattern, then the competition intermittency pattern, and finally to the fully developed turbulence pattern). Furthermore, as the refuge effect increases, moths with relatively slower growth rates tend to maintain stability at relatively low densities, whereas moths with relatively faster growth rates can induce chaos and unpredictability on the population. According to the theoretical guidance of this study, the refuge effect can be adjusted to control pest populations effectively, which provides a new theoretical perspective and is a feasible tool for protecting crops.
EFFECTIVE NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF YEAR ROUND VEGETABLE PRODUCTION AND QUICK GROWING FRUIT TREES IN HOMESTEAD AT AGRO ECOLOGICAL ZONE ELEVEN IN BANGLADESH FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE HEALTH OF RURAL PEOPLE.

Herbal consist of several vital constituents which plays vital rule to improve health conditions of rural people. Rural people can harvest several kinds of vegetable which also demonstrated potential biological effect against several disease conditions. Socio-economical conditions also play major role for safeguarding people health conditions. This study influence social awareness among rural people by harvesting vegetable and use of these vegetable to maintain food nutrition value of a healthy body. These also help to raise their socio-economic conditions to leads healthy life. The homestead activity was conducted in six poor and marginal farm families at MLT site, Shibpur, Rajshahi during rabi 2009-10 to utilize the labour of family members and different homestead production unit with scientific way to produce fresh and safe vegetables and fruits. Among the tested homestead, each homestead, produced 628.0 kg of vegetables and fruits, Among the vegetables, own consumption by their family member 343.0 kg, free distributed 135.0 kg,
Food Production in the Cities of Tomorrow. The Results of International Questionnaire Surveys

The considerations in this article have three goals. The first is to obtain information on the practical experience of young urban residents who use urban horticulture and agriculture products. The second is to determine the readiness to practice such production independently in the future. The third is to identify the environmental benefits (ecosystem services) related to urban horticulture and agriculture indicated by the respondents. In this case, it was about examining the “environmental intuition” of people who are not professionally related to natural and agricultural sciences. The comparative study concerned students from Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Poland, and a group of seven countries from the European Union. In total, respondents came from 29 countries. The collected data were used to compare the approach to urban horticulture and agriculture and their produce represented by respondents from different countries and cultural circles and to formulate conclusions on how to use the related potential to support sustainable urban development.