Is optimization an opportunity ? an assessment of the impact of class size and school size on the performance of Ukrainian secondary schools

Using a rich data set of almost the entire population of Ukrainian secondary schools, the authors estimate the effect of school size and class size on the performance of secondary schools on Ukraine's External Independent Test. They find that larger schools tend to have somewhat better performance, both in terms of test scores and in terms of test participation. The size of this effect is relatively small, however, especially in rural areas for which the estimates are likely to be more clean estimates. Class size is found to be insignificant in most specifications and, if significant, of negligible size.Tertiary Education,Secondary Education,Teaching and Learning,Education For All,Primary Education

Is Optimization an Opportunity? An Assessment of the Impact of Class Size and School Size on the Performance of Ukrainian Secondary Schools

Using a rich data set of almost the entire population of Ukrainian secondary schools, the authors estimatethe effect of school size and class size on the performance of secondary schools on Ukraine's External Independent Test. They find that larger schools tend to have somewhat better performance, both in terms of test scores and in terms of test participation. The size of this effect is relatively small, however, especially in rural areas for which the estimates are likely to be more clean estimates. Class size is found to be insignificant in most specifications and, if significant, of negligible size.Tertiary Education, Secondary Education, Teaching and Learning, Education For All, Primary Education

Hormone-Mediated Gene-Specific Translation Regulation

The central role of translation regulation in the control of critical cellular processes has long been recognized. Yet the systematic exploration of quantitative changes in translation at a genome-wide scale in response to specific stimuli has only recently become technically feasible. Using a genetic approach, we have identified new Arabidopsis weak-ethylene insensitive mutants that also display defects in translation, which suggested the existence of a previously unknown molecular module involved in ethylene-mediated translation regulation of components of this signaling pathway. To explore this link in detail, we implemented for Arabidopsis the ribosome-footprinting technology, which enables the study of translation at a whole-genome level at single codon resolution[1]. Using ribosome-footprinting we examined the effects of short exposure to ethylene on the Arabidopsis translatome looking for ethylene-triggered changes in translation rates that could not be explained by changes in transcript levels. The results of this research, in combination with the characterization of a subset of the aforementioned weak-ethylene insensitive mutants that are defective in the UPF genes (core-components of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay machinery), uncovered a translation-based branch of the ethylene signaling pathway[2]. In the presence of ethylene, translation of a negative regulator of ethylene signaling EBF2 is repressed, despite induced transcription of this gene. These translational effects of ethylene require the long 3´UTR of EBF2 (3´EBF2), which is recognized by the C-terminal end of the key ethylene-signaling protein EIN2 (EIN2C) in the cytoplasm once EIN2C is released from the ER-membrane by proteolytic cleavage. EIN2C binds the 3´EBF2, recruits the UPF proteins and moves to P-bodies, where the translation of EBF2 in inhibited despite its mRNA accumulation. Once the ethylene signal is withdrawn, the translation of the stored EBF2 mRNAs is resumed, thus rapidly dampening the ethylene response. These findings represent a mechanistic paradigm of gene-specific regulation of translation in response to a key growth regulator. Translation regulatory elements can be located in both 3′ and 5′ UTRs. We are now focusing on the ead1 and ead2 mutants, another set of ethylene-signaling mutants defective in translational regulation. Ribosome-footprinting on the ead1 mutant revealed an accumulation of translating ribosomes in the 5´UTRs of uORF-containing genes and reduction in the levels of ribosomes in the main ORF. The mutant is also impaired in the translation of GFP when this reporter is fused to WT 5´UTR of potential EAD1 targets but not when GFP is fused to the uORF-less versions of the same 5´UTRs. Our hypothesis is that EAD1/2 work as a complex that is required for the efficient translation of mRNAs that have common structural (complex 5´UTR with uORFs) and functional (regulation of key cellular processes) features. We are working towards the identification of the conditions where the EAD1 regulation of translation is required. [1] Ingolia, N. et al. (2009) Genome-Wide Analysis in Vivo of Translation with Nucleotide Resolution Using Ribosome Profiling. Science, 324; 218-222 [2] Merchante, C. et al. (2015) Gene-Specific Translation Regulation Mediated by the Hormone-Signaling Molecule EIN2. Cell, 163(3): 684-697Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Ús d'un sistema productiu de traducció automàtica

En aquest article expliquem alguns aspectes de la tecnologia de traducció automàtica Comprendium, els diferents usos del nostre sistema de traducció automàtica, la relació entre les necessitats dels usuaris i els nostres productes i uns exemples d'instal·lacions actuals

Integración de un sistema de traducción automática en el entorno de redacción de un periódico

This paper describes the integration process of Lucy Software’s machine translation system into the editorial process flow of La Vanguardia newspaper, where it is used on a daily basis as a help-tool in order to produce bilingual editions of the daily newspaper in Catalan and Spanish. The integration process includes both technical and linguistic adaptations, as well as a final post-edition process.El artículo describe el proceso de integración del traductor automático de Lucy Software en el entorno de redacción de La Vanguardia, donde se utiliza diariamente como herramienta auxiliar para publicar una edición bilingüe del diario en catalán y en castellano. Este proceso de integración incluye adaptaciones técnicas y lingüísticas, y un proceso final de post-edición

TrajFlow: Learning the Distribution over Trajectories

Predicting the future behaviour of people remains an open challenge for the development of risk-aware autonomous vehicles. An important aspect of this challenge is effectively capturing the uncertainty which is inherent to human behaviour. This paper studies an approach for probabilistic motion forecasting with improved accuracy in the predicted sample likelihoods. We are able to learn multi-modal distributions over the motions of an agent solely from data, while also being able to provide predictions in real-time. Our approach achieves state-of-the-art results on the inD dataset when evaluated with the standard metrics employed for motion forecasting. Furthermore, our approach also achieves state-of-the-art results when evaluated with respect to the likelihoods it assigns to its generated trajectories. Evaluations on artificial datasets indicate that the distributions learned by our model closely correspond to the true distributions observed in data and are not as prone towards being over-confident in a single outcome in the face of uncertainty

Strategies for using GAPDs as tracker detectors in future linear colliders

AbstractThis work presents the development of a Geiger-mode Avalanche PhotoDiode pixel detector in standard CMOS technologies aimed at the vertex and tracker regions of future linear colliders, i.e. the International Linear Collider and the Compact LInear Collider. In spite of all the advantages that characterize this technology, GAPD detectors suffer from noise pulses that cannot be distinguished from real events and low fill-factors that reduce the detection efficiency. To comply with the specifications imposed by the next generation of particle colliders, solutions to minimize the intrinsic noise pulses and increase the fill-factor have been thoroughly investigated

Heave of a building induced by swelling of an anhydritic Triassic claystone

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00603-018-1503-4This paper describes the conditions leading to a sustained, low-rate, heave phenomenon affecting a building founded on hard Keuper anhydritic rock. The building was located in an abandoned gypsum quarry. Monitoring data as well as vertical profiles of gypsum and anhydrite content indicate that swelling was associated with the presence of a shallow level of anhydritic clay rock. This paper concludes that the initial quarry excavation as well as the additional building foundation work modified the original stress state and contributed to opening fractures at depth. It also resulted in a facilitated access of water to the upper rock levels, immediately under the foundation footings. Measured heave rates are substantially lower than other rates recorded in a few recent cases. An explanation is provided for the difference. This paper describes a comforting solution for the building.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Crystal growth under bridge foundation

W(H)YDOC PhD Prize 2012, durant el 4th International Workshop of Young Doctors in Geomechanics W(H)YDOC 2012.A high-speed railway viaduct experienced a sustained heave at high rates after its construction. The pillars of the bridge are founded on an Eocene hard anhydritic-gypsiferous claystone by means of massive foundations. Field investigations identified an active layer below the piles’ tips where expansions occur as a result of gypsum crystal growth in discontinuities from supersaturated aqueous solutions. The construction of the bridge is supposed to have triggered the swelling mechanism. An embankment, partially filling the valley, was built to slow the heave rate. The presence of soluble gypsum and anhydrite and inert materials is considered in the model developed to reproduce the observed expansive mechanism. The formulation describes the kinetics of dissolution and precipitation of minerals and the induced swelling strains by crystal growth. The calculated heave is compared with the field long-term vertical displacements measured before and after the construction of the embankment. A sensitivity study is also reported.Peer ReviewedAward-winningPostprint (published version