Class Size and the Regression Discontinuity Design: The Case of Public Schools

Using a rich individual-level dataset on secondary public schools in Israel, we find strong evidence for discontinuities in the relationship between enrollment and household characteristics at cutoff points induced by a maximum class size rule. Our findings extend existing work that documents such discontinuities only among private schools (Urquiola and Verhoogen, 2009). These discontinuities violate the assumptions underlying the regression discontinuity design, which are crucial for identification. Consequently, IV estimates of class size effects are likely to be seriously biased. Potential manipulation of the treatment assignment rule by public schools warrants caution in applying a regression discontinuity design to estimate class size effects and indicates that institutional context is crucial for its scope of applicability.regression discontinuity design, class size

Class size and the regression discontinuity design: the case of public schools

Using a rich individual-level dataset on secondary public schools in Israel, we find strong evidence for discontinuities in the relationship between enrollment and household characteristics at cutoff points induced by a maximum class size rule. Our findings extend existing work that documents such discontinuities only among private schools (Urquiola and Verhoogen, 2009). These discontinuities violate the assumptions underlying the regression discontinuity design, which are crucial for identification. Consequently, IV estimates of class size effects are likely to be seriously biased. Potential manipulation of the treatment assignment rule by public schools warrants caution in applying a regression discontinuity design to estimate class size effects and indicates that institutional context is crucial for its scope of applicability

Discriminative binaural sound localization

Time difference of arrival (TDOA) is commonly used to estimate the azimuth of a source in a microphone array. The most common methods to estimate TDOA are based on finding extrema in generalized crosscorrelation waveforms. In this paper we apply microphone array techniques to a manikin head. By considering the entire cross-correlation waveform we achieve azimuth prediction accuracy that exceeds extrema locating methods. We do so by quantizing the azimuthal angle and treating the prediction problem as a multiclass categorization task. We demonstrate the merits of our approach by evaluating the various approaches on Sony’s AIBO robot.

Receipt of prescription opioid medication is associated with increased mortality in an Israeli population

Abstract Background Despite Israel’s increased use of prescription opioids, reported deaths resulting or associated with opioids have decreased, in fact dramatically, since 2005. This contrast is unique and difficult to explain. We sought to examine whether higher prescribed opioid dosages among adults without oncologic diagnoses were associated with higher all-cause mortality rates. Methods A historical cohort study in Clalit Health Services, using a data repository including all adult patients prescribed opiates between 2010 and 2020, excluding patients with oncologic diagnoses. Patients were classified into three groups according to opioid use: below 50 Morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day, 50 to 90 MME per day, and above 90 MME per day. Sex, Charlson comorbidity score, age and socioeconomic status were recorded. Mortality rates were compared between the dosage groups and compared to age-standardized mortality rates in the general population. Results On multivariate analysis, patients receiving 90 or more MME per day were 2.37 (95%CI 2.1 to 2.68) more likely to have died compared to patients receiving below 50 MME per day. The respective hazard ratio among patients receiving between 50 and 90 MME per day was 2.23 (2.01 to 2.46). Among patients aged 18 to 50, standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) compared to the general population ranged between 5.4 to 8.6 among women, receiving between 50 and 90 MME per day, and between 8.07 and 10.7 among women receiving 90 or more MME per day. The respective SMRs among men were 1.2 to 3.8 and 2.7 to 5.4. Conclusion Increased opioid use is independently associated with increased all-cause mortality among non-oncological patients. This result is most notable among young adults with little or no known comorbidities. These findings are consistent with results in other countries and seem more credible than previous Israeli reports. Healthcare regulators and providers should, therefore, act to curtail the increasing opioid prescriptions and devise and enhance controls in the healthcare system, which, until 2020, had very limited mechanisms in place

Alopecia, Neurological Defects, and Endocrinopathy Syndrome Caused by Decreased Expression of RBM28, a Nucleolar Protein Associated with Ribosome Biogenesis

Single-gene disorders offer unique opportunities to shed light upon fundamental physiological processes in humans. We investigated an autosomal-recessive phenotype characterized by alopecia, progressive neurological defects, and endocrinopathy (ANE syndrome). By using homozygosity mapping and candidate-gene analysis, we identified a loss-of-function mutation in RBM28, encoding a nucleolar protein. RBM28 yeast ortholog, Nop4p, was previously found to regulate ribosome biogenesis. Accordingly, electron microscopy revealed marked ribosome depletion and structural abnormalities of the rough endoplasmic reticulum in patient cells, ascribing ANE syndrome to the restricted group of inherited disorders associated with ribosomal dysfunction