Digital Commons Network^™

Towards Better Data Augmentation Using Wasserstein Distance In Variational Auto-Encoder, Zichuan Chen, Peng Liu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

VAE, or variational auto-encoder, compresses data into latent attributes, and generates new data of different varieties. VAE based on KL divergence has been considered as an effective technique for data augmentation. In this paper, we propose the use of Wasserstein distance as a measure of distributional similarity for the latent attributes, and show its superior theoretical lower bound (ELBO) compared with that of KL divergence under mild conditions. Using multiple experiments, we demonstrate that the new loss function exhibits better convergence property and generates artificial images that could better aid the image classification tasks.

A Political Reciprocity Mechanism, Roland Pongou, Jean-Baptiste Tondji

School of Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

We consider the problem of designing legislative mechanisms that guarantee equilibrium existence, Pareto-efficiency, and inclusiveness. To address this question, we propose a finite-horizon voting procedure that embeds clauses of reciprocity. These clauses grant voters the right to oppose actions that are not in their interest, retract actions that face opposition, and punish harmful actions. We study voters' strategic behavior under this voting procedure using two classical approaches. Following the blocking approach, we introduce two related solution concepts---the reciprocity set and the sophisticated reciprocity set---to predict equilibrium policies. We then show that these solution concepts (1) are always non-empty; (2) only …

Singapore In The Global Value Chains, Pao-Li Chang, Tran Bao Phuong Nguyen

Research Collection School Of Economics

This chapter analyses the participation of Singapore in the global value chains (GVC): how much of its gross exports are GVC-related trade; how downstream it is; and which countries are its key upstream and downstream trade partners. The analysis is carried out both at the country aggregate level and at the sector level. New formulas are proposed in the gross export decomposition framework of Koopman, Wang and Wei (2014) and Borin and Mancini (2017), to characterise a country/industry’s downstreamness in the GVC and the importance of each trade partner in its backward/forward linkages. Singapore started off with a very high …

Challenges To Social Mobility In Singapore, Kong Weng Ho, Marcus Kheng Tat Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

Singapore had achieved impressive economic growth together with a high level of upward mobility since her independence in 1965. However, the growth process might have become more uneven, in addition to diminishing growth for a matured economy like Singapore, which is also a highly open city state subject to competitive forces from other economies. Singapore has fared well recently,
evident from the 2020 social mobility findings reported by the World Economic Forum and the decline in Gini coefficients for the past decade. We discuss the education system in Singapore and the recently formed National Jobs Council, both important institutions for …

Providing Childcare, Christine Ho, Sunha Myong

Research Collection School Of Economics

Women’s economic empowerment has been hailed as one of the most remarkable revolutions in the past 50 years. Yet, women still face the lion’s share of the burden of childcare despite major progress in their education and earnings capacity. This is particularly salient in many Asian countries. This chapter proposes a synthesis of the state of knowledge on childcare and discusses policy-relevant issues applicable to the Singapore context. Selected policies are documented and lessons from the international landscape are discussed. Raising children incurs both direct costs in the form of childcare and opportunity costs in the form of career costs. …

Singapore As A Sustainable City: Past, Present And The Future, Tomoki Fujii, Rohan Ray

Research Collection School Of Economics

Singapore has achieved impressive economic growth over the last half-century. This chapter provides an overview of the major sustainability challenges Singapore has experienced and the policies that have been adopted to address them, particularly in the areas of land use, transportation, waste management, water, and energy. It argues that Singapore has been successful in addressing these challenges owing to sound long-term vision and planning as well as flexibility in the implementation of the policies to tackle them. The chapter provides some discussion on policy options, challenges, and opportunities for making Singapore more sustainable and liveable. Leaders of Singapore have recognised …

Entrepreneurship In Singapore, Jungho Lee

Research Collection School Of Economics

Singapore has completed its catch-up growth phase and needs to find a new growth engine. Entrepreneurship can contribute to a nation’s productivity growth. The purpose of this chapter is twofold. First, a theoretical framework is presented, along with empirical evidence, to understand government interventions aimed at boosting entrepreneurship. Second, using the framework, the chapter discusses whether Singapore’s current policies are suitable for helping entrepreneurship. The theory demonstrates four reasons why government intervention is needed: (1) resource misallocation, (2) positive externality, (3) entrepreneurial human capital, and (4) tax and default policies. Singapore’s government has implemented various policies that potentially fix market …

The Economics Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Poor Countries, Edward Miguel, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak

Discussion Papers

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health and living standards around the world. This article provides an interim overview of these effects, with a particular focus on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Economists have explained how the pandemic is likely to have differential consequences for LMICs, and demand distinct policy responses, compared to rich countries. We survey the rapidly expanding body of empirical research that documents its many adverse economic and non-economic effects in terms of living standards, education, health, and gender equality, which appear to be unprecedented in depth and scale. We also review research on successful and failed policy …

The Impact Of Community Masking On Covid-19: A Cluster-Randomized Trial In Bangladesh, Jason Abaluck, Laura H. Kwong, Ashley Styczynski, Ashraful Haque, Md. Alamgir Kabir, Ellen Bates-Jeffries, Emily Crawford, Jade Benjamin-Chung, Salim Benhachmi, Shabib Raihan, Shadman Rahman, Neeti Zaman, Peter J. Winch, Md. Maqsud Hossain, Hasan Mahmud Reza, Stephen P. Luby, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Abdulla All Jaber, Shawkee Gulshan Momen, Faika Laz Bani, Aura Rahman, Tahrima Saiha Huq

Discussion Papers

Background: Mask usage remains low across many parts of the world during the COVID- 19 pandemic, and strategies to increase mask-wearing remain untested. Our objectives were to identify strategies that can persistently increase mask-wearing and assess the impact of increasing mask-wearing on symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized trial of community-level mask promotion in rural Bangladesh from November 2020 to April 2021 (N=600 villages, N=342,126 adults). We cross-randomized mask promotion strategies at the village and household level, including cloth vs. surgical masks. All intervention arms received free masks, information on the importance of masking, role modeling by community …

Homelessness Estimates In The Mountain West, 2020, Saha Salahi, Vanessa Booth, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet summarizes a recent report titled, “The 2020 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress,” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. By synthesizing homelessness vulnerability categories to the Mountain West states, this report offers data for Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah.

Service Quality Analysis Of Mhealth Services Using Text Mining Method : Alodokter And Halodoc, Nadya Paramita, Siska Noviarisanti

International Journal of Management, Finance and Accounting

The digital transformation of health services causes an increasing number of digital health service providers in Indonesia. The user shares their experiences and reviews each other on the online platform. This study aims to understand user perceptions of m-health services in Indonesia based on m-health service quality with a big data approach. Research using text mining is derived from the results of the reviews of the application Alodokter and Halodoc. User-generated content was gathered from the platform Google Play Store in the period April to December 2020. Based on the sentiment analysis, Alodokter performs well with 73% positive and 27% …

Interrelationship Between Orthodontics And Implantology In Anterior Aesthetic Rehabilitation: A Case Report, Adailton De Morais Cavalcante, Renata Cordeiro Teixeira Medeiros, Danilo Lopes Ferreira Lima, Saulo Ellery Santos

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

The rehabilitation of complex cases in the anterior region of the maxilla may require knowledge of several dental specialties. when dental involvement also causes bone and gingival involvement, management usually requires adjustment of gingival zenitis and bone graft to compensate for bone loss.

Objective: to discuss a case of previous orthodontic treatment for implant-prosthetic rehabilitation in the anterior region.

Case report: This case report describes a 40-year-old patient who came with the intention of extracting the tooth and installing a bridge. The implant-prosthetic treatment was performed after previous orthodontic treatment to adapt the gingiva and space.

Conclusion: The interrelationship of …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Between Sella Turcica Bridging And Dental Anomalies, Ahmet Karaman, Saadet Cinarsoy Cigerim Assistant Professor, Nourtzan Kechagia Research Assistant

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between the morphological variations of Sella Turcica (ST) and dental anomalies.

Methods: This study included 765 individuals between the ages of 13 and 35. ST morphology was examined in 3 groups as no calcification, partially calcified and completely calcified according to the interclinoid ligament (ICL) on lateral cephalometric films, and it was examined and evaluated in terms of its relationship to impacted canines (unilateral and bilateral), impacted teeth (except 3rd molars), root dilaceration, tooth deficiency (upper incisor lateral - lower and upper second premolar), supernumerary tooth and taurodontism.

Results: The rates of …

Effect Of Natural And Industrial Juices On Surface Microhardness Of Microhybrid And Nanohybrid Composites, Razieh Meshki, Hanieh Hoseini

Journal of Dentistry Indonesia

Numerous studies have been conducted on the effect of various beverages on the mechanical properties of tooth-colored materials, however, little is known about the effects of these materials on composites, particularly newer types such as nanocomposites.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the surface microhardness of two types of composites, micro-hybrid (point 4) and nanohybrid (premise), after exposure to natural and industrial juices.

Methods: In this experimental study, 90 disc-shaped specimens with a thickness of 2 mm and a diameter of 10 mm were taken from two composites, micro-hybrid Point4 (Kerr) and nanohybrid premise (kerr) (two groups of 45). Then, …

Financial Factors And The Propagation Of The Great Depression, Gustavo S. Cortes, Bryan Taylor, Marc D. Weidenmier

Business Faculty Articles and Research

We investigate the role of forward-looking financial factors in propagating the Great Depression. We find that a new hand-collected bank stock index is better at predicting the onset of the Great Depression than the aggregate stock market or failed bank deposits. The bank stock index explains almost one-third of the fluctuations in industrial production after five years. Analysis disaggregated at each Federal Reserve district shows that bank stocks capture forward-looking information about debt defaults and credit. Our results suggest that future studies of the credit channel during the Great Depression should incorporate bank stocks to better identify the impact of …

Three Essays In Labor Economics, Huong Thi Ngoc Axelrod

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation studies two topics in labor economics: the distribution of earnings and the effect of social networks on starting wage.

Chapter 1, co-authored with Professor Hugo Jales, evaluates theoretical models of the distribution of earnings. The shape of the distribution of earnings in a country is informative about income inequality in that country. In most countries, the distribution of earnings is asymmetric and skewed to the right. What are the sources of this right-skewness? All major theories of the distribution of earnings aim at explaining this stylized fact and shedding light on the mechanism giving rise to this feature …

The Formation Mechanism Of China's Export Container Freight Rate, Yuchao Liu

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Uncertainty And Reputation Effects In Credence Goods Markets, Eric Schniter, J. Dustin Tracy, Vojtěch Zíka

ESI Working Papers

Credence-goods experiments have focused on stylized settings in which experts can perfectly identify the buyer’s best option and that option works without fail. However, in nature, credence goods involve uncertainties that complicate assessing the quality of service and advice. We introduce two sources of uncertainty. The first is diagnostic uncertainty; experts receive a noisy signal of buyer type so might make an ‘honest’ mistake when advising what is in buyers’ best interests. The second is service uncertainty; the services available to the buyers do not always work. Both sources of uncertainty make detection of expert dishonesty more difficult, so are …

Rerearch On Impact Of Covid-19 On Chinese International Shipping Companies And Countermeasures Der The Promotion Of Government, Xiaoru Dong

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Research On Responses Of Container Ports To Global Pandemic, Yirui Qiao

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Covid-19'S Influence On International Logistics Enterprises And Its Countermeasures A Case Study Of Dgf, Zhoutao Ruan

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Great (Soft) Power Competition: Us And Chinese Efforts In Global Health Engagement, Michael W. Wissemann

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Global health engagement, an underutilized strategy rooted in the strengths of soft power persuasion, can lead to more military-to-military cooperation training, help establish relationships that can be relied on when crises develop, stabilize fragile states, and deny violent extremist organizations space for recruiting and operations. Examining Chinese efforts worldwide to curry favor and influence and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this article shows health as a medium is a very compelling and advantageous whole-of-government approach to national security policy concerns.

Reversing The Readiness Assumption: A Proposal For Fiscal And Military Effectiveness, Jason W. Warren, John A. Bonin

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Looming budget cuts will necessitate adept management to retain a military capable of competing and winning by avoiding the mistakes made in prior drawdowns. This article presents a framework for government and defense leaders to prepare for the coming drawdown and plan for the necessary capacity of tomorrow across the diplomatic, information, military, and economic framework.

Samuel Huntington, Professionalism, And Self-Policing In The Us Army Officer Corps, Brian Mcallister Linn

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Drawing on Samuel P. Huntington’s three phases of self-regulation used to determine if an occupation qualifies as a profession, this article focuses on the third phase of policing and removing those who fail to uphold the standards set forth in the first two phases. It reviews how the US Army implemented this phase following the Civil War through the post–Vietnam War years and the implications for the officer corps.

Cellphilming And Building Solidarity With Queer Youth To Speak Back To Historical Erasures In New Brunswick Social Studies Classrooms, Casey Burkholder

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

New Brunswick, Canada’s K-12 Social Studies curricula erases the myriad histories and experiences of the province’s LGBTQ+ communities. Building on these erasures, this study analyzes how six queer, trans, and non-binary young people (aged 14-17) created cellphilms (cellphone + mobile film production) in response to these absences. In the study, I ask: How might engaging in media and art production with young people—and screening and exhibiting these productions in online and community spaces—work to counter dominant forms of apathy and denial, and support youth to claim a stake in creating solidarities, belonging, and community-making? What is required for youth-produced media …

Teacher/Indigenous Partnerships: Building Engagement And Trust For History And Social Science Education, Evan J. Habkirk Dr.

The Councilor: A National Journal of the Social Studies

No abstract provided.

Becoming Their Authentic Selves: The Shift In Corporate Esg Reporting, Lauren Reuss, Jenna Haugen

Undergraduate Research Events

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the “context-specific organizational actions and policies that take into account stakeholders’ expectations and the triple bottom line of economic, social, and environmental performance” (Aguinis & Glavas, 2012). Businesses using the CSR model engage in or work towards bettering society in three spaces: the environment, social welfare, and governance (ESG's). We want to see how this model is communicated among stakeholders, and if this social mission is fully integrated into the practices and workspaces of YUM! Brands.

Impact Of The Change In Payments On The Actual And Perceived Behaviors Of Medical Care Providers Authors, Amy Ehinomen Eremionkhale

Business Analytics Faculty Publications

Prior literature established the link between a person aging out of a parent's insurance coverage at age nineteen and a significant decrease in insurance coverage of those nineteen-year-old young adults. This paper furthers this line of research by establishing a statically significant change in the payment burden of the various sources that comprise the total payment received by the medical care providers treating young adults who have aged out of their parent's insurance. The empirical method used is the regression discontinuity framework. The impact of the change in the providers' payment sources on the providers' behavior (supply-side) and the patients' …

Measuring Palatability As A Linear Combination Of Nutrient Levels In Food Items, Jeffrey S. Young

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

It well known that palatability and nutritional quality of foods and/or diets are viewed as being in tension with one another. While there exist multiple measures of healthiness, there are no such measures for tastiness. This gap limits the degree to which researchers can investigate this tension and its implications for dietary behavior and hence public health and nutrition policy. The scope of future work concerning the dietary behavior of Americans would expand greatly if researchers better understood consumers’ willingness to eat certain foods, which matters as much as recommending those foods for them to eat in the first place. …

Information Markets And Nonmarkets, Dirk Bergemann, Marco Ottaviani

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

As large amounts of data become available and can be communicated more easily and processed more e¤ectively, information has come to play a central role for economic activity and welfare in our age. This essay overviews contributions to the industrial organization of information markets and nonmarkets, while attempting to maintain a balance between foundational frameworks and more recent developments. We start by reviewing mechanism-design approaches to modeling the trade of information. We then cover ratings, predictions, and recommender systems. We turn to forecasting contests, prediction markets, and other institutions designed for collecting and aggregating information from decentralized participants. Finally, we …