A Vector Finder Toolkit for Track Reconstruction in MPD ITS

As a part of the future upgrade program of the Multi-Purpose Detector (MPD) experiment at the Nuclotron-Based Ion Collider Facility (NICA) complex, an Inner Tracking System (ITS) made of Monolitic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPSs) is proposed between the beam pipe and the Time Projection Chamber (TPC). It is expected that the new detector will enhance the experimental potential for the reconstruction of short-lived particles—in particular, those containing the open charm particle. To study the detector performance and select its best configuration, a track reconstruction approach based on a constrained combinatorial search was developed and implemented as a software toolkit called Vector Finder. This paper describes the proposed approach and demonstrates its characteristics for primary and secondary track finding in ITS, ITS-to-TPC track matching and hyperon reconstruction within the MPD software framework. The results were obtained on a set of simulated central gold–gold collision events at sNN=9 GeV with an average multiplicity of ∼1000 charged particles in the detector acceptance produced with the Ultra-Relativistic Quantum Molecular Dynamics (UrQMD) generator.

Are educational track decisions risky? Evidence from Sweden on the assumptions of risk-aversion models

Relative risk aversion (RRA) models explain class inequalities in education with reference to risk avoidance, i.e., the risky choice assumption (RCA). Whether education entails any risks has been subject to minimal scrutiny. In this paper, we test whether or not vocational education is a safety net that protects from marginalization but at the cost of limited access to tertiary education and service class positions. We present an empirical assessment for upper-secondary track choices in Sweden, contrasting the vocational and the academic tracks for those that do not pursue higher educational degrees. The only evidence in favor of the RCA is that when taking selection into account, graduates of the academic track without a tertiary degree initially face higher risks of not being stably employed in their early 20s than their counterparts from vocational education. Differences between secondary tracks in registered unemployment risks are small throughout the life course and, if anything, they favor the academic track for both genders and cohorts. Moreover, the academic track significantly protects men of both cohorts from the risk of entering unskilled routine occupations. We conclude that the support for the RCA is scant at best.

The early labour-market returns to upper secondary qualifications track in England

We explore the early labour-market returns to following the academic track (such as A levels) rather than the vocational track (for example, NVQs) in upper secondary education in England. England is an interesting country case because students are ‘free to choose’ which upper secondary track they follow, unlike to many other European countries where standardised tests and teachers’ recommendations play a much larger role. We draw on data from the longitudinal survey Next Steps and register data from the National Pupil Database. We consider occupational social class and net disposable income at age 25 as early labour-market outcomes to explore to what extent the upper secondary qualification track has a net influence on them, controlling for pre-track measured ability, relevant socio-demographic characteristics and higher education participation. Our results show that following the academic track in upper secondary education is associated with higher chances of being employed in a service class occupation at age 25, compared to those with vocational upper secondary qualifications or no upper secondary qualifications at all. Subsequent participation in (prestigious) universities further improves the chances of service class membership. Interestingly, there does not seem to be a differentiated effect of following the academic rather than the vocational track by socio-economic status, except for those that did not subsequently attend university. Unlike access to service class occupations, we find no net effect of upper secondary track on disposable income at age 25 after controlling for prior attainment at GCSE and subsequent participation in higher education.<br /><br />Key messages<br /><ul><li>We explore the early labour market returns to following the academic and the vocational track in upper secondary school in England.</li><br /><li>Following the academic track is associated with higher chances of being employed in a service class occupation, and further improved if attending university.</li><br /><li>Unlike access to service class occupations, we find no net effect of upper secondary track on disposable income.</li></ul>

The Upper Adriatic Trans-European Transport Network along the Trieste-Koper Axis

This paper-Review aims to clarify the infrastructural development of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region and its difficult cross-border vision towards the Trans European Transport Network (TEN-T). Two Port Authorities competitors, Trieste and Koper have aimed to build a secondary track system to fulfill the EU sustainability and to adhere to the silk-road model. Trieste takes advantage of Annex VI, part of the Treaty of Paris, that has guaranteed a Free Port legal regime in combination with the recent Special Economic Zone (ZES), by which a further tax relief has played a strong Key-enabler role. With the analysis of Geographic Information System, Open License Database and evaluation methods have been compared and visualized to highlight the mismatch of their Cross-border cooperation. The expressed results lead to feasibility-costs' overviews and EU finance strategies in which is highlighted the competition between the two Port Authorities, and their final horizontal (re)integration of borders. Keywords: Sustainable development; Port city; GIS; TEN-T; NATO; Balkans; Silk-road; Covid19.

Do the formative aspects of education really matter for educational assortative mating? Cues from a natural experiment (ACCEPTED in RSSM)

Individuals tend to partner with people of a similar educational level as themselves. According to the matching hypothesis, exposure to education leads to similarity in taste and values, causing educationally similar partners form unions. In this study, I ask if such formative content of education matters for educational homogamy, net of other forces. Evaluating this claim is often difficult because educational level also increases earnings prospects and because marriage markets are structured by educational level - aspects which also lead to educational homogamy. I approach this issue using a semi-experimental design that tentatively holds constant marriage markets and human capital related to education. Using a national reform, I compare the educational assortative mating of upper secondary vocational students who studied under a theoretical curriculum to that of vocational students not exposed to a theoretical curriculum. The reform provides variability in formative education. Yet, it induces no variation in competitive earnings and marriage markets, as students obtain comparable earnings within the same standard upper secondary track. Therefore, effects may be attributed to matching on the formative content of the added theoretical curriculum. Before and after adjusting for selection, I find no effect of an added theoretical curriculum on partnering. The results are discussed in terms of the ambiguity of formative education as an explanation for educational assortative mating.

Dare to Dream: A Vignette Survey on Self-Selection in Secondary Education Track Choice

This article investigates applications to schools on the highest secondary track in Hungary (grammar schools). In Hungary, primary school pupils can apply to any secondary school. Pupils’ primary school grades play a crucial role only in the admissions procedure, and the exact cut-off point for admission is not known at the time of application. Pupils, however, might adjust their preferences according to their school grades and thus may not apply to schools on their preferred track. Dealing with the endogeneity of pupils’ preferences, the article applies an experimental vignette study. The respondents are primary school pupils who will shortly be applying to secondary schools. They assess the likelihood of a hypothetical pupil (described in the vignette) applying to schools on the highest track. The characteristics of the ‘vignette-person’ (such as his or her grades and preferences) are randomly allocated, and thus preferences are exogenous to grades. The results show no interaction between preferences and grades, which means that a clearly positive preference for grammar school does not compensate for poor grades. This may lead to self-selection, if pupils with a clearly positive preference for grammar school but poor primary school grades do not apply to their preferred secondary track. Since admission cut-off points are not known ahead of application, ignorance of the schools’ requirements is assumed to lie behind this self-selection. The article discusses the implications of the findings and suggests that schools should provide transparent information for applicants about the grades of pupils who have been admitted to those schools in the past.

The Irony of American Liberal Internationalism

This epilogue discusses the irony of American liberal democratic internationalism that became apparent by late 2011: it has been instrumental in establishing the United States' preeminence in international affairs between 1945 and 2001, but has also contributed much to its decline thereafter. If containment had been the primary basis of American foreign policy during the Cold War, there was also a secondary track, which consolidated the political and economic unity of the liberal democratic regimes through multilateral organizations under U.S. leadership. Under the auspices of neoconservatism and neoliberalism, democracy was envisioned as having a “universal” appeal capable of promoting international peace. The epilogue considers some of the negative consequences of Wilsonianism as well as some of the forces challenging the future role of liberalism. It argues that the fate of liberal democratic internationalism depends in large part on the behavior of those who guide the policies of the democratic world.