Free PDF Related Utilities

Free PDF Related Utilities

• Briss, an open-source application, is an excellent handyware for cropping/trimming PDF pages. It groups all the different page sizes in your document together and will require the user to make cropping decisions for each group of pages that is of a similar size. It provides the option to exclude certain pages or page ranges from the cropping action. It crops PDFs with simple GUI; it can crop different regions into separate pages, and multi column/pages. It's very handy.
• ORPALIS PDF Reducer Free is a freeware version of PDF compression Software to help get existing PDF files reduced up to 80% more than concurrent products.
• FileOptimizer is an another one for file size optimizer. It supports a lot of file types from audio/video (MP3, OGG, OGV), image (GIF, JPEG, PNG), and even office formats (DOCX, XLSX, ODT, PDF) and system files (DLL, EXE). By default, FileOptimizer will remove additional metadata, and other unneeded information, but will keep original files in your recycle bin. Notes: It might corrupt some of them especially EXE files.
• PdfSam is a free open source tool to split and merge pdf documents (it keeps bookmarks of original pdf files).
• PDFTK Builder and GUI for PDFTK are free graphical interfaces to the Windows version of pdftk making it much easier to use. pdftk is an electronic staple-remover, hole-punch, binder, secret-decoder-ring, and X-Ray-glasses. Pdftk is a simple tool for doing everyday things with PDF documents.
• Foxit Reader is the high volume PDF reader providing a complete PDF creation solution, providing the power of PDF creation to every desktop. Foxit Reader Version 6 has a lot of improvement. I use PDF-XChange as an portable Apps, but I am thinking to use Foxit Reader more.
• PDF-XChange Viewer presents users with an alternative to Adobe's Acrobat Reader. It gives users more options such as typewriter than its competition, allowing for more in-depth markups.
• STDU Viewer is a free viewer for multiple file formats including TIFF, PDF, DjVu, XPS, JBIG2, and WWF format. Starting from 1.6.86, STDU Viewer supports MOBI/AZW and FB2 formats and from 1.6.151, It supports EPub format. You can use STDV Viewer to print the files of these formats. STDV Viewer is getting better and better.
• SumatraPDF is a PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CHM, XPS, DjVu, CBZ and CBR reader for Windows. It's small and starts up fast.
• PDFill PDF Tools are FREE PDF functions to merge, split, reorder, delete, encrypt, decrypt, rotate, crop and reformat PDF (change margin size) pages,  to add information, header, footer and watermark, to convert images to PDF, PDF to images or PostScript to PDF, to delete, flatten and list form fields, to scan to pdf, to create transparent image, and more.
• K2pdfopt optimizes PDF/DJVU files for mobile e-readers (e.g. the Kindle) and smartphones. It works well on multi-column PDF/DJVU files and can re-flow text even on scanned PDF files. K2pdfopt is open source.

Stata Tips - Stata Journal

Stata Tips of The Stata Journal etc.

Blog: Resources and Other Tips

Blog: Speaking Stata of the Stata Journal

Blog: Stata News: In the spotlight

Stata FAQs

Stata Blogs

The Tips from Stata Journal: 

• 140: Shorter or fewer category labels with graph bar [21(1)]
• 139: The by() option of graph can work better than graph combine
• 138: Local macros have local scope
• 137: Interpreting constraints on slopes of rank-deficient design matrices
• 136: Between-group comparisons in a scatterplot with weighted markers
• 135: Leaps and bounds
• 134: Multiplicative and marginal interaction effects in nonlinear models
• 133: Box plots that show median and quartiles only
• 131: Custom legends for graphs that use translucency
• Tips for calculating and displaying risk-standardized hospital outcomes in Stata
• 130: 106610 and all that: Date variables that need to be fixed
• 129: Efficiently processing textual data with Stata's new Unicode features
• 128: Marginal effects in log-transformed models: A trade application
• 127: Use capture noisily groups
• 126: Handling irregularly spaced high-frequency transactions data
• 125: Binned residual plots for assessing the fit of regression models for binary outcomes
• 124: Passing temporary variables to subprograms
• 123: Spell boundaries
• 122: Variable bar widths in two-way graphs
• 121: Box plots side by side
• 120: Certifying subroutines
• 119: Expanding datasets for graphical ends
• 118: Orthogonalizing powered and product terms using residual centering
• 117: graph combine–Combining graphs
• 116: Where did my p-values go? (Part 3)
• 115: How to properly estimate the multinomial probit model with heteroskedastic errors
• 114: Expand paired dates to pairs of dates
• 113: Changing a variable's format: What it does and does not mean
• 112: Where did my p-values go? (Part 2)
• 111: More on working with weeks (erratum)
• 110: How to get the optimal k-means cluster solution
• 109: How to combine variables with missing values
• 108: On adding and constraining
• 107: The baseline is now reported
• 106: With or without reference
• 105: Daily dates with missing days
• 104: Added text and title options
• 103: Expressing confidence with gradations
• 102: Highlighting specific bars
• 101: Previous but different
• 100: Mata and the case of the missing macros
• 99: Taking extra care with encode
• 98: Counting substrings within strings
• 97: Getting at ρ's and σ's
• 96: Cube roots
• 95: Estimation of error covariances in a linear model
• 94: Manipulation of prediction parameters for parametric survival regression models
• 93: Handling multiple y axes on twoway graphs 
• 92: Manual implementation of permutations and bootstraps
• 91: Putting unabbreviated varlists into local macros
• 90: Displaying partial results
• 89: Estimating means and percentiles following multiple imputation
• 88: Efficiently evaluating elasticities with the margins command
• 87: Interpretation of interactions in nonlinear models
• 86: The missing() function
• 85: Looping over nonintegers
• 84: Summing missings
• 83: Merging multilingual datasets
• 82: Grounds for grids on graphs
• 81: A table of graphs
• 80: Constructing a group variable with specified group sizes
• 79: Optional arguments to options
• 78: Going gray gracefully: Highlighting subsets and downplaying substrates
• 77: (Re)using macros in multiple do-files
• 76: Separating seasonal time series
• Evaluating concavity for production and cost functions
• 75: Setting up Stata for a presentation
• 74: firstonly, a new option for tab2
• 73: append with care!
• 72: Using the Graph Recorder to create a pseudograph scheme commands
• 71: The problem of split identity, or how to group dyads
• 70: Beware the evaluating equal sign
• 69: Producing log files based on successful interactive
• 68: Week assumptions
• 67: J() now has greater replicating powers
• 66: ds—A hidden gem
• 65: Beware the backstabbing backslash
• 64: Cleaning up user-entered string variables
• 63: Modeling proportions
• 62: Plotting on reversed scales
• 61: Decimal commas in results output and data input
• 60: Making fast and easy changes to files with filefilter
• 59: Plotting on any transformed scale
• 58: nl is not just for nonlinear models
• 57: How to reinstall Stata
• 56: Writing parameterized text files
• 55: Better axis labeling for time points and time intervals
• 54: Post your results
• 53: Where did my p–values go?
• 52: Generating composite categorical variables
• 51: Events in intervals
• 50: Efficient use of summarize
• 49: Range frame plots
• 48: Discrete uses for uniform()
• 47: Quantile–quantile plots without programming
• 46: Step we gaily, on we go
• 45: Getting those data into shape
• 44: Get a handle on your sample
• 43: Remainders, selections, sequences, extractions: Uses of the modulus
• 42: The overlay problem: Offset for clarity
• 41: Monitoring loop iterations
• 40: Taking care of business
• 39: In a list or out? In a range or out?
• 38: Testing for groupwise heteroskedasticity
• 37: And the last shall be first
• 36: Which observations? Erratum
• 35: Detecting whether data have changed
• 34: Tabulation by listing
• 33: Sweet sixteen: Hexadecimal formats and precision problems
• 32: Do not stop
• 31: Scalar or variable? The problem of ambiguous names
• 30: May the source be with you
• 29: For all times and all places
• 28: Precise control of dataset sort order
• 27: Classifying data points on scatter plots
• 26: Maximizing compatibility between Macintosh and Windows
• 25: Sequence index plots
• 24: Axis labels on two or more levels
• 23: Regaining control over axis ranges
• 22: Variable name abbreviation
• 21: The arrows of outrageous fortune
• 20: Generating histogram bin variables
• 19: A way to leaner, faster graphs
• 16: Using input to generate variables
• 17: Filling in the gaps
• 18: Making keys functional
• 15: Function graphs on the fly
• 14: Using value labels in expressions
• 13: generate and replace use the current sort order
• 12: Tuning the plot region aspect ratio
• 11: The nolog option with maximum–likelihood modeling commands
• 10: Fine control of axis title positions
• 9: Following special sequences
• 8: Splitting time–span records with categorical time–varying covariates
• 7: Copying and pasting under Windows
• 6: Inserting awkward characters in the plot
• 5: Ensuring programs preserve dataset sort order
• 4: Using display as an online calculator
• 3: How to be assertive
• 2: Building with floors and ceilings
• 1: The eform() option of regress  [2003;3(4)]

Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator

Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator

The Janelia Automatic Animal Behavior Annotator (JAABA) an open-source program, is a machine learning-based system that enables researchers to automatically compute interpretable, quantitative statistics describing video of behaving animals. It may be a good tool for low-cost science projects of middle/high school students.

More information:

• Website of Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
• Branson lab at HHMI Janelia Farm.
• Kabra (2012). JAABA: Interactive machine learning for automatic annotation of animal behavior.

Tips of Using PortableApps

Tips of Using PortableApps

PortableApps.com is the world's most popular portable software solution allowing you to take your favorite software with you. The launcher is not as good as I expect; I am using PStart  and manually change some 'ini' files to meet my needs:

• How to disable the splash screen of AppNamePortable:
• go to "\PortableApps\AppNamePortable\Other\Source".
• open "AppNamePortable.ini".
• change  " DisableSplashScreen=False" into  " DisableSplashScreen=True ", and save change.
• copy  "AppNamePortable.ini" into "PortableApps\AppNamePortable".
• How to remove PortableApps icon from task bar (to minimize to tray).
• go to "\PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data\".
• open "PortableAppsMenu.ini".
• under [DisplayOptions], add "Windows7TaskbarIcon=false".
• How to set global hot key (11.1 and up)
• by default, the platform uses a global hot key of Ctrl-Alt-Space to show the menu from other apps. 
• open "\PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data\PortableAppsMenu.ini"
• changing the line GlobalHotKey=CTRL-ALT-SPACE to another value. Valid entries are CTRL-ALT-SPACE, CTRL-ALT-P, CTRL-ALT-M, CTRL-SPACE, WIN-ALT-SPACE and DISABLED.
• How to set autorun modification detection
• open "\PortableApps\PortableApps.com\Data\PortableAppsMenu.ini"
• changing the line AutoRun=true to AutoRun=false in the [Protection] section. Note that some antivirus products may show an alert when an autorun.inf is read.
• Q & A of PortableApps.com Platform and Suite Support
• ...