How to use the pymer4.utils._to_ranks_by_group function in pymer4

if old_optimizer:
            if control:
                raise ValueError(
                    "Must specify EITHER control OR old_optimizer not both"
                )
            else:
                control = "optimizer='bobyqa'"
        if factors:
            dat = self._make_factors(factors, ordered)
            self.factors = factors
        else:
            dat = self.data
        if rank:
            if not rank_group:
                raise ValueError("rank_group must be provided if rank is True")
            dat = _to_ranks_by_group(
                self.data, rank_group, self.formula, rank_exclude_cols
            )
            if factors and (set(factors.keys()) != set(rank_exclude_cols)):
                w = "Factors and ranks requested, but factors are not excluded from rank conversion. Are you sure you wanted to do this?"
                warnings.warn(w)
                self.warnings.append(w)
        if conf_int == "boot":
            self.sig_type = "bootstrapped"
        else:
            if permute:
                self.sig_type = "permutation" + " (" + str(permute) + ")"
            else:
                self.sig_type = "parametric"
        if self.family == "gaussian":
            _fam = "gaussian"
            if verbose: