Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of Euclidian Snyder Geometry to the Foundations of Space-Time Physics for the 5th Acgrg5 Meeting

This thought experiment supposition will be raised, as a way to start investigations as to being able to choose either LQG, or string theory, as an initial space time template for emergent gravity. The author intends to explore the applications of deformed Euclidian space to questions as of the role of either string theory and/or LQG as to what degree the fundamental constants of nature are preserved between different cosmological cycles, and also the degree that gravity is an emergent field which is either partly/ largely classical, with extreme non linearity, or a far more quantum phenomenon. Introduction Recent papers in LQG which the author was exposed to in the 12 Marcel Grossman conference, presented that a big bounce replaced the singularity conditions Hawkings, Ellis, and others use. In particular, Marco Valerio Batistini, in a PRD article (2009) uses Snyder geometry to find a common basis in which to make a limiting approximation as to how to either derive either brane world, or LQG conditions for cosmological evolution. The heart of what Batistini works with is a deformed Euclidian Snyder space, when we use the 1 = = c h units, obtaining then [ ] 2 2 1 2 1 1 , p p q p i p q ⋅ − ⋅ ≥ Δ Δ ⇔ ⋅ − ⋅ = α α . The LQG condition is 0 > α , and Brane worlds have, instead 0 < α . As Batistini indicated, in PRD, 2009, it is possible to obtain a string theory limit of ( ) [ ] ( ) p p p l p q s Δ ⋅ − Δ ≡ Δ ⋅ + Δ ≥ Δ α / 1 / 1 2 . We will use this result explicitly in the document as to differentiating between criteria as to information transfer from a prior to a present universe, as a way to distinguish, how to determine if minimum spatial uncertainty requirements for space time can distinguish between LQG, and brane world scenarios. What is at stake can be parsed as follows. How much information is in an individual Graviton? And how can one analyze normalized GW density in terms of gravitons? Consider the following: i.e. we will put a first principle introduction. As to what can be said about gravitational wave density and its detection? It is useful to note that normalized energy density of gravitational waves, as given by Maggiore (2008)
The Conditional Pricing of Systematic and Idiosyncratic Risk in the U.K. Equity Market

We test whether firm idiosyncratic risk is priced in a large cross-section of U.K. stocks. A distinguishing feature of our paper is that our tests allow for a conditional relationship between systematic risk (beta) and returns in our tests, i.e., conditional on whether the excess market return is positive or negative. We find strong evidence in support of a conditional beta/return relationship which in turn reveals conditionality in the pricing of idiosyncratic risk. We find that idiosyncratic risk is significantly negatively priced in stock returns in down-markets. Although perhaps initially counter-intuitive, we describe the theoretical support for such a finding in the literature. Our results also reveal a strong role for liquidity, size and momentum factors in explaining the cross-section of U.K. stock returns.
Coordinate descent with arbitrary sampling II: expected separable overapproximation

The design and complexity analysis of randomized coordinate descent methods, and in particular of variants which update a random subset (sampling) of coordinates in each iteration, depend on the notion of expected separable overapproximation (ESO). This refers to an inequality involving the objective function and the sampling, capturing in a compact way certain smoothness properties of the function in a random subspace spanned by the sampled coordinates. ESO inequalities were previously established for special classes of samplings only, almost invariably for uniform samplings. In this paper we develop a systematic technique for deriving these inequalities for a large class of functions and for arbitrary samplings. We demonstrate that one can recover existing ESO results using our general approach, which is based on the study of eigenvalues associated with samplings and the data describing the function.
Evaluation of Language Testing: An Applied Linguistic Perspective

Background : Over the past few years, researchers started to pay great attention to studies on language testing to improve the methodologies of administering, constructing and evaluating tests. Aims : The present study aims at providing a new perspective as it contributes a new method based on scientific analysis that does not only diagnose the phenomenon, but also provides solutions and suggestions. Methods : The study was conducted at the Departments of English both in the College of Education and College of Arts & Linguistics, Thamar University, Yemen. Ten (10) final term tests administered by ten instructors within two colleges were evaluated. The tests were given to freshmen students to test their productive, receptive skills, as well as their language components. Conclusions : Results show that some tests lack validity, practicality, reliability, discrimination, accountability, and wash back effect. Findings also show that instructors' rubrics were neither clear nor brief. Questions also involved orthographic as well as grammatical mistakes. Finally, in comparison with instructors of College of Education, instructors of College of Arts are found to be better in administering tests.
‘Helping the family’: The mediating role of outside directors in ethnic Chinese family firms

This article explores the nature and process of non-executive director (NED or non-executive) influence in quoted, familycontrolled firms (FCFs) through two company case studies in Singapore. Existing views of the non-executive role in such firms have been derived from theory, with traditional and ‘new’ agency approaches and resource dependence theory each offering differing prescriptions of the role. The article reviews this literature and suggests the potential value of qualitative research for understanding and reconciling competing prescriptions of the NED role. It then presents two case studies which explore the processes whereby independent non-executives seek to influence decision-making during critical incidents in the life of two FCFs. Based on these cases the article critiques the zero-sum view of power and the ‘nuclear’ conception of the family that informs much of the suspicious and hostile perspective of family control held by some agency scholars. In contrast, the article argues for a relational conception of power through which NEDs, despite the reality of family power and control, achieve effective influence through playing a vital mediating role in a web of firm and family relationships. This involves NEDs in defending the collective interest in the continuity of an ‘extended’ family of the firm against the damaging intrusion of ‘family altruism’ and managerial opportunism. Such a role can augment the authority of nonexecutives and the board whilst allowing necessary changes to be implemented.
Auto-Disabilities: The Case of Shared Space Environments

Many urban environments are being redesigned around a relatively new approach to street design termed shared space. Shared space is a traffic engineering concept that eliminates physical barriers separating motor vehicles, pedestrians, and other road users to encourage a sharing of street space. Such sharing is seen as a means to calm traffic and to create convivial urban spaces. The evidence shows that local authorities in the UK and overseas are enthusiastic about shared space for its potential to enhance the urban realm. Vulnerable street users, such as vision-impaired people, do not share this enthusiasm. They perceive shared space as likely to bring them into increasing contact with motor vehicles, and as compromising their safety and well-being. Shared spaces are, potentially, what I refer to as auto-disabling environments. Referring to data from the UK, I develop the proposition that shared space can be characterised as ‘disembodied urban design’ that fails to capture the complexity of corporeal form and the manifold interactions of bodies-in-space. The disembodied understanding of the interactions between bodies, space, and movement, propagated by shared space design, (re)produces both existential insecurity and ontological uncertainty amongst certain categories of users, such as vision-impaired people. Shared space can be understood as a manifestation of disabling design in the built environment, and as a reaffirmation of disabled people's relative invisibility in relation to the crafting of designed spaces.
Do Firms Hedge in Response to Tax Incentives

There are two tax incentives for corporations to hedge: to increase debt capacity and interest tax deductions, and to reduce expected tax liability if the tax function is convex. We test whether these incentives affect the extent of corporate hedging with derivatives. Using an explicit measure of tax function convexity, we find no evidence that firms hedge in response to tax convexity. Our analysis does, however, indicate that firms hedge to increase debt capacity, with increased tax benefits averaging 1.1 percent of firm value. Our results also indicate that firms hedge because of expected financial distress costs and firm size. Copyright The American Finance Association 2002.
Spectral face recognition using orthogonal subspace bases

We present an efficient method for facial recognition using hyperspectral imaging and orthogonal subspaces. Projecting the data into orthogonal subspaces has the advantage of compactness and reduction of redundancy. We focus on two approaches: Principal Component Analysis and Orthogonal Subspace Projection. Our work is separated in three stages. First, we designed an experimental setup that allowed us to create a hyperspectral image database of 17 subjects under different facial expressions and viewing angles. Second, we investigated approaches to employ spectral information for the generation of fused grayscale images. Third, we designed and tested a recognition system based on the methods described above. The experimental results show that spectral fusion leads to improvement of recognition accuracy when compared to regular imaging. The work expands on previous band extraction research and has the distinct advantage of being one of the first that combines spatial information (i.e. face characteristics) with spectral information. In addition, the techniques are general enough to accommodate differences in skin spectra.
Investigating Reliabilities of Intraindividual Variability Indicators

Reliabilities of the two most widely used intraindividual variability indicators, ISD 2 and ISD, are derived analytically. Both are functions of the sizes of the first and second moments of true intraindividual variability, the size of the measurement error variance, and the number of assessments within a burst. For comparison, the reliability of the intraindividual mean, , is also derived. Simulations are conducted to confirm accuracy of the derived functions. The influences of different factors on the reliabilities of these indicators are also studied. Results show that the reliabilities of ISD 2 and ISD are lower than the reliability of in all studied conditions and the reliability of ISD is lower than that of ISD 2 in most studied conditions. The derived functions are applied to calculate the reliabilities of intraindividual variability indicators of negative affect measured over 56 days and perceptual-motor performance measured over five assessments. Implications for measurement-burst study designs are discussed.
Heterozygous eNOS deficiency is associated with oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction in diet‐induced obesity

Heterozygous endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) deficiency is associated with normal endothelium‐dependent responses, however, little is known regarding the mechanisms that maintain or impair endothelial function with heterozygous eNOS deficiency. The goals of this study were to (1) determine mechanism(s) which serve to maintain normal endothelial function in the absence of a single eNOS gene; and (2) to determine whether heterozygous eNOS deficiency predisposes blood vessels to endothelial dysfunction in response to a high‐fat diet (HFD). Responses of carotid arteries were examined in wild‐type (eNOS+/+) and heterozygous eNOS‐deficient (eNOS+/−) treated with either vehicle (saline), NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine (L‐NNA, 100 μmol/L), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, or 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ, 1 μmol/L), an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), and in eNOS+/+ and eNOS+/− mice fed a control (10%) or a 45% HFD (kcal from fat). Responses to acetylcholine (ACh) were similar in vehicle‐treated arteries from eNOS+/+ and eNOS+/− mice, and were equally inhibited by L‐NNA and ODQ. Phosphorylation of eNOS Ser1176, a site associated with increased eNOS activity, was significantly greater in eNOS+/− mice most likely as a compensatory response for the loss of a single eNOS gene. In contrast, responses to ACh were markedly impaired in carotid arteries from eNOS+/−, but not eNOS+/+, mice fed a HFD. Vascular superoxide levels as well as plasma levels of the pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) were selectively increased in HFD‐fed eNOS+/− mice. In reconstitution experiments, IL‐6 produced concentration‐dependent impairment of endothelial responses as well as greater increases in NADPH‐stimulated superoxide levels in arteries from eNOS+/− mice fed a control diet compared to eNOS+/+ mice. Our findings of increased Ser1176‐phosphorylation reveal a mechanism by which NOS‐ and sGC‐dependent endothelial function can be maintained with heterozygous eNOS deficiency. In addition, heterozygous eNOS deficiency predisposes blood vessels to developing endothelial dysfunction in response to a HFD. The impairment produced by a HFD in eNOS+/− mice appears to be mediated by IL‐6‐induced increases in vascular superoxide. These findings serve as an important example of eNOS haploinsufficiency, one that may contribute to the development of carotid artery disease in obese humans.
Does Competition Reduce the Risk of Bank Failure?

A large theoretical literature shows that competition reduces banks' franchise values and induces them to take more risk. Recent research contradicts this result: When banks charge lower rates, their borrowers have an incentive to choose safer investments, so they will in turn be safer. However, this argument does not take into account the fact that lower rates also reduce the banks' revenues from non-defaulting loans. This paper shows that when this effect is taken into account, a U-shaped relationship between competition and the risk of bank failure generally obtains.
Ubiquitination of the Prototype Foamy Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Leader Peptide Regulates Subviral Particle Release

ABSTRACT Foamy virus (FV) particle egress is unique among retroviruses because of its essential requirement for Gag and Env coexpression for budding and particle release. The FV glycoprotein undergoes a highly unusual biosynthesis resulting in the generation of three particle-associated, mature subunits, leader peptide (LP), surface (SU), and transmembrane (TM), derived from a precursor protein by posttranslational proteolysis mediated by furin or furinlike proteases. Previously at least three LP products of different molecular weights were detected in purified FV particles. Here we demonstrate that the higher-molecular-weight forms gp28LP and gp38LP are ubiquitinated variants of the major gp18LP cleavage product, which has a type II membrane topology. Furthermore, we show that all five lysine residues located within the N-terminal 60-amino-acid cytoplasmic domain of gp18LP can potentially be ubiquitinated, however, there seems to be a preference for using the first three. Inactivation of ubiquitination sites individually resulted in no obvious phenotype. However, simultaneous inactivation of the first three or all five ubiquitination sites in gp18LP led to a massive increase in subviral particles released by these mutant glycoproteins that were readily detectable by electron microscopy analysis upon expression of the ubiquitination-deficient glycoprotein by itself or in a proviral context. Surprisingly, only the quintuple ubiquitination mutant showed a two- to threefold increase in single-cycle infectivity assays, whereas all other mutants displayed infectivities similar to that of the wild type. Taken together, these data suggest that the balance between viral and subviral particle release of FVs is regulated by ubiquitination of the glycoprotein LP.
The Effects of Father Absence on the Adjustment of Culturally Disadvantaged Boys

who grow up without fathers, the influence of the father-figure on the development of the child has been of far less concern to investigators than the mother-child relationship (Nash, 1965). Reasons for the dearth of research in this area have included problems in assessing the degree to which a child has been without the influence of his father or other significant male figure, as well as the lack of natural opportunities under which to conduct such research (Ammons & Ammons, 1949;
Three-dimensional structure of the seismo-electromagnetic ionospheric electron density disturbances

The paper presents the three-dimensional structure of the ionospheric electron density disturbances triggered by the vertical electric currents flowing between the Earth and ionosphere over the faults before the strong earthquakes. The results were obtained using the global numerical Earth's Upper Atmosphere Model (UAM). The vertical electric currents flowing between the Earth and ionosphere over the faults were used as lower boundary conditions for the UAM electric potential equation. The UAM calculated 3D structure of the ionospheric electron density disturbances demonstrates an importance of all three ionospheric plasma drift movements - vertical, meridional and zonal but not only vertical one. Аннотация. В статье представлена трѐхмерная структура вариаций ионосферной электронной концентрации, вызываемых воздействием вертикальных электрических токов, текущих между Землѐй и ионосферой над разломами перед сильными землетрясениями. Исследование проводилось с помощью глобальной трѐхмерной численной нестационарной модели верхней атмосферы Земли UAM. Вертикальные токи, предположительно сейсмического происхождения, задавались в качестве нижних граничных условий для уравнения электрического потенциала модели. Показано, что при рассмотрении физического механизма формирования исследуемых аномалий следует учитывать не только вертикальный перенос плазмы под действием зональной компоненты электрического поля, но и горизонтальные (зональные и меридиональные) движения плазмы F2-области ионосферы.
On the application of the global matched filter to DOA estimation with uniform circular arrays

The problem of estimating the direction of arrivals (azimuths) of narrow-band sources impinging on a uniform circular array is considered. We present a method that uses as input the values of a small number of uniformly spaced beams and apply a model-fitting approach taking into account the statistical properties of the beams. The approach called the "global matched filter" fits simultaneously to the observations all the elements needed to explain them. It chooses among all the potential representations the one with minimal energy. The method drastically improves upon the conventional beamformer and has a performance comparable to the best high resolution techniques. It further applies when the number of sources exceeds the number of sensors, a situation that cannot be handled by standard high resolution techniques.
People vs. Malthus: Population Pressure, Environmental Degradation, and Armed Conflict Revisited

Demographic and environmental factors have claimed a dominant position in the post-Cold War security discourse. According to the neo-Malthusian conflict scenario, population pressure on natural renewable resources makes societies more prone to low-intensity civil war. On the contrary, resource-optimists concede that agricultural land scarcity caused by high population density may be a driving factor behind economic development, thus causing peace in a long-term perspective. These notions are tested in a quantitative cross-national time-series study covering the 1950-2000 period. The results do not provide strong support for either perspective. Countries experiencing high rates of population growth, high rates of urbanization, or large refugee populations do not face greater risks of internal armed conflict. There is some indication that scarcity of potential cropland may have a pacifying effect. However, where land scarcity combines with high rates of population growth, the risk of armed conflict increases somewhat. This trend is particularly marked for the 1970s, the decade that saw the great rise in neo-Malthusian concerns. Claims that the world has entered a ‘new age of insecurity’ after the end of the Cold War, where demographic and environmental factors threaten security and state stability, appear to be unfounded. Overall, the robustness of the empirical support for both paradigms is low. A strong emphasis on security as a macro rationale for reducing global population growth thus seems unwarranted.
Modeling the glutamate–glutamine neurotransmitter cycle

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in brain. Although it is rapidly synthesized from glucose in neural tissues the biochemical processes for replenishing the neurotransmitter glutamate after glutamate release involve the glutamate–glutamine cycle. Numerous in vivo 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) experiments since 1994 by different laboratories have consistently concluded: (1) the glutamate–glutamine cycle is a major metabolic pathway with a flux rate substantially greater than those suggested by early studies of cell cultures and brain slices; (2) the glutamate–glutamine cycle is coupled to a large portion of the total energy demand of brain function. The dual roles of glutamate as the principal neurotransmitter in the CNS and as a key metabolite linking carbon and nitrogen metabolism make it possible to probe glutamate neurotransmitter cycling using MRS by measuring the labeling kinetics of glutamate and glutamine. At the same time, comparing to non-amino acid neurotransmitters, the added complexity makes it more challenging to quantitatively separate neurotransmission events from metabolism. Over the past few years our understanding of the neuronal-astroglial two-compartment metabolic model of the glutamate–glutamine cycle has been greatly advanced. In particular, the importance of isotopic dilution of glutamine in determining the glutamate–glutamine cycling rate using [1−13C] or [1,6-13C2] glucose has been demonstrated and reproduced by different laboratories. In this article, recent developments in the two-compartment modeling of the glutamate–glutamine cycle are reviewed. In particular, the effects of isotopic dilution of glutamine on various labeling strategies for determining the glutamate–glutamine cycling rate are analyzed. Experimental strategies for measuring the glutamate–glutamine cycling flux that are insensitive to isotopic dilution of glutamine are also suggested.