Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residential Construction Costs and the Supply of New Housing: Finding Consistent Effects of Structure Costs on Homebuilding Activity

Theory teaches us that the increases in construction costs should lower the supply of new housing. Yet, empirical research has failed to find a consistent relationship between these costs and housing starts. This paper introduces an entirely new set of micro-data on housing construction costs to study this issue. Quality-controlled hedonic cost series are developed from these data. Housing supply functions and construction cost functions for new single family residences are estimated using these series. The results from this estimation are compared to results obtained using existing cost measures. The research presented in this paper demonstrates that the cost elasticity of housing starts is similar to the price elasticity; material and labor have cost shares of approximately 65 and 35 percent respectively, and that the commercial cost indexes used in existing housing supply studies are biased in a way that affects the parameters of supply estimation. The analysis presented here suggests that this bias is a result of a poor specification of labor costs and a failure to address the endogeneity of construction costs and construction activity.
COCO: Performance Assessment

We present an any-time performance assessment for benchmarking numerical optimization algorithms in a black-box scenario, applied within the COCO benchmarking platform. The performance assessment is based on runtimes measured in number of objective function evaluations to reach one or several quality indicator target values. We argue that runtime is the only available measure with a generic, meaningful, and quantitative interpretation. We discuss the choice of the target values, runlength-based targets, and the aggregation of results by using simulated restarts, averages, and empirical distribution functions.
CONVERGENCE OF A DISCONTINUOUS GALERKIN SCHEME FOR THE NEUTRON TRANSPORT

We study the spatial discretization for the numerical solution of a model problem for the neutron transport equation in an infinite cylindrical domain. Based on using an anisotropicinterpolation technique in the discontinuous Galerkin finite element procedure, and regularizing properties of the solution operator, we derive an optimalerror estimate in L 2–norm for the scalar flux. This result, combined with a duality argument and previously known semidiscrete error estimates for the velocity discretizations, gives globally optimalerror bounds for the critical eigenvalue.
Quasar host galaxies in the FORS deep field

Context. The evolution of quasar host galaxies is still hardly studied at high redshifts ($z>2$), although this is a very interesting redshift range as both the quasar activity and the star formation rate density have their peak at $z\approx$ $2{-}3$. This makes it especially interesting to study properties of quasar host galaxies, such as the star formation rate or the black hole mass at this redshift. A proper classification of quasar host galaxies at high redshift would help to answer the question which role quasars play in galaxy evolution. Aims. In this paper we study different properties of quasars and their host galaxies at high redshifts up to $z\approx3.4$. We compare our results to those of other authors and discuss the correlation between galaxy evolution and quasar activity. Methods. We analysed broad-band images in eight filters (from U to K ) of eight quasars in the FORS Deep Field with redshifts between $z=0.87$ and $z=3.37$. A fully 2-dimensional decomposition was carried out to detect and resolve the host galaxies. Using the magnitudes in different filters, we investigated the presumed galaxy type, galaxy age, star formation rate and the mass of the central black hole of the host galaxies. In addition, the masses of the central black hole for the whole sample were derived using the corresponding quasar spectra. Results. We were able to resolve the host galaxies of two out of eight quasars between $z=0.87$ and $z=2.75$. Additionally, two host galaxies were possibly resolved. Conclusions. The resolved low-redshift quasar ($z=0.865$) was identified as a late type galaxy with a moderate star formation rate of $1.8~M_{\odot}/{\rm yr}$ hosting a supermassive black hole with a mass of $\la$$10^{8}~M_{\odot}$. The resolved high redshift host galaxy ($z=2.7515$) shows moderate star formation of $4.4{-}6.9~M_{\odot}/{\rm yr}$, for the black hole mass we found a lower limit of >$10^{7}~M_{\odot}$. All quasars host supermassive black hole with masses in the range ~$10^{7}{-}10^{9}~M_{\odot}$. Our findings are well consistent with those of other authors.
Exact and Complete Short Read Alignment to Microbial Genomes Using Gpu Programming

Motivation: The introduction of next generation sequencing techniques and especially the high-throughput systems Solexa (Illumina Inc.) and SOLiD (ABI) made the mapping of short reads to reference sequences a standard application in modern bioinformatics. Short read alignment is needed for reference based re-sequencing of complete genomes as well as for gene expression analysis based on transcriptome sequencing. Several approaches were developed during the last years allowing for a fast alignment of short sequences to a given template. Methods available to date use heuristic techniques to gain a speedup of the alignments, thereby missing possible alignment positions. Furthermore, most approaches return only one best hit for every query sequence, thus losing the potentially valuable information of alternative alignment positions with identical scores. Results: We developed SARUMAN (Semiglobal Alignment of short Reads Using CUDA and NeedleMAN-Wunsch), a mapping approach that returns all possible alignment positions of a read in a reference sequence under a given error threshold, together with one optimal alignment for each of these positions. Alignments are computed in parallel on graphics hardware, facilitating an considerable speedup of this normally time consuming step. Combining our filter algorithm with CUDA-accelerated alignments, we were able to align reads to microbial genomes in time comparable or even faster than all published approaches, while still providing an exact, complete and optimal result. At the same time SARUMAN runs on every standard Linux PC with a CUDA compatible graphics accelerator.
Fighting Nosocomial Infection Rates in the General Surgery Department of the Teaching Hospital Gabriel Toure in Bamako, Mali

Nosocomial infections (NI) or hospital-acquired diseases are indicators of the quality of care. This study conducted in Mali aimed to determine the frequency of nosocomial infections, to recognize the risk factors, to identify the pathogens and their sensitivity to antibiotics and to determine the additional cost of care. The study lasted 6 months from January to June 2007, and the diagnosis of nosocomial infections was based on criteria from the USA C.D. C (Center for Disease Control). We identified 460 patients and 44 among them (9.6%) were affected by nosocomial infections, which included 31 cases of surgical site infections (57.4%), 9 cases of infections on burns (16.7%), 7 cases of lung infections (13%), and 7 cases of urinary tract infections (13%). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (44%). All isolated bacteria were resistant to amoxicillin and 46% were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. The risk factors for infection were emergency surgery, ASA (American Society of Anaesthesiology) class and the type of surgery defined by Altemeir. The preoperative preparation of the patients, the strict respect of hygiene and asepsis to the operating room can reduce the frequency of NI in our country.
Optical wireless power transmission at long wavelengths

Lasers diodes convert electrical power to a highly collimated beam of Optical power that may propagate over meters with insignificant losses. At the the other end of this optical link Photovoltaic diodes may be used to retrieve electrical power. This point-to-point wireless power transmission is safe if all the optical power is accounted for using an information feedback from the receiver. In addition, safety can also be guaranteed by monitoring the periphery of the optical beam. Optical fields at long wavelengths > 1400nm have lower absorption losses and have higher threshold power density (Poptical(W) over m2) for human safety. We present various technological challenges in the design and preliminary experimental results of such a system which may be integrated into compact packages.
Does Exchange Rate Exposure Matter?

Previous literature finds mixed empirical support for a relation between exchange rate exposure and its theoretical determinants and that exposure is of negligible economic importance. To re-examine the nature and the economic significance of the exchange rate to firm value relation, we construct an international database of over 17,000 non-financial firms from 18 countries. We find that firms' foreign activity is broadly and significantly related to exchange rate exposure and that after controlling for this activity, large firms are more sensitive to currency movements than small firms. Using a portfolio approach to investigate the economic importance of these effects, we find that firms with high international sales outperform those with no international sales during periods of large currency depreciations by 0.72 percent per month, whereas they underperform by 1.10 percent per month during periods of large currency appreciations. Exchange rate movements have an economically significant impact on firm value in ways that are consistent with theory.
Joint Spectrum and Power Allocation for D2D Communications Underlaying Cellular Networks

This paper addresses the joint spectrum sharing and power allocation problem for device-to-device (D2D) communications underlaying a cellular network (CN). In the context of orthogonal frequency-division multiple-access systems, with the uplink resources shared with D2D links, both centralized and decentralized methods are proposed. Assuming global channel state information (CSI), the resource allocation problem is first formulated as a nonconvex optimization problem, which is solved using convex approximation techniques. We prove that the approximation method converges to a suboptimal solution and is often very close to the global optimal solution. On the other hand, by exploiting the decentralized network structure with only local CSI at each node, the Stackelberg game model is then adopted to devise a distributed resource allocation scheme. In this game-theoretic model, the base station (BS), which is modeled as the leader, coordinates the interference from the D2D transmission to the cellular users (CUs) by pricing the interference. Subsequently, the D2D pairs, as followers, compete for the spectrum in a noncooperative fashion. Sufficient conditions for the existence of the Nash equilibrium (NE) and the uniqueness of the solution are presented, and an iterative algorithm is proposed to solve the problem. In addition, the signaling overhead is compared between the centralized and decentralized schemes. Finally, numerical results are presented to verify the proposed schemes. It is shown that the distributed scheme is effective for the resource allocation and could protect the CUs with limited signaling overhead.
Good to Great: A Case Study of an African American Literacy Coordinator's Role in Transitioning a School From Dependence on a Scripted Reading Program to Balanced Literacy

iv Acknowledgements v List of Tables viii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Background of the Study 1 Statement of the Research Problem 11 Purpose of the Study 17 Research Questions 20 Theoretical Perspectives 20 Overview of Chapters 22 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 23 Introduction 23 Basal Readers 23 History and Overview of Balanced Literacy 29 Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction 38 Balanced Literacy and Literacy Leadership 41 Teacher Beliefs 47 Professional Development 50 Theoretical Framework 55
Transcending Traditional Approaches to Sexuality Education: A Case Study in Communicating, Constructing, and Defining Sex-Positive Sexuality Education

Abstract Guided by a social-ecological approach to health, this study explored a new approach to sex education--sex-positive sexuality education (SPSE). A collective case study was completed on three organizations that utilize a sexpositive approach to sexuality education--Good Vibrations, Scarleteen.com, and The National Sexuality Resource Center's Summer Institute. Good Vibrations is an adult sex toy retailer, Scarleteen.com is an adolescent sexual health website, and the Summer Institute is an academic institute for scholars and practitioners of sexuality studies. Using qualitative methods of observations, interviews, and textual analysis, this study explains how sexpositive sexuality education is constructed, communicated, and defined. Despite studying three disparate organizations in regards to their context and audience, all three organizations enacted sex-positive sexuality education in similar ways. A three-tiered definition was constructed to understand this approach. The first tier consists of a three-element model, Enactment of SexPositive Sexuality Education. This model explains the three elements--core values, physical environment, and communication strategies--that were seen across the dataset as necessary for enacting sex-positive sexuality education. The second tier is composed of relational pairs. These relational pairs-inclusivity and normalization, pleasure and health and safety, accessibility and a critical approach, open environment and agency, and clarity and comfort-highlight how within a sex-positive approach to sexuality education, similarities and differences work in tandem. Finally, these pairs inform the third level, a dynamic that sets sex-positive sexuality education apart from other approaches to sexuality education. The model of SPSE is unique from other approaches to sex education--abstinence-only and comprehensive-because those approaches stay muddled in tensions over appropriate values, contexts, content, and communication strategies. SPSE however, embraces the natural tensions inherent in sexuality education. This dynamic coexistence of multiple concepts forms a holistic approach to sexuality education. Thus, SPSE transcends approaches that enforce an either/or or wrong/right dichotomy and instead brings together divergent perspectives in an all-inclusive approach to sexuality education. This study contributes to academic scholarship and public health initiatives because it offers a definition of sex-positive sexuality education and concrete examples of this approach in practice. Also, it benefits sexual health communication scholarship because it suggests the centrality of communication to what SPSE is and how it functions. Finally, this study provides research on a new approach to teaching sex education that may be able to help improve our nation's sexual health.
Outliers from the Mainstream: How a Massive Star Can Produce a Gamma-Ray Burst

It is now recognized that long-duration gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are linked to the collapse of massive stars, based on the association between (low redshift) GRBs and (Type Ic) core-collapse supernovae (SNe). The census of massive stars and GRBs reveals, however, that not all massive stars produce a GRB. Only ~1% of core-collapse SNe are able to produce a highly relativistic collimated outflow, and hence a GRB. The extra crucial parameter has long been suspected to be metallicity and/or rotation. We find observational evidence strongly supporting that both ingredients are necessary in order to make a GRB out of a core-collapsing star. A detailed study of the absorption pattern in the X-ray spectrum of GRB 060218 reveals evidence of material highly enriched in low-atomic-number metals ejected before the SN/GRB explosion. We find that, within the current scenarios of stellar evolution, only a progenitor star characterized by a fast stellar rotation and subsolar initial metallicity could produce such a metal enrichment in its close surrounding.
Galaxy Halo Masses from Weak Gravitational Lensing

Abstract In this review, I discuss the use of galaxy-galaxy weak lensing measurements to study the masses of dark matter halos in which galaxies reside. After summarizing how weak gravitational lensing measurements can be interpreted in terms of halo mass, I review measurements that were used to derive the relationship between optical galaxy mass tracers, such as stellar mass or luminosity, and dark matter halo mass. Measurements of galaxy-galaxy lensing from the past decade have led to increasingly tight constraints on the connection between dark matter halo mass and optical mass tracers, including both the mean relationships between these quantities and the intrinsic scatter between them. I also review some of the factors that can complicate analysis, such as the choice of modeling procedure, and choices made when dividing up samples of lens galaxies.
Extracellular matrix-associated proteins form an integral and dynamic system during Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development

Though the essential role of extracellular matrix in biofilm development has been extensively documented, the function of matrix-associated proteins is elusive. Determining the dynamics of matrix-associated proteins would be a useful way to reveal their functions in biofilm development. Therefore, we applied iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics to evaluate matrix-associated proteins isolated from different phases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 biofilms. Among the identified 389 proteins, 54 changed their abundance significantly. The increased abundance of stress resistance and nutrient metabolism-related proteins over the period of biofilm development was consistent with the hypothesis that biofilm matrix forms micro-environments in which cells are optimally organized to resist stress and use available nutrients. Secreted proteins, including novel putative effectors of the type III secretion system were identified, suggesting that the dynamics of pathogenesis-related proteins in the matrix are associated with biofilm development. Interestingly, there was a good correlation between the abundance changes of matrix-associated proteins and their expression. Further analysis revealed complex interactions among these modulated proteins, and the mutation of selected proteins attenuated biofilm development. Collectively, this work presents the first dynamic picture of matrix-associated proteins during biofilm development, and provides evidences that the matrix-associated proteins may form an integral and well regulated system that contributes to stress resistance, nutrient acquisition, pathogenesis and the stability of the biofilm.
Simplified Random-Walk-Model-Based Kalman Filter for Slow to Moderate Fading Channel Estimation in OFDM Systems

This study deals with multi-path channel estimation for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems under slow to moderate fading conditions. Advanced algorithms exploit the channel time-domain correlation by using Kalman filters (KFs) based on an approximation of the time-varying channel. Recently, it was shown that under slow to moderate fading, near-optimal channel multi-path complex amplitude estimation can be obtained by using the integrated random walk (RW) model as the channel approximation. To reduce the complexity of the high-dimensional RW-KF for joint estimation of the multi-path complex amplitudes, we propose using a lower dimensional RW-KF that estimates the complex amplitude of each path separately. We demonstrate that this amounts to a simplification of the joint multi-path Kalman gain formulation through the Woodbury's identities. Hence, this new algorithm consists of a superposition of independent single-path single-carrier KFs, which were optimized in our previous studies. This observation allows us to adapt the optimization to the actual multi-path multi-carrier scenario, to provide analytic formulas for the mean-square error performance and the optimal tuning of the proposed estimator directly as a function of the physical parameters of the channel (Doppler frequency, signal-to-noise-ratio, power delay profile). These analytic formulae are given for the first-, second-, and third-order RW models used in the KF. The proposed per-path KF is shown to be as efficient as the exact KF (i.e., the joint multi-path KF), and outperforms the autoregressive-model-based KFs proposed in the literature.
Perceptions of Needs among Individuals with Childhood Sexual Abuse History in Adult Education and Learning Support Settings.

Childhood sexual abuse research demonstrates that a broad range of social and behavioral deficits may follow the victim into adulthood. Professionals in many service domains, including those in adult learning settings, e:. counter these deficits in their service populations, often without the benefit of educational background or resources to 3nderstand the barriers against which affected adults may struggle. A field project was designed to gather baseline information concerning how professionals in adult education settings respond to learners with histories of childhood sexual abuse. Through a survey questionnaire method, a representative sample of 108 adult educators and learning support personnel were asked about screening for childh.od sexual abuse history, the presence of onsite services for individvals with this background, and the adult competencies perceiVed to be important for these adults to achieve. The project revealed that screening for childhood sexual abuse history varied considerably atcording to the type of adult learning support settings surveyed. The services provided also were different, depending upon the educational setting. Respondents, however, were consistent in identifying adult competercy or achievement needs among those with a history of childhood sexual abuse. The project findings also supported the natiothat adults with long-term childhood sexual abuse effects may comprise a pnpulaLion with distinct learning needs. (Contains 91 references.) (Author/KC) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** PERCEPTIONS OF NEEDS AMONG INDIVIDUALS WITH CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE HISTORY IN ADULT EDUCATION AND LEARNING SUPPORT sErrINGs ifTU. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 05 el Educational Research and Improvement ED ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) his document has been reproduced 3s received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official 0011 position or policy * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A Field Project Presented to The Faculty of Western Washington University * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Education * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * by Karen E. Redfield July 1095 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
Relationship between Insurance and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African: A Panel Data Analysis

This study examined the relationship between insurance and economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1986-2011. Pooled OLS, Fixed Effect Model and Generalized Method of Moment Panel Model were employed in the estimation. The estimations of the dynamic panel-data results show that insurance has positive and significance impact on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa. This shows that premium contributes to economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa which means that a well-developed insurance sector is necessary for the economic development, as it provides long-term investments for economic growth and simultaneously strengthening risk-taking abilities. The results also show that human capita has positive significant impact on economic growth. Openness and interest rate have negative and statistical significant on economic growth.