Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low dimensional atomic norm representations in line spectral estimation

The line spectral estimation problem consists in recovering the frequencies of a complex valued time signal that is assumed to be sparse in the spectral domain from its discrete observations. As opposed to discretization-based methods for inverse problems, line spectral estimation reconstructs signals whose spectral supports lie continuously in the Fourier domain. If recent advances have shown that atomic norm relaxation produces highly robust estimates in this context, the computational cost of this approach remains, however, the major flaw for its application to practical systems. In this work, we aim to bridge the complexity issue by studying the atomic norm minimization problem from low dimensional projection of the signal samples. We derive conditions on the sub-sampling matrix under which the partial atomic norm can be expressed by a low-dimensional semidefinite program. Moreover, we illustrate the tightness of this relaxation by showing that it is possible to recover the original signal in poly-logarithmic time for two specific sub-sampling patterns.
Principal leadership practices: A correlation study of specific instructional leadership practices and student achievement on the Tennessee Gateway Tests

John C. Bartlett: PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES: A CORRELATION STUDY OF SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT ON THE TENNESSEE GATEWAY TESTS (Under the direction of Dr. Constance Pearson) School of Education, May, 2008. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of instructional leadership practices performed by the principal and the academic achievement on the Tennessee Gateway Tests by his/her students. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship between specific leadership practices performed by the principal and overall student achievement on the three gateway tests, English, Math, and Biology, exists. High school principals whose school fell within one standard deviation of the mean school size and one standard deviation of the mean in socio-economic status were surveyed. Data for this quantitative study were collected using the Instructional Leadership Practices Survey, developed by the researcher using the current literature regarding instructional leadership practices. The responses to the survey were used to analyze instructional leadership practices performed by a principal using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Data collected from the State of Tennessee report cards for each school involved in the study were also used in order to attempt to draw a correlation between leadership practices and student achievement. The findings indicated that there was not a relationship between the specific principal leadership practices and student achievement on the Tennessee Gateway Tests. The findings also indicated that the average high school principal in the State of Tennessee spends less than 10 hours per week monitoring instruction.
Social protection index for committed poverty reduction

Social protection is getting more attention around the world. Recognition is growing that the Millennium Development Goals for poverty reduction, as well as equitable and sustainable growth, cannot be achieved purely through the promotion of economic growth and the development of physical and social infrastructure. Interventions are necessary to directly address the needs of the poorest and to prevent members of vulnerable groups from falling into poverty following community-wide or household-specific shocks. However, there have been relatively few attempts to systematically quantify the impact of social protection activities in terms of expenditure, beneficiaries, or the impact of the programs, and to assess social protection schemes following a standard methodology. Even within many countries, governments and stakeholders have no complete picture of their own social protection arrangements, and their quantity and performance. To remedy this ADB commissioned a study to develop a methodology for assessing and comparing social protection efforts of countries. The study is most important outcome was the construction of an internationally comparable index that provides a realistic and acceptable summary of the overall level of social protection activities in a country. The Social Protection Index was designed to be a starting point for diagnostic evaluations of national social protection programs to enable the monitoring of changes in social protection provision over time, and to facilitate international comparisons of social protection provision.
Physical activity and functional limitations in older adults: the influence of self-efficacy and functional performance.

OBJECTIVES Data from the Healthy Aging Network (HAN) study (Prohaska, T., Eisenstein, A., Satariano, W., Hunter, R., Bayles, C., Kurtovich, E., … Ivey, S. [2009]. Walking and the preservation of cognitive function in older populations. The Gerontologist, 49[Suppl. 1], S86-S93; and Satariano, W., Ivey, S., Kurtovich, E., Kealey, M., Hubbard, A., Bayles, C., … Prohaska, T. [2010]. Lower-body function, neighborhoods, and walking in an older population. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 38, 419-428.) were used to examine the relationships among physical activity, self-efficacy, functional performance, and limitations. METHOD Interviews were conducted within homes and senior centers in 4 geographic regions across the United States. Participants were 884 older adults (M age = 74.8; 77% female; 35% minority status) who completed measures of walking behavior, way-finding self-efficacy, walking self-efficacy, functional performance, functional limitations, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS Path analysis within a covariance modeling framework revealed significant direct effects of walking on self-efficacy constructs, functional performance on functional limitations, and efficacy on limitations. Additionally, significant indirect effects were also found, including walking on limitations via walking self-efficacy and performance and walking self-efficacy on limitations via performance. Furthermore, we found support for invariance of the model across geographical grouping. DISCUSSION Our findings provide further validation for an efficacy-based model of functional limitations. Walking-related efficacy may help reduce or possibly delay the onset of functional limitations.
Multilateral Market Access Reforms of the Doha Round: A Preliminary Assessment of Implications for EU Agricultural Trade. CEPS ENARPRI Working Papers No. 11, 1 January 2005

The July package of the Doha Round of trade negotiations stipulates that a tiered-formula approach should be used to significantly reduce market access barriers, implying that the EU would have to make larger cuts to its high external tariffs in comparison with other WTO members such as the US. This paper provides a preliminary assessment of the likely impact of this approach on EU agricultural sectors. Numerical simulations of a multilateral market-access reform scenario show that such cuts would lead to across-the-board decreases in intra-EU trade flows compared with a baseline projection. While intra-EU trade flows would decrease, the EU’s trade with the rest of the world would increase. Yet such increases would not be symmetric – imports into the EU would increase more than exports, resulting in larger external trade deficits or smaller external trade surpluses in many EU agricultural products. Further, the resulting adjustments in member states’ production and net trade positions are not equal: new member states would generally lose part of their export shares in the EU market to external competitors, as highlighted in the cases of bovine meat and dairy products. Finally, simulation results show that although EU welfare as a whole improves, the distribution of such gains across EU member states is uneven. EU-15 countries generally gain from improved efficiency as a result of the reform. The new member states, however, will only experience marginal efficiency improvements but will likely suffer terms-of-trade losses, thereby losing some of the related benefits of joining the EU.
Estimating Consistent Fundamental Equilibrium Exchange Rates

This paper sets forth a new methodology for obtaining a consistent set of exchange rate realignments needed to accomplish international adjustment in current account imbalances to reach fundamental equilibrium exchange rates (FEERs). The approach is named the symmetric matrix inversion method (SMIM). It is symmetric in that ir treats all countries considered equally rather than seeking exact adjustment for the United States and obtaining other adjustments residually. Country-specific impact parameters based on assumed trade elasticities are applied to a target set of changes in current accounts as percentages of GDP to obtain a corresponding set of target changes in real effective (trade-weighted) exchange rates. A matrix inversion technique is then applied to identify the corresponding set of changes in bilateral exchange rates against the dollar needed to approach as closely as possible the target set of effective exchange rate changes.
Multisensory Immersion as a Modeling Environment for Learning Complex Scientific Concepts

Chris Dede Graduate School of Education George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 993-2019 cdede@gmu.edu Marilyn C. Salzman Human Factors and Applied Cognitive Psychology George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 352-8375 msalzman@gmu.edu R. Bowen Loftin Virtual Environment Technology Lab University of Houston Houston, TX 77023 (713) 743-1006 bowen@uh.edu Debra Sprague Graduate School of Education George Mason University Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 993-2069 dspragu1@gmu.edu
The Production of Interleukin-8 is Increased in Plasma and Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Fatigue

Background and Objective: Previous research has speculated on the role of pro- and inflammatory immune mediators in the etiologic process of fatigue, with contrasting findings. The preponderance of the evidence supports the role of inflammatory mediators in the disease process of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the production of interleukin (IL)-8 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from individuals with chronic fatigue. A secondary objective was to determine if there was a significant relationship between IL-8 production and plasma cortisol level. Materials and Methodology: Data was collected from three groups, a sample of individuals with CFS (n = 15), a comparison sample of individuals with fatigue that did not meet criteria for CFS (n = 30) and a group of putatively health normative controls (n = 23). Peripheral blood was drawn and plasma samples derived. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with a mitogenic protocol and levels of IL8 in unstimulated and stimulated bulk supernatant determined. Results: Both fatigue groups displayed significantly higher levels of IL8 than the control group. The CFS group demonstrated higher levels of IL8 in plasma than the fatigue comparison group. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate a clear association between fatigue and IL8. The ability to identify an inflammatory marker in association with fatigue could provide a means of identifying those who may be at risk for the development of this disorder.
How Effective are Automatic Stabilisers? Theory and Empirical Results for Germany and Other OECD Countries

Cyclically induced changes in taxes and government expenditures which tend to stabilise aggregate output are called automatic stabilisers. Using a small macro model, this paper reviews alternative methods of measuring the smoothing power of automatic stabilisers and discusses their relationship to the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem. Based on simulation exercises with the macroeconometric multi-country model of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the empirical part of the paper presents estimates of the smoothing power of automatic stabilisers for Germany and some other OECD countries. The results for Germany suggest that in the first year 15 to 20 per cent of an exogenous demand shock are absorbed by the automatic stabilisers. Similar results are obtained for France, Italy, the Netherlands, UK, Canada and the US.
Effects Of Different Sowing Media On Germination And Early Seedling Growth Of Terminaliaivorensis (A.Chev.)

TerminaliaivorensisA. Chev.is an important tropical timber species,but poor germination and inadequate silvicultural information are important factors militating against its regeneration.A study on the effects of four sowing media on germination and early seedling growth of T. ivorensis was assessed at the Forest Nursery of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The experiment was arranged in a completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replicates. Viable seeds were sown into germination trays filled with four sowing media (Topsoil, sawdust, fine sand and coarse sand). Fifty seeds were sown into each germination tray. Data were collected on germination percentage and early seedling growth parameters involving seedling height, collar diameter and monthly leaf production. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data collected. Means separation were carried out using the Least Significant Difference (LSD). The result revealed that germination percentage was significant at 5% level of probability. The highest germination percentage was recorded for treatment B (sawdust) which had 50.6717.90% while treatments A (topsoil) and D (coarse sand) had 35.339.62% and 3013.99 respectively. The least was treatment C (fine sand) which had 2210.84%. There was significant difference at 5% level of probability in seedling height and collar diameter but was not significant in leaf production. The highest mean height was recorded in treatment A (topsoil) which has 16.130.80. Treatments B (sawdust), D (coarse sand), C (fine sand) had 14.020.37, 7.750.47 and 6.790.99 respectively. The result showed that the highest diameter growth was recorded for treatment A (topsoil) which has 4.130.53. Treatments D (coarse sand), B (sawdust) and C (fine sand) had 3.670.57, 3.470.48 and 3.430.52 respectively. Leaf production in T. ivorensiswas not significant between the treatments. The study has shown that the germination percentage ofT. ivorensis improved significantly with sowing media especially sawdust and topsoil. The use of sawdust and topsoil as sowing media for small and large scale propagation of the species is recommended.
The institutional dimension of speech acts: a logical approach based on the concept of acceptance

The aim of this paper is to provide an analysis of speech acts as institutional actions, where an institution is grounded on the attitudes of its members. In the first part of the paper we present a logic of acceptance, goal and action. Then, we specify how agents can create and maintain normative and institutional facts on the basis of their acceptances qua members of a certain institution. Finally, we propose a formal characterization of the speech act promise.
Conflicts of Interest, Disclosure, and (Costly) Sanctions: Experimental Evidence

Conflicts of interest may compromise individuals’ independence in providing advisory services. Full disclosure is a commonly recommended remedy for the adverse effect of conflicts of interest. Yet prior study shows that disclosure may not have the intended effect because it provides individuals with moral license to engage in self‐interested behavior, thereby exacerbating biases. We follow up on this research and seek to determine whether other institutional factors may negate the potentially harmful effects of disclosure. We conduct a laboratory experiment, focusing on behavior in an investor/financial adviser dyad, including important representative features in this setting. Our results suggest that disclosure is not necessarily detrimental. We find that investors are better off when conflicts of interest are disclosed and sanctions are available, even though initiating sanctions is costly to investors. Under such conditions, advisers’ bias is dampened markedly.
Contrast enhanced CT versus integrated PET-CT in pre-operative nodal staging of non-small cell lung cancer.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in comparison with contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT) in pre-operative staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by using surgical and pathological findings as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS From August 2008 to August 2009, 57 consecutive patients (50 males and 7 females; mean age, 59 years; range, 38-79 years) with NSCLC underwent conventional pre-operative lung cancer staging using clinical data and CE-CT of the chest, and integrated whole-body fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT studies. Histopathological results served as the reference standard. RESULTS Forty-eight of the 57 patients (84%) had no lymph node involvement (N0), five (9%) were found to have N1 disease, and four (7%) had N2 disease. There was a significant difference between CE-CT and PET-CT for nodal staging of N0 disease (P < 0.05). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of hilar and mediastinal lymph node staging were 56%, 73%, 28%, 90%, and 70%, with CE-CT, respectively; and 78%, 92%, 64%, 96%, and 89% with PET-CT, respectively. CONCLUSION Integrated PET-CT is more accurate than CE-CT for lymph node staging in NSCLC.
The effects of exercise on the GAP-43 expression in the spinal cord of arthritis-induced rats

[Purpose] The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of exercise on the recovery of spinal cord nerve cells damaged due to pain signals which are a major symptom of osteoarthritis. [Subjects and Methods] Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40) were used and induction of osteoarthritis by monosodium iodoacetate. Injected rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Sham control group without MIA injection (SG), control group with injected MIA (CG), OA without exercise (NEG), OA with exercise (EG). Sham control group was injected normal cell line instead of MIA. The exercise group was submitted to 4-week training program on a treadmill for 5 days/week, 30 min/day, 16 m/min velocity, then spinal cord were removed and measured the GAP-43 expression by immunohistochemistry analysis. [Results] In this study, a results of measuring the expression of GAP-43. GAP-43 was observed in all groups, showed that the significant difference in each group. [Conclusion] It could be seen that exercise increased the GAP-43 expression in the spinal cord to promote the recovery of spinal cord nerve cells damaged due to chronic osteoarthritis.
The cost of virtual wins: An examination of gambling-related risks in youth who spend money on social casino games

Background and aims Social casino games (SCGs) are not technically considered a form of gambling but they do enable players to spend money in a game that is gambling themed or structurally approximate to gambling. It has been theorized that SCGs could be a gateway to gambling activities or otherwise normalize the experience of gambling for young people, particularly when money becomes involved. The aim of this study was to investigate whether adolescents’ financial expenditure in SCGs was associated with broader gambling activity, including level of participation, expenditure, and problem gambling symptoms. Methods An online survey was administered to 555 adolescents, including 130 SCG players (78 non-paying and 52 paying users). Results Paying SCG users tended to be employed males who play more frequently and engage in more SCG activities, who report more symptoms of problem gambling and higher psychological distress than non-paying SCG users. Paying SCG users reported more frequent engagement and spending in monetary gambling activities, and two-thirds of SCG payers recalled that their SCG use had preceded involvement in financial gambling. Discussion and conclusions Spending in simulated gambling activities by adolescents may be a risk factor for problem gambling. Although SCGs may currently defy classification as a form of gambling, these activities will likely continue to be scrutinized by regulators for the use of dubious or exploitative payment features offered in a gambling-themed format that is available to persons of all ages.
Effects of living environment on the postoperative Scoliosis Research Society-24 results in females with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Summary Background There are many factors influencing postoperative health-related quality of life of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients, including the degree of the deformity, culture, differences in geography, rural versus urban living environments, and social factors. The objective of this study was to analyze the significance of geographic factors and their differences influencing the postoperative quality of life in females with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis residing in urban and rural environments, by use of the Polish version of the SRS-24 questionnaire. Material/Methods Forty urban and 20 rural postoperative patients with adolescent scoliosis with a minimum 2-year follow-up period after surgery were included in the study. The process of cross-cultural adaptation was performed according to the IQOLA Project. Results General results of the Polish SRS-24 equalled 4.1 (SD 0.5) and 4.0 (SD.0.5) in the rural and urban groups of patients, respectively. The 2 groups do not differ in incidence of floor and ceiling effects. The Cronbach’s alpha values are excellent for the general result of SRS-24 in urban and rural groups (0.85 and 0.85, respectively). The sub-groups differed significantly in the self-image after surgery domain (p=0.048). Conclusions Patients from the rural group scored higher in the self-image after surgery domain but reported higher pain levels when compared to urban patients. The associations between SRS-24 results and radiographic parameters in the rural group of patients were strong, compared with moderate relations reported in the urban group.
Optimal prediction in linear regression analysis

JANELLA FAYE PANTULA. Optimal Prediction in Linear Regression Analysis. (Under the direction of LAWRENCE L. KUPPER.) Expressions are derived for generalized ridge (GR), ordinary ridge (OR) and shrunken least squares (SLS) predictors that are optimal for predicting the response at a single or at multiple future observations. As in the case of biased estimation, these predictors depend on the true (population) regression coefficient values and the true variance of the underlying linear regression model. Hence, we propose operational predictors where the unknown parameters in the biased predictors are estimated from the data. Using the Mean Squared Error of Prediction (MSEP) criterion, we compare the proposed predictors with the OLS predictor. Several traditional biased predictors, including the predictors based on the Hoerl and Kennard (1970) GR estimator, the Hoerl and Kennard (1976) OR estimator, the Lawless and Wang (1976) OR estimator, the James-Stein (1961) SLS estimator and the principal components (PC) estimator are considered for comparison. The results indicate that the performance of the biased predictors with repsect to the OLS predictor depends on several "parameters" of the simulation study. These "parameters" include the direction of the future observation(s) at which the response(s) is to be predicted, the direction of the true regression coefficient vector, the magnitude of the signal-to-noise ratio, the level of mUlticollinearity and the number of explanatory variables.