Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current status linear regression

We construct $\sqrt{n}$-consistent and asymptotically normal estimates for the finite dimensional regression parameter in the current status linear regression model, which do not require any smoothing device and are based on maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of the infinite dimensional parameter. We also construct estimates, again only based on these MLEs, which are arbitrarily close to efficient estimates, if the generalized Fisher information is finite. This type of efficiency is also derived under minimal conditions for estimates based on smooth non-monotone plug-in estimates of the distribution function. Algorithms for computing the estimates and for selecting the bandwidth of the smooth estimates with a bootstrap method are provided. The connection with results in the econometric literature is also pointed out.
Parameters of noncommutativity in Lie-algebraic noncommutative space

We find condition on the parameters of noncommutativity on which a list of important results can be obtained in a space with Lie-algebraic noncommutativity. Namely, we show that the weak equivalence principle is recovered in the space, the Poisson brackets for coordinates and momenta of the center-of-mass of a composite system do not depend on its composition and reproduce relations of noncommutative algebra for coordinates and momenta of individual particles if parameters of noncommutativity corresponding to a particle are proportional inversely to its mass. In addition in particular case of Lie-algebraic noncommutativity (space coordinates commute to time) on this condition the motion of the center-of-mass is independent of the relative motion and problem of motion of the center-of-mass and problem corresponding to the internal motion can be studied separately.
Ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol as tracers for biogenic aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean

Abstract. Aerosols containing biological components can have a significant effect on human health by causing primarily irritation, infection and allergies. Specifically, airborne fungi can cause a wide array of adverse responses in humans depending on the type and quantity present. In this study we used chemical biomarkers for analyzing fungi-containing aerosols in the eastern Mediterranean region during the year 2009 in order to quantify annual fungal abundances. The prime marker for fungi used in this study was ergosterol, and its concentrations were compared with those of mannitol and arabitol which were recently suggested to also correlate with fungal spores concentrations (Bauer et al., 2008a). Back trajectory analysis, inorganic ions, humidity and temperature were used in an attempt to identify sources as well as the dependence on seasonal and environmental conditions. We found that the ambient concentrations of ergosterol, arabitol and mannitol range between 0 and 2.73 ng m −3 , 1.85 and 58.27 ng m −3 , 5.57 and 138.03 ng m −3 , respectively. The highest levels for all biomarkers were during the autumn, probably from local terrestrial sources, as deduced from the inorganic ions and back trajectory analysis. Significant correlations were observed between arabitol and mannitol during the entire year except for the winter months. Both sugars correlated with ergosterol only during the spring and autumn. We conclude that mannitol and arabitol might not be specific biomarkers for fungi and that the observed correlations during spring and autumn may be attributed to high levels of vegetation during spring blossoms and autumn decomposing.
Hypertension in Zimbabwe: A meta-analysis to quantify its burden and policy implications

AIM: To estimate the pooled prevalence of hypertension in Zimbabwe and describe its trend since independence in 1980 using secondary source data.METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus databases from April 1980 to December 2013 were searched for population and community based studies on the prevalence of hypertension among adults(≥ 18 years) in Zimbabwe. The key words used were "prevalence", "epidemiologic studies", "hypertension" or "high blood pressure", based on the cut-off(≥ 140 mm Hg systolic blood pressure and/or ≥ 90 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure). We conducted a meta-analysis on the published studies, using the random-effects model to estimate the pooled prevalence.RESULTS: The search retrieved 87 publications, of which four studies met the selection criteria. The four studies had a total of 4829 study participants between 1997 and 2010 across 5 provinces in Zimbabwe. Two studies were in urban areas, while the other two had mixed study settings(urban and rural). The overall pooled prevalence of hypertension was 30%(95%CI: 19%, 42%, I2= 98%, χ2 = 164.15, P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: Our results show a high prevalence of hypertension in Zimbabwe, with urban areas having higher prevalence than rural areas.
Title : Examining the impact of audience response systems on student performance in anatomy education : a randomized controlled trial

1Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley, UK; 2Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; 3Department of Anatomy, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; 4Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Causeway Hospital, 4 Newbridge Road, Coleraine, County Londonderry. ; 5Institute of Education for Medical and Dental Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; 6Department of Clinical Surgery, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; 7Centre for Education Development, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK; 8Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences (Anatomy) & Centre for Integrative Physiology, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK *Joint senior authors
Colour-duplex ultrasonography of the temporal and ophthalmic arteries in the diagnosis and follow-up of giant cell arteritis.

Objectives. To evaluate the diagnostic value of colour-duplex ultrasonography (CDU) of the temporal and ophthalmic arteries in the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and its usefulness in the follow-up of the disease. Furthermore, to examine the relationship between CDU abnormalities in ophthalmic arteries and blindness. Methods. This is a prospective study of all patients with clinical suspicion of GCA or polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) seen consecutively at the Internal Medicine Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Spain, between March 2003 and July 2006. Patients were evaluated with regard to the sensitivity and specificity of the dark halo sign in the temporal artery for the diagnosis of GCA, as well as the sensitivity and specificity of the presence of stenosis in temporal and/or ophthalmic arteries. Additionally, the usefulness of the dark halo sign in the follow-up of GCA was addressed. Results. Forty-seven patients (30 with GCA, 17 with PMR) and 13 controls were included in the study. The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of biopsy-proven GCA were higher for the temporal halo (72% in both cases) than for temporal artery stenosis (41% and 89%, respectively), or for ophthalmic artery stenosis (58% and 89%, respectively). Disappearance of the halo was observed in 50% of patients six months after diagnosis, although all patients were in clinical remission, and laboratory parameters were within normal values. Conclusions. CDU of the temporal arteries may be a valid tool in the diagnosis of GCA. However, its role in the follow up of the disease deserves re-evaluation. CDU of the ophthalmic arteries is less useful for CGA diagnosis and no relationship with blindness is suspected.
ASTEROSEISMOLOGICAL STUDY OF MASSIVE ZZ CETI STARS WITH FULLY EVOLUTIONARY MODELS

We present the first asteroseismological study for 42 massive ZZ Ceti stars based on a large set of fully evolutionary carbon–oxygen core DA white dwarf models characterized by a detailed and consistent chemical inner profile for the core and the envelope. Our sample comprises all of the ZZ Ceti stars with spectroscopic stellar masses between 0.72 and 1.05 M☉ known to date. The asteroseismological analysis of a set of 42 stars enables study of the ensemble properties of the massive, pulsating white dwarf stars with carbon–oxygen cores, in particular the thickness of the hydrogen envelope and the stellar mass. A significant fraction of stars in our sample have stellar mass that is high enough to crystallize at the effective temperatures of the ZZ Ceti instability strip, which enables us to study the effects of crystallization on the pulsation properties of these stars. Our results show that the phase diagram presented in Horowitz et al. seems to be a good representation of the crystallization process inside white dwarf stars, in agreement with the results from white dwarf luminosity function in globular clusters.
Effects of human activity on brown bear use of the Kulik River, Alaska

I systematically observed brown bear (Ursus arctos) and human activity on a sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) stream in Katmai National Park during fall 1993 and 1995. More than 700 hours of observations were used to determine the temporal and spatial use patterns by people and bears as well as the frequency, nature, and outcome of bear-human interactions. Bears altered their temporal and spatial use of the river to accommodate human activity, seeking times and places where human use was lowest. Bear-human interactions were primarily the result of people venturing into areas of concentrated bear activity, rather than bears entering areas heavily used by people. Approximately one-fourth of bears involved in bear-human interactions left the river, not to return for several hours. Bears acted differently in river zones dominated by people than in zones dominated by bears in that they spent less time on the river, less time resting, and more time moving about in human-dominated zones. The data suggest that as long as there are areas where bears can avoid human activity, they will seek them to gain access to salmon. If, however, human use of the river continues to increase as it has the past decade, the day may come when there will be no more room for bears. Ursus 13:257-267 (2002)
Planktonic primary production in estuaries: Comparison of 14C, O2 and 18O methods

Rates of primary production were measured in 2 estuaries (Randers Fjord, Denmark, and the Scheldt estuary, Belgium/The Netherlands) using 3 different incubation methods: (1) the oxy- gen light-dark method (O2-LD), (2) 14 C incorporation and (3) 18 O labeling. Estimates based on the 14 C incorporation technique were not significantly different from those obtained using the O2-LD tech- nique. The 18 O approach provided rates significantly lower than the 2 other techniques. Ratios of O2-LD to 18 O-based rates (range: 0.99 to 3.54) were often statistically significantly higher than 1 and increased with decreasing salinities and/or lower oxygen concentrations. The underestimation of gross primary production by the 18 O method may be due to an intracellular recycling of labeled oxygen which increased in magnitude with decreasing external oxygen conditions. These results suggest that the 18 O method must be used with extreme care in nutrient-rich, low oxygen systems.
Oligocene transition - ice-sheet expansion at the Eocene Two-stepping into the icehouse: East Antarctic weathering during progressive

In conjunction with increasing benthic foraminiferal δ18O values at the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT; ca. 34 Ma), coarse-grained ice-rafted debris (IRD; >425 μm) appears abruptly alongside fossil fi sh teeth with continentally derived neodymium (Nd) isotope ratios (εNd) in Kerguelen Plateau (Southern Ocean) sediments. Increased Antarctic weathering fl ux, as inferred from two steps to less radiogenic εNd values, coincides with two steps in benthic foraminiferal δ18O values. These results indicate that two distinct surges of weathering were generated by East Antarctic ice growth during the EOT. Weathering by ice sheets during a precursor glaciation at 33.9 Ma did not produce signifi cant IRD accumulation during the fi rst εNd shift. Glacial weathering was sustained during a terrace interval between the two steps, probably by small high-elevation ice sheets. A large increase in weathering signals the rapid coalescence of small ice sheets into an ice sheet of continental proportions ca. 33.7 Ma. Rapid ice sheet expansion resulted in a suppression of weathering due to less exposed area and colder conditions. Parallel changes in Antarctic weathering fl ux and deep-sea carbonate accumulation suggest that ice-sheet expansion during the EOT had a direct impact on the global carbon cycle; possible mechanisms include associated changes in silicate weathering on the East Antarctic craton and enhanced fertilization of Southern Ocean waters, both of which warrant further investigation.
The acquisition of prosody inAmerican Sign Language

This is the first comparative analysis of prosody in deaf, native-signing children (ages 5;0–8;5) and adults whose first language is American Sign Language (ASL). The goals of this study are to describe the distribution of prosodic cues during acquisition, to determine which cues across age groups are most predictive in determining clausal and prosodic boundaries, and to ascertain how much isomorphy there is in ASL between syntactic and prosodic units. The results show that all cues are acquired compositionally, and that the prosodic patterns in child and adult ASL signers exhibit important differences regarding specific cues; however, in all groups the manual cues are more predictive of prosodic boundaries than nonmanual markers. This is evidence for a division of labor between the cues that are produced to mark constituents and those that contribute to semantic and pragmatic meaning. There is also more isomorphy in adults than in children, so these results add to the debates about isomorphy, suggesting that while there is clear autonomy between prosody and syntax, productions exhibiting nonisomorphy are relatively rare overall. *
System Description for MCE 2018

The system proposed by our team is implemented as shown in Fig. 1, in which the test file is tested against all the speakers in the blacklist. A score generator (e.g. cosine distance similarity) is adopted to generate scores for each speaker (in the backlist). One score is chosen or generated and decision is made by comparing a threshold as in [2]. In this implementation, cosine distance similarity (CDS) [3] and Gaussian probabilistic linear discriminant analysis (GPLDA) [4] are used to generate scores. Furthermore, to better distinguish between speakers who are close to each other in the space of provided data format, which is the ivector space [3], a hierarchical system is used.
The Imperatives of Information and Communication Technology for Teachers in Nigeria Higher Education

The pace of change brought about by new technologies has had a significant effect on the way people live, work, and play worldwide. New and emerging technologies challenge the traditional process of teaching and learning, and the way education is managed. Information Technology (IT), while an important area of study in its own right, is having a major impact across all curriculum areas. Easy worldwide communication provides instant access to a vast array of data, challenge assimilation and assessment skills. Rapid communication, plus increased access to IT in the home, at work, and in educational establishments could mean that learning becomes a truly life­long activity, an activity in which the pace of technological change forces constant evaluation of the teaching­learning process itself. In this paper issues related to the needs and imperatives of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related technologies to education and in particular teachers’ education are highlighted. The paper also advances some suggestions and/or recommendations for effective integration of ICT in the teaching­ learning process, bearing in mind current problems mitigating against the implementation of ICT in the Nigerian education system.
Robust adaptation assessment – climate change and water supply

Purpose – This paper aims to develop a framework to assist the identification of robust adaptation options that account for uncertainty in future climate change impacts for the water sector.Design/methodology/approach – The water evaluation and planning (WEAP) tool, is to identify future water resource vulnerability in the Glore sub‐catchment within the Moy catchment in the West of Ireland. Where water stress is evident, a detailed hydrological modelling approach is developed to enable an assessment of the robustness to uncertainty of future adaptation decisions. WEAP is coupled with a rainfall runoff model (hydrological simulation model), and forced using climate scenarios, statistically downscaled from three global climate models to account for the key sources of uncertainty. While hydrological models are widely applied, they are subject to uncertainties derived from model structure and the parameterisation of the catchment. Here, random sampling of key parameters is employed to incorporate uncertainty .
Social Movements as Extra-Institutional Entrepreneurs: The Effect of Protests on Stock Price Returns

This paper uses social movement theory to examine one way in which secondary stakeholders outside the corporation may influence organizational processes, even if they are excluded from participating in legitimate channels of organizational change. Using data on activist protests of U.S. corporations during 1962–1990, we examine the effect of protests on abnormal stock price returns, an indicator of investors' reactions to a focal event. Empirical analysis demonstrates that protests are more influential when they target issues dealing with critical stakeholder groups, such as labor or consumers, and when generating greater media coverage. Corporate targets are less vulnerable to protest when the media has given substantial coverage to the firm prior to the protest event. Past media attention provides alternative information to investors that may contradict the messages broadcast by protestors.
Discreteness for energies of Yang-Mills connections over four-dimensional manifolds

We generalize our previous results (Theorem 1 and Corollary 2 in arXiv:1412.4114) and Theorem 1 in arXiv:1502.00668) on the existence of an $L^2$-energy gap for Yang-Mills connections over closed four-dimensional manifolds and energies near the ground state (occupied by flat, anti-self-dual, or self-dual connections) to the case of Yang-Mills connections with arbitrary energies. We prove that for any principal bundle with compact Lie structure group over a closed, four-dimensional, Riemannian manifold, the $L^2$ energies of Yang-Mills connections on a principal bundle form a discrete sequence without accumulation points. Our proof employs a version of our {\L}ojasiewicz-Simon gradient inequality for the Yang-Mills $L^2$-energy functional from our monograph arXiv:1409.1525 and extensions of our previous results on the bubble-tree compactification for the moduli space of anti-self-dual connections arXiv:1504.05741 to the moduli space of Yang-Mills connections with a uniform $L^2$ bound on their energies.
The structural characteristics of palagonite from DSDP Site 335

The palagonite from the FAMOUS area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 36'N, DSDP Site 335, is mainly composed of smectite-like particles and their spheroidal precursors. The crystallinity of the smectitelike particles is good along the a and D axes, but poor along the c axis. Although they show structural similarities to stevensite and nontronite, the smectitelike minerals are compositionally different from the two minerals. Their spheroidal precursors have very poor crystallinity, and are rich in Al and Fe. Neither oxide phases of Fe, Mn, and Ti, nor zeolites were found in the palagonite. The palagonite is considered a composite material that contains diand trioctahedral smectite of variable composition and crystallinity, and their precursors.
Low Rank Matrix Completion by Feng Nan

We consider the problem of recovering a low rank matrix given a sampling of its entries. Such problems are of considerable interest in a diverse set of fields including control, system identification, statistics and signal processing. Although the general low rank matrix completion problem is NP-hard, there exist several heuristic methods that solve the problem approximately by solving the convex relaxation of the original problem. One particularly popular method is to use nuclear norm (sum of singular values) to approximate the rank of the matrix and formulate the problem as a semidefinite program that can be solved efficiently. In this thesis, we propose a local completion algorithm that searches for possible completion in the neighborhood of each unspecified entry given the rank of the matrix. Unlike existing methods, this algorithm requires only local information of the matrix if the rank is known. Critical in all low rank matrix completion algorithms is the sampling density. The denser the matrix is sampled, the more likely it can be recovered accurately. We then propose a condensation process that increases the sampling density in a specific part of the matrix through elementary row and column re-ordering. Hence we can solve a sub-problem of the original low rank matrix completion problem and gain information on the rank of the matrix. Then the local algorithm is readily applicable to recover the entire matrix. We also explore the effect of additional sampling structures on the completion rate of the low rank matrix completion problems. In particular, we show that imposing regularity in the sampling process leads to slightly better completion rates. We also provide a new semidefinite formulation for a particular block sampling structure that reduces the size of the constraint matrix sizes by a factor of 1.5. Thesis Supervisor: Pablo.A. Parrilo Title: Professor
Holocene sea surface conditions and riverine influence on the inshore Great Barrier Reef

We present measurements of Sr/Ca, δ18O, and spectral luminescence ratios (G/B) from a mid-Holocene Porites sp. microatoll recovered from the nearshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR). These records were used as proxies to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST), the δ18O of surrounding seawater (δOsw), and riverine influence, respectively, and compared with records from a modern Porites sp. microatoll growing in the same environment. Strong riverine influence in the mid-Holocene record is indicated by (1) an increased annual δOsw range in the mid-Holocene record, (2) negative peaks in δ18O characteristic of flood events, and (3) a higher G/B luminescence ratio. Seasonal cycles in G/B suggest that humic acid inputs were elevated for a longer portion of the year during the mid-Holocene. The seasonal cycle of δOsw peaked earlier in the year in the mid-Holocene record relative to the modern, while mean δOsw values from the mid-Holocene record were similar to modern values. These records provide an insight into the oceanographic conditions the nearshore GBR experienced during mid-Holocene climatic shifts and are consistent with a strong Australian–Indonesian Summer Monsoon (AISM) system at ~ 4700 cal. yr BP.
Late-Holocene marine radiocarbon reservoir correction (ΔR) for the west coast of South Africa

In order to calibrate radiocarbon ages based on samples with a marine carbon component it is important to know the marine carbon reservoir correction or ΔR value. This study measured the ΔR on both known-age pre-bomb marine shells and paired marine and terrestrial samples from two regions on the west coast of South Africa: the southwestern Cape and Namaqualand. Pooling the data by region produces ΔR values that are similar enough to use a west coast weighted mean ΔR of 146 ± 85 14C years to correctly calibrate marine shell or mixed marine and terrestrial 14C ages. There are however temporal differences in ΔR throughout the Holocene, which we compare with proxy data for upwelling and sea surface temperatures.