Mastery of collocations is one of the native like features of the target language, and collocation has been the focus in English teaching, one of which is amplifier collocation. Previous studies have analyzed how English amplifier collocations are used differently by native speakers and Chinese EFL learners from a linguistic perspective, i.e., how L1 structure influence Chinese EFL learners ’ L2 collocation use. However, when language is perceived as the product of culture, different languages may influence perceptions of people from different cultures. Therefore, the study examines whether the different use of English amplifier collocation by native speakers and Chinese EFL learners results from their different perceptions of it, which are influenced by L1. In this regard, studies of L1 influence are not limited within linguistic domain, but can be better understood in sociocultural contexts. Because of constraints of different language structures, the researcher hypothesized Chinese speakers, rather than English speakers, are less conscious about scalar and non-scalar distinction of words being collocated by amplifiers. Thirty five Chinese native speakers and 30 English native speakers

For this dissertation, I am extremely fortunate to have worked with my research supervisor Professor Mitsuru Ishizuka. He is a great supervisor and provided me with constant encouragement and guidance. His willingness to show me the clear research direction so that I could excel in my work was always inspiring. In the regular lab meetings, the fruitful and valuable ideas gained from the lab members on complementing this research are highly appreciated. The encouraging discussion was always the best way in reaching an optima solution for system flaw and the sources of fun as well. I would like to take this chance to send my greatest respect to Professor Hitoshi Iba, Hiroshi Dohi Sensei, Fujita Tameko san and Dr. Helmut Prendinger for helping me up throughout the years. Also, my highest gratitude to all my seniors, Dr. Yasufumi Takama, Dr. Santi Saeyor, Dr. Itsuro

Abstract A new noise filtering approach, based on flexible least squares (FLS) estimation of an unobserved component local level model, is introduced. The proposed FLS filter has been found to perform well in Monte Carlo analysis, independently of the persistence properties of the data and the size of the signal to noise ratio, ouperforming in general even the Wiener Kolmogorov filter, which, theoretically, is a minimum mean square estimator. Moreover, a key advantage of the proposed filter, relatively to available competitors, is that any persistence property of the data can be handled, without any pretesting, being computationally fast and not demanding, and easy to be implemented as well. Keywords Signal–noise decomposition · Long memory · Structural breaks · Flexible least squares · Exchange rates volatility JEL Classification

extremely helpful in clarifying brokerdealer margin practices. Anonymous readers at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System have helped to clarify the study, without necessarily agreeing with its conclusions. Any remaining errors are the author's responsibility. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System establishes initial margin requirements under Regulations T, U, and X. Regulation T applies to broker-dealers, Regulation U applies to banks and other lenders, and Regulation X applies to margin loans not explicitly covered by the other regulations. 1 Prior to 1998, Regulation G applied to nonbank, non-broker-dealer lenders in the United States, but it has recently been rolled into Regulation U. These requirements apply to

Explaining the willingness of public professionals to implement new policies: a policy alienation framework

The well-known Easterlin paradox points out that average happiness has remained constant over time despite sharp rises in GNP per head. At the same time, a micro literature has typically found positive correlations between individual income and individual measures of subjective well-being. This paper suggests that these two findings are consistent with the presence of relative income terms in the utility function. Income may be evaluated relative to others (social comparison) or to oneself in the past (habituation). We review the evidence on relative income from the subjective well-being literature. We also discuss the relation (or not) between happiness and utility, and discuss some nonhappiness research (behavioral, experimental, neurological) related to income comparisons. We last consider how relative income in the utility function can affect economic models of behavior in the domains of consumption, investment, economic growth, savings, taxation, labor supply, wages, and migration. Every pitifulest whipster that walks within a skin has had his head filled with the notion that he is, shall be, or by all human and divine laws ought to be, “happy.”

in mixed-method evaluation designs An earlier version of this paper was presented as a panel at the 1988 Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association in New Orle-ans. The authors are indebted to Melvin Mark for his insightful and constructive comments on the work presented herein, both

, Karen Wruck, and an anonymous referee for helpful comments. We thank Ahsan Aijaz, John Puleo, and Laura Tuttle for research assistance. We are also grateful to seminar participants at Arizona State University, University of Maryland, McGill University, The Ohio State University, University of Rochester

We thank the referee for the valuable and constructive comments.

2 What we call the beginning is often the end And to make an end is to make a beginning The end is where we start from. T S Eliot, Little Gidding, No. 4 of the Four Quartets, 1942 1.