Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond the Beatles

Contents: General editor's preface Introduction Music and the city: cultural diversity in a global cosmopolis Music as a city sound: rock culture and the poetics of loss Music as city heritage: decline and renewal in the Nashville of the North Music as city business: trial, tribulation and place in a labour of love Music as a city industry: haemorrhage, debt and the politics of music policy-making Music and city tourism: respect, betrayal and the haunting of the Beatles Music as a city quarter: brands, noises and regeneration Conclusion Appendix Bibliography Index.
Are Distance Education Programs More Acceptable to Field-Independent Learners?

The purpose of this study was to determine whether fieldindependent learners are better suited to agricultural distance education programs than their field-dependent counterparts. The sample population for this descriptive correlational study consisted of all students seeking a degree and/or advanced formal training in agriculture through an off-campus professional agriculture degree program at a midwestern land-grant university. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) was used to determine the preferred cognitive style of the distance learners. To compare attitudes of field-independent and field-dependent learners toward videotape and ICN (Interactive Communications Network) instruction, a media split was used. Attitudinal and demographic data were collected by mailed questionnaire. As a group, the agricultural distant learners were relatively more field-independent than the norm groups. Additionally, field-independent learners were more positive about the likelihood of enrolling in additional courses delivered by either videotape or ICN. Although the orientation of this group, particularly the female students, to a more fieldindependent cognitive style was noted, field-dependent learners were equally satisfied with videotape delivery of instruction when compared with their counterparts. Field-dependent learners were slightly more satisfied with ICN overall, but the difference between attitude scores was less than expected. Besides issues of diversity, knowledge of cognitive styles of agricultural distant learners may have implications for selecting instructional strategies. This study suggests that distance learning programs can be developed to meet the needs of both field-independent and field-dependent learners. (Contains 17
A molecular dynamics study of thermal diffusion in a porous medium

It is the main aim of this work to identify the microscopic origin of the perturbations brought about by a porous environment on the thermal diffusion (Soret effect) of a liquid mixture. For this purpose, nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations are carried out on model systems representing hydrocarbons in a porous medium. In keeping with previous simulations, a simplified model,i.e., Lennard-Jones spheres, is used for representing a methanedecane mixture, while the porosity is modeled by the inclusion of quasi-harmonic solids of various sizes and shapes. The model parameters are chosen to yield the proper order of magnitude for a silicate and its interactions with the alkanes. The model was first validated by investigating the equilibrium properties of the system. Then the thermal influence of the porous medium was evaluated and the adsorbing behaviour of the alkanes on the pores was characterized. It is found that the Soret coefficient of the equimolar mixture studied here is lowered by about 30% at 75% porosity. We find also that this reduction is strongly dependent on the structure of the porous medium.
Cattle farmers’ preferences for Disease Free Zones: A choice experiment analysis in Kenya

Management of food-borne illnesses is important in ensuring food safety to consumers in both domestic and export markets. In livestock trade, various measures are prescribed under the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO). With regard to food safety, the SPS agreement recommends establishment of Disease Free Zones (DFZs)in order to manage the spread of trans-boundary cattle diseases. DFZs have been successfully implemented in major beef exporting countries such as Australia, Botswana, Brazil and Namibia. In Kenya however, the DFZs are still in a pilot stage and it is important to understand farmers’ preferences on the type of DFZ that would be readily acceptable to them. A choice experiment survey was conducted in Kenya using a D-optimal design to determine the main attributes that farmers prefer in a DFZ. A total of 343 farmers were interviewed and the data analysed using random parameter logit models. Results showed that farmers would be willing to participate in a DFZ where they are provided with adequate training on pasture development, record keeping and disease monitoring skills; cattle are properly labelled for ease of identification; market information and sales contract opportunities are guaranteed; and some monetary compensation is provided in case cattle die due to severe disease outbreaks. Preferences for the DFZ attributes are heterogeneous across different cattle production systems in Kenya. These findings have important implications for policy on the design of DFZ programmes in Kenya and other countries that face cattle disease challenges.
Bridging the Intention-Behavior Gap? The Effect of Plan-Making Prompts on Job Search and Employment

The paper tests the effects of plan making on job search and employment. In a field experiment with unemployed youths, participants who complete a detailed job search plan increase the number of job applications submitted (by 15 percent) but not the time spent searching, consistent with intention-behavior gaps observed at baseline. Job seekers in the plan-making group diversify their search strategy and use more formal search channels. This greater search efficiency and effectiveness translate into more job offers (30 per cent) and employment (26 percent). Weekly reminders and peer support sub-treatments do not improve the impacts of plan making. (JEL C93, D91, J64, J68)
What happened to profitability? Shocks, challenges and perspectives for euro area banks

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the evolution of bank profitability from 2005 to 2016, with a focus on the period covering both the global financial crisis and the euro area crisis. To accomplish this, we constructed a dataset that includes financial statement information from 310 euro area banks. Using a dual approach – a ‘bottom-up’ approach as applied by bank analysts and macroeconomists' ‘top-down’ approach, we find that the profitability of euro area banks was hit by two shocks of different nature. The Lehman Brothers collapse affected mostly big banks with diversified portfolios via losses in their securities investment. The subsequent euro area debt crisis and economic recession hit more traditional banks specialising in retail lending activities, mainly through increasing impairment costs. If the first shock had a one-off impact on bank profitability, the second shock is far more long-lasting and is still depressing the profitability of banks in peripheral Europe.
The Effects of Purposeful Physical Activity on Student Concentration in a Montessori Children’s House

The purpose of this action research was to determine the impact of purposeful gross-motor movements on student concentration in a Montessori Children’s House. The intervention took place over a period of eight weeks in a private Montessori school in a “Children’s House” of 20 primary aged children (ages 2.5 to 6). Data was collected using hourly observations of the concentration levels of the class as a whole prior to and after implementation; tally sheets reflecting daily use of movement materials, daily reflective journals, and interviews with the children. Results show concentration levels were positively affected by the use of the movement materials. Although there was not much change observed, the intervention appeared to help concentration levels remain more consistent throughout the work period. Further research might include the effects of movement materials on comprehension and decreasing undesirable classroom behaviors.
Self-Esteem within Children, Adolescents, and Adults Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of the Literature.

This literature review addresses the question of whether or not children, adolescents, and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the parents of those with ADHD have lowered self-esteem when compared to children, adolescents, and adults without ADHD and the parents of children without ADHD. The research is inconclusive on the self-esteem of children, with more research needed in this area. Adolescents and adults with ADHD, however, were found to have lower self-esteem than those without this disorder. Parents of children with ADHD who had comorbid symptoms were found to feel less competent in their parenting roles than the parents of children without ADHD. Lastly, the research supports the use of multimodal treatment programs to increase the self-esteem of children with ADHD, but further research is necessary to determine the longitudinal effects of this type of treatment. (Contains 30 references.) (Author/CR) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
MASS BALANCE ALONG 1 WO TRANSECTS OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE GREENLAND ICE SHEET By 1

The mass balance is computed along the Ohio State University (OSU) transect near the Arctic Circle and along the Expedition Glaciologique Internationale au Groenland (EGIG) line. Measured surface velocities are compared with velocities calculated from up-glacial accumulation rate, flow-line spreading, ice thickness, and the depth varIatIOn in horizontal velocity. The depth variation in velocity is calculated using the constitutive relation for ice, calculated temperatures within the glacier, computed shear and longitudinal stresses, and allowance for impurity content and ice-cr ystal orientation. The resulting mass balance is +0.6 ± 0.14 m a-I for the OSU transect and 0 ± 0.07 m a I along the EGIG line. The errors arise mainly from uncertainties in measured accumulation rate and flow-line spreading, and perhaps in flow-enhancement factors due to ice anisotropy or impurities. The results for the EGIG line differ from prior estimates mainly because earlier works placed greater emphasis on short-term accumulation rates .
A STUDY ON THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF DİSTANCE EDUCATİON STUDENTS AND FORMAL STUDENTS

Recently the numbers of distance education programs and students enrolling in them have increased significantly. This increase also carries the question of what factors may have an effect on academic success. The demographic features, motivation levels, personal development status and basic computer literacy of students have been taken into account and their effects on the academic success of students have been analyzed. With this purpose, surveys prepared with the help of professional opinion have been applied to certain groups. The sample group of this study consists students of the Kirikkale University Distance Education Center and the formal education students of the Kirikkale Vocational School. The results have been analyzed with the help of the SPSS data analysis program (version 22.0) and have been turned into figures. The academic success of distance learning students and formal education students have been compared and this data has been used to identify whether there are any significant connections between academic success and the factors determined. In the conclusion of this study, the figures have been explained separately, and suggestions have been made regarding both distance education and formal education.
A note comparing the apparent metabolisable energy of three oil sources and their combination in broiler chickens

Apparent metabolisable energy (AME) of palm oil (PO), soybean oil (SO), linseed oil (LO) and blend oil (BO) in a ratio of 4:1:1 were evaluated. A total of 75, 21-day-old birds were fed corn-soy basal diet and the four test diets containing different oil sources (PO, SO, LO and BO), that were developed by replacing 60 g/kg of the basal diet for eight days. Differences in the apparent metabolisable energy were found (P<0.05), with the higher values for broiler-fed BO. This study affirmed that BO increases AME of oil enriched with saturated fatty acid in poultry diets.
Anti-fungal activity analysis of natural honey samples in Golestan Province against some common dermatophyte strains In-vitro

a Young Researchers and Elite Club, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran b Department of Mycology, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran c Department of Microbiology, Gorgan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran d Department of Microbiology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran e Department of Microbiology, Ayatollah Amoli Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran f Yakhteh Golestan Scientific and Industrial Research Co., Gorgan, Iran
A quantile varying-coefficient regression approach to length-biased data modeling

Abstract: Recent years have seen a growing body of literature on the analysis of length-biased data. Much of this literature adopts the accelerated failure time or proportional hazards models as the basis of study. The overwhelming majority of the existing work also assumes independence between the censoring variable and covariates. In this paper, we develop a varyingcoefficient quantile regression approach to model length-biased data. Our approach does not only allow the direct estimation of the conditional quantiles of survival times based on a flexible model structure, but also has the important appeal of permitting dependence between the censoring variable and the covariates. We develop local linear estimators of the coefficients using a local inverse probability weighted estimating equation approach, and examine these estimators’ asymptotic properties. Moreover, we develop a resampling method for computing the estimators’ covariances. The small sample properties of the proposed methods are investigated in a simulation study. A real data example illustrates the application of the methods in practice.
Evaluation of Anherbal Compound, a Commercial Probiotic, and an Antibiotic Growth Promoter on the Performance, Intestinal Bacterial Population, Antibody Titers, and Morphology of the Jejunum and Ileum of broilers

The current study was conducted to examine the effects of an herbal compound, a probiotic and an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) on the performance, intestinal bacterial population, antibody titers, and morphology of the jejunum and ileum of broilers. A number of 240 male Ross 308 broilers were distributed into four treatments, with five replicates of 12 bird each. The experimental period was 42 days. Treatments includes: 1) basal diet; 2) basal diet supplemented with an AGP (phospho-flavomycin at 450 mg/kg of diet); 3) basal diet supplemented with a Lactobacillus-containing probiotic (250 mg/kg of diet); and 4) basal diet supplemented with an herbal compound (containing thyme, oregano, chamomile, and peppermint essential oils at 1 g/kg of diet). Body weight (BW) and cumulative feed intake (CFI) were measured weekly. Blood parameters, intestinal morphology, vaccine immunity titers, and intestinal microbial population were measured on day 42. The results showed that probiotic and herbal compound supplementation significantly increased body weight (BW) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p<0.05), in comparison with the basal diet. A significant increase in vaccine titers against Avian Influenza, Newcastle disease, and Infectious Bursal Disease were achieved with the treatment with herbal compound supplementation. Herbal compound significantly reduced triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL concentration and ALP, AST and ALT activities and increased the HDL levels in blood serum of chicks (p<0.05). The bacterial load of E. coli, Salmonella and coliforms of the AGP-fed group was significantly lower than those fed the control diet. Significant increases in villus height and decrease in crypt depth and goblet cells were seen in the ileum and jejunum of probiotic-fed broilers (p<0.05). In conclusion, better overall immune status and blood biochemical parameters were obtained with the herbal compound than with the probiotic; however, the performance of broilers fed the probiotic was better than that of the broilers fed the herbal compound and the AGP.
User Profile Based Paper Recommendation System

As the spread of science and the number of researchers working in academic fields increase, there is also a considerable increase in the number of academic studies. Researchers always follow new works published for keeping their knowledge up to date. However, with many different sources and thousands of academic publications published every day, academics are not always able to find publications about their subjects. Today, almost all of online academic databases employ a recommendation module which only considers the studies similar to the paper that the user looked at. However, a recommendation system based on the information of a single article is often not enough. In this study, the proposed method recommends by considering user's publications, user’s co-authors and co-authors’ papers. Therefore, meta-data of the articles published by the researcher in the past are scored on a time-base basis with the method we propose. With the help of the sum of scores, there is a score of the user profile in the subject matter. It aims to find the closest studies to the profile of the user by searching with the method propsoed in the data pool which we created from the exact contents of hundreds of thousands of academic works. In the proposed method, TF-IDF is used from frequency-based similarity analysis methods. In the evaluation phase, the performance of the proposed method was examined. The success test of the method was measured by several different methods. These are to be evaluated by presenting them to real users and the other is to compare with existing data. The results are very promising and demonstrate that the method can produce accurate and quality results.
Shrinkage of round iron-carbon ingots during solidification and subsequent cooling

The shrinkage of round iron-carbon ingots during solidification and subsequent cooling has been investigated with hot model experiments involving round ingots of 50 kg of steel. Three motor driven sensors made it possible to measure the shrinkage without deformation of the shell starting a few seconds after casting.The temperature distribution was computed with a thermal model. Thereafter, a mechanical model was applied to compute the shrinkage finding satisfactory agreement between the measured and computed shrinkage-time curves. Data are given on the effect of carbon content on the shrinkage of steel and it was confirmed that there is a shrinkage peak at about 0.1 mass% carbon.
A distinct magnetic property of the inner penumbral boundary

Context. Analyses of sunspot observations revealed a fundamental magnetic property of the umbral boundary: the invariance of the vertical component of the magnetic field. Aims. We analyse the magnetic properties of the umbra-penumbra boundary in simulated sunspots and thus assess their similarity to observed sunspots. We also aim to investigate the role of the plasma β and the ratio of kinetic to magnetic energy in simulated sunspots in the convective motions because these quantities cannot be reliably determined from observations. Methods. We used a set of non-gray simulation runs of sunspots with the MURaM code. The setups differed in terms of subsurface magnetic field structure and magnetic field boundary imposed at the top of the simulation domain. These data were used to synthesize the Stokes profiles, which were then degraded to the Hinode spectropolarimeter-like observations. Then, the data were treated like real Hinode observations of a sunspot, and magnetic properties at the umbral boundaries were determined. Results. Simulations with potential field extrapolation produce a realistic magnetic field configuration on the umbral boundaries of the sunspots. Two simulations with a potential field upper boundary, but different subsurface magnetic field structures, differ significantly in the extent of their penumbrae. Increasing the penumbra width by forcing more horizontal magnetic fields at the upper boundary results in magnetic properties that are not consistent with observations. This implies that the size of the penumbra is given by the subsurface structure of the magnetic field, that is, by the depth and inclination of the magnetopause, which is shaped by the expansion of the sunspot flux rope with height. None of the sunspot simulations is consistent with the observed properties of the magnetic field and the direction of the Evershed flow at the same time. Strong outward-directed Evershed flows are only found in setups with an artificially enhanced horizontal component of the magnetic field at the top boundary that are not consistent with the observed magnetic field properties at the umbra-penumbra boundary. We stress that the photospheric boundary of simulated sunspots is defined by a magnetic field strength of equipartition field value.
The Irish Growth Miracle: Can Latvia Replicate?

Abstract Ireland’s economic development since the late 1980s has been remarkable: From languishing at the bottom of the EU to one of the top spots in income per capita. It is thus not strange that the Irish “miracle” has attracted much attention among the New Member States in Eastern Europe. Some similarities with Ireland of the 1970s and 1980s are glaring: Small, open, poor economies on the periphery of Europe. This paper reviews the driving factors behind the Celtic Tiger and asks to what extent a similar development may be possible for Latvia, currently the European Union’s poorest member. A classification of the reasons behind Ireland’s growth paints a somewhat pessimistic picture for Latvia: Many features have long been implemented (e.g. macroeconomic stabilization) but several are unique to Ireland (e.g. language and substantial FDI from the US). Worse still, necessary reforms successfully introduced in Ireland are either difficult to implement in Latvia or the consensus is that they have, largely, been implemented (e.g. education and research). The idea of Latvia as an “Ireland copycat” is thus very deceptive which should send a strong policy signal.
What Really Affects German Firms' Effective Tax Rate?

This paper investigates the determinants of the effective tax rate (ETR) of German firms spanning the Germany’s Corporate Tax Reform 2008 (GTR08). This paper is the first to analyze the drivers of ETR using German longitudinal data. The results show that larger companies, growth firms, and firms with higher free cash flow (FCF) appear to have higher ETR. Leverage and operating lease expenses tend to be negatively associated with ETR. The findings show that more profitable firms appear to engage more in tax strategies that result in lower ETRs. Moreover, they indicate that multinational firms have more possibilities to reduce the tax burden, resulting in a negative association with ETR. Germany’s tax reform of 2008 has a negative effect on ETR and impacts some firm-specific factors. For more levered firms, the association between leverage and ETR is positive affected by the ETR.
On the Real Einstein Beauty E = Kmc 2

The paper suggests that E = mc2 may be open to misinterpretation and that in this form it is not what Einstein advanced first. It is further suggested to return to the slightly less compact formula E = Kmc2 where a < K < 1 which has the merit of accounting for the measured ordinary energy density of the cosmos (K = 1/22) and the conjectured missing dark energy density of the universe (K = 21/22) from the view point of economical notation.