Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Russo-Iranian Relations in the Light of Putin’s Foreign Policy and the Iranian Nuclear Crisis

Abstract Historically, Russia and Iran have shared a complex relationship that continues to color the contours of their present bilateral dealings. The complicated patterns of cooperation and conflict between them have been determined by a host of domestic and external factors on both sides, most pronouncedly manifested by their respective relationship with the USA. This article attempts to analyze Russia’s relationship with Iran in the geopolitical setting of the post-Cold War period. The aim of the article is to see how this bilateral relationship has evolved over time, exploring the underlying changes and continuities, from the Yeltsin period to the Putin era, in which Russia’s foreign policy has come to be characterized by an assertive fervor. Russia, under President Putin, has been pushed further toward the globalist end as the USA has attempted to consolidate Western values and institutions, at times to the extent of ignoring and undermining the principles of international law. It is within this broader context that this article will analyze the extent to which Russia’s disillusionment with the USA has played a role in pushing Russia toward adopting a pragmatic and flexible approach from time to time vis-à-vis Iran, in general, and the Iranian nuclear crisis, in particular. The article argues that Russia’s active involvement in minimizing the impact of sanctions on Iran and its method of dealing with Iran, through dialogue rather than force, is not only driven by Russia’s economic interests in the region, but is also a dependent variable of the larger Russia–USA rivalry at the systemic level characterized by both geopolitical competitions and ideational contestations over norms, beliefs, and practices of global governance.
Pembelajaran Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam Berbasis EMC (Education Mini Club) sebagai Solusi Menghadapi Tantangan Pendidikan dI Era Revolusi Industri 4.0

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui peningkatan pembelajaran ilmu pengetahuan alam (IPA) dengan menggunakan metode Education Mini Club (EMC) sebagai solusi dalam menghadapi tantangan pendidikan diera revolusi 4.0 penelitian ini di lakukan karena adanya proses pembelajaran yang kurang sesuai dengan keadaan siswa yang tidak suka dengan metode pembelajaran yang monoton.Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu dengan metode observasi lapangan yang artinya pengamatan secara langsung dilapangan. Pelaksanaan pengamatan yang dilakukan di MTs Nu Ibtidaul Falah yang mendapatkan analisis data adanya peningkatan hasil belajar dengan menggunakan metode Education Mini Club (EMC) data tersebut di dapat dari hasil nilai pree test ( sebelum di terapkan nya medode Educatin Mini Club (EMC) di bandingkan dengan nilai setelah di terapkanya metode EMC ini hasil nilai yang diperoleh lebih bagus setelah di terapkannya metode EMC. Sebelum di terapkannya ada beberapa siswa yang belum mncapai kriteria ketuntasan minimum (KKM) yang di tetapkan pihak sekolah setelah di terapakan metode EMC ini siswa semua telah mencapai KKM.
Adaptation and Validation of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) in Physical Education Classes and Analysis of Its Role as Mediator between Teacher and Anxiety

Physical education (PE) classes are one of the primary means of adopting healthy lifestyles and contribute greatly to personal well-being. However, it is necessary that students pay attention and do not enter a mind-wandering state as this can be negative for the purposes of PE classes. Therefore, we adapted and validated the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) to the Spanish PE context and analyzed the influence of the teacher on this new variable. Two independent samples of high school students between the ages of 13 and 19 participated in the study. In order to assess the psychometric properties of the MWQ, various analyses were carried out. The results of the confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA) provided support for the structure of the questionnaire. The structure of the model was gender-invariant. The Cronbach alpha value was higher than 0.70 and showed an adequate level of temporal stability. In addition, we present a second study in which high school students between the ages of 13 and 19 participated, and which are independent of the first study. The analyses in this study were mainly based on structural equation modelling, and demonstrated the teacher’s influence on mind-wandering and showed that mind-wandering acted as a predictor of anxiety in high school students. The results of this study provided evidence of the reliability and validity of the MWQ in the Spanish PE context.
Assessment Methods and Factors Determining Positive Indoor Soundscapes in Residential Buildings: A Systematic Review

The design of an indoor acoustic environment positively perceived by building occupants requires a perceptual approach to be adopted in order to define what makes it sound good. Soundscape standards ISO 12913 have been introduced to assess how the acoustic environment is perceived, in context, by people. According to the standards, a straightforward characterization of a soundscape as positive is currently possible only through measurements by persons, because of a current gap in linking perceptual metrics to acoustic or psychoacoustic measurements. In addition, despite applying also to indoor contexts, methods and perceptual metrics described by the standards have been mainly derived from studies related to outdoor urban environments and it is not clear whether they could be directly applied indoor. For this reason, a systematic review was performed to investigate: (i) Data collection methods used in the literature for indoor residential soundscapes and (ii) factors, output of such methods, that characterize them positively. For this purpose, a systematic review has been conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. The Scopus database was searched for peer-reviewed journal papers published in English, between 1 January 2009 and 24 June 2019, including: (1) field or laboratory studies relevant to residential buildings and (2) studies assessing factors that influence the perception by building users of indoor acoustic environments. The search excluded studies related to: (a) Speech perception issues; (b) noise-induced sleep disturbance; (c) acoustic perception by hearing impaired building users; (d) perception of vibrations or impact sounds. The search returned 1087 results. After the screening process, 37 articles were finally included. Given the differences in methodologic approaches, a quantitative meta-analysis could not be performed, and a qualitative approach was adopted instead. A large part of the selected literature reflected a general effort of minimizing noise annoyance by reducing noise exposure and, in particular, noise levels. Questionnaires and guided interviews were used to capture people’s perception, while the adoption of soundwalks and non-participatory behavioral studies did not emerge in the review literature and need further investigation. The evaluation of a variety of auditory sensations both in their positive and negative dimensions, beyond annoyance, would be required to explore the positive perceptual potential of sounds. Besides sound level, a variety of factors related and unrelated to the acoustic environment were found to affect perceptual outcomes and a framework of evaluation has been proposed as a reference for future assessments. Results encourage the integration of soundscape methodologies into IEQ research, in order to enhance user health and well-being.
R&D Investment, the Signaling Effect of Stock Dividends, and the Corporate Value of R&D Intensive Firms and Biotech Firms

This study examines how the market evaluates increases in the R&D spending of R&D intensive firms, particularly biotech firms. In addition, the signaling effects of stock dividend distributions are analyzed to investigate whether a firm’s dividend policy mitigates agency conflicts and delivers future sustainable prospects for the firm to the market. The results suggest that the market positively evaluates increases in the R&D expenditures of R&D intensive firms. The findings also confirm the signaling effects of stock dividend distributions. Among R&D intensive firms, these tendencies are stronger for biotech firms. Moreover, the analysis finds that an increase in sales further strengthens the positive association between R&D investment increases and corporate value.
Do as I Do, Not as I Say: Incentivization and the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Risk Aversion

We study how the use of real and hypothetical choices to elicit risk preferences affect the statistical relationship between cognitive ability and risk aversion. Our experimental results suggest that such association is sensitive to incentive conditions of the choice problems used to elicit risk preferences. Individuals in the upper tail of the cognitive ability distribution are willing to take more risks. But this holds only when choices involve hypothetical payoffs. When choices are real, this correlation is found insignificant. Results are robust to using alternative measures of cognitive ability.
Repair of Fire-Damaged Reinforced Concrete Flexural Members: A Review

The mechanical properties of both concrete and steel reinforcement, and the load-bearing capacity of reinforced concrete (RC) structures are well known to be temperature-sensitive, as demonstrated by the severe damage that major fires cause in buildings, followed—in extreme cases—by their collapse. Since in most cases RC structures survive a fire, retrofitting fire-damaged RC members is a hot subject today. In this paper, after a recall on the performance of RC beams and slabs in fire, different repair techniques are considered, among them externally bonded reinforcement, near surface-mounted fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), bolted side plating, jacketing with high- and ultra-high performance concretes or mortars, and damaged-concrete replacement. Last but not least, the design equations aimed at evaluating the residual load-bearing capacity after repairing are also presented and discussed.
Research on the Differentiated Impact Mechanism of Parent Company Shareholding and Managerial Ownership on Subsidiary Responsive Innovation: Empirical Analysis Based on ‘Principal–Agent’ Framework

Under the dynamic competition situation, the innovation competition interaction between enterprises will take the form of mutual responding, while the formulation and implementation of responsive innovation strategy will be influenced by both shareholders and managers in the principal–agent relationship. In our research, we try to understand how the difference of governance logic between shareholders and managers affects innovation interaction strategy of enterprises. In order to achieve this research goal, this study takes all eligible listed companies (from 2007 to 2016) in China’s stock market as samples. The results show that the parent company shareholding has a negative impact on the subsidiary responsive innovation, while companies whose managers hold more shares select the relatively positive strategy responsive innovation. Moreover, the degree of separation between ownership and control rights and the external institutional environment can moderate the above relationship. Relevant conclusions can provide some reference value for the formulation of responsive innovation decision of listed companies and provide new insights for the design of parent–subsidiary corporate governance structure and the design of managerial equity incentive mechanism in the context of corporate group governance.
Labor Market Returns to Student Loans for University: Evidence from Chile

We study the labor market returns to a state-guaranteed loan used to finance university degrees in Chile. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that marginally eligible students forgo vocational education in favor of university education but reduce their probability of graduation. Even though university loan takers accumulate more student debt, their labor market outcomes are not different from those of ineligible students. We find suggestive evidence that the lower quality of the receiving institutions accounts for these results. Finally, we extrapolate the effects away from the eligibility cutoff and show that supramarginal students benefit from this policy.
Do Silvi-Medicinal Plantations Affect Tree Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Mineralization?

In a silvi-medicinal system, the plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) released from medicinal herbs could affect tree litter decomposition and nutrient release. However, the specific effects of PSMs on arboreous litter decomposition are still not well understood. In this study, the extracts of nine types of medicinal herbs were used to treat Pinus armandii Franch. and Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Kuzen. litter during a simulated half-year decomposition. The effects of the extracts on the decomposition and the N and P release of the conifer litter were investigated. The results indicated that most of the medicinal herb extracts significantly inhibited the late decomposition of P. armandii litter, whereas only two of them accelerated the entire decomposition process. Only a few significantly affected the decomposition of the L. gmelinii litter. Four of the nine types of extract significantly inhibited the N and P release of the P. armandii litter, while 3/9 and 6/9 inhibited the N and P release of the L. gmelinii litter, respectively. The accelerating effects of the extracts on the cellulase activity and the inhibitory effects on the polyphenol oxidase activity might be responsible for the early acceleration and late inhibition of litter decomposition, while the effects of the extracts on the activities of protease and phosphatase might not be the main reason for the inhibitory or accelerating effects on the N and P release. In general, the inhibitory effects of medicinal herbs on the nutrient cycling of ecosystems should be taken into consideration when building silvi-medicinal systems, especially in P. armandii forests.
Equity Valuation Based on a Random Process Modelling of Earnings and Equity Growth

The study reviews equity valuation, and proposes an alternative equity valuation model based on a random process modelling of earnings and equity growth. A Markov process is used to model earnings, standardized as earnings to book value, and book value based on rating category. This assumes a distinct relationship between rating category, and standardized earnings as well as book value: that both standardized earnings as well as book value are comparable per rating category, but distinct across rating categories. It is also assumed that a company inherits the earnings and book value distribution of its current rating. To test the premises of the equity valuation model, the study examines the standardized earnings and book value distributions of rating categories. The research population comprised all publicly-traded, rated equity of the JSE and NYSE stock markets. Sample data was limited to all equity of the major rating categories (AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B) for the 8 year window period 2009 to 2017. It is shown that earnings to book value are comparable per rating category, and distinct across rating categories. Analysis of book value growth revealed unexpected and surprising results, with no truly consistent pattern across rating categories, but rather individual relationships per rating category. The results raise questions regarding rating accuracy and rating theory. The implications of the results for equity valuation are discussed.
Conceptualising ‘generative power’: Evidence from the city-regions of England

Literature on sub-national governance and leadership has frequently suggested that elected leaders can use influence and facilitation skills alongside coercive power, legal responsibilities and resources to achieve policy outcomes. This article investigates the degree to which influence, networking and leadership – or ‘generative power’ – can themselves extend a sub-national body’s ‘capacity to govern’. It uses empirical data from the activities of the six ‘metro-mayors’ elected in England in 2017 to explore whether new institutions, faced with tight limits on policy divergence and institutional and financial resources, seek to transcend these via generative power, and whether the types of generative power used are in line with the previous literature. Findings indicate that many of the previous patterns of generative power are followed in the English case, but also that generative power has not dominated the metro-mayors’ early priorities. Their focus on the distribution of funds suggests that they may develop into ‘grant coalitions’, maximising funds from central government in place of developing a distinct local strategy. The article contributes to the literatures on urban leadership and sub-national governance, and also has implications for jurisdictional design.
Perceptions of NGOs employees of their framing in the Egyptian media

NGOs have been in Egypt since the 19 century; they had different nature, forms and activities throughout their history. In the past decade, attention to NGOs operating in Egypt has been increasing, especially after Jan. 2011 uprising and the changing political realities since then. The way media has been covering NGOs has been controversial, characterized by changing trends. This study seeks to understand and analyze the perceptions of employees of NGOs about their representation in the Egyptian media. The study will look at the image produced and how this image affected the existence and ability of NGOs to perform their activities through qualitative indepth interviews. The interviews are conducted with 12 employees in health, educational, sustainable development and human rights, with experience in the NGO sector for not less than 4 years. The analysis showed that the framing of NGOs is affected by many factors including the relationship between NGOs and media, the relationship between the media and the state, and the relationship between NGOs and the state. The analysis of the interviews showed that the Egyptian media regularly frames the NGO sector with a negative image. This framing occurs regardless of the ownership type of the media outlet and the nature of the different organizations in the sector. It also showed that there are trends in the coverage of NGOs that are usually associated with the political landscape in Egypt. All these findings were associated with affecting the nature and the ability of NGOs operating in Egypt, some NGOs were closing down, some other had to work from outside the country, and others have their activities.
Positional Insecurity and the Hegemony of Radical Nationalism. Migration and Justice in the Hungarian Media

ABSTRACT The political language of radical nationalism, combined with the logic of justice as non-domination, has become hegemonic in the Hungarian press. The structural position and related discursive traditions of the country form the background against which migratory processes and their interpretations are examined in this article, making the analysis revealing also in regional terms. In the Hungarian case, alternative narrative frames and justice logics are linked to migration collapse in the face of a nationalist ‘freedom fight’ and efforts to create and preserve an ethnically and culturally homogenous nation – and Europe.
Academic Governance and Leadership in Vietnam: Trends and Challenges

This paper provides a review of academic governance and leadership in Vietnam at both the national and institutional levels, focusing more on the public sector. It also provides an analysis of new policy developments aimed at achieving higher education reform. There have been significant changes over the last three decades regarding governance structures and mechanisms in higher education Vietnam. These changes have been in response to the need for more decentralization and greater consistency with international practices. Increased autonomy for public higher education institutions has been one major achievement. More attention is needed, though, regarding accountability mechanisms. The role of the academic community in higher education leadership also needs to be strengthened by providing more fully for participation by academic staff members in university decision-making process. The privatization of higher education has contributed substantially to higher education development in Vietnam, but the private sector continues to be a focus for ongoing debate because of a perceived need for more improvements.
The Staged Nature of Decision Making among Senior Tourists

This article builds on the idea that senior tourists’ decision making is a staged process in which the different choices are sequential, interrelated, and interdependent. These decisions are “whether to take a vacation," “whether to opt for an international trip," “whether to use an organized tour," and “whether to use publicly subsidized travel. ” Considering the social character of many trips offered to seniors, the fourth decision of the proposed process makes it unique. No research has empirically considered using a staged decision making in the context of senior travelers, and the proposed model quantifies the effect of each variable based on the decision the individual is dealing with; also, the way a variable changes its effect even within the same decision stage depending on the individual is analyzed by including heterogeneity into the modeling. The results find that senior tourists follow the proposed four-staged decision-making process rather than the basic two-stage decision-making process.
Does the matrilineality make a difference? Land, kinship and women's empowerment in Bobonaro district, Timor-Leste

Abstract This article investigates the roles that land rights and kinship norms have on rural women’s empowerment in the Bobonaro district of Timor-Leste. To this aim, a case study was carried out, using a questionnaire survey to compare three kinship groups (harmonic matrilineal, matrilineal and patrilineal). The land rights considered are ownership and control. The measurement of empowerment is based on three questions relating to household decision-making. Women’s autonomy and participation in decisions are also analyzed. The data presented show the importance of not only the ownership of land, but also effective and independent women’s land rights and the kinship system to women’s empowerment. Therefore, in order to contribute to gender equality, land policies should take gender and kinship into close consideration.