Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring engagement with music in everyday life using experience sampling methodology

Recent qualitative research has highlighted differences in people’s music-listening behaviour according to their level of involvement with and interest in music, yet these findings are mainly based on retrospective accounts of patterns of behaviour (Greasley, 2008; Greasley & Lamont, 2006; Lonie, 2009). Experience sampling methodology (ESM) is a valuable tool for studying music in everyday contexts, and it has been shown to increase people’s conscious awareness of the role of music in their lives (Sloboda, O’Neill, & Ivaldi, 2001). Using ESM, the present study explored differences in people’s everyday engagement with music by recruiting three different types of listener: those identified as having low, moderate, or high engagement with music. Over seven days, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 25 young adults (aged 18–30) on what they were doing while hearing music (e.g., activities) and the functions/effects of music (e.g., reasons influencing choices). Post-study interviews with 23 participants then generated retrospective accounts about specific musical experiences. Analysis revealed two broad types of listener: the less engaged, who listened for fewer hours a week (min = 3 hours, mean = 12 hours), were less likely to be hearing self-chosen music, and were more likely to listen to music to pass time, out of habit or to help them feel less alone; and the highly engaged, who listened for a greater number of hours per week (mean = 21 hours, max = 40 hours), were more likely to be hearing self-chosen music, and were more likely to use music to evoke specific moods, create an atmosphere, or enhance an activity. The study confirmed the usefulness of ESM for investigating the complex (and interacting) factors involved in people’s daily musical choices, and highlighted ways in which music can fulfil different functions concurrently. Findings show that future research on everyday musical behaviour should continue to account for the context of music listening in shaping responses to and uses of music; and account for individual differences in people’s levels of engagement with music.
EFFICIENCY OF THE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION PROCESS FOR PLANT SUBSTRATES USING A FERMENTATION REACTOR WITH A CAGE MIXING SYSTEM

The aim of the presented research was to determine the effect of the applied mixing system on the efficiency of the methane fermentation process. The effect of the substrate dosing method (in batches, continuous) on the efficiency of biogas production was simultaneously analysed. The presented research was carried out on a pilot scale using a fermentation reactor equipped with an innovative mixing system. The research on the operational efficiency of the fermentation reactor equipped with a cage mixing system was carried out in 10 series differing in the rotational speed of the mixer: 0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.5; 3.0; 3.5; 4.0; 4.5; 5.0 rev/min. The obtained research results indicate effective operation of the cage mixer in the fermentation reactor.The amount of obtained biogas grew with increasing rotational speed of the mixer from 0.5 to 2.5 rev/min. The value of the biogas production coefficient also grew with increasing rotational speed only to 2.5 rev/min.
Possible Predictors Determining the Adoption of Potatoes (Solanum Tuberosum) into a Wheat- (Triticum Aestivum) Based Cropping System in Mokhotlong, Lesotho

The main objective of the study was to identify possible predictors of adoption of potatoes into a wheat-based cropping system. In this study nine explanatory variables were tested against two dependent variables (p= 0,15). The explanatory variables were gender, age, training, land ownership, soil type, household size, number of household members below the age of six (< 6) years, number of household members between 6 and 18 years of age and farming experience. The dependent variables tested were: crops adopted by farmers and household knowledge on soil fertility. Of all the nine explanatory variables tested against crops adopted, only two categorical variables, namely training (p=0,11) and land ownership (p=0,09), and one continuous variable, farming experience (p=0,02), were significant possible predictors. Of all the three variables (gender, age and training) tested against household knowledge on soil fertility, only gender emerged as a significant possible predictor (p=0,01). Farmers' years of experience and level of knowledge on soil fertility indicated a significant relationship (p=0,00) with a correlation coefficient of 0,25.
Ownership Structure and Dividend Policy: Evidence from China

This study investigates the impact of ownership structure on dividend policies of listed companies in the Shanghai Stock Exchange over the period 2007-2011. The results show that firms with higher ownership by the largest shareholder, ownership concentration, and government ownership are more likely to pay dividends. However, the probability of paying dividends decreases when institutions hold more shares. It is also found that the magnitude of dividend payouts has a positive relationship with the ownership by the largest shareholder, ownership concentration, and government ownership but a negative relationship with the ownership by institutions and foreign investors.
Innovation and Corporate Dynamics: A Theoretical Framework

We provide a detailed analysis of a model of innovation and corporate dynamics that encompasses the Gibrat's Law of Proportionate Effect and the Simon growth process as particular instances. The predictions of the model are derived in terms of (i) firm size distribution, (ii) the distribution of firm growth rates, and (iii-iv) the relationships between firm size and the mean and variance of firm growth rates. We test the model against data from the worldwide pharmaceutical industry and find its predictions to be in good agreement with empirical evidence on all four dimensions.
Nesting success and life history attributes of bird communities along an urbanization gradient

The increase in urbanization in North America has raised concerns regarding impacts on avian populations. In this study, we measured the nesting success of American robins and northern cardinals and analyzed the changes in bird community along an urbanization gradient in southwestern Ohio. We found that nesting failure was not significantly correlated with the gradient, but that it was correlated to nest height, which decreased significantly from the most natural to the most urban sites. We also found that nesting failure was not predicted by the density of adult birds. At the community level, the number of species that use a multiple-brood breeding strategy increased with urbanization. Furthermore, birds identified as high-nesting species reached their highest proportion at the most natural sites and decreased in number with urbanization. In contrast, low-nesting species exhibited the reverse trend. These findings suggest that nesting success—determined by nest site availability and the ability to produce multiple broods—may drive the distribution of avian species along an urbanization gradient, and that nesting site is a critical resource that regulates the distribution of birds in urban
Fire Regime and Old-Growth Boreal Forests in Central Quebec, Canada: An Ecosystem Management Perspective

Boreal forest management in Eastern Canada has caused depletion and fragmentation of oldgrowth ecosystems, with growing impacts on the associated biodiversity. To mitigate impacts of management while maintaining timber supplies, ecosystem management aims to narrow the gap between natural and managed landscapes. Our study describes the fire history and associated natural old-growth forest proportions and distribution of a 5000 km2 area located in the black spruce-feather moss forest of central Quebec. We reconstructed a stand-origin map using archival data, aerial photos and dendrochronology. According to survival analysis (Cox hazard model), the mean fire cycle length was 247 years for the 1734–2009 period. Age-class distribution modelling showed that old-growth forests were present on an average of 55% of the landscape over the last 275 years. The mean fire size was 10 113 ha, while most of the burned area was attributable to fires larger than 10 000 ha, leading to old-growth agglomerations of hundreds of square kilometres. In regards to our findings, we propose ecosystem management targets and strategies to preserve forest diversity and resilience.
Economic Centrality: How Much is Economics and How Much is Geography?

Proximity to the markets is a key determinant of the location of firms because distance still matters, as recently reported in the literature. Based on an adapted version of the most standard centrality index we propose a decomposition method that allows isolating the influence of: (i) internal and external factors; (ii) economic and geographical aspects. In order to illustrate our methodology we consider data for 171 countries. This empirical work leads to the conclusion that the centrality level of the countries derives from different sources, therefore requiring different policy interventions in order to improve it.
Dynamics of a reactive falling film at large Péclet numbers. II. Nonlinear waves far from criticality: Integral-boundary-layer approximation

We consider the dynamics of a reactive falling film far from criticality. Our analysis is based on the integral-boundary-layer (IBL) approximation of the equations of motion, energy and concentration, and associated free-surface boundary conditions. We develop a hierarchy of IBL models starting from a simplified Shkadov approach to large IBL systems based on high-order Galerkin projections. We show that these high-order models correct the deficiencies of Shkadov’s approach and predict correctly all relevant quantities including the critical Reynolds number. We also numerically construct nonlinear solutions of the solitary wave type for a simplified Shkadov approximation and we show that unlike the long-wave theory in Paper I which leads to branch multiplicity and limit points as well as points where the solitary wave solution branches terminate, the IBL model predicts the existence of solitary waves for all Reynolds numbers.
What Explains the Low Profitability of Chinese Banks?

This paper analyzes empirically what explains the low profitability of Chinese banks for the period 1997-2004. We find that better capitalized banks tend to be more profitable. The same is true for banks with a relatively larger share of deposits and for more X-efficient banks. In addition, a less concentrated banking system increases bank profitability, which basically reflects that the four state-owned commercial banks -China’s largest banks- have been the main drag for system’s profitability. We find the same negative influence for China’s development banks (so called Policy Banks), which are fully state-owned. Instead, more market oriented banks, such as joint-stock commercial banks, tend to be more profitable, which again points to the influence of government intervention in explaining bank performance in China. These findings should not come as a surprise for a banking system which has long been functioning as a mechanism for transferring huge savings to meet public policy goals.
Negotiating the Oppression of Discrimination Encountered in Outdoor Leisure: A Study of Muslim Women in the Netherlands

Since 1879 there have been Muslims living in the Netherlands. Nowadays an estimated 907.000 Muslims are living in the Netherlands, which is equivalent to six percent of the total population. After the events of September 11, 2001, the social climate facing Muslims has deteriorated in the Netherlands. Fifty percent of the Dutch population has a negative view of Muslims and consider the Western and Muslim way of life as opposites that do not go together. Muslims in the Netherlands experience a significant degree of discrimination in settings such as the labour market, education, housing, police and justice, and in public domains. This study was designed (1) to explore whether Muslim women in the Netherlands have been subjected to any discriminatory incidents in outdoor leisure settings, (2) how these discriminatory incidents has affected their leisure behaviour and enjoyment, and (3) analyze their range of negotiation strategies to discrimination in their outdoor leisure. Sixteen qualitative, semi-structured interviews with Muslim women in the age between 26 and 54 provide insight in this. Results indicate that veiled Muslim women do experience a range of discriminatory actions while engaging in outdoor leisure activities. Yet, they rarely perceive discrimination as a factor that affected their leisure behaviour. The results indicate though, that relatively small events can reduce the level of enjoyment the Muslim women derive from outdoor leisure activities. The discrimination experienced by the women was of non-violent nature, and included unpleasant looks, prejudices, disapproval, feeling unwelcome and negative remarks. The Muslim women have been found to employ certain strategies to negotiate the discrimination such as justification, blocking, resigned acceptance, adjustment, feeling sorry, or mild verbal protest.
Radiocarbon Age-Depth Modeling Prevents Misinterpretation of Past Vegetation Dynamics: Case Study of Wierchomla Mire (Polish Outer Carpathians)

An age-depth model based on radiocarbon dates was produced from a Holocene profile collected from a rich fen situated in the Beskid Sądecki Mountains (the Outer Western Carpathians, southern Poland). The model is compared against the results of palynological and loss on ignition (LOI) analyses supplemented by the identification of organic deposits. Five distinct palynological episodes are detected. These potential palynological age markers are critically compared with the results of age-depth modeling and other dated profiles. The results presented distinctly show that using palynological episodes as age markers for age-depth construction may be highly misleading.
Succession Planning at HEIs: Leadership Style, Career Development and Knowledge Management Practices as Its Predictors

Succession planning has spelt many affirmative returns to organizations, several reviews have indicated that this corporate initiative lacks in its planning, implementing and managing. It happens at HEIs in Malaysia that have been slow to embrace corporate formal succession planning approach. Perhaps the appropriate leadership style, perception of career development opportunities as well as knowledge management practices may enhance the succession planning of public universities in Malaysia. Therefore this study specifically intends to examine the significant relationships between succession planning and its predictors which are leadership style, career development and knowledge management practices. The sampling frame in this study contained a list of all administrative officers from grade N41 to grade N54 at 19 public universities staff. According to the results, there is significant influence of two independent variables which are leadership style and knowledge management on successive planning effectiveness. Nevertheless, career management does not influence successive planning effectiveness although both are significantly related. Keywords: Leadership, Knowledge and Management Practice JEL Classifications : M1, M5
Marshallian Localization Economies: Where Do They Come From and To Whom Do They Flow?

Dense concentrations of economic activity are generally seen as giving rise to increasing returns that may be shared by business units that cluster in particular locations. What are the sources of these increasing returns and do they benefit all businesses or only some? Theories of the firm and strategic management argue that competitive advantage originates in the development and exploitation of firm-specific assets or capabilities that may be internal or external to the firm. The extent of firm heterogeneity suggests that businesses search for profit in many different ways. We might anticipate that older, larger, foreign-owned and multi-plant firms draw upon internal resources more readily than young, small, domestic, single-plant firms. Do the benefits of agglomeration vary among business establishments according to these characteristics? We examine this question using plant-level longitudinal micro-data from the Canadian manufacturing sector. We show that most manufacturing plants benefit from co-location, but that plants with different characteristics benefit in different ways.
Pilot Project to Ascertain the Utility of Tower of London Test to Assess Outcomes of Neurofeedback in Clients with Asperger's Syndrome

ABSTRACT Introduction. Behavioral and cognitive improvements in clients with Asperger's Syndrome (AS), employing continuous performance tests (CPTs), intelligence and academic measures, and electroencephalographic data, have been reported following 40 sessions of neurofeedback (NFB) training combined with coaching in metacognitive strategies. However, measures of executive functions (EFs) in this population have not been commonly employed and NFB is still not commonly used as a treatment for AS. Therefore, this pilot project used Tower of London – Drexel University (ToLDX), an individually administered test of EFs, in addition to the previously mentioned measures. The goal of the current study was to investigate the utility of ToLDX as an assessment tool for clients with AS as well as further study the effects of NFB and training in metacognitive strategies on executive functioning in clients with AS. Method. Nineteen consecutive clients at the ADD Centre, Toronto, Canada (M age = 12 years 0 months) recru.
Phytogenic additives to decrease in vitro ruminal methanogenesis

Six plants (Carduus pycnocephalus, Populus tremula, Prunus avium, Quercus robur, Rheum nobile and Salix caprea) were tested to determine their effects as feed additives to decrease ruminal methanogenesis in vitro. The plants had been selected in a previous screening assay in which a collection of 450 plant species had been tested. Sheep fed alfalfa hay were used as donors for rumen fluid. Batch cultures were performed in 120 ml serum bottles, using 10 ml strained rumen, 40 ml medium, 500 mg DM substrate (50% alfalfa hay, 40% grass hay and 10% barley) and 50 mg DM freeze-dried ground plant additive. After 24 h of incubation, gas production, methane and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production, propionate to acetate ratio, in vitro DM digestibility, pH and fermentation efficiency were measured. All the plants tested reduced methane production (P 0.05). Among them, R. nobile was particularly promising since it showed the greatest and most consistent effect on methane production (-16% in relation to the control, P < 0.001). Moreover, it enhanced ruminal fermentation, stimulating DM digestibility (P < 0.05) and VFA production (P < 0.001) and increasing propionate to acetate ratio (P < 0.001). In conclusion, among the plant species evaluated, Rheum nobile showed the most consistent effects for decreasing methane production without adversely affecting other parameters of rumen fermentation.
Integrating Trip and Roadway Characteristics to Manage Safety in Traffic Analysis Zones

A transportation network is a conglomeration of road-traffic-environment modules and features multicategories of interdependent factors. This mix makes the management of safety in traffic analysis zones (TAZs) explicitly challenging. This study investigated the association between crash frequencies and various types of trip productions and attractions in combination with the road characteristics of 1,349 TAZs of four counties in the state of Florida. Crash safety management of these TAZs is emphasized through prioritizing them by examining the effects of trip and roadway factors on the aggregated crash frequencies. Models were developed separately for total crashes, severe crashes (fatal and severe injury crashes), total crashes during peak hours, and pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes on the basis of various groups of estimators. It was found that the total crash model and the peak-hour crash model were best estimated by total trip productions and total trip attractions. The severe crash model was best fit by trip-related variables only, and the pedestrian- and bicycle-related crash model was best fit by road-related variables only. The results from this study pave the way for better safety management and the incorporation of safety measures in travel and network planning.
EFFECTIVELY IN THE L 2 Integrating body language in the students ’ syllabus

In communication a great deal of meaning is exchanged through body language, including gaze, posture, hand gestures and body movements. Body language is largely culture-specific, and rests, for its comprehension, on people’s sharing socio-cultural and linguistic norms. In cross-cultural communication, L2 speakers’ use of body language may convey meaning that is not understood or misinterpreted by the interlocutors, affecting the pragmatics of communication. In spite of its importance for cross-cultural communication, body language is neglected in ESL/EFL teaching. This paper argues that the study of body language should be integrated in the syllabus of ESL/EFL teaching and learning. This is done by: 1) reviewing literature showing the tight connection between language, speech and gestures and the problems that might arise in cross-cultural communication when speakers use and interpret body language according to different conventions; 2) reporting the data from two pilot studies showing that L2 learners transfer L1 gestures to the L2 and that these are not understood by native L2 speakers; 3) reporting an experience teaching body language in an ESL/EFL classroom. The paper suggests that in multicultural ESL/EFL classes teaching body language should be aimed primarily at raising the students’ awareness of the differences existing across cultures.
Learning and Teaching ( InCULT 2012 ) ESL Learners ’ r eactions towards code switching in classroom settings

The use of more than one code of language among the Malaysian English language instructors and ESL learners in the context of formal classroom settings is widely acknowledged (Then & Ting, 2009). Many factors contribute to the occurrence of code-switching or in other words, there must have been certain communication purposes associated which cause code switching to occur. This study aims to uncover the attitudes of ESL learners towards the functions of code-switching employed by English language instructors at tertiary level. It addresses two research questions: (1) What do ESL learners think about code switching in the English classroom? (2) When does code switching best function in the English classroom for the ESL learners? Forty-five diploma students were randomly selected as the respondents for this study. A survey questionnaire which focused on the students’ attitudes, usage and opinion towards code switching in the classroom was utilised in the study. It was found that most of the ESL learners have positive attitudes towards code switching. The ESL learners were also reported to believe that code switching facilitates them in understanding the target language. The findings suggest that the use of code switching is necessary when the situation requires the use of first language in the classroom to enable the learners to become more confident in mastering English. © 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN THE FLORICULTURAL FARMS IN KENYA BY MATHENGE PATRICK KABIRO

xii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.1.1 ICT and Adoption.2 1.1.2 Floriculture Industry in Kenya . 4 1.2 Research Problem . 6 1.3 Research Objectives . 7 1.4 Value of the Study . 7 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW . 9 2.