Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How a science education course can influence early childhood teachers’ attitudes toward science?

While early childhood teachers’ professional training is vital for preschoolers, the training is less centered on science than it is on interpersonal behavior, languages, reading, writing, and arithmetic. Courses regarding children’s science education are neither common nor popular in Taiwan’s present training for early childhood teachers. Consequently early childhood teachers lack the proper knowledge and train- ing to introduce science to preschool children. The Center for Teacher Education at Yuan Ze University created a science education course for student teachers, entitled “Children’s Concepts in Science. ” The main goal of this study is to understand how this course influences early childhood teachers’ attitudes and teaching in science. The results show that the student teachers that attended these courses developed more positive attitudes toward science, learned better strategies to create appropriate learn- ing environments for children, and ultimately preferred to explore integrated science topics. In addition, student teachers found positive influences on the children, such as an improved attitude toward science, stronger science processing skills, and better reasoning skills. The results of our research lead us to suggest a few ways to strength- en early childhood teacher education programs. First, courses involving children’s science education should be required in pre-service teacher programs. Second, more in-service training opportunities should be available to current teachers so they can enhance their abilities to teach science, and to design integrated lessons.
Gender, Competition, & Confidence with Methodological Insights: Experimental Evidence

Author(s): Halladay, Brianna Noelle | Advisor(s): Charness, Gary | Abstract: This dissertation is a collection of two laboratory experiments addressing leading empirical questions in behavioral responses to competition including observed gender differences and one survey paper addressing methodological concerns facing experimental economists. In the first paper, I use a laboratory experiment to investigate the role of the gender perception of the task in tournament selection decisions. I find that while women enter the tournament at significantly lower rates than men under the male stereotype task, more women than men enter the tournament under the female stereotype task. It appears that greater female confidence and lower male confidence in the female stereotype task drives this observed difference in entry rates across tasks. In another laboratory experiment, I investigate whether past history with an individual, specifically negative history affects behavioral responses in a tournament with the individual. Using a laboratory experiment, I find that while women respond to the negative history with increased performance in the tournament, male performance in unaffected regardless of emotional stimuli. In the third paper, I further the discussion of payment schemes for laboratory experiments including the necessity of providing subjects with choices that are incentive compatible.
DETERMINAN FINANCIAL DISTRESS PERUSAHAAN SUBSEKTOR RITEL DI BURSA EFEK INDONESIA

The purpose of this study were (1) To analyze financial health conditions of retail companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2013 to 2017, (2) To analyze the relationship between financial health conditions with companies’ status based on an integral process of financial distress using Pearson correlation and (3) To analyze what factors (financial ratios and macroeconomics) which affected to financial distress using panel data regression. Fourteen retail companies were selected as samples based on purposive sampling. The results showed that retail companies in telecommunication devices, building materials, convenience store models and minimarkets had more potential to experience financial distress. The results of the Pearson correlation showed that there was a weak and negative correlation between DSCR as a proxy of financial distress with deterioration performance and cash flow problem. The financial ratio variables such as, the current ratio and return on equity, had a positive and significant effect on DSCR. Whereas, the debt to equity ratio had a negative and significant effect on DSCR. Meanwhile, significant macroeconomic variables were gross domestic product and interest rate. Gross domestic product had a positive effect on DSCR, while interest rates had a negative effect on DSCR. Keywords: financial distress (debt service coverage ratio), financial ratios, macroeconomic, panel data regression, retail companies Abstrak: Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah (1) Menganalisis kondisi kesehatan keuangan perusahaan subsektor ritel yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia dari tahun 2013 sampai 2017, (2) Menganalisis hubungan kondisi kesehatan keuangan dengan status perusahaan berdasarkan proses integral financial distress menggunakan analisis korelasi pearson dan (3) Menganalisis faktor-faktor keuangan dan makroekonomi yang berpengaruh terhadap financial distress menggunakan analisis regresi data panel. Sebanyak 14 perusahaan ritel dipilih sebagai sampel menggunakan purposive sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa perusahaan ritel yang bergerak dalam bidang usaha perangkat telekomunikasi, bahan bangunan, model conveience store dan minimarket lebih berpotensi mengalami financial distress. Hasil analisis korelasi pearson menunjukan terdapat korelasi negatif yang lemah antara DSCR sebagai proxy financial distress dengan deterioration performance dan cash flow problem. Variabel rasio keuangan seperti current ratio dan return on equity berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap DSCR, sedangkan debt to equity ratio memiliki pengaruh negatif dan signifkan terhadap DSCR. Sementara itu, variabel makroekonomi yang signifikan adalah gross domestic product dan interest rate. Gross domestic product berpengaruh positif terhadap DSCR sedangkan interest rate memiliki pengaruh negatif terhadap DSCR. Kata kunci: kesulitan keuangan (DSCR), rasio keuangan, makroekonomi, regresi data panel, perusahaan ritel
Relationship between elite athletes’ psychological skills and their training in those skills

Abstract The objectives of this study were (i) to analyse how differences in psychological skills among elite athletes depend on sex and psychological skills training (PST), and (ii) to identify predictors of whether an elite athlete has sought PST. Three hundred and ninety-six Icelandic members of youth and senior national teams (49.2% men 21.4 ± 7.1 years old) in basketball, equestrian sports, football, golf, handball and weightlifting participated in the study. The participants completed a background information questionnaire and the Test of Performance Strategies questionnaire (TOPS). The former collected information about age, sex, sport practiced, and whether or not the respondent used or was interested in using PST. The latter assessed the psychological skills the respondent used in training and competition. An independent-samples t-test was used to compare the means on the TOPS sub-scales between sexes and between the use or not of PST. A forward stepwise logistic regression model was constructed to determine which of the variables (age, sex and TOPS sub-scales) could predict whether or not the sportsperson had used PST. PST was used by 42% of the respondents, but the 90% were interested in this type of training. Golfers used PST the most (56%), and men used PS more than women, especially in competition. It was possible to correctly classify 59% of the cases (23% of the variance explained) as to whether or not the participant used PST using just five variables: relaxation in practice, negative thinking in competition, age, self-talk in competition and imagery in practice.
MCMI-III Profiles of Convicted Contact Sexual Offenders: A Cluster Analysis

ABSTRACT As suggested by previous research, the study of personality traits among sexual offenders could be an important consideration in the understanding of sexual offending. This study aims to explore the possibility of classifying sexual offenders according to their personality profiles. Based on the MCMI-III scores of 97 convicted contact sexual offenders, a cluster hierarchical analysis was performed. Next, the groups were characterized according to their sociodemographic and criminological variables and significant differences between them were sought. The two clusters found did not show different MCMI-III prototypical personality profiles, and both groups only varied in the degree of general psychopathology. The results suggest the existence of two personality profiles labeled as “pathological” and “adapted/non-pathological”. The usefulness of the MCMI-III in the evaluation of sexual offenders seems limited to the detection of the presence or absence of general psychopathological symptoms. Implications of these findings for interventions are discussed.
Estimation of the Equilibrium Real Exchange Rate for Malawi

This paper computes Malawi`s equilibrium real exchange rate as a function of its fundamentals as derived from economic theory. It finds evidence in favor of the equilibrium approach to exchange rate determination, with several variables (particularly government consumption and real per capita growth) found to drive movements in the time-varying equilibrium real exchange rate. The results also indicate that following a shock there is a rapid reversion of the real exchange rate to its time-varying equilibrium, with a half-life of reversion of about 11 months.
Padlet as Media to Improve Writing Mastery of English Department Students of Uniska 2015-2016

Multimedia has been spread out and used by many students in their live, but it is rarely to use multimedia as one of media used in teaching learning process. The objective of this study is to know whether the use of Padlet as media can improve students’ descriptive writing mastery of students of English Department of Uniska in the third semester. The research design used is Classroom Action Research consisting of two cycles. Each cycles consisted of three opportunities for students to have interaction using Padlet. The cycle consisted of planning, implementing, observing and reflecting. The instruments used in this research were observation check list and writing test using Padlet. Padlet was introduced from the first time of teaching learning process in the class and the following interactions were using Padlet without having direct interaction in the classroom. The first cycle was not successful because of the students got difficulty in managing time in accessing Padlet and some errors in their grammatical used. Then in the second cycle, the result showed that 18 from 20 students passed the minimum score and all students did all assignment using Padlet. From the result, it can be concluded that the implementation Padlet as media can improve students’ writing mastery. Keywords: Padlet, writing mastery, descriptive writing
Mars or Mercury? The Geopolitics of International Currency Choice

We assess the role of economic and security considerations in the currency composition of international reserves. We contrast the ‘Mercury hypothesis’ that currency choice is governed by pecuniary factors familiar to the literature, such as economic size and credibility of major reserve currency issuers, against the ‘Mars hypothesis’ that this depends on geopolitical factors. Using data on foreign reserves of 19 countries before World War I, for which the currency composition of reserves is known and security alliances proliferated, our results lend support to both hypotheses. We find that military alliances boost the share of a currency in the partner’s foreign reserve holdings by about 30 percentage points. These findings speak to the implications of possible US disengagement from global geopolitical affairs. In a hypothetical scenario where the United States withdraws from the world, our estimates suggest that long-term US interest rates could rise by as much as 80 basis points, assuming that the composition of global reserves changes but their level does not.
Purchasing Power Parity and New Trade Theory

This paper theoretically derives and empirically tests the implications of a new trade theory framework for the systematic movements in the real exchange rate. It focuses on the effect of imperfect substitutability of tradables and on the importance of competitiveness, for which we construct an original proxy. Using a panel dynamic OLS estimation of nine bilateral US dollar real exchange rates, we derive long-run coefficients for relative productivity and competitiveness in the tradable and non-tradable sectors, controlling for standard macroeconomic variables. The implications of imperfect substitutability of tradables fit the data better than the standard neoclassical assumption of price equalization. Our new measure of competitiveness is statistically significant in explaining deviations from PPP.
Pengaruh Financial Distress, Umur Perusahaan, dan Good Corporate Governance pada Kecepatan Publikasi Laporan Keuangan Tahunan

The purpose of this study examines the effect of financial distress, company age, and good corporate governance on the speed of publication of annual financial statements. This research was focused in the food and beverage companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Samples are determined by non-probability sampling, purposive sampling technique. Sample criteria, the company reports its annual financial statements in a row from 2014 to 2017. The samples were 12 companies with four years of observation. Methods of collecting data with non-participant observation, accessing annual financial reports. The data analysis technique is multiple linear regression. Based on the results, found that financial distress had a negative effect on the speed of publication of annual financial statements. The age of the company does not affect the speed of publication of annual financial statements. Good corporate governance has a positive effect on the speed of publication of annual financial statements. Keywords: Publication, distress, good corporate governance, age
Crossing Lines in the Twitter Debate on Catalonia’s Independence

The effect of social media as a potential sphere for public deliberation still remains unclear. For some analysts, social media can create a vibrant space for political discussion, whereas others believe they do not provide the right conditions for meaningful interaction and could even have negative effects on public opinion by, for instance, fostering communication within isolated enclaves. Focusing on the debate surrounding Catalonia’s secession, this article analyses the interaction on Twitter between the opposite sides of this divisive political issue. Carefully based on a nonbiased random sampling procedure, we describe Twitter conversations through network and content analyses, using both indicators of the structure of conversations and opinion diversity. Remarkably, we find that Twitter users cross lines of difference and interact with people holding opposing views. Through a regression analysis, we show that the level of reciprocity, understood as repeated interaction and measured by the depth of the conversation, is explained by heterogeneity and associated with a higher involvement of the pro-independence side. However, if heterogeneity is combined with extremism, the development of longer conversations is severely cut. Overall, this article points toward the actual use of social media as a space for cross-cutting communication and debate despite strong disagreement.
The Linguistic Landscape of Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania: Its Implication for Access to Information

The paper examines the nature of linguistic public signs that constitute what is popularly known as Linguistic Landscape (LL) at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Tanzania to explain their implication for access to information in the hospital. The study employed the sociolinguistic theoretical framework to examine the nature of the LL of MNH and its implication for access to information as presented through public signs at the hospital. Data for this study constituted photos/public signs from the hospital premises and interview narratives from hospital clients and staff. The data were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings show that the LL of MNH is more controlled by top-down than bottom-up actors in which there are three visible languages: English, Swahili, and Chinese. The most preferred language patterns do not guarantee access to information to hospital clients in the public space of the hospital, since some clients fail to understand what is communicated through the signboards placed in the public space of the hospital. They use unfamiliar language pattern(s), mostly in English. This lowers further their participation in promoting health and taking responsibilities of their health concerns while at the hospital. Key words: linguistic landscape, Muhimbili, public space, sign
A Study of Chinese College Students’ English Listening Strategies

This study investigates how Chinese college students apply English Listening strategies with questionnaires. The findings show that Chinese college students don’t do well in applying many English listening strategies, especially the metacognitive strategy of making plans, the cognitive strategy of inference and the social strategy of cooperation. Most students need to improve themselves in applying listening strategies so as to enhance their listening abilities. In English listening teaching, teachers should try to integrate the training of listening strategies into the normal classroom English teaching.
The formulaicity of translations across EU institutional
 genres

This paper explores the formulaicity of EU translations into Polish across four institutional genres (legislation, judgments, reports, websites) with reference to the corresponding EU English corpora in order to understand how the degree of formulaicity is affected by the variable of genre. Formulaicity is operationalised as lexical bundles – high-frequency multi-word sequences (Biber and Barbieri 2007). The study shows a strong correlation between formulaicity and genres, as well as multiple facets of formulaicity (e.g. tokens vs. types). Our findings generally confirm the increased aggregate formulaicity of translations as regards bundle tokens for all EU genres, except for judgments, and the increased variation of bundles (types) for all the genres at the 40 occurrences per million words (pmw) threshold, although the “micro-formulaicity” threshold yielded inconclusive results. Another finding reveals a consistently low overlap of bundles between translations and non-translations. We argue that translations develop their own formulaic profiles which are levelled out compared to EU English corpora and which minimally overlap with formulaic profiles of domestic genres.
A study on economic factors affecting credit ratings of Indian companies

The objective of the research carried out is to understand the impact of selected economic variables (such as Crude Oil Price, GDP, Industrial Production, Exchange Rates, and Inflation) on credit rating of Indian companies.The sample comprises of 120 rating observations during the period 2012–2016 for a total of 24 companies of India.Measurement of central tendency – descriptive statistics is used where credit rating is used as dependent variable and five economic factors viz. Crude Oil Price, GDP, Industrial Production, Exchange Rates, and Inflation as the independent variables. Results from the analysis indicate that the credit rating responds in both linear, as well as nonlinear manner, to selected economic factors. Economic factors such as GDP, Industrial Production, and Exchange Rates have a linear relationship to credit rating, whereas Crude Oil price and Inflation have a non-linear impact upon the credit rating.
How the Government Quality can Help Boosting Infrastructure Investment and Economic Growth? A Closer Look at Indonesia’s Practice

Extant literatures have suggested that the quality of infrastructure determines the successfulness of development occurred in a nation. It includes providing good transportation infrastructures e.g. roads, river, sea, air and railways that not only can facilitate people’ movement abut also improve outcomes of business cycles connected through various transportation system. infrastructure, especially transportation infrastructure, which includes roads, rivers, sea, air and railways. In the case of the Indonesian economy with the classic issue of poor government governance, the weak role of transportation infrastructure in the national development tends to be in line with the low service quality and limited scope of services on the transportation-related sectors symbolizing ineffectiveness of existing transportation infrastructure to boost the economic growth of the nation. This paper aims to analyze the relationship among government quality, investment in transportation infrastructure and economic growth in Indonesia over 2000 – 2017 period. The results of data analysis indicates that road length has a positive relationship with economic growth in the first 5 years and shows a negative relationship in the following year. The contribution of loading and unloading of domestic shipping goods on the economic growth only occurred in 2010. More interestingly, the quality of government reflected from unqualified opinion for the financial statements of Ministry of Transportation of Republic of Indonesia shows no impact to the infrastructure investment especially from foreign direct investment.
Father-daughter incest: Comparison of treated cases to untreated control subjects

Abstract Treatment of father daughter incest (FDI) survivors using the victim advocacy/child welfare approach to FDI that predominates today in the US has never been compared to results in untreated control subjects in any published report. In the present study, thirty-two survivors of FDI who received treatment based on the victim advocacy/child welfare approach to FDI were compared to 32 control subjects who did not receive treatment. No significant differences were found using analysis of variance on 21 scales and subscales. Statistical analysis of the data from all 64 of the FDI survivors showed that items reflecting a poor self-image and a history of maternal depression predicted more problematic scores on the depression scale. Those who scored higher on religiosity were less likely to be depressed. Redesigned therapy for FDI aimed, first and foremost, at healing the survivors and validated by prospective randomized trials is needed.