Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Elementary Level EFL Students’ Reading Comprehension and Writing Skills through Extensive Reading Enrichment Program

This quasi-experimental, longitudinal, quantitative study investigated the impact of Extensive Reading (ER) on developing second language (L2) reading comprehension and writing skills among primary school EFL learners in two Arab countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The study is based on an experiment conducted over a nine-month period on a convenience sample of 112 primary school students (n=112 ) divided into five groups, three experimental groups and two control group, where the students belonged to two different private schools in Egypt and two different international schools in two cities in Saudi Arabia. The experiment, in the form of an enrichment ER program, used graded readers for young learners and was designed to foster ER for pleasure. The study, guided by three hypotheses, incorporated two types of statistical analysis tests, paired samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The statistical analysis tests performed indicated marked improvement in English proficiency in the two experimental groups, with particular reference to reading comprehension and writing. A number of pedagogical implications and recommendations for future research are given. Additionally, the study highlights the issue related to insufficient exposure to English for young Arab EFL learners in their daily lives, which, unfortunately, seems to cause relapses in their L2 intake, despite having an age advantage.
The Effect of Human Resources Practices on Organizational Commitment: A Jordanian Study

Abstract The effect of human resources practices on organizational commitment was examined in this study using a sample of 500 subjects randomly selected from employees working for public and private organization in various industries in Amman, the capital city of Jordan. Of the mailed questionnaires, 431 questionnaires were returned with a response rate of 86 percent. A bulk of scales was adopted from related works to measure constructs. Organizational commitment was measured by organizational commitment scale developed by Meyer and Allen (1997), training was measured using a scale developed by Yahya and Goh (2002), person-organization fit was measured by a scale developed by Netemeyer et al. (1997), and, finally, rewards construct was measured by a scale adopted from Sejjaaka and Kaawaase (2014). The results pointed out that all HR practices examined (training, person-organization fit, and rewards) were significantly and positively associated with organizational commitment. Research limitations and future research directions were brought out.
Assessment in higher education: exploring the gap between standards and idiosyncracies

Over the last 30 years or so, organisations have generally tried to be more transparent and auditable and restrict the trust put on professional discretion and tacit knowledge of their employees, but what room for professional discretion do examiners in higher education still have when they examine student’s theses? Using multilevel regression techniques, we use rater effects as an indicator of room for professional discretion and in particular the freedom to use idiosyncratic sets of good-making characteristics when evaluating student’s theses. The main result is that the between-examiner differences are substantial and much greater than between-department differences and between-faculty differences. Thus we conclude that the departments do not seem to put any significant pressure on the examiner to adhere to a specific idea of what a good thesis is like, nor do the faculties, and that the individual examiners still have a major room for professional discretion in this area.
The Productivity of Nations

In this article, we document three remarkable facts about the distribution of output per worker (labor productivity) across countries between 1960 and 1996. First, there is a large disparity in labor productivity across countries in the world. Second, disparity has increased substantially since the mid-1980s. Third, there is substantial mobility of individual countries within the distribution of labor productivity over time. We identify and document a number of individual growth experiences, seeking to expand the set of development facts that would aid in developing theory and policies to improve economic performance in the world.
Employment Situation of Tourism Graduates Working In and Outside the Tourism Sector

This paper looks at the employment situation of Portuguese tourism graduates, particularly to the differences between the work situation of those employed in the tourism sector and those who are working outside this sector. Data was collected through an online questionnaire applied to the Portuguese tourism graduates in Portugal, comparing their salaries, working hours and schedules, contractual situation, hierarchical position and job satisfaction. Results evidenced that the tourism sector is not taking advantage of the available qualified human resources. Moreover, data suggests that tourism graduates employed outside the tourism sector are facing poorer working situations than those graduates employed within this industry.
The implementation of polarisation encoded quantum key distribution in fibre.

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) employs the laws of quantum mechanics for the purpose of cryptography. Two parties, commonly called Alice and Bob, are able to share a random key which is used to encrypt a message. Any eavesdropper trying to intercept their key will have to make measurements, thereby disturbing the system. This can be detected by Alice and Bob and they will then discard their key. Polarisation encoded QKD protocols use the polarisation of single photons as qubits to generate a cryptographic key. This can be implemented using a fibre optic link between Alice and Bob but the polarisation of light is altered when passed through a fibre due to birefringence caused by asymmetries in the fibre. This causes refractive differences for orthogonal components of the state of polarisation of light, so the polarisation is rotated as the photon is transmitted through the fibre. If the fibre is fixed, the change of polarisation will be unique and constant. This can be compensated by rotating each photon appropriately to its original state. Under typical environmental conditions, such as temperature changes and vibrations, the birefringence effects vary and should be compensated in real time. Therefore, an active polarisation controller is needed in order to maintain the state of polarisation of each qubit. An investigation was done to first track how the state of polarisation changes over time in a natural environment. Both wavelength-division multiplexing and time-division multiplexing were investigated as testing methods for the compensation system. A timedivision multiplexed system was developed to compensate the changes in polarisation. Since QKD protocols such as BB84 and B92 utilise two non-orthogonal bases, two polarisation controllers are usually used for compensation. However, by using a search algorithm, one polarisation controller was able to isolate the plane on the Poincare sphere that passes through both bases, thus compensating non-orthogonal states with one device.
Possibilities to use growth regulators in winter oilseed rape growing technology 1 . The effect of retardant analogues on oilseed rape growth

The effect of growth regulators – derivatives of the diethylamine chloride 3-DEC and morpholinium chloride 17-DMC – on the growth and productivity of the winter oilseed rape ‘Kasimir F1’ was studied. 3-DEC and 17-DMC have been found to exert positive effect on the growth and development of the oilseed rape ‘Kasimir F1’ in autumn: it induced the growth of root collum, accumulation of monosaccharides in its tissues, leaf and root system formation, enhanced the endurance of this culture to wintering. Under the effect of these compounds applied in spring, stem growth was retarded and stem diameter as well as stem primary cortex ring and stele width increased, resulting in enhanced endurance to lodging. Thus, the compounds 3-DEC and 17DMC, by modifying oilseed rape growth in autumn and influencing oilseed rape growth in spring, influenced the development of productivity elements. The extra seed yield under the effect of 3-DEC (250 g ha) and 17-DMC (500 g ha) in autumn was 350 and 455 kg ha, and in spring 496 and 406 kg ha, the control yield being 2,300 kg ha.
DETERMINANTS OF SMALL ENTERPRISE FAILURE IN ANGOLA: A MANAGERIAL AND FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE

It is well established that a number of factors con tribute disproportionately to the failure of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in most economie s. This paperexamined the contribution of managerial and financial factors to the failure of MSEs in the context of Angola.Thepaper adopted a positivist theoretical pe rs ctive, by utilizing thequestionnaire as the primary data collection instrument within th e quantitative research technique. Data was collectedfrom108 small business owners and mana gers with business failure experiences, approached through snowballing samplin g technique.The data was analysed with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Soc ial Sciences (SPSS) program. The results ascertain that, insufficient knowledge in the domai n of businesssystems, insufficient skills in the domain of financial accounting and negligence t o plan and control business resources, by the small business owners and managerswere among the factors that contributed to small enterprise failure in Angola. Thisreportsthe lack ofinstitutions actively in promotingentrepreneurshipfor knowledge and skills d evelopment andthe absence of successful entrepreneurial role models, business me ntors or coaches for entrepreneurial capacity building.
Evaluation of various feeding programmes on growth performance, carcass and meat qualities of Thai indigenous crossbred chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various feeding programmes on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and the meat qualities of Thai indigenous crossbred (50%) Korat chickens to obtain suitable feeding programmes. A total of 480 one-day-old mixed-sex Korat chickens were randomly allotted to four treatments, namely FP1, FP2, FP3 and FP4, with four replicates for each treatment (30 birds per replicate) in a completely randomized design. Chickens in FP1 were fed diets with 21, 19, 17 and 15% crude protein (CP) in periods of 0–3, 3–6, 6–9 and 9–13 weeks old, respectively. Chickens in FP2 were fed diets with 21, 19, 17 and 15% CP in periods of 0–3, 3–5, 5–7 and 7–13 weeks old, respectively. Chickens in FP3 were fed diets with 21, 19, 17, 15 and 14% CP in periods of 0–2, 2–5, 5–8, 8–10 and 10–13 weeks old, respectively. Chickens in FP4 were fed diets with 21, 19, 17, 15 and 14% CP in periods of 0–2, 2–4, 4–6, 6–8 and 8–13 weeks old, respectively. At 13 weeks old, the results showed that Korat chickens fed with FP4 had a higher feed intake, but poorer feed conversion rate (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and energy efficiency ratio (EER) values than the FP1, FP2 and FP3 treatments. However, the values for bodyweight gain and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) did not differ among treatments. None of the parameters for carcass traits, meat characteristics, and meat qualities revealed differences among treatments, except for the protein content in the thigh meat of chickens fed with FP4, which had a lower value than that of the other treatments. In conclusion, FP3 represented the most beneficial results for reducing feed costs without affecting growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient composition of meat, and meat characteristics of chickens. Keywords : carcass trait, growth, indegenous crossbred chicken, meat yield, protein level
Anxiety in Spanish EFL students in different university degree programmes

Researchers have studied the effects of anxiety on foreign lan- guage learning since the 1970's, and despite significant advances in ap- proaches to language teaching, the literature continues to report the exist- ence of language apprehension in the classroom and its debilitating effect on the learning process. However, very few studies have been developed in a socio-cultural context comparable to ours, namely, a Spanish university in which English is learnt. This study set out to examine and compare the feelings of anxiety experienced by university students enrolled in six differ- ent degree programs. A total of 200 students participated in this study. The data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) (Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope, 1986). The analyses reveal, firstly, that all the students suffered from average anxiety levels; secondly, that on- ly in one of the aspects is the anxiety level of participants with English as a main subject (i.e. chosen) lower than that of participants for whom English is a non-elective degree requirement; and in the third place, that the rela- tionship between anxiety and the mark obtained by participants is stronger in the case of those who have English as a degree requirement. The impli- cations of these results for a better understanding of anxiety and foreign language learning are discussed.
A generalized mathematical framework for stochastic simulation and forecast of hydrologic time series

A generalized framework for single‐variate and multivariate simulation and forecasting problems in stochastic hydrology is proposed. It is appropriate for short‐term or long‐term memory processes and preserves the Hurst coefficient even in multivariate processes with a different Hurst coefficient in each location. Simultaneously, it explicitly preserves the coefficients of skewness of the processes. The proposed framework incorporates short‐memory (autoregressive moving average) and long‐memory (fractional Gaussian noise) models, considering them as special instances of a parametrically defined generalized autocovariance function, more comprehensive than those used in these classes of models. The generalized autocovariance function is then implemented in a generalized moving average generating scheme that yields a new time‐symmetric (backward‐forward) representation, whose advantages are studied. Fast algorithms for computation of internal parameters of the generating scheme are developed, appropriate for problems including even thousands of such parameters. The proposed generating scheme is also adapted through a generalized methodology to perform in forecast mode, in addition to simulation mode. Finally, a specific form of the model for problems where the autocorrelation function can be defined only for a certain finite number of lags is also studied. Several illustrations are included to clarify the features and the performance of the components of the proposed framework.
Critical infrastructure risk in NHS England: predicting the impact of building portfolio age

NHS Trusts in England must adopt appropriate levels of continued investment in routine and backlog maintenance if they are to ensure critical backlog does not accumulate. This paper presents the current state of critical backlog maintenance within the National Health Service (NHS) in England through the statistical analyses of 115 Acute NHS Trusts. It aims to find empirical support for a causal relationship between building portfolio age and year-on-year increases in critical backlog. It makes recommendations for the use of building portfolio age in strategic asset management. The current trend across this sample of NHS Trusts may be typical of the whole NHS built asset portfolio and suggests that most Trusts need to invest between 0.5 and 1.5 per cent of income (depending upon current critical backlog levels and Trust age profile) to simply maintain critical backlog levels. More robust analytics for building age, condition and risk-adjusted backlog maintenance are required.
Photometric scaling relations of lenticular and spiral galaxies

Photometric scaling relations are studied for S0 galaxies and compared with those obtained for spirals. New two-dimensional multi-component decompositions are presented for 122 early-type disc galaxies, using deep K s -band images. Combining them with our previous decompositions, the final sample consists of 175 galaxies (Near-Infrared Survey of S0s, NIRSOS: 117 SOs + 22 S0/a and 36 Sa galaxies). As a comparison sample we use the Ohio State University Bright Spiral Galaxy Survey (OSUBSGS) of nearly 200 spirals, for which similar multi-component decompositions have previously been made by us. The improved statistics, deep images and the homogeneous decomposition method used allow us to re-evaluate the parameters of the bulges and discs. For spirals we largely confirm previous results, which are compared with those obtained for S0s. Our main results are as follows. (1) Important scaling relations are present, indicating that the formative processes of bulges and discs in S0s are coupled [e.g. M 0 K (disc) = 0.63 M 0 K (bulge) -9.3], as has been found previously for spirals [for OSUBSGS spirals M 0 K (disc) = 0.38 M 0 K (bulge) -15.5; the rms deviation from these relations is 0.5 mag for S0s and spirals]. (2) We obtain median r eff /h 0 r ~ 0.20, 0.15 and 0.10 for S0, S0/a-Sa and Sab-Sc galaxies, respectively: these values are smaller than predicted by simulation models in which bulges are formed by galaxy mergers. (3) The properties of bulges of S0s are different from the elliptical galaxies, which are manifested in the M 0 K (bulge) versus r eff relation, in the photometric plane (μ 0 , n, reff ), and to some extent also in the Kormendy relation (〈μ〉 eff versus r eff ). The bulges of S0s are similar to bulges of spirals with M 0 K (bulge) < -20 mag. Some S0s have small bulges, but their properties are not compatible with the idea that they could evolve to dwarfs by galaxy harassment. (4) The relative bulge flux (B/T) for S0s covers the full range found in the Hubble sequence, even with 13 per cent having B/T < 0.15, typical for late-type spirals. (5) The values and relations of the parameters of the discs [h 0 r , M 0 K (disc), μ 0 (0)] of the S0 galaxies in NIRS0S are similar to those obtained for spirals in the OSUBSGS. Overall, our results support the view that spiral galaxies with bulges brighter than -20 mag in the K band can evolve directly into S0s, due to stripping of gas followed by truncated star formation.
The effect of site conditions, variety and fertilization on the content of polyphenols in potato tubers

In precise field trials in the CR in the years 2004 and 2005 the effect of site conditions, yellow- and purple-fleshed varieties and fertilization on the content of total polyphenols (TP) in potato tubers was investigated. Comparing four localities, significantly highest TP content (by 5.7 to 13.4% higher than in other localities) was determined in the locality Stachy in both years, which we ascribe to apparently lower temperatures in the vegetation period in this locality of high altitude. In comparison to yellow flesh varieties, in the case of purple flesh Valfi variety TP content higher by 52 to 153% was recorded as the average of both years. As for the group of eight yellow flesh varieties, Karin variety had the highest TP content and showed a significant increase in comparison to Agria, Saturna and Asterix varieties by 67, 60 and 37%, respectively. TP content was not demonstrably affected by fertilization with mineral fertilizers, but we recorded a tendency to lesser TP content (by 3 to 9.9%) in the variant with higher potassium and magnesium fertilization (166 kg K/ha and 60 kg Mg/ha).
Aid & innovation: a boost to the effectiveness of aid? *

One of the most unanimous results of the economic research is that innovation is one of the main determinants of sustained economic growth. However, no study has contrasted the impact that aid for science and technology has on the growth rate of developing countries. This paper analyzes the impact of Official Development Assistance for Science and Technology (ODA-CT) in the period 1993-2008, through an endogenous growth model. The econometric estimation offers five main conclusions: i) ODA-CT effectively stimulates economic growth, ii) aid impact may be higher in countries with low innovation capacity, iii) innovation is the main determinant of growth, iv) income inequalities are an important obstacle for growth, and v) the differences in developing countries' paces of growth leads to a slow process of divergence in per capita income levels.
Inequality and poverty during the recession in Italy

This paper simulates the effects of the recent economic crisis on income inequality and poverty in Italy. We impute changes in employment rates estimated from the Labour force survey on the Italian SILC sample. The resulting increase in unemployment benefits is simulated in detail, together with the expansion of the Cassa Integrazione Guadagni, a wage supplement fund that has played a crucial role during the crisis. Our simulations suggest that the crisis has increased inequality and poverty levels, in particular for households with children and for the younger cohorts of workers. We also show that a reform of unemploymentbenefits towards universalism would have significantly contained these effects.
Numerical investigation of structure-borne interior noise in flexible rectangular boxes

Flexible rectangular box structures, often called box-like structures, are used widely in a large number of engineering applications, e.g. as elements of railway carriages, heavy goods vehicles, buildings, civil-engineering constructions, etc. Although all-flexible rectangular boxes represent one of the geometrically simple types of engineering structures, the analysis of their structural-acoustic properties is rather difficult, and it can not be performed in terms of closed form solutions. Apparently, the first work in this area has been published by Dickinson and Warburton who have obtained approximate analytical expressions for natural frequencies of uncoupled vibrations of allflexible box structures. These authors also performed experimental measurements of the natural frequencies for a box structure. Later, Hooker and O’Brien have calculated first natural frequencies for a box of the same dimensions using finite element (FE) method and compared them with the approximate analytical and experimental results of Dickinson and Warburton. More recently, authors of Reference 3 used FE calculations to carry out vibration analysis of a thin-plate box, considering only in-plane motion. Later on they extended their study, analyzing flexural vibrations of the same model using a combination of FE and analytical approaches. Vibrations of rectangular box-like structures have been also investigated analytically using some simple approximations, e.g. taking into account only in-plane waves transmitted to the adjacent walls under the impact of the initially flexural waves. Some authors utilized rectangular box models to verify different optimization procedures for noise reduction.
Effects of sowing ratio and harvest periods on hay yields, quality and competitivecharacteristics of Hungarian vetch – cereal mixtures.

Since Hungarian vetch has semi-decumbent stem, it is commonly grown in mixture to prevent lodging of plants. Hungarian vetch, barley, wheat and triticale were sown as pure and in vetch-cereal mixtures (70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60) and harvested at two periods (pure cereals and mixtures were harvested at flowering and milk-dough stage of cereals; pure vetch was harvested at flowering and initial pod-set). Barley in all mixtures had negative impacts on development of Hungarian vetch. Considering hay yields, crude protein yields and land equivalent ratios, it was concluded that 70% Hungarian vetch + 30% triticale and 60% Hungarian vetch + 40% triticale mixtures under terrestrial climate sown in fall and harvested at milk-dough stage of triticale were advantageous.