Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Country Risk and Macroeconomic Factors: Evidence from Asian Markets

Using international version of capital asset pricing model (ICAPM), we analyze the response of country risk in Asia to a set of domestic and global macroeconomic factors. Specifically in a two-step process, we first estimate country beta models for Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore and generate separate series of country risk variables for each market. In the second step we analyze the response of these country risks to five local factors and seven global factors. The local factors are: money supply, inflation, economic growth, interest rate and exchange rate while the international factors are: value of U.S. dollar against currencies of 15 industrialized countries, spread between 90-day Euro dollar deposit rate and 90 day U.S. Treasury Bill yield, weighted average inflation of G-7 countries, weighted average short term interest rates of G-7 countries, U.S. dollar price per barrel of crude oil, U.S. interest rate and U.S. inflation. The results indicate strong and significant effects of the global risk factors on country risk of all these Asian markets. The price of dollar has significant positive effects in all except in the case of Malaysia’s country risk. In addition, the dollar euro spread, real interest rates and inflation of G-7 countries have a significant negative impact on country beta in all the cases. On the other hand, exchange rate (in case of Malaysia and Singapore) and to some extent money supply (only in case of Hong Kong) are the only local factors, which have a significant effect on country risk of these markets. Our results are consistent with previous findings that sensitivity to global risk factors increases as the markets become more integrated.
Managerial ownership, capital structure and firm value

This paper extends prior research to examine the managerial ownership influences on firm performance through the choices of capital structures by using a new sample of S& P 500 firm in 2005. The empirical results of OLS regressions replicate the nonlinear relationship between managerial ownership and firm value. However, we found that the turning points had moved up in our sample compared with previous papers, which implies that the managerial control for pursuing self-interst, and the alignment of interests between managers and other shareholders can only be achieved now by management holding more ownership in a firm than that found in previous studies. Managerial ownership also drives the capital structure as a nonlinear shape, but with a direction opposite to the shape of firm value. the results of simultaneous regressions suggest that managerial ownership affects capital structure, which in turn affects firm value. Capital structure is endogenously determined by bith firm value and managerial ownership; while managerial ownership is not endogenously determined by the other two variables.
An Assessment of the financial viability and income impact of small scale irrigation in Ethiopia

Recently, there has been very little irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa. The main reasons cited for this lack of interest in developing irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa is that irrigation projects are expensive and perform poorly compared to projects from other regions. However, when classified into success and failure projects, the sub-Saharan Africa success projects\u2019 investment costs are not significantly higher than from other regions. African countries like Ethiopia, which has embarked on an agricultural led development program, aspire to use irrigation as a development strategy with small scale irrigation playing a key role in rural development. This study evaluates the financial performance of small scale irrigation using O & M and investment recovery, and the ability to replicate the investments. It is concluded that the systems are financially viable and provide a low cost development option for rural areas.
Outward FDI, Exports and Technological Efforts: A Study of Indian Manufacturing Firms

In this study the hypotheses that the choice between OFDI and export decision of the firms depends on the firm level productivity is tested. Here, the productivity levels of OFDI firms vis a vis exporting (as an alternate mode of internationalization of firms) and the domestic firms are compared. The study employs firm level data obtained from Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) for the period from 1990-2009 for analysis. Two-sided and one-sided KolmogorovSmirnov stochastic dominance test is employed to compare productivity distribution of OFDI vs. exporting/domestic firms. The productivity distribution of firms which undertake OFDI stochastically dominates firms which exports for the period from 2004-2009 (later period of liberalization). [FGKS Research Paper].
ASSESSING SOME OF THE PROPERTIES OF LONGER BLOCKS IN THE 1992 NAEP READING ASSESSMENT

At Grades 8 and 12, the 1992 NAEP reading assessment contained a small number of 50 minute blocks, in addition to the usual 25 minute blocks. In order to determine whether to incorporate the 50 minute blocks into the operational scaling, this study sought to determine whether longer blocks measure a different construct from that assessed by the 25 minute blocks. Structural equation modeling tested the hypothesis that the structural parameters relating reading ability to demographic variables do not differ across block type. A multiple group analysis, where type of block (25 minute or 50 minute) defined the two groups, was used. The null hypothesis for this comparison was that the two types of blocks measure the same trait but may differ in observed mean and variance. Results of the main analysis did not reject the hypothesis of invariant structural parameters, and so the 50 minute blocks were incorporated in the 1992 NAEP scales. Sensitivity analyses indicated that this conclusion was moderately robust to assumptions made about missing data for items which were not reached, although Grade 8 results were more robust than those for Grade 12. Analyses using other measures of fit yielded the same pattern of results, although the magnitude of the χ2 statistics were affected by the fit measure chosen, particularly the asymptotically distribution free method. Attempts to replicate the main analysis in independent samples yielded similar χ2 values at Grade 8, but Grade 12 yielded χ2 values which were substantially higher for some of the samples. The Grade 12 results raise questions as to the generalizability of the main analysis. Alternatives to the reliance on χ2 measures are discussed for future research.
Study of Some Optical Properties of Mixed SnO2-CuO Thin Films

We report the transparent conducting mixed SnO2-CuO oxides films fabricated by chemical spray pyrolysis technique (CSPT). The effects of the film thickness on the optical absorptance of the TCO films are assessed. Optical absorption measurements were studied by UV-VIS technique in the wavelength ranges 400-1100 nm. Characteristics and optical constants of the mixed oxides thin film such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant have been studied. The optical conductivity and the skin depth are increased with increasing the film thickness.
The role of argumentation in seven-year-olds joint comprehension of written text

Argumentation is a dialogical activity during which partners try to increase or decrease the acceptability of expressed ideas. It is considered as one of the main factors of development and learning through peer interaction, since several studies show that argumentative dialogues offer more opportunities for learning than other types of dialogues. Having in mind the importance of argumentation in the construction of new knowledge and individual development of seven-year-olds, the aim of this study is to understand how children use argumentation while reading together. Within a larger corpus of data (including 45 sequences) we have analysed ten sequences in which the divergence of opinions was resolved by the use of argumentation. The results show that at the considered age there are two different effects of argumentation use: (1) the acceptance of the standpoint supported by the argument; (2) the change in the way the joint activity is performed. In addition, we have found several indicators of argumentation use limitations connected with the difficulty experienced by the children to take the position of the partner, to coordinate different perspectives and to build collaboration. We conclude that joint work at the age of seven offers educationally relevant benefits, thus that it should be included in the classroom activities with continuous scaffolding provided by the teacher.
Diversity and infestation indices of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in guava (Psidium guajava L.)

The fruit flies are considered major pests in the world fruit production due to the direct damage they cause to fruits and the ability to adapt to areas where they are introduced. The objective of this research was to study the fruit fly diversity, the infestation indices in fruits and to characterize the tephritids community in a guava (Psidium guajava L.) cultivar "Paluma", in a commercial orchard located in Sao Luis, state of Maranhao, northeastern Brazil. In the survey, fly hunting bottles containing hydrolyzed protein in a ratio of 500 ml/10 L of water were used. To assess the infestation indices, fruits were collected, individualized in plastic containers with sterile sand, and kept in a climate-controlled chamber. 2,901 specimens of fruit flies were collected. From these, 2,328 were collected in traps and 573 in fruit samples. The species found belong to the genus Anastrepha, including Anastrepha striata, Anastrepha obliqua, Anastrepha fraterculus, Anastrepha sororcula, Anastrepha distincta, Anastrepha zenildae and Anastrepha pickeli. Considering the total tephritids collected in fruits and traps, a low diversity (H’ = 0.2689 and 0.4147, respectively) was found. A. striata predominated among the collected species. The largest number of insect pests captured occurred in May 2008, a period of increased guava fruit availability in the orchard. The infestation indices were 231.02 pupae/kg and 26.42 pupae/fruit. Key words: Tephritids, Myrtaceae, population dynamics, ecology.
Effect of biofertilizers and inorganic sources of Nitrogen and Phosphorus on quality production of kasuri methi (Trigonella corniculata)

Kasuri methi (Trigonella corniculata) is a slow growing seed spice plant remains in a rosette condition during vegetative growth. It is mainly grown as leafy vegetable and seeds in the plains of north India. The experiment consisted of four treatments of fertility levels (control, 50% RDF, 75% RDF and 100% RDF) and four treatments of bio-fertilizers (Control, Rhizobium, PSB and Rhizobium + PSB), thereby making sixteen treatment combinations. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design and replicated three times. The treatment combination of 100 per cent RDF and Rhizobium + PSB resulted in the highest and significantly more leaf area, nodules per plant, yield, protein and ascorbic acid content in leaves while it was found statistically at par with 75 per cent RDF and Rhizobium + PSB. Thus, combined application of 75% RDF and Rhizobium + PSB is a treatment for better quality production of kasuri methi leaves.
Long-Range Persistence in Global Surface Temperatures Explained by Linear Multibox Energy Balance Models

AbstractThe temporal fluctuations in global mean surface temperature are an example of a geophysical quantity that can be described using the notions of long-range persistence and scale invariance/scaling, but this description has suffered from lack of a generally accepted physical explanation. Processes with these statistical signatures can arise from nonlinear effects, for instance, through cascade-like energy transfer in turbulent fluids, but they can also be produced by linear models with scale-invariant impulse–response functions. This paper demonstrates that, on time scales from months to centuries, the scale-invariant impulse–response function of global surface temperature can be explained by simple linear multibox energy balance models. This explanation describes both the scale invariance of the internal variability and the lack of a characteristic time scale of the response to external forcings. With parameters estimated from observational data, the climate response is approximately scaling in th.
Impacts of fertilizer application rates on phosphorus dynamics in salt-affected soil

Niu L.A. , Hao J.M. (2017): Impacts of fertilizer application rates on phosphorus dynamics in salt-affected soil. Plant Soil Environ. , 63: 468–474. As a new rebuilding agricultural soil on the North China plains, the salt-affected soil had a short soil-forming process of about 30 years. This paper describes the effect of different fertilization systems on phosphorus (P) dynamics in saline-alkali uncultivated land, in the reserved natural salt-vegetation back zone, and in different phases of fertilization for 24 years on the North China plains. The treatments included control (or check, CK), N1, N2, P1, P2, N1P1, N1P2, N2P1, N2P2. The contents of total phosphorus (TP) showed a significantly decreasing trend from 1.32–1.38 g P/kg to 0.40–0.96 g P/kg. The contents of rapidly available P (RP) were low in the no-P fertilizer treatments and the RP concentrations increased with P fertilizer applications. Corn was the crop that used the most P, especially in the no-P and P fertilizer-only treatments. The treatment with 270 kg N/ha/year and 59 kg P/ha/year represents the most economical fertilizer rates for these salt-affected soils on the North China plains.
En Route for Better From Bad (?): Introducing Reduced Nicotine Cigarettes

Smoking is one of the major modifiable etiological factors of multiple morbidities. Convincing evidences are available to establish the causal influence of smoking on cancers, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory morbidities and reproductive dysfunctions. The main culprit responsible for smoking-associated morbidities and mortality is nicotine. Youngsters accidentally experiment smoking, get addicted to smoking which pushes the into the dark era of associated morbidities. With a view of reducing exposure to toxicants in cigarettes, reducednicotine cigarettes (RNCs) were introduced with a belief that they would reduce the incidence of addiction and thus the incidence of associated morbidities. These RNCs were introduced as a result of nicotine reduction policy implemented by the US government. Recent evidences have demonstrated that RNCs are safer than conventional cigarettes in many aspects. This article describes the challenges involved in effective functioning of nicotine reduction policy and adds a note on future prospects to enhance the outcomes.
Ethics and environmental attitudes with implications for economic valuation

This paper tests the hypothesis that different ethical belief systems are unrelated to the attitude an individual takes towards the environment. More specifically, the neoclassical economic approach is seen to require a belief in utilitarianism while many individuals may operate on the basis of a deontological or rights-based approach to decision-making. The concern with this relationship arises from the use of the cost–benefit analysis approach to environmental policy and the specific application of the contingent valuation method. Evidence is found to support the view that environmentalists choose to operate on a rights-based approach which rejects the relative welfare arguments of economics and positively attributes compensation to future generations for environmental damages. This implies that the contingent valuation of environmental attributes will lead to values which are biased towards technocentric optimists and against the environmental movement. In terms of policy, environmental management on the basis of totalling economic values is liable to be undemocratic because of the systematic exclusion of a section of the general public.
Extraction, characterization and application of natural dyes from selected plants in Uganda for dyeing of cotton fabrics

Cotton fabrics were dyed with natural dyes derived from the crude bark extracts of Albizia coriaria, Morinda lucida, Syzygium cordatum and Vitellaria paradoxa dye-yielding plants collected in 2004 from Mukono and Mbale districts of Uganda. Natural dyes are becoming very important in industry for their less toxic tendencies as compared to synthetic dyes. They are friendly to the environment and hence their increasing demand worldwide. Many new enterprises, of different sizes, have began to cultivate, extract and apply natural dyes. Dyeing was carried out using the simultaneous mordanting method with 10% (o.w.f) of four selected mordants. CIELab coordinates, Chroma (C) and Hue (H) values were found to be dependent on type of mordant and nature of the phenolic composition of the crude extracts. The colour fastness values, both to light and washing, were very good and of textile importance. The colour absorption values (K/S) were calculated using the Kubelka–Munk equation from reflectance values and the same varied from plant to plant due to differences in molecular structures and substantivity to the cotton fabrics. The mordanting process resulted into varied values of colour depth, chroma (C) and hues (H) with significant changes in lightness values (L), and mordant dependent. Colour fastness properties to light and washing were good, between 3 and 4, suitable for textile application. Key words: Extraction, characterization, natural dyes, selected plants, Uganda.
Native American Educators and Their Leadership Roles on Reservations in the Northern Great Plains

Native American educators occupy a significant place within their respective communities. In this article I report findings from a qualitative investigation on the various ways Native educators define their roles to their students, schools, and communities. Using personal interviews in conjunction with combined snowball and purposive sampling techniques, I documented the perceptions and experiences of 21 Native American educators on their roles as professionals serving reservation schools in the Northern Great Plains. Reflecting the complexities of reservation life, the educators played a myriad of intertwined roles. Analysis of the data led me to identify two types of educators. One I refer to as affinitive educators and the other facilitative educators. Moreover, upon closer examination, I also discovered that the participants articulated two types of roles they perform, definitional roles and foundational roles. In this article I present the two types of educators and the associated roles expressed by the participants.
Human patient simulation to improve the attitude of the nursing students

Attitude is an essential attribute of a nurse. Nursing education has an important role to shape the attitude of the nursing students, as a foundation of their attitude as nurses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the human patient simulation learning method on the attitude of the nursing students. Quasi-experimental, two group pre/post-test design was used. A total of 95 nursing students of the second year were given intervention and 37 students from another institution were assigned as control group. Second year students were selected as they were about to have clinical practice at the hospital. After the human patient simulation the attitude score statistically significantly increased in the intervention group ( p < .01). The attitude score in the intervention group rose by 18.7 points (scale 37-185) and decreased by 8.2 point in the control group. The findings showed that the human patient simulation improved the attitude of the nursing students before having the actual learning experience with the patients at the hospital. Clinical learning environment in Indonesia is generally far from ideal to shape good attitude of the nursing students. Thus, human patient simulation is recommended to prepare the nursing students prior to clinical internship.
Thermoelastic waves without energy dissipation in an elastic plate to to a suddenly punched hole

The linear theory of thermoelasticity without energy dissipation for isotropic and homogeneous materials is employed to study waves in an elastic plate. The waves are assumed to arise out of a ramp-type stress on the plate’s boundary which is maintained at constant temperature. Laplace transforms are used to solve the problem, and the distributions of displacement, temperature, radial and hoop stresses are displayed graphically. Keywords : Thermoelasticity, Green-Naghdi, punched hole, elastic plate.
Seabird abundance, distribution and breeding patterns in relation to the Leeuwin Current

Lack of upwelling, and low marine productivity, results in seabirds being much less abundant off Western Australia than along the coasts of western South America and south-west Africa. The breeding and non-breeding distributions of seabirds appear to be influenced by the presence of the Leeuwin Current, as do the timing and success of their breeding activity. For instance, in a year of strong Leeuwin Current flow, Little Penguins near Perth carried less food, were in poorer condition and laid eggs much later than in a year of weaker flow.
Comparison of selected parameters of biomass and coal

Abstract As a fuel, biomass differs in its properties from fossil fuels and acquisition thereof for energy purposes is limited; hence, the ongoing search for new bioenergetically useful plants. The article presents the results of physical and chemical analyses of seven species of perennial grasses: tall wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass ‘Bamar’, brome grass, tall fescue ecotype, reed canary grass, giant miscanthus, and sorghum. The research involved technical and elemental analysis as well as analysis of the ash composition performed in order to determine their potential use for combustion process. The measurement results were compared with those obtained for hard coal and agricultural biomass, which is widely used in the energy industry. The results suggest that perennial grasses can successfully be combusted with similar performance to coal if burned in appropriate combustion installations.
The Relationship between Participation in Sport and Sport Volunteering: An Economic Analysis

This paper explores the relationship between participation in sport as a consumer activity and sport volunteering as a producer activity. Using data from the Taking Part Survey, evidence is found that the decision to engage in sports participation and sports volunteering as well as the duration of the activities are complementary. In general, the findings confirm the well-established impacts of human and economic capital on engagement in sports-related activities, as well as the availability of time. However, there is evidence of the shifting roles of consumption and production of sport as family commitments change while differential effects are also found with respect to ethnicity, health, and the accessibility of sports facilities.