Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variability, broad sense heritability and genetic advance studies in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm

The experiment was conducted at Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University D.I. Khan Pakistan during 2013-2014 to estimate genetic diversity, heritability and genetic advances for few characters which relate to yield in bread wheat. Sixty wheat genotypes obtained from NARC, Islamabad worked out in the current research work. The experiment was laid out in (RCBD) having 3 replications. The aspects for recording data included number of tillers plant-1, plant height, number of spikelet’s spike-1, number of grain spike-1, 1000-grain weight and grain yield plant-1. ANOVA showed significant differences for all the characters studied. The estimates of phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) were high for grain yield per plant and 1000-grain yield. The remaining traits exhibit moderate to low PCV and GCV estimates. Phenotypic coefficient of variation showed its maximum value for grain yield plant-1 (44.62%) and the minimum value was reported for number of spikelets spike-1 (12.63%). The range for genotypic coefficient of variation was 5.11% for (Number of spiklets spike-1) to 42.46% for (Grain yield plant-1. The highest heritability estimates were observed for plant height (98.27%) and highest genetic advance was reported for grain yield (83.22%). High heritability coupled with high genetic advance for parameters like 1000-grain weight and grain yield plant-1 indicated additive genetic effects. The overall results showed that selection should lead to a fast genetic improvement of the material. Keywords: Wheat; Genotypes; Genetic variability; Heritability; Genetic advance http://dx.doi. org/10.19045/bspab.2017. 60055
Usefulness of MODIS data for assessment of the growth and development of winter oilseed rape

Satellite remote sensing permits the determination of the state of vegetation of plants simultaneously in distant areas. The paper focuses on the assessment of the usefulness of satellite data retrieved from a moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) for the determination of the growth and development of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) in the climatic conditions of Central Europe. The study is based on values of five vegetation indices – normalised difference vegetation index, enhanced vegetation index, leaf area index, fraction of photosynthetically active radiation and gross primary production – from the period 2000–2012, as well as results of measurements of rape plant height before winter and after flowering, and the onset of flowering and ripening. Low values of the standard error of the estimate (SEE) were obtained in models in relation to plant height before winter (SEE < 6 cm) and the onset of flowering (SEE < 3 days). This suggests the possibility of application of vegetation indices from the period preceding measurements and field observations in forecasting of those two characteristics of winter oilseed rape. No statistically significant covariance was found in the case of rape plant height after flowering and the onset of ripening.
A structure theorem for Boolean functions with small total influences

We show that on every product probability space, Boolean functions with small total influences are essentially the ones that are almost measurable with respect to certain natural sub-sigma algebras. This theorem in particular describes the structure of monotone set properties that do not exhibit sharp thresholds. Our result generalizes the core of Friedgut's seminal work [Ehud Friedgut. Sharp thresholds of graph properties, and the k-sat problem. J. Amer. Math. Soc. , 12(4):1017-1054, 1999. ] on properties of random graphs to the setting of arbitrary Boolean functions on general product probability spaces, and improves the result of Bourgain in his appendix to Friedgut's paper.
THE INFLUENCE OF INDIVIDUAL TRAITS ON ABSTINENCE SELF-EFFICACY IN DEPENDENT SMOKERS

The majority of cigarette smokers express a desire to quit; however, many smokers struggle to achieve and maintain abstinence. Relapse frequently occurs soon after smoking cessation, and most smokers have multiple unsuccessful quit attempts. Abstinence self-efficacy (ASE) has been shown to be a critical component in successful smoking cessation outcomes. Developed from Social Cognitive Theory, self-efficacy is an individual’s judgment of his or her own ability to execute a behavior in a prospective situation. Higher ASE is linked with decreased negative withdrawal symptoms and increased likelihood of abstinence. Although nicotine dependence and craving have been shown to be associated with ASE, few studies have investigated theoretical determinants of ASE and the contribution of personality traits. Impulsivity and self-control are two such personality characteristics that can influence how a smoker may respond in highly tempting situations. The inclusion of personality traits in the development of ASE has the potential to inform specific interventions in smoking cessation.
Pedagogical Reasoning in Teacher Education: The Unexplored Route to Intellectual Development--A Study of the Practicum in Kenya.

In this paper, I argue that when teacher education (TE) only aims at student teachers’ mastery of procedural knowledge, the envisaged intellectual development that teachers need so that they can, in turn, facilitate similar development in their learners cannot be realised. My argument is based on a study I conducted in Kenya, in which I investigated what English language student teachers learn during the practicum and the issues that influence their learning. Generally, the data showed that they mainly acquired procedural knowledge but failed to develop pedagogical reasoning, which - arguably - ought to be the main goal of TE. Keywords: Reasoning, education, learning, practicum, development
Government Spending Shocks and the Multiplier: New Evidence from the U.S. Based on Natural Disasters

The literature on estimating macroeconomic effects of fiscal policy requires suitable instruments to identify exogenous and unanticipated spending shocks. So far, the instrument of choice has been military build-ups. This instrument, however, largely limits the analysis to the US as few other countries have been involved in mainly extraterritorial conflicts. Moreover, the expenditure associated with military build-ups affects primarily the defense sector so that the resulting multiplier does not necessarily approximate the effects of changes to general government spending. We propose an alternative instrument: government relief expenditure in the wake of natural disasters which is more similar in its scope to general government spending. We construct a rich data set of natural disasters and the corresponding government responses at the US state level. We apply this methodology both at the state as well as national levels and show that natural disasters serve as a powerful instrument for identifying government spending shocks. Furthermore, we show that the multiplier pertaining to non-defense government spending is higher than the defense-spending multiplier estimated in the literature using military build-ups.
FIRST NEUTRINO POINT-SOURCE RESULTS FROM THE 22 STRING ICECUBE DETECTOR

We present new results of searches for neutrino point sources in the northern sky, using data recorded in 2007–2008 with 22 strings of the IceCube detector (approximately one-fourth of the planned total) and 275.7 days of live time. The final sample of 5114 neutrino candidate events agrees well with the expected background of atmospheric muon neutrinos and a small component of atmospheric muons. No evidence of a point source is found, with the most significant excess of events in the sky at 2. 2σ after accounting for all trials. The average upper limit over the northern sky for point sources of muon–neutrinos with E−2 spectrum is , in the energy range from 3 TeV to 3 PeV, improving the previous best average upper limit by the AMANDA-II detector by a factor of 2.
Studies on elastane-cotton core-spun stretch yarns and fabrics : Part I ─ Yarn characteristics

The present paper reports the interaction effect of elastane stretch, proportion of elastane core and twist multiplier on physical and mechanical properties of stretchable elastane-cotton core-spun yarns. The core component is 78 dtex elastane filament and the sheath consists of cotton. The core-spun yarns are produced in a modified ring frame. A three-variable factorial design technique, proposed by Box & Behnken has been used to study the combined interaction effect of the above variables on various yarn characteristics, like tenacity, breaking elongation, yarn-to-metal friction, elastic recovery and hairiness. It is observed that the above parameters have significant impact on all the yarn characteristics except breaking elongation.
Comparative Analysis of Prickles on Rubus sieboldii (Rosaceae) between Grazed and Ungrazed Areas in Southwestern Shikoku, Japan

Kashima Island (32o57? N, 132o27? E) is a very small island (45.1 ha) in southwestern Shikoku, Japan with a high density (ca. 38.5/km 2 ) of Sika deer ( Cervus nippon ). To examine induced defences of plants against the Sika deer, we conducted morphological analyses of prickles of Rubus sieboldii Blume (Rosaceae) between grazed (Kashima Island) and ungrazed areas (neighbour locations) in southwestern Shikoku. The length and density of prickles on leaves and around stems were measured. The prickles of the plants on Kashima Island were significantly longer and denser than those of the other areas, implying that the increased length and density of prickles were an induced defence of R. sieboldii on Kashima Island.
Is it Just that People with Higher Incomes Can Buy Better Education and Health Care? A Comparison of 17 Countries

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Lindh, A. (2017). Is it Just that People with Higher Incomes Can Buy Better Education and Health Care? A Comparison of 17 Countries. In J. Edlund, I. Bechert, & M. Quandt (Eds.), Social Inequality in the Eyes of the Public: A Collection of Analyses Based on ISSP Data 1987-2009 (pp. 69-80). Köln: GESIS Leibniz-Institut für Sozialwissenschaften. https:// nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-57506-7
The validation process in the ielts reading component: reading requirements for preparing international students

Although IELTS is coordinated under a framework for test development and validation, there is some controversy about exam results’ correlation with students’ post-admission intellectual, academic and professional performance. The theoretical part of the research aims to investigate the extent to which the IELTS reading component relates meaningfully to interpretations of validity. The empirical part addresses questions about perceptions of the impact of the IELTS reading preparation on adjustment to the challenges of academia and further academic performance and variances in these perceptions depending on the area of study and the level of language mastery. While having quite different views on assessing IELTS validity, the researchers agree that academic success is enhanced through and based on extensive substantive reading. The methodology relied on both qualitative and quantitative data derived from an anonymous online questionnaire: 133 international students with Russian citizenship, Global Education Programme (GEP) finalists, participated in the survey in summer 2017. Five different result interpretations were taken into account: overall results, those for sciences and humanities, higher and lower achievers’ results. The discussion is built around test-takers’ opinions on the IELTS exam, the reading component and scores. The issues discussed include, but are not limited to: reading strategies, information sources required at university, tasks effectiveness, exam preparation usefulness to academic adjustment and its influence on academic achievement, its resourcefulness for the formation of linguistic capabilities, and respondents’ perception of extra factors for exam success. Potentially increasing jeopardy of negative washback is shown as an emerging problem. Although test-taking ability is not depicted as a crucially important factor affecting exam success, it is increasingly significant and its harmful effects may be expressed in illusionary higher levels of validity due to visually improved results. Quality preparation for the reading test can train a number of essential skills required in academia; however, preparation itself does not appear to be a significant factor for smoother adjustment to academic challenges, as it is highly dependent on preliminary linguistic background. There is a necessity to communicate broader information to learners through the IELTS handbook, website and other communication channels. EAP tutors should encourage their students to make efforts to cover the subject without framing it within boundaries of measurement, but with a clear understanding of future academic and professional challenges. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Education and Long-Term Unemployment Christelle Garrouste and Kornelia Kozovska

This paper investigates the relationship between education and long-term unemployment when considering regional economic differences and other relevant variables at the individual and at the local level, using data from the 2004-2006 EU-SILC (11 countries). The analysis has been run using both a binary logit model and a binary scobit model. Our results suggest that the probability of an individual to be in long-term unemployment decreases with her educational level. There is a decrease in returns to education after the age of 40, which confirms the assumption of an obsolescence of skills defended in the human capital literature. With regard to the regional settings, younger workers (20-30) and older workers (50-65) tend to benefit more from the dynamics offered by highly competitive regions.
Financial Stress and Economic Activity Relationship In Turkey: Post-2002 Period(Türkiye’de Finansal Stres ve Ekonomik Aktivite İlişkisi: 2002 Sonrasi Dönem)

Global finansal krizin gelismekte olan ulkeler uzerindeki etkileri, gelismis ulkelere gore daha siddetli olmustur. Bu durum kriz sonrasi literaturunun agirlikli olarak finansal sistem stresi uzerinde yogunlasmasina neden olmustur. Dolayisiyla, Turk finansal sistemindeki istikrarsizligin olculmesi ve izlenmesi, olasi stres kaynaklarina yonelik erken bir uyari sistemi saglayarak, dogru politikalarin yurutulmesini kolaylastiracaktir. Bu cercevede calismamizda oncelikle farkli piyasalardaki istikrarsizliklari (hisse senedi ve doviz piyasasi ile bankacilik ve kamu sektoru) kapsayacak sekilde bir finansal stres endeksi olusturulmustur. Calisma sonuclarimiza gore Turkiye’de ilgili donemde finansal stresten ekonomik aktiviteye dogru tek yonlu bir nedensel iliski bulunmaktadir. Hesaplanan etki tepki fonksiyonu ise finansal streste meydana gelen rassal sokun ekonomik aktiviteyi olumsuz etkiledigini ortaya koymustur
Has the Regulation of Non-GAAP Disclosures Influenced Managers’ Use of Aggressive Earnings Exclusions?

The frequency of non-GAAP (or “pro forma”) reporting has continued to increase in the United States over the last decade, despite preliminary evidence that regulatory intervention led to a decline in non-GAAP disclosures. In particular, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and Regulation G (2003) impose strict requirements related to the reporting of non-GAAP numbers. More recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has renewed its emphasis on non-GAAP reporting and declared it a “fraud risk factor. ” Given the SEC’s renewed emphasis on non-GAAP disclosures, we explore the extent to which regulation has curbed potentially misleading disclosures by investigating two measures of aggressive non-GAAP reporting. Consistent with the intent of Congress and the SEC, we find some evidence that managers report adjusted earnings metrics more cautiously in the post-SOX regulatory environment. Specifically, the results suggest that firms reporting non-GAAP earnings in the post-SOX period are less likely to (a) exclude recurring items incremental to those excluded by analysts and (b) use non-GAAP exclusions to meet strategic earnings targets on a non-GAAP basis that they miss based on Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System (I/B/E/S) actual earnings. However, we also find that some firms exclude specific recurring items aggressively. Overall, the results suggest that while regulation has generally reduced aggressive non-GAAP reporting, some firms continue to disclose non-GAAP earnings numbers that could be misleading in the post-SOX regulatory environment.
A Conceptual Exploration of Values Education in the Context of Schooling in South Africa.

This article is based on the assumption that values education has much to offer to a country that is struggling to overcome a fractured moral landscape. Pursuing a modest agenda, the focus of the article is on values and values education in the context of schooling in South Africa. We suggest that debates about what constitutes values and values education raise important philosophical and pedagogical questions about what values are and which values should be prioritized. We contend that it is unlikely that values education will in any significant way meet the expectations of South Africa’s Constitution and its national school curriculum intentions, if it is not underpinned by conceptual clarification of what values are in relation to the role that values education is expected to fulfil in South Africa’s schools. Intended as a conceptual investigation, the article explores different interpretations, tensions and assumptions that confront the notions of values and values education. We suggest that the insights from such a conceptual clarification could provide an appropriate platform not only for a coherent approach to values education, but also for the more effectual transfer and take up of values in schools. We favour a pragmatist conception based on the notion ‘shared goods’ in terms of which values education in schools can lay the basis for dialogical encounters necessary for addressing our country’s diverse and even divergent values orientations. Keywords: conceptual exploration; critical individuation; moral fracture; pragmatist conception; shared goods; socialization; South African schools; values education; values
WORKING PAPER SERIES NO 1440 / JUNE 2012 LIQUIDITY AND CREDIT RISK PREMIA IN GOVERNMENT BOND YIELDS by Jacob Ejsing

This paper quantifies liquidity and credit premia in German and French government bond yields. For this purpose, we estimate term structures of governmentguaranteed agency bonds and exploit the fact that any difference in their yields vis-à-vis government bonds can be attributed to differences in liquidity premia. Adding the information on risk-free rates, we obtain model-free and model-based gauges of sovereign credit premia, which are an important alternative to the information based on CDS markets. The results allow us to quantify the price impact of so-called “safe haven flows”, which strongly affected bond markets in late 2008/early 2009 and again during some phases of the sovereign debt crisis. Thus, we show to what extent these effects disguised the increase of sovereign credit premia in the government yields of core euro area countries.
Relationship between Foreign Direct Investment, Institutional Quality and Macroeconomic Variables

Using a comprehensive panel data analysis of 110 countries over the time span 2002-2012, this study investigates the impact of institutional quality on foreign direct investment (FDI) by categorizing the countries into ‘developed’ and ‘developing’. The result findings related to developed countries show that a single standard deviation change in institutional quality raises FDI by a factor of 0.297 when legal origins are used as instruments. On the other hand, the results for the developing countries demonstrate that institutions do not work endogenously with other types of law that govern a country due to an exogeneity issue associated with weak structure of institutions. Keywords: Foreign Direct Investment; Institutions; Developed and Developing Countries JEL Classification numbers : C23, F21, F23, O10
Optimal Location of Shunt FACTS Devices using Genetic Algorithm for Transmission Line Model

FACTS devices are used for controlling transmission voltage, Power flow, dynamic response and reducing reactive losses in transmission lines. It has been proven that the midpoint of a transmission line is the optimal location for shunt FACTS devices and is based on the simplified line model, which is not valid practically. In this paper, the optimal location of static VAR compensator which is a shunt FACT device has been investigated for both maximum power transfer and stability, considered the actual line model by using Genetic Algorithm. In most of the cases, the faults occurred at source end bus, considered fix load at receiving end. However the optimality changes if fault occurred at load end bus and load is variable. In this paper, fault location at both ends and load variation are considered for searching optimal location of SVC using GA. It is found that the static VAR compensator should be placed slightly off center to get the maximum power. Keywords: Genetic Algorithm, line Compensation, SVC
The Monte Carlo Independent Column Approximation's Conditional Random Noise: Impact on Simulated Climate

Abstract The Monte Carlo Independent Column Approximation (McICA) method for computing domain-average radiative fluxes is unbiased with respect to the full ICA, but its flux estimates contain conditional random noise. Results for five experiments are used to assess the impact of McICA-related noise on simulations of global climate made by the NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM). The experiment with the least noise (an order of magnitude below that of basic McICA) is taken as the reference. Two additional experiments help demonstrate how the impact of noise depends on the time interval between calls to the radiation code. Each experiment is an ensemble of seven 15-month simulations. Experiments with very high noise levels feature significant reductions to cloudiness in the lowermost model layer over tropical oceans as well as changes in highly related quantities. This bias appears immediately, stabilizes after a couple of model days, and appears to stem from nonlinear interactions between clouds and radi.
Bootstrap Inference in Partially Identified Models Defined by Moment Inequalities: Coverage of the Identified Set

This paper introduces a novel bootstrap procedure to perform inference in a wide class of partially identified econometric models. We consider econometric models defined by finitely many weak moment inequalities, -super-2 which encompass many applications of economic interest. The objective of our inferential procedure is to cover the identified set with a prespecified probability. -super-3 We compare our bootstrap procedure, a competing asymptotic approximation, and subsampling procedures in terms of the rate at which they achieve the desired coverage level, also known as the error in the coverage probability. Under certain conditions, we show that our bootstrap procedure and the asymptotic approximation have the same order of error in the coverage probability, which is smaller than that obtained by using subsampling. This implies that inference based on our bootstrap and asymptotic approximation should eventually be more precise than inference based on subsampling. A Monte Carlo study confirms this finding in a small sample simulation. Copyright 2010 The Econometric Society.