Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of educational self-regulation strategies and cognitive failures in students afflicted with dysgraphia and normal students

This study seeks to compare educational self-regulatory strategies and cognitive failures in students afflicted with dysgraphia and normal students. This research is a comparative study based upon the case-witness methodology. The research study of this study included all the male students between 9 to 12 years old with and without dysgraphia disorder in Tehran in the academic year 2014-15. The subjects of the study included 30 male students between 9 to 12 with dysgraphia disorder in Tehran selected through multistep cluster sampling and 30 normal students selected based on the cloning method (in terms of age, educational base, soci-economic status). Selfregulation in learning and cognitive failure questionnaires were used to collect data. The results of the MANCOVA multivariable analysis indicated a significant difference between the two groups of the students in terms of selfregulatory learning and cognitive failures (P<0.001). We may conclude that students afflicted with dysgraphia have higher levels of distraction and problems associated with memory which are often ignored in school. On the other hand, self-regulatory management as a key factor plays a major role in the educational success of kids, adolescents
National Centre of Competence in Research Financial Valuation and Risk Management Working Paper No . 626 Credit Supply and Corporate Policies Erwan Morellec First

This paper develops a model of corporate investment and financing decisions that differs from previous contributions by recognizing that firms face uncertainty regarding their future access to credit markets and may have to search for creditors when raising debt financing. We show that accounting for credit supply uncertainty is critical in understanding corporate policy choices and use the model to explain a key set of stylized facts in corporate finance. Notably, our model provides an explanation for the conservative debt policy puzzle. The model also explains why firms may appear to time the market when issuing common stock. Finally, the model explains why negative shocks to the supply of credit may hamper investment even if firms have enough financial slack to fund all profitable investment opportunities internally.
Effects of Light Component and Water Stress on Photosynthesis of Amazon Rainforests During the 2015/2016 El Niño Drought

Whether enhanced sunshine increases photosynthesis in Amazon rainforests during drought is unclear. Here we used a light component‐based two‐leaf‐photosynthesis model, driven with climate data and satellite vegetation data, to inspect the controlling mechanisms among climate factors on gross primary production (GPP) during the 2015/2016 El Niño drought event. We found that simulated GPP and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer enhanced vegetation index indicated an Amazonian “browning” and not a “green up” during the 2015/2016 El Niño year relative to the 2011–2014 interval. The result shows that, along with intensified sunlight, diffuse sunlight and diffuse fraction as well as canopy light use efficiency decreased, which further produced a decreased potential GPP* (determined by light components and leaf area index of shaded and sunlit leaves). The decreased GPP* and drought‐induced water stress jointly reduced canopy photosynthesis of Amazon rainforests during the 2015/2016 drought. The light component variations caused a reduction in GPP but with a magnitude inferior to the GPP reduction from water stress. These findings suggest that intensified sunlight did not enhance photosynthesis of Amazon rainforests and highlight the important role of light components in interannual and seasonal variations of photosynthesis in Amazon rainforests.
Bringing teaching back in: The Norwegian NOU The school of the future in light of the Allgemeine Didaktik theory of Wolfgang Klafki

This paper discusses possible knowledge-related challenges in the Norwegian NOU report, entitled The school of the future (2015), in light of the Allgemeine Didaktik theory of Wolfgang Klafki. Why German Didaktik is relevant to the development of future-oriented curriculum theory is firstly explained in relation to the future prospects and concepts of knowledge recently theorised by Michael Young and colleagues. Klafki’s concepts of material-, formal- and categorical Bildung are used to analyse the epistemology inherent in the NOU report’s vision of the curriculum. The paper finds that the main knowledge-related challenge in the report is the subordination of content knowledge to competences, creating a risk of the dominance of formal aspects of Bildung, which can devalue knowledge, and lead to elitism and deprofessionalisation.
Non-use of Janani Avam Bal Suraksha Yojana in a district of Bihar: ensuring safe deliveries needs strategy modification

Background: India’s Janany Surakhsha Yojana (JSY) is the largest conditional cash transfer (CCT) program in the world in terms of the number of beneficiaries - covering about 9·5 million (36%) of 26 million women giving birth in India. Eleven States/UTs including Bihar, are still below the National estimate for institutional delivery of 78.9% (NFHS 4). In this study we attempted to find out the status of institutional and home deliveries in district Arwal of Bihar and reasons why in spite of cash incentives a proportion of mothers are opting for home delivery.Methods: A cross sectional descriptive design was used to interview 407 women, who had given birth to a child in previous one year. Focuss group discussions was held with community and health staff to corroborate the interview data.Results: Fifty nine percent of mothers were found to have preferred home delivery over institutional one. Reasons which came to light were home deliveries are cheaper (24.1%), unawareness about JSY (22%), unavailability of transport to reach hospital (22%) and better care being taken at home delivery (20.1%) variables. Older age, having a BPL card, and literacy of husband were found as favoring institutional delivery whereas dissatisfaction during a previous abortion or a livebirth in hospital were both associated with non-use.Conclusions: Better client awareness, strengthening of public health infrastructure, availability of skilled birth attendants at health subcentres (HSCs) and emergency transport in time can reduce number of home deliveries and lead to success of JBSY programme and subsequent reduction in maternal morbidity and mortality.
A comparison between classes of perturbations allowed by some robust stability conditions

Some classical robust stability conditions for continuoustime linear time-invariant systems are analyzed by comparing the families of perturbed systems whose stabilization through a given compensator is guaranteed by each of them. Some properties of such families are formally derived, and some very simple examples are presented in order to clarify such properties and comparisons.
Contrasting development of declining and living larch-spruce stands after a disturbance event: A case study from the High Tatra Mts.

Abstract The decline of spruce stands caused by bark beetle outbreaks is a serious economic and ecological problem of forestry in Slovakia. In the preceding period, the decline affected mainly secondary spruce forests. Over the last decade, due to large bark-beetle outbreaks this problem has been observed also in natural spruce forests, even at high elevations. We dealt with this issue in a case study of short-term development of larch-spruce stands in the High Tatras (at a site called Štart). We compared the situation in the stand infested by bark beetles several years after the wind-throw in 2004 with the stand unaffected by bark beetles. We separately analysed the development of the mature (parent) stands and the regeneration. The results indicated that forest decline caused by bark beetles significantly depended on the stand structure (mainly tree species composition), which affected the period of stand disintegration. Mortality of spruce trees slowed down biomass accumulation (and thus carbon sequestration) in the forest ecosystem. In the new stand, pioneer tree species dominated (in the conditions of the High Tatras it is primarily rowan), although their share in the parent stand was negligible. The results showed different trends in the accumulation of below-ground and above-ground biomass in the declined and living stands. In the first years after the stand decline, rowan accumulated significantly more biomass than the main tree species, i.e. spruce. The reverse situation was under the surviving stand, where spruce trees accumulated more biomass than rowan. The different share of spruce and pioneer tree species, mainly rowan, affected the ratio between fixed (in woody parts of trees) and rotating (in foliage) carbon in the undergrowth. Forest die-back is a big source of carbon emissions from dead individuals, and the compensation of these losses in the form of carbon sequestration by future stands is a matter of several decades.
Aspects of Sustainability in the Destination Branding Process: A Bottom-up Approach

The concept of sustainability is based on the premise that the inhabitants of a destination should be involved in the way that destination is managed and promoted. At the same time, the literature of place branding emphasizes the important role of local stakeholders in the creation of a true and reliable place brand. In fact, the process of developing a destination brand begins with the aim of shaping the identity of a destination; what the destination stands for. The sustainable dimensions of the destination branding process are explored, while focus groups and structured questionnaires are used to evaluate the usefulness of projection techniques in the process of building a brand identity. It seems that the use of the personification technique could work as an effective destination positioning exercise and as an alternative proposal to the outdated clichés used in tourism promotion.
Nuclear density gauge compaction testing alternatives: synthesis and critical analysis

ABSTRACT The costs of training, licensing and security for agencies using the nuclear density gauge (NDG) have become increasingly onerous for public engineering agencies, leading them to seek less expensive alternatives to conduct compaction testing. The study focused on three comparators: difference in approaches between tested devices and methods, the setting of targets for modulus stiffness devices and the examination of reported accuracy and reliability. This paper’s objective is to summarize the reported results for each alternative and provide the details of the findings. The paper finds that previous research has been almost exclusively focused on laboratory testing and is nearly devoid of authoritative information on field test performance parameters such as repeatability and time to complete a field test. It concludes that research is needed that includes a broad set of testing methods and equipment on the same set of soil conditions. The paper’s primary contribution is to consolidate and critically analyze the results of the current compaction testing research and benchmark the state-of-the-practice in field compaction testing. This paper does provide comparisons without intent to identify a “best” alternative because each device is adapted to specific soil conditions. Testing agencies may require differing devices based on budget, manpower and training.
Are we modelling impacts of climatic change properly?

Climatic change affects virtually every natural system on Earth,from the water cycle, sea levels, and ocean circulation to the pro-ductivity of natural and agricultural systems, and the abundanceand survival of plant and animal species. Therefore, it is inﬂuenc-ing human welfare, through changes in supply of and demand forwater, food and energy, and leads to a loss of life and property.These effects on natural and human systems mean that the climaticchange debate is directly related to the sustainability of the cur-rent socio-economic and environmental systems. The argument asto the connection is simple: because human welfare and ecologicalwell-being are interdependent, and the concerns of both present andfuture generations are equally important, failing to address climaticchange adequately may be disastrous for our current way of life,and will almost certainly be disastrous for our children’s (Gibson,2002). Climate modelling using general circulation models or globalclimate models (GCMs) offers the best approach to understand-ing the physical climate system, and indeed the entire naturalEarth system (McGufﬁe and Henderson-Sellers, 1997). Earth-systemmodels of intermediate complexity (EMICs) make clear that feed-backs exist both within particular system components (atmosphere,oceans, cryosphere, land surface, and biosphere) and between them(Claussen
Assessment of the knowledge and use of pesticides by the tomato farmers in Mwea Region, Kenya

Current cultivation of vegetables to meet food security standards requires the use of pesticides which reduce losses from pests and diseases. A cross-sectional survey for pesticides use in tomato farms was conducted in Mwea, Kenya to assess the practices and constraints faced by the farmers. Gender, level of education, the use of pesticides in farms, experience in tomato farming, list of common pesticides, periodicity of pesticides spray in farms, approximate last day for pesticides spray, reason for pre-harvest period and pesticides spray in post-harvest time were investigated. Results revealed that, 90% farmers were men and 10% were females; 38.5% and other 38.5% attended primary and ordinary schools; 15 and 4% had advance and university levels. About 69% of respondents knew pesticides through other farmers; 31% through agrovets, extension officers and agricultural experts. Around 56% farmers knew the names of pesticides through other farmers, 44% got them from agrovets, agricultural officers and chemical companies. About 98% respondents use pesticides approved by government, 96.2% listed each between 2 and 11 names of pesticides mostly used in tomato farming. Almost 93% spray pesticides once a week in farms and 76.9% observe at least 7 days for the pre-harvest period. Relatedly, 84.8% assert that waiting for the pre-harvest time is the culture of farmers in the region. Surprisingly, 6% spray pesticides in the post-harvest period, while 84.6% assert that the pre-harvest moment is to avoid pesticides in post-reap. Although key questions found good answers from farmers, the quality of their knowledge is limited, shows missing information and needs reinforcement. Agrovets appear as the legal authority and act as key informants for most farmers. Most farmers rely on other farmers or agrovets-displacing the low or nonexistent contribution of agricultural extension officers. Capacity building and periodic updates for agrovets and farmers are required. Key words: Pre-harvest, pesticides, organizational, awareness, appropriation, harmonization.
HUMAN-CENTRED EARLY PROTOTYPES OF CONSUMER PRODUCTS: INSIGHTS FROM HCI

In the paper a point of view on the prototyping activity in the engineering design process is provided. The discussion is focused on early prototypes since they play a key role in determining the rejection or approval of an idea. What is the specific design dimension the prototype should render according to the interested audience? What is the right prototyping technique to use? The authors answer to these questions combining the insights derived by their experience on virtual prototyping and the ones coming from the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) community.
The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS): which factor structure?

Introduction : The Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) is used to assess the perception of one’s own profession and the relationship of that profession to others. A number of models of the IEPS exist within the literature. Objective : The aim of the present study was to explore the most appropriate factor structure of the IEPS in an Australian health profession student and clinical educator population. Method : The IEPS was completed online. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using the Maximum Likelihood Estimation method was employed for the analysis. The data were entered into each of the 4 IEPS models identified in the literature. Result : Data did not adequately fit any of the models identified in the literature. Two of the models described in the literature appeared to be stronger than that proposed by the original IEPS authors. Conclusion : Further research using both CFA and item response theory is required to improve the psychometrics of the IEPS.
Manufacturing and Characterization of Jute/PP Thermoplastic Commingled Composite

The commingled technology is a promising technique for the manufacture of composites reinforced with natural fibers. This study presents the development, processing and basic characterization of a long fiber Jute/Polypropylene (Jute/PP) commingled composite. The Jute/PP fabric was produced in a handloom and the composite was consolidated by compression molding. The PP matrix was chemically and thermally characterized to certify its chemical composition and define its melting and crystallization temperatures. The degradation behavior of jute fibers was also studied by Friedman’s kinetic isoconversional model using thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The mechanical properties of jute reinforcement and Jute/PP composite were characterized by tensile strength tests and by fractographic study of the fracture surfaces. Its tensile strength (44.62±6.02 MPa) and elasticity modulus (7.10±2.34 GPa) are approximate to the ones obtained by other processing techniques, suggesting that the developed commingled process can work as a low cost and practical alternative methodology for manufacturing of more sustainable composites in industries.
The Forgotten Sons of the State: The Social and Political Positions of Former Government Soldiers in Post-War Mozambique

This article shows that 21 years after the signing of the peace accords, the Mozambican state continues to struggle with the social and political niche of the more than 90,000 demobilized soldiers. The article departs from the observation that the memory construction of the past liberation and civil war done by the FRELIMO government was highly influential in creating and sharpening categories of veterans, determining which "type" of veteran has access to privileged resources and which is excluded. Based on ethnographic fieldwork, the problematic relationship between ex-combatants of the government army and the Mozambican government is explored. For veterans, this relationship is characterized by frustration, hope, patrimonialism and the use of the threat of violence. This plays out in negotiations involving material aspects (particularly pensions), but also symbolic aspects of being regarded as worthy veterans.
Mg/Ca ratios in the planktonic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) in the northern North Atlantic/Nordic Seas

In core top samples in the Nordic Seas, Mg/Ca ratios of N. pachyderma (sin.) are generally consistent with previous high‐latitude calibration data but do not reflect the modern calcification temperature gradient from 2°C in the northwest to 8°C in the southeast. This is because Mg/Ca ratios in foraminiferal shells from the central Nordic Seas are ∼0.4 mmol/mol higher than expected from calibrations of Nürnberg (1995) and Elderfield and Ganssen (2000). The enhanced Mg/Ca ratios are observed in an area with low sedimentation rates (<∼5 cm/kyr). Possible factors that may cause this include bioturbation, Holocene variability in old core tops, dissolution, pore water chemistry, occurrence of volcanic ash, and other natural variability. The enhanced foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios in areas of the Nordic Seas and the northern North Atlantic may also be linked with secondary factors related to the presence of fresher and colder water masses, possibly combined with pore water chemistry in low‐sedimentation areas differing from high‐sedimentation areas.
Multiwavelength flux variations induced by stellar magnetic activity: effects on planetary transits

Stellar magnetic activity is a source of noise in the study of the transits of extrasolar planets. It induces flux variations that significantly affect the transit depth determination and the derivations of planetary and stellar parameters. Furthermore, the colour dependence of stellar activity may significantly influence the characterization of planetary atmospheres. Here we present a systematic approach to quantify the corresponding stellar flux variations as a function of wavelength bands. We consider a star with spots covering a given fraction of its disc and model the variability in both the UBVRIJHK photometric system and the Spitzer/IRAC wavebands for dwarf stars from G to M spectral types. We compare activity-induced flux variations in different passbands with planetary transits and quantify how they affect the determination of the planetary radius and the analysis of the transmission spectroscopy in the study of planetary atmospheres. We suggest that the monitoring of the systems by using broad-band photometry, from visible to infrared, helps us to constrain activity effects. The ratio of the relative variations in the stellar fluxes at short wavelength optical bands (e.g., U or B) to near-infrared ones (e.g., J or K) can be used to distinguish starspot brightness dips from planetary transits in a stellar light curve. In addition to the perturbations in the measurement of the planetary radius, we find that starspots can affect the determinations of both the relative semimajor axis and the inclination of the planetary orbit, which have a significant impact on the derivation of the stellar density from the transit light curves.
COMPARISON OF ALPHA-ELEMENT-ENHANCED SIMPLE STELLAR POPULATION MODELS WITH MILKY WAY GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

We present simple stellar population (SSP) models with scaled-solar and α-element-enhanced abundances. The SSP models are based on the Dartmouth Stellar Evolution Database, our library of synthetic stellar spectra, and a detailed systematic variation of horizontal-branch (HB) morphology with age and metallicity. In order to test the relative importance of a variety of SSP model ingredients, we compare our SSP models with integrated spectra of 41 Milky Way globular clusters (MWGCs) from Schiavon et al. Using the Mg b and Ca4227 indices, we confirm that Mg and Ca are enhanced by about +0.4 and +0.2 dex, respectively, in agreement with results from high-resolution spectra of individual stars in MWGCs. Balmer lines, particularly Hγ and Hδ, of MWGCs are reproduced by our α-enhanced SSP models not only because of the combination of isochrone and spectral effects but also because of our reasonable HB treatment. Moreover, it is shown that the Mg abundance significantly influences Balmer and iron line indices. Finally, the investigation of power-law initial mass function (IMF) variations suggests that an IMF much shallower than Salpeter is unrealistic because the Balmer lines are too strong on the metal-poor side to be compatible with observations.
A New Approach for Interpreting Long-Run Returns, Applied to IPO and SEO Stocks

In this paper, we introduce a new approach for interpreting long-run returns; which we then test on IPOs and SEOs in Denmark. We demonstrate that by decomposing the mean and volatility components of the expected crosssectional buy-and-hold returns, we can improve the interpretation of long-run returns. Using a traditional method, we found that after five years the buyand-hold returns of IPO and SEO stocks underperformed the market by 27.3 percent and 21.4 percent, respectively. By applying the new approach we found that after five years the same stocks underperformed by 43.7 percent and 38.1 percent. Although underperformance has long been documented in the empirical literature, we found that the underperformance is larger than previously documented. c 2005 Peking University Press