Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How a small open economy's asset are priced by heterogeneous international investors

We study how a small open economy’s assets are prices by heterogeneous international investors. We initially decompose the asset pricing issue into separate studies of its two ingredients: the asset’s ex post return and the investors’ stochastic discount factor. The ex post asset return is examined in a small open economy RBC model featuring adjustment cost in investment. We derive an approximate closed-form solution for the ex post asset return using the Campbell (1994) log-linear technique. The international investors’ stochastic discount factor is taken as given by this small open economy. To examine the international investors’ stochastic discount factor, general equilibrium analysis is called in. We do this by setting up a world economy model. In the world economy model, the production side features a world representative firm which produce the world aggregate output consumed as world aggregate consumption; the consumer side features heterogeneous international investors from N countries in a sense that there are exogenous consumption distribution shocks and the price variation across countries. The shock affects the cross-sectional distribution of consumption goods among international investors but won’t affect the world aggregate level. The market stochastic discount factor hence is derived as a function of the world aggregate consumption growth, the world aggregate price growth and the cross-sectional variances and covariance terms of individual consumption growth and price growth. We then derive the closed-form solutions for asset prices by substituting the two ingredients, the asset’s ex post return from small open economy model and the investors’ stochastic discount factor from a general equilibrium world economy model, into the basic asset pricing formulas. Our model generates a risk premium for a small economy’s asset that tends to be low when the global economy is robust and to soar when global economy experiences a downturn. The main reason behind this is our assumption of heterogeneity across international investors. We also study the capital accumulation and capital loss/gain channels and explore their asset pricing implications. Our major finding is: For a small country that conducts fierce capital accumulation, our model predicts that its risk premium will fluctuate less broadly than one that conducts little capital accumulation.
Effects of Radial Electric Field on Zonal Flows Leading to Turbulent Transport Reduction in Fusion Plasmas

Turbulent transport in magnetically-confined fusion plasma has been investigated by the use of large-scale gyrokinetic simulations of turbulent transport, where detailed fluctuations of one-body distribution function are directly solved in the fivedimensional phase-space. In fusion plasmas confined by helical magnetic field, an equilibrium-scale radial electric field is formed in association with the neoclassical transport due to binary collisions of particles. Effects of the radial electric field on zonal flows are studied by means of a newly-extended gyrokinetic Vlasov simulation code, GKV. It is found that the poloidal ExB rotation of helically trapped particles enhances the zonal-flow response which may lead to further reduction of the turbulent transport in helical plasmas. The present result supports a new scenario for anomalous transport reduction proposed by a gyrokinetic theory of zonal flows in helical systems.
Embodied Energy and CO2 Emissions of Widely Used Building Materials: The Ethiopian Context

Buildings use a wide range of construction materials, and the manufacturing of each material consumes energy and emits CO2. Several studies have already been conducted to evaluate the embodied energy and the related CO2 emissions of building materials, which are mainly based on case studies from developed countries. There is a considerable gap in cases of developing countries regarding assessment of embodied energy and CO2 emissions of these building materials. This study identified the top five most used construction materials (cement, sand, coarse aggregates, hollow concrete blocks, and reinforcement bars), which are also prime sources of waste generation during construction in the Ethiopian building construction sector. Then, what followed was the evaluation of the embodied energies and CO2 emissions of these materials by examining five commercial and public buildings within the cradle-to-site lifecycle boundary. The evaluation results demonstrated that cement, hollow concrete blocks (HCB), and reinforcement bars (rebars) are the major consumers of energy and major CO2 emitters. Cumulatively, they were responsible for 94% of the embodied energy and 98% of the CO2 emissions. The waste part of the construction materials has inflated the embodied energy and the subsequent CO2 emissions considerably. The study also recommended several strategies for the reduction of embodied energy and the related CO2 emissions. The research delivers critical insights into embodied energy and CO2 emissions of the five most used building materials in the Ethiopian construction industry, as there are no prior studies on this theme. This might be a cause to arouse awareness and interest among the policy makers and the wider public to clearly understand the importance of research on this crucial issue to develop national energy and CO2 descriptors for construction materials, in order to take care of our naturally endowed, but yet fragile, human habitat.
Top predator and interference competition modify the occurrence and breeding success of a specialist species in a structurally complex forest environment

The three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus favours structurally complex forest biotopes that are also preferred by its predators and competitors. Among them, the goshawk Accipiter gentilis is a top predator that may have a positive indirect effect on the woodpecker by its negative impact on other predators. We studied this predator-prey community in a forest-dominated area of 470 km 2 in southern Finland in 1987-2005 by controlling goshawk occupancy and habitat changes. Goshawk affected densities of bird predators and hole-nesting species and locations of the nest sites of woodpeckers. Goshawk (+) and great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major (-) were significantly associated with density changes and breeding success of three-toed woodpecker. Positive influence of goshawk was correlated with landscape fragmentation that indicates that goshawk could decrease mammalian nest predation on three-toed woodpecker. Territory quality of three-toed woodpecker may be substantially modified by species interactions and be mediated to its population development.
Is Molecular Cloud Turbulence Driven by External Supernova Explosions?

We present high-resolution (∼0.1 pc), hydrodynamical and magnetohydrodynamical simulations to investigate whether the observed level of molecular cloud (MC) turbulence can be generated and maintained by external supernova (SN) explosions. The MCs are formed self-consistently within their large-scale galactic environment following the non-equilibrium formation of H2 and CO, including (self-) shielding and important heating and cooling processes. The MCs inherit their initial level of turbulence from the diffuse ISM, where turbulence is injected by SN explosions. However, by systematically exploring the effect of individual SNe going off outside the clouds, we show that at later stages the importance of SN-driven turbulence is decreased significantly. This holds for different MC masses as well as for MCs with and without magnetic fields. The SN impact also decreases rapidly with larger distances. Nearby SNe (d ∼ 25 pc) boost the turbulent velocity dispersions of the MC by up to 70% (up to a few km s−1). For d > 50 pc, however, their impact decreases fast with increasing d and is almost negligible. For all probed distances the gain in velocity dispersion decays rapidly within a few 100 kyr. This is significantly shorter than the average timescale for an MC to be hit by a nearby SN under solar neighborhood conditions (∼2 Myr). Hence, at these conditions SNe are not able to sustain the observed level of MC turbulence. However, in environments with high gas surface densities and SN rates, like the Central Molecular Zone, observed elevated MC dispersions could be triggered by external SNe.
UNDERLYING FACTORS OF ATTITUDE AND INTENTION TOWARDS KNOWLEDGE SHARING AMONG EMPLOYEES: THE CASE OF THE HOTEL BUSINESS IN AMBON, INDONESIA

Studies into knowledge sharings’ attitudes and intentions, in the context of the hotel industry, have received relatively little attention. This current study is intended to fill that void and contribute to the existing discussion of knowledge sharing studies of hotel businesses. The main objective of the current study is to examine: 1) the effect of extrinsic motivation, absorptive capacity, channel richness and sense of self-worth on people’s attitude towards knowledge sharing, and 2) the effect of people’s attitudes towards knowledge sharing and the intention to share knowledge. The study mainly uses the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as the point of departure to understand the attitude and intention of knowledge sharing. It also proposes six hypotheses. We conducted a survey among 300 employees from various hotels in the city of Ambon, Indonesia. The data are tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) techniques. The findings substantiate theoretical discussions and previous studies. The extrinsic motivation, absorptive capacity, and in-role behaviour have a positive effect on the attitude towards sharing knowledge. In addition, the attitude to knowledge sharing has a positive influence on the intention to share knowledge. Meanwhile, the effect of channel richness and the sense of self-worth on the attitude to knowledge sharing are not supported. The study also provides suggestions for hotel businesses to offer extrinsic rewards and improve their employees’ skills in order to enhance the employees’ absorptive capacities.
Diffuse and steep jumps in steady-state granular flows

The design of civil engineering structures such as protection dams and mitigation walls against the impact of large-scale geophysical flows requires a fundamental knowledge of the underlying physics of granular flows around obstacles. It is now well established that large discontinuities in depth and velocity, namely standing waves, jumps and shocks, can be formed throughout the flowing granular body, at the upstream side of the obstacle. The current paper describes a newly established small-scale laboratory apparatus, a tank feeding a chute, designed for studying in detail the shape of the granular jumps across a wide range of flow conditions. These flow conditions include variation of the input flow rate, chute inclination and basal roughness. The preliminary tests presented here highlight the existence of complex transitions from strong shocks to very diffuse jumps either two or three dimensional in shape, and the possible development of a basal stagnant zone downstream of the jump.
The impact amendment of dairy slurry before

A nine month incubation study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of amending dairy cattle slurry with either alum, lime, poly-aluminum chloride (PAC), or ferric chloride (FeCl 3 ), in reducing water extractable P (WEP) levels in five soils (four mineral and one organic). Alum, lime, and PAC were the most effective amendments in decreasing WEP (compared to a slurry-control) for the four mineral soils (by an average of 47% at the end the 9-month incubation period). In comparison, FeCl 3 increased WEP (compared to the slurry-control) by an average of 35% at the end the study. None of the amendments examined effectively reduced WEP of the organic soil. No amendment reduced soil test P [(Morgan’s P (P m ) and Mehlich-3 P (M3P)] compared to the soil-only treatment. Alum maintained the highest levels of M3P across the four mineral soils with the least risk of P loss to overlying water.
The Impact of Poverty Alleviation Programmes on Economic Growth in Nigeria 1981-2013

This study is aimed at investigating the impact of poverty alleviation programmes on economic growth in Nigeria. Using data covering the period 1981 to 2013. Based on empirical study, it is observed that poverty is multidimensional and its persistence is due to lack of productive resources. The paper notes that successive regimes in Nigeria have been introducing different programmes to alleviate poverty. The Nigerian case reveal that the major constraint to improving the standard of living of the poor is capital (finance). This has restricted their extensive participation in economic activities which could improve their lives. This study therefore adopts the Bounds Testing (Autoregressive Distributed Lag, ARDL) approach to long-run analysis, the result shows that in the short-run PRCEA and PRCESCS contributed positively to changes in RGDP but FD showed negative sign. This means that government expenditure on economic services and per capita expenditure on other social and community services contribute positively in alleviating poverty in Nigeria. While Fiscal Deficit which represents the level of good governance impacts negatively on economic growth, this implies that (FD) does not contribute to alleviating poverty in the short run but does at the long run. However, this paper maintained that continuous improvement and re-structuring of programmes targeted at alleviating poverty through increase in capital expenditure on economic, social and community services and qualitative governance would alleviate poverty in Nigeria.
"The Relationship between Oil Price and Stock Market Index: An Empirical Study from Kuwait"

This study attempts to empirically examine the dynamic relationship between Oil Price and Kuwait’s Stock Market Index. The study applied Markov Switching Model to investigate the regime shifts between Lowand High volatility regimes using monthly data from January 2005 to September 2015. The study found that Stock Market Index reacts differently to changes in Oil Price in different regimes. During high volatility regime, there is a positive and significant relationship between Oil Price and Stock Market Index. On the other hand, in the low volatility regime there is no relationship between Oil Price and Stock Market Index. The study also identified four transition episodes of high volatility during (2005M04-06M01, 2006M04-06M06, 2008M1009M08, 2013M05-13M09). The results of the study could be used by policy makers to reduce the negative effect of Oil Price on the Stock Markets in the GCC region.
DEVELOPING EFL LEARNERS ’ COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE THROUGH MULTIMEDIA-ASSISTED LANGUAGE LEARNING

The purpose of this study is to explore ways how to develop English as a foreign language learners’ communicative competence through the use of multimedia-assisted language instruction. This paper tries to explore the impact of using authentic multimedia and effective instructional strategies in order to motivate university students’ English language learning. This study also tried to find out students’ perception and attitudes toward engaging in multimedia-assisted language learning materials and classroom activities for their English study. This paper investigates how the utilization of multimedia and technology-enhanced instructional strategies can foster learner motivation and autonomy in their EFL learning. This study first explains the notion of communicative competence which has been derived from the paradigm of communicative language teaching and then portrays how the integration of multimedia-enhanced language learning resources and instructional strategies can support university students to develop their communicative competence and integrated four English skills, especially presentation skills. In this study, EFL university students responded that they could develop their English communicative competence while they were engaging in the multimedia-assisted language learning. Participants of this study expressed that language learning materials using multimedia were very entertaining and informative for their English study. They evaluated their English learning experience through the use of multimedia as effective and motivating. The result of this study revealed that authentic multimodal English language learning materials and classroom activities using multimedia could be served as motivating factors to improve English as a foreign language learners’ communicative competence as well as to boost their English language learning motivation and autonomous learning experience.
FORECASTING CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS: A DECADE REVIEW

Analyses and forecasts of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is one of the key requirements to educate people about the issues of clean and healthy environment. Various methods have been proposed to forecast CO2 emissions. This paper reviews the literature of the methods for the forecasting as well as estimatingCO2 emissions. Related articles appearing in the international journals from 2003 to 2013 were gathered and analysed to find the answers for these two questions: (i) Which methods were prevalently applied? (ii) Which factors were regularly been investigated? Based on the overall observations on the journal articles some improvements and possible future works are recommended. This research not only provides evidence that the artificial intelligence methods are the most favour methods, but also aids the researchers and policy makers in applying the methods effectively.
Modelling the effect of boundary scavenging on Thorium and Protactinium profiles in the ocean

Abstract. The "boundary scavenging" box model is a cornerstone of our understanding of the particle-reactive radionuclide fluxes between the open ocean and the ocean margins. However, it does not describe the radionuclide profiles in the water column. Here, I present the transport-reaction equations for radionuclides transported vertically by reversible scavenging on settling particles and laterally by horizontal currents between the margin and the open ocean. Analytical solutions of these equations are compared with existing data. In the Pacific Ocean, the model produces "almost" linear 230Th profiles (as observed in the data) despite lateral transport. However, omitting lateral transport biaises the 230Th based particle flux estimates by as much as 50%. 231Pa profiles are well reproduced in the whole water column of the Pacific Margin and from the surface down to 3000 m in the Pacific subtropical gyre. Enhanced bottom scavenging or inflow of 231Pa-poor equatorial water may account for the model-data discrepancy below 3000 m. The lithogenic 232Th is modelled using the same transport parameters as 230Th but a different source function. The main source of the 232Th scavenged in the open Pacific is advection from the ocean margin, whereas a net flux of 230Th produced in the open Pacific is advected and scavenged at the margin, illustrating boundary exchange. In the Arctic Ocean, the model reproduces 230Th measured profiles that the uni-dimensional scavenging model or the scavenging-ventilation model failed to explain. Moreover, if lateral transport is ignored, the 230Th based particle settling speed may by underestimated by a factor 4 at the Arctic Ocean margin. The very low scavenging rate in the open Arctic Ocean combined with the enhanced scavenging at the margin accounts for the lack of high 231Pa/230Th ratio in arctic sediments.
Energy Enhancement of Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector Routing Protocol for Maximum Lifetime in MANET

Nowadays, Mobile Ad hoc NETwork (MANET) becomes more used in many domains. Nevertheless, it still suffers from various types of restrictions. Among these restrictions, and the biggest one is the energy consumption. The classical routing protocols proposed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), in its establishment of the routes, searches for the shortest path in terms of the number of hops, while they not take on consideration the energy level or the lifetime of the intermediate nodes. In this paper, we propose a solution called Enhanced Energy-AODV (EE-AODV), which is an enhancement of the Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol. In our proposed protocol, we have added the energy consumption among the selection criteria of the AODV routing protocol in order to obtain a sufficient result in terms of the connectivity and the lifetime of the network. Simulation results show that EE-AODV outperforms AODV by reducing significantly the energy dissipation, also certain parameters affected by the energy issue like Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) and Normalized Routing Load (NRL).
Agricultural Academy THE EFFECT OF PHOSPHORUS SOLUBILISING BACTERIA ON SPRING AND AUTUMN CHICKPEA YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS UNDER SUPPLEMENTAL IRRIGATION CONDITION

Edalatjo, R. , M. Mirzaeiheydari and A. Maleki, 2017. The effect of phosphorus solubilising bacteria on spring and autumn chickpea yield and yield components under supplemental irrigation condition. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 23 (5):
EFFECT OF RESIDUAL AND STRAW FOR THREE PRECEDING CROPS ON GROWTH , YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF WHEAT UNDER DIFFERENT NITROGEN FERTILIZER LEVELS

Two field experiments were conducted at Etay El-Baroud Experimental Station in El-Beheira Governorate, during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons, to investigate the effect of maize, soybean and sunflower as preceding crops and their residual effects, as well as the effect of some straw treatments on growth yield and its components of wheat CV. Sakha 94) under three rates of nitrogen fertilizer, i. e, 50, 70 and 90 kg/fed. The results of this investigation could be summarized as follows: 1-The results indicated that all studied characters of wheat were significantly affected by the preceding summer crops except, plant height, number of spikes/m, grain weight/spike and 1000 kernel weight which did not affected by the preceding crops. The data showed that sunflower as a preceding crop left good residual effect on wheat plant which gave the highest values for all studied characters. 2-With respect to straw treatments of the preceding summer crops, the results showed that the differences between these treatments had significant effect on each of number of spikes/plant, grain yield/plant; grains weight/m and grain yield/fed. The date showed that chopping and scouring straw of the preceding crop into soil did not improve yield and its components of wheat compared to that of without chopping and scouring (control). 3-Only each of grain yield/plant, grains weight/m and grain yield/fed. as well as straw yield/fed. were significantly affected by nitrogen fertilizer levels, and wheat plant, gave the highest values of yield/plant, grains weight/m and grain yield/fed. when plants fertilized by 70 kg nitrogen /fed. while, straw yield showed the highest value when wheat plants fertilizer by 90 kg nitrogen/fed. 4-The results indicated that the interaction between preceding crops and straw treatments had significant effect on each of number of spikes/plant, yield/m, grain yield/plant and grain yield/fed. , interaction between preceding crops and fertilizer levels had significant effect, on grain yield/plant and grain yield/fed. on the other hand, the interaction between straw and fertilizer levels showed significant effect on number of spikes/plant while, the interaction between preceding crops, straw treatments and nitrogen fertilizer levels affected significantly on 1000 kernel weight.