Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Language Proficiency, Motivation and Affect among Japanese University EFL Learners Focusing on Early Language Learning Experience

This study presents a cross-sectional study of language proficiency using TOEFL-IPT, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, future possible selves, language learning orientation, Can-Do (listening/speaking, reading/writing), international posture, and willingness to communicate in L2 (L2WTC) to identify overall tendencies among Japanese University EFL learners. Around November of the year 2012 – 2013, 2,665 freshman-year university students took TOEFL-ITP and answered a questionnaire. The study was conducted: (1) to investigate how students’ language learning experience relates to language proficiency, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, future L2 self, Can-Do, international posture and L2WTC, (2) to identify different groups of learner characteristics in language learning and to compare differences in these groups in students with and without childhood experience in terms of language proficiency, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, future L2 self and other affective factors. The study found that students with childhood experience in language learning showed higher motivation, future L2 self, Can-Do, international posture, L2WTC as well as higher language proficiency as assessed upon entering the university.
Some Aspects of the Biology of Highfin Spotted Catfish Parauchenoglanis altipinnis (Boulenger, 1911) in Ogbese River, Southwest, Nigeria

Biology of Parauchnoglanis altipinnis (Boulenger, 1911) including length-weight relationship, condition factor, sex ratio and the fecundity were studied. Fishing methods employed for the collection of the 240 specimens used were gillnetting and cast netting. The total lengths ranged from 12.8 to 18.5 cm and the body weights ranged from 28.0 to 75.9 g. The predictive equation was log W = -1.15 + 2.35 Log L indicating negative allometric growth of the fishes in Ogbese river. The mean condition factor obtained was 1.18. Male to female ratio of 1:1.07 was established. Fecundity estimates ranged from 492 to 6397 eggs with lengths 14.5 cm to 17.6 cm per female fish respectively, and had a direct relationship with increase in fish size. The mean gonadosomatic index (GSI) for male was 0.52% and female was 14.15%. Highfin spotted catfish is one of the cherished food fish for poor people in Nigeria hence, its study is important and essential. This baseline data on aspects of the biology of P. altipinnis will contribute to the studies on the indigenous fish species in Nigeria.
Price Discovery in the Absence of Trading: A Look at the Malta Stock Exchange Pre-opening Period

This paper studies the contribution of the pre-opening period to the daily price discovery process and the factors that impacts the return generated over this period for six stocks traded on the Malta Stock Exchange. We utilise both the weighted price contribution (WPC) method and the Wang and Yang (2009) extension of the Hasbrouck (1995) information share (IS) measure applicable to sequentially trading periods. We determine the information content of the order book by measuring the impact of the relative depth and height in the overnight and opening order book and changes to the relative depth and height during the pre-opening attributable to order submissions and alterations. We find that approximately one third of daily price discovery is attributable to the preopening period. The results indicates that the impact of relative depth and height of the overnight and opening order book on opening are concentrated at the top of the order book. Furthermore, cumulative changes to the relative depth attributable to order submissions during the pre-opening most significantly impact the opening returns of less active stocks. However, we find a strong relationship between opening returns and changes in the relative height along the order book attributable to order submissions, cancellations and forward and backward price revisions over the pre-opening period.
Current Mortars in Conservation: An Overview

Renders are an important item in historical buildings and the need for their peri­ odical re-application is a basic conservation procedure. In modern times there has been a trend towards the replacement of traditional pure lime mortars by new formulations including Portland cement or hydraulic lime. Apart from those inter­ ventions on specific and very important monuments, in which the use oftraditional non-hydraulic mortars can be enforced, in most of the projects involving less than first order magnitude heritage the use of some sort of hydraulic components is becoming the rule rather than the exception. The present paper describes and analyses the results of an experimental study with ten formulations of current mortars - including some that can hardly be considered as adequate conservation procedures - allowing a direct comparison in terms of some of the most relevant characteristics.
The breadth and depth of the impact of the current financial crisis raise concerns about spillover across financial markets around the world. A set of appropriate measures to assess the degree of co-movement of financial assets

In this paper, we assess the interdependence between equity markets in the EMEAP region and the US, and across the EMEAP markets using two indicators, namely the dynamic conditional correlation and the spillover index. These indicators show that equity market interdependence has increased steadily since early 2006, and rose sharply following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers in September 2008. We also test for the existence of contagion, and find no significant evidence of contagion between equity markets in the US and the EMEAP region. On the other hand, intra-regional contagion is found to be more significant, suggesting that investors may have treated the regional markets indiscriminately when facing common external shocks. JEL Classification Numbers: G01, G15, G12
Effect of Natural Flavouring Agents and Storage Conditions on Physicochemical Properties and Viability of Probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria Incorporated into Tigernut-Milk Drink

Tigernut drink is an energetic, diuretic, whitish beverage rich in nutrients and minerals prepared using tigernut tubers [1,2]. It is considered as a medicinal drink. Tigernut drink can be used to develop a yoghurt-like product [3,4]. A good yoghurt is an example of a probiotic product. Tigernut drink can be subjected to spontaneous fermentation by its natural flora [5]. Using tigernut extract, [6] was able to produce probiotic yoghurt. Commercially, the production of yoghurt involves a ready-to-use starter culture of lactic acid bacteria. In many countries, packaged probiotic products are popular but traditionally fermented products is the major source of probiotics in Nigeria [7]. Yoghurt of different flavours such as vanilla, strawberry etc. is readily available as a variety to traditional sour tasty yoghurt [8-10]. Many flavouring agents added to yoghurt are chemically synthesized which has lower nutritive value compared to natural flavouring agents such as ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) which also has therapeutic benefits [11-13]. Spices are easily identified by its aromatic or strong taste [14]. Adding spices to beverages improves taste. It also adds flavour and aroma. Spices can function as a food preservative by inhibiting growth of some spoilage microbes. Adding spices as flavouring agent to probiotic tigernut drink and storage conditions such as refrigerated storage temperature can affect the viability of probiotic lactic acid bacteria in probiotic yoghurt [15-17]. The level of activity of LAB in the tigernut drink is indicated by physicochemical parameters such as lactic acid produced, pH and TTA in addition to LAB count [15]. Shelf life studies of edible products involves monitoring total heterotrophic bacterial count in the product among other parameters considering standards set by relevant regulatory bodies [18]. Although a universally acceptable minimum of biovalue (MBV) of viable probiotic microbial cells in a probiotic product had not been adopted, the food industry recommends 1x106cfu ml-1. Daily dose of about 3-5 billion live Abstract
Mathematical Modeling of Liquid-Feed Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

A two-phase, multicomponent model has been developed for liquid-feed direct methanol fuel cells ~DMFC! In addition to the anode and cathode electrochemical reactions, the model considers diffusion and convection of both gas and liquid phases in the backing layers and flow channels. In particular, the model fully accounts for the mixed potential effect of methanol oxidation at the cathode as a result of methanol crossover caused by diffusion, convection, and electro-osmosis. This comprehensive model is solved numerically using computational fluid dynamics. The transport phenomena and electrochemical kinetics in a liquid-feed DMFC are delineated and the effects of the methanol feed concentration on cell performance are explored. The model is validated against DMFC experimental data with reasonable agreement. The void fraction at the anode outlet is found to be as high as 95% at a cell current density of 0.45 A/cm 2 for a7c m longchannel. Increase in methanol feed concentration leads to a slight decrease in cell voltage and a proportional increase in the mass-transport limiting current density for a methanol concentration below 1 M. However, when the methanol feed concentration is larger than 2 M, the cell voltage is greatly reduced by excessive methanol crossover and the maximum current density begins to be limited by the oxygen supply at the cathode. The oxygen depletion results from excessive parasitic oxygen consumption by methanol crossing over.
Simultaneous Material Type Classification And Mapping Data Acquisition Using A Laser Range Finder

This paper presents a method for single sensor simultaneous derivation of three-dimensional mapping data and material type data for use in an autonomous sandblasting system. A Hokuyo laser range finder's firmware has been modified so that it returns intensity data. A range error and return intensity analyzing algorithm allows the material type of the sensed object to be determined from a set of known materials. Empirical results have demonstrated the system's ability to classify material type (under alignment and orientation constraints) from a set of known materials common to sandblasting environments (wood, concrete, metals with different finishes and cloth/fabric) and to successfully classify objects both when static and when fitted to an in-motion 6-DOF anthropomorphic robotic arm. Keywords-component; Laser Range Finder, Three-dimensional Mapping, Material Type, Classification
Measuring the Effects of Lean Manufacturing Systems on Financial Accounting Metrics Using Data Envelopment Analysis

Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing, also known as Lean Manufacturing, provides a strategy by which firms may improve their financial performance. Which indicators, in the form of conventional ratios derived from a firm’s financial statements, are truly made more favorable as a result of lean manufacturing systems is well documented. However, the use of conventional financial ratios, as input into parametric test procedures intended to highlight changes in manufacturing performance, may limit the extent of the analysis, and assumes the ratios are constructed from multivariate normal distributions. This study examines the effect of lean manufacturing implementation on the financial performance of 18 different firms using a technique referred to as data envelopment analysis (DEA). DEA is a linear programming technique that allows assessment of the efficiency of an operating unit, and may be a useful alternative to conventional ratio analysis due to its affording simultaneous examination of multiple inputs and outputs. The analyses include significance testing of DEA performance rating changes as a result of lean manufacturing implementation, a comparison of the implications of the DEA output to that of corresponding financial ratios, and tests for normality of the parameters studied. in
The Decision to Repress: An Integrative Theoretical Approach to the Research on Human Rights and Repression

Scholars have recently given considerable attention to finding why repression and human rights abuses occur. Drawing hypotheses from a wide variety of theories, they have succeeded in achieving an additive cumulation (Zinnes 1976) of empirical findings on why variations in these abuses occur. In this paper I improve theory development on these phenomena by integrating the numerous and at first seemingly disparate hypotheses and findings the repression into a single decisionmaking model. Then, to further illustrate the utility of the model, I will use it to find clues as to why some of the contradictory and negative empirical findings in this fast developing subfield have arisen. Finally, I will use it to gain insights into how we might gain a better understanding of the decisionmaking process that sometimes leads regimes to repress.
Reducing distance errors for standard candles and standard sirens with weak-lensing shear and flexion maps

Gravitational lensing induces significant errors in the measured distances to high-redshift standard candles and standard sirens such as Type Ia supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and merging supermassive black hole binaries. There will therefore be a significant benefit from correcting for the lensing error by using independent and accurate estimates of the lensing magnification. Here, we investigate how accurately the magnification can be inferred from convergence maps reconstructed from galaxy shear and flexion data. We employ ray-tracing through the Millennium Simulation (MS) to simulate lensing observations in large fields, and perform a weak-lensing reconstruction on the simulated fields. We identify optimal ways to filter the reconstructed convergence maps and to convert them to magnification maps, and analyse the resulting relation between the estimated and true magnification for sources at redshifts zS = 1 to 5. We find that a deep shear survey with 100 galaxies arcmin −2 can help to reduce the lensing-induced distance errors for standard candles/sirens at redshifts zS ≈ 1.5 (zS ≈ 5) on average by 20 per cent (10 per cent), whereas a futuristic survey with shear and flexion estimates from 500 galaxies arcmin −2 yields much larger reductions of 50 per cent (35 per cent). For redshiftszS ≥ 3, a further improvement by ∼5 per cent can be achieved, if the individual redshifts of the galaxies are used in the reconstruction. Moreover, the reconstruction allows one to identify regions for which the convergence is low, and in which an error reduction by up to 75 per cent can be achieved. Such strongly reduced magnification uncertainties will greatly improve the value of high-redshift standard candles/sirens as cosmological probes.
Response of Wheat Genotypes to Maize Mediated Polyhaploid Production

2 Abstract: Polyhaploid induction response was studied taking 23 F wheat genotypes derived from diverse 1 sources of germplasm using maize variety, Khumal Yellow, as a pollen parent. Wheat spikelets were hand pollinated with freshly collected maize pollen. Hand pollinated wheat spikes were immediately injected with 1 ml of 100 ppm 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) at uppermost internode. On the following two days, the cups of the florets were filled with the same solution of 2, 4-D. After 17 days of pollination, developed embryos were aseptically excised and cultured in ½ MS basal medium. Cultures were kept for 7 day at 4°C in dark and then grown at 25°C with 16/8 hours light/dark regime. The highly differential response of wheat genotypes on percentages of seed set, embryo formation and plant per pollinated floret was enunciated. The percentages of embryos formation and polyhaploid plants per floret varied from 0-56.0 and 0-10.1, respectively. The highest percentage of embryo recovery and plant per floret was found in F wheat in 1 crosses involving Bezostaya-1/Ghiling and E#06/Bez-1//WK962. Altogether, 42 polyhaploid plants were successfully produced by pollinating 2120 florets from fourteen hybrid combinations. This study indicated that the efficiency of polyhaploid induction in wheat through wheat x maize system is also determined by wheat genotypes under study.
Reduction of fecal coliform levels in two created wetlands at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park

The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in aquatic environments is often used as an indicator of contamination with fecal material and other possible pollutants (Tyrrell et al., 1995; Hernandez et al., 1997; Gearheart, 1999; McMath et al., 1999; Perkins and Hunter, 2000). Fecal coliform pollution may occur in ambient water as a result of the overflow of domestic sewage or non-point sources of human or animal waste (McMath et al., 1999). River water may be contaminated with fecal material of man or other animals. At the time of contamination, pathogens may be introduced into the water (Ricca and Cooney, 1999; Tyrrell et al., 1995). Over 140 different virus types and many different bacteria are excreted in animal and human feces and urine, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritis, hepatitis A and viral gastroenteritis that are pathogenic to humans (Hernandez et al., 1997; Newman et al., 2000; Ricca and Cooney, 1999; Tyrrell et al., 1995). Thus, the presence of fecal contamination is an indicator that a potential health risk exists for individuals exposed to this water (Newman et al., 2000; Ricca and Cooney, 1999; Tyrrell et al., 1995). Increasingly, constructed wetlands are being used for lowering pollutant levels in contaminated water and wastewater, including treatment for urban and agricultural storm water runoff that may contain chemical and other pollutants (Carleton et al., 2001; Gerba et al., 1999; Khatiwada and Polprasert, 1999; Newman et al., 2000; Ostroumov, 1998; Perkins and Hunter, 2000; Shutes, 2001). Studies have shown that wetlands improve water quality by reducing nutrients, chemical contaminants, and pathogenic microbes (Gerba et al., 1999; Ostroumov, 1998; Lau and Chu, 2000). Previous studies at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP) have shown decreasing levels in nitrate+nitrite, soluble-reactive phosphorus, and total phosphorus as the water passes through the wetlands (Mitsch et al., 2000). The purpose of this study was to examine fecal coliform levels in two constructed wetlands at ORWRP and to determine the ability of these basins to reduce coliforms. Samples were collected from locations throughout both wetlands, the Olentangy River, and the swale from October 2000 to June 2001 during months when the wetlands were not frozen. Samples were subjected to the multiple tube fermentation technique using most probable number analysis (Hernandez et al., 1997; Khatiwada and Polprasert, 1999) to determine the concentration of fecal coliforms in each sample. The data from five months of sampling show that the two constructed wetlands are reducing fecal coliform levels as water flows through them.
Observations of Entry and Exit of Potential Vorticity at the Sea Surface

Abstract Although potential vorticity (PV) is central to many theories of the oceanic circulation, the entry–exit of PV at the sea surface has not been thoroughly discussed from an observational perspective. After clarifying the notion of “PV entry and exit,” and the mechanisms responsible for it, a climatology of this quantity for the Northern Hemisphere is presented. It is found that surface PV loss over western boundary current regions and their interior extension is a robust feature over the North Pacific and Atlantic basins. At high latitudes, mechanical and diabatic effects act in concert in the North Atlantic to drive the net PV exit. In the Pacific, however, these effects oppose each other and the net entry–exit of PV is more uncertain. At low latitudes, surface winds are found to be particularly important in setting the surface PV exit in the Pacific, equatorward of the intertropical convergence zone.
An Overview of the Current State of the Test-First vs. Test-Last Debate

When it comes to software development, perhaps one of the most important and time consuming processes is that of software testing. In fact, early studies on software testing estimated that it could consume fty percent or more of development costs for a product. Because of this, the ability to optimize testing to reduce testing costs can be very valuable. In this paper we compare two popular methods, test-last testing, often used in waterfall software development processes, and test-rst testing, often used in Agile test driven software development methods, by reviewing recent studies on the subject. In this review we discuss the possible benets of test-rst and test-last testing and possible problems with the current data comparing these two testing methods. After that, we explore other methods in test-rst testing besides test driven development, such as behavior driven development, in an attempt to nd a better test-rst testing model. In the end we discuss our results and potential future studies to help clarify current data.
Responses of cytokines to influenza vaccination in elite boy gymnasts

Introduction: Many of effects of exercise are mediated through cytokines. Inflammatory cytokines are increased by exercise and inhibited by anti-inflammatory cytokines. Meanwhile, vaccination leads to an increase in the inflammatory cytokines. To test the hypothesis that exercise training might alter the cytokine response to the influenza vaccine, we measured selected cytokines in elite boy gymnasts and non-exercising subjects who were administered with the influenza vaccine and compared these against non-vaccinated gymnasts. Methods: Forty five healthy 9to 12years old children (30 gymnasts and 15 untrained) were assigned to training group (TG), training-vaccine group (TVG) and vaccine group (VG). The exercise protocol consisted of a 3 hours gymnastic practice, 3 days per week, for 8 weeks. TVG and VG group were immunized with trivalent influenza vaccine in the 0(Pre), 4 and 8 weeks. Prevaccination, 4 and 8 week blood samples were obtained in all subjects. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and repeated measures tests. Significance level was accepted at P<0.05. Results: After the intervention, significant decreases in IL-6 and IFN-γ were observed in all the groups (P<0.05). A significant difference, in IL-6 level between TVG and TG groups at week 8, and a significant differences in INF-γ level between TVG and TG groups at week 4 were also observed (P<0.05). There was not a significant increase in the IL-2 in TVG and TG groups, but a significant increase was observed in VG (P<0.05). A significant difference in IL-2 level between TVG and VG groups, between TG and VG at 4 week and between TVG and VG at 8 week was observed. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that gymnastic training and vaccine in healthy children lead to reduction in inflammatory cytokines. This might explain the immature immune system response in children to both vaccination and exercise training.
Stakeholder’s financial relations and bank business management efficiency: evidence from Ukraine

The paper is devoted to development of evaluation of the bank business management efficiency in the system of financial relationships of their stakeholders. Non-achievement the required level of value-added banking business we divided into two groups: 1) associated with irrationality of constructing system of financial relations with their stakeholders; 2) related to the common for homogeneous group of banks problems with adaptation to national conditions of conducting banking business. In a sample of 1228 Ukrainian banks, we find that domestic banks are more adapted to the conditions of banking system although in long run foreign banks are more efficient.