Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reply to comments by Lerch et al. on ‘The Earth's shape and gravity field: a report of progress from 1958 to 1982’

The paper by Lambeck & Coleman (1983, L/C) to which Lerch, Klosko & Wagner (1986) take exception is a perspective, perhaps a slanted one, of important progress made in the observation of the Earth’s global gravity field during the 25 years of the Geophysical Journal up to mid-1982. This is stated nowhere more clearly than in the sub-title: ‘a report of progress from 1958 to 1982’. Readers of the scientific literature over those years would have been aware of the enormous progress that had been made in this area of geophysics. Yet readers, particularly those interested in the geophysical interpretation of these fields, may have mused on some of the differences that appeared amongst the various published solutions. They may also have asked why it remains necessary to compute new gravity field models each time a new satellite is launched. What we set out to do, inter alia, was to highlight some of the differences between published solutions and to suggest why they may have occurred. A major motivation in doing this was that some of these differences could be interpreted as geophysically significant features by unwary users of the published geoid or gravity anomaly maps. Our essential conclusions were threefold: (1) Differences between the published results (those discussed in L/C) are greater than would be expected from statements made in those papers about the accuracies of the individual solutions. Particularly significant differences occurred for the higher degree and order Stokes coefficients. (2) Detailed documentation of the solutions was not always available, clear, or complete. (3) Considerable improvements can still be made in both methodology and in the data
Temperature dependence of the Urbach edge in GaAs

The temperature dependence of the optical‐absorption edge (Urbach edge) of GaAs is measured in semi‐insulating and n‐type GaAs (n=2×1018 cm−3) over the temperature range from room temperature to 700 °C. Both the optical absorption and the temperature are measured using a diffuse reflectance technique. The characteristic energy of the exponential absorption edge is found to increase linearly with temperature, from 7.5 meV at room temperature to 12.4 meV at 700 °C, for semi‐insulating GaAs. The temperature dependent part of the width of the Urbach edge for semi‐insulating GaAs is six times smaller than predicted by the standard theory where the edge width is proportional to the phonon population.
Digital Competence in Practice : An Analysis of Frameworks

This report aims to identify, select and analyse current frameworks for the development of Digital Competence. Its objective is to understand how Digital Competence is currently perceived and implemented in fifteen cases, drawn from school curricula, implementation initiatives, certification schemes and academic papers. It develops a proposal for a common understanding of Digital Competence and identifies the sub‐competences that compose it.
The Impact of the Concept of the Family Relative Signatures on the Non-Blind Watermarking in the Multiresolution Domain using 9/7 and 5/3 Wavelets

Digital watermarking is one of many security tools used to guarantee the intellectual property. There are three kinds of watermarking which differ in terms of the available information at the watermarking extraction step. In this study, we will focus on the non-blind watermarking which allows us to use the original host document, the signed document and the author signature. Unlike the classical watermarking approach which refers to the author by his original mark, the concept of the family relative signatures that refers to the author by a family of signatures made up of the relative daughter signatures. Adopting this concept, a daughter relative signature presents the really inserted signature inside the marked image. Consequently, this signature depends on the inserted mark, the host document and the insertion scheme. The established results present an improvement on the correlation rate and the validation rate in the watermarking process especially when we use the 9/7 wavelet.
Evolutionary transitions among feeding styles and habitats in ungulates

Using a phylogeny of extant species with a maximum likelihood model of trait evolution, the most likely pathway that led to the current diversification of feeding styles in the Ungulata is described and related to their habitat use. Habitat use and feeding style are intimately associated in extant species; grazing and mixed-feeder species are more likely to use open habitats than browsing species. From the ancestral state of a closed-habitat dweller/browser, the acquisition of an open-habitat/grazer state is likely to have occurred through a three-step transition. In the first step, the ancestral ungulate species evolved a mixed-feeder feeding style but retained the closed-habitat condition. Then, once the species had a mixed diet, it evolved to occupy open habitats. Finally, a grazer feeding style evolved with the open-habitat state being retained. The mixed-feeder state is a flexible evolutionary state that acts as a link between closed and open habitats. These findings are discussed from a comparative palaeoecological perspective.
BaxSr1-x TiO3/pc-Si HETEROJUNCTION CAPACITANCE

An-amorphous BaxSr1-x TiO3/ polycrystalline (pc) silicon anis-type heterojunction capacitance was evaluated theoretically and studied experimentally, taking into account the presence of oxygen vacancies in ferroelectric film as well as non-linear dependence of the ferroelectric films dielectric permittivity on the electric field for different values of oxygen vacancies concentration and doping levels in silicon.
ROLE OF PLANT GROWTH PROMOTING RHIZOBACTERIA APPLIED IN COMBINATION WITH COMPOST AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS TO IMPROVE GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.)

This study was conducted to assess the possible role of the integrated use of seed inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), compost and mineral fertilizers for improving growth and yield of wheat sown at different plant spacing. PGPR were isolated from rhizosphere soil of wheat plants. Four treatments were applied in the main plots viz., T1 (Recommended N as Chemical Fertilizer @ 120 kg ha -1 as Control), T2 (Recommended N as Chemical Fertilizer @ 120 kg ha -1 + Compost @ 250 kg ha -1 ), T3 (Recommended N as Chemical Fertilizer @ 120 kg ha -1 + Compost @ 250 kg ha -1 + Inoculation with PGPR), T4 (Recommended N as Chemical Fertilizer @ 120 kg ha -1 + Inoculation with PGPR). Basal dose of P and K @ 100 and 60 kg ha -1 as Diammonium phosphate and murate of potash respectively was applied to all treatments at sowing time. Maximum increase in plant height, number of tillers m -2 , and number of spikelets spike -1 , grain and straw yield were recorded with the use of PGPR inoculated seeds in combination with compost and chemical fertilizers. Maximum grain yield and 1000 grain weight were observed where PGPR inoculated seeds were used in combination with recommended chemical fertilizers. Higher N content in grain and straw were recorded with the application of seed inoculation with PGPR along with compost and recommended chemical fertilizers. Planting space had a significant effect and maximum growth and yield was recorded at 25cm plant to plant spacing.
Using Garch-in-Mean Model to Investigate Volatility and Persistence at Different Frequencies for Bucharest Stock Exchange during 1997-2012

In our paper we use data mining to compare the volatility structure of high (daily) and low (weekly, monthly) frequencies for seven Romanian companies traded on Bucharest Stock Exchange and three market indices, during 1997-2012. For each of the 10 time series and three frequencies we fit a GARCH-in-mean model and we find that persistency is more present in the daily returns as compared with the weekly and monthly series. On the other hand, the GARCH-in-mean failed to confirm (on our data) the theoretical hypothesis that an increase in volatility leads to a rise in future returns, mainly because the variance coefficient from the mean equation of the model was not statistically significant for most of the time series analyzed and on most of the frequencies. The diagnosis that we ran in order the verify the goodness of fit for the model showed that GARCH-in-mean was well fitted on the weekly and monthly time series but behaved less well on the daily time series.
Linking Smallholders to the New Agricultural Economy: An Evaluation of the Plataformas Program in Ecuador

This paper analyzes the impact of participation in multi-stakeholder platforms (Plataformas) aimed at linking smallholder potato farmers to the market in the mountain region of Ecuador. It describes and evaluates the Plataformas’ program to determine whether it has been successful in linking farmers to higher-value markets and the effects that such connections have brought, particularly with regard to farmers’ welfare and to the environment. The analysis is run comparing a set of different and carefully constructed control groups to beneficiaries and using various specifications. Results are strongly consistent across the different specifications and are sound across the counterfactuals, suggesting impacts are adequately identified. Findings suggest that the program was successful in improving the welfare of beneficiaries, while potential negative environmental impacts, particularly with relation to agrobiodiversity and use of agrochemicals seem not to be a concern. Mechanisms through which impacts have been achieved are analyzed. Little spillover effects are found.
Potentiality of Buprofezin, an insect growth regulator on the mortality of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius)

Buprofezin (Award 40 SC) was evaluated at the concentrations of 200, 400 and 600 ppm on the mortality of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) larvae under laboratory conditions in Bangladesh from July 2015 to June 2016. The 2nd instar larvae were treated with selected concentrations through three different application methods viz. direct or topical, indirect or leaf-dip and combined. The larval mortality was recorded at 1, 3, 5 & 7 days after treatment (DAT) application. The mortality was clearly dose, method and time dependent. The highest larval mortality about 66.67% from combined method, 63.88% from leaf-dip and 56.70% from topical application method was recorded at 7 DAT through 600 ppm which was followed by 400 and 200 ppm respectively. Mortality increased with increasing time & at 7 DAT it was maximum which was followed by 5, 3 & 1 DAT. So from this study, it can be concluded that Buprofezin had significant effect for controlling Spodoptera litura (Fab.) larvae.
Microbial Decolourization of Cibacron Scarlet and Remazol Blue Dyes

Eleven microorganisms that include six bacteria: Proteus mirabilis (LS), Proteus vulgaris (LE), Bacillus alvei (LS), Proteus mirabilis (AS), Bacillus polymyxa (AS), Bacillus alvei (AE), and five fungi: Penicillium antrovenetium (LS), Rhizopus oryzae (LEM), Penicillium funiculosum (LE), Rhizopus oryzae (LS) and Candida valida (LEM) were isolated from the effluent and soil samples collected from the premises of a textile manufacturing and local dyeing industries. The BOD and COD of the effluents collected from these industries were found to be relatively higher than the Nigeria Federal Environmental Protection Agency permissible level. Increase in decolourization of Cibacron Scarlet was observed for all the isolates on day 5, seven of which showed decolourization greater than 50%. The highest decolourization of 85.7% was observed with P. mirabilis (AS) and R. oryzae (LS) had the lowest decolourization of 50.7%. B. alvei (LS) showed 74.8% decolourization of Remazol Blue on day 3, but decrease in the decolourization was observed for this organism on day 5. All the isolates showed decrease in the decolourization of Remazol blue at day 5 with the exception of three isolates; P. mirabilis (LS), B. polymyxa (AS) and R. oryzae (LS) with 46.3% and 64.1%, 54.1% and 67.8%, and 54.1% and 58.8%, respectively, on day 3 and day 5. Decolourization pH for Cibacron Scarlet by the bacterial isolates was slightly alkaline (8.5 – 8.8) and acidic (3.4 – 4.4) for the fungal isolates. Increase in bacterial count and fungal mycelia weight was observed as the decolourization progress. Thus, results obtained from this study revealed the decolourization potential of indigenous effluent and soil adapted microorganisms in decolourization of textile dyes.
Economic Implications of EU Mitigation Policies: Domestic and International Effects

The EU has a consolidated climate and energy regulation: it played a pioneering role by adopting a wide range of climate change policies and establishing the first regional Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). These policies, however, raise several concerns regarding both their environmental effectiveness and their potentially negative effect on the economy, especially in terms of growth and competitiveness. The paper reviews the European experience in order to understand if these concerns are supported by quantitative evidence. It thus focuses on key economic indicators, such as costs, competitiveness and carbon leakage as assessed by quantitative ex-ante and ex-post analyses. A dedicated section, extends the investigation to the potential extra-EU spillover of the EU mitigation policy with a particular attention to developing countries. The objective of the paper is to highlight both the limits and the opportunities of the EU regulatory framework in order to offer policy insights to emerging and developing countries that are on the way to implement climate change measures. Overall, the European experience shows that the worries about the costs and competitiveness losses induced by climate regulation are usually overestimated, especially in the long term. In addition, a tightening climate policy regime in the EU might in fact negatively impact developing countries via deteriorated trade relations. Nonetheless it tends to facilitate a resource relocation that if well governed could be beneficial to those countries where the poor are mainly involved in rural activities.
Multidimensionality and Complexity of Role Stress: An Empirical Study of the Public and Private Sector Managers in Kolkata

During the past decade, the public and private sector organizations have undergone rapid and striking changes due to emergence of globalization, liberalization and increased competition has given rise to high level of role stress among employees in the both sectors. Role stress is a pattern of reactions that occur when workers are presented with work demands unmatched to their knowledge and skills that challenge their ability to cope. Stress occurs in many different circumstances, but is particularly strong when a person’s ability to control demands at work are threatened. Although individual and organizational characteristics play a role in the development of role stress, yet the majority agree that role stress results from the interaction between the worker and the conditions of work. A study was conducted on 200 managers’ equiproportinately drawn from 40 public and private sector organizations in Kolkata, using General Information Schedule and Organizational Role Stress Scale [1]. Findings showed that the nature and distribution of Organizational Role Stress Scale Scores revealed dissimilarities among the four sample groups, and moderate level of organizational role stress was the general characteristic feature of the managers. Some components for organizational role stress in organization showed reportable variation with rank position (senior/junior) of the managers.
FIELD THEORY : IMPROVEMENTS TO CURRENT METHODOLOGY AND COMPARISONS WITH STANDARD CHOICE MODELLING TECHNIQUES

There is a growing interest in the travel behaviour modelling community in using alternative methods to capture the behavioural mechanisms that drive our transport choices. The traditional method has been Random Utility Maximisation (RUM) and recent interest has focussed on Random Regret Minimisation (RRM), but there are many other possibilities. Decision Field Theory (DFT), a dynamic model popular in mathematical psychology, has recently been put forward as a rival to RUM but has not yet been investigated in detail or compared against other competing models like RRM. This paper considers arguments in favour of using DFT, reviews how it has been used in transport literature so far and provides theoretical improvements to further the mechanisms behind DFT to better represent general decision making. In particular, we demonstrate how the probability of alternatives can be calculated after any number of timesteps in a DFT model. We then look at how to best operationalise DFT using simulated datasets, finding that it can cope with underlying preferences towards alternatives, can include socio-demographic variables and that it performs best when standard score normalisation is applied to the alternative attribute levels. We also present a detailed comparison of DFT and Multinomial Logit (MNL) models using stated preference route choice datasets and find that DFT achieves significantly better fit in estimation as well as forecasting. We also find that our theoretical improvement provides DFT with much greater flexibility and that there are numerous approaches that can be adopted to incorporate heterogeneity within a DFT model. In particular, random parameters vastly improve the model fit.
Ownership and Ownership Concentration: Which is Important in Determining the Performance of China’s Listed Firms?

This article investigates the impact of ownership and ownership concentration on the performance of China’s listed firms. By recognizing the differences between ownership and ownership concentration and between total ownership concentration and tradable ownership concentration, we find that ownership concentration is more powerful than any category of ownership in determining firm performance; tradable ownership concentration has a more significant and positive influence on firm performance than total ownership concentration; the highest level of firm performance is approached when a firm is characterized by both total ownership concentration and tradable ownership concentration. Thus, we propose a conclusion that ownership concentration enhances firm performance regardless of who the concentrated owners are.
1. MY THESIS (HANIK HABIBAH 10250019)

The objective of the study is to find out the corre lation between students’ reading fluency and their reading comprehension ach ievement of the eighth grade of MTs Paradigma Palembang in the academic year of 2014/2015. The method used was descriptive quantitative method through co rrelational study. The data were collected by using oral reading fluency and re ading comprehension test. Sixty eight students were involved in the study and the data were analyzed by test analysis. The result showed that 58.5 % students ha d poor reading fluency (at risk category), 38.5 % students had average reading flue ncy (some risk), and had 3 % good reading fluency (low risk category). Besides t hat, the result also showed 76.4 % students had poor reading comprehension achi evement, 20.6 % students had average reading comprehension achievement, and 3 % students had good reading comprehension achievement. There was a sign ificant correlation between reading fluency and reading comprehension achieveme nt R 8.36. Furthermore, students’ reading fluency contributed 70.0 % to the ir r ading comprehension achievement. It can be said that the contribution o f students’ reading fluency was very high.
Effect of NPK fertilization and elemental sulphur on growth and yield of lowbush blueberry

The aim of the research was to determine the effect of fertilizers on the pH of former arable soils and on the growth and the yield of the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.). Lowbush blueberry fertilization experiments were established in 1999 at two locations  at Karla, Saaremaa, West Estonia and at Vasula, Tartu County, South Estonia. Experimental sites were situated on different soils: soil pHKCl at Karla was 5.5 and at Vasula 6.2. Elemental sulphur and acidifying fertilizers (ammonium sulfate, potassium sulfate and superphosphate) were used in both plantations. Fertilizers were applied based on nutrient in the soil and sulphur was applied at 100 g m2. Plant growth was recorded in 2001, 2002 and 2003. A positive influence of NPK fertilization on yield was found in both Karla and Vasula, and yield were 336 g and 41 g higher compared to the control, respectively. The vegetative growth and yield of blueberry depended significantly on soil pH. Elemental sulphur increased soil acidity and on loamy sand soil did not increase plant productivity. The sulphur effect on soil pH began to decrease three years after application. Sulphur can be recommended to increase soil acidity in nutrient-rich soil but, not nutrient poor soil with light texture, where only NPK fertilizers were effective. ;
Public Conservation Land and Employment Growth in the Northern Forest Region

We quantify the effect that public conservation lands have on employment growth in the Northern Forest region of the United States. A model of simultaneous employment and net migration growth is estimated with data on non-metropolitan counties from 1990 to 1997. Exogenous variables include the 1990 share of the land base in public conservation uses. We find that net migration rates were higher in counties with more conservation lands, but the effects are relatively small. No significant effect on employment growth is detected. As well, variables measuring changes in public timber harvests have no effect on employment growth. (JEL Q26)
"The significance of non-monetary incentives and its relationship with employee motivation: A case of civil service employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina "

The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceived importance of non-monetary incentives as well as the degree of their current utilization within the civil service sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. One of the aims of the study is to explore if non-monetary incentives have prospective to increase employee’s motivation in comparison to monetary rewards. Such finding could play a beneficial role in understanding the fact that an individual’s behaviour and motivation can be greatly influenced by alternative and cost-friendly non-financial motivating factors. The study is conducted on a sample of 129 civil servants of all categories at the state level. The relationships between the variables were evaluated by descriptive statistics, correlations and non-parametric independent samples test. The study findings demonstrate that the non-monetary incentives are not sufficiently utilized in the civil service sector. Furthermore, according to the findings, non-monetary incentives represent a very strong motivating factor and could be widely and actively used in order to secure increased motivation of the civil servants in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ASSOCIATION FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH

In this study we attempt to nuance the intricate interplay between the use of humor and the outcome of the service in establishing customer's evaluations of face-to-face and electronic encounters. In experiments we manipulated type of humor and outcome of the service encounter. The results suggest that the impact of the type of humor used in a face-to-face encounter is more important than the outcome, whereas in electronic encounters, the impact of the outcome of the service encounter is more important than the type of humor. Also, in electronic encounters related humor might compensate partly for an unfavorable service outcome.