Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE INTERNALITY OF EVALUATION TO IMPROVE EFL PERFORMANCE OF COURSES ON GRAMMAR

This paper reports qualitative program evaluation research and its implication. The site of the research is a study program in English which had undergone changes in its student. Based on theory and purposive sampling, the case being investigated was one out of ten classes of the grammar course, based on its heterogeneity in the GPA of the students, and based on the consideration that the instructor of the class being the designer of the course. The focus of the evaluation was on the content, the student performance and classroom interaction. The researcher, historically part of the site, was the main instrument in data collection through participant and non-participant observation, serving the role as an insider in the research evaluation. Classroom events were observed and video recorded. Students and instructors of the grammar course were interviewed, and documents were collected and scrutinized. The result of the research was disseminated. Mechanism has been developed in on-going evaluation of the course through staff development program, and through learning organization.
Finance Is Technical Analysis Profitable on Athens Stock Exchange ?

In this paper, we incorporate a technical analysis strategy of the Greek Stock Market. These are the strategies used by most professionals and significant players in the field of investment analysis on the Greek market. Data were collected from most of the investment companies in Greece. The most frequently used techniques of technical analysis such as RSI, MACD and Stochastic, including the use of patterns and candlestick charts, will be mentioned herein. The methods employed include the use of a questionnaire and statistical analysis. This research was conducted between 22 November 2014 and 22 December 2014. The results provide a strong evidence of the profitability of technical trading rules and contradict the efficient market hypothesis.
BEAN YIELD AND ROOT DEVELOPMENT IN DIFFERENT SOIL MANAGEMENTS UNDER A CENTER PIVOT SYSTEM

The bean culture is part of crop rotation used by irrigators from the southwestern region of the state of São Paulo, who perform the no-tillage soil management as a form of sustainable soil use. The effect of this conservationist practice on soil compaction, root development and bean culture production components in relation to the conventional management was the objective of this work. The experiment was conducted at the Buriti-Mirim Farm, Angatuba, SP, Brazil, using an 18ha area irrigated through center pivot system divided into two types of soil managements: conventional management and no-tillage management. Crop production components, soil cone index and root development components (distribution in the soil profile, length, surface, diameter and dry matter) were evaluated. Although the no-tillage management had presented lower compaction at the most superficial layers and more uniform root distribution in the soil profile, the managements evaluated were not significantly different in relation to crop productivity. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
– Finland , Germany , Japan , Singapore , South Africa and the United States under Review Chapter Author ( s ) :

This chapter reviews selected research about leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in Finland, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, and USA. A short general introduction to ECE in each country is offered, followed by the summary of the research conducted in the country in question. In addition, a comparative synthesis of research is presented in which the methodological choices, broader societal and educational background and the research contributions to understanding leadership in ECE are discussed from international and transnational perspectives. This review concludes that ECE is of growing interest in the countries included in the study and its impact is widely recognised. Furthermore, the review indicates that in Finland and the USA, there has been extensive research on ECE leadership research, while in Germany, Singapore, South Africa and Japan research into ECE leadership has only recently emerged. Despite the differences in the traditions and roots of leadership research, good quality early childhood education is seen as the main objective of the leadership in every country.
Bad Mergers Revisited : An Incentive Perspective

Suggested Citation: Kräkel, Matthias; Müller, Daniel (2013) : Bad Mergers Revisited: An Incentive Perspective, Beiträge zur Jahrestagung des Vereins für Socialpolitik 2013: Wettbewerbspolitik und Regulierung in einer globalen Wirtschaftsordnung Session: Incentives, No. B15-V3, ZBW Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, LeibnizInformationszentrum Wirtschaft, Kiel und Hamburg
Assessing the Prognostic Significance of CD8+ T-Cell Counts in Determining the Risk of Myocardial Infarction in the Setting of HIV Infection

There is a growing body of research to suggest that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI) although the underlying processes remain unclear. An assessment of MI risk using a commonly-available measure of the immune status is therefore of Public Health importance. CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell counts are periodically measured in the routine management of HIV-infected patients. However, CD8+ T-cell counts are often not reported or are simply incorporated into the calculation of a CD4+/CD8+ ratio. Total CD8+ T-cell counts have been shown to be associated with an increased risk for MI in at least one recent study. A few other studies have examined this association indirectly by using the CD4+/CD8+ ratio, but only considered MI surrogates (e.g. subclinical coronary atherosclerosis) as an outcome. Also, measuring cell-surface markers of CD8+ T-cell activation and HIV-specific CD8+ T cell counts is costly and often not requested in the routine management of HIV infection. This study investigated the association between total CD8+ T-cell counts and MI risk among a large cohort of HIV-uninfected and HIV-infected Veterans. Using Cox proportional hazard regression models, the results suggest that MI risk is associated with a high CD8+ T-cell count of ≥1066 cells/ mm3 (Adjusted HR = 1.82, P <0.001, 95% CI: 1.46 to 2.28). They also suggest that the risk for MI posed by total CD8+ T-cell counts should be interpreted in the context of CD4+ T-cell clinical cut-points, or the overall immune status. The degree of MI risk in the cohort differed depending on the level of the immunosuppression. Total CD8+ T cell-counts seemed to modestly improve the risk stratification provided by CD4+ T-cell clinical cut-points, though the mechanisms are still unclear. Future studies will be instrumental in understanding the role of the immune system in MI risk prediction.
A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH: THE MIDDLE NEOLITHIC POPULATION FROM BOM SANTO CAVE (LISBON, PORTUGAL)

Citation for published item: Faustino Carvalho, A. and Alves Cardoso, F. and Gon calves, D. and Granja, R. and Cardoso, J.L. and Dean, R. and Gibaja, J.F. and Masucci, M. and Arroyo-Pardo, E. and Fern andez-Dom nguez, E. and Petchey, F. and Price, T.D. and Mateus, J. and Queiroz, P.F. and Callapez, P. and Pimenta, C. and Regala, F.T. (2016) 'The Bom Santo Cave (Lisbon, Portugal) : catchment, diet, and patterns of mobility of a Middle Neolithic population. ', European journal of archaeology. , 19 (2). pp. 187-214.
Efficient n-ton Collision Detection for Space Debris using 4 D AABB Trees ∗

Collision detection algorithms are used in aerospace, swarm robotics, automotive, video gaming, dynamics simulation and other domains. As many applications of collision detection run online, timing requirements are imposed on the algorithm runtime: algorithms must, at a minimum, keep up with the passage of time. Even offline reachability computation can be slowed down by the process of safety checking when n is large and the specification is n-to-n collision avoidance. In practice, this places a limit on the number of objects, n, that can be concurrently tracked or verified. In this paper, we present an improved method for efficient object tracking and collision detection, based on a modified version of the axis-aligned bounding-box (AABB) tree data structure. We consider 4D AABB Trees, where a time dimension is added to the usual three space dimensions, in order to enable per-object time steps when checking for collisions in space-time. We evaluate the approach on a space debris collision benchmark, demonstrating efficient checking beyond the full catalog of n = 16848 space objects made public by the U.S. Strategic Command on www.space-track.org.
Theory of mind and general intelligence in dictator and ultimatum games Games

Decreasing social sensitivity (i.e., the ability of a person to perceive, understand, and respect the feelings and viewpoints of others), has been shown to facilitate selfish behavior. This is not only true for exogenous changes in social sensitivity, but also for social sensitivity influenced by someone’s social cognition. In this analysis, we examined one measure of social cognition, namely a person’s Theory of Mind (ToM), to examine differences in decision-making in standard non-strategic and strategic environments (dictator and ultimatum games). We found that participants with higher ToM gave a greater share in the non-strategic environment. In the ultimatum game, however, ToM showed no correlation with the offers of the ultimators. Instead, we found that general intelligence scores—measured by the Wonderlic test—shared a negative, albeit weak, correlation with the amount offered in the ultimatum game. Thus, we find that lower social cognition is an important explanatory variable for selfish behavior in a non-strategic environment, while general intelligence shares some correlation in a strategic environment. Similar to the change in social sensitivity created by a specific game design, social sensitivity influenced by individual personality traits can influence behavior in non-strategic environments.
MECHANOTRANSDUCTION IN LIVING BONE : EFFECTS OF THE KEAP 1-NRF 2 PATHWAY by

Author: Priddy, Carlie. MS Institution: Purdue University Degree Received: August 2019 Title: Mechanotransduction in Living Bone: Effects of the Keap1-Nrf2 Pathway Committee Chair: Jiliang Li The Keap1-Nrf2 pathway regulates a wide range of cytoprotective genes, and has been found to serve a protective and beneficial role in many body systems. There is limited information available, however, about its role in bone homeostasis. While Nrf2 activation has been suggested as an effective method of increasing bone mass and quality, there have been conflicting reports which associate Keap1 deficiency with detrimental phenotypes. As Keap1 deletion is a common method of Nrf2 activation, further study should address the impacts of various methods of regulating Nrf2 expression. Also, little research has been conducted on the specific pathways by which Nrf2 activation improves bone quality. In this study, the effects of alterations to Nrf2 activation levels were explored in two specific and varied scenarios. In the first experiment, moderate Nrf2 activation was achieved via partial deletion of its sequestering protein, Keap1, in an aging mouse model. The hypothesis tested here is that moderate Nrf2 activation improves bone quality by affecting bone metabolism and response to mechanical loading. The results of this first experiment suggest a subtle, sex-specific effect of moderate Nrf2 activation in aging mice which improves specific indices of bone quality to varying degrees, but does not affect loading-induced bone formation. It is likely that the overwhelming phenotypic impacts associated with aging or the systemic effects of global Keap1 deficiency may increase the difficulty in parsing out significant effects that can be attributed solely to Nrf2 activation. In the second experiment, a cell-specific knockout of Nrf2 in the osteocytes was achieved using a Cre/Lox breeding system. The hypothesis tested here is that osteocyte-specific deletion of Nrf2 impairs bone quality by affecting bone metabolism and response to mechanical loading. The results of this experiment suggest an important role of Nrf2 in osteocyte function which improves certain indices of bone quality, which impacts male and female bones in different 7 ways, but did not significantly impact loading-induced bone formation. Further studies should modify the method of Nrf2 activation in an effort to refine the animal model, allowing the effects
An Assessment of the Dominant Organizational Culture among Faculty Members at the Hashemite University in Jordan

The main purpose of this study was to determine the dominant organizational culture type as perceived by faculty members at the Hashemite University. A total of 110 faculty members participated in the study by completing the Organizational Culture Assessment Questionnaire (OCAQ). The results showed that respondents moderately practiced the four functions of the organizational culture combined (managing change, achieving goals, cultural strength, and coordinating teamwork). Cultural strength was the most perceived organizational cultural function practiced followed by achieving goals and coordinated teamwork. Managing change was the least perceived cultural function practiced by the participants. Furthermore, the relationship between academic rank and the function of managing change revealed a difference between full professors and assistant professors in the favor of assistant professors. (
The influence of gender diversity in boardrooms on the financial performance of a firm before and after the instalment of a gender quota.

This paper investigates the influence of gender diversity in boardrooms on firm performance with and without a gender quota. The sample consists of Dutch firms listed on the AEX, AMX and AScX indices in the years 2007 – 2012 and 2013 – 2018. OLS regressions lead to positive but insignificant results both time periods. Interesting is that the effect seems to become more positive in the years after the instalment of the gender quota. However, 2SLS regressions suggest a negative but insignificant relationship between gender diversity and firm performance. Lastly, regressions incorporating the interaction effect between a dummy variable for the time period and the gender variable show a significantly more positive effect on Tobin’s Q for all variables. Moreover, graphs show an increase in the percentage of women on the board of directors over the years. It is concluded that the gender quota leads to more female directors and higher firm performance.
From Informality to Popular Economy : distinguishing realities and connecting approaches 1

Over the last decades, rather than decreasing, informality has grown and furthered debates and studies among academics, activists and policy-makers. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity of the phenomena commonly associated with the concept of informality and correlates, such as informal sector and popular economy, results in a lack of consensus within the current literature. This is partly due to some theoretical and conceptual choices which hinder the formulation of frameworks capable of distinguishing among the various aspects of informality. The first aim of this paper is to clarify some of these issues, such as the prevailing understanding of the various realities that intertwine under the mantle of informality only by contrasting them with the formal economy, the use of all-encompassing concepts of little discriminating value, and, still, the mainstream theories’ lack of recognition of the plurality of logics underlying economic institutions and behaviors. Secondly, the paper puts forward a conceptual distinction between informal employment and informal economy, as well as a clearer understanding of the scope of concepts such as informal work and popular economy. In order to capture these nuances, a bottom-up perspective is adopted, allowing to apprehend the informal economy according to its specific features, such as its relational assets and the role fulfilled by the principle of domesticity. Finally, the article stresses the need to recognize the plurality of logics underlying the economy, in order to properly assess the meanings of the economic practices of the popular sectors and their role in development processes.
A Simple Electrochemical Fabrication and Characterization of Superparamagnetic Composite of Nickel Doped Iron Oxide / Carbon Nanoparticles

In this research, composite of metal ion doped Fe3O4 nanoparticles/carbon are prepared via cathodic electrochemical synthesis for the first time. The carbon dispersed aqueous solution of iron(III) nitrate, iron(II) chloride and nickel nitrate was used as the deposition electrolyte. The synthesis was done with applying 10 mA cm at RT conditions. The prepared composite were characterized through XRD, IR, SEM and VSM analyses. The particle morphology, carbon content and metal ion doping were verified by SEM observations and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. XRD and IR data confirmed that the fabricated composite has magnetite crystal structure. The magnetic data of Ms=54.83emu g, Mr=0.43 emu g and Hci=9.26 G, obtained by VSM analysis, proved the superparamagnetic nature of the fabricated composite. KeywordsIron oxide, Metal-ion doping, Electrochemical synthesis, Nanocomposite
Association among cultural orientation, Nunchi, and interpersonal relationships with Korean adolescent athletes

Cultural aspects and their relationships with social supporters are important to adolescent athletes. Other skills in communication or perception (e.g. Nunchi) might be helpful in getting along with the supporters. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between cultural orientation, Nunchi, and interpersonal relationships with adolescent athletes. With this aim, we surveyed 462 Korean adolescent athletes. Measurement tools comprised questionnaires on cultural orientation, Nunchi, and interpersonal relationships—including coach–athlete, sports friendships, and parent–adolescent—designed to match the research purpose. We analyzed the data using structural equation modeling. Our results are as follows: first, we verified that collectivism is positively related to Nunchi, and Nunchi is positively associated with interpersonal relationships. But we did not verify that individualism is related to Nunchi. Second, in our final model, excluding individualism, Nunchi showed a mediation effect on the association between collectivism and interpersonal relationships. In conclusion, Korean athletes with high collectivism will be positively related to interpersonal relationships through Nunchi. Additionally, we discussed the issues of culture in sport and exercise psychology.
The Dark Side of Paternalistic Leadership: Employee Discrimination and Nepotism

Purpose: Paternalistic leadership is a prevailing leadership style in environments characterized by high power distance, collectivism, and uncertainty avoidance and is a general aspect of family businesses. With this in mind, the purpose of this study is to investigate paternalistic leadership in Turkish business environment and test the relationship between paternalistic leadership and employee discrimination and nepotism. Design/Methodology/Approach: Data were collected by a questionnaire from 183 employees working in family owned companies located in Turkey. Convenience sampling was used. Findings: Findings indicate that benevolent and moral paternalistic leadership is negatively related to perceived discrimination in human resources practices like recruitment, hiring, promotion, assignments, delegation, evaluation, payment, rewards, training and working conditions. Finding of the study shows that when the leader behaves in an authoritarian way, employees specifically perceive nepotism in the hiring process. Practical Implications: This study sheds light on leadership literature by focusing on a leadership style that is viewed negatively in Western societies, but is found to be a sociocultural characteristic of India, Pakistan, China and Turkey. It provides an important insight about Turkish culture and a prevailing leadership style which is paternalistic leadership. Originality/Value: The study is a unique one that combines paternalistic leadership, discrimination and nepotism in a research model.
Impact of Big Five Personality Traits on Entrepreneurial Intention of Engineering Undergraduates

The purpose of this paper is to identify the influence of Big Five personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience on entrepreneurial intention of engineering undergraduates. Entrepreneurship for engineers is not new to the world. Recent changes in the world and engineering present both challenges and opportunities to engineering education. Engineering education is changing to meet these challenges. A study was conducted with the sample of 202 final year undergraduates in engineering faculties in Sri Lanka. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Multiple Regression and Structural Equation Modeling were applied to analyze the relationships of these variables. The results demonstrate that entrepreneurial personality traits which relate significantly to entrepreneurial intention of undergraduates are characterized by high emotional stability and openness to experience. The findings are discussed and interpreted to provide important implications to practitioners and academics.
Absorptive Capabilities and Competitive Advantage: The Linkage

The main goal of this study is to analyze the influence of absorptive capabilities on competitive advantage. Based on survey data from 247 Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) findings suggest that: Acquisition, assimilation and exploitation’s absorptive capabilities are positively associated with cost leadership; Transformation’s absorptive capabilities are not positively associated with cost leadership; Acquisition and transformation’s absorptive capabilities are positively associated with differentiation; and Assimilation and exploitation’s absorptive capabilities are not positively associated with differentiation.This study deepens our understanding and provides novel insights into strategic management literature, since it combines multiple factors and has obtained the importance of each construct in SMEs business competitive advantage. Moreover, this paper presents further evidences of the strategies that small firm managers should pursue and policy makers should promote.