Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ethnic undercurrent and macro-level determinants of voter participation in Ghana’s 2012 election: Implications for the 2020 national elections

In this paper we analyze the ethnic undercurrent and macro-level determinants influencing voter participation in Ghana based on aggregate district-level data. The paper focuses on the determinants that influenced citizens’ political participation in the 2012 Presidential elections of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and their implications for the December 2020 national elections. The unique approach of this paper is that district-level aggregate data on economic characteristics compiled by the Ghana Statistical Service are synchronised with district-level national presidential election results compiled by the Electoral Commission of Ghana to ascertain the determinants of participation. The analysis is based on the concept of the “Average District Voter” which is analyzed using district-level census data combined with national election results. Statistical analysis was used to complementarily assess the determinants of voter participation in the Ghanaian 2012 presidential elections. The results of the analysis thus established two major points; that ethnic identification with regard to the two major ethnic groups in Ghana (i.e., the Asantes and the Ewes) has clearly influenced voter turnout, and second, that worsening socio-economic conditions played a role in voter turnout in the 2012 presidential elections and these issues will ultimately determine the winner of the 2020 national elections.
SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW : PENGGUNAAN KAHOOT PADA PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIKA

Abstrak Perlunya melakukan sebuah inovasi untuk menunjang pembelajaran matematika yang dilakukan secara daring. Salah satu inovasi yang bisa dilakukan yaitu melalui media pembelajaran. Media pembelajaran dapat digunakan untuk membangun semangat dan motivasi belajar peserta didik yang dapat meningkatkan hasil belajar. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan kajian literatur terkait dengan penggunaan Kahooot pada pembelajaran matematika. Metode penelitian yang dipilih dalam penelitian ini adalah metode SLR (Systematic Literature Review). Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan mendokumentasi dan merevieu semua artikel terkait aplikasi Kahoot yang diterbitkan dalam kurun waktu 2012-2020. Artikel yang digunakan pada penelitian ini sebanayak 27 artikel jurnal nasional terakreditasi yang diperoleh dari database Google Schoolar menggunakan aplikasi Publish atau Perish. Berdasarkan penelitian ini didapatkan bahwa Kahoot dapat meningkatkan hasil, semangat belajar dan keefektifan peserta didik dalam pembelajaran matematika. Kata kunci: Kahoot, Pembelajaran Matematika, Systematic Literature Review
The influence of the evolvement of financial technology (FINTECH) firms on the delivery of financial services

This work examined the evolvement of financial technology (fintech) in Nigeria’s commercial capital city, Lagos, and its influence on the delivery of financial services in Nigeria. The purposive sampling technique was adopted to select members of the population of financial services consumers in Lagos, the commercial and economic capital of Nigeria. A sample size of 400 was drawn with a total of 303 copies of the questionnaire properly completed, returned, and found sufficient to be employed for data analysis. ANOVA regression analysis was employed to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated that factors such as the increase in technological advancement and its usage by younger consumers are the major drivers of financial services. Furthermore, it was established that many customers preferred fintech companies to traditional financial institutions in the scope of the delivery of financial services. It was also established that fintech companies have a significant influence on customer satisfaction and are changing the dynamics of competition in the delivery of financial services in Nigeria.
Hybridization of feedstocks—A new approach in biodiesel development: A case of Moringa and Jatropha seed oils

ABSTRACT In this study, two selected feedstocks, Moringa oleifera and Jatropha curcas seed oils, and their methyl esters (biodiesel) were subjected to two new different hybridization processes at varying proportions experimentally. The hybrid compositions were J50M50, J40M10, J30M20, J20M30, and J10M40 from crude oil samples (in situ) and BM50J50, BM40J10, BM30J20, BM20J30, and BM10J40 from produced biodiesel by transesterification (ex situ) using production variables and optimization sequences. The hybrids were evaluated for chemo-physical and thermal properties using American Society for Testing and Materials and South African National Standards standards for each specific test(s). Results obtained revealed the efficacy of hybridization in improving the specific biodiesel properties as fuels. Specific tests include viscosity, specific gravity, refractive index, cetane index, fatty acid composition, free and total glycerine (TG), free fatty acid (FFA) composition, flash point, pour and cloud points, and calorific values. These were all higher and better than the single-stock biodiesel fuels. Moringa oleifera biodiesel, which was proved an excellent biodiesel fuel in the previous studies of the authors having high oleic acid content (>70%), impacted positively on Jatropha in enhancing its potential, with positive correlation at a 95% confidence level (α > 0.05) and on analysis of variation (ANOVA). This is a new approach in biodiesel development as studies of this nature are scarce in the literature.
We are “the Resistance”: Predictors and consequences of self-categorization into the emerging movement to oppose Trump

In a three-wave longitudinal study conducted in the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, this paper examines how people come to self-categorize into the emerging social movement “the Resistance,” and how self-categorization into this movement influences future participation in collective action and perceptions of the movement’s efficacy. Conventional collective action (e.g., protest, lobby legislators)—but not persuasive collective action (e.g., posting on social media)—and perceived identity consolidation efficacy of the movement at Wave 1 predicted a higher likelihood of self-categorization into the movement 1 month later (Wave 2) and 2 months later (Wave 3). Self-categorization into the Resistance predicted two types of higher subsequent movement efficacy perceptions, and helped sustain the effects of conventional collective action and movement efficacy beliefs at Wave 1 on efficacy beliefs at Wave 3. Implications for theory and future research on emerging social movements are discussed.
Impact of Unreliable Content on Social Media Users during COVID-19 and Stance Detection System

The abundant dissemination of misinformation regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents another unprecedented issue to the world, along with the health crisis. Online social network (OSN) platforms intensify this problem by allowing their users to easily distort and fabricate the information and disseminate it farther and rapidly. In this paper, we study the impact of misinformation associated with a religious inflection on the psychology and behavior of the OSN users. The article presents a detailed study to understand the reaction of social media users when exposed to unverified content related to the Islamic community during the COVID-19 lockdown period in India. The analysis was carried out on Twitter users where the data were collected using three scraping packages, Tweepy, Selenium, and Beautiful Soup, to cover more users affected by this misinformation. A labeled dataset is prepared where each tweet is assigned one of the four reaction polarities, namely, E (endorse), D (deny), Q (question), and N (neutral). Analysis of collected data was carried out in five phases where we investigate the engagement of E, D, Q, and N users, tone of the tweets, and the consequence upon repeated exposure of such information. The evidence demonstrates that the circulation of such content during the pandemic and lockdown phase had made people more vulnerable in perceiving the unreliable tweets as fact. It was also observed that people absorbed the negativity of the online content, which induced a feeling of hatred, anger, distress, and fear among them. People with similar mindset form online groups and express their negative attitude to other groups based on their opinions, indicating the strong signals of social unrest and public tensions in society. The paper also presents a deep learning-based stance detection model as one of the automated mechanisms for tracking the news on Twitter as being potentially false. Stance classifier aims to predict the attitude of a tweet towards a news headline and thereby assists in determining the veracity of news by monitoring the distribution of different reactions of the users towards it. The proposed model, employing deep learning (convolutional neural network(CNN)) and sentence embedding (bidirectional encoder representations from transformers(BERT)) techniques, outperforms the existing systems. The performance is evaluated on the benchmark SemEval stance dataset. Furthermore, a newly annotated dataset is prepared and released with this study to help the research of this domain.
Music teachers’ understanding of blended learning in Korean elementary music classes

ABSTRACT As information and communication technologies (ICT) have been rapidly developed, the computers and internet are widely used in many fields. The purpose of this study was to examine music teachers’ experiences and perceptions of blended learning in elementary music classes. Using a multiple case study method, I observed four elementary music teachers in different schools located in Seoul, South Korea. The following research questions were addressed: (1) How do the elementary music teachers utilise blended learning in their music classes? (2) What are the challenges the music teachers face in implementing blended learning into their classes? and (3) What are the music teachers’ perceptions of blended learning that could be beneficial to their students and to their teaching? The results showed that the music teachers employed the station-rotation model of blended learning. This study also revealed that the teachers acknowledged educational effects of blended learning. Nevertheless, they shared concerns about motivational factors and teacher education for blended learning. It is suggested that continuing professional development is needed to increase the use of blended learning in Korean elementary music classes.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Governance, and Corporate Financial Performance

This paper aims to analyze the influence of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) by corporate governance (CG) as a moderating variable on corporate financial performance (CFP). The CSRD were measured by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) items and CG practices were evaluated by the Corporate Governance Perception Index (CGPI). The sample of 108 annual reports from 2011 to 2014, which were listed in the ‘Indonesia Most Trusted Companies Awards’ were analyzed through 2012 to 2015 SWA magazine. The moderated regression test was applied to analyze the corporate social responsibility disclosure (CSRD) to CFP, moderated by CG. The CFP were proxied by return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). This study reveals that CSRD has a significant positive influence to the company's ROA and ROE, and CG has been found weakening the relation between CSRD in influencing the ROA and ROE.
The Expected Beneficial Effects of Watermelon Juice against Damage Induced by Gamma Radiation in the Testis of Rats

Background: The present study was designed to evaluate the expected beneficial effect of watermelon juice (WJ) on γ-radiation induced inflammation and testes tissue damage in rats.Methods: The values for total phenolic contents, antioxidant activity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl for WJ were detected. 28 Male rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (seven rats in each group) as follows; Control group, WJ group (received WJ by oral gavage 100 mg/kg B.Wt. / day/ 6 weeks), group 3 and 4: Irradiated group only (6Gy; the 1st week) and irradiated and WJ group, respectively. At the end of the experiment, blood and tissue samples were collected for biochemical analysis and histopathological examination.Result: It has been found that γ-irradiation led to testicular oxidative stress accompanied by hormonal disturbance (elevation of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and reduction of testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels) and elevation of inflammatory factors (serum tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) ). Rats received WJ after exposure to γ-rays showed significantly less severe damage and remarkable improvement in all of the measured parameters and also restored the histological changes in the testis when compared to irradiated rats.
Analysis of Surface Degradation of Silicon Rubber Insulators after 30 Years in-Service

In recent years, polymeric insulators have been increasingly used for high voltage overhead transmission lines. The industry has replaced the insulators from ceramic to polymeric due to its lightweight and hydrophobic materials, not to mention the performance against pollutant contamination. In this study, an analysis of two 70 kV silicone rubber insulators is performed. The insulators had been in service for 30 years on transmission networks in volcanic area, exposed to intense UV solar radiation in midday, but also high precipitation occur throughout the year. The urge to understand better of polymeric aging behavior is important to improve the quality of the polymeric type insulators. In this study, these aged samples were then compared with virgin samples to identify the endurance and quality of polymer material. The surface deterioration and the change of chemical content were evaluated using advanced techniques, including Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX), Thermo-Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Meanwhile, the hydrophobic and visual inspection were also conducted. The hydrophobicity was evaluated by measuring the contact angle and assessed using IEC62073. The aged samples are categorized as hydrophobic class 1 due to the angle value of more than 60o. Physicochemical results showed that the aged sample compared with the virgin simple did not differ significantly given that the aged samples have been in-service for 30 years. Based on TG/DTA result, the percentage difference of weight loss between virgin and aged sample only lower than 4%. Then, from EDX result, the atomic percentage differences of C and O component compared with virgin sample are 4%-10%. Furthermore, the FTIR spectra indicates a normal aging condition of the silicone rubber, the difference in peak value of Si-(CH3)2 and OH compared with virgin sample is 10%.
Reliability and Maintainability Requirements for Mobility Means of Surface-to-Air Missile Systems

: The article solves the problem of complex substantiation of reliability and maintainability requirements for mobility means of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems considering hierarchical structure of mentioned systems and appropriate characteristics of their mobility means, minimum configuration of SAM system means for air defense operation and a number of tactical characteristics of operation area. The quantitative characteristics of effectiveness of SAM system mobility means are measured by the coefficient of effectiveness sustainment which is the ratio of initial effect considering reliability and maintainability of mobility means to its value in case of faultless mobility means. The developed mathematical models, which are proposed for further use as a program product, are designed for defining the limit values of such reliability measures as mean range between failures and mean recovery time of combat and technical facilities of SAM system corresponding to given values of coefficient of effectiveness sustainment.
Fruit Set and Development in Seeded Grape Varieties as Affected by Defoliation, Topping, Girdling, and Other Treatments

1. A method for analyzing the effects of treatments on berry set and size within different seed classes was found to be useful. 2. Partial defoliation during bloom reduced set and berry size. Treating shoot tips on partially defoliated vines with maleic hydrazide delayed shoot elongation; it increased set in one experiment, but not in another. 3. Pinching and topping shoots during bloom increased set 10 to 30 percent above that of control vines in six of seven experiments. If decreased the number of seeds per berry slightly, but did not reduce the berry weight within each seed class. Prebloom and postbloom toppings did not improve set. Repeated toppings reduced berry weight slightly. All topping treatments reduced pruning weight considerably, but, in the two years of the experiments, no harmful effects were noted. 4. Girdling increased set markedly. It increased fewer-seeded berries most, causing an increase in the number of seedess berries and/or a decrease in the number of seeds per seeded berry. It increased berry weight within each seed class up to 14 percent above that of the control. 5. Urea foliage sprays did not change set. In two of five experiments it increased berry weight 7.5 percent. When superimposed on girdling treatment, urea sprays sometimes increased and sometimes decreased set compared with girdled vines. 6. The effects of shading on fruit set and size were inconclusive, but leaves on shaded vines were larger and had more chlorophyll. 7. Gibberellic acid applied during bloom, in a single experiment, reduced set.
Effect of Vinylene Carbonate Electrolyte Additive on the Surface Chemistry and Pseudocapacitive Sodium-Ion Storage of TiO2 Nanosheet Anodes

Although titanium dioxide has gained much attention as a sodium-ion battery anode material, obtaining high specific capacity and cycling stability remains a challenge. Herein, we report significantly improved surface chemistry and pseudocapacitive Na-ion storage performance of TiO2 nanosheet anode in vinylene carbonate (VC)-containing electrolyte solution. In addition to the excellent pseudocapacitance (~87%), the TiO2 anodes also exhibited increased high-specific capacity (219 mAh/g), rate performance (40 mAh/g @ 1 A/g), coulombic efficiency (~100%), and cycling stability (~90% after 750 cycles). Spectroscopic and microscopic studies confirmed polycarbonate based solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formation in VC-containing electrolyte solution. The superior electrochemical performance of the TiO2 nanosheet anode in VC-containing electrolyte solution is credited to the improved pseudocapacitive Na-ion diffusion through the polycarbonate based SEI (coefficients of 1.65 × 10−14 for PC-VC vs. 6.42 × 10−16 for PC). This study emphasizes the crucial role of the electrolyte solution and electrode–electrolyte interfaces in the improved pseudocapacitive Na-ion storage performance of TiO2 anodes.
The use of grey alder Alnus incana by foraging Black Woodpeckers Dryocopus martius during winter

Very few studies have been made on the Black Woodpecker’s Dryocopus martius feeding on deciduous trees in Scandinavia, especially at winter. This pilot study on the Black Woodpecker’s feeding in grey alder Alnus incana showed that the grey alder is a significant feeding tree during the winter months. The woodpeckers seem to prefer feeding in the southerly sector of grey alder trunks with a diameter of 13.5–15.4 centimetres, in their first dying stages. This study indicates that litter of a significant size, that is found beneath trees penetrated by woodpeckers, are from carvings made by the Black Woodpecker. Litter surveying may hence be an alternative investigational method to radio tracking for nutritional studies on the Black Woodpecker. This paper also discusses the role of a potential prey found in grey alders, the alder wood-wasp Xiphydria camelus, as a complementary food source at winter in different parts of Sweden, compared to the more well-described carpenter ants Camponotus herculeanus found in Norway spruce Picea abies.
Brothels as Sites of Third-Party Exploitation? Decriminalisation and Sex Workers’ Employment Rights

Decriminalisation is arguably essential to protecting the human rights of sex workers. Nonetheless, there are suggestions that decriminalisation has less influence on sex workers’ experiences of working than many assume. This paper explores management practices in brothels in the context of decriminalisation in New Zealand, focusing on sex workers’ employment status, managerial control and agency. We interviewed 14 brothel operators and 17 brothel-based sex workers in this study. The findings suggest that there remain challenges for sex workers in that brothel operators treated them as employees rather than independent contractors. Brothel operators retained control over shift times and pricing of services, and working conditions were unclear. Most sex workers understood their rights, but when operators impinged on their rights, it was often more expedient to move place of work than make an official complaint. However, decriminalisation did have a meaningful impact on the way sex workers negotiated potentially exploitative dimensions of brothel-based work. Decriminalisation has provided the context where it is possible for sex workers to experience safer and more supportive work environments than they otherwise might, where they can (and sometimes do) contest managerial control.
Reactive High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering of Chromium-Carbon Films

Chromium-carbon films were deposited by utilizing reactive high-power impulse magnetron sputtering at different mixture ratios of ethyne and argon atmosphere, and different substrate bias voltages and deposition temperature, with the same pulse frequency, duty cycle, and average power. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the obtained films were compared. The films consist of amorphous or nanocrystalline chromium carbide, hydrogenated amorphous carbon, and minor α-chromium phase. Decreasing the fraction of ethyne increases the content of the α-chromium phase but decreases hydrogenated amorphous carbon phase. The film’s hardness increases by enhancing the negative substrate bias and raising the deposition temperature, which could be attributed to the increase of film density and the Hall–Petch strengthening effect induced by the nanoscale crystallization of the amorphous carbide phase.
Research on the Influence of Energy Utilization and Economic Development on Human Well-Being in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is a typical resource-rich but economically backward region in western China, and it is of great urgency to improve human well-being. Combined with previous scholars’ research and the characteristics of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this paper constructs an index system of human well-being including four dimensions: income and consumption, means of production, means of subsistence, and resource acquisition ability. Then, it uses generalized matrix method estimations to measure the influence of energy utilization and economic development on human well-being and makes a regression analysis on the influence of energy utilization and economic development on human well-being in various provinces in this region. It is found that per capita GDP and coke utilization promote the well-being of all dimensions, while the urban registered unemployment rate only promotes the well-being of means of subsistence. The utilization of gasoline and natural gas promotes income and consumption and inhibits the means of subsistence and resource acquisition ability, but they have opposite effects on means of production. The impacts of energy utilization and economic development in different provinces on human well-being are different. This study is of great significance to the related research aiming at improving people’s livelihood and promoting regional development.