Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The transition to NDC in Italy: assessing distributive and financial effects

Moving from a Defined Benefit (DB) to a Notional Defined Contribution (NDC) pension formula creates significant re-distributive effects. We estimate the amount and the intensity of these effects in the case of the Italian transition to NDC, which began in 1995. Based on administrative data of the main Italian pension scheme (FPLD), we study the evolution of yearly inequality within old-age pension benefits. Furthermore, we study the adequacy and the actuarial fairness of the pension system, by estimating the replacement rates and the Net Present Value Ratio distribution for workers who retired in the period 1996–2019. Our results show that the very generous interpretation of acquired rights determined by the 1995 reform has contributed to maintaining a high level of adequacy and a significant level of intergenerational imbalance. The financial costs of this imbalance are estimated and its extent is significant.
ESTIMATES OF SKEW WIND SPEEDS FOR BRIDGE FLUTTER

When estimating the stability of a long-span bridge under wind, the basic study is most often made by considering the wind as it approaches the bridge at right angles to its long axis. However, maximum wind at a given site seldom approaches exactly normal to this axis, but will generally be skew instead. A common assumption is that a given skew wind velocity will be critical for flutter if its cosine component normal to the bridge deck equals the critical bridge normal-wind velocity. Although this does not provide a completely inaccurate estimate, the latter can be sharpened somewhat by considering an available physical approximation to the aeroelastic wind-structure interaction under the skew wind. This approximation is derivable from the experimental analysis of the wind-normal flutter condition and its associated key flutter derivatives, particularly the one linked to deck torsional instability.
Cultural astronomy in Uganda from the perspectives of the Acholi, Banyankole, Iteso and Lugbara

Cultural astronomy in Uganda has been explored a second time considering another set of four ethnic groups, giving a wide range of perspectives in the subject and setting a baseline for exploring cultural astronomy in other African countries. Qualitative data have been collected using interviews and questionnaire survey, conducted with mutual consent of the respondents. Both purposive sampling and snow-ball sampling of respondents are employed to give opportunity only to those people having relevant information. A sample size of 80 members of each ethnic group is considered, and only those members aged 40 years and above have been approached for responses. Most natural phenomena involving celestial objects are considered mysterious, yet ethnic groups have attempted to explain them in their own ways; an eclipse is interpreted as the fight between the sun and moon as they cross each other’s paths; the moon’s appearance and disappearance on a monthly basis are taken as rehearsal steps towards weather changes; certain stars, clusters and constellations are believed to influence human activities; the moon is an enigmatic object which is thought to have activities on it similar to those on earth; and so forth. Some phenomena are thought to be caused by the actions of the gods. The results show that cultural astronomy is a prerequisite for modern astronomy in most African countries where astronomy education is just starting to take shape. It is prayed that telescope observations and scientific presentations will reach the ethnic communities one day upon acquiring some telescopes. Key words: Astronomy, celestial, culture, galaxies, myths, peculiar, rainbow, Uganda, universe.
Kid Crop Kambing Kacang (Capra Hircus) Di Kabupaten Konawe Utara

ABSTRAK Salah satu variabel penentu dalam mengukur perkembangan populasi ternak di suatu wilayah adalah jumlah kelahiran anak ternak. Pada ternak kambing dan domba, produktivitas seekor induk dapat diketahui dengan menggunakan indikator nilai panen cempe. Informasi tentang nilai panen cempe, khususnya ternak Kambing Kacang di Kabupaten Konawe Utara masih kurang sehingga perlu dilakukan penelitian untuk memperoleh data tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui nilai panen cempe Kambing Kacang di Kabupaten Konawe Utara. Lokasi penelitian ditentukan dengan menggunakan dua metode, yaitu metode stratified sampling dan purposive sampling . Sedangkan penentuan responden pada desa terpilih digunakan metode sensus. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa nilai rataan panen cempe Kambing Kacang di Kabupaten Konawe Utara adalah 167,71% dengan interval kelahiran sebesar 8,61 bulan dan jumlah anak sekelahiran sebesar 1,36 ekor, sedangkan mortalitasnya mencapai 13,96%. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah produktivitas ternak Kambing Kacang di Kabupaten Konawe Utara masih cukup baik berdasarkan variable nilai panen cempenya. Kata Kunci: Kambing Kacang, Cempe, Kid Crop, Konawe Utara.
Latest results of Eurofusion plasma-facing components research in the areas of power loading, material erosion and fuel retention

The interaction between the edge-plasma in a fusion reactor and the surrounding first-wall components is one of the main issues for the realisation of fusion energy power plants. The EUROfusion Work Package on plasma-facing components addresses the key areas of plasma-surface interaction in view of ITER and DEMO operation, which are mostly related to material erosion, surface damage and fuel retention. These aspects are both investigated experimentally (in tokamaks, linear plasma devices and lab experiments) and by modelling. Here, selective results regarding the main research topics are presented: in the area of tungsten (W) surface modifications, the interplay between W fuzz formation and W fuzz erosion depends strongly on the local plasma and surface conditions, as demonstrated by tokamak experiments. Complementary, experimental findings on the dependence of erosion on the surface structure in lab-scale experiments have led to the successful implementation of surface structure effects in numerical modelling. The qualification of ITER-like monoblocks at high fluences of up to 1031 D m−2 in linear plasma facilities has shown no visible damages at cold plasma conditions. However, experiments with simultaneous plasma and pulsed heat loading (edge-localized modes simulations) show that synergistic effects can lower the W damage thresholds. Additionally, fuel retention studies show that nitrogen as a plasma impurity increases the fuel retention in W, and that deuterium implanted in the surface of W is capable of stabilizing displacement damages caused by neutron damage. Finally, the implications of these results on ITER and DEMO operation are discussed and an outlook on follow-up experiments is given: the results indicate that there are possible impacts on the ITER divertor lifetime and tritium removal. Other areas like the divertor shaping and the erosion need additional investigations in the future to quantify the impact on ITER and DEMO operation.
Optimization of Bio-Calcification Process for a Newly Isolated Urease Producing Bacterial Strain Advenelle sp. AV1

Abstract Bio-calcification is a natural phenomenon catalyzed by the urease enzyme, which is produced by a wide range of bacterial strains. The bio-calcification process relies on several physicochemical factors like pH, Ca2+, inoculum size (serve as a nucleation site), temperature, etc. In this study, seven urease-producing bacteria (BS-1-BS-7) were isolated from the garden soil of the two locations and the soil collected from a cave located at Sahastradhara, Dehradun Uttarakhand, India. These isolates were tested for urease activity and CaCO3 precipitation. Among the bacterial isolates, BS-6 produced the maximum ammonium ions and CaCO3 precipitate (14.6 mg/50 ml) and therefore it was selected for the optimization study. The two important factors – inoculum size (4%, 12%, and 20%; OD value 1.2 at 600 nm) and CaCl2 concentration (25, 50, and 100 mM) were optimized for bio-calcification process (CaCO3 precipitation). The optimum inoculum size and CaCl2 concentration for the CaCO3 precipitation by the isolate BS-6 were found to be 12% and 50 mM, respectively. Two-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) indicates that both factors, inoculum size and CaCl2 concentration significantly (p < 0.05) affect the CaCO3 precipitation. The present study signifies the role of Ca2+ and inoculum size in the bio-calcification process. The selected bacterial strain BS-6 was further identified as a novel strain Advenelle sp. AV1 based on the 16S rRNA sequencing. This is the first report that shows Advenelle sp. AV1 as urease producing and bio-calcite forming bacteria.
IVF Outcome With High Level of AMH: Focus on Pcos Versus Non-pcos

Background: To investigate whether high AMH level in PCOS patients resulted in different IVF outcomes compared to non-PCOS patients.Methods: A cross-sectional observational study involving 238 women undergoing IVF who have AMH level > 4 ng/ml. Participants then grouped into PCOS and non-PCOS cohorts. Results: The median AMH was significantly higher in the PCOS group (7.59 [4.61] ng/ml vs 5.91 [2.22] ng/ml) (U = 4087, p < 0.001). The PCOS group required less gonadotropin but yielded more oocytes after stimulation. Significantly more participants from PCOS group (41.5% [n=39]) developed hyper-response to ovarian stimulation compared to the non-PCOS group (26.4% [n=38]) (OR = 1.978, 95% CI: 1.138 – 3.488; p = 0.015). Conclusion: Women with PCOS and high AMH levels have a higher risk of hyper-response after ovarian stimulation than their non-PCOS cohorts.
Is gender role self-concept a predictor for music class attendance? Findings from secondary schools in Lower Saxony (Germany)

Although there is an increasing number of studies investigating the effects of attending music programs and classes, research on the impact of gender role self-concept on the decision to attend music classes is limited. Current research highlights the significance of gender role self-concept in decision-making processes. Accordingly, we conducted path analysis on a sample of n = 353 fifth-graders to identify interrelations and mediation effects of students’ gender role self-concept on the attendance of a specific music class through the self-concept in music, intrinsic value of music, and other relevant aspects. The results showed that only gender role self-concept of femininity revealed direct effects on attending a music class. Students describing themselves as feminine had a more positive self-concept in music and value music more. No mediation effects could be detected. However, a negative direct path from gender role self-concept of femininity on music class attendance was observed. No effect was found for gender role self-concept of masculinity and music class attendance. The intrinsic value for music showed the highest impact on music class attendance. After discussing the main results, recommendations for researchers, teachers, and school administrators are made with regard to an accessible music education, which is independent of gender role orientations.
Development of peer‐to‐peer (P2P) internet online hybrid test system

A new Internet online hybrid test system, designated the ‘peer‐to‐peer (P2P) Internet online hybrid test system’, is proposed. In the system, the simulated structure is divided into multiple substructures, and each substructure is analysed numerically or tested physically in parallel at geographically distributed locations. The equations of motion are not formulated for the entire structure but for each substructure separately. Substructures are treated as highly independent systems, and only standard I/O, i.e. displacements and forces at the boundaries, are used as interfaces. A ‘Coordinator’ equipped with an iterative algorithm based on quasi‐Newton iterations is developed to achieve compatibility and equilibrium at boundaries. A test procedure, featuring two rounds of quasi‐Newton iterations and using assumed elastic stiffness, is adopted to avoid iteration for the substructure being tested physically. A fast and stable solution using a socket mechanism is developed for data exchange over the Internet. Demonstration tests applied to a base‐isolated structure was conducted, and the results are compared with an online hybrid test using the conventional test method. The results obtained from the P2P Internet hybrid test match very closely those obtained from the conventional tests. Investigations are also carried out on time consumption and control accuracy. The results show that the Internet data exchange solution using the socket mechanism is fast, and tests were completed successfully under the constructed Internet online hybrid test environment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
College Student Motivation Uses The Cooperative Learning Model In Terms Of Gender And Motivational Autonomy That Affect

Motivation has a very important role for the achievement of college students in participating in the lecture process. Motivation has been found to have a positive influence on cooperative learning. Thus, it is important to see the motivation of college students after attending lectures using the cooperative learning model. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the cooperative learning model type Team Games Tournament (TGT) on the motivation of college students, in terms of gender and the autonomy of the motivation that influences it. The research method uses an experimental method with a one group pretest-posttest design. The participants in this study were 13 college students in the seventh semester at a university in the eastern part of the province of West Java. The research instrument used the Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire. The data analysis technique used descriptive statistics and paired samples t test. The results of the study concluded that there was an effect of the TGT learning model on the motivation of college students. There were no differences in motivation between men and women and it was more influenced by intrinsic autonomy in achieving college student motivation. In order to conduct further research related to the findings obtained with more participants. Thus, the findings can be more generalizable.
Efficacy of florpyrauxifen-benzyl on dioecious hydrilla and hybrid water milfoil - concentration and exposure time requirements

This study conducted small-scale trials under various concentration and exposure time (CET) scenarios to determine florpyrauxifen-benzyl activity on dioecious hydrilla and hybrid watermilfoil and determine impact on water stargrass and elodea. Hydrilla treated with 12, 24, or 36 μg active ingredient (a.i.) L⁻¹ florpyrauxifen-benzyl and exposed for 12, 24, or 48 hr under outdoor mesocosm conditions was reduced in biomass by 30-75% at 8 weeks after treatment (WAT). An additional hydrilla trial at the same herbicide concentrations, but under longer exposures (24, 72, or 168 hr), resulted in 33–85% plant control. Under indoor conditions, hybrid watermilfoil dry weight decreased 98–100% with subsurface applications of florpyrauxifen-benzyl under CET scenarios of 3–12 μg a.i. L⁻¹ at 3–24 hr exposure times in a growth chamber trial. Under shorter exposure periods (0.5–4 hr) in a follow-up trial, low doses (3–9 μg a.i. L⁻¹) achieved 50–100% control of hybrid watermilfoil. In the same trial, the nontarget species water stargrass and elodea proved relatively tolerant to the florpyrauxifen-benzyl at doses up to 6 μg a.i. L⁻¹ (4 hr exposure) and 9 μg a.i. L⁻¹ (1 hr exposure). These small-scale trials demonstrate florpyrauxifen-benzyl’s potential to selectively manage invasive species.
The power of daydreaming: the aesthetic act of a new beginning

ABSTRACT What can we learn from a better understanding of the process of daydreaming in an organizational context? That is the main question underpinning this study. Based on a field study with a rural entrepreneur that uses daydreaming as her main strategic tool in the development of her farm, and a reading of Bachelard’s work on the phenomenology of ‘reverie,’ we come to understand daydreaming as an embodied act that emerges at the intersection between relational materiality, vertical temporality and aesthetic space. This conceptualization of daydreaming reminds us that rather than focusing on how to make dreams come true, which is the traditional way of relating to dreams in organizational life, there is a need to enable people to dream anew, because that is when new beginnings can be born, and the particular will to act, through daydreaming, can be released.
Learning with Missing Data

This work considers the problem of learning with missing data. Two main classes of approaches are considered. The first class consists of sequential algorithms in which the missing values are first imputed by using an imputation method and then a learning algorithm is applied. This sequential approach is shown to be non-robust for certain scenarios. The second class of algorithms is more robust as they allow exploitation of side information (location of missing values) from the imputation block, which enhances the performance. In particular, an online updation scheme is proposed which is computationally efficient.
Development of Prediction Models for Particle Size Composition on Urban Road Surfaces

It is commonly known that particles play a critical role in urban stormwater quality because other pollutants can be attached to the particles and transported into receiving waters. Previous research studies have shown a strong relationship between pollutant build-up loads and particle sizes. In this context, accurately estimating the particle amounts in different sizes is extremely important since it can assist in predicting stormwater quality and hence contribute to effective stormwater quality improvement measures. This paper presents a robust model to predict particle size composition on urban road surfaces using heavy-duty vehicle volumes, traffic coefficient and road texture depth by multiple linear regression (MLR) method. The pollutants build-up data was used for model development and was collected on typical urban roads in Shenzhen, China. The relative prediction error and coefficient of variation values were found within the acceptable limits and hence indicated that the developed prediction models are relatively reliable. This developed model can assist in predicting particle size composition on urban road surfaces and thereby contribute to effective stormwater quality assessment and treatment design. Additionally, this developed modelling approach can also provide a guide in terms of particle size composition prediction using more influential factors.
Electromagnetic modeling of 2D electronic mode‐stirred reverberating chambers for electromagnetic compatibility and interference analysis and design

This research concentrates on developing a complete theoretical tool to analyze the electronic mode‐stirred reverberating chamber. A 2D modeling of the EM fields is performed, which can then readily be extended to a 3D analysis of the cavity. The finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method is implemented to discretize the Maxwell's equations. With our newly proposed method, the electromagnetic‐field characteristics can be easily studied inside the reverberating chamber under a realistic circumstance, thus opening doors to the analysis of a large spectrum of problems related to both commercial and military applications. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2005.
Disseminator, Watchdog and Neighbor?: Positioning Local Journalism in the 2018 #FreePress Editorials Campaign

ABSTRACT On August 15, 2018, hundreds of newspapers around the United States published editorials defending journalism against attacks by President Trump. This study examines how these editorials rhetorically represented the press’s role in democracy, as well as journalists’ relationships with local communities. Grounded in recent frameworks examining how journalists’ role conceptions can evolve or be reinforced through metajournalistic discourse, we find through content analysis that the editorials emphasized traditional journalistic roles of objective “information disseminator” and “watchdog”, while some also articulated a “good neighbor” role.
Stage-Discharge Functions for Two-Stage Channels: The Impact of New Research

Research into two-stage channels carried out in the large flood channel facility at Wallingford has shown that the conventional approach to their hydraulics over-estimates their conveyance when in flood. This is because of the interaction between the main channel flow and the slower moving flood plain flows which, traditionally, has been ignored. A new design procedure has therefore been developed allowing for this effect. This has important implications in respect of the stage-discharge functions for rivers and bermed drainage channels, and especially on the extrapolation of observed flows to greater depths. The newly developed hydraulic design method is provided as an Appendix.
Motivational Teaching Strategies and EFL Students' Essay Writing Proficiency

Motivation is considered a complex and challenging issue in teaching, especially in second language courses. Many studies have been conducted about motivational strategies in teaching English language, however, the research that focuses on essay writing is still rare. Therefore, this research aims to describe the effect of the motivational strategies on students’ essay writing proficiency and their response to its implementation. These strategies include Creating the Basic Motivational Condition (CBMC), Generating Initial Motivation (GIM), Maintaining and Protecting Motivation (MPM), and Encouraging Positive Retrospective Self-Evaluation (EPRS). The research participants were third-semester undergraduates in a private university, in Indonesia, that enrolled in essay writing. The data were collected by conducting essay writing tests and interviews. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant impact on the students' writing scores, as observed from the improvement from their pre-test to post-test scores In addition, the data from the interview showed the students’ positive response and consciousness of their writing progress which indicated the appropriateness of the strategies in their class. The results showed the necessity of implementing motivational strategies as a new model of English instruction by writing lecturers and English teachers in general.
Weathering a Crisis: A Multi-Level Analysis of Resilience in Young Ventures

In the context of the external disruption presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigate (1) how individual-level resilience and inter-functional coordination relate to organizational resilience and (2) the link between organizational resilience and firm performance. We view organizational resilience as a resource-based capability and draw on insights regarding psychological capital and relational resources to inform our hypotheses. Our hypotheses are tested with a time-lagged, multi-level study of young technology ventures. The results show that when such firms are resilient, they tend to perform significantly better in a crisis. Further, organizational resilience is positively influenced by the individual resilience of top management team members, as well as inter-functional coordination. We discuss implications for theory and practice and suggest avenues for research on resilience in entrepreneurship.