Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming and reading in first grade students in Tehran, Iran

Background and Aim: Reading is one of the human’s communicative skills. Phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming are parts of the person’s linguistic knowledge. Research in different languages and communities suggest that there is a relation between phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming and reading. To survey these relations in Persian language is the aim of this study. Methods: In this study 130 male students from the first grade were selected at random. They were normal in IQ, visual and hearing status. Language development was also normal in these children. This study was a cross-sectional one. Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression test were used to analyze data. Results: The relation between phonological awareness and automatized rapid naming was significant (p<0.0001). Pearson correlation coefficient between phonological awareness and reading was direct (0.86). Pearson correlation coefficient between rapid automatized naming and reading was indirect that equals -0.87. In investigating the relation of two variables simultaneously with reading we concluded that the relation between phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming and reading is statistically significant (p<0.0001). Conclusion: The results of this research revealed that in Persian language like other languages there is a relation between phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and reading. Reading skills of children could be improved with this exercises.
Stability of Lending Rate Stickiness: A Case Study of India

The paper postulates that in an environment of continuous financial reforms, the lending rate stickiness in an economy could be changing over the period. The financial reforms (of which deregulation of interest rates formed a major part) during the 1990s and the early 2000s and the changing role attributed to different policy rates during the reforms make India an interesting case study. The paper finds evidence of diminishing lending rate stickiness in case of India. During the major part of the study, Indian policymakers used the discount rate for policy signaling. The paper observes that as a result, the long-term rates like the lending rates did not react sufficiently to the changes in the short-term rates (e.g., repo rate) in this period unless the discount rate was also changed. Such behavior changed when policymakers started to use short-term rates like repo rates for policy signaling. Results in this paper suggest that when the impacts are added together, a change of 100 basis points in all policy rates towards the end of the reference period could change the lending rate in India almost by similar magnitude. These findings help to reconcile some of the contrasting findings on lending rate stickiness in case of India. Among possible factors still responsible for lending rate stickiness, the study identifies inelastic credit demand in India as an important factor. From policymaking perspective, however, it is postulated that as demand for personal and housing loans in India are likely to increase in future due to demographic factor, it is likely that such increase could tend to increase inflexibility in loan rates.
An assessment of latest Cretaceous Pycnodonte vesicularis (Lamarck, 1806) shells as records for palaeoseasonality: a multi-proxy investigation

Abstract. In order to assess the potential of the honeycomb oyster Pycnodonte vesicularis for the reconstruction of palaeoseasonality, several specimens recovered from late Maastrichtian strata in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) were subject to a multi-proxy investigation, involving scanning techniques and trace element and isotopic analysis. Combined CT scanning and light microscopy reveals two calcite microstructures in P. vesicularis shells (vesicular and foliated calcite). Micro-XRF analysis and cathodoluminescence microscopy show that reducing pore fluids were able to migrate through the vesicular portions of the shells (aided by bore holes) and cause recrystallization of the vesicular calcite. This renders the vesicular portions not suitable for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. In contrast, stable isotope and trace element compositions show that the original chemical composition of the foliated calcite is well-preserved and can be used for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions. Stable oxygen and clumped isotope thermometry on carbonate from the dense hinge of the shell yield sea water temperatures of 11°C, while previous TEX86H palaeothermometry yielded much higher temperatures. The difference is ascribed to seasonal bias in the growth of P. vesicularis, causing warm seasons to be underrepresented from the record, while TEX86H palaeothermometry seems to be biased towards warmer surface water temperatures. The multi-proxy approach employed here enables us to differentiate between well-preserved and diagenetically altered portions of the shells and provides an improved methodology for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions in deep time. While establishing a chronology for these shells was complicated by growth cessations and diagenesis, cyclicity in trace elements and stable isotopes allowed for a tentative interpretation of the seasonal cycle in late Maastrichtian palaeoenvironment of the Neuquén Basin. Attempts to independently verify the seasonality in sea water temperature by Mg ∕ Ca ratios of shell calcite are hampered by significant uncertainty due to the lack of proper transfer functions for pycnodontein oysters. Future studies of fossil ostreid bivalves should target dense, foliated calcite rather than sampling bulk or vesicular calcite. Successful application of clumped isotope thermometry on fossil bivalve calcite in this study indicates that temperature seasonality in fossil ostreid bivalves may be constrained by the sequential analysis of well-preserved foliated calcite samples using this method.
Ritz variational method for bending of rectangular kirchhoff plate under transverse hydrostatic load distribution

Received: 12 Feburary 2018 Accepted: 15 March 2018 In this study, the Ritz variational method was used to analyze and solve the bending problem of simply supported rectangular Kirchhoff plate subject to transverse hydrostatic load distribution over the entire plate domain. The deflection function was chosen based on double series of infinite terms as coordinate function that satisfy the geometric and force boundary conditions and unknown generalized displacement parameters. Upon substitution into the total potential energy functional for homogeneous, isotropic Kirchhoff plates, and evaluation of the integrals, the total potential energy functional was obtained in terms of the unknown generalized displacement parameters. The principle of minimization of the total potential energy was then applied to determine the unknown displacement parameters. Moment curvature relations were used to find the bending moments. It was found that the deflection functions and the bending moment functions obtained for the plate domain, and the values at the plate center were exactly identical as the solutions obtained by Timoshenko and Woinowsky-Krieger using the Navier series method.
How Important is Equity Finance for R&D Activity? - Evidence from German Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

This paper analyses the importance of equity finance for the R&D activity of SMEs. Based on a survey of German companies, we find that a higher equity ratio is conducive to more R&D for young but not for old companies. Equity is a constraining factor for young companies which have to rely on the original equity investment of their owners since they have not yet accumulated retained earnings. The importance of equity is confirmed with information on loan applications. Innovative companies have a higher probability for failed loan negotiations. The negotiations of young companies are more likely to fail because the bank makes no oer. We use instrumental variables to control for reverse causality.
Simulation Based Performance analysis of Active Clamp DHB ZVZCS Bidirectional DC-DC converter for Low Power Applications

A novel active clamp dual half bridge DC/DC converter with bidirectional power flow is proposed in this paper and comparative analysis between active clamp DHB ZVZCS and ZVS-ZCS bidirectional DC-DC converter topologies is also presented. By adding active clamping circuits to both bridges, zero voltage and zero current switching are achieved to improve the performance of the bidirectional DC/DC converter. The principle of operation is analyzed and simulated. With the proposed active clamp ZVZCS concept, the MATLAB simulation results of the applications of the fuel cell and battery have been obtained and compared with those of ZVS-ZCS bidirectional converter. The simulation results of proposed converter is compared with the ZVS-ZCS bidirectional DC-DC converter, efficiency, switching losses are the key parameters compared. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/ijpeds.v2i3. 1469
Tests of Parameters Instability: Theoretical Study and Empirical Analysis on Two Types of Models (Arma Model and Market Model)

This paper considers tests of parameters instability and structural change with known, unknown or multiple breakpoints. The results apply to a wide class of parametric models that are suitable for estimation by strong rules for detecting the number of breaks in a time series. For that, we use Chow, CUSUM, CUSUM of squares, Wald, likelihood ratio and Lagrange multiplier tests. Each test implicitly uses an estimate of a change point. We conclude with an empirical analysis on two different models (ARMA model and simple linear regression model “SLRM”).
Soybean (Glycine Max L.)Growth Enhancement under Water Stress Conditions

Water stress due to its severity badly effects productivity in legumes. Despite its global importance soybean production suffer the problems of water stress causing damages at plant development. So, the current study aimed at assessing the alleviation of adverse effects of water stress on soybean by using exogenous osmoprotectants and compost application. A greenhouse experiment was conducted at plant nutritional physiology laboratory, Hiroshima University, Japan in 2011- 2012.The treatments as follows, (a) water stress at different soil moisture levels consisting of ( 100% as control , 75% and 50% ), (b) compost fertilizer ( Control , 24 t/ha) and (c) exogenous proline and glycine betaine at the concentrations of (Control and 25Mm) for each. The results indicated that, water stress significantly reduced the seed yield and quality traits. Special attention was paid to the tolerance against water stress was observed, the improvement of water tolerance resulted from proline, glycine betaine and compost were accompanied with improved number of branches, number of pods, 100 seed weight and seed yield per plant. As well as, reduce adverse effects of drought on protein and oil content. These results clearly demonstrate that could be used to reduce the harmful effect of water stress on seed yield and quality aspects of soybean and reduce the amount of water used for irrigation.
Phenolic and Flavonoid Content and Antioxidant Activity of Daphne Blagayana Growing in Serbia

ABSTRACT Th e aim of this study was to examine the phenolic and flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of methanol and chloroform extracts of leaves and twigs of Daphne blagayana. Th e total phenolic content in the chloroform extract of plant twigs (90.26 ± 0.69 mg GA/g) was higher than that of the other extracts (from 76.56±0.89 to 77.45±0.43 mg GA/g). In the case of flavonoids, a greater value was also obtained for the chloroform extract of twigs (35.24±0.55 mg RU/g). Several diff erent methods were used to determine the antioxidant activity of the tested extracts, including total antioxidant capacity, metal chelating activity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and inhibitory activity against lipid peroxidation. Our results showed that although secondary metabolites of the plants may contribute significantly to their antioxidant activities, those antioxidant activities were not directly related to the phenolic and flavonoid amounts. Th e results of the present analysis demonstrated, for the first time, that Daphne blagayana leaves and twigs possess high phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as potential antioxidant activity. Th is study suggests that Daphne blagayana twigs and leaves may potentially be used as an accessible source of natural antioxidants. SAŽETAK Cilj ovog rada je bio da se ispita fenolni i flavodnoidni sadržaj, kao i antioksidativna aktivnost metanolskih i hloroformskih ekstrakta lišća i grančica biljke Daphne blagayana. Ukupan sadržaj fenola u hloroformskom ekstraktu grančica (90.26±0.69 mg GA/g) bio je veći od sadržaja u ostalim ekstraktima (od 76.56±0.89 do 77.45±0.43 mg GA/g). U slučaju flavonoida, maksimalna vrednost je takođe zabeležena kod hloroformskog ekstrakta grančica (35.24±0.55 mg RU/g). Nekoliko različitih metoda su korišćeno za određivanje antioksidantne aktivnosti testiranih ekstrakata uključujući ukupan antioksidantni kapacitet, metal helacionu aktivnost, aktivnost hidroksi radikala i inhibitornu aktivnost prema lipidnoj peroksidaciji. Naši rezultati su pokazali da, iako sekundarni metabolite biljaka mogu značajno doprineti antioksidantnim aktivnostima, ove aktivnosti nisu bile uvek direktno povezane sa količinom fenola i flavonoida u ekstraktima. Rezultati ovih ispitivanja su pokazali, po prvi put, da grančice i lišče biljke Daphne blagayana poseduju visok sadržaj fenola i flavonoida i potencijalno antioksidantno delovanje. Ova studija je pokazala da se lišće i grančice ove biljke mogu potencijalno koristiti kao pristupačan izvor prirodnih antioksidanasa.
SECOND ORDER SLIDING MODE CONTROL OF A DIESEL ENGINE

A 2nd order sliding mode algorithm is applied to control the speed of a diesel power generator set. Tuning guidelines are given. The robustness of the controller is investigated and the performance of the 2nd order sliding mode controller is compared with that obtained by a commercial diesel engine controller and a classical proportional‐integral (PI) controller. Robustness to unmodelled dynamics is discussed and implementation results presented.
Filtering Social Tags for Songs based on Lyrics using Clustering Methods

of a thesis at the University of Miami. Thesis supervised by Professor Mitsunori Ogihara No. of pages in text. (57) In the field of Music Data Mining, Mood and Topic information has been considered as a high level metadata. The extraction of mood and topic information is difficult but is regarded as very valuable. The immense growth of Web 2.0 resulted in Social Tags being a direct interaction with users (humans) and their feedback through tags can help in classification and retrieval of music. One of the major shortcomings of the approaches that have been employed so far is the improper filtering of social tags. This thesis delves into the topic of information extraction from songs’ tags and lyrics. The main focus is on removing all erroneous and unwanted tags with help of other features. The hierarchical clustering method is applied to create clusters of tags. The clusters are based on semantic information any given pair of tags share. The lyrics features are utilized by employing CLOPE clustering method to form lyrics clusters, and Naive Bayes method to compute probability values that aid in classification process. The outputs from classification are finally used to estimate the accuracy of a tag belonging to the song. The results obtained from the experiments all point towards the success of the method proposed and can be utilized by other research projects in the similar field.
Investigations on the Relativistic Interactions in One-Electron Atoms with Modified Yukawa Potential for Spin 1/2 Particles

Energy levels of one electron atoms have been re-examined by applying an alternative perturbative scheme in solving the modified Dirac equation (m.d.e.) for the modified Yukawa potential model with an arbitrary spin-orbit quantum number       1 ~ , ~ ~ , 1 ,         l l k l l k by means Bopp’s shift method instead to solving (m.d.e.) with star product, in the framework of noncommutativity three dimensional real space (NC: 3D-RS). It is observed that the obtained corrections of energies are depended on the new discrete atomic quantum numbers   m m k k ~ , , ~ , under spin-symmetry and pseudospin symmetry and two infinitesimal parameters     k k k ij ij ij    , ,    which induced by position-position noncommutativity. Furthermore, in limit of parameters     0 , 0 ,   k k  , the new energy equations for modified Yukawa potential are consistent with the results of ordinary relativistic quantum mechanics for ordinary Yukawa potential.
Clinical study on cystic swellings of the scrotum in adults in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Cystic swellings of the scrotum are common clinical entities that surgeons encounter in daily practice. Males of all ages are affected. Today, considerable heterogeneity exists in their treatment. This study sought to identify the prevalence and patterns of presentation of these swellings in adults and evaluate the different modalities of surgical management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken from January 2013 to December 2016. A total of 186 patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included. Data was collected using a proforma. All patients were managed surgically. Results: Majority of cases (28%) were observed between 41-50 years (mean age 43.9 years). In 71%, mode of presentation was a painless, gradually progressive swelling. Mean duration of symptoms was 17.3 months. Primary vaginal hydrocele was the commonest swelling encountered (in 73.1%). Jaboulay’s procedure was undertaken in 75.2% of patients. Lord’s plication was associated with a comparatively shorter operative time, lesser postoperative scrotal edema and a shorter hospital stay. Epididymal cysts accounted for 19.4% and were managed by excision. The most common complication observed irrespective of surgery performed was scrotal edema (in 36%). Hematoma and infection were less frequently observed. Patients were followed-up for a mean period of 1.8 months. No recurrences were detected during this period. Conclusions: Cystic swellings of the scrotum are conditions predominantly affecting middle-aged males. Among these, primary hydrocele is the commonest. Although Lord's plication is simpler and gives good results with fewer complications, Jaboulay’s procedure remains the gold standard for surgical management of hydrocele.
Two Case-Studies of Freeform-Facade Rationalization

This paper will demonstrate two effective facade rationalisation patterns developed at Gehry Technologies for mitigating the tradeoffs between project constructability constraints vs. project aesthetic constraints. The two Case-Studies will present, fi rstly a method for dealing with large amounts of component instantiations and second with the economical delivery of complex project geometry through panelling. Both projects use design technology as a strategy for the integration of specialized knowledge and trades, through an effective use of information technology. The Case Studies will present the development of the Gridshell Digital Mock-Up of the Yas Island Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi designed by Asymptote Architects and secondly the Museo Soumaya facade system in Mexico City designed by Fernando Romero LAR. This document will report the development process for obtaining relevant construction information, essential for the assembly of the facade systems by a third-party sub-contractor in support of the facade system coordination. The report concludes on the implementations of bespoke tools in support of the coordination and geometry description tasks. The tailored tool making process extends the parametric modelling system Digital Project™ in the design support role of obtaining aesthetically pleasing decompositions of the buildings Master Design Surface MDS into feasible constructible components.
Local Chronologies and Regional Diversity of Dendrochronological Signal of Douglas Fir in Poland

Local Chronologies and Regional Diversity of Dendrochronological Signal of Douglas Fir in Poland In Poland, 50 sites of Douglas fir were selected for which tree-ring chronologies were computed. Douglas fir in different parts of Poland has a specific increment rhythm, on the basis of which the four homogeneous dendrochronological zones were distinguished. The first zone (I) comprises Pomerania, Baltic coast, Warmia, and Mazuria (lowlands of northern Poland), the second zone (II) - Great Poland, Lower Silesia (lowlands of central Poland), the third zone (III) - the Sudetes and the Carpathian mountains, and the fourth zone (IV) - foothills of the Carpathians Mts. , Roztocze, and the Świętokrzyskie Mts. (uplands of southern Poland). These areas are called the dendroclimatic zones because different thermo-pluvial conditions of the summer season were a cause of diversification of the Douglas fir increment rhythm, and in consequence of its chronology. A high similarity of site chronologies of a given region permitted to construct regional tree-ring chronologies for respective zones. Thermal conditions of the winter season (February - March) were the factor most strongly and similarly affecting radial increment of Douglas fir populations in the entire territory of Poland. This factor caused that all chronologies showed many similar traits in their progress. This fact permitted to construct the supra-regional (all-Polish) tree-ring chronology for this tree species. It comprises the period from 1900 to 2000, and it is a good standard for dating Douglas fir wood samples originating from the area of Poland.
Parthenium hysterophorus L. a potential source of bioherbicide.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. , being a declared invasive weed is threatening the biodiversity and human health in several areas of Pakistan. Several researchers have documented the alleloapthic effect of this weed. In the present studies the allelopathic potential was studied in laboratory and in field conditions with the objectives to explore the potential of P. hysterophorus as bioherbicide in future. Laboratory based experiment showed that with the increasing concentration of P. hysterophorus, the germination percentage, seedling length and seedling weight of all the three species tested were significantly decreased. The tolerance order of the species against the extract concentration of P. hysterophorus were Triticum aestivum > Avena fatua > Lepidium sp. While field experiment showed that there was no effect of any concentration either pre or postemergence on weed density 25 days after sowing, fresh biomass and dry biomass. However different concentration had significant effect on the weed density 50 DAS in post-emergence as well as pre-emergence. This might be due to delayed germination of weeds due to allelochemicals. Hence the present study suggest that P. hysterophorus can be used as a bioherbicide but still needs extensive study to fully explore its potential against different summer and winter weeds.
Conditional Downside Risk and the CAPM

The mean-semivariance CAPM strongly outperforms the traditional mean-variance CAPM in terms of its ability to explain the cross-section of US stock returns. If regular beta is replaced by downside beta, the traditional risk-return relationship is restored. The downside betas of low-beta stocks are substantially higher than the regular betas, while high-beta stocks involve less systematic downside risk than suggested by their regular betas. This pattern is especially pronounced during bad states-of-the-world, when the market risk premium is high. In sum, our results provide evidence in favor of market portfolio efficiency, provided we account for conditional downside risk.