Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING METHOD ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN WRITING SKILLS IN LEARNING ARABIC AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Differentiated Learning is a method of teaching which has been set and used in education to meet learners’ various needs and preferences. This paper investigates the effect of Differentiated learning method (DLM) on students’ achievement in writing skills in learning Arabic as a foreign language in Malaysia. A total of 100 students (47 males and 53 females), who were randomly selected, participated in this study. The pre-and post-tests comparison groups design was used to determine if there was significant differences between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught using DLM, while the control group was taught using the teacher-centered method (TCM). Descriptive statistics were used to determine the effect of DLM on students’ achievement in writing skills. The statistical results demonstrated that there was a significant difference in the post-test between the experimental group (M=10.14, SD=2.79) and the control group (M=8.20, SD= 2.38); t (3.73), p < . 05). The experimental group’s achievement was generally more than the control group’s which proves that the DLM is an effective approach in improving students’ writing achievement in learning Arabic Language as a foreign language in Malaysia.
Real Implications of the Zero Bound on Nominal Interest Rates

If monetary policy succeeds in keeping average inflation very low, nominal interest rates may occasionally be constrained by the zero lower bound. The degree to which this constraint has real implications depends on the monetary policy feedback rule and the structure of price setting. Policy rules that make the price level stationary lead to small real distortions from the zero bound. If policy imparts persistence into the inflation rate, the real implications of the zero bound are large in the presence of backward-looking price setting and small if prices are set to maximize profits.
A Stochastic Recurrence Equation Approach to Stationarity and Phi-Mixing of a Class of Nonlinear ARCH Models

This article generalises the results of Saidi and Zakoian (2006) to a considerably larger class of nonlinear ARCH models with discontinuities, leverage effects and robust news impact curves. We propose a new method of proof for the existence of a strictly stationary and phi-mixing solution. Moreover, we show that any path converges to this solution. The proof relies on stochastic recurrence equation theory and builds on the work of Bougerol (1993) and Straumann (2005). The assumptions that we need for this approach are less restrictive than those imposed in Saidi and Zakoian (2006) and typically found in Markov chain theory, as they require very little from the distribution of the underlying process. Furthermore, they can be stated in a general setting for random functions on a separable Banach space as is done in Straumann and Mikosch (2006). Finally, we state sufficient conditions for the existence of moments.
Microcredit and Technical Efficiency of Rural Farm Households in Egba Division of Ogun State Nigeria

This study examined the effect of microcredit on technical efficiency of rural farm households in Egba division of Ogun State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 160 rural farm households used for the study. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit regression model and stochastic frontier production analysis. The findings revealed that majority of the rural farm household heads are in their active ages. It was also revealed that most farm household heads are fairly educated with relatively high experienced in farming. The significant factors that determine access to credit among rural farm households as revealed by the probit result include age(p<0.05), farm size(p<0.01), household size(p<0.01), farming experience(p<0.01) and education(p<0.10). The stochastic frontier production function result revealed that farm output increases with farm size(p<0.05), family labour(p<0.05) and hired labour(p<0.05) but decreases with increase in intermediate materials(p<0.10). The inefficiency model revealed that age (p<0.05), farming experience(p<0.05), education(p<0.05), household size(p<0.10) and credit(p<0.05) increase the technical efficiency of the farmers. The mean technical efficiency of 0.69 implies there is room for improvement in the technical efficiency level of the rural farm households by 31 percent. Policy option requires the strengthening of the education of farmers and increase in the level of awareness on the benefit of credit to increase the production efficiency among rural farm households in the study area.
Information, Physics and the Representing Mind

A primary function of mind is to form and manipulate representations to identify and choose survival-enhancing behaviors. Representations are themselves physical systems that can be manipulated to reason about, predict, or plan actions involving the objects they designate. The field of knowledge representation and reasoning (KRR) turns representation upon itself to study how representations are formed and used by biological and computer systems. Some of the most versatile and successful KRR methods have been imported from computational physics. Features of a problem are mapped onto dimensions of an imaginary physical system in which solution quality is inversely related to energy. Simulating the fictitious physical system on a digital computer yields a low-energy, and hence high-quality, solution to the original problem. This paper suggests a rethinking of the traditional metaphor of cognition as execution of algorithms on a digital computer. It may be both more fruitful and more accurate to conceive of representation as mapping problem features to an energy surface, learning as identifying representations that map good solutions to low free energy, and problem solving as efficient search for low free energy states. This conception of cognition is in natural accord with Stapp's theory of efficacious conscious choice. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:. 0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:. 0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Capturing dynamic presentation: Using technology to enhance the chalk and the talk

Despite rapid changes in the ways in which university courses are being delivered, lectures have remained a common feature of many courses. The lecture is problematic for many reasons, not the least being that it does not encourage interaction. The current project attempted to address this problem by implementing 'digital ink' into lecture sessions. The approach used in this study is innovative because the handwritten component of the content was written on top of content created in advance and presented in PDF form. The response from students was overwhelmingly positive. During the course of the implementation, a number of teething problems were encountered; suggestions for overcoming these problems and future enhancements are also discussed. Digital ink provides a potential avenue for increasing interaction in lecture sessions whilst not limiting the capacity for capturing all aspects of the session.
PKS 1510-089: a rare example of a flat spectrum radio quasar with a very high-energy emission

Context. The blazar PKS 1510-089 is an example of flat spectrum radio quasars. High-energy emissions from this class of objects are believed to have been produced by IC radiation with seed photons originating from the broad line region. In such a paradigm, a lack of very high-energy emissions is expected because of the Klein-Nishina effect and strong absorption in the broad line region. Recent detection of at least three such blazars by Cherenkov telescopes has forced a revision of our understanding of these objects.Aims. We have aimed to model the observed spectral energy distribution of PKS 1510-089 from the high-energy flares in March 2009, during which very high-energy emission were also detected by H.E. S.S. Methods. We have applied the single-zone internal shock scenario to reproduce the multiwavelength spectrum of PKS 1510-089. We have followed the evolution of the electrons as they propagate along the jet and emit synchrotron and IC radiation. We have considered two sources of external photons: the dusty torus and the broad line region. We have also examined the effects of the gamma-gamma absorption of the high-energy photons both in the AGN environment (the broad line region and the dusty torus), as well as while traveling over cosmological distances: the extragalactic background light.Results. We have successfully modeled the observed spectrum of PKS 1510-089. In our model, the highest energy emission is the result of the Comptonization of the infrared photons from the dusty torus, thus avoiding Klein-Nishina regime, while the bulk of the emissions in the GeV range may still be dominated by the Comptonization of radiation coming from the broad line region.
Exposants de Łojasiewicz dans le cas

We prove the rationality of the Łojasiewicz exponent for p-adic semialgebraic functions without compactness hypothesis. In the parametric case, we show that the parameter space can be divided into a finite number of semi-algebraic sets on each of which the Łojasiewicz exponent is constant.
Discussion of “Prediction Intervals for Short-Term Wind Farm Generation Forecasts” and “Combined Nonparametric Prediction Intervals for Wind Power Generation”

A new score for the evaluation of interval forecasts, the so-called coverage width-based criterion (CWC), was proposed and utilized. This score has been used for the tuning (in-sample) and genuine evaluation (out-ofsample) of prediction intervals for various applications, e.g., electric load [1], electricity prices [2], general purpose prediction [3], and wind power generation [4], [5]. Indeed, two papers by the same authors appearing in the IEEE Transactions On Sustainable Energy employ that score and use it to conclude on the comparative quality of alternative approaches to interval forecasting of wind power generation.
Characteristics of Fruiting and Pollen Tube Growth of Apple Autotetraploid Cultivars Showing Self-compatibility

Apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.) have gametophytic self-incompatibility (SI). Generally, the polyploidy breaks down gametophytic SI; however, there is little data on apples. In this study, we collected basic data on the self-compatibility (SC) mechanism of apple autotetraploid cultivars and polyploid mutants of original diploid cultivars. The autotetraploids showed self-fertility, and their pollen was compatible with the pistils of their original diploid cultivars, which share two S-alleles. However, the original diploid cultivars’ pollen was incompatible with the pistils of autotetraploid cultivars. Although the pollen of autotetraploid cultivars induced SC, the fruit set percentage and seed number were lower when autotetraploid cultivars were selfed or used as pollen parents in the pistils of the original diploid cultivars than in compatible diploid cross-combinations. The pollen tubes of autotetraploid cultivars grew significantly further than those of the selfed diploid cultivars, but grew significantly slower than in compatible diploid cross-combinations. These results show that the pollen of apple autotetraploid cultivars induced SC but maintained partial incompatibility.
Prevalence of non-functional overreaching and the overtraining syndrome in Swiss elite athletes

Objectives: Fatigue and unaccountable underperformance are common for athletes, but there is a lack of empirical data regarding the prevalence of non-functional overreaching (NFOR) and the overtraining syndrome (OTS). Using the overtraining definition of the European College of Sport Sci ence (ECSS), the present study aimed to explore the prevalence, symptoms and associated factors of NFOR/OTS across Swiss elite athletes in various sports. Method: 139 Swiss elite athletes (63 males and 76 females, Mage = 23.6, SDage = 5.6 y) from 26 different sports completed a1 7-item online survey about underperformance and symptoms of NFOR/OTS. 95% of the sample represented Switzerland in their sport. Athletes were classified as NFOR/ OTS by according to the overtraining definition of the ECSS. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U nonparametric tests and ANOVAs. Results: 9% of the athletes were classified as OTS and 21% as NFOR at least once in their career. The prevalence was significantly higher in medium-physical demand sports than in low-physical demand sports (p = .02). There were no signifi cant differences in the NFOR/OTS prevalence between individual and team sports and female and male athletes. Competition level and training load had also no significant influence on the NFOR/OTS prevalence, although low-physical demand sports trained significantly less than medium- and high-physical demand sports. Injury/illness, loss of weight and sleep disturbance rates were significantly higher in the NFOR/OTS group. More than 70% of the NFOR/OTS athletes reported loss of motivation and emotional disturbances. Conclusions: The NFOR/OTS career prevalence rate of Swiss elite athletes can be estimated at approximately 30%. NFOR/ OTS is accompanied by biopsychosocial signs of maladjustment, e.g., emotional disturbances, loss of motivation, sleep disturbances, injury/illness and weight loss, but training load is not a predictor of NFOR/OTS.
The Labour Market Impacts of a Youth Guarantee: Lessons for Europe?

This paper examines the youth guarantee programme introduced in Finland 2005. The reform consisted of early intervention, monitoring and individualized job search plans that guarantee activation measures for unemployed young persons. Using the age threshold set at 25 years, we find that the youth guarantee moderately increased unsubsidized employment while having a negligible impact on unemployment in the age range of 23-24. We also show that the positive impacts of the youth guarantee only materialize among unemployed young persons with a vocational education. There are no signs that the guarantee improved the labour market prospects of young uneducated people.
The Interest Rate Deregulation and Bank Lending in Nigeria

This study examined the interest rate deregulation and bank lending in Nigeria within the period of 1987 to 2011. The study was carried out to show the relevance of the hinges on the fact that credit and its costs (interest) perform a private role in shaping the economic future of Nigeria. The ordinary least square (OLS) techniques were utilized to estimate the parameters of the modeled independent variables/regressors on our chosen dependent variable. The hypothesis that the interest rate deregulation has a significance impact on bank lending was tested and validated with the result. Our findings gave rise to statistically significant t-statistics, which confirms the effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables. Some of the recommendations to further accelerate growth of the banking sector are more efforts to recommend that government through central bank should implement stringent fiscal and monetary policies aimed at reducing inflation. Others include that banks have been over-reacting to interest measures by increasing the rates to unprofitable levels especially during the period of deregulation. Keywords: Interest rate, deregulation, bank lending
Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review on Definitions, Core Characteristics and Theoretical Perspectives

This paper reviewed different definitions of CSR and presented some summarised dimensions attributed to the definitions which represent the area of focus for the definitions including; Obligation to the society, stakeholders involvement, improving corporate image and reputation, economic development, ethical business practice, law abiding, voluntariness, human rights, environmental protection, transparency and accountability. The six core characteristics of CSR follows as the features which shows how CSR is represented with different initiatives and processes ranging from voluntary activities, managing external factors, stakeholder management, alignment of social and economic responsibilities, considering practices and values and finally extending CSR activities beyond philanthropy to instrumentality. The last segment of this paper elucidates on theoretical perspectives of CSR in six categories; the classical view, the legitimacy, stakeholder, agency, institutional, instrumental and Islamic CSR theories.
Uptake of high molecular weight dextran by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium catenella

Carbohydrate macromolecules (dextrans) labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were taken up by the dlnoflagellate Aiexandriurn catenella at a substrate concentration of 5 nlg C 1-'. The FITC-labeled dextrans appeared in what resembled food vacuoles inside the dinoflagellate cells. Between 5 and 50% of the cells contained fluorescent green vacuoles. A. catenella took up dextrans of high nlolecular weight (2000 kDa) but did not show significant uptake of lower molecular weight (20 kDa) dextrans. The uptake of the 2000 kDa dextran was higher w ~ t h addition of hurnic substances to the growth medium and did not seem related to the presence of bacteria. Phagocytosis of fluorescent microspheres (0.36 pm) by A. catenella was also investigated. Although aggregation of fluorescent microspheres was observed in the sulcal reglon of the cells, no evidence was found of phagocytosis of bacterial-size prey by A. catenella. These observations show that A. catenella has the capacity to take up high molecular weight organlc molecules, perhaps by pinocytosis.
Galois symmetry on Floer cohomology

In this article, we define an action of \hat{\Bbb Z} on the A\infty category whose objects are rational Lagrangian submanifolds together with some other data. The group \hat{\Bbb Z} is a Galois group of the (universal) Novikov ring (field) over Laurent polynomial field. By mirror symmetry it will corresponds to the algebraic fundamental group of a punctured disk which parametrize the maximal degenerate family of the mirror complex manifold.
The Effects of Meditation on Brain Organization and the Implications for Treating ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has recently become increasingly diagnosed for children and adolescents. As of now, the most common treatment method is medication, with the purpose of changing brain organization. Recently, however, there has been increasing interest in the use of mindfulness meditation to treat the symptoms associated with ADHD. In this paper, eleven different studies, which have introduced mindfulness meditation as a treatment method for ADHD, are analyzed. The studies measure the degree to which mindfulness meditation improves common symptoms associated with ADHD. These symptoms include attentional problems, reduced mindful awareness, externalizing and internalizing problems, reduced self-control, impaired social behavior, and reduced cognition and executive functioning. Different scales were used to measure the different variables. Overall, the studies showed improvement in all ADHD symptoms, following a mindfulness meditation intervention program. The results suggest the possibility of mindfulness-meditation being the primary treatment method for individuals with ADHD. Research on this topic should continue to be conducted in order to improve the legitimacy of these findings.
EAGRED: A EnhanceVersion of Active Queue Management Algorithms of Congestion Avoidance

Problem of Quality of Service (QoS) providing in computer networks in case of uncertainty of data transferring processes is examined. Method of random early detection (RED), gentle random early detection (GRED) and adoptive gentle random early detection (AGRED) for congestion avoidance in networks is analyzed. Modification of enhance adaptive gentle RED (EAGRED) is offered. This modification consists in adjusting parameter, that are used during determination of average queue length in router's buffer, on a base of queue stability condition and dynamic adjustment of maximum probability of packets drop in case of congestions. Reducing of networks parameters amount, that are used for adjusting of active queue management algorithms, on a base of their ranking towards availability and importance, is offered. Keywords—Quality of Service; congestion avoidance; adaptive control
Investigating CTQS for international students: a Malaysian case

A review of related literature indicates limited research on critical factors that have impact on perception of higher education services in the context of Asia pacific countries. As such, one of the aims of this study is to gain deeper insight and developing constructs and categorization regarding critical to quality (CTQs) for international students based on interview data. Consequently, the purpose of this article is to identify the service “factors” that postgraduate students use in their evaluation of service quality within the context of Malaysian universities.
USING A NONLINEAR CROSSED RANDOM EFFECTS MODEL WITH THREE-WAY TREATMENT STRUCTURE FOR DESCRIBING CIRCADIAN PATTERNS OF SERUM PROLACTIN CONCENTRATIONS IN HEAT STRESSED HOLSTEINS

A modified Gaussian model with three-level crossed and nested random effects is used to describe circadian patterns of serum prolactin concentrations in a crossover experiment. Testing of three-way treatment effects and carryover effects are incorporated with the model building process as is the within-group correlation. We found that the interaction between environment and parity had significant effect (p<0.05) on both initial serum prolactin concentration and range of the prolactin concentration. There was no significant effect of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on either the initial value or concentration of serum prolactin. The inclusion of carryover effects in the model significantly improves the fit of the multilevel nonlinear mixed effects model. We present in detail a general approach to nonlinear crossed random effects model building and three-way treatment effects testing.
VLSI Layout Based Design Optimization of a Piezoresistive MEMS Pressure Sensors Using COMSOL

This paper focuses on the diaphragm design and optimization of a piezoresistive Mi- cro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) pres- sure sensor by considering Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) layout schemes. The aim of these studies is to find an optimal diaphragm shape by Finite Element Method (FEM) using COMSOL®, which is most suitable for VLSI layout. Optimal diaphragm shape is a diaphragm shape that results in reasonable output stimuli with minimal deflection and stress. Three differ- ent shapes of diaphragms are considered in this study are circular, square and rectangular. Not only form the VLSI layout aspect, but also from the pressure, stress and sensor output considera- tions, square shaped diaphragms are preferred.