Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Age, Sex, Feather Colour, Body Measurements, and Body Weight on Down and Feather Yield in Native Turkish Geese

The aim of this study was to calculate the feather and down production by native Turkish geese and to investigate the effects on these traits. In total 145 native Turkish geese were used in the experiment. The birds were divided into 4 groups according to their feather colour at 10 and 12 weeks of ages. They were individually weighed and measured with the help of wing tags. Geese at 10 weeks had heavier feathers than those at 12 weeks, while geese at 12 weeks produced more down (P < 0.01). As detected in down weight, the older group has a greater amount of total feathers than the younger group (P < 0.001). Male geese produced significantly heavier feathers and down than females (P < 0.05). While black geese produced the heaviest feathers, yellow geese produced the heaviest down (P < 0.05). White geese generated the lightest weights of the products. The strongest correlation was found between total feather yield and chest girth (0.75). Reasonable correlations were detected between liveweight and other traits (0.36-0.62). This is not a widely studied subject in Turkey; therefore, the data obtained can be used for the identification of native Turkish geese.
The Structure of Memory : Fixed RM Flexible ?

MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 Artificial Intelligence; Computer Programs; *Individual Differences; *Information Processing; *Learning; *Learning Theories; *Memory; Problem Solving; Recall (Psychological) ; Simulation Most current information processing theories of cognition and memory share one common feature: the structure (state-space) of memory is fixed and retrieval from memory involves searching through that structure. Learning, where it is treated at all, involves transforming one such structure into another. This form of representation is questioned and the structural learning theory is proposed to take its place. In comparison, the latter theory has a flexible structure and is shown to have greater power and parsimony, particularly regarding individual differences and learning. Supporting data and relationships with research in artificial intelligence and computer simulation of problem solving are also discussed. (Author) STRUCTURAL LEARNING SERIES UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION A WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION O01"11 Mf NI ,. As 111 FN aI P1+0 Du(' 0 X41" IL . 1 AS 41'cl ,VF 0 IuOM. Ir. ( I,I 4,,01N OU 04 ,-. ANtjA 110N OPCON A 11 N(, I I POINTS 01 V iF 05 01,1N10NS STATED DO NOT NUT SsAurt Pr yur SE 01011 10 AL NA I ,ONAk INST11OT F 01 0. ,(111 ION POSIT ION OP POT C'e
Themes Using Item Response Theory Psychometric Examination of an Inventory of Self-Efficacy for the Holland Vocational

The psychometric properties of measures of self-efficacy for the six themes of Holland’s theory were examined using item response theory. Item and scale quality were compared across levels of the trait continuum; all the scales were highly reliable but differentiated better at some levels of the continuum than others. Applications for adaptive testing methods in educational and career assessment are discussed.
The Influence of Irradiation and Temperature to the Nature of Crosslinking in Isoprene Nitrile Elastomer

The increase of irradiation temperature by gamma-rays of emulsion isoprene nitrile elastomer in the range of 298-423 K is accompanied by the significant increase of crosslinking rate and strength deterioration of unfilled cures at the same time. By the method of sol-gel analysis, the output dependences of the mesh chains (1/Mc), cross-linked molecules (1/Mƞt) and crosslinks (nc) for isoprene nitrile elastomer are determined between 298 and 423 K. The influence of acrylonitrile content of elastomer group during the process of irradiation and temperature on density change of curing grid using Fourier spectroscopy is established. It also studied the molecular structure of isoprene nitrile elastomer and unsaturation at irradiation and temperature (423K, 500 kGy).
Finite-State Tokenization for a Deep Wolof LFG Grammar

This paper presents a finite-state transducer (FST) for tokenizing and normalizing natural texts that are input to a large-scale LFG grammar for Wolof. In the early stage of grammar development, a language-independent tokenizer was used to split the input stream into a unique sequence of tokens. is simple transducer took into account general character classes, without using any language-specific information. However, at a later stage of grammar development, uncovered and non-trivial tokenization issues arose, including issues related to multi-word expressions (MWEs), clitics and text normalization. As a consequence, the tokenizer was extended by integrating FST components. is extension was crucial for scaling the hand-written grammar to free text and for enhancing the performance of the parser.
Global characterization of fire activity: toward defining fire regimes from Earth observation data

There is interest in the global community on how fire regimes are changing as a function of changing demographics and climate. The ground‐based data to monitor such trends in fire activity are inadequate at the global scale. Satellite observations provide a basis for such a monitoring system. In this study, a set of metrics were developed from 6 years of MODIS active fire data. The metrics were grouped into eight classes representing three axes of fire activity: density, season duration and interannual variability. These groups were compared with biophysical and human explanatory variables on a global scale. We found that more than 30% of the land surface has a significant fire frequency. The most extensive fire class exhibited high fire density, low duration and high variability and was found in boreal and tropical wet and dry environments. A high association was found between population distribution and fire persistence. Low GDP km−2 was associated with fire classes with high interannual variability and low seasonal duration. In areas with more economic resources, fires tend to be more regular and last longer. High fire duration and low interannual variability were associated with croplands, but often with low fire density. The study was constrained by the limited length of satellite data record but is a first step toward developing a comprehensive global assessment of fire regimes. However, more attention is needed by the global observing systems to provide the underpinning socio‐economic observations to better quantify and analyze the human characteristics of fire regimes.
Modelling spatial relationships between ecosystem services and agricultural production in an agent- based model

The collective impacts of farmers' land management decisions on above ground ecosystem services (ES) and their implications for agriculture are poorly understood. Managing habitat to provide ES is costly but at the same time it can support higher yields through, e.g., pollination or natural pest control. Due to the mobility of ES-providers (bees, natural enemies) farmers providing habitat might also benefit their neighbours, creating interdependencies among their decisions. Interdependencies among farmers' land-use decisions and the flow of ES in space can be considered by integrating agent-based modelling and evidence-based ES models. Such integration requires a trade-off between the land-use details required to capture relevant ecological dynamics of ES in a landscape and the simplified landscape modelling in agent-based models. This paper shows how details of land use can be increased in the agent-based model AgriPoliS that simulates agricultural structural change. Non- agricultural land in AgriPoliS is differentiated into different land uses, i.e. settlements and natural habitats. Furthermore, the size distribution of these landscape elements and their distribution in space are considered. The improvement of the landscape modelling is a prerequisite for detailed analysis of policies supporting biodiversity and their impact on agricultural production and farm income.
Does a change in debt structure matter in earnings management? the application of nonlinear panel threshold test

In this study, we apply Hanseni¦s (1999) nonlinear panel threshold test, the most powerful test of its kind, to investigate the relationship between debt ratio and earnings management of 474 selected Taiwan-listed companies during the September 2002 - June 2005 period. Rather than a fixed positive relation that is determined from the OLS, our empirical results strongly suggest that when a firmi¦s debt ratio exceeds 46.79% and 62.17%, its debt structure changes, which in turn leads to changes in earnings management. With an increase in debt ratio, managers tend to manage earnings to a greater extent and at a higher speed. In other words, the threshold effect of debt on the relationship between debt ratio and earnings management generates an increasingly positive impact. These empirical results provide concerned investors and authorities with an enhanced understanding of earnings management, as manipulated by managers confronted with different debt structures.
The fractal facets of turbulence

Speculations abound that several facets of fully developed turbulent flows are fractals. Although the earlier leading work of Mandelbrot (1974, 1975) suggests that these speculations, initiated largely by himself, are plausible, no effort has yet been made to put them on firmer ground by, resorting to actual measurements in turbulent shear flows. This work is an attempt at filling this gap. In particular, we examine the following questions: (a) Is the turbulent/non-turbulent interface a self-similar fractal, and (if so) what is its fractal dimension ? Does this quantity differ from one class of flows to another? (b) Are constant-property surfaces (such as the iso-velocity and iso-concentration surfaces) in fully developed flows fractals? What are their fractal dimensions? (c) Do dissipative structures in fully developed turbulence form a fractal set? What is the fractal dimension of this set? Answers to these questions (and others to be less fully discussed here) are interesting because they bring the theory of fractals closer to application to turbulence and shed new light on some classical problems in turbulence - for example, the growth of material lines in a turbulent environment. The other feature of this work is that it tries to quantify the seemingly complicated geometric aspects of turbulent flows, a feature that has not received its proper share of attention. The overwhelming conclusion of this work is that several aspects of turbulence can be described roughly by fractals, and that their fractal dimensions can be measured. However, it is not clear how (or whether), given the dimensions for several of its facets, one can solve (up to a useful accuracy) the inverse problem of reconstructing the original set (that is, the turbulent flow itself).
Utility of Aromatic Plants for the Biotechnological Production of Sustainable Chemical and Pharmaceutical Feedstocks

Currently, transportation fuels and many platform chemicals are derived primarily from petroleum. The use of this finite resource contributes substantially to the dangerous build-up of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere, which has led to an increasing demand for sustainably produced fuels and chemicals. Aromatic plants accumulate terpenoids and phenylpropanoids with physicochemical properties similar to those of petrochemical feedstocks. They are also a source of bioactive compounds used by the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries. Recent successes with engineering the terpenoid pathway indicate that aromatic plants have the potential to play an important role in providing chemical and pharmaceutical feedstocks from renewable sources. In this review, we critically assess the current status of the field and discuss different biotechnological approaches to enhance the accumulation of commercially valuable target terpenoids.
Yeast Two Hybrid cDNA Screening of Arabidopsis thaliana for SETH 4 Protein Interaction

SETH4 coding sequence with 2013 bp is a member of gene family expressed in gametophytic tissues of Arabidopsis thaliana. This fragment was PCR amplified using Kod Hi Fi DNA polymerase enzyme. This fragment was cloned into pGBKT7 bate vector and transformed E. coli DH5α cells containing vector were selected on LB medium containing Kanamycin. Finally, pGBKT7-SETH4 bate was transformed into yeast strain Y187 and were selected on SD −Leu −Trp medium. After mating of this strain with yeast strain AH109 containing Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA library as prey vector, diploid cells were selected on SD −His −Leu −Trp medium. Screening of cDNA inserted into diploid cells indicated that, 35 colonies out of 240 showing X-gal staining. PCR amplified of cDNA insertion fragments in diploid cells showed some colonies have a chance for SETH4 protein interaction.
Does training facilitate SME's performance?

This study explores relationships between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) foreign direct investment (FDI), FDI-related training programs and organizational performance. To determine if the implementation of training programs mediate the relationship between FDI and SME performance, and if the alignment between training needs and training implementation leads to higher SME performance, we collected large-scale company-level data (N = 816) from within Taiwan. Research results suggest that FDI leads to higher SME performance. This relationship was partially mediated by the implementation of FDI-related training programs. Unexpectedly, the results also suggest that higher levels of training need attenuate the positive relationship between FDI-related training implementations and SME performance. This implies that the alignment between SME training needs and training implementation may be of a more complicated nature than was previously thought. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are also identified.
Are there speculative components in corporate hedging and do they add value

Why does corporate risk management add value? A common hypothesis is that derivatives transactions have zero NPV, and add value only because they help firms mitigate market imperfections. We reexamine this question by analyzing the derivatives transactions of 92 North American gold mining firms from 1989-1999. Our data allows us to infer the quarterly cash flows that each firm derives specifically from its derivatives transactions. Surprisingly, we find that these cash flows are positive, and both economically and statistically significant. Our sample firms realized an average gain of $2.73 million per quarter from their derivatives transactions, while their average quarterly net income was only $0.87 million. These gains appear to be the result of systematic positive risk premia in the gold market. Furthermore, we find evidence that is consistent with firms incorporating their market views into their hedging programs. However, we find that speculating on the time variation of the risk premium has not created any value for shareholders on average. To our knowledge, ours is the first study to show that corporate derivatives usage can be intrinsically valuable, and our results highlight a potentially important motive for the corporate use of derivatives that the literature has hitherto ignored.
Group coaching as support for changing lifestyle for those diagnosed with a long-term condition

It is estimated that the treatment and care of those with a long term condition (LTC) accounts for 69% of the primary and acute healthcare budget in England (Department of Health 2008). This research took an action research approach to explore how group coaching can be a support mechanism for people with LTC to make changes to their lifestyle. Data was collected through five group-coaching sessions with six participants. Three themes emerged: practice; participants’ change and growth; self, emotions and awareness. Drawing on the findings a ‘group coaching health and wellbeing framework’ has been developed. The findings indicate that group coaching can be a support mechanism to support people with a LTC to make lifestyle changes.
Maua Programme: Bettering Lives through the Micro-Distribution of Wrigley Products

This case study explores the design and evolution of Project Maua, a micro-distribution programme for Wrigley products operating in rural and urban Kenya established by Mars Catalyst. The pilot has been an experiment in how the Mars Corporation can become more mutual with its stakeholders. The programme has sought a win-win outcome through the extension of its business into Bottom of the Pyramid (BoP) markets and newly engaging those in poverty in its distribution system. This Working Paper provides a deep dive into the goals and design of the programme, and uses an evaluative framework that focuses on human, social, and financial capital to outline how it works on the ground. The Maua programme has been fast growing and profitable and extended the corporation’s reach into new markets, while also creating a new economic opportunity for those living in poverty. We attribute the profitability and longevity of the introduction of novel management practices and programme design to the organization. This Working Paper highlights three new practices for Mars. Firstly, this work involved engaging non-profit partners. Secondly, it applied an entrepreneurial organisational model, which both increased the autonomy of participants and limited the company’s managerial burden. Finally, the pilot applied new, non-financial metrics for tracking performance. However, each of these innovations requires trade-offs, and as the programme has grown, it has also encountered challenges. These are also explored herein. As a detailed case study, this Working Paper contributes to a still small body of in-depth work on route-to-market programmes and efforts to expand businesses at the BoP. As we learn more through academic research and business case studies, this research will continue to challenge readers on the steps that Mars and other corporations should explore moving forward to become more mutual.
A Survey on Recommender Systems (RSS) andIts Applications

The growth of the Internet has made it much more difficult to effectively extract useful information from all the available online information. The overwhelming amount of data necessitates mechanisms for efficient information filtering. Recommender systems have the effect of guiding users in a personalized way to interesting objects in a large space of possible options. Recommender Systems (RSs) are software tools and techniques providing suggestions for items to be of use to a user. In this paper we will look at three different recommender system approaches namely Collaborative filtering (CF), Content-based filtering, Hybrid recommender systems that can be used on different e-commerce websites. We briefly describe each type with pros and cons and will present some of the applications of Recommender Systems (RSs) in different domains.
What Are the Impacts of the South African Child Support Grant on Children's Nutritional Status?

Child malnutrition is persistent in many developing countries and is a serious problem. Shekar, Heaver and Lee (2006) found that “nearly one-third of children in the developing world are either underweight or stunted, and more than 30 percent of the developing world’s population suffers from micronutrients deficiencies” (p. ix). Children who have poor nutrition can’t do well in school, thus lowering their human capital (Aguero, et al. 2010); however, better nutrition has a significant impact on the health of children as well as their physical, and mental developmental (Plagerson, Patel, Harpham, Kielmann and Mathee 2010; Manley, Gitter, and Slavchevska (2012)). These studies show that there is a pressing need to take action in order to improve the nutritional status of children. Some countries have adopted cash transfers to needy households as solution to this problem. Manley et al. (2012) suggest that government cash transfers to poor households increase their effective resources, therefore providing them with increased possibilities to afford more food which in turn affects the nutritional status of children. The South African Child Support Grants (CSGs) are designed to increase the nutrition, health and education of the children of poor families (Aguero, Carter and Woolard 2006). Based on the theory of Manley et al.(2012) of the origins of child nutritional status and potential interventions, this paper evaluates the impact of the CSG on children’s nutritional status using the 2008 South African National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) survey, which is publicly free and available. The preliminary results suggest that larger households are more likely to receive CSG and that female household heads are more likely to receive CSG than male household heads. Moreover, household heads who have secondary education levels are more likely to receive CSG compared to those who did not attend school. The CSG cash transfers are significantly associated with lower height and weight for age z-scores; however, the associations are not significant when additional variables are added to the linear regression models. Aguero et al. (2006) have looked at the impact of CSG on children’s nutrition using the KwaZulu-Natal survey dataset (KIDS) while this paper uses the NIDS data which is more recent. Since the data is observational, a regression adjustment method will be used to capture the treatment effect of CSG on children’s nutritional status.
Reading error patterns prevailing in Arab Emirati first graders

Abstract There is a contemporary emphasis on researching the effects of phonological awareness on reading skills though morphological awareness correlates more highly with reading. The purpose of the study was to investigate the patterns of reading errors from a morphological perspective (level of morphological complexity) and lexical category. One hundred and eighty-three Emirati regular education first graders, (54 male and 129 female) were presented with 96 randomly chosen words from the curriculum. Those were classified into lexical categories representing: nouns (43 words, 44.79%), verbs (32 words, 33.33%), adjectives and adverbs (11 words, 11.46%), and function words (i.e. preposition and conjunctions) (10 words, 10.42%). Words were classified into three levels of linguistic difficulty (easy, difficult, and very difficult) according to their morphological complexity. One male teacher participated in data collection to ensure procedural consistency. Nine reading error patterns were identified. Significant differences between male and female students in reading the target words were found. Results also indicated that reading difficulties may stem from a distinct, though interrelated, threefold paradigm: difficulty level of the read words (i.e. morphological complexity), lexical category (nouns, verbs, adjective and adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions), and pattern of reading error (e.g. omission of a letter or a syllable and reading the geminated letter as ingeminated). This study mapped the threefold paradigm (difficulty level, lexical category, and patterns of reading error) in individual students may be helpful in predicting reading errors and delineating the focus and strategies of instructional programs.