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We are how much we Eat: Nutrient-Specific Versus Calorie-Based Adult-Equivalent Scales
Get PDFThe accurate conversion of household-level food availability into individual-level nutrient availability depends on which adult-equivalent scale is employed. The purpose of this paper is to come up with a set of adult-equivalent scales based on the specific daily intake requirement for macro- and micronutrients. Using t-tests on household-level data from Nepal, we also attempt to find whether on average there are differences between the individual-level nutrient availability estimates when they are calculated through nutrient-specific versus calorie-based, per capita, or Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) adult-equivalent scales. The results suggest that on average there are significant differences between the individual-level nutrient availability estimates depending on which adult-equivalent scale is used. Finally, we find that nutrient-income elasticities calculated through different adult-equivalent scales are statistically different from each other. Thus, the nutrient-specific adult-equivalent scales derived in this paper have the potential to reduce measurement error in future studies
Video-Based Reflection and Peer Coaching in Enhancing TEFL Student-Teachers' Teaching Practices of Receptive Skills
Get PDFThis study examines the effect of selfie video reflection, model lesson video reflection, and peer-coaching relating to model lesson videos and selfie videos on TEFL student-teachers' receptive skills teaching practices. An observation checklist of (11) teaching practices was used by the participants during reflection. Four groups of (6) participants carried out two practice teaching days each week for three months and met with the researcher monthly. The first group recorded their lessons and reflected on them. The second watched model lesson videos and reflected on the teacher's performance. The third watched videos of model lessons, reflecting on them with peers, as well as recording their practice teaching and reflecting on their performance with peers. The fourth received only educational supervisors' and mentor teachers' feedback. The results reveal that the use of peer coaching with the model lesson and self-recorded videos enhances teaching practices relating to receptive skills
Developing a Semantic Question Answering System for E-learning Environments using Linguistic Resources
Get PDFThe Question answering (QA) system plays a basic role in the acquisition of information and the e-learning environment is considered to be the field that is most in need of the question-answering system to help learners ask questions in natural language and get answers in short periods of time. The main problem in this context is how to understand the questions without any doubts in meaning and how to provide the most relevant answers to the questions. In this study, a question-answering system for specific courses has been developed to support the learning environment. The research outcomes indicate that the proposed method helps to solve the problem of ambiguities in meaning through the integration of natural language processing tools and semantic resources that can help to overcome several problems related to the natural language structure. This method also helps improve the capability to understand students’ needs and, consequently, to retrieve the most suitable answers
Psidium guajava. L Single Plant with Abundant Health Benefits – A Review
Get PDFGuava (Psidium guajava. L) is a tropical fruit that can be grown with minimum attention and belongs to Myrtaceae family. Since ancient times guava and its several parts has been used to treat different ailments. This knowledge has made way to various innovations in nutraceuticals and functional foods which is in demand for a healthy lifestyle. The present review offers a brief overview in which data was searched and collected using precise key terms related to guava plant, seeds, leaves - its health benefits, pharmacological uses, as nutraceuticals and functional foods, toxicity, which were available in public domains and is presented. Currently, scientists are working to develop environmentally acceptable, cost-effective, alternative dyes for clothes and novel products in cosmetic industry using guava leaves. Thus, the present review confers about the different findings from various authors in connection to the importance of guava in different areas of research
Integrated PjBL-STEM in Scientific Literacy and Environment Attitude for Elementary School
Get PDFIntegrating Project-Based Learning (PjBL) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in elementary schools can increase the quality of human resources in industrialization and globalization to maintain the environmental system and fulfill 21st century competencies. The research method used Quasi-Experiment from elementary schools in Bengkulu, Indonesia, with 50 respondents for the experiment and control class. For all attitude, context, and knowledge indicators, the data was analyzed using a non-parametric test and an ANOVA. The instrument's validity was tested statistically and by experts. The results show that PjBL and STEM significantly affect scientific literacy and environmental attitudes in three indicators. Furthermore, the diorama project with PjBL and STEM allows students to investigate environmental conservation efforts, accommodate science and technology. Students' success in making slogans to solve science problems. Environmental literacy instruments and STEM are suggested to be integrated with cognitive, motivation, behavior, and values
Creation of Learning Strategies for Development of English Reading Skill by the Extensive Reading in EFL Classroom
Get PDFThe research aimed to develop the reading process and comprehension through extensive reading of 30 English major freshmen students conducted at Lampang Rajabhat University, Thailand, in the academic year of 2018. Data was collected by using pre-and post-test. Several follow-up activities and guidelines, including formative and summative assessments, were also conducted. Moreover, the study also surveyed the coursework book at the end of the semester, which promotes learning strategies through comprehension questions of pre-and post-activities in class throughout the whole semester. All comprehension tests were valued in descriptive statistics, and the paired sample t-test was analyzed by SPSS Statistics in the study. Based on the statistical data, the overall results revealed that pre-and post-test had significant differences in scores at the level 0.01, which means that the post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores. Further results were evaluated through qualitative measures including further discussion and conclusion
Resource-Use Efficiency and Firm Performance in Nigeria’s Manufacturing Industry
Get PDFThe study investigated the existence of technical efficiency among manufacturing firms and examine its effects on firm performance in Nigeria using firm level data between 2001 and 2017. Variables such as capital, labour, total overhead inputs, total firm output, competition, capital intensity, firm market share, technical efficiency scores and firm profitability were used in this study. Using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to generate the technical efficiency scores, the study adopted System-GMM to examine the effects of technical efficiency on firm performance among quoted manufacturing firms operating in consumer (food beverages and tobacco), industrial and health (pharmaceutical) sectors in Nigeria. The findings revealed that 29% of the variation between the observed and optimal outputs is attributed to inefficiency among manufacturing firms. However, firm competitiveness significantly increases the efficient use of resources among manufacturing firms. This study further showed that technical efficiency variable has positive effects on manufacturing firm performance in Nigeria. The paper concluded that competition increases the efficient utilization of resources which positively improves firm performance in Nigeria’s manufacturing industry. Finally, the paper recommended that industrial policies should be geared towards promoting healthy competition (and not collusion) among manufacturing firms to attain optimal economic efficiency of resources
Early Warning of Bank Failure in the Arab Region: A Logit Regression Approach
Get PDFThe global financial crisis of 2008 taught the biggest lesson of anticipating a financial crisis. The current study aimed to highlight the importance of central banks to build early warning systems to reduce the costs of resolution procedures of weak banks. The data was obtained from published annual reports and balance sheets of 60 commercial banks in the Arab region for the period 2000-2010. Using the logistic regression model to predict the performance of banks or anticipating the possibility of bank failure and build an early warning system, the study identified a few financial indicators such as Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR); Liquidity (LIQ); Cost to Income Ratio CIR; Return On. Assets (ROA); and Non-Performing Loans (NPL). The impact of the GDP variable on bank`s failure was also determined to capture economic risks. The results showed that financial soundness indicators (FSI) can be used efficiently to predict bank failure, that the variables of ROA and CAR had the greatest impact on the probability of the bank’s survival, while no statistical significance was seen for the GDP variable. The paper recommends the importance of the financial stability and banking supervision departments to build early warning systems. The study would provide useful insights to both household and corporate sectors to look for early warning signs that predict the performance of the banking sector in the Arab countries. The FSIs suggested in the study would also play a prominent role in predicting the success or failure of banks in the Arab region
The Origins and Dynamics of Inflation in Turkey: An SVAR Approach
Get PDFThis study aims to present empirical evidence on the relative importance of supply and demand-side factors in determining the fluctuations in the general level of prices in the Turkish economy. The employed strategy uses the view that supply and demand pressures can be distinguished from each other depending on the direction of their effects on price and quantity. After classifying the related economic variables as supply, demand, and common factors, the main determinants of domestic supply and demand were estimated econometrically using sample data from 2003:1–2021:4, and their relative contribution to inflation was calculated. By using these basic determinants, the estimated structural vector autoregressive (SVAR) model shows that the pressures arising from the supply side are more dominant than the pressures of the demand side on the inflationary process in Turkey. The results indicate that the methodology suggested in this study will be useful in separating the factors that contribute to inflation, which has recently gotten out of control in Turkey and is gradually moving away from the targeted inflation. Policymakers considering these findings can reach optimal decisions in conducting the monetary policy toward the targeted level of inflation
Analysis of Social Economic Factors Affecting Cocoa Production in Ile Oluji Community of Ondo State, Nigeria
Get PDFIle Oluji is one of the communities known for cocoa production in the South West of Nigeria and thus selected to examine the factors responsible for decline in cocoa production in the country. Primary data was collected using a well-structured questionnaire and oral interview administered to 250 cocoa farmers selected across the 6 wards of the community using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data obtained were analyzed descriptively using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, 23). Further analysis of the data through linear regression and analysis of variance at P ≤ 0.05 showed that all the factors, such as gender, sex, age, fungicides used and household size investigated are significant to the production of cocoa in this community. Younger ones, as well as women are to be encouraged to go into cocoa farming while the local breeds should be replaced with the hybrid for improved production