Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applying the technology acceptance model in examining Bangladeshi consumers' behavioral intention to use mobile wallet: PLS-SEM approach

Mobile based cash transaction services, also known as mobile wallet was first introduced by the BRAC bank in Bangladesh. Since its inception, it has been widely accepted by unbanked people of Bangladesh. This study examines consumers' behavioral intention to use mobile wallet services in Bangladesh in terms of applying, and analyzing TAM. Total 104 respondents who were chosen randomly within the sample extent and sample frame completed the structured survey questionnaires to know the perception about the services, and the motivation to use mobile wallet. Instead of using Covariance-Based tool of Structural Equation Modeling, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modeling (PLS-SEM) tool was employed in order to analyze data which provides evidence of the reliability and validity of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in this study. The result shows that all variables of the model, except perceived ease of use, significantly affect users' behavioral intention to use mobile wallet.
Badges in Social Media: A Social Psychological Perspective

Representing achievements as badges or trophies is a standard practice in online gaming. Awarding badges has also become a key ingredient in “gamifying” online social media experiences. Social systems such as Foursquare, StackOverflow, and Wikipedia have popularized badges as a way of engaging and motivating users. In this paper we deconstruct badges and present five social psychological functions for badges in social media contexts: goal setting, instruction, reputation, status/affirmation, and group identification. We argue that future research should further explore these five functions and their application in specific contexts.
Constraints on core-collapse supernova progenitors from correlations with Hα emission

We present observational constraints on the nature of the different core-collapse supernova (SN) types through an investigation of the association of their explosion sites with recent star formation (SF), as traced by Hα+[N ii] line emission. We discuss results on the analysed data of the positions of 168 core-collapse SNe with respect to the Hα emission within their host galaxies. From our analysis we find that overall the type II progenitor population does not trace the underlying SF. Our results are consistent with a significant fraction of SNII arising from progenitor stars of less than 10 M⊙. We find that the SNe of type Ib show a higher degree of association with H ii regions than those of type II (without accurately tracing the emission), while the type Ic population accurately traces the Hα emission. This implies that the main core-collapse SN types form a sequence of increasing progenitor mass, from the type II, to Ib and finally Ic. We find that the type IIn subclass display a similar degree of association with the line emission to the overall SNII population, implying that at least the majority of these SNe do not arise from the most massive stars. We also find that the small number of SN ‘impostors’ within our sample do not trace the SF of their host galaxies, a result that would not be expected if these events arise from massive luminous blue variable star progenitors.
Birth weight and cognitive function at age 11 years: the Scottish Mental Survey 1932

AIMS To examine the relation between birth weight and cognitive function at age 11 years, and to examine whether this relation is independent of social class. METHODS Retrospective cohort study based on birth records from 1921 and cognitive function measured while at school at age 11 in 1932. Subjects were 985 live singletons born in the Edinburgh Royal Maternity and Simpson Memorial Hospital in 1921. Moray House Test scores from the Scottish Mental Survey 1932 were traced on 449 of these children. RESULTS Mean score on Moray House Test increased from 30.6 at a birth weight of <2500 g to 44.7 at 4001–4500 g, after correcting for gestational age, maternal age, parity, social class, and legitimacy of birth. Multiple regression showed that 15.6% of the variance in Moray House Test score is contributed by a combination of social class (6.6%), birth weight (3.8%), child's exact age (2.4%), maternal parity (2.0%), and illegitimacy (1.5%). Structural equation modelling confirmed the independent contribution from each of these variables in predicting cognitive ability. A model in which birth weight acted as a mediator of social class had poor fit statistics. CONCLUSION In this 1921 birth cohort, social class and birth weight have independent effects on cognitive function at age 11. Future research will relate these childhood data to health and cognition in old age.
Dietary patterns, food groups and myocardial infarction: a case–control study

Certain dietary patterns may be related to the risk of CVD. We hypothesised that a plant-centred dietary pattern would be associated with a reduced risk of first myocardial infarction (MI). A case–control study of Norwegian men and postmenopausal women (age 45–75 years) was performed. A FFQ was administered, generally within 3 d after incident MI (n 106 cases). Controls (n 105) were frequency matched on sex, age and geographic location. On the FFQ, 190 items were categorised into thirty-five food groups and an a priori healthy diet pattern score was created. We estimated OR using logistic regression with adjustment for energy intake, family history of heart disease, marital status, current smoking, education and age. Among food groups, the risk of MI was significantly higher per sd of butter and margarine (OR 1·66 (95 % CI 1·12, 2·46)), and lower per sd of tomatoes (OR 0·53 (95 % CI 0·35, 0·79)), high-fat fish (OR 0·57 (95 % CI 0·38, 0·86)), wine (OR 0·58 (95 % CI 0·41, 0·83)), salad (OR 0·59 (95 % CI 0·40, 0·87)), wholegrain breakfast cereals (OR 0·64 (95 % CI 0·45, 0·90)), cruciferous vegetables (OR 0·66 (95 % CI 0·47, 0·93)) and non-hydrogenated vegetable oil (OR 0·68 (95 % CI 0·49, 0·95)). An abundance of cases were found to have a low a priori healthy diet pattern score. A dietary pattern emphasising nutrient-rich plant foods and high-fat fish and low in trans fatty acids was associated with decreased risk of MI among Norwegians.
Girl Friend or Girlfriend?

SUMMARY Diamond (2000a, 2002) has demonstrated that young women have deep and intense same-sex “passionate friendships” while in adolescence. Young women's friendships are often more physically and emotionally intimate than young men's friendships and can result in feelings and behaviors that often resemble (heterosexual) romantic relationships (Diamond, 2002; Griffin, 2002; Reis, 1998). Additionally, recent shifts in popular culture have produced an increase in images of female same-sex desire in the media and sexual experimentation with female friends. In this paper, I address these bisexual images in the media and emotionally intense (and sometimes sexual) same-sex friendships as creating a context for the questioning process of some young women who may ultimately experience flexibility in their sexual identity.
The physiologic anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory role of heparins and their utility in the prevention of pregnancy complications

Summary Accumulating evidence supports the concept of increased thrombin generation, placental vascular lesions, and inflammation as crucial points in the development of the great obstetrical syndromes [preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm labor (PTL), preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PROM), fetal demise and recurrent abortions]. In light of this, the role of heparins for primary or secondary prevention of these syndromes is becoming more and more apparent, mainly due to the antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory effects of heparins. There is agreement regarding the use of heparin in the prevention of gestational complications in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome, while its use for other obstetrical complications is under debate. In the present review we will describe the physiologic role of heparins on coagulation and inflammation and we will discuss current evidence regarding the use of heparins for the prevention/ treatment of obstetrical syndromes.
A Randomized Multicenter Trial to Compare Long-Term Functional Outcome, Quality of Life, and Complications of Surgical Procedures for Low Rectal Cancers

Introduction:Colonic pouches have been used for 20 years to provide reservoir function after reconstructive proctectomy for rectal cancer. More recently coloplasty has been advocated as an alternative to a colonic pouch. However there have been no long-term randomized, controlled trials to compare functional outcomes of coloplasty, colonic J-Pouch (JP), or a straight anastomosis (SA) after the treatment of low rectal cancer. Aim:To compare the complications, long-term functional outcome, and quality of life (QOL) of patients undergoing a coloplasty, JP, or an SA in reconstruction of the lower gastrointestinal tract after proctectomy for low rectal cancer. Methods:A multicenter study enrolled patients with low rectal cancer, who were randomized intraoperatively to coloplasty (CP-1) or SA if JP was not feasible, or JP or coloplasty (CP-2) if a JP was feasible. Patients were followed for 24 months with SF-36 surveys to evaluate the QOL. Bowel function was measured quantitatively and using Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI). Urinary function and sexual function were also assessed. Results:Three hundred sixty-four patients were randomized. All patients were evaluated for complications and recurrence. Mean age was 60 ±12 years, 71% were male. Twenty-three (7.4%) died within 24 months of surgery. No significant difference was observed in the complications among the 4 groups. Two hundred ninety-seven of 364 were evaluated for functional outcome at 24 months. There was no difference in bowel function between the CP-1 and SA groups. JP patients had fewer bowel movements, less clustering, used fewer pads and had a lower FISI than the CP-2 group. Other parameters were not statistically different. QOL scores at 24 months were similar for each of the 4 groups. Conclusions:In patients undergoing a restorative resection for low rectal cancer, a colonic JP offers significant advantages in function over an SA or a coloplasty. In patients who cannot have a pouch, coloplasty seems not to improve the bowel function of patients over that with an SA.
Visibility map for global illumination in point clouds

Point-sampled geometry has gained significant interest due to their simplicity. The lack of connectivity touted as a plus, however, creates difficulties in many operations like generating global illumination effects. This becomes especially true when we have a complex scene consisting of several models. The data is often hard to segment as individual models and hence not suitable for surface reconstruction. Inter-reflections in such complex scenes requires knowledge of visibility between point pairs. Computing visibility for point models is all the more difficult (than for polygonal models), since we do not have any surface or object information. We present in this paper a novel, hierarchical, fast and memory efficient algorithm to compute a description of mutual visibility in the form of a visibility map. Ray shooting and visibility queries can be answered in sub-linear time using this data structure. We evaluate our scheme analytically, qualitatively, and quantitatively and conclude that these maps are desirable.
Use of BODIPY‐Cholesterol (TF‐Chol) for Visualizing Lysosomal Cholesterol Accumulation

Dipyrromethene difluoride‐cholesterol (TopFluor‐Cholesterol, TF‐Chol) is a widely used cholesterol analogue due to its excellent fluorescence properties and considerable similarity with natural cholesterol in terms of membrane partitioning. However, the suitability of TF‐Chol for detecting lysosomal cholesterol deposition has recently been questioned. Here, we highlight the fact that the method of lipid delivery and the analysis of time‐point both affect the membrane distribution and labeling pattern of TF‐Chol, similarly as with radiolabeled cholesterol. Lysosomal sterol accumulation characteristic to a lysosomal storage disease is most readily detected when the probe is introduced via the physiological route, i.e. as a sterol fatty acid ester in low‐density lipoprotein particles. When administered to cells from solvent, lysosomal sterol sequestration becomes evident after an overnight equilibration between membranes.
The relationship between Critical Thinking Ability and Reading Strategies Used by Iranian EFL Learners

The current empirical study has attempted to determine if there is any significant relationship between critical thinking of Iranian fresh EFL learners and those categories of reading strategies (cognitive, meta-cognitive, and compensation) that are mostly used by EFL learners. Thirty Iranian EFL Fresh female students studying in a private institute in Yazd in Iran participated in this study. Based on the purposes of the study, two questionnaires were administered to the participants: a critical thinking questionnaire and a reading strategy questionnaire. Results of the study showed that the most frequently used reading strategies were meta-cognitive strategy and cognitive strategy. Statistical analyses revealed no correlation between learners' critical thinking ability and their overall use of reading strategies.
Association between asthma and periodontal disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND The aim of this systematic review (SR) is to evaluate the association between asthma and periodontal disease. METHODS An electronic search without date or language restrictions was carried out in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, and LILACS until May 2016. In addition, manual searches and searches of the gray literature were conducted. The search process, data analysis, and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewing authors. Eligibility criteria included prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case-controls, and randomized clinical trials. RESULTS The search and selection process yielded 21 studies, published between 1979 and 2017. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference for the parameters of gingival bleeding, plaque index, and gingival index for participants with asthma (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Data from this SR strongly suggest the association of asthma with periodontal disease.
Environmental Control of Branching in Petunia1[OPEN]

Nutrient availability and light quality regulate branching by the production and perception of strigolactone. Plants alter their development in response to changes in their environment. This responsiveness has proven to be a successful evolutionary trait. Here, we tested the hypothesis that two key environmental factors, light and nutrition, are integrated within the axillary bud to promote or suppress the growth of the bud into a branch. Using petunia (Petunia hybrida) as a model for vegetative branching, we manipulated both light quality (as crowding and the red-to-far-red light ratio) and phosphate availability, such that the axillary bud at node 7 varied from deeply dormant to rapidly growing. In conjunction with the phenotypic characterization, we also monitored the state of the strigolactone (SL) pathway by quantifying SL-related gene transcripts. Mutants in the SL pathway inhibit but do not abolish the branching response to these environmental signals, and neither signal is dominant over the other, suggesting that the regulation of branching in response to the environment is complex. We have isolated three new putatively SL-related TCP (for Teosinte branched1, Cycloidia, and Proliferating cell factor) genes from petunia, and have identified that these TCP-type transcription factors may have roles in the SL signaling pathway both before and after the reception of the SL signal at the bud. We show that the abundance of the receptor transcript is regulated by light quality, such that axillary buds growing in added far-red light have greatly increased receptor transcript abundance. This suggests a mechanism whereby the impact of any SL signal reaching an axillary bud is modulated by the responsiveness of these cells to the signal.
Comparison of antibiotic-only and antibiotic-steroid combination treatment in corneal ulcer patients: double-blinded randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine the benefit of early addition of corticosteroids to antibiotics in the treatment of corneal ulcers. DESIGN Randomized clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS Thirty eyes of 30 patients, over the age of 12 years, with bacterial corneal ulcer confirmed by culture. METHODS Patients were randomized before enrollment; 15 were treated with gatifloxacin (Zymar) and a masked placebo and the other 15 were treated with gatifloxacin and masked dexamethasone 0.1% (Maxidex). Primary outcome was residual ulcer size at 10 weeks based on digital photographs. Secondary outcomes included residual ulcer area by clinician estimate, visual acuity, VF-14 score, and time to healing. RESULTS All subjects (n = 30) demonstrated a reduction in ulcer size over the study period. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in terms of the primary outcome. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in 1 of the secondary outcomes. The mean residual ulcer size compared with the baseline by clinician estimate (slit-lamp) was -0.789 mm2 for the antibiotic-only group and -4.206 mm2 for the antibiotic-steroid group (p = 0.05). Among the other secondary outcomes there were no significant differences between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS No benefit was demonstrated in our primary outcome for using steroids in combination with antibiotic therapy in treatment of corneal ulcers. This study suggests that the early addition of steroids to the antibiotic treatment of corneal ulcers does not seem to be harmful when employed in a closely monitored clinical setting.
Absolute Judgments Are Relative: A Reinterpretation of Some Psychophysical Ideas

A central theoretical assumption in classical psychophysics is that people judge the intensities of stimulus elements; for example, observers directly report the loudness of a tone or the intensity of a shock. A methodological assumption in classical psychophysics is that averaged data demonstrate this theoretical view. It is shown in this article that both assumptions are wrong and that the psychophysical laws of Weber, Fechner, and Stevens are not general. Rather, psychophysical judgments are made in relation to contexts and memories, measures of which provide new information about psychophysical judgments and new understandings of channel capacity, the local-global distinction, and the source of noise in signal detection theory.
Efficacy and safety of crataegus extract WS 1442 in comparison with placebo in patients with chronic stable New York Heart Association class-III heart failure.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate whether long-term therapy with crataegus extract WS 1442 is efficacious as add-on therapy to preexisting diuretic treatment in patients with heart failure with a more advanced stage of the disease (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class III), whether effects are dose dependent, and whether the treatment is safe and well tolerated. METHODS Exercise capacity was assessed by use of seated bicycle ergometry with incremental workloads. Scores for subjective symptoms and complaints made by the patients were analyzed. Efficacy and tolerability of the treatments were judged by both the patients and investigators. Safety was assessed by the documentation of adverse events and the safety laboratory. RESULTS A total of 209 patients were randomized to treatment with 1800 mg of WS 1442, 900 mg of WS 1442, or with placebo. After 16 weeks of therapy with 1800 mg of WS 1442 per day, maximal tolerated workload during bicycle exercise showed a statistically significant increase in comparison with both placebo and 900 mg of WS 1442. Typical heart failure symptoms as rated by the patients were reduced to a greater extent by WS 1442 than by placebo. This difference was significant for both doses of WS 1442. Both efficacy and tolerability were rated best for the 1800 mg of WS 1442 group by patients and investigators alike. The incidence of adverse events was lowest in the 1800 mg of WS 1442 group, particularly with respect to dizziness and vertigo. CONCLUSIONS The data from this study confirm that there is a dose-dependent effect of WS 1442 on the exercise capacity of patients with heart failure and on typical heart failure-related clinical signs and symptoms. The drug was shown to be well tolerated and safe.
Two-Variable Logic with Two Order Relations - (Extended Abstract)

The finite satisfiability problem for two-variable logic over structures with unary relations and two order relations is investigated. Firstly, decidability is shown for structures with one total preorder rela- tion and one linear order relation. More specifically, we show that this problem is complete for EXPSPACE. As a consequence, the same upper bound applies to the case of two linear orders. Secondly, we prove unde- cidability for structures with two total preorder relations as well as for structures with one total preorder and two linear order relations. Fur- ther, we point out connections to other logics. Decidability is shown for two-variable logic on data words with orders on both positions and data values, but without a successor relation. We also study "partial models" of compass and interval temporal logic and prove decidability for some of their fragments.
Post secular reflections on the value of the stakeholder approach in business

The business strategy literature considers two types of corporate objectives or, as companies like to call them, 'missions', namely the shareholder and stakeholder approaches. According to the shareholder approach, companies exist to maximize the return for shareholders, and all other stakeholders (workers, managers, customers, suppliers, etc.) are instrumental in achieving this purpose. On the other hand, according to the stakeholder approach (in its more communitarian form), companies exist to benefit all stakeholders (including the shareholders, though, unlike for the shareholder approach, these are not given priority over other stakeholders). As one would expect, and as Naughton et al (1995) have pointed out, the notion of pursuing the common good in business is far more consistent with the stakeholder approach than with the shareholder approach. We argue that the case for the stakeholder approach, which – in its communitarian form – embodies the common good in a business context, is strengthened by recognising that we live in a postsecular predicament where many of the secular certainties of modernity are questioned in favour of approaches which draw on the resources of religious traditions. The growing body of literature on postsecularism discusses the normative implications for modern societies of living in an era where, contrary to the prediction of secularization, Jurgen Habermas argues that the moral intuitions of religions and spiritualties becomes important resources to cure the pathologies of modernization, including the crisis of an individualistic system of relations which prevents the construction of real and strong communities. Given the individualism and the secular frame which we argue to be inherent in the shareholder approach, in contrast with the genuine sense of community and openness to transcendence inherent in the stakeholder approach, our philosophical argument strengthens the case for the stakeholder approach as the preferable approach to corporate mission and identity in our contemporary, post-secular societies.