Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The new, new financial system? Towards a conceptualization of financial reintermediation

This paper attempts to develop a conceptual framework for analysing the impacts of the Internet and e-commerce upon industrial sectors. While a great deal has been written about the so-called ‘new economy’ much of it has been either speculative and hyperbolic, as in the ‘boom’ years of the late 1990s, or cynical and dismissive, as in the period since the collapse of ‘dot.com’ stocks in Spring 2000. We seek to move beyond and between these positions by providing a means to determine what difference the Internet and e-commerce might make to industrial organization through a consideration of the retail financial services industry. We do this through a critical evaluation of the concept of disintermediation that, as we argue in the paper, is better understood as reintermediation. We argue that the potential impacts of the Internet and e-commerce upon retail financial services are non-trivial, and they are consistent with the individualization of risk and reward that have characterized wider processes of financial inclusion and exclusion over the past decade or so.
Antagonistic Activities of Bacillus spp. Strains Isolated from Tidal Flat Sediment Towards Anthracnose Pathogens Colletotrichum acutatum and C. gloeosporioides in South Korea

Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by Colletotrichum species that is detrimental to numerous plant species. Anthracnose control with fungicides has both human health and environmental safety implications. Despite increasing public concerns, fungicide use will continue in the absence of viable alternatives. There have been relatively less efforts to search antagonistic bacteria from mudflats harboring microbial diversity. A total of 420 bacterial strains were isolated from mudflats near the western sea of South Korea. Five bacterial strains, LB01, LB14, HM03, HM17, and LB15, were characterized as having antifungal properties in the presence of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides. The three Bacillus atrophaeus strains, LB14, HM03, and HM17, produced large quantities of chitinase and protease enzymes, whereas the B. amyloliquefaciens strain LB01 produced protease and cellulase enzymes. Two important antagonistic traits, siderophore production and solubilization of insoluble phosphate, were observed in the three B. atrophaeus strains. Analyses of disease suppression revealed that LB14 was most effective for suppressing the incidence of anthracnose symptoms on pepper fruits. LB14 produced antagonistic compounds and suppressed conidial germination of C. acutatum and C. gloeosporioides. The results from the present study will provide a basis for developing a reliable alternative to fungicides for anthracnose control.
Influence of manipulation of short silent pause duration on speech fluency

Ordinary speech contains disfluencies in the form of hesitations and repairs. When listeners make global judgements on speech fluency they are influenced by the frequency and nature of the individual disfluencies contained in the speech. The aim of this study was to investigate a single dimension, pause duration, in the perception of speech fluency. The method involved simulation of pause duration within naturally fluent speech by manipulating existing acoustic silences in the speech. Four conditions were created: one for the natural speech and three with step wise increases in acoustic silence durations (average x2, x4 and x7.5 respectively). In a forced choice task listeners were asked to judge the speech samples as fluent or non fluent. The results showed that the percentage of judgements of disfluency increased as the pause durations increased, and that the difference between the unmanipulated speech condition and the two conditions with the longest pause durations were statistically significant. The results were interpreted to indicate that the individual dimension of pause duration has an independent influence on the judgement of fluency in ordinary speech.
pathophysiological changes in the SHR ACE2 gene transfer attenuates hypertension-linked

24 times a year (twice monthly) by the American Physiological Society, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda MD systems with techniques linking genes and pathways to physiology, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. It is published publishes results of a wide variety of studies from human and from informative model Physiological Genomics
Some results on T-fuzzy ideals of Γ-near-rings

In this paper the notion of fuzzy ideals of a Γ-near-ring with respect to a t-norm is introduced and investigated some related properties. This concept of T-fuzzy ideals of a Γ-near-ring is a generalization of the concept of T-fuzzy ideals in near-rings. Also the notions of T-fuzzy ideals of a Γ-near-ring, quotient Γ-near-ring with respect to a t-norm and the sum of T-fuzzy ideals of a Γ-near-ring are introduced. Further, it is shown that an onto homomorphic image of a T-fuzzy ideal with Sup property is a T-fuzzy ideal and an epimorphic pre-image of a T-fuzzy ideal of a Γ-near-ring is a T-fuzzy ideal. Keywords: Γ-near-ring, T-fuzzy sub Γ-near-ring, T-fuzzy ideal, Direct product, f-invariant and Quotient Γ-near-ring with respect to a t-norm.
Photographic assessment of nasal morphology following rapid maxillary expansion in children

Objective The aim of the present study was to use facial analysis to determine the effects of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) on nasal morphology in children in the stages of primary and mixed dentition, with posterior cross-bite. Material and Methods Facial photographs (front view and profile) of 60 patients in the pre-expansion period, immediate post-expansion period and one year following rapid maxillary expansion with a Haas appliance were evaluated on 2 occasions by 3 experienced orthodontists independently, with a 2-week interval between evaluations. The examiners were instructed to assess nasal morphology and had no knowledge regarding the content of the study. Intraexaminer and interexaminer agreement (assessed using the Kappa statistic) was acceptable. Results From the analysis of the mode of the examiners' findings, no alterations in nasal morphology occurred regarding the following aspects: dorsum of nose, alar base, nasal width of middle third and nasal base. Alterations were only detected in the nasolabial angle in 1.64% of the patients between the pre-expansion and immediate post-expansion photographs. In 4.92% of the patients between the immediate post-expansion period and 1 year following expansion; and in 6.56% of the patients between the pre-expansion period and one year following expansion. Conclusion RME performed on children in stages of primary and mixed dentition did not have any impact on nasal morphology, as assessed using facial analysis.
Student Motivations and Perception Across and Within Five Forms of Experiential Learning

Understanding student motivations for participating in high-impact educational practices is important for improving learning experiences. This article explores student motivations across and within five forms of experiential learning at Elon University: study abroad, research, internships, service-learning, and leadership experiences. Surveys and interviews were used at the end of students’ senior year to understand what drives choices, the obstacles hindering student decisions, and the perceived value of each experience. A complex web of motivations arose related to majors and career goals, the perceived value of different opportunities, learning goals, financial need, minority status, and other factors. Students perceived many benefits from experiential learning related to worldview (93 percent of students), career development (87 percent), and academic learning (84 percent), though students varied widely in reporting which experiences they valued most and least. Findings suggest four implications for practice: making experiential learning a more substantial part of curricula, having a diverse set of experiential learning opportunities available to meet diverse student needs, being attentive to the socioeconomic situations of students, and promoting the benefits of each experiential learning opportunity in a balanced way that promotes multiple facets of a liberal education.
Attitude-behavior relations: A theoretical analysis and review of empirical research.

Research on the relation between attitude and behavior is examined in light of the correspondence between attitudinal and behavioral entities. Such entities are defined by their target, action, context, and time elements. A review of available empirical research supports the contention that strong attitude-behavior relations dre obtained only under high correspondence between at least the target and action elements of the attitudinal and behavioral entities. This conclusion is compared with the rather pessimistic assessment of the utility of the attitude concept found in much contemporary social psychological literature.
A simulation model for Nakagami-m fading channels, m<1

This paper proposes a mathematical model for simulating a Nakagami-m (1960) fading channel, m<1. It is shown that the m fading process can be expressed as a product of a square-root-beta process and a complex Gaussian process. Extension of the proposed model to simulate correlated diversity channels is also given. Numerical results demonstrate that the statistical properties of the samples generated from the proposed model are close to the required ones.
Vocal cord dysfunction: a functional cause of respiratory distress

Initially described as hysteria and then Munchausen’s stridor, we now recognise vocal cord dysfunction as several disorders. Exercise-induced and spontaneously occurring phenotypes exist that benefit from different treatments. The former appears to respond to pharmacological pre-treatment with an anticholinergic aerosol; vocal cord training is the recommended treatment for the latter. The differential diagnosis includes consideration of neurological and anatomical abnormalities. Recognition and effective treatment is important to avoid misdiagnosis that results in unnecessary and ineffective medical care. VCD has several clinical and physiological phenotypes, which should be individually identifiedhttp://ow.ly/orfb309fMxh
Medial temporal lobe function and structure in mild cognitive impairment

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study memory‐associated activation of medial temporal lobe (MTL) regions in 32 nondemented elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Subjects performed a visual encoding task during fMRI scanning and were tested for recognition of stimuli afterward. MTL regions of interest were identified from each individual's structural MRI, and activation was quantified within each region. Greater extent of activation within the hippocampal formation and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) was correlated with better memory performance. There was, however, a paradoxical relationship between extent of activation and clinical status at both baseline and follow‐up evaluations. Subjects with greater clinical impairment, based on the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, recruited a larger extent of the right PHG during encoding, even after accounting for atrophy. Moreover, those who subsequently declined over the 2.5 years of clinical follow‐up (44% of the subjects) activated a significantly greater extent of the right PHG during encoding, despite equivalent memory performance. We hypothesize that increased activation in MTL regions reflects a compensatory response to accumulating AD pathology and may serve as a marker for impending clinical decline. Ann Neurol 2004;56:27–35
Dynamic Correlation or Tail Dependence Hedging for Portfolio Selection

We solve for the optimal portfolio allocation in a setting where both conditional correlation and theclustering of extreme events are considered. We demonstrate that there is a substantial welfare loss indisregarding tail dependence, even when dynamic conditional correlation has been accounted for, andvice versa. Both effects have distinct portfolio implications and cannot substitute each other. We alsoisolate the hedging demands due to macroeconomic and market conditions that command importanteconomic gains. Our results are robust to the sample period, the choice of the dependence structure,and both varying levels of average correlation and tail dependence coefficients.
Does International Student Exchange Contribute to Educating Teachers We Need in a Multicultural Society

The purpose of this article is to present a study of some student teachers’ outcome of their international exchange, focusing on multiculturalism and the students’ intercultural education. The article is based on a quantitative study over three academic years. The study is a survey of the students’ knowledge, thoughts, and feelings before and after their stay abroad. Most of the answers to the questions in the survey are consistent from one year to the next, and there is no significant difference from one country to another. Consequently, the results may apply to any teacher-training institution. According to the data from the study, the benefits derived from student exchange are numerous and contribute to forming the teachers we need in a multicultural society.
Cardiovascular Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: The Role of Traditional and Lupus Related Risk Factors

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by immune cell activation, inflammation driven plaque formation and subsequent destabilization. In other disorders of an inflammatory nature, the chronic inflammatory state per se has been linked to acceleration of the atherosclerotic process which is underlined by an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and antiphopholipid (Hughes) syndrome (APS). SLE is an autoimmune disease that may affect any organ. Premature coronary heart disease has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE. In addition to mortality, cardiovascular morbidity is also markedly increased in these patients, compared with the general population. The increased cardiovascular risk can be explained only partially by an increased prevalence of classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease; it also appears to be related to inflammation. Inflammation is increasingly being considered central to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and an important risk factor for vascular disease. Recent epidemiologic and pathogenesis studies have suggested a great deal in common between the pathogenesis of prototypic autoimmune disease such as SLE and that of atherosclerosis. We will review traditional risk factors for CVD in SLE. We will also discuss the role of inflammation in atherosclerosis, as well as possible treatment strategies in these patients.
Assessing the Risks of Aquatic Species Invasions via European Inland Waterways: From Concepts to Environmental Indicators

Abstract EDITOR'S NOTE: This is 1 of 12 papers prepared by participants attending the workshop “Risk Assessment in European River Basins–State of the Art and Future Challenges” held in Liepzig, Germany on 12–14 November 2007. The meeting was organized within the framework of the European Commission's Coordination Action RISKBASE program. The objective of RISKBASE is to review and synthesize the outcome of European Commission FP4–FP6 projects, and other major initiatives, related to integrated risk assessment–based management of the water/sediment/soil environment at the river basin scale. Over the past century, the potential for aquatic species to expand their ranges in Europe has been enhanced both as a result of the construction of new canals and because of increased international trade. A complex network of inland waterways now connects some previously isolated catchments in southern (Caspian, Azov, Black, Mediterranean seas) and northern (Baltic, North, Wadden, White seas) Europe, and these waterways act as corridors for nonnative species invasions. We have developed a conceptual risk assessment model for invasive alien species introductions via European inland waterways, with specific protocols that focus on the development of environmental indicators within the socioeconomic context of the driving forces–pressures–state–impact–response framework. The risk assessment protocols and water quality indicators on alien species were tested for selected ecosystems within 3 main European invasion corridors, and these can be recommended for application as part of the Common Implementation Strategy of the European Commission Water Framework Directive, which aims to provide a holistic risk-based management of European river basins. The conceptual structure of the online Risk Assessment Toolkit for aquatic invasive alien species is provided and includes 3 main interlinked components: online risk assessment protocols, an early warning system, and an information transmitter for risk communication to end users.
Schooling, the Hidden Curriculum, and Children's Conceptions of Poverty

©1997 Society for Research in Child Development. All rights reserved. This Social Policy Report synthesizes several streams of research bearing on the problem of poverty in the United States today. Four themes are developed: (1) American society is characterized by rising income inequality; (2) our schools provide an arena for reproducing, resisting, and reconstructing an inequitable economic and social order; (3) a hidden (and not so hidden) curriculum transmits dominant ideological messages about society; and (4) children increasingly with age ascribe to societal beliefs that perceive the poor as responsible for their condition. These conceptions relate the cause of poverty to individual deficiencies (that is, they “blame the victim”), downplay other more important factors, and as a result hamper the design of antipoverty policy. A number of implications drawn from the discussion pertain to the conduct and funding of research on (1) the messages conveyed to children by schools; and (2) children’s beliefs about poverty derived from other sources. The various streams of research reviewed here are merely suggestive inasmuch as they represent rather disparate, loosely related bodies of work. The purpose of the discussion is to point out the need for further research to establish their connections. Socialization occurs via many pathways. Although none of the studies reviewed examines the source of children’s ideas about economic privation in our society, it is not unreasonable to propose that schools play a crucial role.
Search for pulsed VHE gamma-ray emission from young pulsars with HESS

We present the results of a search for pulsed very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from young pulsars using data taken with the H.E. S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope system. Data on eleven pulsars, selected according to their spin-down luminosity relative to distance, are searched for gamma-ray signals with periodicity at the respective pulsar spin period. Special analysis efforts were made to improve the sensitivity in the 100 GeV gamma-ray energy domain in an attempt to reduce the gap between satellite and ground-based gamma-ray instruments. No significant evidence for pulsed emission is found in any data set. Differential upper limits on pulsed energy flux are determined for all selected pulsars in the approximate gamma-ray energy range between 100 GeV and 50 TeV, using different limit determination methods, testing a wide range of possible pulsar light curves and energy spectra. The limits derived here imply that the magnetospheric VHE gamma-ray production efficiency in young pulsars is less than 10^-4 of the pulsar spin-down luminosity, requiring spectral turnovers for the high-energy emission of four established gamma-ray pulsars, and constrain the inverse Compton radiation component predicted by several outer gap models.
Hybrid feature selection for text classification

Feature selection is vital in the field of pattern classification due to accuracy and processing time considerations. The selection of proper features is of greater importance when the initial feature set is considerably large. Text classification is a typical example of this situation, where the size of the initial feature set may reach to hundreds or even thousands. There are numerous research studies in the literature offering different feature selection strategies for text classification, mostly focused on filters. In spite of the extensive number of these studies, there is no significant work investigating the efficacy of a combination of features, which are selected by different selection methods, under different conditions. In this study, a hybrid feature selection strategy, which consists of both filter and wrapper feature selection steps, is proposed to comprehensively analyze the redundancy or relevancy of the text features selected by different methods in the case of different feature set sizes, dataset characteristics, classifiers, and success measures. The results of the experimental study reveal that a combination of the features selected by various methods is more effective than the features selected by the single selection method. The profile of the combination is, however, influenced by characteristics of the dataset, choice of the classification algorithm, and the success measure.
Asymmetry in child comprehension and production of Basque subject and object relative clauses

Research on the acquisition of relative clauses by Typically Developing (TD) as well as by SLI children in a variety of languages has revea led that SRs (e.g. the girl that is painting the lady ) are produced and comprehended earlier and more ea sily than ORs (e.g. the girl that the lady is painting ): English (Brown, 1972; Hamburger and Crain, 1982; Grodzinsky, 1989; de Villiers et al., 1994; v an der Lely, 1996; McKee et al., 1998), Swedish (Håkansson & Hansson, 2000), Greek ( Stavrakaki, 2001), Hebrew (Friedmann & Novogrodsky, 2004; Friedmann et al., 2 009), Italian (Arosio et al., 2005), Korean (Cho, 1999), Quechuan (Courtney, 2006), amon g many others.
Older Adults Recently Diagnosed with Age-Related Vision Loss: Readjusting to Everyday Life

This study aims to explore how older adults recently diagnosed with age-related vision loss experience and readjust to their new everyday lives. Ten individuals participated in qualitative interviews. Using a grounded theory analyzing strategy, the core category identified was named “Good days—an everyday life with small and wide-ranging adjustments,” including three categories: (1) Not as usual or as planned; (2) Holding on to important activities; and (3) Holding on to independence. Although participants navigated new challenges, they also expressed a fear of more extensive vision loss that would threaten additional losses of activity and independence. The article concludes with recommendations for practice.
Governance and compliance in accounting education in Vietnam – case of a public university

ABSTRACT Prior research suggests that despite the mass development of higher education in Vietnam recently, the quality of higher education is declining. This study aims to understand the impact of the education reform on the quality of university accounting education by investigating the involvement of different stakeholders in accounting education within one leading university in Vietnam. The findings from the interviews of key stakeholders suggest that accounting education in Vietnam is driven by reduced state control, growing institutional autonomy and increasing external guidance. This has come at the expense of reduced academic self-governance as lecturers have discretion in curriculum delivery at the individual course level, but little input into the decision-making at the school or university level and minimal participation in the curriculum development process. The findings enable regulators and decision-makers to better understand the dynamics between stakeholders in accounting education to enhance accounting graduates’ competencies and outcomes.