Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Customers emotional intelligence and satisfaction: The mediation of bankers emotional labour

Purpose: There is high competition in the Nigerian banking system, with banks challenged by engaging in best practices that will lead to customer satisfaction. This study examines the effect of customers’ emotional intelligence on their satisfaction with selected banks in Nigeria operating in Jos, Plateau. It also assesses customers’ perceptions of banker emotional labor as a mediating factor. Research Methodology: Sample for the study was 341 drawn from customers of Access, UBA, and GT Bank within Jos Metropolis who completed a survey on emotional intelligence, perceived emotional labor, and customer satisfaction. Results: The study found a significant relationship between perceived emotional labor and customer satisfaction and between emotional intelligence and perceived emotional labor. The relationship between emotional intelligence and customer satisfaction is not significant. However, emotional labor was found to be a full mediator in the relationship between emotional intelligence and customer satisfaction. Limitations: There is a limitation in sample size in the study. The actual number of customers from the three banks could not be ascertained. Contribution: The study concluded that bank customer satisfaction is a product of high emotional intelligence when these customers also have a high perception of emotional labor. It is recommended that banks provide brief emotional intelligence training tips for their customers. Novelty: The study has shown that as much as employee emotional intelligence is important to customer satisfaction, customers’ EI is as important. Keywords: Customers, satisfaction, emotional intelligence, emotional labour
The role of the multidisciplinary health care team in the management of patients with Marfan syndrome

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a rare, severe, chronic, life-threatening disease with multiorgan involvement that requires optimal multidisciplinary care to normalize both prognosis and quality of life. In this article, each key team member of all the medical disciplines of a multidisciplinary health care team at the Hamburg Marfan center gives a personal account of his or her contribution in the management of patients with MFS. The authors show how, with the support of health care managers, key team members organize themselves in an organizational structure to create a common meaning, to maximize therapeutic success for patients with MFS. First, we show how the initiative and collaboration of patient representatives, scientists, and physicians resulted in the foundation of Marfan centers, initially in the US and later in Germany, and how and why such centers evolved over time. Then, we elucidate the three main structural elements; a team of coordinators, core disciplines, and auxiliary disciplines of health care. Moreover, we explain how a multidisciplinary health care team integrates into many other health care structures of a university medical center, including external quality assurance; quality management system; clinical risk management; center for rare diseases; aorta center; health care teams for pregnancy, for neonates, and for rehabilitation; and in structures for patient centeredness. We provide accounts of medical goals and standards for each core discipline, including pediatricians, pediatric cardiologists, cardiologists, human geneticists, heart surgeons, vascular surgeons, vascular interventionists, orthopedic surgeons, ophthalmologists, and nurses; and of auxiliary disciplines including forensic pathologists, radiologists, rhythmologists, pulmonologists, sleep specialists, orthodontists, dentists, neurologists, obstetric surgeons, psychiatrist/psychologist, and rehabilitation specialists. We conclude that a multidisciplinary health care team is a means to maximize therapeutic success.
Quantifying the potential role of unmeasured confounders: the example of influenza vaccination.

BACKGROUND The validity of non-randomized studies using healthcare databases is often challenged because they lack information on potentially important confounders, such as functional health status and socioeconomic status. In a study quantifying the effects of influenza vaccination among community-dwelling elderly we assessed whether additional information on not routinely available covariates was indeed associated with exposure to influenza vaccination and could, therefore, have led to residual confounding in healthcare databases. METHODS We randomly selected 500 persons aged 65 years and older from the computerized Utrecht General Practitioner database. Information on exposure status and on demographics, co-morbidity status, prior healthcare use and medication use was extracted from the database. A questionnaire was used to obtain additional information on not routinely available risk factors [e.g. functional health status (SF-20), smoking status and alcohol consumption]. Missing data from the questionnaire was imputed and multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied to quantify the influence of covariates on the prediction of exposure to influenza vaccination. Within an existing dataset the potential impact of functional health status on the relation between influenza vaccination and mortality was simulated. RESULTS We obtained questionnaire data from 365 of 500 (73%) subjects. The model including routinely available data from the database appeared accurate in predicting exposure to influenza vaccination (c-statistic 0.86, 95% CI: 0.82-0.89). Functional health status was the only additional characteristic measured with the questionnaire that was not similar in vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects. However, extending the multivariable regression model with functional health status did not significantly improve the prediction of exposure to influenza vaccination, nor did it affect the relation between influenza vaccination and mortality. CONCLUSION The potential for unmeasured confounding on the association between influenza vaccination and health outcomes as quantified in healthcare databases seems small for non-randomized intervention studies within extensive and reliable databases.
ALD processed MgZnO buffer layers for Cu(In,Ga)S2 solar cells

CIGS thin film heterostructures are fabricated by low cost, solution based processes. While a standard process includes a CdS buffer layer, MgZnO provides a more environmentally friendly material. In this study, MgZnO thin films were deposited by atomic layer deposition and their physical properties were studied by changing various conditions including growth temperature, pressure, and doping ratio. CIGS photovoltaic devices with MgZnO buffer layers of varied properties were fabricated and compared with those with CdS buffer layers and without any buffer layer.
Cubic self-dual binary codes

We study binary self-dual codes with a fixed point free automorphism of order three. All binary codes of that type can be obtained by a cubic construction that generalizes Turyn's. We regard such "cubic" codes of length 3/spl lscr/ as codes of length /spl lscr/ over the ring F/sub 2//spl times/F/sub 4/. Classical notions of Type II codes, shadow codes, and weight enumerators are adapted to that ring. Two infinite families of cubic codes are introduced. New extremal binary codes in lengths /spl les/ 66 are constructed by a randomized algorithm. Necessary conditions for the existence of a cubic [72,36,16] Type II code are derived.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Parkinson's Disease Activities of Daily Living Scale

Objective To evaluate a set of psychometric properties (i.e., data completeness, targeting, and external construct validity) of the Parkinson's disease Activities of Daily Living Scale (PADLS) in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Specific attention was paid to the association between PADLS and PD severity, according to the Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) staging. Methods The sample included 251 persons with PD (mean age 70 [SD 9] years). Data collection comprised a self-administered postal survey, structured interviews, and clinical assessments at home visits. Results Data completeness was 99.6% and the mean PADLS score was 2.1. Floor and ceiling effects were 22% and 2%, respectively. PADLS scores were more strongly associated (rs > 0.5) with perceived functional independence, ADL dependency, walking difficulties, and self-rated PD severity than with variables such as PD duration and cognitive function (rs < 0.5). PADLS scores differed across H&Y stages (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.001). Those in H&Y stages IV-V had more ADL disability than those in stage III (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.001), whereas there were no significant differences between the other stages. Conclusion PADLS revealed excellent data completeness, acceptable targeting, and external construct validity. It seems to be well suited as a rough estimate of ADL disability in people with PD.
Repeated Doses of UVR Cause Minor Alteration in Cytokine Serum Levels in Humans

The aim of our study was to compare serum concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α in 105 healthy volunteers before and after exposure to UVR: 25 subjects (10 days of UVB), 55 (10 days of UVB or solar-simulated radiation, followed by acute UVB dose), and 25 (local high dose of UVB). In all the individuals blood samples were analyzed before and after final irradiation by chemiluminescence assay. After 10 days of UVB irradiation a statistically significant increase in serum concentration only in IL-8 (P < .05) and strong tendency in TNF-α (P = .05) were observed. The applied schedules of irradiation have minor impact on serum cytokine level and still a threshold dose of UVR causing systemic immune impairment is unknown.
Improving of Initial Clusters Fitness in Genetic Guided-Clustering Ensembles

The clustering ensemble is a new topic in machine learning. It can combine multiple partitions generated by different clustering algorithms into a single clustering solution. Genetic algorithms have been known as methods with high ability to find the solution of optimization problems like the clustering ensemble problem. So far, many contributions have been done to find consensus cluster partition by genetic algorithms; however there has been little discussion about the methods of carrying out the initialization population and generation of initial cluster partitions in the first phase of clustering ensembles. In this paper, we proposed a new algorithm that used by clustering ensembles which improve cluster partitions fitness. In addition, diversity clustering problem has been solved by used the proposed algorithm. We compared the fitness average among individuals generated by the proposed algorithm and other clustering algorithms which have been calculated by three different fitness functions. The obtained experimental results on several benchmark datasets have demonstrated the proposed algorithm improve cluster solutions fitness.
IP3 Receptor Type 2 Deficiency Is Associated with a Secretory Defect in the Pancreatic Acinar Cell and an Accumulation of Zymogen Granules

Acute pancreatitis is a painful, life-threatening disorder of the pancreas whose etiology is often multi-factorial. It is of great importance to understand the interplay between factors that predispose patients to develop the disease. One such factor is an excessive elevation in pancreatic acinar cell Ca2+. These aberrant Ca2+ elevations are triggered by release of Ca2+ from apical Ca2+ pools that are gated by the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) types 2 and 3. In this study, we examined the role of IP3R type 2 (IP3R2) using mice deficient in this Ca2+ release channel (IP3R2−/−). Using live acinar cell Ca2+ imaging we found that loss of IP3R2 reduced the amplitude of the apical Ca2+ signal and caused a delay in its initiation. This was associated with a reduction in carbachol-stimulated amylase release and an accumulation of zymogen granules (ZGs). Specifically, there was a 2-fold increase in the number of ZGs (P<0.05) and an expansion of the ZG pool area within the cell. There was also a 1.6- and 2.6-fold increase in cellular amylase and trypsinogen, respectively. However, the mice did not have evidence of pancreatic injury at baseline, other than an elevated serum amylase level. Further, pancreatitis outcomes using a mild caerulein hyperstimulation model were similar between IP3R2−/− and wild type mice. In summary, IP3R2 modulates apical acinar cell Ca2+ signals and pancreatic enzyme secretion. IP3R-deficient acinar cells accumulate ZGs, but the mice do not succumb to pancreatic damage or worse pancreatitis outcomes.
Rechallenge with Platinum plus Fluoropyrimidine +/– Epirubicin in Patients with Oesophagogastric Cancer

Purpose: There is no standard second-line therapy for patients with oesophagogastric cancer who progress following first-line chemotherapy for advanced disease or relapse following radical multi-modality therapy. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate survival following rechallenge with platinum plus fluoropyrimidine (PF) +/– epirubicin. Methods: Patients treated with PF +/– epirubicin for oesophagogastric cancer at our institution were identified from the electronic prescribing database. Patients rechallenged with PF +/– epirubicin >3 months after completing initial chemotherapy were eligible. Primary endpoint was survival, calculated from day 1 of rechallenge treatment to date of death or last follow-up. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival and response rate to PF-based re-challenge. Results: Between 2000 and 2008, 950 patients treated with PF +/– epirubicin for oesophagogastric cancer were identified. 298 patients progressed or relapsed >3 months after completing chemotherapy, of whom 106 patients were rechallenged with PF-based chemotherapy. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 5.1 and 10 months, respectively, from date of rechallenge for patients treated with initial radical intent and 3.9 and 6.6 months, respectively, in patients treated with palliative intent from diagnosis. In a survival analysis, no significant prognostic factors were identified. Conclusion: Selected patients with oesophagogastric cancer who relapse or progress >3 months after initial treatment with PF +/– epirubicin may benefit from re-introduction of PF-based chemotherapy.
Correlations of smoking with cumulative total dust exposure and cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in coal-mine workers

The present study aimed to investigate the correlation of smoking with cumulative total dust exposure (CTE) and cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in coal-mine workers. A total of 376 coal-mine workers were recruited as the observational group, while 179 healthy workers in other industries were selected as the control group. All the workers underwent pulmonary function testing to determine their forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC, in order to compare the abnormal pulmonary function between the two groups. A markedly higher number of smokers was observed in the observational group (200/376, 53.19%) when compared with the control group (72/179, 40.22%). In smokers, the abnormal rate of pulmonary function in the observational group (102/200, 51.00%) was evidently higher compared with that in the control group (19/72, 26.39%), whereas no significant difference was detected between the two groups of non-smokers (P=0.077). In addition, FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC of the observational group were found to be lower compared with those in the control group, in both the smoking and non-smoking subgroups. In the smoking subgroup, FVC and FEV1 in subjects working at the coal mine for different number of years showed significant differences (all P<0.05), whereas comparison of FEV1/FVC in workers with different working durations showed no significant difference (P=0.169). However, in the non-smoking subgroup, the comparison of FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in different working duration groups also showed no significant difference (all P>0.05). Furthermore, FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in smoking coal-mine workers were negatively correlated with the dust-exposure working duration (P<0.05). CTE was also positively correlated with cumulative abnormal rate of pulmonary function in the smoking and non-smoking subgroups, while FEV1 was negatively correlated with CTE in the smoking subgroup (P=0.009). In conclusion, smoking is an important risk factor for the damage of pulmonary function in coal-mine workers, and it is positively correlated with dust-exposure time and CTE in these individuals.
A Novel Nonsense Mutation of the GPR143 Gene Identified in a Chinese Pedigree with Ocular Albinism

Background The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular basis of ocular albinism type I in a Chinese pedigree. Methodology/Principal Findings Complete ophthalmologic examinations were performed on 4 patients, 7 carriers and 17 unaffected individuals in this five-generation family. All coding exons of four-point-one (4.1), ezrin, radixin, moesin (FERM) domain-containing 7 (FRMD7) and G protein-coupled receptor 143 (GPR143) genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequenced and compared with a reference database. Ocular albinism and nystagmus were found in all patients of this family. Macular hypoplasia was present in the patients including the proband. A novel nonsense hemizygous mutation c.807T>A in the GPR143 gene was identified in four patients and the heterozygous mutation was found in seven asymptomatic individuals. This mutation is a substitution of tyrosine for adenine which leads to a premature stop codon at position 269 (p.Y269X) of GPR143. Conclusions/Significance This is the first report that p.Y269X mutation of GPR143 gene is responsible for the pathogenesis of familial ocular albinism. These results expand the mutation spectrum of GPR143, and demonstrate the clinical characteristics of ocular albinism type I in Chinese population.
Season of the first trimester of pregnancy predicts sensitisation to food allergens in childhood: a population-based cohort study from Finland

Objective To examine whether the season of birth or season of the early phase of gestation is associated with sensitisation to food allergens in children, with special reference to mothers' pollen exposure in spring. Design A population-based cohort study linking information from a questionnaire survey to allergy tests performed on the target population and regional pollen counts. Population Children born in 2001–6 who were resident in the province of South Karelia, Finland, at the time of the survey (N=5920). Main Outcome Measures A positive result in any food allergy test or food-specific immunoglobulin E test (sIgE). Results The cumulative incidence of a positive food allergy test up to the age of 4 years was highest among children born in October–November (10%) and lowest among those born in June–July (5%), and correspondingly highest among children who were in their 11th gestational week in April–May (11%), the season of high concentrations of birch and alder pollen, and lowest among those reaching that stage in December–January (6%). The amplitude of seasonal variation in any test, estimated as the relative ratio between the peak and trough of the smoothed incidence curve over the year, was 2.03 (95% CI 1.52 to 2.76). The amplitudes of positive sIgE were especially pronounced for milk (3.07; 95% CI 1.81 to 5.50) and egg (3.03; 95% CI 1.86 to 5.18). Conclusions Children having their early gestational period in the pollen season for broad-leafed trees are more prone to sensitisation to food allergens than other children.
ColorSnakes: Using Colored Decoys to Secure Authentication in Sensitive Contexts

In this paper we present ColorSnakes, a PIN-based authentication mechanism for smartphones which uses fake paths on a grid of numbers to disguise user input. In a lab study (n=24),we evaluated variations of ColorSnakes in terms of usability and security. In comparison to direct input, indirect input significantly reduced the risk of shoulder surfing (10.5%) without increasing the input time. In a follow up real-world study (n=12), we compared ColorSnakes with PIN entry and Android's Pattern Unlock over the course of three weeks. Although authentication time for ColorSnakes was higher than for the other two mechanisms, participants valued the security benefit over its slightly higher error rate and increased authentication time. We argue that ColorSnakes could be used as an additional authentication mechanism alongside current mechanisms, thus providing the user with the choice of changing to ColorSnakes for certain applications or when there is an observer.
Two Paradigms and Nobel Prizes in Economics: A Contradiction or Coexistence?

Markowitz and Sharpe won the Nobel Prize in Economics for the development of Mean-Variance (M-V) analysis and the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). Kahneman won the Nobel Prize in Economics for the development of Prospect Theory. In deriving the CAPM, Sharpe, Lintner and Mossin assume expected utility (EU) maximisation in the face of risk aversion. Kahneman and Tversky suggest Prospect Theory (PT) as an alternative paradigm to EU theory. They show that investors distort probabilities, make decisions based on change of wealth, exhibit loss aversion and maximise the expectation of an S-shaped value function, which contains a risk-seeking segment. Can these two apparently contradictory paradigms coexist? We show in this paper that although CPT (and PT) is in conflict to EUT, and violates some of the CAPM's underlying assumptions, the Security Market Line Theorem (SMLT) of the CAPM is intact in the CPT framework. Therefore, the CAPM is intact also in CPT framework.
New Peptide Inhibitor of Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV, EMDB-1 Extends the Half-Life of GLP-2 and Attenuates Colitis in Mice after Topical Administration

Protease inhibition has become a possible new approach in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy. A serine exopeptidase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), is responsible for the inactivation of incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2), a potent stimulator of intestinal epithelium regeneration and growth. Recently, we showed that the novel peptide analog of endomorphin-2, Tyr-Pro-D-ClPhe-Phe-NH2 (EMDB-1) is a potent blocker of DPP IV and has an inhibitory effect on gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscle contractility. The aim of this study was to characterize the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of action of EMDB-1 in the mouse GI tract. We used two models of experimental colitis (induced by TNBS and DSS). The anti-inflammatory effect of EMDB-1 was assessed by the determination of macroscopic score, ulcer score, colonic wall thickness, as well as myeloperoxidase activity. Additionally, we measured the expression of GLP-2, GLP2R, and DPP IV in the colon of control and colitic animals treated with the test compound. The expression of GLP-2 and GLP2R in the serum and colon of IBD patients and healthy control subjects has been assessed. We showed that EMDB-1 elevates the half-life of GLP-2 in vitro and attenuates acute, semichronic, and relapsing TNBS as well as DSS-induced colitis in mice after topical administration. The anti-inflammatory action of EMDB-1 is associated with changes in the level of colonic GLP-2 but not DPP IV expression. Our results validate DPP IV as a pharmacological target for the anti-IBD drugs, and its inhibitors based on natural substrates, such as EMDB-1, have the potential to become valuable anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents.