Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
P-SVAR Analysis of Stability in Sub-Saharan Africa Commercial Banks

This study analyses the implication of regulation and competition for stability in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) banking sector. We employ a Panel Structural Vector Autoregressive Model (P-SVAR) to investigate regulatory and competition shocks affecting stability in SSA banking sectors, using transformed quarterly data for the period 2006 to 2015 in order to recover some interesting patterns of behaviour in the structural model. A seven-variable P-SVAR with short-term restrictions is constructed from the variables of our analysis. The study provides evidence to show that variations in capital regulation among other regulatory variables employed, have the largest impact on the stability of the commercial banking sectors of SSA. While no short-term relation was found between capital and competition, the results suggest that while stability responds instantaneously to competition, most of the impacts of competition on stability are transmitted via efficiency. The implication is that crafting the right regulatory policies as suggested by our models will ensure optimal banking stability while harnessing the strong advantage that competition has for efficiency, rather than decimating efforts at fine-tuning market structure and/or degree of competition. JEL Codes: G21, B26, C58
Clinical manifestations and insulin resistance (IR) in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among South Asians and Caucasians: is there a difference?

objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is more prevalent in South Asian women residing in the UK than in Caucasians. Insulin resistance (IR) is central to the pathogenesis of PCOS, while type 2 diabetes is commoner in South Asians. We aimed to determine a possible ethnic difference in the clinical and biochemical characteristics of South Asian vs. Caucasian women with PCOS.
Are audit committee characteristics important to the internal audit budget in Malaysian firms

An audit committee is viewed as an essential self-regulatory internal governance instrument that is expected to provide an oversight role over the entire process of financial reporting. An internal audit is also one of the corporate governance cornerstones that is essential for the effective monitoring of the operating performance of internal control. To ensure its effectiveness, the audit committee monitors the resources available to the internal audit, and internal control functions should be directly reported to the audit committee. This study analyses the effect of audit committee characteristics on internal audit budget in Malaysia, where data on internal audit budget is available and how well audit committee monitors the internal audit function is questionable. Our study also opens the door to an unanswered question, that is, whether an audit committee index is related to internal audit budget. Data of 96 companies listed on Bursa Malaysia for a three-year period, 2012-2014, was utilized to achieve this end. The regression results show that audit committee meeting and index are significantly and positively associated with internal audit budget. They also indicate that audit committee tenure has a significant and negative impact on internal audit budget. The findings of the study support the recent policy initiatives in relation to audit committee and internal audit. They also serve as a wake-up call to policy makers in requiring more committed and skilled members on the audit committee.
Inter-regional metric disadvantages when comparing countries’ happiness on a global scale. A Rasch based consequential validity analysis

espanolConfusion en la medicion por diferencias socioeconomicas entre regiones del mundo podria sesgar las estimaciones de felicidad de los paises y desigualdad global. Las implicaciones potenciales del sesgo no han sido investigadas. En este estudio, la validez consecuencial del Happy Planet Index, 2012 como indicador de desigualdad global es evaluada desde la perspectiva metrica de Rasch. Se analizaron Funcionamiento Diferencial de los ´Items por region del mundo y sesgo en la estimacion de la magnitud de las desigualdades. El indice original subestimo la desigualdad relativa entre regiones del mundo en 20%. El FDI no tuvo efecto en las medidas relativas, pero afecto las absolutas sobreestimando el promedio mundial de felicidad y subestimando su varianza. Estos resultados sugieren confusion en la medicion por caracteristicas no observadas. Decisiones politicas basadas en estimaciones segadas podrian tener consecuencias negativas en la salud de las personas al no enfocar esfuerzos en las reales poblaciones vulnerables. EnglishHappiness has been proposed as an alternative goal in welfare analyses. Several indices have been proposed for its measurement but studies about their metric properties and validity are insufficient. In this paper, the Happy Planet Index is analyzed in terms of its consequential validity as a global health inequality indicator from the invariant measurement perspective of the Rasch model. Model fit is analyzed with emphasis on differential item functioning when comparing between world regions, and its consequential validity by comparing conclusions about the magnitude and inequalities in countries’ happiness. Main findings show enough evidences for structural and construct validity, but not for the supposed underlying score distribution; not either for its generalizability because of sever differential functioning. Conclusions about the magnitude of geographical inequalities and happiest countries substantially differed between the original index and the Rasch measure.
Brain-driven entrepreneurship research: Expanded review and research agenda towards entrepreneurial enhancement

The advent of significant advances in neuroscience has produced the capacity to examine the human brain at a profound level, yet the academic and practical value of existing evidence based on neuroscience techniques and methods within the field of entrepreneurship remains unexplored. To address these issues, the author draws from entrepreneurship research and presents a braindriven approach as a basis for future in-depth studies on the role of cognitive, affective, motivational and hormonal mechanisms in entrepreneurship theory and practice. To further articulate a research agenda, the author reviews the state of knowledge of existing evidence by content analysis of articles published until 2016. The analysed articles incorporate the use of a brain-driven research perspective in their studies. It is found that although neuroscience affords unique technological opportunities, few studies have thus far benefited from these advances, and among existing studies, only the topic of entrepreneurial decision-making has been partially covered. Building on these observations, the author proposes a definition of brain-driven entrepreneurship research and a research agenda to advance the integration of neuroscience tools and technologies in entrepreneurship research.
Characterization of the binding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate to human epithelial cells

The alginate produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported to play a role in the adhesion of this bacterium to epithelial cell surfaces, although some controversy concerning this role exists. To clarify this controversy, we investigated the ability of alginate to bind to human buccal epithelial cells (BECs) and human tracheal epithelial cells (TECs). Alginate from P. aeruginosa 492c bound to both BECs and TECs. Alginate from strain 492c was found to be multivalent and thus capable of agglutinating both BECs and TECs. The multivalency of alginate complicated the determination of the number of alginate-specific receptors on the BEC and the apparent association constant (Ka). By using the analysis of Hogg and Winzor (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 843:159-163, 1985), an average valency of 2.6 BEC binding domains per alginate molecule was determined, and the maximum binding capacity per BEC was calculated to be 5.8 X 10(-4) micrograms, with a Ka of 4.1 X 10(-2) ml/micrograms. The binding of alginate to immobilized BECs (where only 50% of the BEC surface is exposed) yielded values of 2.52 X 10(-4) micrograms of alginate per BEC for the maximum binding capacity per BEC and a Ka of 3.30 X 10(-2) ml/micrograms. The alginate-specific site on the BEC surface was trypsin sensitive. Alginate from P. aeruginosa 492a did not bind to BECs, differing substantially from that of strain 492c. The data presented here demonstrate that alginate purified from some strains of P. aeruginosa may bind to TECs and BECs in a defined, specific manner, whereas alginate from other strains does not, reflecting structural diversity in P. aeruginosa alginates.
An angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, perindopril, prevents progression of preformed atherosclerotic lesions in the cholesterol-fed rabbit.

1. The aim was to determine whether the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril, at a concentration approaching that used in human antihypertensive therapy, influences progression of preformed atherosclerotic plaques. 2. Rabbits had their right carotid artery deendothelialized with a balloon catheter, which resulted in the formation of a myointimal thickening. 3. At 14 weeks post surgery groups I, II and III (n = 6 per group) were fed a 1% cholesterol-enriched diet for 6 weeks, then group I rabbits were sacrificed. Groups II and III were placed on a normolipidaemic diet for a further 6 weeks with group III rabbits also receiving 0.3 mg day-1 kg-1 perindopril. Groups IV and V were treated the same as groups II and III, respectively, except that they received a normal diet throughout. 4. Group I rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol-enriched diet for 6 weeks developed lipid-filled lesions covering 26.3 +/- 14.3% of the surface area of the descending thoracic aorta. This was exacerbated in rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 6 weeks followed by 6 weeks on a normal diet (61.2 +/- 27.3%). In rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 6 weeks than a normal diet for a further 6 weeks plus 0.3 mg day-1 kg-1 perindopril, the percentage surface area covered by lesions was 21.8 +/- 15.8%. No lesions developed in the aortas of rabbits fed a normal diet. In the right coronary artery the resulting neointima in rabbits fed a 1% cholesterol diet for 6 weeks only was 42.4 +/- 5.7% of the cross-sectional area of the vessel wall, 57.4 +/- 8.0% in rabbits receiving 6 weeks' cholesterol diet than 6 weeks' normal diet, 36.0 +/- 6.6% in rabbits fed a 6-week cholesterol diet than 6 weeks' normal diet with 0.3 mg day-1 kg-1 perindopril and 33.2 +/- 4.9% and 31.8 +/- 3.1% in rabbits on a normal diet throughout with 0 and 0.3 mg day-1 kg-1 perindopril respectively. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Estimation of lifespan breeding values in the UK and their relationship with health and fertility traits

In the UK BVs for herd life are currently predicted from a bivariate BLUP analysis of lifespan, measured in lactations, and a phenotypic index of the type traits most closely related to it. The type traits included in the index are foot angle (rg=0.22), fore udder attachment (rg=0.63), udder depth (rg=0.14) and teat length (rg=0.44). Lifespan PTAs are combined with production PTAs in the UK’s Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI= -0.03*PTAMilk+0.6*PTAFat+4.04*PTAProt+38*PTALifespan). The economic value of lifespan (£38 per lactation) was calculated using a dynamic programming model by improving survival from lactation 1 to 4 by 1%, through a reduction in involuntary culling. Most of the benefit comes from a higher average level of production, as the herd age structure is more mature, and from a lower replacement cost. Selection using £PLI is expected to have an annual economic benefit of 5.9% over selection on production only. Including lifespan in the index may already be beneficial in terms of slowing down the rate of increase in incidence of health disorders and decline in fertility when selection is for production alone, so further analysis concentrated on the associations between lifespan and more direct measures of health and fertility. Calving interval was considered a measure of fertility, as calving dates are generally well recorded in most herds. Body condition score is recorded as part of the linear type classification scheme operated by Holstein UK and Ireland. Genetic correlations were inferred from the regression of daughter performance on sire PTAs for lifespan and were equal to -0.44 with calving interval, -0.11 with condition score, -0.22 with mastitis and -0.27 with lactation average SCC records. Thus cows with lower SCC, lower condition score and shorter calving intervals last longer in the herd. Future development of £PLI will include traits such as fertility and mastitis, either measured directly or using correlated traits, such as linear type scores, condition scores etc.
Management of Pregnancies Complicated by Anti-c Isoimmunization

OBJECTIVE: To review cases of anti-c isoimmunization and determine the most appropriate management strategies. METHODS: We performed a review of 102 pregnancies managed at The Ohio State University from 1967 to 2001 for anti-c isoimmunization. Of these, 55 had complete data and are included in this report. Information collected included serum titers, ΔOD450 values, Liley zones, fetal and neonatal hemoglobin levels and antigen typing, neonatal direct antiglobulin test, and neonatal outcomes. The appropriateness of traditional management was then evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 55 pregnancies, 46 had fetuses with positive direct antiglobulin test, and nine pregnancies had unaffected fetuses. Of the affected neonates, 12 (26%) had serious hemolytic disease of the newborn. Of these 12, 8 required fetal transfusion, and the remaining 4 newborns had hemoglobin levels of less than 10 g/dL at the time of delivery. A titer of 1:32 or greater or the presence of hydrops fetalis identified all such fetuses. There were 58 amniocenteses performed for ΔOD450. When plotted on modified Liley graphs, ΔOD450 values corresponded to disease severity. There were no perinatal deaths attributable to anti-c hemolytic disease of the newborn. CONCLUSION: Anti-c isoimmunization might cause significant fetal and newborn hemolytic disease. A titer of 1:32 or greater or evidence of hydrops fetalis identified all the serious hemolytic disease at our institution. The significance of antibody titers and ΔOD450 values was similar to Rh-D sensitized pregnancies, and management by the same modalities is appropriate. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3
Content of Communication by Pediatric Residents After Newborn Genetic Screening

Background. Newborn screening saves lives, but psychosocial complications after genetic screening have led to doubts about expanding programs. Because complications have been blamed on ineffective communication of results, a population-scale system to ensure communication quality may improve outcomes. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a method to assess the content of communication after newborn genetic screening. Methods. We abstracted content data and calculated quantitative scores for 3 communication quality indicators (key content, early placement of good news, and excessive background content) for 59 transcribed conversations between pediatric residents and simulated parents of an “infant” who was found via newborn screening to carry either cystic fibrosis or sickle cell hemoglobinopathy. Results. Only 8.5% of transcripts contained the key content items that were thought to be necessary for parental understanding; 27.1% included reassuring news about carrier status within the first 10% of content. Scores for 3 quality indicators fell in the low performance range in 35.6%, 30.5%, and 27.1% of transcripts, respectively. The most common topic was background about the disease (22% of content statements) even though the infant did not have the disease. Surprisingly, 50% of sickle trait transcripts included counseling about a possible risk for sudden death. Conclusions. Assessment of the content domain of communication quality identified some high-quality communication interspersed with many missed opportunities. If integrated into newborn screening, our method may help to alleviate some of society's ethical concerns about benefit and risk after newborn and other genetic screening.
Attainment Discrepancy and New Geographic Market Entry: The Moderating Roles of Vertical Pay Disparity and Horizontal Pay Dispersion

Studies in the behavioural strategy literature have examined the influence of attainment discrepancy on new geographic market entry with inconclusive results. We clarified the relationship between attainment discrepancy and new geographic market entry by considering the moderating effects of managerial pay gaps with concentration on vertical pay disparity and horizontal pay dispersion. The framework also contributes to our understanding of tournament theory and social comparison theory by identifying specified performance contexts under which types of pay gaps conform to or violate theoretical predictions. Empirical analyses based on a panel data of Standard and Poor&#8217;s (S&amp;P) 500 firms from 1996 to 2006 showed that our hypotheses are largely supported.
JC virus, a human polyomavirus associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: additional biological characteristics and antigenic relationships

JC virus, a human polyomavirus, failed to grow or produce cytopathic effects in any of a variety of cells tested other than primary human fetal glial (PHFG) cells. Cells tested included other primary human cells and glial cells from other animals. Only a rare cell in inoculated insusceptible human cell cultures produced T or virion antigen. In PHFG cell cultures JC virus produced subtle cytopathic effects, and the majority of progeny remained cell associated. Only a few cells in the heterogenous PHFG cell cultures contained T antigen at 24 h postinoculation, and virion antigen was not detected until 48 h postinoculation. The infectivity of JC virus was resistant to inactivation by ether and by heating at 50 degrees C for 1 h. A three-way minor antigenic relationship was demonstrated among the virion antigens of JC virus, BK virus, and simian virus 40 by neurtralization and/or hemagglutination inhibition tests. Serological evidence is presented for the existence of JC virus as a distinct entity before the use of simian virus 40-contaminated poliovirus vaccines and for the nonexistence of an animal reservoir for JC virus infection.
-Glutamylcysteine synthetase: mRNA stabilization and independent subunit transcription by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal

(cid:103) -Glutamylcysteine synthetase: mRNA stabilization and independent subunit transcription by 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal. Am. J. Physiol. 275 ( Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 19): L861–L869, 1998. — (cid:103) -Glutamylcysteine synthetase (GCS), the rate-limiting enzyme in de novo glutathione (GSH) synthesis, is composed of one catalytic (heavy) and one regulatory (light) subunit. Although both subunits are increased at the mRNA level by oxidants, it is not clear whether they are regulated through the same mechanism. 4-Hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE), a lipid peroxidation product, may act as a mediator for the induction of gene expression by oxidants. In the present study, 4HNE was used to study the mechanism of induction of the two GCS subunits in rat lung epithelial L2 cells. 4HNE increased both the transcription rates and the stability of mRNA for both GCS subunits, resulting in an increased mRNA content for both subunits. Both GCS subunit proteins and enzymatic activities also increased. Emetine, a protein synthesis inhibitor, blocked the increase in GCS light subunit mRNA but not the increase in GCS heavy subunit mRNA. This suggested that although 4HNE increased transcription and stabilization of both GCS subunit mRNAs, the signaling pathways involved in the induction of the two GCS subunits differed.
No Laughing Matter: Failures of Satire During the 2016 Presidential Election

The 2016 presidential election was so full of unusual characters and unprecedented scandals, that media outlets, from the nightly news to late-night, had to adjust to this new normal in politics. Indeed, not even the jokesters on the handful of political satire shows on television were immune to the necessary changes that all the media had to take in covering Donald Trump. Given how many people tuned into to these shows each week, it is no surprise that the role that political satire television may have played in the election results was fodder for those giving post-election hot takes. Many think pieces asserted that political satire shows may have had a hand in normalizing the candidacy of Donald Trump, while others suggested that perhaps satire is one of the best ways to resist a Trump candidacy, and later presidency. That dichotomy is the impetus for this paper, which seeks to specifically analyze the ways in which certain satirists and their television outlets may have normalized or resisted Trump, and how those two opposing views fit into the larger discussion of both media effects research, and the historical relevance of satire as a key component to a functioning democracy.
Toxic Effects of Arsenic (III) on Some Hematopoietic and Central Nervous System Variables in Rats and Guinea Pigs

Objective: To evaluate the effects of arsenic (III) exposure on porphyrin metabolism and the central nervous system supplemented with data on the effect of hepatic and renal tissues of rats and guinea pigs. Methods: Rats and guinea pigs were exposed to 10 or 25 ppm arsenic in drinking water for 16 weeks. Results: Following chronic arsenic (III) exposure, δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in blood showed a significant reduction as did the total cell counts (RBC and WBC) and reduced glutathione with increased urinary δ-aminolevulinic acid. Zinc protoporphyrin, a sensitive indicator of iron deficiency and impairment of heme biosynthesis, showed a significant increase in arsenic exposure. The hepatic δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase and δ-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity increased in chronic arsenic (III) exposure in rats and guinea pigs. Significant changes in the steady-state level of three major neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine, and monoamine oxidase were observed following chronic arsenic (III) exposure. Conclusion: At low doses (10 and 25 ppm in drinking water), the effects of arsenic on hematopoietic indices and whole-brain neurotransmitter concentrations were more prominent in guinea pigs than in rats with some variability in the dose response.