Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Income diversification and performance of Islamic banks

This thesis investigates the effect of income diversification on the performance of Islamic banks in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar where they operate alongside conventional banks in a dual banking system. Accounting data was drawn from 68 conventional and 42 Islamic banks from 1997 to 2009. The main focus was to see whether a greater reliance on non-financing income impacts on earnings quality and if so, how this may vary between Islamic and conventional banks. Commission and fee income, trading income and other non-financing income constitute non-financing income. For conventional banks, this is known as non-interest income, but in Islamic banking the payment and receipt of interest is prohibited so this ? other income? is referred to as non-financing income (that is, income unrelated to deposit-taking and loan granting). Islamic banks operate as universal banks and offer retail and wholesale financing plus investment banking services. Using various empirical approaches, we find that non-financing income positively influences banks? risk-adjusted performance on a net overall impact basis, after taking into account, the consequential indirect impact arising from changes in income diversification (provided that the increase in non-financing income is carried out up until the optimal share of non-financing income of 0.5). Greater income diversification on its own, increases income volatility and this negatively impacts bank? s risk-adjusted performance, more so, when income diversification exceeds the optimal score of 0.5. Islamic banks are found to be more focused on deposit/loan financing and less diversified in terms of non-financing income activities compared to conventional banks. We find that Islamic banks appear to be less susceptible to earnings volatility given their lower diversified income source. Islamic banks have lower profitability (on average) on a risk-adjusted basis when compared to their conventional counterparts.
Pharmacokinetics and protein binding of intravenous ibuprofen in the premature newborn infant

The elimination, disposition and protein binding of ibuprofen (IBU) in premature infants were studied for use in the prevention of intraventricular hemorrhage and closure of patent ductus arteriosus. The kinetic profile of i.v. IBU lysine (10 mg/kg bolus) given within the first 3 h after birth was studied in 21 premature neonates (mean birthweight = 944.7 g, range: 575–1450 g; gestational age: 26.8 weeks, range: 22–31 weeks). Blood samples (0.3 ml/sample) were obtained at time 0 and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h post‐dose for IBU by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Kinetic analyses assumed applicability of one open‐compartment model and calculations from the model‐independent areas under the time concentration curve (AUC). Data (mean ± SEM) show that apparent volume of distribution (AVd) was 62.1 ± 3.9 ml/kg, plasma t1/2 beta was 30.5 ± 4.2 h, elimination rate constant (kel) was 0.032 ± 0.004 h‐1plasma clearance was 2.06 ± 0.33 ml/kg/h and plasma concentration (Cp) at 1 h was 180.6 ±11.1 mg/1. Gestational age and birthweight were not related to drug elimination. In 10 neonates, IBU maintenance dose of 5 mg/kg once daily on days 2 and 3 generated mean Cp of 116.6 ± 54.5 mg/1 and 113.6 ± 58.2mg/1, respectively. Protein binding by ultrafiltration and capillary electrophoresis showed that the percentage bound IBU was significantly lower in full term cord plasma (94.98 ± 0.39%, n= 26) compared to adult plasma protein (mean ± SE = 98.73 ± 0.31%, n= 8, p < 0.0001). Compared to data from adults and older children, IBU elimination is markedly prolonged in neonates and protein binding is slightly lower. Thus, investigational and clinical therapeutic regimens should be adjusted to account for decreased drug disposition to ensure safe and effective therapy.
Equivalent survival following liver transplantation in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis compared with patients with other liver diseases.

BACKGROUND Orthotopic liver transplantation (LT) in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is increasing in parallel with the obesity epidemic. METHODS This study retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of LTs in NASH (n = 129) and non-NASH (n = 775) aetiologies carried out at a single centre between 1999 and 2009. RESULTS Rates of 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival in NASH (90%, 88% and 85%, respectively) were comparable with those in non-NASH (92%, 86% and 80%, respectively) patients. Mortality within 4 months of LT was twice as high in NASH as in non-NASH patients (8.5% vs. 4.2%; P = 0.04). Compared with non-NASH patients, post-LT mortality in NASH patients was more commonly caused by infectious (38% vs. 26%; P < 0.05) or cardiac (19% vs. 7%; P < 0.05) aetiologies. Five-year survival was lower in NASH patients with a high-risk phenotype (age >60 years, body mass index >30 kg/m(2), with hypertension and diabetes) than in NASH patients without these characteristics (72% vs. 87%; P = 0.02). Subgroup analyses revealed that 5-year overall survival in NASH was equivalent to that in Laennec's cirrhosis (85% vs. 80%; P 0.87), but lower than that in cirrhosis of cryptogenic aetiology (85% vs. 96%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS Orthotopic LT in NASH was associated with increased early postoperative mortality, but 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were equivalent to those in non-NASH patients.
Early acute necrosis, delayed apoptosis and cytoskeletal breakdown in cultured cerebellar granule neurons exposed to methylmercury

Cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) are a sensitive target for methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity. In vitro exposure of primary cultures of rat CGCs to MeHg resulted in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent cell death. Within 1 hr exposure, MeHg at 5–10 μM caused impairment of mitochondrial activity, de‐energization of mitochondria and plasma membrane lysis, resulting in necrotic cell death. Lower MeHg concentrations (0.5–1 μM) did not compromise cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential and function at early time points. Later, however, the cells progressively underwent apoptosis and 100% cell death was reached by 18 hr treatment. Neuronal network fragmentation and microtubule depolymerization were detected as early as within 1.5 hr of MeHg (1 μM) exposure, long before the occurrence of nuclear condensation (6–9 hr). Neurite damage worsened with longer exposure time and proceeded to the complete dissolution of microtubules and neuronal processes (18 hr). Microtubule stabilization by taxol did not prevent MeHg‐induced delayed apoptosis. Similarly ineffective were the caspase inhibitors z‐VAD‐fluoromethylketone and z‐DEVD‐chloromethylketone, the L‐type calcium channel inhibitor nifedipine, the calcium chelator EGTA and BAPTA, and the NMDA receptor antagonist MK‐801. On the other hand, insulin‐like growth factor‐I partially rescued CGCs from MeHg‐triggered apoptosis. Altogether these results provide evidence that the intensity of MeHg insult is decisive in the time of onset and the mode of neuronal death that follows, i.e., necrosis vs. apoptosis, and suggest that cytoskeletal breakdown and deprivation of neurotrophic support play a role in MeHg delayed toxicity. J. Neurosci. Res. 59:775–787, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Anticapsular polysaccharide antibodies and nasopharyngeal colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae in infant rats.

To evaluate the effect of passive immunization with anticapsular antibodies on nasopharyngeal carriage, two models of Streptococcus pneumoniae colonization were developed in infant rats. In a direct inoculation model, 3- to 4-day-old infant rats were intranasally inoculated with 2 x 10(5) cfu of S. pneumoniae type 3 or 6 x 10(3) cfu of S. pneumoniae type 23F. In an intralitter transmission model, 2 infant rats were intranasally inoculated with 10(3) cfu of pneumococcus type 3 or type 19F and placed in a cage containing 10 infant rats. Pretreatment with bacterial polysaccharide immune globulin led to a significant reduction in colonization of contact animals with S. pneumoniae type 3 or 19F in the intralitter transmission model (P < .05). No effect of immune globulin could be demonstrated in the direct inoculation model. These results indicate that systemic anticapsular antibodies conferred significant protection against nasopharyngeal acquisition by intralitter spread of S. pneumoniae type 3 and 19F.
Determination of standard times of nursing activities based on a Nursing Minimum Dataset.

AIM This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine the standard time per nursing activity and the proportion of nursing time covered by the nursing activities of the Belgian Nursing Minimum Dataset compared to the total time of a nurse shift, and to evaluate the correlation between hospital size and standard times of nursing activities. BACKGROUND Because of a shrinking workforce and rising workload, nursing managers need tools that help them to allocate their staff to the wards. Such tools should be based on objective time measurements. METHODS The study was performed in surgical, internal medicine and elder care wards in an acute hospital care setting. In the first phase, a two-round Delphi-procedure was used to operationalize the definitions of nursing activities. In the second phase, the standard time for each nursing activity was determined, based on data collected over a 6-month period during 2006-2007. A combination of 13,292 work sampling observations by external observers, 3000 recordings of direct time measurement by self-recording and subjective time assessments yielded times that were used to analyse the duration of the nursing activities. RESULTS A standard time for 102 nursing activities was established. The coverage of the Belgian Nursing Minimum Dataset in the surgical, internal medicine and elder care wards was 47.5%, 46.4% and 51.0% respectively. The Belgian Nursing Minimum Dataset was found to cover almost 70% of direct and indirect nursing care. CONCLUSION Further research is needed to assess the impact on the standard times of nursing activities of inefficient organizational structures and different cultural interpretations of the way an activity is conducted.
Prognostic value of Ki67 antigen expression in basal cell carcinomas

Summary Recurrence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) following treatment is a common event and long‐term follow‐up of all patients presenting with a primary BCC has been recommended. Proliferation indices have been recognized as important prognostic factors in several tumour types in a variety of cancer systems, being significantly elevated in more aggressive lesions. We have examined 51 BCCs (17 non‐recurrent tumours [group 1]. 17 original tumours which later recurred [group 2‐0]. and the corresponding 17 recurrent specimens [group 2‐R] for Ki67 antigen expression, a proliferalionassociated antigen using immunohistochemistry with the monoclonal antibody MIB1. There was a significant increase in the percentage positive for MIB1 in the Group 2‐0 as compared with the group 1 BCCs (P
Global Portfolio Rebalancing Under the Microscope

Cross border capital flows and returns on assets are two key variables in international macroeconomics. Difficult endogeneity issues plague any analysis of their correlations in aggregate data. This paper examines the dynamics of international portfolios with a unique data set on the stock allocations of approximately 6,500 international equity funds domiciled in four different currency areas during a 5 year period. The disaggregated data structure allows us to examine the effect of realized returns on portfolio adjustments. Do managers rebalance their portfolios towards their desired weights or do they increase their exposure to appreciating assets? We find strong support for portfolio rebalancing behavior aimed at stabilizing exchange rate risk and equity risk exposure around desired levels. These findings are important for the new open economy macroeconomics models featuring endogenous portfolio choice. They should also help inform the burgeoning theoretical literature in macroeconomics and in finance that aims at modeling financial intermediaries.
Value of Faith: Evidence on Religious Environment and Cost of Debt

Previous studies document that social norms, such as religion, influences individual and corporate decision making. Using samples of credit ratings, bond yields, and debt covenants, we examine whether the religious environment of a firm influences outside parties' perception of the firm and their business transactions. We find that firms located in the more religious areas receive better credit ratings. Bond investors demand lower yields and impose fewer covenants on such firms. Additional tests suggest that these findings are unlikely to be driven by omitted variables or reverse causality. Our study highlights the important role of social norms in business transactions.
Modeling the Determinants of Semi-Subsistent and Commercial Land Uses in an Agricultural Frontier of Southern Mexico: A Switching Regression Approach

The authors analyze the consequences of imperfect output markets for the land-use decisions of semi-subsistence farmers in an agricultural frontier of southern Mexico. The approach is motivated by previous applications of the agriculture household model establishing that the farm household’s productionand consumptiondecisions are analytically nonseparable when markets are not used. Econometric results generated by a switching regression model suggest the importanceof distinguishing the discrete choiceof market participation from thatof area cultivated.
Are Capital Markets Color-Blind? The Impact of the Homeland Security Alert Level on Capital Markets

This paper examines whether changes in the color-coded terror alert level set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security affect U.S. capital markets. The alert level has changed 17 times (9 times raised and 8 times lowered) from the time the alert system was established on March 12, 2002 until September 21, 2006. Using daily index data for the main U.S. capital markets and employing a standard event study framework, I find that markets do not react significantly to changes in the terror level. A heteroscedasticity-based estimation technique using information provided by the second moments of financial variables and other tests using data on industry level, trading volume, interest rates and U.K. stock prices also indicate minimal responses of capital markets to changes in threat levels. It appears that from the investors' point of view, threat level changes are not informative, or the amount of information they provide is minor.
Boundary layer flow on a long thin cylinder

The development of the boundary layer along a long thin cylinder aligned with the flow is considered. Numerical solutions are presented and compared with previous asymptotic results. Very near the leading edge the flow is given by the Blasius solution for a flat plate. However, there is soon a significant deviation from Blasius flow, with a thinner boundary layer and higher wall shear stress. Linear normal mode stability of the flow is investigated. It is found that for Reynolds numbers less than a critical value of 1060 the flow is unconditionally stable. Also, axisymmetric modes are only the fourth least stable modes for this problem, with the first three three-dimensional modes all having a lower critical Reynolds number. Further, for Reynolds numbers above the critical value, the flow is unstable only for a finite distance, and returns to stability sufficiently far downstream.
Blood-Lipid and Lactation-Stage Factors Affecting Serum Vitamin E Concentrations and Vitamin E Cholesterol Ratios in Dairy Cattle

The distribution of cholesterol and vitamin E among the various lipoprotein density fractions in bovine blood was measured. The percentage of total plasma vitamin E and cholesterol in the various lipoprotein fractions was very-low-density lipoprotein, 2% and 2%, respectively; low-density lipoprotein, 17% and 22%, respectively; and high-density lipoprotein, 77% and 72%, respectively. Only 3% of plasma vitamin E was not associated with the lipoproteins. Vitamin E cholesterol ratios were not significantly different among lipoprotein fractions (P = 0.3). These results indicate that vitamin E and cholesterol are distributed in equal proportions among lipoprotein fractions. Moreover, the results suggest that variation in the proportions of lipoproteins in the different density fractions would not affect the overall vitamin E cholesterol ratio of plasma. The results further imply that the total plasma vitamin E cholesterol ratio is a valid relative estimator of the vitamin E concentration per lipoprotein particle, regardless of the density distribution of particles. Total serum vitamin E and cholesterol concentrations and their ratio were then determined in commercial diary cattle in various phases of the lactation cycle. There was a significant lactation-stage effect on the serum concentration of each analyte, as well as on their ratio. However, the magnitude of the effect was much less for the ratio than for either vitamin E or cholesterol alone. These results imply that lactation stage affects serum vitamin E concentrations by influencing both the concentration of lipoprotein particles and the concentration of vitamin E within individual particles.
Type 2 diabetes in young adults , adolescents and children now accounts for up to one-third of new The relationship between diabetes and cancer

such as the US (Williams and Pickup, 2004), while there is now strong epidemiological evidence that excess body weight is associated with up to one-third of cancers of the colon, kidney, endometrium, oesophagus, gastric cardia and, in post-menopausal women, breast (Bianchini et al, 2002). As the UK population ages and the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, the coexistence or co-morbidities of these medical conditions – cancer and diabetes – will be progressively more common.
International Outsourcing and Labour with Sector-specific Human Capital

This paper attempts to quantify the impact of outsourcing on production patterns and the labour market in a two-sector specific-factors model with skilled labour (specific factor) and unskilled labour (mobile factor). Outsourcing can be compared to the case, where trade liberalisation leads to trade in final goods and a change in relative prices. In the latter case a downward pressure on the wage rate for skilled labour in one sector and a wage rise for skilled labour in the other sector indicate significant adjustment costs, whereas with outsourcing an outcome of rising wage rates for skilled labour in both sectors is feasible. The full impact of outsourcing depends on the relative weight of the "factor savings" and the "cost savings" effect. The negative impact on the unskilled wage rate is similar in both cases and depends on the macroeconomic relevance of the respective shocks.
Highly Sensitive Troponin T in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background: Newly developed troponin assays have superior diagnostic and prognostic performance in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), when compared to conventional troponin assays; however, highly sensitive troponin has not been evaluated in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Highly sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) was measured daily during the first 4 days in 193 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke without overt ACS or atrial fibrillation. The patients were previously tested normal with a fourth-generation TnT assay. The patients were followed for 47 months, with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality end-points. Results: A total of 33.7% of the patients had hsTnT levels >14 ng/l following admission. Patients with increased hsTnT were older, had decreased hemoglobin levels and increased creatinine, NT-proBNP and CRP levels. hsTnT concentrations at admission were significantly higher in decedents than in survivors. After adjustment for stroke severity, C-reactive protein, age, NT-proBNP and prior heart and/or renal failure, hsTnT levels were not a significant predictor of long-term all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Conclusion: Elevated levels of hsTnT are frequently present in patients with acute ischemic stroke previously tested normal with a fourth-generation TnT assay. hsTnT did not provide additional prognostic information in these subjects.
Phenotypic characterization and ERIC–PCR based genotyping of Paenibacillus larvae isolates recovered from American foulbrood outbreaks in honey bees from Italy

Background: Paenibacillus larvae is the etiological agent of American foulbrood (AFB), a widespread and severe bacterial brood disease of honey bees. The genomic characterization of P. larvae strains by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus–polymerase chain reaction (ERIC–PCR) is able to differentiate four genotypes (ERIC I, ERIC II, ERIC III, ERIC IV). The information on the presence of P. larvae ERIC genotypes worldwide is few. Objectives: We have characterized P. larvae strains isolated in Italy from AFB outbreaks to obtain information on ERIC genotypes and phenotypes of the strains circulating in the country. Methods: A total of 117 P. larvae isolates from 115 AFB outbreaks occurring in 2008–2012 were subjected to phenotypic and genetic characterization. Results: The genomic characterization allowed the identification of ERIC I and ERIC II genotypes. Examining the data of Northern and Central Italy separately it was noted that in Northern Italy most outbreaks were caused by the ERIC I genotype (78.6%), followed by the ERIC II genotype (18.6%) and by co-infections (ERIC I + ERIC II) (2.6%). In Central Italy, only outbreaks caused by the ERIC I genotype were observed. With regard to phenotypic characteristics all examined strains of ERIC II genotype fermented fructose while no strains of ERIC I genotype possessed this ability. Conclusion: Both P. larvae ERIC I and ERIC II genotypes were isolated from the AFB outbreaks, but ERIC II genotype was isolated only in Northern Italy. The fermentation of fructose seems to be a genotype-specific biochemical marker.
Informed and uninformed trading in the EUR/PLN spot market

This paper examines an intraday activity of bank trading of the EUR/PLN currency pair via the Reuters Dealing 3000 Spot Matching System in 2007. On the grounds of the sequential trade model of Easley, Engle, O’Hara & Wu (2008), we can differentiate between the time-varying patterns for the strategic behavior of informed and uninformed (liquidity) traders. We present evidence for the particular hour-of-day seasonality pattern that characterizes the arrival of uninformed and informed trades. The conditional arrival rates for both trader categories enable the assessment of their interactions and are used to forecast a time-varying probability of informed trading (PIN). The predictions of PIN are used to test the impact of information heterogeneity on the instantaneous liquidity of the market, which is proxied by the bid-ask spread and the market depth.