Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural magnetic resonance imaging in anxiety disorders: an update of research findings.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present report is to present a systematic and critical review of the more recent literature data about structural abnormalities detected by magnetic resonance in anxiety disorders. METHOD A review of the literature in the last five years was conducted by a search of the Medline, Lilacs and SciELO indexing services using the following key words: "anxiety", "panic", "agoraphobia", "social anxiety", "posttraumatic" and "obsessive-compulsive", crossed one by one with "magnetic resonance", "voxel-based", "ROI" and "morphometry". RESULTS We selected 134 articles and 41 of them were included in our review. Recent studies have shown significant morphological abnormalities in various brain regions of patients with anxiety disorders and healthy controls. Despite some apparently contradictory findings, perhaps reflecting the variability and limitations of the methodologies used, certain brain regions appear to be altered in a consistent and relatively specific manner in some anxiety disorders. These include the hippocampus and the anterior cingulate cortex in posttraumatic stress disorder and the orbitofrontal cortex in obsessive-compulsive disorder. CONCLUSIONS The present review indicates that structural neuroimaging has contributed to a better understanding of the neurobiology of anxiety disorders. Further development of neuroimaging techniques, better sample standardization and the integration of data across neuroimaging modalities may extend progress in this area.
The Impact of Stress Stability on Job Satisfaction and the Quality of Human Capital

Long professional stress has a significant impact on the psychological state of employees that inevitably affects the activities of any organization. Therefore, at present, more and more attention is being paid to minimize the negative consequences of stressful staff conditions, with the help of specific procedures of stress management. In this paper, we investigated the impact of stress, the types of stress-resistance of staff individual, and the influence of stress on the degree of job satisfaction of bank employees. The study concludes that the following factors affect the level of job satisfaction of bank employees: wage satisfaction, the level of stress at the workplace, and the relationships in the team. The main factor of the bank employees stress is a large amount of work and a short time period for doing the work.
Effects of Neutral Salts in a Bench-scale Caries Model

In an earlier paper on bench-scale simulation of the caries process, it was shown that the passage of ions through ion-permselective barriers could have profound effects on the composition of the solution within the "lesion" at steady state. As indicated in earlier papers, these changes are produced by unequal rates of diffusion of Ca and PO4 ions prior to reaching steady state. Comparable effects are attributable to F ions when present. Here, we used the same two-compartment diffusion apparatus and membranes, as described in the earlier paper, to show that a neutral salt, such as NaCl, disproportionates under the influence of membrane potential. Thus, although the Na and Cl concentrations are nearly equal in the "plaque-saliva" compartment, they become very different in the "lesion" solution. An excess of Na over Cl is equivalent to the presence of the component NaOH, and an excess of Clover Na is equivalent to the presence of HCI. With the highly permselective commercial membranes used in these experiments, the CalP ratio in the "lesion" solution changed from an initial value of 1.6 to a value as high as 53 or as low as 0.1 at steady state. These phenomena are relevant to the events taking place in a caries lesion and must be taken into account in devising physicochemical models of the caries process. A valid caries model, in turn, offers the possibility of identifying steps in the caries mechanism which might be blocked to prevent tooth decay.
Interleukin-1B and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene polymorphisms are not associated with premalignant gastric conditions: a combined haplotype analysis

Objective Contradictory results have been reported about the role of interleukin-1B (IL1B) and IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) alleles in gastric carcinogenesis. Here, IL1B and IL1RN polymorphisms were analyzed as genotypes and haplotypes in relation to the presence of atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia in the stomach. Methods Two hundred and seventy-eight patients (212 Caucasians and 66 Asians) aged 50 years and above, referred for upper endoscopy because of dyspeptic symptoms, were included in the study. Gastric biopsies were histologically assessed according to the updated Sydney classification. Genomic DNA was typed for polymorphisms at position -3737, -1464, -511, -31 for the IL1B gene and the allele 2 of IL1RN using restriction fragment length polymorphism of amplified PCR fragments and intron-spanning PCR analysis, respectively. Results IL1B-1464-C/C genotype was associated with higher presence of AG in antrum of the stomach in Caucasians [odds ratio: 4.8 (95% confidence interval=1.7–14.3); P=0.028]. IL1B-1464-G/C genotype was associated with lower incidence of AG in corpus of the stomach in Asians [odds ratio: 0.7 (95% confidence interval=0.5–0.8); P=0.02]. IL1RN*2 allele was not linked with AG or intestinal metaplasia in all parts of the stomach both among Asians and Caucasians. Overall, data show that none of the major four IL1B polymorphisms (IL1B-3737C>T, -1464G>C, -511C>T, -31T>C) and the IL1RN*2 is individually, or in its haplotype configuration, linked to the presence of premalignant lesions in Caucasians. Conclusion The determination of these IL1-related loci does not have any predictive value for stratification of subgroups with respect to gastric cancer risk.
Toward Developing a Model of Stakeholder Trust in Waqf Institutions

Sustainability of Waqf institutions for poverty alleviation depends directly or indirectly on the donations received from the donors and the awareness of the society. This conceptual paper is an attempt to construct a model of stakeholder trust that could provide valuable insight on the issues that should be focused by the regulators, the mutawallis and the waqifs for ensuring a sustainability of waqf Institutions. The Modified Key Mediating Variable (MKMV) Model proposed in the paper includes a total number of eight variables. Commitment-trust theory is combined with Islamic Accountability and Stewardship theory toward shaping three conceptual models of trust into a much-needed unified model for exploring trust in the context of waqf institutions. Stakeholder trust is positioned as a mediator between independent (board benevolence, board ability, board integrity, board opportunism, communication and accountability) and the dependent variable (stakeholder commitment). Empirical results to support the model could not be provided due to the conceptual nature of the paper. The model can provide direction for reform towards sustainability of waqf institutions. The model is general enough that it can also be used for other conventional and non-profit religious organisations.
How cultural and contextual variables affect the disclosure and transparency of pro-forma indicators

The paper analyses how company-specific financial factors and country-specific institutional and cultural factors affect the extent to which companies disclose Non-GAAP Financial Measures (NGFMs) in their financial communications. Our study is based on the analysis of 1,731 quarterly financial reports from 120 companies located in 23 countries and listed in Standard & Poor’s Global Oil Index. The results provide evidence that supports both the informative theory on NGFMs (asserting that NGFMs are disclosed to provide the investors with higher quality information) and the opportunistic theory (affirming that NGFMs are disclosed to mislead investors). On one side we see that highly indebted companies more frequently disclose NGFMs, but they are conservative in their adjustments, which is consistent with the informative theory. On the other side, low profitability is a driver of positive adjustments providing evidence of an opportunistic behaviour. The regulation on NGFMs has a positive effect on disclosure and does not increase conservatism. It increases the transparency of adjustments, but more in a formal way than substantially. Also the specific set of accounting standards adopted has a relevant effect on the disclosure of NGFMs. The cultural factors play a role partially consistent with this theory, but on average their impact is negligible. Our study was the first to analyse the use of NGFMs including companies from different continents and considering the impact of cultural variables. From a theoretical point of view, the results provide evidence that an informative and opportunistic use of NGFMs coexist and that different factors (mainly company-specific financial factors and institutional factors) lead to different practices. From a practical point of view the analysis provides interesting evidence for the evolution of regulations on NGFMs.
Sequence Diversity and Functional Conservation of the Origin of Replication in Lactococcal Prolate Phages

ABSTRACT Prolate or c2-like phages are a large homologous group of viruses that infect the bacterium Lactococcus lactis. In a collection of 122 prolate phages, three distinct, non-cross-hybridizing groups of origins of DNA replication were found. The nonconserved sequence was confined to the template for an untranslated transcript, PE1-T, 300 to 400 nucleotides in length, while the flanking sequences were conserved. All three origin types, despite the low sequence homology, have the same functional characteristics: they express abundant PE1-T transcripts and can function as origins of plasmid replication in the absence of phage proteins. Using chimeric constructs, we showed that hybrids of two nonhomologous origin sequences failed to function as replication origins, suggesting that preservation of a particular secondary structure of the PE1-T transcript is required for replication. This is the first systematic survey of the sequence and function of origins of replication in a group of lactococcal phages.
Trading volume and information asymmetries in index option markets: An empirical investigation

While the exploitation of the firm-specific private information via equity options is now well documented, relatively little is known about the existence and exploitation of market-wide private information. This thesis investigates the behavior of aggregate trading volume in the S&P 500 index, the S&P 500 ETF, and the VIX options preceding informational announcements and further considers whether these volume series have any predictive power over absolute returns of the S&P 500 index. Interestingly, the trading volume in all series appears to be abnormally high preceding important macroeconomic announcements and trading days associated with high absolute returns. However, predictive regression and Granger causality test results indicate that only the volume of ETF options has statistically significant, although economically modest, predictive power over absolute returns of the S&P 500 index.
Fintech Adoption Across Generations: Financial Fitness in the Information Age

This paper analyzes how better access to financial information via new technology changes use of consumer credit and affects financial fitness. We exploit the introduction of a smartphone application for personal financial management as a source of exogenous variation. FinTech adoption reduces financial fee payments and penalties, but differs cross-sectionally in the population. After adopting the new technology, Millennials and members of Generation X incur fewer financial fees and penalties, whereas Baby Boomers do not benefit from the technological advance. Millennials and Gen Xers save fees by using their credit cards rather than overdrafts to manage short-term liabilities. Moreover, Millennials shift some of their spending to discretionary entertainment, whereas members of Generation X remain more austere. Finally, while men tend to adopt new technology and access information at a higher rate, the economic impact of access is larger for women.
Empirical Study on Location Choice of Foreign Banks in China

Using the panel data from 2006 to 2010, this paper analyses the determinants of location choice of foreign banks in China with the amount of assets of foreign banks in different regions as dependant variables. The empirical results show that market opportunity and following clients factors are both important determinants for foreign banks location choice. Meanwhile the presence of foreign banks tends to be more in financial centers of China, holding everything else being equal. However, the non-performing loan ratio of commercial banks of one region is not important factor for foreign banks to consider for now.
Integrated Content and Context Analysis for Mobile Landmark Recognition

This paper proposes a new approach for mobile landmark recognition based on integrated content and context analysis. Conventional scene/landmark recognition methods focus mainly on nonmobile desktop/PC platform, where content analysis alone is used to perform landmark recognition. These nonmobile systems, however, do not take unique features of mobile devices into consideration, e.g., limited computational power and fast response time requirement of mobile users. On the contrary, most existing context-aware content mobile landmark recognition methods mainly rely on global positioning system location information for context analysis. In view of this, this paper proposes an effective method that employs an integration of content and context analysis to perform landmark recognition using mobile devices. A new bags-of-words (BoW) framework is developed to perform content analysis. It is then integrated with context analysis involving fusion of location and direction information to perform mobile landmark recognition. Experimental results based on the NTU50Landmark database show that the proposed method can achieve good recognition performance in mobile landmark recognition.
The Global Landscape of Agricultural Trade, 1995-2014

Global agricultural trade, about $1 trillion in 2014, has been rising about 3.6 percent per year for the last two decades, facilitated by technological change and productivity gains, as well as trade liberalization. In addition, trade patterns have shifted and trade policy has evolved. The largest importers and exporters of agricultural products are largely unchanged over the last 20 years, but five countries—Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, and China—account for much of the increase in trade. The landscape of policies affecting trade is increasingly complex, and agricultural trade is facing obstacles that may restrict future growth. Despite trade rules such as in the World Trade Organization, countries impose trade barriers. High tariffs are permitted for many products in many countries. Rising domestic support in some countries could undermine a level playing field for agricultural trade. Moreover, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers and other technical barriers to trade are growing, with disagreements about the scientific basis for rejecting products becoming particularly contentious. This report surveys 20 years (1995-2014) of trends in world agricultural trade (1995-2016 for some measures of U.S. agricultural trade) and summarizes key policy issues that will confront decision makers and shape agricultural trade in the coming years.
PTPN22 Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Iranian Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

ABSTRACT Background: PTPN22 plays a crucial role in regulating the function of various cells of the immune system, particularly T cells. Polymorphisms of the PTPN22 gene have been associated with many autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes (T1D) which is a T-cell-mediated disease. Objective: The present study was aimed at genotyping of an Iranian population for five polymorphisms of the PTPN22 gene. Methods: The study population consisted of 99 T1D patients and 100 healthy controls. We genotyped five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs12760457, rs1310182, rs1217414, rs33996649, and rs2476601) of the PTPN22 gene. Results: Regarding the variant rs2476601, genotypes AG and GG were increased and decreased in T1D patients compared with controls, respectively. Further, alleles G and A of this SNP were found to be decreased and increased in T1D patients, respectively (p value = 0.001). However, T1D and control groups did not differ on genotype distribution or allele frequency for other investigated SNPs. Conclusions: The PTPN22 rs2476601 minor allele (A) was associated with T1D in Iran, accounting for its pathophysiology in autoimmune diseases.
Strategies to Minimize the Effects of Information Security Threats on Business Performance.

Strategies to Minimize the Effects of Information Security Threats on Business Performance by Stella Ifeyinwa Okoye MBA, University of Bradford, 2012 MSc, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, 1992 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration
Evidence for cell‐specific changes with age in expression of oestrogen receptor (ER) α and β in bone fractures from men and women

Oestrogen is recognized as important for maintaining bone mass in men and women. Oestrogen receptor (ER) α and the recently described ER‐β are both expressed in bone cells, but have different affinities for oestrogen agonists and plant oestrogens, which could be important in developing treatments for bone loss in both men and women. It is unclear, however, which isoform predominates in bone; cell type and age may influence their relative expression. The present study has compared ER‐α and ER‐β expression in serial sections of human fracture callus from males (n = 19, age range 5–72 years) and females (n = 15, age range 3–86 years) by indirect immunoperoxidase. Fracture callus was used as it can be readily obtained from individuals over a wide age range and contains a variety of bone cells. Antibody specificity was confirmed by western blotting and comparison of immunoreactivity in sections of breast tumour and benign prostate hyperplasia. No gender difference in ER expression was found in bone from individuals less than 40 years old. Proliferative chondrocytes were positive for both isoforms, but few larger hypertrophic cells were immunoreactive. ER‐α and ER‐β were co‐expressed in osteoclasts, suggesting that oestrogen may act directly on these cells. Osteoblasts, osteocytes, and mesenchymal cells also expressed both isoforms. In women over 40 years of age, however, relatively fewer biopsies contained osteocytes positive for ER‐α and ER‐β. Likewise, the proportions of osteoblasts and mesenchymal cells expressing ER‐β were reduced but ER‐α remained unaffected. In contrast, in men over 40 years, only the proportion of biopsies containing ER‐β‐positive mesenchymal cells was lower. In these older men and women, ER‐α and ER‐β expression was retained by the small proliferative chondrocytes. These results demonstrate that gender, age, and cell type are important determinants of ER isoform expression in skeletal cells. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Histone deacetylase 3 localizes to the mitotic spindle and is required for kinetochore–microtubule attachment

Protein acetylation and deacetylation play key roles in multiple physiological functions. Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) is a highly conserved, ubiquitously expressed protein that forms multiprotein corepressor complexes to repress gene transcription. Recent studies show that HDAC3 may play a role in cell proliferation. Altered HDAC3 level increases G2/M cells, but the mechanism remains unknown. Here we show for the first time, to our knowledge, that the HDAC3 complex, including nuclear receptor corepressor (N-CoR), transducin-β-like protein 1 (TBL1), and TBL1-related protein 1 (TBLR1), is localized on the mitotic spindle. Knockdown of HDAC3 or N-CoR resulted in a collapsed mitotic spindle that was surrounded by chromosomes arranged in a dome-like configuration. Treatment of mitotic cells with Trichostatin A, an HDAC inhibitor, resulted in similar spindle defects independent of transcriptional regulation. In addition, wild-type HDAC3 but not a deacetylase-dead mutant HDAC3 rescued the phenotypes of HDAC3-depleted cells, suggesting that the enzymatic activity of HDAC3 is important for proper spindle function. Whereas the kinetochores and the spindle assembly checkpoint appeared intact in HDAC3-deficient cells, kinetochore–microtubule attachments were impaired because spindle microtubules were unstable in response to cold treatment. These data suggest that the HDAC3 complex is involved in the formation of functional mitotic spindles and proper kinetochore–microtubule attachment. The level or distribution of acetylated α-tubulin was not altered in HDAC3-deficient cells. Taken together, our studies raise the interesting possibility that acetylation–deacetylation of mitotic spindle components may be essential for mitotic spindle function.
Performance evaluation of FH-OCDMA in the presence of GVD and SPM

Performance analysis is carried out to evaluate Frequency-Hopping Optical Code Division Multiple Access (FH-OCDMA) in the presence of group velocity dispersion (GVD) and self-phase modulation (SPM). It is found that the system suffers higher power penalty as the dispersion increases. At a distance of 200-km the power penalty is reduced to 1dB for DSF and to approximately 7dB for SMF when SPM is included. The SMF without SPM suffers the highest power penalty of 6.7dB at 100-km and 9.5dB at 200-km.
Calendar effects of the Colombo stock market

This study examines the calendar effects specially day of the week effects and month of the year effects in the Colombo stock market. The study on the day of the week effect was done based on daily all share price index (ASPI) for the period January 2004 to June 2015 and the study on the month of the year effect employs based on monthly ASPI for the period January 1998 to June 2015. The calendar effects are examined by applying multiple regression (OLS and GARCH models) using dummy variables. Regression results show that presence of the day of the week effect and month of the year effect in the Colombo stock market during the study period. Findings indicate significantly positive high returns on Friday while Monday returns are significantly negative in consistent with previous studies. In addition, the results shows a significantly positive returns on Wednesday and Thursday. In the case of monthly effect, there is a significantly positive high returns in September in the Colombo stock market in contradict to previous findings. There is no evidence for January or April effects during the study period instead there is September effect in the Colombo stock market. The findings of the calendar effects are important to the financial managers, financial analysts and investors to take a fruitful investment decisions.