Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Radiographic Features of Mycobacterium Malmoense Infection

Mycobacterium malmoense is known as a slowgrowing nontuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) and leads to human infection mainly among patients who are suffering from cellular immunity conditions [1] Although M. Malmoense mainly causes pulmonary infections, but extra pulmonary infections including cervical lymphadenitis and tenosynovitis are likely to exist [2]. M.malmoense is considered as an atypical mycobacterial strain that has been discovered in Sweden since 1954 [3] although the incidence of M. malmoenseis still rare, it has been shown to increase since the 1980s [4]. It has been noted that the majority of patients with M. malmoense infections have been affected by lung disease that impacts immune system including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) [3]. According to the study of Hoefsloot, the occurrence of infection is significantly associated with contaminated water or soil.
Occurrence and transformation of dissolved dimethyl sulfur species in stratified seawater (western Mediterranean Sea)

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were measured in Mediterranean seawater. In the open surface waters of late spring to early summer, DMSO (18 nM) was the main methylated sulfur compound and dominated over DMS (1.7 nM) by 1 order of magnitude. Conversely, DMSPd occurred at lower concentrations (0.55 nM) than DMS. The higher abundance of DMS over DMSPd, the poor correlation between surface DMS and chlorophyll a, and microscopic examination of the algal populations suggest that DMS essentially originated from decompos~tion of the DMSP, generated in a late decay phase of the spring phytoplankton development. On the other hand, the vertical profile of the dissolved dimethyl sulfur species and the depth distribution of both biological DMS production and consumption rates point to the concurrence of the biogenic cycles of DMS and carbon. Thus, highest DMS production occurs near the subsurface chlorophyll maximum in coincidence with the water column layers of highest microbial heterotrophic activity. Finally, the high DMSO concentrations suggest that this species may act as a major nonvolatile dimethyl sulfur pool in these waters.
EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ISLAMIC BUSINESS ETHICS AND RELATIONSHIP MARKETING ORIENTATION ON BUSINESS PERFORMANCE: THE ISLAMIC BANKING EXPERIENCE

Relationship marketing emphasises the importance of building and maintaining longterm relationships with customers. Relationship marketing is strategic for banking institutions to have a better position in the market and to secure continuous banking relationships. Relationship marketing has inherently strong ethical roots. There is a positive relationship between ethics and relationship marketing because ethical principles constitute a precondition for creating the climate of collaboration necessary for successful relationship marketing. Islamic banking is created under Islamic law and is frequently considered ethical banking. To succeed in competition with conventional banks, Islamic banks must offer unique services and products differentiated by the implementation of Islamic business ethics. There is an opportunity for future empirical research to understand the relationship of Islamic business ethics to relationship marketing in creating the superior performance of Islamic banking. This study offers a conceptual model for this empirical research.
Soil Moisture and Aeration Beneath Pervious and Impervious Pavements

Pervious paving has been increasingly installed in urban areas as a stormwater management strategy. Pervious pavements exhibit similar strength to impervious analogues, but are highly permeable to air and water. These functional characteristics have led to speculation that pervious paving, used instead of impervious paving, could benefit urban trees. Given that permeability to air and water will have a direct effect on the soil environment, this paper describes research that explores the effect of pervious pavement on underlying soil physical conditions. Results indicate that while soil moisture and aeration dynamics differ greatly beneath paved and unpaved surfaces, differences are usually insignificant between pervious and impervious paving. If urban trees do benefit from overlying pervious paving relative to impervious paving, it is probably not a consequence of soil moisture or aeration. The results challenge existing theories and contribute to the understanding of how pervious pavements affect the moisture and aeration dynamics of underlying soils.
The Evaluation of Costs of Treating Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background. Since 1991, endovascular stentgraft implantation has been performed alongside traditional treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm in patients with massive internal burden. Objectives. Comparison of the costs of traditional treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm with those of stentgraft implantation. Material and Methods. In 2001–2006, 637 patients were treated at this surgical ward, of whom 521 had unrup− tured and 116 ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA). Of the 521 patients with unruptured abdominal aor− tic aneurysm, 418 were operated in the traditional way, 65 received an inner−vascular prosthesis implant, and 38 were disqualified from surgical treatment. Only the patients with massive internal burden were qualified for treatment: 31 with respiratory failure, 29 with circulatory failure grades IV/V according to the NYHA classifica− tion, 5 who had had a stroke with spastic hemiplegia. Results. Using data from the financial department, the overall cost of treating the patients with an endovascular prosthesis was PLN 42,487.60, the cost of traditional treatment of patients with unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was PLN 10,074.16, and the cost of treating a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm was PLN 22,589.53. Conclusions. The high costs of endovascular treatment are connected to the price of the prosthesis used, which constitutes 90% of the total cost. Among patients with an RAAA in serious overall condition, stentgraft implanta− tion is a life−saving procedure. The total costs of treatment of a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm almost dou− bles the regular costs of treatment in planned mode. Early recognition and instant intervention with an unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm significantly decrease the costs of treatment. Early conclusions about the treatment are presented here. Further analysis and observation are necessary to estimate subsequent results (Adv Clin Exp Med 2007, 16, 6, 761–768).
Association between Board Characteristics and Accounting Conservatism: Empirical Evidence from Malaysia

6 1.0 Introduction . 7 2.0 Background . 13 2.1 Corporate Governance in Malaysia . 13 2.2 Investor Protection in Malaysia . 16 3.0 Literature Review. 22 3.1 Financial Statement Fraud and Board of Directors‟ Characteristics . 22 3.2 Earnings Management and Board of Directors‟ Characteristics . 24 3.3 Firm Performance and Board of Directors‟ Characteristics . 26 3.4 Accounting Conservatism and Board of Directors‟ Characteristics . 28 4.0 Development of Hypotheses . 32 4.1 Percentage of Inside Directors on the Board. 32 4.2 Separation of CEO and Chairman of the Board . 34 4.3 Board Size . 35 4.4 Board Meetings . 36 4.5 Managerial Ownership . 37 5.0 Research Methodology. 39 5.1 Sample Selection . 39 5.2 Measurement of the Variables . 42 5.2.1 Measure of Accounting Conservatism . 42 5.2.2 Board of Directors‟ Characteristics . 48 5.2. 3 Control Variables . 48 5.3 Empirical Models . 50
P o S ( L H C P P 2 0 1 3 ) 0 1 9 W / Z boson production and properties measurements

Observation of the electroweak gauge bosons via their decays to electrons and muons provide an important test of the Standard Model of particle physics. Inclusive W and Z boson cross section measurements provide checks of Next-to-Next-to-Leading-Order perturbative QCD calculations, while differential and double-differential Drell-Yan cross section investigate both QCD and PDF constraints. The measurement of the associated production of jets and vector bosons allows for stringent constraints of perturbative QCD calculations and is sensitive to the presence of new physics beyond the Standard Model. Measurements of jet production rates in association with W , Z/γ∗, in proton-proton collisions at 7 and 8 TeV center-of-mass energy are presented, using data collected with the ATLAS and CMS detector. Measurements include inclusive jet multiplicity, differential jet cross sections, as well as associated charmand bottom-quark jet production.
Heavy Metal Uptake by Burrowing Mayflies in Western Lake Erie

Dr. Jeffrey Miner, co-advisor Dr. John Farver, co-advisor During the past two decades, burrowing Hexagenia mayflies have returned to the western basin of Lake Erie. Because of their importance as a prey resource for higher trophic levels and distribution in the sediment, Hexagenia may be a source of heavy metal transfer. To better understand the current distribution of both heavy metals in sediment and mayflies, surface water, sediment, and mayfly nymphs were collected from 24 locations across the western basin of Lake Erie in May 2007. Following EPA protocols, samples were analyzed for 16 elements using ICPOES or ICP-MS. Metal concentrations in sediment exceeded EPA effect levels at many of my sample sites across the western basin. Sediment heavy metal distribution profiles indicate that highest concentration occurred in the middle of the western basin. Percent organic matter in the sediments was significantly higher in offshore (>5km from shore) sites and had a significant linear relationship with sediment metal concentrations. Hexagenia were distributed throughout the western basin, but were at highest density (1350/m) within the Detroit River plume. Cd and Zn levels in mayflies averaged approximately 4 times and 2 times higher (respectfully) than sediment levels. All other mayfly concentrations were below sediment metal concentrations. Spatial representation of metal concentrations in mayflies exhibited similar patterns to the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the sediments with higher concentrations of metals in mayflies residing in the central region of the western basin.
The Great Moderation and the Decoupling of Monetary Policy from Long-Term Rates in the U.S. and Germany ⁄

We apply the asymmetric ARDL model advanced by Shin, Yu and Greenwood-Nimmo (2009) to the analysis of the patterns of pass-through from policy-controlled interest rates to a variety of longer-term rates in the U.S. and Germany. Our results reveal three main phenomena. Firstly, while the e®ect of a rate hike is largely con¯ned to the short-run, the e®ect of a rate cut is muted in the short-run but non-negligible at longer horizons. We characterise this pattern as a switch from short-run positive asymmetry to long-run negative asymmetry, a pattern that potentially reconciles the con°icting empirical evidence and theoretical conjectures that dominate the existing literature. Secondly, our results con¯rm that there has been a decoupling of long-term rates from policy-controlled rates during the period of the Great Moderation in both the U.S. and Germany, albeit in a complex and nonlinear way. Thirdly, by replicating Taylor's (2007) counterfactual exercise using our asymmetric models, we ¯nd that Taylor over-estimates the importance of policy-controlled rates for the broader economy. Equivalently, our results do not support Greenspan's belief that the decoupling is a recent phenomenon. In light of our findings, we conclude that a narrow focus on the interest rate as the sole instrument of monetary policy is likely to be sub-optimal under current institutional arrangements.
SENSITIVITY INDICES FOR OUTPUT ON A RIEMANNIAN MANIFOLD

In the context of computer code experiments, sensitivity analysis of a complicated input-output system is often performed by ranking the so-called Sobol indices. One reason of the popularity of Sobol's approach relies on the simplicity of the statistical estimation of these indices using the so-called Pick and Freeze method. In this work we propose and study sensitivity indices for the case where the output lies on a Riemannian manifold. These indices are based on a Cram\'er von Mises like criterion that takes into account the geometry of the output support. We propose a Pick-Freeze like estimator of these indices based on an $U$--statistic. The asymptotic properties of these estimators are studied. Further, we provide and discuss some interesting numerical examples.
Lipid profile alterations and fasting blood glucose levels in primary hypothyroidism

Background: Hypothyroidism has become a highly prevalent condition worldwide as well as in India. Females are affected more than men and dyslipidemia has been associated with hypothyroidism. This study was conducted to study the prevalence and pattern of dyslipidemia in hypothyroid patients and to justify the screening of lipid profile in hypothyroid patients. Methods: This was a case control study which included 50 newly diagnosed and untreated hypothyroid patients and 50 healthy individuals in the age group of 20-40years. Free Triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) were estimated by chemiluminiscence immunoassay. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), blood glucose were done in all the subjects by enzymatic colorimetric method. Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated using Friedwalds formula. Very Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) was calculated from the triglyceride value. Results: Lipid profile alterations were seen in hypothyroid patients. The mean (standard deviation)values of Total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), Very Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TG), Fasting blood glucose were 183.7 (32.9), 38.12 (7.59), 104.4 (29.42), 31.66 (13.09), 158.44 (65.61), 95.9(9.9) mg/dl respectively. The statistical analysis showed that the difference in the above values between cases and controls was significant and all the mean values except HDL-C were increased in cases. Conclusions: Hypothyroid patients demonstrate significant increase in serum lipids as compared to healthy individuals. More females are diagnosed with hypothyroidism and dyslipidemia is associated with primary hypothyroidism.
Reach Out and Reduce Prejudice: The Impact of Interpersonal Touch on Intergroup Liking

A brief, casual interpersonal touch results in positive behavior toward the toucher, presumably because touch is a cue to friendship. Research on intergroup contact shows that feelings of friendship toward an individual outgroup member reduce prejudice toward that entire group. Integrating these areas, we examined whether interpersonal touch by an outgroup member could reduce prejudice. In three replications in two studies, interpersonal touch decreased implicit, though not explicit, prejudice toward the toucher's group. Effects of interpersonal touch can extend beyond the toucher to others sharing the toucher's ethnicity, and findings suggest that such effects are automatic and outside conscious awareness.
Effect of Hydrogen Dilution on the Intrinsic a-Si:H Film of the Heterojunction Silicon-Based Solar Cell

In this work, effects of a hydrogen dilution ratio on the intrinsic amorphous hydrogenated silicon (i-a-Si:H) film of heterojunction silicon-based (HJS) solar cells were systematically studied. Long lifetime samples were obtained for R 5 5, indicating a good aSi:H/c-Si interface. The dark conductivity was drastically decreased for R = 2, indicating a good film quality. Consequently, an optimized power conversion efficiency of the HJS solar cells was obtained at a moderate R between 2 and 5. In contrast to the previous emphasis on long lifetime, the results indicate that both the interface and film qualities are correlated to the hydrogen dilution, which are important to achieve high-efficiency HJS solar cells. We show that the most optimized HJS solar cell exhibits a marked efficiency of 17.27%.
Psychosocial factors associated with adherence to treatment and quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS in Brazil

Objective: The objective of this article was to investigate the biopsychosocial factors that influence adherence to treatment and the quality of life of individuals who have been successfully following the HIV/AIDS treatment. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study carried out with 120 HIV positive participants in the south of Brazil. Among the variables studied, of note are: perceived stress, social support, symptoms of anxiety and depression and quality of life. Results: The results show that a moderate to high adherence to the treatment paired with a strong sense of social support indicate a higher quality of life. Conclusion: The combination of social support and antiretroviral treatment have an impact on physical conditions, improving immune response and quality of life.
Income Inequality and Growth: New Insights from Italy

This paper investigates the impact of income inequality on economic growth in Italy during the period of 1967 to 2012. Specifically, using a technique that allows us to sort out long-run impacts from short-run impacts, we investigate whether income inequality benefits or harms growth, after controlling for human capital, labour, physical capital and inflation within an augmented growth model. Amid the existing debatable theoretical and empirical studies, our results suggest that income inequality has a negative and significant impact on growth in the long run. The negative impact of income inequality on growth still exist in the short run. However, the coefficient becomes insignificant. Overall, we gather that inequality hurts growth in the country. Based on this finding, we provide some policy implications.
Three-Dimensional Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of Two-Phase Flow Containing a Deformable Body with a Viscoelastic Membrane

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with an elastic model is applied to the simulation of two-phase flows containing a deformable body with a viscoelastic membrane. The numerical method is based on the LBM for incompressible two-phase fluid flows with the same density. The body has an internal fluid covered by a viscoelastic membrane of a finite thickness. An elastic model is introduced to the LBM in order to determine the elastic forces acting on the viscoelastic membrane of the body. In the present method, we take account of changes in surface area of the membrane and in total volume of the body as well as shear deformation of the membrane. By using this method, we calculate two problems, the behavior of an initially spherical body under shear flow and the motion of a body with initially spherical or biconcave discoidal shape in square pipe flow. Calculated deformations of the body (the Taylor shape parameter) for various shear rates are in good agreement with other numerical results. Moreover, tank-treading motion, which is a characteristic motion of viscoelastic bodies in shear flows, is simulated by the present method.
Decision - making patterns of young tourists regarding risky destinations

The current study examines how exposure to terrorism and past foreign travel experiences influence attitudes and perceptions regarding travel to risky destinations. Specifically, it examines the impact of these attitudes and risk perceptions on Israeli students' intentions to travel to four destinations: Egypt, Turkey, Japan and India. According to the model tested by the study, an individual's risk perceptions mediate how past travel experience and exposure to terror affect intention to travel to various destinations. The results show that a greater number of previous trips abroad and past exposure to terrorism (with no adverse personal consequences) tend to diminish perceptions of travel risk and positively affect attitudes toward travel to risky destinations. In addition, intentions to travel to risky destinations rise as perceived risks decrease and as attitudes toward travel to risky destinations become more positive. Moreover, Israelis are less likely to travel to adversary countries (such as Turkey or Egypt) than to other countries (such as Japan or India). This research shows that prior experience with foreign travel and exposure to harsh experiences (such as terrorist acts) with no adverse personal consequences mitigate risk perceptions, which in turn positively affect intention to travel to destinations with various types of risks. Experiences with local conflicts diminish Israelis' intentions to travel to adversary countries.
Educational Production in East Asia: The Impact of Family Background and Schooling Policies on Student Performance

Abstract East Asian students regularly take top positions in international league tables of educational performance. Using internationally comparable student-level data, I estimate how family background and schooling policies affect student performance in five high-performing East Asian economies. Family background is a strong predictor of student performance in Korea and Singapore, while Hong Kong and Thailand achieve more equalized outcomes. There is no evidence that smaller classes improve student performance in East Asia. But other schooling policies such as school autonomy over salaries and regular homework assignments are related to higher student performance in several of the considered countries.
The role of a mid-air collision in drifting snow

Abstract. Drifting snow, a common two-phase flow movement in high and cold areas, contributes greatly to the mass and energy balance of glacier and ice sheets and further affects the global climate system. Mid-air collisions occur frequently in high-concentration snow flows; however, this mechanism is rarely considered in current models of drifting snow. In this work, a three-dimensional model of drifting snow with consideration of inter-particle collisions is established; this model enables the investigation of the role of a mid-air collision mechanism in openly drifting snow. It is found that the particle collision frequency increases with the particle concentration and friction velocity, and the blown snow with a mid-air collision effect produces more realistic transport fluxes since inter-particle collision can enhance the particle activity under the same condition. However, the snow saltation mass flux basically shows a cubic dependency with friction velocity, which distinguishes it from the quadratic dependence of blown sand movement. Moreover, the snow saltation flux is found to be largely sensitive to the particle size distribution since the suspension snow may restrain the saltation movement. This research could improve our understanding of the role of the mid-air collision mechanism in natural drifting snow.