Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis and Development of Technology Acceptance Model in Mobile Bank Field

Internet-based banking (Internet bank) has limitations such as access to the Internet Network and PC (Personal Computer) in addition to providing bank services at any time and easily to customers. The provision of mobile phone services with the title of Mobile Bank was introduced to eliminate these restrictions and limitations. Due to the importance of technology adoption by users, in this research, the technology acceptance model has been developed by taking into account the variables of the original model, by adding new variables such as risk perception, cost perception, trust, resistance, compatibility while examining the proposed models to examine these factors. This research has analyzed the statistical population using the questionnaire and has determined the following results. Individual's age has not much effect on the technology adoption according to results, and also individuals do not have much resistance to adopt the technology in this period, which will cause to adopt new technologies more and more. Individuals are also willing to pay for the use of technology and benefiting from its advantages, and cost has not affected the attitude of individuals and is not an impediment and barrier to technology adoption, and ultimately, individuals have adopted the risk of the use of technology, and this issue does not damage their trust in new technology.
Analysis of the mechanisms of Salmonella‐induced actin assembly during invasion of host cells and intracellular replication

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) induces actin assembly both during invasion of host cells and during the course of intracellular bacterial replication. In this study, we investigated the involvement in these processes of host cell signalling pathways that are frequently utilized by bacterial pathogens to manipulate the eukaryotic actin cytoskeleton. We confirmed that Cdc42, Rac, and Arp3 are involved in S. typhimurium invasion of HeLa cells, and found that N‐WASP and Scar/WAVE also play a role in this process. However, we found no evidence for the involvement of these proteins in actin assembly during intracellular replication. Cortactin was recruited by Salmonella during both invasion and intracellular replication. However, RNA interference directed against cortactin did not inhibit either invasion or intracellular actin assembly, although it resulted in increased cell spreading and a greater number of lamellipodia. We also found no role for either the GTPase dynamin or the formin family member mDia1 in actin assembly by intracellular bacteria. Collectively, these data provide evidence that signalling pathways leading to Arp2/3‐dependent actin nucleation play an important role in S. typhimurium invasion, but are not involved in intracellular Salmonella‐induced actin assembly, and suggest that actin assembly by intracellular S. typhimurium may proceed by a novel mechanism.
The Relationships Between Poor Sleep Efficiency and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson Disease

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and sleep disturbances are common features in Parkinson disease (PD). This study sought to investigate whether patients with MCI in PD (PD-MCI) have more pronounced sleep disturbance compared to those without PD-MCI and whether phenotypic presentations differ according to the PD-MCI subtypes. Methods: A total of 95 patients with idiopathic PD (53 meeting criteria for PD-MCI and 42 who were not cognitively impaired) and 22 controls underwent neurological and neuropsychological examination. They wore actigraphy watches for 2 weeks, from which measures of nocturnal sleep efficiency were calculated. Results: Patients with PD-MCI has significantly poorer sleep efficiency compared to those without PD-MCI. This effect was particularly apparent in those with multiple-domain PD-MCI, compared to those with single-domain PD-MCI. Furthermore, patients in the PD-MCI group had significantly more nontremor features. Conclusions: These data suggest that PD-MCI is associated with greater sleep disturbance and nontremor features of PD. This is further evidence for the potential role that sleep disturbance plays in the heterogeneity of PD.
A nine years' review of 273 cases of atrophic rhinitis and its management

VARIOUS methods of treatment, both medical and surgical, have been tried without much success. Atrophic rhinitis is prevalent in Brazil, North America (Eskimos), Malaya, Philippines, India and U.A. R. , etc. (Roy, 1917; Girgis, 1966). It was first described by Fraenkel in 1876 but the aetiology of the disease is still a matter of dispute. During the past 9 years 273 patients have been treated by various methods and the results are reported here. The different methods tried were as follows:
Investment in research and development in the process of accession of Macedonia in the European Union

High unemployment rates, low employment rates, low levels of GDP per capita and still higher orientation of the activities of primary and secondary sector characterize Macedonia and other Western Balkan countries. In such circumstances, as a basic long-term economic and strategic goal is full membership in the EU, which is a complex and time-consuming process that requires the creation of foundations for the implementation of comprehensive structural reforms. It is identified the importance of investing in research and development and general knowledge-based activities, which represent a fundamental contemporary economic resource. The goal of the conducted research is to analyze the economic situation and the level of investment in research and development in Macedonia and to propose appropriate measures for their improvement. The purpose of the research is to highlight the importance of investing in research and development to achieve economic growth and the achievement of structural reforms in Macedonia, as a function of its adjustment to the EU economy. The research is based on the secondary sources, ie, statistical bases of the EU (Eurostat), AMECO and the World Bank as well as on data from the national statistical base and national strategic documents
Corticosterone and Foraging Behavior in a Pelagic Seabird

Because endocrine mechanisms are thought to mediate behavioral responses to changes in the environment, examining these mechanisms is essential for understanding how long‐lived seabirds adjust their foraging decisions to contrasting environmental conditions in order to maximize their fitness. In this context, the hormone corticosterone (CORT) deserves specific attention because of its major connections with locomotor activities. We examined for the first time the relationships between individual CORT levels and measurements of foraging success and behavior using satellite tracking and blood sampling from wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) before (pretrip CORT levels) and after (posttrip CORT levels) foraging trips during the incubation period. Plasma CORT levels decreased after a foraging trip, and the level of posttrip CORT was negatively correlated with individual foraging success, calculated as total mass gain over a foraging trip. Pretrip CORT levels were not linked to time spent at sea but were positively correlated with daily distance traveled and maximum range at sea. In this study, we were able to highlight the sensitivity of CORT levels to variation in energy intake, and we showed for the first time that individual CORT levels can be explained by variation in foraging success. Relationships between pretrip CORT levels and daily distance traveled and maximum range were independent of pretrip body mass, suggesting that slight elevations in pretrip CORT levels might facilitate locomotor activity. However, because both foraging behavior and pretrip CORT levels could be affected by individual quality, future experimental studies including manipulation of CORT levels are needed to test whether CORT can mediate foraging decisions according to foraging conditions.
First Neisseria gonorrhoeae Genotyping Analysis in France: Identification of a Strain Cluster with Reduced Susceptibility to Ceftriaxone

ABSTRACT Sexually transmitted infections are a major public health problem in France and other European countries. Particularly, surveillance data about Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections have clearly indicated an increase in the incidence of gonorrhoea in France in 2006. The French laboratories participated on voluntary basis in the RENAGO (Réseau National du Gonocoque) network and sent all of their collected strains to the National Reference Center for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In this first French molecular epidemiological study, 93 isolates collected in 2006 and representative of the French gonorrhoea epidemiology were selected. Antibiotic susceptibility to six antibiotics was determined, and serotyping and N. gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) were performed. NG-MAST identified 53 sequence types (STs), of which 13 STs contained 2 to 16 isolates. The major STs identified in France were previously described elsewhere. However, two newly described STs, ST1479 and ST1987, had only been found in France until now. ST1479 was characterized by a multiple-resistance phenotype, whereas ST1987 presented a susceptibility phenotype. Moreover, among the predominant French STs, ST225, which had already been described in many countries, comprised isolates (14/16) resistant to ciprofloxacin and with reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone. Thus, the surveillance of resistance to antibiotics is a priority in order to adapt treatment and decrease the transmission of resistant strains. Of note, no predominant ST was identified among rectal isolates from men who have sex with men.
ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO THE EVOLUTION OF COMPETITIVE ABILITY IN TWO COMPETING SPECIES OF DROSOPHILA

The evolution of components of interspecific competitive ability was examined in three different environments for three replicate pairs of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans populations. Populations evolved enhanced competitive ability in three ways: (1) increased effectiveness at reducing the numbers of the competitor species; (2) increased resistance to the inhibitory effects of the competitor species; or (3) a combination of the two. Considerable variation was seen in the evolutionary outcomes of competition among environments, and also among replicate populations within environments. Significant replicate‐by‐environment interactions were also observed. The results suggest that the evolutionary routes to the evolution of enhanced competitive abilities can potentially differ among subdivided populations, creating a geographic mosaic of outcomes.
An observer for the synchronization of chaotic Liouvillian systems: A real-time application to Chua's oscillator

This work deals with the master-slave synchronization of chaotic oscillators with Liouvillian properties (chaotic Liouvillian system) based on nonlinear observer design. The strategy consists of proposing a polynomial observer (slave system) which tends to follow exponentially the chaotic oscillator (master system). The proposed technique is applied in the synchronization of Chua's circuit using Matlab-Simulink® and Matlab®-LMI programs. Experimental results are shown to visualize and illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed observer.
Age-related changes in compensatory stepping in response to unpredictable perturbations.

BACKGROUND Recent studies highlight the importance of compensatory stepping to preserve stability, and the spatial and temporal demands placed on the control of this reaction. Age-related changes in the control of stepping could greatly influence the risk of falling. The present study compares, in healthy elderly and young adults, the characteristics of compensatory stepping responses to unpredictable postural perturbations. METHODS A moving platform was used to unpredictably perturb the upright stance of 14 naive, active and mobile subjects (5 aged 22 to 28 and 9 aged 65 to 81). The first 10 randomized trials (5 forward and 5 backward) were evaluated to allow a focus on reactions to relatively novel perturbations. The behavior of the subjects was not constrained. Forceplate and kinematic measures were used to evaluate the responses evoked by the brief (600 msec) platform translation. RESULTS Subjects stepped in 98% of the trials. Although the elderly were less likely to execute a lateral anticipatory postural adjustment prior to foot-lift, the onset of swing-leg unloading tended to begin at the same time in the two age groups. There was remarkable similarity between the young and elderly in many other characteristics of the first step of the response. In spite of this similarity, the elderly subjects were twice as likely to take additional steps to regain stability (63% of trials for elderly). Moreover, in elderly subjects, the additional steps were often directed so as to preserve lateral stability, whereas the young rarely showed this tendency. CONCLUSIONS Given the functional significance of base-of-support changes as a strategy for preserving stability and the age-related differences presently revealed, assessment of the capacity to preserve stability against unpredictable perturbation, and specific measures such as the occurrence or placement of multiple steps, may prove to be a significant predictor of falling risk and an important outcome in evaluating or developing intervention strategies to prevent falls.
Effects of Cell-Driving Jitters on the Output Voltage of Magnetically Insulated Induction Voltage Adders

Based on a 12-cell transmission line code model, the effects of cell-driving jitters on the output voltage (both the rise time and the flat-top waveform) of magnetically insulated induction voltage adders (MIVAs) were analyzed in detail. Simulation results show that the rise time (0.1–0.9) of the MIVA output voltage is a function of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sigma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> (the standard deviation of the cell-driving jitters) when N (the number of cells connected in series for an MIVA) is small. When cell-driving jitters follow a normal probability distribution, the rise time of the output voltages also accord well with normal distributions. Parameters of these distributions are analytically deduced and presented. For any experimental shot, there is a fiducial probability that the rise time falls into the analytic solution range (within a certain error range). With the same error range, the fiducial probability decreases as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sigma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> increases, while probabilities that the rise time are higher or lower than this range increase synchronously. Simulation results also indicate that cell-driving jitters have fewer effects on the flat-top peak of the MIVA output voltage. However, a series of ripple voltages is added on the flat-top waveform, and the average peak of these ripple voltages increases as <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sigma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> increases.
Monoacylglycerol lipase – a target for drug development?

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system is involved in processes as diverse as control of appetite, perception of pain and the limitation of cancer cell growth and invasion. The enzymes responsible for eCB breakdown are attractive pharmacological targets, and fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors, which potentiate the levels of the eCB anandamide, are now undergoing pharmaceutical development. ‘Drugable’ selective inhibitors of monoacylglycerol lipase, a key enzyme regulating the levels of the other main eCB, 2‐arachidonoylglycerol, were however not identified until very recently. Their availability has resulted in a large expansion of our knowledge concerning the pharmacological consequences of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibition and hence the role(s) played by the enzyme in the body. In this review, the pharmacology of monoacylglycerol lipase will be discussed, together with an analysis of the therapeutic potential of monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitors as analgesics and anticancer agents.
Laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment of nontraumatic acute abdominal pain in women.

PURPOSE We reviewed the records of 77 women treated for nontraumatic acute abdomen by the principal author between June 1991 and June 1996. All patients presented to either the surgeon's office or the emergency room at Northwest Hospital, which is an urban community hospital in North Seattle. Our objectives in the study were to determine the effectiveness of diagnostic laparoscopy for nontraumatic acute abdomen and the percentage of cases managed using laparoscopic technique exclusively. PATIENTS AND METHODS The mean patient age was 36.5 (range 12-65) years. The majority of these women (92%) were premenopausal. Seventy-two (93.5%) were Caucasian, and the remaining 5 (6.5%) were Asian. Thirty-eight of the women (49%) had undergone at least one prior pelvic or abdominal operation, and 28 (36%) had undergone more than one. The principal author performed preoperative clinical evaluations, then diagnostic laparoscopy for all 77 patients. RESULTS Laparoscopy provided a definitive diagnosis in 76 of the 77 cases. In 70% of the cases (54 of 77) the preoperative diagnosis was confirmed by diagnostic laparoscopy, and in 29% (22 of 77), the diagnosis was confirmed, yet augmented or clarified, by diagnostic laparoscopy. In the remaining case, diagnostic laparoscopy ruled out any acute etiology. Ninety-five percent of the patients (72 of 76) were treated exclusively by laparoscopy (70 cases) or a laparoscopy-assisted procedure (2 cases). Four patients (5%) required conversion to laparotomy. The remaining patient required no therapeutic surgery. Mortality was 0 and morbidity 4%. CONCLUSION A high proportion of women presenting with acute abdominal pain can be managed using a laparoscopic technique exclusively.
Depression and hostility as predictors of long-term outcomes among opiate users.

AIMS This study used data from the national Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies (DATOS) to investigate the associations that pre-treatment depression and hostility have with drug use and criminal behavior at 1 year and 5 year follow-up in patients with and without additional treatment involvement in the year prior to each follow-up. DESIGN Following a naturalistic, non-experimental evaluation design, admissions to methadone treatment were followed up approximately 1 and 5 years later. Data analysis was conducted using multiple logistic regression. SETTING Eighteen programs from DATOS were included. PARTICIPANTS An analytic sample consisting of 727 patients at 1 year follow-up and 432 patients at 5 year follow-up was included. FINDINGS Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that greater depression predicted less drug use in the year preceding each follow-up, whereas greater hostility predicted increased drug use and more arrests at each follow-up. Furthermore, these predictive relationships appeared only among individuals not involved in additional treatment. CONCLUSIONS Depression and hostility showed opposite associations with outcomes, underscoring the need to assess these psychological conditions separately and tailor treatment plans appropriately.
Patients' views of high blood pressure, its treatment and risks.

OBJECTIVE To examine the understanding and beliefs of a sample of Australian patients about high blood pressure and its therapy, and to examine the accuracy of their assessment of their own risk. METHOD A cross sectional study in two general practices in Perth, Western Australia. Interviews were conducted with 55 consecutive patients aged 40-80 years of age with uncomplicated hypertension. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected on patients' beliefs about the nature, symptoms, causes and treatment of high blood pressure as well as their adherence to antihypertensive medications during the preceding month. Patients also estimated their own risk of stroke or myocardial infarction. RESULTS Two-thirds of the patients (65%) described high blood pressure within an appropriate biomedical definition. Forty-five percent attributed a variety of symptoms to their high blood pressure while 55% believed that stress was a cause of their high blood pressure. Three-quarters (73%) were fully adherent to their medications in the preceding month. Seventy-one percent and 62% of patients were aware that stroke and heart attack respectively are possible consequences of high blood pressure. They significantly overestimated their risk of stroke and myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION One-third of treated hypertensive patients are poorly informed about the causes and effects of hypertension, and overestimate their risk of both stroke and heart attack, as well as the benefit derived from treatment.
Diversity, Biodiversity, Conservation, and Sustainability

The concepts of diversity and biodiversity are analysed regarding their historical emergence, and their intrinsic meaning and differences are discussed. Through a brief synopsis, difficulties usually experienced by statisticians in capturing the dynamics of diversity are analysed and main problems identified. The shift from diversity to the more holistic biodiversity as a working concept is appraised in terms of the novelty involved. Through a number of examples, the way the two concepts capture natural cyclic changes is analysed, and their reciprocal and complementary relations are approached theoretically. The way diversity could develop from the stores of biodiversity as its active expression through selective and evolutionary processes is described. Through the use of a very simple dynamic model, the concepts of diversity and biodiversity are analysed in extremely opposite hypothetical scenarios. Comparisons with natural situations are made and the theoretical implications from the conservation point of view are discussed. These support the opinion that conservation undertaken in restricted and protected areas is not self-sustainable, needing permanent external intervention to regulate internal processes, and in the long run will most probably lead in the direction of obsolescence and extinction. Finally, the relations between diversity, biodiversity, and sustainability are approached. The vagueness of the sustainability concept is discussed. Preservation of biodiversity is then defended as one of the best available indicators to assist us in fixing boundaries which may help to provide a more precise definition of sustainability.
Approximation Analysis of Learning Algorithms for Support Vector Regression and Quantile Regression

We study learning algorithms generated by regularization schemes in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces associated with an ϵ-insensitive pinball loss. This loss function is motivated by the ϵ-insensitive loss for support vector regression and the pinball loss for quantile regression. Approximation analysis is conducted for these algorithms by means of a variance-expectation bound when a noise condition is satisfied for the underlying probability measure. The rates are explicitly derived under a priori conditions on approximation and capacity of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space. As an application, we get approximation orders for the support vector regression and the quantile regularized regression.