Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Service Quality in Internet Banking

Abstract Past research on measuring service quality in Internet banking is scarce. This study adapts the dimensions of the SERVQUAL (Zeithaml et al., 2000, 2002) and attempts to examine customers service quality perceptions in Internet banking, as well as the impact of these perceptions on customer satisfaction and future consumption intentions. Hong Kong, a regional trading and services hub in Asia, is adopted as a case study. Four analytical dimensions are identified: credibility, efficiency, problem handling and security. Findings indicate that all dimensions except security are found to be important in determining overall service quality perceptions. Credibility, problem handling and security have significant impact on customer satisfaction. Moreover, security and efficiency are significantly associated with future consumption behavior. Implications are discussed and recommendations are offered for improving Internet banking services.
Global economic prospects 2010 : crisis, finance, and growth

The world economy is emerging from the throes of a historically deep and synchronized recession provoked by the bursting of a global financial bubble. The consequences of the initial bubble and the crisis have been felt in virtually every economy, whether or not it participated directly in the risky behaviors that precipitated the boom-and-bust cycle. And while growth rates have picked up, the depth of the recession means that it will take years before unemployment and spare capacity are reabsorbed. This year's global economic prospects examines the consequences of the crisis for both the short and medium term growth prospects of developing countries. It concludes that the crisis and the regulatory reaction to the financial excesses of the preceding several years may have lasting impacts on financial markets, raising borrowing costs and lowering levels of credit and international capital flows. As a result, the rate of growth of potential output in developing countries may be reduced by between 0.2 and 0.7 percentage points annually over the next five to seven years as economies adjust to tighter financial conditions. Overall, the level of potential output in developing countries could be reduced by between 3.4 and 8 percent over the long run, compared with its pre-crisis path. The report further finds that the very liquid conditions of the first half of the decade contributed to the expansion in credit available in developing countries and that this expansion was responsible for about 40 percent of the approximately 1.5 percentage point acceleration of the pace at which many developing-country economies could grow without generating significant inflation. While developing countries probably cannot reverse the expected tightening in international financial conditions, there is considerable scope for reducing domestic borrowing costs, or increasing productivity and thereby regaining the higher growth path that the crisis has derailed.
Insider Entrenchment, Board Leadership Structure and Informativeness of Earnings

This paper uses US data to provide evidence regarding the relationship between earnings informativeness and different levels of insider shareholding including insider entrenchment. At medium levels of insider shareholding (convergence of interests e.g., 5 percent and 25 percent), there is a positive association between earnings informativeness and increase in shareholding. At high levels of insider shareholding (insider entrenchment e.g., more than 25 percent), there is a negative association between earnings informativeness and increase in shareholding. In addition, we show that non-CEO duality is viewed by the market as a way of reducing agency costs for insider-entrenched firms. In other words, the association between informativeness of earnings and different levels of insider ownership depends on the board's leadership structure. Finally, we show that there is a negative (positive) association between increase in insider shareholding and discretionary accruals only for firms with CEO duality at medium (high) levels of insider shareholding.
Porin from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides

A protein homooligomer was purified from both the cell envelope fractions and the saline extracts of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides cells. This oligomer exhibited strong porin activity when reconstituted into proteoliposomes with egg phosphatidylcholine. In the saline extracts of both chemotrophically and phototrophically grown cells, the porin oligomer was the most predominant polypeptide, which produced pores whose behavior toward various sugars could be approximated by hollow cylinders of 0.62 nm in radius. The oligomer was dissociated, in the presence of EDTA, into monomers that migrated on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as though their molecular weight was about 47,000. The monomer was active in the reconstitution assay and produced pores with sizes comparable to those produced by the oligomer. Circular dichroism spectra indicated the predominance of beta-sheet structure in both the oligomeric and EDTA-dissociated monomeric forms. Drastic conditions, for example, precipitation with 10% trichloroacetic acid or heating for a few hours at 100 degrees C in sodium dodecyl sulfate, were necessary to denature the protein into a form with a reduced content of beta-sheet structure.
A Dual-Band Coupled Resonator Decoupling Network for Two Coupled Antennas

A new decoupling scheme called dual-band coupled resonator decoupling network (CRDN) is presented. By properly designing the coupling coefficients between two pairs of coupled resonators, the network can effectively reduce the mutual couplings between two coupled dual-band antennas in two bands simultaneously. The new scheme is proved by a practical microstrip version of the device for two dual-band antennas working at 2.4 and 5.2 GHz frequency bands. A compact planar dual-band CRDN consisting of a pair of dual-band open-loop square ring resonators is proposed. The measured scattering parameters of two coupled antennas with and without the dual-band CRDN in free space (FS) and with hand phantom demonstrate that the isolation between the two antennas in both the low and high bands can be improved from 8 to 10 dB, respectively, to below 20 dB while maintaining a good matching performance. The total efficiency and envelop correlation coefficient for the decoupled antennas show a significant improvement as compared to the coupled antenna case. The proposed dual-band CRDN scheme is easy to be implemented in an integrated device, and is very attractive for practical multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) applications.
Immobilization Staphylococcal Protein A on Magnetic Cellulose Microspheres for IgG Affinity Purification

The main objective of this study is to develop and evaluate the immobilization of Staphylococcal Protein A on magnetic cellulose microspheres (SPA-MCMS) for immunological capture of IgG. After cloning, expression and separation, SPA was immobilized onto MCMS to prepare a magnetic affinity media subject to the purification of IgGs. The binding capacity, binding time, leakage of SPA and its reproducibility were optimized to improve the binding efficiency with an appropriate amount and recovery of IgG. Rabbit IgG was successfully purified from serum in a single-step by SPA-MCMS with an overall recovery of 73.18% and purity of 90.27%. Therefore, this study effectively illustrated the advantages of magnetic microcarriers for rapid and efficient purification of antibodies. The separation media shows a high potential for the future development of affinity isolation and immunodiagnostic application.
Frataxin Depletion in Yeast Triggers Up-regulation of Iron Transport Systems before Affecting Iron-Sulfur Enzyme Activities*

The primary function of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron homeostasis, remains controversial. Using a yeast model of conditional expression of the frataxin homologue YFH1, we analyzed the primary effects of YFH1 depletion. The main conclusion unambiguously points to the up-regulation of iron transport systems as a primary effect of YFH1 down-regulation. We observed that inactivation of aconitase, an iron-sulfur enzyme, occurs long after the iron uptake system has been activated. Decreased aconitase activity should be considered part of a group of secondary events promoted by iron overloading, which includes decreased superoxide dismutase activity and increased protein carbonyl formation. Impaired manganese uptake, which contributes to superoxide dismutase deficiency, has also been observed in YFH1-deficient cells. This low manganese content can be attributed to the down-regulation of the metal ion transporter Smf2. Low Smf2 levels were not observed in AFT1/YFH1 double mutants, indicating that high iron levels could be responsible for the Smf2 decline. In summary, the results presented here indicate that decreased iron-sulfur enzyme activities in YFH1-deficient cells are the consequence of the oxidative stress conditions suffered by these cells.
Multicenter Registry of Balloon Catheter Sinusotomy Outcomes for 1,036 Patients

Objectives: This study assesses the safety and effectiveness of balloon catheters used as instruments in sinus surgery in a “real-world” multicenter registry of 1,036 patients across 27 US otolaryngology practices. Methods: Data were collected by standardized chart review with centralized database administration for all consecutive functional endoscopic sinus surgeries that included the use of balloon catheters across the 18-month time period from December 2005 to May 2007. Results: Balloon catheters were used in 3,276 peripheral (maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid) sinuses, for an average of 3.2 sinuses per patient. There were no major adverse events related to the use of balloon catheter instruments. The revision rate was 1.3% of sinuses treated with a balloon catheter after an average follow-up of 40.2 weeks. Sinus symptoms were improved in 95.2%, unchanged in 3.8%, and worse in 1.0% of patients. Postoperative sinus infections were significantly less frequent and less severe compared to infections before surgery. The results were consistent across all patient categories, including balloon-only patients and revision patients. Conclusions: Use of balloon catheters as instruments in sinus surgery appears to be relatively safe and effective and to improve the patient's quality of life. The results are consistent and generalizable across a wide range of sinusitis patients and physician practices. The complication rates, revision rates, and patient symptom improvement rates all compare favorably with previously reported results of functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
Anterolateral Thigh Flap for Trauma Reconstruction

High velocity injuries have traditionally been covered with free muscle flaps. We sought to evaluate the utility of the anterolateral thigh flap (ALT) flap as a primary choice in reconstructing traumatic injuries in Western patients.A retrospective chart review was conducted of 122 patients treated at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center and at the Louisiana State University Trauma Center. Data collected included defect size, donor site location, flap composition and size, number of anastamoses, number of perforators, donor site closure, and complications.A total of 127 ALT flap reconstructions were performed. About 74% involved the lower extremity, 12% head and neck, 11% upper extremity, 2% abdomen, <1% chest, and <1% pelvis. The success rate was 96% with 3 total flap failures and 2 partial flap failures. Average follow-up was 9.3 months.The results of this review confirm that the ALT flap is a reliable, versatile tool for managing composite traumatic injuries.
A Framework for Cross-Country Comparisons of Public Infrastructure Constraints on Firm Growth

How should a policy-maker prioritize interventions to improve the public infrastructure with which firms operate and how large are the benefits from doing so likely to be? To address these questions we use survey data on the obstacles arising from poor quality public inputs that managers face in running their firms. Our conceptual framework centres on the public input character of physical infrastructure and institutions, and uses an O-ring production function to model the impact of poor quality infrastructure on output. Using survey data from over 72,000 firms in 95 countries, we verify the consistency of the within- and cross-country variation in reported constraints with predictions of the model. We use the framework to construct estimates of the impact on output and productivity of improvements in the quality of public inputs and how these differ between rich and poor countries. We show how a policy-maker can use the country-level data and the benchmarks estimated from the cross-country data to prioritize public infrastructure investment in their country. Our results indicate that priorities vary widely among countries and suggest a degree of caution about donor policies tying development assistance to generic improvements in the business environment. The results also suggest that the benefits arising directly from such improvements are likely to be modest relative to the scale of impact implied by aggregate-level studies of the role of institutions in economic development.
Evaluating Medicinal Plants for Anticancer Activity

Plants have been used for medical purposes since the beginning of human history and are the basis of modern medicine. Most chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer treatment are molecules identified and isolated from plants or their synthetic derivatives. Our hypothesis was that whole plant extracts selected according to ethnobotanical sources of historical use might contain multiple molecules with antitumor activities that could be very effective in killing human cancer cells. This study examined the effects of three whole plant extracts (ethanol extraction) on human tumor cells. The extracts were from Urtica membranacea (Urticaceae), Artemesia monosperma (Asteraceae), and Origanum dayi post (Labiatae). All three plant extracts exhibited dose- and time-dependent killing capabilities in various human derived tumor cell lines and primary cultures established from patients' biopsies. The killing activity was specific toward tumor cells, as the plant extracts had no effect on primary cultures of healthy human cells. Cell death caused by the whole plant extracts is via apoptosis. Plant extract 5 (Urtica membranacea) showed particularly strong anticancer capabilities since it inhibited actual tumor progression in a breast adenocarcinoma mouse model. Our results suggest that whole plant extracts are promising anticancer reagents.
Microbiological analysis of the early Salmonella enteritidis infection in molted and unmolted hens.

A study was conducted in which the early kinetics (4 hr to 96 hr) of an infection by Salmonella enteritidis in older white leghorn hens was examined, and a molt was induced through withholding feed to determine its effect on the progression of this infection. Molted and unmolted hens were orally infected with 5-10 x 10(6) S. enteritidis on day 4 of the feed removal. At 4, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr postinfection, liver, spleen, ileum, colon, cecum, and feces were removed from six hens per group and sampled for the presence of the challenge organism. By 24 hr postinfection, S. enteritidis was most prevalent in the cecum and feces of unmolted hens, and this prevalence continued throughout the experimental period. In molted hens, however, S. enteritidis could be detected in a high percentage (90-100%) of colon, cecum, and feces samples at 24 to 96 hr postinfection and in 67% or more of ileum samples at 48 to 96 hr postinfection, indicating a much wider distribution of the S. enteritidis along the intestinal tract than in unmolted hens. The numbers of S. enteritidis recovered from these alimentary samples were also significantly higher in molted than unmolted hens. S. enteritidis could not be detected in livers or spleens of either treatment group at 4 or 24 hr postinfection. At 48, 72, and 96 hr postinfection, 50% or more of the livers and spleens in both the molted and unmolted hens were positive for the challenge organism, but significantly more S. enteritidis was recovered from the organs of the molted hens at these three sampling times. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Early Detection of Pulmonary Vein Reconnection After Isolation in Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: A Comparison of ATP‐Induction and Reassessment at 30 Minutes Postisolation

Introduction: Catheter ablation for paroxysmal AF (PAF) is limited by an unacceptable recurrence rate, mainly due to pulmonary vein (PV) reconnection. Strategies to minimize reconnection include adenosine infusion and also a waiting period of 30 minutes after PV isolation. The aim of the present study was to assess whether these two strategies revealed the same conduction gap.
Quantitative Analysis of Adventitious Root Growth Phenotypes in Carnation Stem Cuttings

Carnation is one of the most important species on the worldwide market of cut flowers. Commercial carnation cultivars are vegetatively propagated from terminal stem cuttings that undergo a rooting and acclimation process. For some of the new cultivars that are being developed by ornamental breeders, poor adventitious root (AR) formation limits its commercial scaling-up, due to a significant increase in the production costs. We have initiated a genetical-genomics approach to determine the molecular basis of the differences found between carnation cultivars during adventitious rooting. The detailed characterization of AR formation in several carnation cultivars differing in their rooting losses has been performed (i) during commercial production at a breeders’ rooting station and (ii) on a defined media in a controlled environment. Our study reveals the phenotypic signatures that distinguishes the bad-rooting cultivars and provides the appropriate set-up for the molecular identification of the genes involved in AR development in this species.
Who benefits from public health spending in India

In this report author examine the distribution of public subsidies on health across different groups, classified by socioeconomic status, in India. An analysis of the distribution of these subsidies is relevant for at least three reasons. The first is the high priority the government places on equity in the provision of its services. The second stems from the observation that a number of studies in developing countries from around the world indicate that public subsidies on health are not necessarily targeted well to those most in need, the poor. Finally, there are no studies to date that have examined the distribution of public health subsidies in any kind of detail in India. The Indian government has traditionally assigned a high priority to promoting equity in health whether measured in outcomes, or access to subsidized inputs in health policy statements, as a recommendation of government policy committees such as the Bhore Committee of 1946, or in various Plan documents. The government's use of population based norms in setting up primary health facilities is one indicator of its efforts to ensure equitable access to ambulatory care for the Indian population. Moreover, its provision of subsidized health services is often viewed as a means of providing insurance to those unable to afford the high costs of hospitalizations, and health care in general. The various arms of the government of India and the states spend less than one percent of the nations Gross Domestic Product (GDP), or about 3 percent of all government spending, on health. Although not quite as large as the world average of 5.5 percent of GDP spent on health, it is still quite significant. Health being a legislative subject for the different states, 90 percent of India's health spending is routed through state governments, including state-level schemes funded by the federal government. The remainder is spent either directly by the federal government, or by the various local bodies in different states.
Physiology regulates the relationship between coccosphere geometry and growth phase in coccolithophores

Coccolithophores are an abundant phytoplankton group that exhibit remarkable diversity in their biology, ecology and calcitic exoskeletons (coccospheres). Their extensive fossil record is a testament to their important biogeochemical role and is a valuable archive of biotic responses to environmental change stretching back over 200 million years. However, to realise the full potential of this archive for (palaeo-)biology and biogeochemistry requires an understanding of the physiological processes that underpin coccosphere architecture. Using culturing experiments on four modern coccolithophore species (Calcidiscus leptoporus, Calcidiscus quadriperforatus, Helicosphaera carteri and Coccolithus braarudii) from three long-lived families, we investigate how coccosphere architecture responds to shifts from exponential (rapid cell division) to stationary (slowed cell division) growth phases as cell physiology reacts to nutrient depletion. These experiments reveal statistical differences in coccosphere size and the number of coccoliths per cell between these two growth phases, specifically that cells in exponential-phase growth are typically smaller with fewer coccoliths, whereas cells experiencing growth-limiting nutrient depletion have larger coccosphere sizes and greater numbers of coccoliths per cell. Although the exact numbers are species-specific, these growth-phase shifts in coccosphere geometry demonstrate that the core physiological responses of cells to nutrient depletion result in increased coccosphere sizes and coccoliths per cell across four different coccolithophore families (Calcidiscaceae, Coccolithaceae, Isochrysidaceae and Helicosphaeraceae), a representative diversity of this phytoplankton group. Building on this, the direct comparison of coccosphere geometries in modern and fossil coccolithophores enables a proxy for growth phase to be developed that can be used to investigate growth responses to environmental change throughout their long evolutionary history. Our data also show that changes in growth rate and coccoliths per cell associated with growth-phase shifts can substantially alter cellular calcite production. Coccosphere geometry is therefore a valuable tool for accessing growth information in the fossil record, providing unprecedented insights into the response of species to environmental change and the potential biogeochemical consequences.