Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systemic Risk in the Insurance Sector: A Review and Directions for Future Research

This article reviews the extant research on systemic risk in the insurance sector and outlines new areas of research in this field. We summarize and classify 48 theoretical and empirical research papers from both academia and practitioner organizations. The survey reveals that traditional insurance activity in the life, nonlife, and reinsurance sectors neither contributes to systemic risk nor increases insurers’ vulnerability to impairments of the financial system. However, nontraditional activities (e.g., credit default swap underwriting) might increase vulnerability, and life insurers might be more vulnerable than nonlife insurers due to higher leverage. Whether nontraditional activities also contribute to systemic risk is not entirely clear; however, the activities with the potential to contribute to systemic risk include underwriting financial derivatives and providing financial guarantees. This article is not only likely of interest to academics but also highly relevant for the industry, regulators, and policymakers.
Trends in Public Expenditure on Elementary Education in India

Trends over the last 25 years suggest that nearly 80% of the social sector spending has come from state budgets. Taken together with other policy developments in the country, the centre’s role in financing social welfare, including elementary education, is likely to decline further. Analysing broad trends in total and per student spending on elementary education across major states in two financial years, this comment indicates how the centre could best incentivise states to spend differently on elementary education.
Exploration of pioneering as a major element of ethical leadership in nursing: A qualitative study

Background Commitment to ethical behavior is considered as an essential part of occupational responsibilities of nursing, and leaders’ pioneering in ethical growth and development has led to the emergence of the concept of ethical leadership. Objective The purpose of this study was to explain the nursing leaders’ perception and experiences of pioneering in the field of ethical leadership. Methods In this qualitative study, data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. A total of 14 nursing leaders at different levels who were selected by purposeful sampling method participated in the study. Latent content analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Of 14 participants of the study, 8 were male and 6 were female aged 38 to 56 years old with a mean managerial experience of 12 years. In the analysis of interviews, 4 subcategories of “Role Modeling”, “Empowerment”, “Knowledge and Skill”, and “Recognition” were obtained which formed two main categories. These categories included “Leader as mentor” and “Professional insight”. Conclusion Pioneering leaders are an important part of ethical leadership, and nursing leaders should not only be moral people, but also go a step further and actively promote moral behavior with a role as a mentor and model as well as having professional insight. Nursing leaders with a better understanding of these aspects can develop their capacity of strong ethical leadership and consider the aspects in their activities.
Clinical impact of integrated functional neuronavigation and subcortical electrical stimulation to preserve motor function during resection of brain tumors.

OBJECT The authors evaluated the clinical impact of combining functional neuronavigation with subcortical electrical stimulation to preserve motor function following the removal of brain tumors. METHODS Forty patients underwent surgery for treatment of brain tumors located near pyramidal tracts that had been identified by fiber tracking. The distances between the electrically stimulated white matter and the pyramidal tracts were measured intraoperatively with tractography-integrated functional neuronavigation, and correlated with subcortical motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and clinical symptoms during and after resection of the tumors. Motor function was preserved after appropriate tumor resection in all cases. In 18 of 20 patients, MEPs were elicited from the subcortex within 1 cm of the pyramidal tracts as measured using intraoperative neuronavigation. During resection, improvement of motor weakness was observed in two patients, whereas transient mild motor weakness occurred in two other patients. In 20 patients, the distances between the stimulated subcortex and the estimated pyramidal tracts were more than I cm, and MEPs were detected in only three of these patients following stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative functional neuronavigation and subcortical electrical stimulation are complementary techniques that may facilitate the preservation of pyramidal tracts around 1 cm of resected tumors.
PENGELOLAAN WAKAF PONDOK PESANTREN AL-HIKMAH SIRAMPOG KABUPATEN BREBES

The purpose of this study is to reveal the waqf management practices in Al-Hikmah Islamic Boarding School and contribution to education and community empowerment, and uncover the factors supporting and managing endowments in the foundation. This research used qualitative research methods with case study management approach. The results of this study showed that Endowments foundation is managed in synergy with the management of education. Management practices applied this foundation is still traditional. Utilization endowments for community empowerment is realized through activities which can be grouped into four areas: Economics, Department of Structure, and Education and Religious Affairs.
Caste differences in Pseudopolybia compressa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae)

Studies of morphological caste syndromes in the tribe Epiponini help us to understand the evolution of social behavior in insects. Few studies have integrated morphological syndromes of various species from the same or distinct genera. We studied morphological differences between castes from three colonies of Pseudopolybia compressa de Saussure, 1854, in order to relate their caste syndrome with those of other species in the genus. We took eight morphometric measures and females were classified in relation to ovarian development and spermathecal contents. Females of Colony 1 (C1) present a higher distinction between castes than females of Colonies 2 and 3 (C2 and C3), and, in general, queens of the three colonies are larger than workers in some measures but smaller in others. In Pseudopolybia Dalla Torre, 1894, shape rather than size is a more important trait in caste divergence.
Addition of DHA Synergistically Enhances the Efficacy of Regorafenib for Kidney Cancer Therapy

Kidney cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the United States, and its incidence is increasing. The treatment of this malignancy took a major step forward with the recent introduction of targeted therapeutics, such as kinase inhibitors. Unfortunately, kinase inhibition is associated with the onset of resistance after 1 to 2 years of treatment. Regorafenib, like many multikinase inhibitors, was designed to block the activities of several key kinase pathways involved in oncogenesis (Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK) and tumor angiogenesis (VEGF-receptors), and we have recently shown that it also possesses soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activity, which may be contributing to its salutary effects in patients. Because sEH inhibition results in increases in the DHA-derived epoxydocosapentaenoic acids that we have previously described to possess anticancer properties, we asked whether the addition of DHA to a therapeutic regimen in the presence of regorafenib would enhance its beneficial effects in vivo. We now show that the combination of regorafenib and DHA results in a synergistic effect upon tumor invasiveness as well as p-VEGFR attenuation. In addition, this combination showed a reduction in tumor weights, greater than each agent alone, in a mouse xenograft model of human renal cell carcinoma (RCC), yielding the expected oxylipin profiles; these data were supported in several RCC cell lines that showed similar results in vitro. Because DHA is the predominant component of fish oil, our data suggest that this nontoxic dietary supplement could be administered with regorafenib during therapy for advanced RCC and could be the basis of a clinical trial. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(5); 890–8. ©2016 AACR.
Economic crisis and company R&D in Spain: do regional and policy factors matter?

ABSTRACT The economic crisis which began in 2008 has had a far-reaching impact, including effects on the innovation behaviour of firms. Many companies have reduced their innovation-related activities, although some firms have been more resilient than others. Using a representative microdata panel of Spanish firms, we study the probability of companies abandoning in-house R&D during the crisis and its relationship to regional and policy factors. We find significant regional heterogeneity related to regional economic size and the type of the regional innovation system; regional government R&D support only reduces R&D abandonment rates in regions where a strong system of knowledge exploitation is in place.
Differential magnetic field effects on heart rate and nociception in anosmic pigeons

Several studies have shown that exposure to altered magnetic fields affects nociception by suppressing stress‐induced hypoalgesia, and that this effect is reduced or abolished if the treatment is performed in the absence of light. This raises the question as to whether other sources of sensory stimuli may also modulate these magnetic effects. We investigated the possible role of olfaction in the magnetically induced effects on sensitivity to nociceptive stimuli and heart rate (HR) in restraint‐stressed homing pigeons exposed to an Earth‐strength, irregularly varying (<1 Hz) magnetic field. The magnetic treatment decreased the nociceptive threshold in normally smelling birds and an opposite effect was observed in birds made anosmic by nostril plugging. Conversely, no differential effect of olfactory deprivation was observed on HR, which was reduced by the magnetic treatment both in smelling and anosmic pigeons. The findings highlight an important role of olfactory environmental information in the mediation of magnetic effects on nociception, although the data cannot be interpreted unambiguously because of the lack of an additional control group of olfactory‐deprived, non‐magnetically exposed pigeons. The differential effects on a pigeon's sensitivity to nociceptive stimulus and HR additionally indicate that the magnetic stimuli affect nociception and the cardiovascular system in different ways. Bioelectromagnetics 33:309–319, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Differential responses of primary auditory cortex in autistic spectrum disorder with auditory hypersensitivity

The aim of this study was to investigate the differential responses of the primary auditory cortex to auditory stimuli in autistic spectrum disorder with or without auditory hypersensitivity. Auditory-evoked field values were obtained from 18 boys (nine with and nine without auditory hypersensitivity) with autistic spectrum disorder and 12 age-matched controls. Autistic disorder with hypersensitivity showed significantly more delayed M50/M100 peak latencies than autistic disorder without hypersensitivity or the control. M50 dipole moments in the hypersensitivity group were statistically larger than those in the other two groups. M50/M100 peak latencies were correlated with the severity of auditory hypersensitivity; furthermore, severe hypersensitivity induced more behavioral problems. This study indicates auditory hypersensitivity in autistic spectrum disorder as a characteristic response of the primary auditory cortex, possibly resulting from neurological immaturity or functional abnormalities in it.
Glutathione peroxidase tagSNPs: Associations with rectal cancer but not with colon cancer

Glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) are selenium‐dependent enzymes that reduce and, thus, detoxify hydrogen peroxide and a wide variety of lipid hydroperoxides. We investigated tagSNPs in GPX1‐4 in relation to colorectal neoplasia in three independent study populations capturing the range of colorectal carcinogenesis from adenoma to cancer. A linkage‐disequilibrium (LD)‐based tagSNP selection algorithm (r2 ≥ 0.90, MAF ≥ 4%) identified 21 tagSNPs. We used an identical Illumina platform to genotype GPX SNPs in three population‐based case–control studies of colon cancer (1,424 cases/1,780 controls), rectal cancer (583 cases/775 controls), and colorectal adenomas (485 cases/578 controls). For gene‐level associations, we conducted principal component analysis (PCA); multiple logistic regression was used for single SNPs. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and study center and restricted to non‐Hispanic white participants. Analyses of cancer endpoints were stratified by molecular subtypes. Without correction for multiple testing, one polymorphism in GPX2 and three polymorphisms in GPX3 were associated with a significant risk reduction for rectal cancer at α = 0.05, specifically for rectal cancers with TP53 mutations. The associations regarding the three polymorphisms in GPX3 remained statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. The PCA confirmed an overall association of GPX3 with rectal cancer (P = 0.03). No other statistically significant associations were observed. Our data provide preliminary evidence that genetic variability in GPX3 contributes to risk of rectal cancer but not of colon cancer and thus provide additional support for differences in underlying pathogenetic mechanisms for colon and rectal cancer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Helmholtz and the Psychophysiology of Time

Argument After having measured the velocity of the nervous impulse in the 1850s, Helmholtz began doing research on the temporal dimensions of visual perception. Experiments dealing with the velocity of propagation in nerves (as well as with aspects of perception) were carried out occasionally for some fifteen years until their final publication in 1871. Although the temporal dimension of perception seems to have interested Helmholtz less than problems of geometry and space, his experiments on the time of perception were technically rather subtle and seminal, especially compared with experiments performed by his contemporaries, such as Sigmund Exner, William James, Rudolf Hermann Lotze, Ernst Mach, Wilhelm Volkmann, and Wilhelm Wundt. Helmholtz’s conception of the temporal aspects of perception reflects the continuity that holds between psychophysiological research and the Kantian philosophical background.
Entrepreneurship in vocational education

Vocational entrepreneurship education is associated with specific techniques and teaching methods, including face-to-face student contact and knowledge alignment with labour market needs. The authors argue that entrepreneurship education provides particular benefits in different educational conditions and modes because it allows students to develop entrepreneurial behaviour for different vocations. This article presents the results of a study involving students enrolled on technical courses at a public institution in Brazil. The study investigates how vocational teaching and learning conditions, such as the entrepreneurial experience and profile of lecturers, affect students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of entrepreneurship education in a vocational teaching context.
Managerial Social Networks Versus Political Connections: Evidence from Firms’ Access to Informal Financing Resources

This study investigates how managerial social networks, through executive membership of an industry association, play a role in helping firms obtain trade credit, while political connections do not. We document that firms whose managers have such social networks receive more trade credit, especially in firms which either have a low bank loan ratio or have limited access to formal financing. The business environment, for example, high regional competition and product market competition, also strengthens the positive relationship between managers’ social networks and firms’ access to trade credit. We further provide evidence that managers’ social networks, especially those established by the founders have a positive effect on firm value and they play a more important role during the crisis period from 2008 to 2009. Our results are robust to a series of robustness and endogeneity tests. Overall, we argue that managerial social networks other than political connections help firms, especially those with limited access to formal financing, to overcome institutional discrimination and obtain informal financing resources, and thus create value to shareholders.
Comorbidities in patients with osteoarthritis: frequency and impact on pain and physical function.

INTRODUCTION As the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) increases with age, the coexistence of other chronic diseases is common. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the frequency of comorbidities in OA patients and to measure their impact on pain and physical function of those patients. METHODS Cross-sectional study in OA patients of a public rheumatology clinic. Pain was measured by use of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and physical function by use of the Lequesne's and SACRAH indices. A screening for depression was performed, as were the following measurements: anthropometric data; blood pressure; fasting glycemia; and lipid profile. RESULTS The study assessed 91 patients (mean age 59.3 years; 91.4% female). The metabolic syndrome frequency was 54.9%. Hypertension occurred in 75.8% of the patients, dyslipidemia in 52.6%, and obesity in 57.1%. The screening for depression was positive in 61.3% of patients. When comparing the metabolic syndrome components individually, patients with hypertension had higher SACRAH scores, with statistically significant differences (P = 0.035). For the other variables, no differences among the Lequesne's, SACRAH and VAS scores were observed. CONCLUSION This group of OA patients showed a high frequency of depression, metabolic syndrome and its components in isolation, which can impact the pain and physical function of those patients. Such results showed the need for investigating and treating those comorbidities in OA patients.
Pattern of semen fluid abnormalities in male partners of infertile couples in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION A decline in semen quality in men with increasing percentage of male factor abnormalities in infertile couples has been reported. The pattern of abnormalities differs from one part of the world to another, and it is probably multifactorial. Our objectives were to review the pattern of semen fluid abnormalities in Saudi male partners of infertile couples, to establish prevalence and help future identification of responsible etiologies and possible treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study of semen analysis results of male partners of infertile couples examined in a dedicated infertility clinic, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from January 2009 through December 2011. RESULTS A total of 1485 male semen analysis reports were reviewed. According to 1999 WHO reference values for normal semen analysis, 61 (4.1%) of patients had normal semen parameters while 149 (10%) had azoospermia. Half of the samples (783, 52.7%) had single factor abnormality; the majority (97%) being teratospermia. Oligo-teratospermia was evident in 133 (9%) of the samples constituting nearly half of those who had 2 factor abnormality. Oligo-astheno-teratospermia was encountered in 191 (12.9%) patients. Oligospermia was evident in 403 (27.2%) patients; 52% of them had sperm concentrations of more than 10 million/mL. Twelve patients had only low volume ejaculate. CONCLUSION A high percentage of semen fluid and sperm morphology abnormalities were found in males of infertile couples in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which may contribute to subfertility. Further studies are needed to address possible etiologies and treatment of oligospermia and teratospermia in our region in order to improve fertility rates.
A Technique using Reusable Components for Hand-Infesting Cornstalks with European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Larvae

ABSTRACT Field trials were conducted in 2005 and 2006 to evaluate the use of reusable wire nuts and nonreusable gelatin capsules for hand-infesting cornstalks with European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae. The reusable technique, which consists of a modified WingGard plastic wire connector (i.e., wire nut) as a containment device for larvae, was compared over three plant growth stages to a gelatin capsule technique. In 2005 and 2006, the wire nut technique resulted in significantly higher number of wire nuts still intact (i.e., undamaged, with or without a larva) on the stalk at 72 h after infestation compared with the gelatin capsule technique. In addition, the wire nut technique resulted in significantly higher number of tunnels per stalk compared with the gelatin capsule technique at all three corn growth stages during both years. In 2005, the mean ± SEM number of tunnels per stalk was 0.53 ± 0.03 in the wire nut technique compared with 0.13 ± 0.03 tunnels per stalk in the gelatin capsule technique. In 2006, the mean number of tunnels per stalk was 0.45 ± 0.03 in the wire nut technique compared with 0.08 ± 0.02 tunnels per stalk in the gelatin capsule technique. In addition, the relative net precision in the wire-nut technique was ≈2 times higher compared with the gelatin capsule technique.
Quality of care for diabetes patients using National Health Insurance claims data in Japan.

BACKGROUND Assessment of the quality of care is a key element in current diabetes care. However, the quality of care for diabetes patients in Japan has rarely been reported. OBJECTIVES To assess the quality of diabetes care in two communities in Japan by using National Health Insurance claims data. METHODS We analysed claim data of 13,650 beneficiaries of National Health Insurance in two communities in Japan from May 2006 to April 2007. Diabetes cases were identified by using a case detection algorism. Our main outcome measures were three process quality indicators: (1) haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing; (2) annual eye examination; and (3) annual nephropathy screening, recommended in the existing clinical guidelines. We calculated the performance rate of each quality indicator and examined the effects of demographic characteristics and co-morbid conditions. RESULTS We identified 636 diabetes cases. Of these, 97.0% had at least one HbA1c test, and 69.8% had ≥ 4 tests during the study period. The odds ratios (ORs) for ≥ 4 HbA1c tests were lower in subgroups aged 75-79 (OR 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.96), and aged ≥ 80 (OR 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.32-0.88) compared with the subgroup aged <70 after adjusting for other patient characteristics. The annual rate for eye examinations and nephropathy screenings were 20.8% and 5.8% respectively. CONCLUSIONS We found high performance rates for HbA1c testing, while the annual rates for eye examinations and nephropathy screenings were suboptimal. Using administrative data would facilitate more comprehensive assessment of the quality of care in Japan.