Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Factors that Influence Customers’ Attitude toward Electronic Banking in Nigeria

Abstract The study examined factors that influence customers’ attitude toward electronic banking in Nigeria. It sought to determine whether customers’ knowledge of the Internet influences their adoption of electronic banking in Nigeria; whether customers’ perceived ease of use of the Internet (the ease with which online transaction is effected) influences their adoption of electronic banking in Nigeria; whether customers’ perceived riskiness of the Internet influences their adoption of electronic banking in Nigeria; and whether the nature of transactions influences customers’ adoption of electronic banking in Nigeria. The survey research design was adopted and the population of the study consisted of customers of Zenith bank. Research data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included frequency tables, while the inferential statistics were the one-sample t test and F test. The research findings showed that customers’ knowledge of the Internet, customers’ perceived ease of use of the Internet; customers’ perceived riskiness of the Internet, and nature of transaction all influence their adoption of electronic banking in Nigeria.
Intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma and solitary hypovascular liver metastases: is the differential diagnosis using diffusion-weighted MRI possible?

Background Intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocellular carcinoma (IMC) is the second most common primary liver tumor. The differentiation between IMC and solitary hypovascular liver metastases (SHLM) represents a diagnostic challenge due to many overlapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Purpose To determine the value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in addition to conventional MRI for the distinction between intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma and solitary hypovascular liver metastases. Material and Methods Fifty-three patients with pathologically proven IMC (n = 31) and SHLM (n = 22) who had undergone MRI and DWI before surgery or percutaneous biopsy were enrolled in this study. The following MRI features were analyzed: the size and shape of the lesion, presence of capsular retraction and segmental biliary dilatation, T2-weighted (T2W) signal intensity, the presence of target sign on DWI and enhancement pattern. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were calculated for each lesion (b = 800 s/mm2). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify significant differentiating features between IMCs and SHLMs. Results Univariate analysis revealed that following parameters favor diagnosis of IMCs over SHLMs: lobulating shape, heterogeneous T2W signal intensity, capsular retraction, segmental biliary dilatation, target sign on DWI and rim-like enhancement on arterial phase followed by progressive enhancement in delayed phases. ADC values measured in the periphery of the lesion were significantly lower in IMCs in comparison to SHLMs. Multivariate analysis revealed that target sign on DWI was the most significant predictor of IMCs. Conclusion Qualitative DWI analysis with target sign significantly improves diagnostic accuracy for differentiation among IMC and SHLM lesions.
The influence of learning effect on frequency doubling technology perimetry (Matrix).

PURPOSE To determine learning effect in healthy patients without perimetric experience, tested with the frequency doubling technology perimetry, with the new model Matrix. PATIENTS AND METHODS Frequency doubling technology in the 30-2 threshold mode was performed on 37 healthy subjects. Each subject was tested twice in different sessions. The test always began with the right eye (RE) and continued with the left eye (LE). To evaluate learning effect the results of the REs at the first session were compared with those of the LE. The following parameters were evaluated: foveal threshold (FT), reliability indexes, mean defect (MD), pattern standard deviation (PSD), glaucoma hemifield test (GHT), duration of examination. RESULTS At the first session the average values of RE were FT=30.81 db, MD=-1 db, PSD=3.01 db, and duration of the examination=383.27 "and of LE were FT=30.73, MD=-0.79 db, PSD=2.97 db, and duration of examination 382.62. " At the second session the average values of RE were FT=32.22 db, MD=+0.16 db, PSD 2.75 db, and duration of examination=374.97 db. The reliability was different and the GHT between the RE and LE in the first and second session was also different. CONCLUSIONS A learning effect was observed between the first and the second sessions and the results of the GHT appeared improved. This above all should be taken into account when considering the clinical use of this test to avoid erroneous diagnostic conclusions.
Community Participation as a mediating factor on residents’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism development and their personal environmentally responsible behaviour

This pioneering study explores the powerful mediating effect of community participation on both residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development and their personal environmentally responsible behaviour. It establishes residents’ attitudes when the concept of sustainable tourism development is introduced, measures its influence on their participation in public affairs, and the importance of their own environmentally responsible behaviour. It explores the complex relationships between attitude, community participation, and environmentally responsible behaviour involved, using a survey of 362 residents from 5 eco-tourism communities in Taiwan. Results show that residents’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism development positively and significantly affect both community participation and environmentally responsible behaviour. The degree of residents’ community participation also positively affects environmentally responsible behaviour. Residents’ attitudes toward sustainable tourism development also directly affected environmentally responsible behaviour as well as indirectly affect behaviour via the mediator, “community participation”. Five mechanisms are suggested to encourage these changes: (1) Institutions develop community sustainable tourism civic education, (2) cohesion and insight for consciousness events to promote sustainable tourism development attitudes, (3) lively public hearings should be encouraged to turn passive into active participation, (4) mechanisms for reporting environmental damage should be created, and (5) community environmental clean-up days should be held.
Detection and identification of Treponema hyodysenteriae by using oligodeoxynucleotide probes complementary to 16S rRNA

Oligodeoxynucleotide probes (17 and 28 bases long) complementary to a unique region of Treponema hyodysenteriae 16S rRNA were developed. These probes bound specifically to partially purified rRNA and whole-cell rRNA of T. hyodysenteriae. No binding to partially purified rRNA or whole-cell rRNA of Treponema innocens, Treponema succinifaciens, Treponema bryantii, or Escherichia coli occurred under stringent conditions. The 28-base probe was 5 to 10 times more sensitive than the 17-base probe when hybridized with T. hyodysenteriae rRNA. The 28-base probe detected T. hyodysenteriae in the feces of experimentally inoculated pigs exhibiting clinical signs of swine dysentery.
Wall-to-lumen ratio of retinal arterioles and arteriole-to-venule ratio of retinal vessels in patients with cerebrovascular damage.

PURPOSE There is evidence that generalized retinal arteriolar narrowing, which can be measured by the arteriole-to-venule ratio (AVR) of retinal vessels, predicts cerebrovascular events. The wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) and wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) of retinal arterioles reflect structural arteriolar parameters. The primary objective was to test the association between WLR and AVR in a distinct cohort of patients with cerebrovascular damage. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 23 patients (57.5 +/- 9.4 years) with acute transitory ischemic attack or lacunar cerebral infarct were compared with two age-matched control groups: 83 subjects with essential hypertension (53.7 +/- 5.5 years) and 16 normotensive subjects (52.2 +/- 8.3 years). Retinal arteriolar parameters (WLR, WTH, and WCSA) were assessed in vivo with scanning laser Doppler flowmetry (SLDF). AVR and a qualitative evaluation of retinal vessels were obtained from digital retinal color photographs. The intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery was measured. RESULTS WLR (0.44 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.34 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.30 +/- 0.1, P < 0.001) and carotid IMT (P < 0.05) were significantly greater in the cerebrovascular event group compared with normotensive subjects. WLR and WCSA were significantly higher in the cerebrovascular event group compared with subjects with mild arterial hypertension. AVR was similar in all three study groups (0.75 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.74 +/- 0.07 vs. 0.78 +/- 0.1, P = 0.18). CONCLUSIONS The increase in WLR and WCSA of retinal arterioles, as well as in IMT in patients with cerebrovascular damage suggests vascular hypertrophy in the microvascular and macrovascular bed. The lack of association between AVR of retinal vessels and WLR of retinal arterioles may point to different stages of cerebrovascular disease and/or different pathophysiological changes in the arteriolar wall.
Novel Nano-composite Multilayered Biomaterial for Osteochondral Regeneration

Background: In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in and awareness of the importance of subchondral bone, for its role in the pathogenesis of articular surface damage and for the care that should be taken when treating such damage. Purpose: The objective of this pilot clinical study was to test the safety and performance of a newly developed type I collagen-hydroxyapatite nanostructured biomimetic osteochondral scaffold that aims to regenerate cartilage and subchondral bone. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A multilayer gradient nano-composite scaffold was obtained by nucleating collagen type I fibrils with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles. Thirty patients (9 female, 21 male; mean age, 29.3 years) with knee chondral or osteochondral lesions were treated with scaffold implantation. Lesion size varied from 1.5 cm2 to 6.0 cm2. Twenty-eight patients were followed for 2 years and were clinically evaluated using the International Knee Documentation Committee and Tegner scores. At final follow-up, magnetic resonance imaging evaluation was performed in 24 patients, and they were evaluated with the MOCART (Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue) score. Results: The Tegner and International Knee Documentation Committee objective and subjective scores improved significantly from the baseline evaluation to the 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups. Further analysis showed a slower recovery but the same results for patients who presented with adverse events, for older patients, for patients who underwent previous surgery, and for those with patellar lesions. In contrast, a faster recovery was observed in active patients. At magnetic resonance imaging evaluation, complete filling of the cartilage and complete integration of the graft was shown in 70% of the lesions. However, the subchondral lamina and bone were considered intact in a minority of cases (7% and 47%, respectively). Conclusion: This open 1-step procedure was used for the treatment of chondral and osteochondral knee defects. The present pilot study highlighted the safety and potential clinical benefit of the graded biomimetic osteochondral scaffold in promoting bone and cartilage tissue restoration by itself and with good clinical and magnetic resonance imaging results at the 2-year follow-up.
A national study of the impact of outpatient mental health services for children in long-term foster care

Despite the tremendous mental health need evidenced by children in foster care and high rates of use of mental health services among children in foster care, little is known about the impact of outpatient mental health services on the behavioral health of this population. This study utilizes data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), the first nationally representative study of child welfare in the United States. A subsample of 439 children who have experienced long-term foster care were included in this study. These data were used to estimate the impact of outpatient mental health services on the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems of children in long-term foster care. A propensity score matching model was employed to produce a robust estimate of the treatment effect. Results indicate that children who have experienced long-term foster care do not benefit from the receipt of outpatient mental health services. Study results are discussed in the context of earlier research on the quality of mental health services for children in foster care.
TREM2 Promotes Microglial Survival by Activating Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), which is expressed on myeloid cells including microglia in the CNS, has recently been identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). TREM2 transmits intracellular signals through its transmembrane binding partner DNAX-activating protein 12 (DAP12). Homozygous mutations inactivating TREM2 or DAP12 lead to Nasu–Hakola disease; however, how AD risk-conferring variants increase AD risk is not clear. To elucidate the signaling pathways underlying reduced TREM2 expression or loss of function in microglia, we respectively knocked down and knocked out the expression of TREM2 in in vitro and in vivo models. We found that TREM2 deficiency reduced the viability and proliferation of primary microglia, reduced microgliosis in Trem2−/− mouse brains, induced cell cycle arrest at the G1/S checkpoint, and decreased the stability of β-catenin, a key component of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway responsible for maintaining many biological processes, including cell survival. TREM2 stabilized β-catenin by inhibiting its degradation via the Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway. More importantly, treatment with Wnt3a, LiCl, or TDZD-8, which activates the β-catenin-mediated Wnt signaling pathway, rescued microglia survival and microgliosis in Trem2−/− microglia and/or in Trem2−/− mouse brain. Together, our studies demonstrate a critical role of TREM2-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway in microglial viability and suggest that modulating this pathway therapeutically may help to combat the impaired microglial survival and microgliosis associated with AD. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations in the TREM2 (Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2) gene are associated with increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) with effective sizes comparable to that of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele, making it imperative to understand the molecular pathway(s) underlying TREM2 function in microglia. Our findings shed new light on the relationship between TREM2/DNAX-activating protein 12 (DAP12) signaling and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and provide clues as to how reduced TREM2 function might impair microglial survival in AD pathogenesis. We demonstrate that TREM2 promotes microglial survival by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and that it is possible to restore Wnt/β-catenin signaling when TREM2 activity is disrupted or reduced. Therefore, we demonstrate the potential for manipulating the TREM2/β-catenin signaling pathway for the treatment of AD.
Ethinylestradiol stimulates a biliary cholesterol‐phospholipid cosecretion mechanism in the hamster

The mechanism of ethinylestradiol‐induced biliary secretion of excess cholesterol, a potential causative factor of cholesterol gallstones, is not yet known. It might be related to altered bile acid metabolism, since the rate of cholesterol and phospholipid secreted into bile is thought to be influenced by the hydrophobicity of the bile acid species secreted. We therefore studied the effect of ethinylestradiol on bile acid metabolism and on secretory relationships between taurocholate and cholesterol/phospholipids in bile. Litter‐matched Syrian female hamsters (80 to 100 gm body weight) were injected subcutaneously with either 0.2 ml per day corn oil (controls) or a pharmacologic dose of 5 mg per kg per day ethinylestradiol in corn oil (EE‐hamsters; n = 6) for 5 days. On Day 6, bile was collected for 60 min (basal secretory rate) via a bile duct fistula after exclusion of the gallbladder. Then, a graded infusion of taurocholate was given for 110 to 130 min. Secretory rates (nmoles. min−1.−1 liver) for bile acids, cholesterol and phospholipids were determined and their mutual “linkage coefficients” (nmoles of secretory increment per 1 nmole of bile acid secreted) calculated by linear regression analysis. EE‐hamsters had higher (p < 0.02) basal secretory rates of cholesterol (0.71 ± 0.21 vs. 0.45 ± 0.10) and phospholipids (5.74 ± 1.04 vs. 4.21 ± 0.73) than controls at comparable bile flow and bile salt secretion rates. Cholic acid pool size and the fractional composition of bile acid species in bile were similar. During graded taurocholate infusion, biliary secretion rates of bile acids were comparable (correlation coefficient = 0.90; p < 0.02) in matched pairs.
Differences in consumer loyalty and willingness to pay for service attributes across digital channels: the case of Japanese digital content market

In this paper, we explored differences in consumer behavior between the mobile and PC internet. Specifically, we estimated mixed logit demand functions for mobile and PC subscribers in the Japanese digital content market and measured consumers' willingness to pay for attributes related to service quality. We found that the willingness to pay for more robust and more frequently updated content was on average higher in the mobile segment than in the PC segment. In addition, the overall switching costs mobile subscribers attributed to content providers were far higher than PC subscribers for the same content. Our results suggest that significant and measurable differences exist in the effectiveness and impact of similar content across different interactive media channels.
A Look Inside the Box: Combining Aggregate and Marginal Distributions to Identify Joint Distributions

This paper proposes a method for estimating the joint distribution of two or more variables when only their marginal distributions and the distribution of their aggregates are observed. Nonparametric identification is achieved by modelling dependence using a latent common-factor structure. Multiple examples are given of data settings where multivariate samples from the joint distribution of interest are not readily available, but some aggregate measures are observed. In the application, intra-household distributions are recovered by combining individual-level and household-level survey data. I show that, for individuals living in couple relationships, personal cash-management practices are significantly influenced by the partner's use of cash and stored-value cards. This finding implies that, for some methods of payment at least, ignoring the partner's impact might lead to spurious regression results due to an omitted variable bias.
MicroRNA-34a Suppresses Autophagy in Tubular Epithelial Cells in Acute Kidney Injury

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is traditionally described as a condition leading to rapid damage to kidney function, eventually becoming a significant healthcare concern with a high mortality rate. Autophagy deficiency in the tubular epithelial cells is the main cause of AKI; however, the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be defined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are related to autophagy in many diseases. This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between miRNA expression and autophagic activity in the pathogenesis of AKI. Methods: A mouse model of AKI was produced by ischemia reperfusion (I/R). The expressions of microRNA-34a (miR-34a) and the autophagy-related protein LC3 II/I and p62 were determined in renal tissues and the tubular epithelial cells (RTECs). Moreover, the autophagic activity was investigated after miR-34a overexpression and inhibition. Additionally, the effect of miR-34a on its target gene in regulating autophagic activity in RTECs was also investigated. Results: I/R suppressed the autophagic activity and increased the expression of miR-34a in renal tissues. The in vitro data showed that the upregulation of miR-34a suppressed, whereas the inhibition of miR-34a promoted, autophagy in RTECs. Moreover, miR-34a could directly bind to Atg4B 3′-untranslated region. In addition, the knockdown of Atg4B expression inhibited the autophagic activity in RTECs. Conclusion: This study indicated that miR-34a might regulate the autophagic activity and can cause injury in I/R RTECs via targeting Atg4B.
Small RNA-dependent Expression of Secondary Metabolism Is Controlled by Krebs Cycle Function in Pseudomonas fluorescens*

Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0, an antagonist of phytopathogenic fungi in the rhizosphere of crop plants, elaborates and excretes several secondary metabolites with antibiotic properties. Their synthesis depends on three small RNAs (RsmX, RsmY, and RsmZ), whose expression is positively controlled by the GacS-GacA two-component system at high cell population densities. To find regulatory links between primary and secondary metabolism in P. fluorescens and in the related species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, we searched for null mutations that affected central carbon metabolism as well as the expression of rsmY-gfp and rsmZ-gfp reporter constructs but without slowing down the growth rate in rich media. Mutation in the pycAB genes (for pyruvate carboxylase) led to down-regulation of rsmXYZ and secondary metabolism, whereas mutation in fumA (for a fumarase isoenzyme) resulted in up-regulation of the three small RNAs and secondary metabolism in the absence of detectable nutrient limitation. These effects required the GacS sensor kinase but not the accessory sensors RetS and LadS. An analysis of intracellular metabolites in P. fluorescens revealed a strong positive correlation between small RNA expression and the pools of 2-oxoglutarate, succinate, and fumarate. We conclude that Krebs cycle intermediates (already known to control GacA-dependent virulence factors in P. aeruginosa) exert a critical trigger function in secondary metabolism via the expression of GacA-dependent small RNAs.
Identification and Extrapolation of Causal Effects with Instrumental Variables

Instrumental variables (IV) are widely used in economics to address selection on unobservables. Standard IV methods produce estimates of causal effects that are specific to individuals whose behavior can be manipulated by the instrument at hand. In many cases, these individuals are not the same as those who would be induced to treatment by an intervention or policy of interest to the researcher. The average causal effect for the two groups can differ significantly if the effect of the treatment varies systematically with unobserved factors that are correlated with treatment choice. We review the implications of this type of unobserved heterogeneity for the interpretation of standard IV methods and for their relevance to policy evaluation. We argue that making inferences about policy-relevant parameters typically requires extrapolating from the individuals affected by the instrument to the individuals who would be induced to treatment by the policy under consideration. We discuss a variety of alternatives to standard IV methods that can be used to rigorously perform this extrapolation. We show that many of these approaches can be nested as special cases of a general framework that embraces the possibility of partial identification.