Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Whole-body computed tomographic scanning leads to better survival as opposed to selective scanning in trauma patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Traumatic injury in the United States is the Number 1 cause of mortality for patients 1 year to 44 years of age. Studies suggest that early identification of major injury leads to better outcomes for patients. Imaging, such as computed tomography (CT), is routinely used to help determine the presence of major underlying injuries. We review the literature to determine whether whole-body CT (WBCT), a protocol including a noncontrast scan of the brain and neck and a contrast-enhanced scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, detects more clinically significant injuries as opposed to selective scanning as determined by mortality rates. METHODS Scientific publications from 1980 to 2013 involving the study of the difference between pan scan and selective scan after trauma were identified. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses was used. Publications were categorized by level of evidence. Injury Severity Score (ISS) and pooled odds for mortality rate of patients who received WBCT scan versus those who received selective scans were compared. RESULTS Of the 465 publications identified, 7 were included, composing of 25,782 trauma patients who received CT scan following trauma. Of the patients, 52% (n = 13,477) received pan scan and 48% (n = 12,305) received selective scanning. Overall ISS was significantly higher for patients receiving WBCT versus those receiving selective scan (29.7 vs. 26.4, p < 0.001, respectively). Overall mortality rate was significantly lower for WBCT versus selective scanning (16.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 16.3–17.6 vs. 20.3; 95% CI, 19.6–21.1, p < 0.0002, respectively). Pooled odds ratio for mortality rate was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.7–0.79), favoring WBCT. CONCLUSION Despite the WBCT group having significantly higher ISS at baseline compared with the group who received selective scanning, the WBCT group had a lower overall mortality rate and a more favorable pooled odds ratio for trauma patients. This suggests that in terms of overall mortality, WBCT scan is preferable to selective scanning in trauma patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Systematic review and meta-analysis, level III.
The Adult Attachment Interview: Rating and classification problems posed by non-normative samples

Non-normative samples can pose major procedural and coding challenges to interviewers and raters of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). With reference to interview transcripts drawn from a population of personality disordered offenders detained in a high-security hospital, specific difficulties are identified and discussed. These difficulties have their roots in three separate but overlapping areas: extreme attachment-related experience; interviewees' psychological or psychiatric state; and factors relating to the context in which the interview is conducted. They raise questions about whether and when the use of the interview should be restricted, the rating rules elaborated and/or the rating system expanded. Suggestions are made as to how some of the difficulties might be addressed.
The mediating role of hedonic motivation on the relationship between adoption of e-banking and its determinants

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the combined roles that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use, perceived security and hedonic motivation play on the adoption of e-banking. It also aims to determine the ability of hedonic motivation to transfer the effect of other determinants of e-banking adoption. Design/methodology/approach In order to empirically test the conceptual model of this study, data were collected from the users of e-banking in Nigeria. A total of 266 questionnaires were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings The empirical results revealed a significant and positive relationship between PU, perceived security and e-banking adoption. The same result was found to be applicable to the relationship between PU, perceived ease of use, perceived security and hedonic motivation. However, support was not found for the relationship between perceived ease of use and adoption of e-banking. Hedonic motivation plays a mediating role between PU, perceived security and e-banking adoption. The study did not find a mediating effect of hedonic motivation between perceived ease of use and e-banking adoption. Practical implications The results of this study provide insights for banking practitioners to know which aspect of e-banking to improve and to aid with policies that will increase adoption. Furthermore, improvements in hedonic motivation will also significantly increase adoption of e-banking. Originality/value This study is one of the pioneer studies that tests the mediating influence of hedonic motivation.
Relationship of insulin resistance in chronic haemodialysis patients with inflammatory indicators, malnutrition, echocardiographic parameters and 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Abstract Objective. The relationship between malnutrition, echocardiographic parameters, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) parameters and decreased insulin sensitivity index (ISI-S) in chronic haemodialysis patients was investigated. Material and methods. ISI-S and inflammatory indicators were measured. The nutritional state was assessed by malnutrition score. Echocardiography and 24 h ABP were performed 1 day before the second haemodialysis session of the week. Results. ISI-S was inversely correlated with the night-time mean blood pressure (BP)/day-time mean BP ratio (p = 0.021) and malnutrition score (p < 0.01). High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, night-time mean BP/day-time mean BP and vena cava collapse index were independent risk factors affecting ISI-S (p < 0.001; β = 0.412, p = 0.025; β = –0.204, p < 0.001; β = –0.465). Conclusions. The decrease in ISI-S along with the hypervolaemia suggests that volume overload is a contributory factor in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in patients with chronic renal failure. This study indicates that, in addition to the traditional cardiovascular risk factors in these patients, insulin resistance can be regarded as a risk factor, but not an independent one, mainly a reflection of the underlying culprit, hypervolaemia.
Decision Tree and Naïve Bayes Algorithm for Classification and Generation of Actionable Knowledge for Direct Marketing

Many companies like credit card, insurance, bank, retail industry require direct marketing. Data mining can help those institutes to set marketing goal. Data mining techniques have good prospects in their target audiences and improve the likelihood of response. In this work we have investigated two data mining techniques: the Naive Bayes and the C4.5 decision tree algorithms. The goal of this work is to predict whether a client will subscribe a term deposit. We also made comparative study of performance of those two algorithms. Publicly available UCI data is used to train and test the performance of the algorithms. Besides, we extract actionable knowledge from decision tree that focuses to take interesting and important decision in business area.
Understanding asymmetries in ict acceptance at individual use in Poland : the UTAUT2 theory combined with attitude, privacy risk, perceived security

Understanding of the main determinants associated to Internet and Communication Technology acceptance have received attention from international bodies and researchers (Dewan & 2014; Featherman Pavlou, Im, & 2011; Chi Lee, 2009; Niehaves Plattfaut, Shareef, Kumar, Kumar & Dwivedi, 2011; 2010; Venkatesh & 2008; Venkatesh, & 2012a). The reason behind the growing interest in this issue refers to the implications of digital inequalities in social development. Technology access, income, and education seem to be main of many factors that contribute the level of digital inequality. However, providing access or increasing income will still fail to resolve the problem with low level of technology use. There is no guarantee that if more availability is given to the digitally excluded individuals, that they would increase their ICT usage. The individuals’ rational about ICT acceptance or rejection is proportional to the potential risks and opportunities an individual faces at the adoption stage. Currently, understanding the role of users´ perceived risks in relation to attitude, privacy concerns and perceived security while the ICT adoption in Poland is limited. Hence, this work aims to explain the ICT usage behaviour in the specific context of Poland. To test the developed conceptual model, this study uses the data collected in one of Polish medium size cities, the capital city of region Podlasie. The role of attitude, security and privacy issues have as a would ‐ be predictors of ICT acceptance, is analysed via survey directed to a representative sample of individuals. Based on the theories and previous literature, this study proposes a theoretical model of UTAUT2 theory in conjunction with attitude, privacy, and security model to be used in understanding the ICT adoption process. Theoretical and practical contributions are also outlined. Parties who should be mostly interested in the results of this study are those who provide online services to wide audience and benefit when the audience uses or absorbs the information or services provided online. Therefore, the theoretical and managerial implications of presented results should be in equal interest of: individuals and organisations active online.
CEO Turnover and Volatility under Long-Term Employment Contracts

We study the role of the contractual time horizon of chief executive officers (CEOs) for CEO turnover and corporate policies. Using hand-collected data on 3,954 fixed-term CEO contracts, we show that remaining time under contract predicts CEO turnover. When contracts are close to expiration, turnover is more likely and is more sensitive to performance. We also show a positive within-CEO relation between remaining time under contract and firm risk. Our results are similar across short and long contracts and are driven neither by firm or CEO survival, nor technological cycles. They are consistent with incentives to take long-term projects with interim volatility.
An Analysis Of Structural Social Capital And The Individual’s Intention To Share Tacit Knowledge Using Reasoned Action Theory

The sharing of tacit knowledge is important and its relationship with the development of social capital in a University of Technology is critical in the construction of a model to support and promote appropriate tacit knowledge sharing behavior. The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between structural social capital and reasoned action theory and the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge. Structural social capital incorporates strong network ties and a high level of network resources. Specifically, the study examined the relationship strong network ties and a high level of network resources and the individual’s attitude towards sharing tacit knowledge. It further examined the relationship between the individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing, their perceived norms about tacit knowledge sharing and their intention to share tacit knowledge. The research design was a case study incorporating quantitative research (five hundred and ninety questionnaires). A model of the individual’s intention to share tacit knowledge was developed and evaluated using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that structural social capital positively affects an individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing and that the individual’s attitude towards tacit knowledge sharing positively affects their intention to share tacit knowledge.
Factors explaining local privatization: a meta-regression analysis

This paper aims at explaining the differences in the results of empirical studies of motivations for local privatization by undertaking a meta-regression. Our results suggest that fiscal constraints and interest groups were especially relevant in the early studies of the US, which considered several services. Further, studies that focus on one service capture the influence of scale economies more accurately. Finally, our results show that small towns are more affected by fiscal and political factors, while ideology plays a major role for European and large cities. Thus, no clear conclusions emerge from this literature because the findings of each study are sensitive to its characteristics.
DETERMINANTS OF FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF LISTED MEGA BANKS IN NIGERIA

BEING A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS OF SCIENCE DEGREE (MSc) IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING, FACULTY OF ADMINISTRATION, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA-NIGERIA
Making more of it! Medical Students’ motives for voluntarily keeping an extended portfolio

Background: Although medical students’ use of portfolios has been studied from many angles, little is known about their motivations. Aim: This article explores medical students’ motives for voluntarily compiling a learning portfolio that widely exceeded the assignments. Methods: Content analysis was performed on 22 (8%; n = 22/269) extensive portfolios, followed by a semi-structured interview with 11 medical students. Building on the theoretical work of Simons et al. (), interpretative analysis was used to reconstruct and understand the medical students’ motives for the effort they put into the portfolios. Results: Compiling an elaborate portfolio is mainly instigated by a personal instrumentality (internally regulated instrumental motivation). These medical students reflected on what they considered important and useful. The portfolio was a tool to achieve self-set goals, yet the specific goals turned out to be very different among the students, reflecting their particular needs and experiences during clerkship. Conclusion: Motivation theory shows that students who are internally regulated use more deep-level learning strategies and perform better. Internally regulated motivation mainly occurs when students use the portfolio to achieve their self-set goals. The formal portfolio assignments, enforced by the medical school, were more related with externally regulated motivation.
Board Gender Composition, Dividend Policy and Cost of Debt: The Implications of CEO Duality

This study examines whether CEO duality affects the association between board gender composition, dividend policy and cost of debt among S&P 500 firms. Our results show that board gender composition positively impacts both a firm’s propensity to pay dividends and the level of payouts. However, this positive association is only present in firms without CEO duality. We find no significant association between board gender composition and cost of debt, but when we split the sample into firms with and without CEO duality, we find a positive association for the former and a negative association for the latter. Overall, these results suggest that CEO duality could undermine the role of board gender composition in influencing dividend policy and cost of debt.
Purine nucleotides and their metabolites in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus

We measured the erythrocyte levels of principal nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP, GTP, GDP, GMP, IMP), nucleosides (Ado, Guo, Ino) and Hyp with HPLC. Purine concentrations were determined in the erythrocytes of 36 type 1 and 40 type 2 diabetic patients. The increased dephosphorylation of adenine and guanine nucleotides, indicated by increased Ado, Ino, Guo and Hyp concentrations as the products of purine nucleotide degradation, suggests serious energy metabolism disruptions in diabetes. An increase in AMP, GMP, IMP concentrations, as well as a decrease in AEC and GEC values, points to significant alterations in erythrocyte purine nucleotide concentration.
The impact of recent economic crisis on non-banking financial institutions in the Czech Republic - responsible lending and borrowing

The volume of new business in non-banking institutions is decreasing. Amount of consumer-credits in default is rising and has nearly doubled in comparison with previous year. Pressure from to solve the problems of over-indebtedness of consumer-credit clients is raising. The solution might be a policy of responsible lending and borrowing in general, improving overall financial awareness of clients but also more protection of consumer from frivolous non-banking companies.
Deconstructing Proficiency in Motivational Interviewing: Mechanics of Skilful Practitioner Delivery During Brief Simulated Encounters

Background: Proficient delivery of motivational interviewing (MI) is often determined by global rating of relational elements or cumulative tallies of technical elements. Yet limited empirical evidence exists to clarify how relational and technical elements are associated, or if rates of skill indices and their constituent technical elements vary within a clinical encounter. Aims: This study sought to document temporal variance in rates of MI skill indices and their constituent technical elements during brief clinical encounters with a standardized patient wherein delivery was “MI-proficient”, and to distinguish those temporal patterns from those observed in encounters with “MI-inconsistent” delivery. Method: Data were accessed from a large MI training trial wherein relational and technical elements of MI delivery were scored for 503 recordings of a simulated 20-minute clinical encounter. Notably, independent raters tallied technical elements in 5-minute segments, allowing evaluation of potential variance among the encounter's quartile intervals. Global ratings of MI spirit identified subsets of recordings with MI-proficient (n = 49) and MI-inconsistent (n = 43) delivery for stratified analyses. Results: Analyses contrast temporal trajectories of technical aspects of MI-proficient and MI-inconsistent delivery, with the former characterized by: 1) elicitation and reflective listening as primary opening strategies; 2) increased depth of reflective listening as a predominant strategy in subsequent, focused therapeutic discussion; and 3) increased use of elicitation and information provision in change planning as the encounter approached conclusion. Conclusions: Findings are generally consistent with seminal descriptions of MI (Miller and Rollnick, 1991, 2002), and document temporal aspects of skilful MI delivery in brief encounters.
Buying Factors of Life Insurance Policies in Bangladesh

This paper attempts to identify the factors responsible for buying life insurance policies by the people of Bangladesh. The purpose of the paper could be attributed by the very low per capita life insurance policy, which is lower in compared to other developing countries of the world. To conduct the study, 300 persons were surveyed from the insurance policyholders, insurance officials, insurance agents, and insurance experts. The policyholders were selected from government and non-government life insurance companies. Among them, the only government life insurance company named Jibon Bima Corporation and three leading private life insurance companies including Delta Life, National Life, and American Life Insurance Companies were included in the survey. These 4 life companies occupy about 80% of the total life insurance market. To analyze data, both descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used. This study identified buying factors using Multivariate Analytical Technique such as, Factor Analysis. The results show that there are 14 buying factors responsible for not buying life insurance policies by the people of Bangladesh. The most important factor is difficulty in continuation of insurance policy in the long run. The reason is attributed by the financial insolvency of the people. The second important buying factor is 'after maturity service' followed by general belief of the people, family plan, controversial idea, government policy, behavior of the insurance agents, awareness of the people, income of the household, attachment with insurance, peer group influence, occupational risk, age of the potential insured, and lack of insurance information. The financial inability may not be changed overnight, however, the after maturity services could be improved by the life insurance companies. The major concern of the life insurance policyholders is related to the claim settlement procedures of the insurer companies. Most often the policyholders have to take pains to get back insured amount from the company. The insurance company should extend their best possible services from the starting of the policy till to the maturity and settlement of the claims.
SOD3 acts as a tumor suppressor in PC-3 prostate cancer cells via hydrogen peroxide accumulation.

BACKGROUND The functions of superoxide dismutase-3 (SOD3), which acts on the cell surface and protects cells from oxidative stress, remain uncertain in the progression of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS To verify SOD3 expression in human prostate tissue, immunohistochemistry was performed using tissue microarrays. To investigate the effects of SOD3 on proliferation, migration, and invasion, SOD3 was overexpressed and recombinant SOD3 was employed in PC-3 prostate cancer cells. H2O2 levels, reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio, catalase activity, and 8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were estimated in SOD3-overexpressing PC-3 cells. RESULTS Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced expression of SOD3 in prostate cancer tissue. SOD3 overexpression in PC-3 cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Recombinant SOD3 had the same effect. H2O2 accumulation was increased by SOD3 overexpression, GSH/GSSG ratio was decreased, and catalase activity was decreased. DNA damage in SOD3-overexpressing cells was confirmed by 8-OHdG elevation. CONCLUSION Since SOD3 acts as a tumor suppressor, SOD3 overexpression and recombinant SOD3 might lead to treatment for prostate cancer.
Drivers of Customer Loyalty in B2B Services: A Firm-level Analysis Over Time

Identifying the drivers of relationship quality, satisfaction and customer loyalty has been the subject of much marketing research for over twenty years. However, there are a number of gaps in the literature, especially in understanding the nature of the drivers of customer loyalty over time. We explored the relative stability of several customer attitudes over four financial quarters, from a Fortune 100, B2B services provider. Our longitudinal research design allowed us to compare attitudes between the respective time periods. We found that many of the customer attitudes changed substantially across the four quarters. Additionally, some of the path coefficients in our structural models also changed significantly between quarters, suggesting that the nature of the business relationship between a B2B customer and a supplier is also dynamic, even in the short-term. The main implications of this study are that firms should track customer attitudes more closely, anticipate changes in such attitudes quicker, and then proactively manage their customer relationships better. From a theoretical perspective, research must be cautious in drawing firm conclusions from cross-sectional surveys as attitudes appear to be dynamic.