Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Artemisia dracunculus Administration on Glycemic Control , Insulin Sensitivity , and Insulin Secretion in Patients with Impaired Glucose Tolerance

To evaluate the effect of Artemisia dracunculus on glycemic control, insulin sensitivity, and insulin secretion in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed in 24 patients with diagnosis of IGT. Before and after the intervention, glucose and insulin levels were measured every 30 min for 2 h after a 75-g dextrose load, along with glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1C) and lipid profile. Twelve patients received A. dracunculus (1000 mg) before breakfast and dinner for 90 days; the remaining 12 patients received placebo. Area under the curve (AUC) of glucose and insulin, total insulin secretion, first phase of insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity were calculated. Wilcoxon signed-rank, Mann–Whitney U, and chi-square tests were used for statistical analyses. The institutional ethics committee approved the protocol. After A. dracunculus administration, there were significant decreases in systolic blood pressure (SBP; 120.0 – 11.3 vs. 113.0 – 11.2 mmHg, P < .05), A1C (5.8 – 0.3 vs. 5.6% – 0.4%, P < .05), AUC of insulin (56,136.0 – 27,426.0 vs. 44,472.0 – 23,370.0 pmol/L, P < .05), and total insulin secretion (0.45 – 0.23 vs. 0.35 – 0.18, P < .05), with a significant increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (1.3 – 0.3 vs. 1.4 – 0.3 mmol/L, P < .05). There were no significant differences after placebo administration. A. dracunculus administration for 90 days in patients with IGT significantly decreased SBP, A1C, AUC of insulin, and total insulin secretion with a significant increase in HDL-C levels.
Making the decision to purchase health supplement products: a study of consumer behaviour

Health Supplement Products (HSPs), a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), have become increasingly popular in Western societies. Despite their widespread usage, the issue of why some people purchase HSPs and others do not is poorly understood. In part, this is due to limited research: few CAM studies have utilised consumer behaviour perspectives or have applied the Health Belief Model (HBM) in explaining and predicting the purchase of HSPs. A conceptual model and twelve research hypotheses were developed from the findings of preliminary qualitative research (in-depth interviews with 65 adults) and a review of the literature regarding CAM and the HBM. The criterion variable used in the conceptual model was the 'likelihood of a consumer purchasing an HSP'. The predictor variables comprise 'perceived value of HSPs', 'perceived general health threats', 'external cues to action', five personality traits, and three socio-demographic variables.
East Meets West: Asian Elders’ Experiences of Aging-In-Place in a Western Country

Ageing in place” is a fundamental principle in current ageing policy. With the growing phenomenon of transnational families, increasing numbers of older people from Asia have migrated in late-life to join their adult children living in Western countries; however their experience of ageing in a new environment is underexplored. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 44 Chinese, Indian and Korean elders aged 62 to 86 years who have migrated to New Zealand in later lives, this paper investigates the elders’ ageing experience, in particular what is needed to enable positive ageing-in-place for this population. Contrary to traditional filial practices of intergenerational co-residency, some elders in this study are living in close proximity to their children but in separate households. Intergenerational conflict is not the only reason for the elders’ pursuit of independent living. Rather, it is also a reflection of the elders’ shifting expectation of filial responsibility from their children as they navigate between Eastern and Western cultures. The study suggests that Asian elders’ ability to age-in-place is affected by the elders’ interactions with multiple environments including housing, family, community and government resources. The majority of participants stress the importance of maintaining core Eastern values of intergenerational interdependency, while they also adopt Western ideologies of autonomy and self-reliance, and use of state welfare assistance and community resources. However, barriers to service utilization and community participation impair elders’ ability to positively age in place. Findings highlight the need to ensure that ethnic elders’ needs are met in policy and service design.
Unsupervised Fraud Detection in Time Series data

Fraud detection is of great importance to financial institutions. This paper is concerned with the problem of finding outliers in time series financial data using Peer Group Analysis (PGA), which is an unsupervised technique for fraud detection. The objective of PGA is to characterize the expected pattern of behavior around the target sequence in terms of the behavior of similar objects, and then to detect any difference in evolution between the expected pattern and the target. The tool has been applied to the stock market data, which has been collected from Bangladesh Stock Exchange to assess its performance in stock fraud detection. We observed PGA can detect those brokers who suddenly start selling the stock in a different way to other brokers to whom they were previously similar. We also applied t-
Lobular carcinoma arising in fibroadenoma of the breast

Lobular carcinoma may arise within the epithelial component of fibroadenoma of the breast, as evidenced by 5 cases reported from the files of the Mayo Clinic and 21 cases cited in the literature. The 5 cases reported here occurred in a series of 4000 cases of fibroadenoma during a 43‐year period. Lobular carcinoma is the more frequent type to be seen in fibroadenoma (in 22 of 26 cases); it usually develops in situ. Extra‐adenomatous carcinoma of the ipsilateral breast was identified in 11 of 26 cases, and 3 cases of contralateral carcinoma were noted in the entire series. Thus, lobular carcinoma arising within the epithelial component of a fibroadenoma has biological features similar to the behavior of lobular carcinoma of the breast in general. The prognosis has been favorable; lesions are usually encountered early; in only 2 of 26 cases were there axillary metastases.
Studies of Resting Isolated Frog Gastric Mucosa.∗

Summary Freshly isolated frog gastric mucosa secretes hydrochloric acid, under appropriate conditions, in the absence of added his-tamine. However, if the mucosa is incubated with histamine-free media, the acid secretory rate decreases to a very low rate after approximately 16 hours, the p.d. increases, and the short-circuit current declines. Addition of 10-4 M histamine to the nutrient medium bathing the serosal side restores acid secretion to about 80% of the initial rate; there is little change in p.d. and an increase in short-circuit current is observed. No difference exists in the ATPase activity of the resting and hista-mine-stimulated mucosa; the ATP level of the stimulated mucosa, on the other hand, is slightly greater than that of the resting mucosa. The procedure of preincubation of the mucosa in histamine-free media has made it possible for the first time reproducibly to obtain resting mucosae which can be stimulated by added histamine.
THE INFLUENCE OF CORPORATION GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE ON INTERNAL CONTROL AUDIT REPORT LAG: EVIDENCE FROM CHINA

This paper examines whether corporation governance structure has influence on internal audit report lag (IARL). The study studies a sample of 1244 observations from Year 2008 to Year 2011, obtained from Shenzhen Stock Exchange in China. Regression analysis indicates that firms, with fewer directors but more supervisors and members in audit committees as well as less frequent supervisory board meeting, are more likely to reduce IARL. In contrast, this study also demonstrates factors such as the independence of board of supervisors and board of directors, the meeting frequency of board of directors and duality of CEO, hardly exert influence on the IARL. The contribution of this paper is mainly to empirically analyze the influence of corporation governance structure on IARL to improve the timeliness of internal control information disclosure.
A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the “Autoconcepto Forma 5” Questionnaire in Young Adults from Spain and Chile

The aim of this work is to examine the pentafactorial validity of the AF5 Self-Concept Questionnaire in Spanish and Chilean young adults. From the responses of a total of 4,383 young adults aged 17 to 22 years (1,918 Spanish, 44%, and 2,465 Chilean, 56%) it was analyzed the reliability of the instrument, the compared validity of the 5 oblique factor model proposed by the authors versus the unifactorial and the orthogonal alternative models, and was studied the invariance of one Chilean sample. The results of confirmatory factor analyses supported the authors' pentafactorial model. The multi-group factorial invariance showed that Chilean sample of the AF5 does not change neither the Spanish factor weights, nor the variances and covariances of the factors, or the error variances of items. Finally, the internal consistency of the five scales was good in the samples of both countries. El objetivo de este trabajo es examinar la validez pentafactorial del cuestionario de Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF5) con jóvenes españoles y chilenos. A partir de las respuestas de un total de 4.383 adultos jóvenes de 17 a 22 años (1.918 españoles, 44%, y 2.465 chilenos, 56%) se analiza la fiabilidad del cuestionario, se compara la validez del modelo de cinco factores oblicuos que proponen los autores versus los modelos alternativos unifactorial y ortogonal, y se estudia la invarianza de la estructura factorial entre la muestra española y la chilena. Los resultados de los análisis factoriales confirmatorios ratifican la validez del modelo teórico pentafactorial de los autores. El estudio de la invarianza factorial multigrupo indica que la muestra chilena no varía en los pesos factoriales respecto de la española, ni tampoco las varianzas y covarianzas de los factores o la varianza de error de los ítems. Finalmente, la consistencia interna de las cinco escalas fue aceptable en los dos países.
From Space to Place: Predicting Users' Intentions to Return to Virtual Worlds

Virtual worlds have received considerable attention as platforms for entertainment, education, and commerce. But organizations are experiencing failures in their early attempts to lure customers, employees, or partners into these worlds. Among the more grievous problems is the inability to attract users back into a virtual environment. In this study, we propose and test a model to predict users' intentions to return to a virtual world. Our model is based on the idea that users intend to return to a virtual world having conceived of it as a "place" in which they have had meaningful experiences. We rely on the interactionist theory of place attachment to explain the links among the constructs of our model. Our model is tested via a lab experiment. We find that users' intentions to return to a virtual world is determined by a state of deep involvement (termed cognitive absorption) that users experience as they perform an activity and tend to lose track of time. In turn, cognitive absorption is determined by users' awareness of whom they interact with and how they interact within a virtual world, what they interact about, and where, in a virtual sense, such interaction occurs. Our work contributes to theory in the following ways: it identifies state predictors of cognitive absorption, it conceives of virtual worlds in such a way as to account for users' experiences through the notion of place, and it explains how the properties of a virtual world contribute to users' awareness.
Familial resemblance in height and weight in an endogamous Hahisya caste population of rural West Bengal

Intrafamilial resemblance and heritability of height and weight in an endogamous, agricultural caste population of rural West Bengal (“Mahisya”) were estimated from data for 540 individuals, 110 parent pairs and 187 sons and 133 daughters (children as well as adults) from 110 nuclear families. Multiple regression with age and sex adjustments was used. A trend of greater mother‐child than father‐child correlation was observed, but was not significant. Sibling correlations indicated no evidence of sex linkage. Heritability for height (h2 = 0.603) was greater than that for weight (h2 = .405). Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:7–9 © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Novel mechanisms of selective apoptosis in synovial T cells of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To analyze whether T cells infiltrating the synovium of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) express functional Fas antigen. METHODS Mononuclear T cells, mainly from synovial tissues, synovial fluids (SF), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 14 patients with RA and 5 with osteoarthritis (OA), were treated with anti-Fas monoclonal antibody (Mab) (CH11) for 24 h in vitro. Cell viability and DNA fragmentation were examined. The expression of Fas antigen, Fas ligand, and T cell subpopulations was examined using flow cytometry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS More than 50% of T cells from synovial tissue and SF of patients with RA underwent apoptosis, whereas no effect was observed in PBMC from RA or PBMC and synovial T cells from OA, suggesting that functional Fas antigens are specifically expressed on synovial T cells. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated higher expression of Fas antigen in T cells from RA synovium than from PBMC. The T cell subpopulations susceptible to anti-Fas Mab were mainly CD45RO+ and CD4 or CD8 single positive T cells, indicating that activated mature T cells express functional Fas antigen. Fas ligand was overexpressed only in synovial nonadherent cells in RA at the level of mRNA, whereas T cells account for more than 60% of the total, but not in OA. CONCLUSION These findings suggest the majority of activated T cells infiltrating the synovium express functional Fas antigen and Fas ligand specifically in patients with RA but not OA. This phenomenon may provide a clue to understanding the pathogenesis of RA.
A study of resilience in West Australian small business owners

Research suggests a relationship exists between the resilience of the Small Business Owner (SBO) and the resilience of their business, however the nature of this relationship is unclear. The current study investigated whether the internal resources of the SBO were significant in predicting the resilience of their business. A sample of 108 SBOs in the Perth metropolitan area completed an online questionnaire which measured aspects of individual and business resilience. A series of multiple regression analyses were used to test three hypotheses. The results from all three analyses consistently revealed that the internal resources of the SBO were the most important predictors of business resilience compared to other resilience factors. Furthermore, the resilience of the SBO was related to the resilience of their business through awareness and the SBO’s internal perception of self. No other study could be found that has provided scientific evidence of a link between the owner’s internal perception and the perception of their business, nor identified specific attributes of individual resilience that are predictive of business resilience. Future research should include studies of resilience which focus on the internal resources of the SBO. Philip Roggio Supervisor Dr Cath Ferguson Associate Supervisor Dr Ken Robinson Field Supervisor Sharon Faye Resilience and Small Business iii COPYRIGHT AND ACCESS DECLARATION I certify that this thesis does not, to the best of my knowledge and belief: (i) incorporate without acknowledgment any material previously submitted for a degree or diploma in any institution of higher education; (ii) contain any material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the text; or (iii) contain any defamatory material Signed _______________________________ Dated __________________ Resilience and Small Business iv
Divergent DNA-Binding Specificities of a Group of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR Transcription Factors Involved in Plant Defense1[C][W]

A group of ERF transcription factors involved in plant defense has similar but divergent DNA-binding specificities, and amino acid residues in the DNA-binding domain are critical for such divergence. Transcription factors (TFs) recognize target DNA sequences with distinct DNA-binding domains (DBDs). The DBD of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 (AtERF1) uses three consecutive β-strands to recognize a GCC-containing sequence, but tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) ERF189 and periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) Octadecanoid-derivative Responsive Catharanthus AP2-domain protein3 (ORCA3) of the same TF subgroup appear to target similar but divergent DNA sequences. Here, we examined how DNA-binding specificities of these TFs have diverged in each plant lineage to regulate distinct defense metabolisms. Extensive mutational analyses of these DBDs suggest that two modes of protein-DNA interactions independently contribute to binding specificity and affinity. Substitution of a conserved arginine to lysine in the first β-strand of ERF189 relaxes its interaction with the second GC pair of the GCC DNA sequence. By contrast, an increased number of basic amino acids in the first two β-strands of ORCA3 allows this TF to recognize more than one GCC-related target, presumably via increased electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA. Divergent DNA-binding specificities of the ERFs may have arisen through mutational changes of these amino acid residues.
Sentiment classification of online Cantonese reviews by supervised machine learning approaches

Cantonese is an important Chinese dialect spoken in some regions of Southern China. Local online users often represent their opinions and experiences with written Cantonese on the web. With two supervised machine learning approaches, this paper conducts a series of experiments to explore appropriate methods for automatic sentiment classification in the very noisy domain of online Cantonese-written reviews. Findings indicate that the support vector machine classifier based on a Mandarin Chinese word segmentation tool performs surprisingly well. The accuracy, precision and recall respectively for positive and negative reviews all reach above 85% when the training corpus contains 5,000 or more reviews.
Deriving Value From Change Management

A theoretical analysis on the perception of change management initiatives, with a focus on how one can one optimize and derive increased value from change management efforts. The context of this capstone is to determine the degree to which change management initiatives are successful. I intend to explore and catalogue reasons that control and predict change management success, and provide best practices identified from the scholarly literature. Creating a base level of knowledge, I present a literature review in which I summarize from the body of knowledge key theories and contributions to effective change management in the modern workplace. Building upon this baseline, I present the details of why it is important to derive specific value from a change management initiative, outlining the key areas where the facilitation of the strategy of change can promote impact. Based on the research, it is apparent that change should always be results driven. It is imperative for change agents; leaders, managers or even consultants to create a sense of urgency amongst the community chartered to implement change. A collaborative environment that facilitates two-way communication from leadership and the community at large creates a heightened sense of change ownership and active involvement which are crucial to the change effort’s success. A change path must be outlined and defined, planning a change effort is involved as various facets of an organization and its people need to be considered. Communication initially, and throughout the change process is imperative. Disciplines Organizational Behavior and Theory Comments Submitted to the Program of Organizational Dynamics in the Graduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania Advisor: Jean-Marc Choukroun This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn. edu/od_theses_msod/28 DERIVING VALUE FROM CHANGE MANAGEMENT
The relationship between brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, oxidative and nitrosative stress and depressive symptoms: a study on peritoneal dialysis

Abstract Background: Depression is one of the most commonly encountered psychiatric problems in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Our aim was to investigate the associations between oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in PD patients with elevated depressive symptoms (EDS). Methods: Eighty-three patients with PD and 84 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. In PD patients, two subgroups were formed: 28 with and 55 without EDS. EDS were defined as a Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score ≥17 in patients. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) erythrocyte, glutathione (GSH) levels measured spectrophotometrically. Serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, nitric oxide (NO) and BDNF levels were determined by ELISA. Results: While MDA and NO levels were higher, levels of SOD, GSH and BDNF were lower in PD patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). The patients with EDS had higher levels of MDA and lower levels of BDNF as compared to those without EDS (p < 0.005). In linear regression analysis, the BDNF levels were dependently associated with SOD levels in PD patients (B: 0.274, p: 0.043). In addition, while a negative correlation existed between BDI scores with BDNF levels (r = –0.312, p = 0.004), a positive correlation was present between BDI scores and MDA levels (r = 0.320, p = 0.005) in PD patients. Conclusion: Our results suggest the presence of high O&NS and low antioxidant capacity accompanied with decreased levels of BDNF in PD patients, especially those with EDS were deeper. These may represent the risk factors for cellular injury and might reveal part of the mechanism causing the depressive state in PD patients.
Intentions to Use Information Technologies: An Integrative Model

An integrative model explaining intentions to use an information technology is proposed. The primary objective is to obtain a clearer picture of how intentions are formed, and draws on previous research such as the technology acceptance model (Davis, Bagozzi, & Warshaw, 1989) and the decomposed theory of planned behavior (Taylor & Todd, 1995a). The conceptual model was tested using questionnaire re - sponses from 189 subjects, measured at two time periods approximately two months apart. The results generally supported the hypothesized relationships, and revealed strong influences of both personal innovativeness and computer self-efficacy.