Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Development in Fiji

Fiji, a developing island economy in the East Asia and Pacific region, has been experiencing modest growth for some time despite its ability to do better. Various strategies to boost the growth levels, including major cross–sectoral reforms, have yielded little success. Motivated by a recent and expanding finance–growth literature, this study investigates the possibility of enhancing the country’s financial development. Further financial development appears to depend importantly on designing appropriate strategies to deal with obstacles and challenges relating to enhancing both the supply of funds to the private sector and the demand for these funds. This study provides strategies for dealing with two such likely important challenges in the case of Fiji— legal institutions and alternative finance. Prior to investigating and developing strategies in relation to these issues, the study attempts to understand the financial sector’s past development trends and its current strengths and weaknesses. This extensive analysis uses a recently available comprehensive financial structure database to assess Fiji’s situation against 20 developing and developed countries across the Asia–Pacific region over a 33–year period. Overall, it assesses Fiji’s relative banking and stock market development using relevant composite indices constructed for the purpose. Specifically, it assesses the size, activity and depth of Fiji’s sectors relative to the comparator countries. Findings suggest positive past development of the banking sector but weak development of the stock market. Further, the banking sector has become larger, deeper and more active while the stock market remains small and largely inactive. Legal institutions—encompassing the mandating of legal rights of the suppliers of funds and the appropriate enforcement of their rights—have become widely accepted in the literature as a major, possibly even the dominant, supply–leading determinant of financial development. The legal theory asserts that the supply of funds is likely to be better in countries with better legal institutions. The suppliers of funds include mainly banks (providers of private sector credit) and shareholders (providers of stock market equity).
Breeding for improved calving performance in Piemontese cattle : Economic value

Economic values for calving performance in first and later parities were estimated for the Piemontese cattle. Calving performance is a threshold trait usually recorded using a scoring system with categories corresponding to the rate of difficulty. In the Piemontese breed five categories were adopted (from unassisted to foetotomy). A normal underlying distribution with thresholds corresponding to used categories was assumed. A cost function, expressing the extra costs of difficult calving and Caesarean sections with respect to normal calving, was defined. Costs included veterinary fees, additional labour, increased stillbirth rates, reduced fertility and involuntary culling of cows as a consequence of a difficult calving. Cost of an average case of dystocia in first parity was 61.8 Euro and 22.1 Euro for male and female calves, respectively. Corresponding costs in later parities were 34.2 Euro and 11.4 Euro. Dystocia showed a great economic incidence mostly when male calves were born from first calving cows. Economic values were computed as marginal increase of the cost function for a marginal increase in the normal underlying distribution. Economic values for calving performance were -1.02 Euro in first parity and -0.42 Euro in later parities per a 1% increase of dystocia. In first parity the economic value of calving performance was two times greater than in subsequent parities suggesting that, also from an economic standpoint, calving performance in the first and later parities should be considered as different traits.
INFLUENCE OF FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN KENYA, A CASE OF BANKS IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY

This study aimed at assessing risks facing commercial banks in Kenya. The general objective of this study was to determine the influence of financial risk management practice on performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the influence of credit risk management practice on performance of commercial banks in Kenya, to find out the influence of capital risk management practice on performance of commercial banks in Kenya, to determine the influence of interest rate risk management practice on performance of commercial banks in Kenya and to determine the influence of liquidity risk management practice on performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive research design and a panel data analysis. The target population was all 9 commercial banks that were licensed and allowed to carry out business of banking in Kakamega County. The study was census because the target population was small. This study proposed to use both primary data and secondary data from the financial statements of the banks. Primary data was collected through issuance of questionnaires. Primary data analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0 and the panel data was analysed using STATA version 12.0 Data was presented in tables and charts. The study revealed that credit risk and capital risk management practices had a positive and significant influence on financial performance of commercial banks. On the other hand, liquidity management practice and interest rate risk management had a negative and none significant influence on financial performance of commercial banks in Kakamega. The study recommended that it was important for banks to have a robust framework that effectively management financial risks because they affect financial performance of commercial banks. Key Words: credit risk, capital risk, interest rate, liquidity risk, financial risk management
Monosodium glutamate is related to a higher increase in blood pressure over 5 years: findings from the Jiangsu Nutrition Study of Chinese adults

Objective One large cross-sectional study across four countries suggests that glutamate intake may be inversely associated with blood pressure (BP). The aim of this analysis was to investigate a possible association between monosodium glutamate (MSG) intake and change in blood pressure over 5 years. Methods Data from 1227 Chinese men and women who participated in the Jiangsu Nutrition Study (JIN) were analyzed. In this study, MSG intake and blood pressure were quantitatively assessed in 2002, and followed-up in 2007. Results MSG intake was associated with a significant increase in SBP and DBP. A strong sex interaction was observed in relation to SBP change. Women with high MSG intake were more likely to have increased SBP and DBP. Total glutamate intake was also positively associated with an increase in SBP. In those chronically taking antihypertensive medications, there was a strong association between MSG intake and an increase in DBP. Conclusion MSG intake may have independent BP-increasing effects, especially among women and those taking hypertension medications at baseline and follow-up.
Study raises new doubts regarding the hypothesised health benefits of ‘moderate’ alcohol use

Commentary on : Goulden R. Moderate alcohol consumption is not associated with reduced all-cause mortality. Am J Med 2016;129:180–6.e4. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Many observational studies find associations between ‘moderate’ alcohol use and reduced mortality risk compared with abstention. Low doses of alcohol have also been associated with improvements in some biomarkers of cardiovascular health in short-term randomised studies. However, the absence of any randomised clinical trial of any morbidity or mortality outcome, and contradictory Mendelian randomisation studies,1 cast doubt on the veracity of associations found in observational studies. Goulden lists alternative explanations for the classic J-shaped curve for alcohol use and mortality risk, including selection bias, misclassification of drinkers as abstainers and residual confounding. We comment here as authors of a meta-analysis2 raising identical concerns and reporting similar findings. Goulden examined the relationship between level of average daily alcohol consumption and risk of death … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DAm%2BJ%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D129%26rft.spage%253D180%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252Fj.amjmed. 2015.10. 013%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26524703%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.1016/j.amjmed. 2015.10. 013&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=26524703&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F4%2F156.atom
The Imperfective Puzzle in Korean

Much attention in recent Korean linguistics literature has been paid to the imperfective puzzle surrounding the periphrastic marker -ko iss-. This marker corresponds to English BE + -ing in a way but, unlike its English counterpart, -ko (KO) is a connective meaning „and‟, and iss(ISS) literally means „exist‟, though it is often glossed as BE or Copular in the literature. The imperfective puzzle usually refers to the phenomenon in which sentences containing KO ISS sentences are two-ways ambiguous when occurring with so-called „put on‟ type verbs (e.g., Kim 1986, Kim 1990, Lee 1991, Kim 1993, Ahn 1995, Son 2004, Lee 2008). For instance, (1) can be interpreted as describing the action of Yoona putting clothes on herself or the state of the clothes being on her. (Here and throughout, the action reading will be labeled a „progressive (P) state‟ reading and the state reading a „result (R) state‟ reading. Also, to stay neutral in citing examples from the existing literature, the morphemes participating in the formation of a periphrastic imperfective marker will not be glossed. )
Mechanism of action of mammalian cystatins Studies of inhibition of cysteine endo- and exopeptidases by cystatins A and C

Pavlova, A. , 2003. Mechanism of action of mammalian cystatins. Studies of inhibition of cysteine endoand exopeptidases by cystatins A and C. Doctor's dissertation. ISSN 1401-6257, ISBN 91-576-6379-3. Mammalian cystatins are tight-binding, reversible inhibitors of potentially destructive cysteine proteases, both endogenous and exogenous. The N-terminal region residues, Ile2 and especially Pro3, and the second binding loop residues, Leu73 and to some extent Pro74, of the family 1 cystatin, cystatin A, were shown to be essential for effective inhibition of papain and cathepsins L and B. Both regions were found to act in endopeptidase inhibition primarily by anchoring the enzymes in long-lived complexes with the inhibitor. However, in inhibition of the exopeptidase, cathepsin B, the N-terminal region also contributes to the high association rate. As previously shown for cystatin C, stopped-flow kinetics demonstrated a two-step mechanism of cystatin A binding to cathepsin B, with a conformational change in the second, rate-limiting step. In contrast, binding of cystatins A and C to a cathepsin B variant with an increased mobility of the occluding loop that blocks the active-site cleft occurred in an apparent one-step reaction. The second step of cathepsin B binding by cystatins was therefore concluded to involve displacement of the occluding loop. Cystatin C was shown to be a much better displacer of this loop than cystatin A. New effective and specific inhibitors of cysteine proteases were engineered by grafting individual binding regions of more potent cystatins into cystatin A. Introduction of motifs from the second binding loops of cystatins B or C into the corresponding loop of cystatin A increased the affinity for papain by ~10-fold. Moreover, replacement of the N-terminal region of cystatin A by that of cystatin C resulted in the affinity for cathepsin B being increased ~15-fold, to a level higher than that of any natural cystatin known. The latter chimeric inhibitor was as effective as cystatin C in displacing the occluding loop of cathepsin B, the rate of this step being increased by ~100-fold. The N-terminal region of a cystatin was thus concluded to promote occluding loop displacement by appropriately positioning the binding loops of the inhibitor entering the active-site cleft of cathepsin B.
Innovations in Correctional Assessment and Treatment

This article considers innovations in the assessment and treatment of incarcerated individuals. The emphasis is on immediate patient needs and inmate management concerns, rather than on rehabilitation. Assessment of this diagnostically complex population is framed in dimensional and biopsychosocial terms. Scarce resources, new scientific knowledge and technology, organizational barriers, and role transformations for psychologists will guide improvements and future research in correctional mental health care, as reflected in specific areas: dimensional assessment, suicide risk assessment, neuropsychological correlates of chronic maladaptive behavior, prescriptive authority for psychologists, and telehealth. In particular, outcome research based on a broader range of interventions will be increasingly crucial to the effectiveness of correctional psychologists' work. In the near future, the degree of impact that psychologists have will depend largely on their individual and collective initiative in promoting the benefits of their services.
A randomized controlled design reveals barriers to citizenship for low-income immigrants

Significance We provide a randomized test of policy interventions that address barriers to naturalization for low-income immigrants. We find that offering fee vouchers doubles the naturalization application rate among low-income immigrants, but nudges often used by service providers did not increase applications among fee waiver-eligible immigrants below the poverty level. Our results help guide policy efforts to address the problem of low naturalization rates. The current high fees prevent a considerable share of low-income immigrants who desire to become Americans from submitting their applications. Lowering the fees should therefore increase naturalization rates and generate long-run benefits for new Americans and their communities. However, the poorest immigrants face deeper challenges to naturalization that are not easily overcome with the low-cost nudges we tested. Citizenship endows legal protections and is associated with economic and social gains for immigrants and their communities. In the United States, however, naturalization rates are relatively low. Yet we lack reliable knowledge as to what constrains immigrants from applying. Drawing on data from a public/private naturalization program in New York, this research provides a randomized controlled study of policy interventions that address these constraints. The study tested two programmatic interventions among low-income immigrants who are eligible for citizenship. The first randomly assigned a voucher that covers the naturalization application fee among immigrants who otherwise would have to pay the full cost of the fee. The second randomly assigned a set of behavioral nudges, similar to outreach efforts used by service providers, among immigrants whose incomes were low enough to qualify them for a federal waiver that eliminates the application fee. Offering the fee voucher increased naturalization application rates by about 41%, suggesting that application fees act as a barrier for low-income immigrants who want to become US citizens. The nudges to encourage the very poor to apply had no discernible effect, indicating the presence of nonfinancial barriers to naturalization.
Introduction: Why a Handbook of Research on Competitive Strategy?

In this introductory essay, I fi rst wish to draw the reader’s attention to the four most relevant reasons that have initially inspired the publisher, Edward Elgar, and the present editor to take steps towards assembling and publishing a Handbook of Research on Competitive Strategy. Second, I shall explain how and why the competitive strategy approach has rapidly become a subfi eld of strategy and the diff erent theories that currently exist on the subject. Third, I shall speculate on the emergence, persistence and shortcomings of a socalled ‘competitive strategy mindset’ and fi nally outline the structure of the handbook. As the reader may expect, any handbook is an opportunity to encapsulate in one comprehensive volume the state of a research fi eld and ruminate on its current development. As it may be read in Wikipedia:1
Effects of UBM thickness on electromigration in Pb-free solder joints

Pb-free solder interconnect applied in flip chip is a predominant technology for wafer-level chip-scale package (WLCSP). In WLCSP, the die shrinks area for power available, the bump shrinks volume and increase quantity for interconnect efficient. As a result, the bump current density is now approaching 10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ level, where electromigration (EM) becomes a significant reliability issue. The EM failure depends on many factors, such as the working temperature, the under bump metallization (UBM) thickness and others. In this paper, the effects of the different Ni/Au UBM thickness on electromigration in the Sn/3.5Ag/0.5Cu solder bumps have been studied. Samples with thick Ni/Au diffusion barrier layers have longer MTTF than those with thin ones. More Ni atoms in the UBM layer delay EM failure occurring. Another unique EM behavior is the polarity effect on IMC growth at the anode and IMCs dissolution at the cathode. In the stable stage of EM procedure, electron-flow pushes Ni atoms to move from the cathode to the anode, and a lot of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) accumulate at the anode. Atom migration generates stress gradient at the solder/Ni interface near the cathode, which produces micro-void and cracks there. Voids propagate along the interface in the direction of stress gradient decreasing. At the last stage of EM procedure, large cracks appear at the interface and enhance contact resistance dramatically. Consequently, joule heat crowds at the high resistance area and melts the interconnect interface instantly. The IMC evolutions of EM samples are compared with those of thermal aging samples at 180/spl deg/C.
Exploring sharing behaviors across social media platforms

Increasingly, consumers are simulcasting branded content across multiple, interconnected social media platforms creating a complex social media ecosystem. However, little is known about what motivates sharing in the ecosystem as opposed to specific media contexts. Present research explores multiplatform consumers’ general sharing motivations and examines how those motivations, in conjunction with social relationships, influence sharing behavior across social media platforms. First, four focus group interviews were conducted to identify general social media sharing motivations of multiplatform consumers. Employing an online survey (N = 249), four dimensions comprised of 31 sharing motivation items were identified: social presence, social conversation, easy connection, and self-management. Applying a theory of reasoned action and social exchange theory approach, we conducted a second online survey (N = 342) to elaborate on our findings in terms of multidimensionality and interdependency among the influencing factors on social sharing behavior. Social conversation exhibited the strongest relationship with attitude toward sharing, whereas self-management was negatively related to the social norm, which, in turn, was negatively associated with sharing intention. Findings and implications are discussed.
Rapid Nucleolytic Degradation of the Small Cytoplasmic Y RNAs during Apoptosis*

We have investigated the fate of the RNA components of small ribonucleoprotein particles in apoptotic cells. We show that the cytoplasmic Ro ribonucleoprotein-associated Y RNAs are specifically and rapidly degraded during apoptosis via a caspase-dependent mechanism. This is the first study describing the selective degradation of a specific class of small structural RNA molecules in apoptotic cells. Cleavage and subsequent truncation of Y RNAs was observed upon exposure of cells to a variety of apoptotic stimuli and were found to be inhibited by Bcl-2, zinc, and several caspase inhibitors. These results indicate that apoptotic degradation of Y RNAs is dependent on caspase activation, which suggests that the nucleolytic activity responsible for hY RNA degradation is activated downstream of the caspase cascade. The Y RNA degradation products remain bound by the Ro60 protein and in part also by the La protein, the only two proteins known to be stably associated with intact Ro ribonucleoprotein particles. The size of the Y RNA degradation products is consistent with the protection from degradation of the most highly conserved region of the Y RNAs by the bound Ro60 and La proteins. Our results indicate that the rapid abrogation of the yet unknown function of Y RNAs might be an early step in the systemic deactivation of the dying cell.
Health professionals identify components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) in questionnaires for the upper limb

BACKGROUND: Several Brazilian studies have addressed the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), but few have analyzed the knowledge of the health professionals with regards to the ICF. OBJECTIVE: To verify whether the classification of the items in the Brazilian-Portuguese versions of The Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) and The Disabilities Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaires, obtained from health professionals who worked with patients having upper limb injuries, could be related to ICF components as defined by others studies. METHOD: There were 4 participants for the group "professionals with high familiarity of the ICF (PHF)" and 19 for the group of "professionals with some or no familiarity of the ICF (PSNF)". The participants judged whether the items on the two questionnaires belonged to the ICF body function, body structure or activity-participation component, and marked a confidence level for each trial using a numerical scale ranging from zero to 10. The items were classified by the discriminant content validity method using the Student'st-test and the Hochberg correction. The ratings were compared to the literature by the percentage of agreement and Kappa coefficient. RESULTS: The percentage of agreement of the rating from the PSNF and the PHF groups with the literature was equal to or greater than 77%. For the DASH, the agreement of the PSNF and PHF groups with the literature were, respectively, moderate (Kappa=0.46 to 0.48) and substantial (Kappa=0.62 to 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: Health professionals were able to correlate the three components of the ICF for most items on the 2 questionnaires, demonstrating some ease of understanding the ICF components. However, the relation of concept of pain with body function component is not clear for professional and deserves a more attentive approach.