Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Productivity and Liquidity on the Profitability of Islamic Banks in Indonesia

Abstract. This study is to measure and analyze the levels of productivity and liquidity of Islamic Banks in Indonesia. This study uses a non-parametric method, contrived from the Malmquist Productivity Index, to measure and analyze the level of productivity of Islamic Banks. Also, this study uses the Liquidity Creation (LC) scale as a liquidity indicator. The regression of the Tobit model is used to measure the effects of independent variables, namely; productivity, liquidity, Financing to Deposit Ratios/FDR, Non-Performance Financing/NPF, and the Capital Adequacy Ratio/CAR, on the profitability of Islamic banks, as represented by Return on Assets/ROA. This study shows that FDR, NPF, and CAR are statistically significant to ROA, while Total Factor Productivity/TFP and LC are not statistically significant. Other results show the level of productivity of Islamic Banks decreased during the period 2011-2020. In terms of liquidity level, Islamic banks did have a sound level of liquidity, based on mapping the criteria of FDR, NPF, and CAR, where the LC always grew. This study shows the novelty of integrating productivity, liquidity, and profitability techniques, to measure Islamic Banking Performance in Indonesia.Keywords: Islamic Bank, Total Factor Productivity, Liquidity Creation, ProfitabilityJEL: G21, R51 Abstrak. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengukur dan menganalisis tingkat produktivitas dan likuiditas Bank Umum Syariah di Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode non parametrik yakni Malmquist Productivity Index untuk mengukur dan menganalisis tingkat produktivitas Bank Umum Syariah. Selain itu, penelitian ini menggunakan Liquidity Creation (LC) sebagai indikator likuiditas. Regresi model Tobit digunakan untuk mengukur pengaruh variabel bebas, yaitu; produktivitas, likuiditas, Financing to Deposit Ratio/FDR, Non-Performance Financing/NPF, dan Capital Adequacy Ratio/CAR terhadap profitabilitas bank syariah yang direpresentasikan oleh Return on Assets/ROA. Penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa FDR, NPF, dan CAR berpengaruh signifikan terhadap ROA, sedangkan Total Factor Productivity/TFP dan LC tidak berpengaruh signifikan. Hasil lainnya menunjukkan bahwa tingkat produktivitas Bank Umum Syariah menurun selama periode 2011-2020. Dari sisi tingkat likuiditas, bank syariah memang memiliki tingkat likuiditas yang sehat berdasarkan pemetaan kriteria FDR, NPF dan CAR, dimana LC selalu meningkat setiap periode. Studi ini menunjukkan kebaruan dalam integrasi teknik produktivitas, likuiditas, dan profitabilitas, untuk mengukur kinerja perbankan Syariah di Indonesia. Keywords: Bank Syariah, Total Factor Productivity, Liquidity Creation, ProfitabilityJEL: G21, R51
Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum before and after intensive and massive relocation of populations into Yaoundé, Cameroon

massive Abstract The introduction of new, genetically diverse and divergent populations of Plasmodium falciparum parasites into a given location, due to population influx, may have serious public health consequences. This study compared the genetic diversity (GD) of P. falciparum amongst Cameroonian populations sampled before (2014) and after (2018) intensive and massive relocations due to civil unrest, from affected regions with different malaria dynamics to the capital city Yaounde. For each time point, a subset of 50 samples was retrieved from a pool of samples collected from participant children aged between 6 months and 18 years and adults attending the hospital for outpatient consultation. To precisely assess the breadth of P. falciparum diversity, genotyping was performed using 2 PCR-based techniques which were further evaluated for their performance: nested-PCR targeting the merozoite surface protein 2 ( msp2 ) gene and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR) . Three of the 6 RAPD primers used (R8, E8, L12) yielded useful polymorphic patterns with higher genotyping rates (91-95%) than nested-PCR (67%). There was a significant difference between the 4 (3RAPD and msp2) primers used (ANOVA; P<0.001 ). Based on msp2 , the Multiplicity of Infection in 2014 was greater than in 2018 (2.28 vs. 1.97). The calculated mean of GD parameters across years and markers showed RAPD-R8 had the highest index of GD (Shannon’s Index, Unbiased Nei-GD) except for the Percentage of Polymorphic Loci. These indices, based on RAPD-R8, confirmed the comparatively higher trend of GD in 2014 compared to 2018, respectively - 0.294 vs 0.246; 0.179 vs 0.156; 88.64 vs 75.0. Clustering analysis was also used as a proxy for population structure, with the msp2 -based UPGMA distance-tree depicting intermixed and epidemiologically related clonal populations of 2014 and 2018 across sub-trees. Interestingly, the distance-tree based on RAPD-R8 primer revealed 2 clearly distinct unrelated clusters for 2014 alone, suggesting different genetic backgrounds from the rest of intermixed populations. These observations warrant in-depth investigation into how human migration redistributes malaria diversity and the interest of targeting populations with different genetic background for diagnostic purpose.
The Fantastic Four Stakeholders in ASEAN NCAP

This paper will discuss the responsibilities and contributions of key stakeholders for ASEAN NCAP as well as their aspirations for the future ASEAN NCAP roadmap. The key stakeholders are: (1) government- related entities (2) automotive industry players (3) academia and (4) consumers. A Steering Committee (SC) has been set up to govern the ASEAN NCAP with the support from the Technical Committee (TC). Four Working Groups (WG) for each pillar of Frontal Impact (FIWG), Side Impact (SIWG), Child Restraint (CRWG), and Safety Assist (SAWG) have been established recently. Automotive industry players are also known to take the initiative to adopt the ASEAN NCAP safety rating as part of the guide for their research and developments. Car dealers have embedded ASEAN NCAP as one of their marketing strategies. The academicians and researchers also have been actively involved through the ASEAN NCAP Collaborative Holistic Research (ANCHOR) Projects since it was started in 2017 until now. Since ASEAN NCAP's inception 10 years ago, consumers’ awareness and appreciation for ASEAN NCAP and the need for safer vehicles have also greatly improved.
Histological and Biological Response to Different Types of Biomaterials: A Narrative Single Research Center Experience over Three Decades

Background: In more than three decades of work of the Retrieval Bank of the Laboratory for Undemineralized Hard Tissue Histology of the University of Chieti-Pescara in Italy, many types of biomaterials were received and evaluated. The present retrospective review aimed to evaluate the histological and biological aspects of the evaluated bone substitute biomaterials. Methods: In the present study, the authors prepared a retrospective analysis after the screening of some databases (PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE) to find papers published from the Retrieval Bank of the Laboratory for Undermineralized Hard Tissue Histology of the University of Chieti-Pescara analyzing only the papers dealing with bone substitute biomaterials and scaffolds, in the form of granules and block grafts, for bone regeneration procedures. Results: Fifty-two articles were found, including in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies of different biomaterials. These articles were evaluated and organized in tables for a better understanding. Conclusions: Over three decades of studies have made it possible to assess the quality of many bone substitute biomaterials, helping to improve the physicochemical and biological properties of the biomaterials used in daily clinical practice.
Optogenetically Engineered Neurons Differentiated from Human SH-SY5Y Cells Survived and Expressed ChR2 in 3D Hydrogel

The cases of brain degenerative disease will rise as the human population ages. Current treatments have a transient effect and lack an investigative system that is physiologically relevant for testing. There is evidence suggesting optogenetic stimulation is a potential strategy; however, an in vitro disease and optogenetic model requires a three-dimensional microenvironment. Alginate is a promising material for tissue and optogenetic engineering. Although it is bioinert, alginate hydrogel is transparent and therefore allows optical penetration for stimulation. In this study, alginate was functionalized with arginine-glycine-aspartate acid (RGD) to serve as a 3D platform for encapsulation of human SH-SY5Y cells, which were optogenetically modified and characterized. The RGD-alginate hydrogels were tested for swelling and degradation. Prior to encapsulation, the cells were assessed for neuronal expression and optical-stimulation response. The results showed that RGD-alginate possessed a consistent swelling ratio of 18% on day 7, and degradation remained between 3.7–5% throughout 14 days. Optogenetically modified SH-SY5Y cells were highly viable (>85%) after lentiviral transduction and neuronal differentiation. The cells demonstrated properties of functional neurons, developing beta III tubulin (TuJ1)-positive long neurites, forming neural networks, and expressing vGlut2. Action potentials were produced upon optical stimulation. The neurons derived from human SH-SY5Y cells were successfully genetically modified and encapsulated; they survived and expressed ChR2 in an RGD-alginate hydrogel system.
Forty Years of Wildland Urban Interface Growth and Its Relation With Wildfires in Central-Western Chubut, Argentina

Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas are rapidly expanding worldwide. In many regions of the world, this expansion could be explained by the increasing possibilities of telecommuting and developing home-office work, while at the same time living in, or surrounded by wilderness areas of magnificent beauty. However, growth and development of these WUIs are still not well dimensioned and regulated, especially in fire prone ecosystems. Over the last two decades, an increasingly number of megafires occurred in these WUI areas in different regions of the world. Recently, big megafires occurred in WUIs located around towns in the western Andean-Patagonian region of Argentina. In this study, we analyzed the evolution of the WUI and its relationship with wildfires around cities and towns located in the northwestern part of Chubut province of Argentina. The studied region covers 324,823 ha and includes the cities of Esquel and Trevelin, and other small villages. Our objectives were to (i) map the current WUI, (ii) quantify changes occurred in the WUI in the last 40 years around the main cities of the region, and (iii) analyze the relationships among WUIs, vegetation types, and wildfire occurrence. We mapped the distribution of WUI using spatially explicit information on housing density derived from censuses and high-resolution imagery from 1981/1982 and 2021, and land cover data. The current WUI covered 8% of the study area, however it has 97% of the houses. Between 1981 and 2021, the WUI area increased by 80%, especially in the southern part of our study region. Finally, information on wildfires distribution revealed that 65% of the ignition points of the recent fires in the region occurred within the WUI. Most of the vegetation burned were herbs, sub-shrubs and woodlands. WUI expansion in our study area appears to be constrained by terrain features (slopes and accessibility), but not by vegetation characteristics. Our study suggests that continuing, unplanned housing expansion in wilderness areas without appropriate vegetation management will likely increases wildfire risk and human environmental conflicts further. Effective land use planning and wildfire management are crucial for sustainable housing expansion in western Patagonia.
Effects of Pterostilbene isolated from Pterocarpus marsupium on High Fat Diet induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. The present study tested the anti-diabetic and hypolipidemic potential of pterostilbene isolated from Pterocarpus marsupium plants on high fat diet-induced diabetic rats. The high-fat diet-fed rats showed increased serum glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance (p is less than 0.05). However, treating the animals with pterostilbene different biochemical parameters like glucose tolerance, glycogen content, glucose homeostatic enzymes like glucose-6-phosphatase and hexokinase, adipocytes differentiation, and the expression profiles of different genes regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism were improved significantly (p is less than 0.05). Further, pterostilbene was found to demonstrate dual regulation activities for peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors (PPAR) (both PPARα and PPARγ). In conclusion, these results show that pterostilbene acts as a potent antidiabetic molecule. Hence further in-depth mechanistic studies are warranted to use this phytochemical as a medicine.
Characterization, classification, and suitability evaluation of some soils in the floodplains of River Niger, Kogi East, Nigeria for rice, maize, cassava, and oil palm production

This study was conducted to characterize, classify and evaluate four soils along River Niger in Kogi East for rice, maize, cassava and oil palm production. The soils developed predominantly from alluvium. The soils were located in four communities namely Ejule-Ojebe, Shintaku, Bagana and Kpata all in the floodplains of River Niger in Kogi East. The soils were investigated using a free survey technique. Four pedons representing four soils located at different sites in the floodplain were studied. The environs and the profiles of the soils were described according to standard field procedures. Soil samples were then taken from genetic horizons for laboratory analysis. The soils were also characterized and classified according to Soil Taxonomy and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). The colour of the soils ranged from shades of brown to grey generally due to poor drainage. The soils also varied in depth and horizonation due to differences in profile development. Due to the relatively higher sand content of the soils, especially in the surface and subsurface horizons, the texture of the soils generally ranged from sand to clay loam. The pH (H2O) of the soils ranged from 4.8 to 7.3, strongly acidic to slightly alkaline, and tended to increase with depth. The soils containedmoderate amounts of organic carbon in the surface soils but lower levels in the lower horizons. Based on their properties, the soils were classified according to Soil Taxonomy as Alfisols (Ejule-Ojebe), Entisols (Shintaku), Inceptisols (Bagana) and Alfisols (Kpata) and according to WRB as Planosols, Arenosols, Gleysols and Planosols, respectively. The soils were found to be highly suitable for rice production but moderately suitable for maize, cassava and oil palm. Apart from rice cultivation, wetness of soil was found to be the major limiting factor for optimum rainfed cultivation of maize, cassava and oil palm.
Analysis of Environmental Health Conditions in Obio-Akpo Local Government Area, Rivers State

Introduction: Environmental health encompasses the assessment and control of the environmental factors that can potentially affect health and is targeted towards preventing diseases and creating health-supportive environment. Although, the environmental health indicators are made up of intermediate and impact indicators; these indicators are most routinely used for monitoring the three most common environmental health problems faced in developing countries, which includes Malaria, ARI (Acute Respiratory Infection) and Diarrhoea. This study shows the interrelationship between environmental health condition and WASH diseases (Cholera, Typhoid fever, and Diarrheal). Materials and Methods: A pre-test on analysis of Environmental Health condition in Obio-Akpo LGA, multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting a total of 50 respondent who were women, questionnaires were used to elicit data from the respondents and the data was analysed using descriptive statistics, prevalence and correlation. Results: The women in the study area indicated their willingness to participate in the survey when compared to the men, with the women having 50(100%) and the men 0(0%) participation. It was common among the respondents that 37(74%) wash their hands with soap and water while others 13(26%) wash their hands at times with soap and water, and at times they just rinse their hands with water. The diseases related to WASH that occurred in the past 12months among the respondents were 6(12%) had Cholera, Diarrhoea occurred in 10(20%) of the respondents, Typhoid malaria occurred in 13(26%) of the respondents, also Skin Infection and COVID-19 were 1(2%) each. While 19(38%) of the respondents had none of the diseases related to WASH in the past 12 months. The type of toilet facilities had a negative relationship to the prevalence of diseases with a 0.01 level of significance. Discussion: There was prevalence of WASH disease among the respondents and it was above average, it is recommended that the government and non-governmental organisations should provide water in homes and public spaces due to the strong correlation between hand washing and prevalence of diseases.
APLICAÇÃO DO DESIGN THINKING INTEGRADO COM MÉTODOS ÁGEIS NA GESTÃO DE PROJETOS DE SOFTWARE

A aplicacao de um metodo agil em projetos de desenvolvimento de software promove a entrega rapida de novas funcionalidades por meio de uma melhor gestao de mudancas na priorizacao das atividades e aumento da produtividade da equipe responsavel pelo software. Ao longo da execucao dos projetos de desenvolvimento do software espera-se que as necessidades dos usuarios sejam completamente entendidas pelo time, porem a proximidade entre clientes e executores pode ser dificultada por restricoes geograficas, cronograma enxuto e restricoes orcamentarias. Por sua vez, o Design Thinking (DT) e uma abordagem que promove o entendimento das necessidades dos usuarios, considerando o que e tecnicamente e economicamente viavel simultaneamente. O proposito desta pesquisa e avaliar como o DT pode ser integrado com metodos ageis em projetos de desenvolvimento de software. O metodo de pesquisa escolhido foi o Design Science Research que utilizou entrevistas e grupos focais na coleta de dados, permitindo uma analise qualitativa dos dados. Para identificar os problemas existentes, a pesquisa teve inicio com entrevistas em uma empresa que utiliza a abordagem de gestao agil em projetos de software e avaliar se o uso de um metodo que integra DT e metodos ageis iria solucionar tais problemas. Embora nao tenha sido encontrado um metodo que integra o DT com metodos ageis, foram encontrados diversos modelos que foram detalhadamente analisados, gerando uma proposta de metodo para resolver os problemas identificados na empresa que desenvolve softwares, considerando a perspectiva do cliente no desenho e validacao da solucao final. O metodo que integra a abordagem DT e metodos ageis foi desenvolvido e recebeu o nome de Agile Design. Ele promovera a aproximacao dos clientes, usuarios e time do projeto, envolvendo-os em varias etapas dos projetos de desenvolvimento de softwares e, assim, habilitara a entrega de produtos com melhor qualidade e maior nivel de satisfacao dos usuarios A contribuicao teorica foi prescrever um metodo a partir dos aspectos encontrados nos modelos ja existentes e possibilitar o uso em projetos de desenvolvimento de softwares executados por diferentes organizacoes. Sendo assim, o metodo proposto consiste em uma contribuicao para a pratica voltado as organizacoes que enfrentam problemas nos projetos de desenvolvimento de software para que sejam flexiveis, ageis e que satisfacam as necessidades de seus clientes e dos usuarios do software.
Automatic Differentiating of Postharvest Banana Fruits with High Traits Using Imagery Data

Visually differentiating banana cultivar with high similarity in shape, color and peel texture requires skill and experience during harvesting to reduce mistake on identifying cultivar. This study aims to identify automatically some similar banana cultivars using banana finger imagery and computer vision. The identification process was carried out to distinguish two groups of bananas with high similarities, namely group 1 (Ambon, Hijau, Goroho) and group 2 (Barlin, Mas). The test was conducted on the pair of datasets of unripe Ambon-Hijau-Goroho, ripe Hijau-Goroho, ripe and unripe Barlin-Mas. Testing was done to determine the performance of identification and to find out the most effective characteristics that could be used as cultivar identification. Results of classification using extreme learning machine (ELM) showed that texture features extracted from local binary pattern (LBP) could accurately distinguish unripe Ambon-Goroho, unripe Goroho-Hijau, ripe Goroho-Hijau with 100% accuracy. While unripe Ambon-Hijau, unripe Barlin-Mas and ripe Barlin-Mas could be optimally distinguished using a combination of shape and peel texture features with accuracy of 93.39%, 89.68%, 99.31% respectively. This result indicated that the proposed method could be used as an alternative of automatic banana sortation during post-harvest. The use of shape and peel texture features had shown effectively differentiating these high similarity banana cultivars.
Antecedents of Mobile Data Services Acceptance: Insights from the Young Singaporean Market

This paper presents preliminary findings from work-in-progress that examines the attitudes of young Singaporeans toward mobile data services (MDS), focusing on the factors influencing their adoption of these emerging services. In-depth focus group interviews provided data for qualitative analysis. The analysis reveals that participants are generally receptive towards these technological services, based on their perceptions of the benefits of MDS and their expectation that MDS will deliver functional utility and satisfy hedonic influences. However, potential barriers to adoption include insecurity regarding MDS service providers, the reliability and security of MDS applications, their costs, loss of human touch, difficulty of use and a lack of social support. The authors conclude by discussing the contributions of their research to knowledge of technology acceptance and managerial practice.