Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress responses of Indian major carps cultured in the East Kolkata Wetland, West Bengal, India

Fish are continuously exposed to multiple environmental stressors that work cumulatively and synergistically. This study assessed the stress responses of Indian major carps (IMCs) cultured in a sewage-fed pond (SP) in the East Kolkata Wetland (EKW), India and compared with the normal carps in situ. The experiment was conducted in two farms that cultured Labeo rohita, Catla catla and Cirrhinus mrigala for seven months, covering the summer and winter periods. Serum biomarkers of primary (cortisol) and secondary (glucose, total protein, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)) stress responses, and oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were quantified using standard kits. The health status of carps was evaluated as a tertiary response. The biological oxygen demand, hardness, total dissolved solids, ammonia and phosphate levels of both ponds exhibited marked variations. The SP carps had significantly low haemoglobin and total protein, and high serum glucose, creatinine, ALT, AST and LDH levels. The SOD and cortisol levels were comparatively low in SP carps. The winter temperature had a significant effect on serum glucose, cortisol, SOD, creatinine, ALT and AST. Carps had a high degree of ectoparasitic infestation during the winter. Cirrhinus mrigala of the SP had significantly high serum creatinine levels. The increasing levels of serum glucose, creatinine, ALT and AST suggested that these indices, which were more pronounced in the carps of EKW in conjunction with winter temperature, could be useful biomarkers of stress, kidney and liver functioning in carps, respectively.
Determining Factors of the Perceived Security Dimensions in B2C Electronic Commerce Website: An Indonesian Study

: Research aims: This study aims to analyze the perceived security dimensions and build a research model using perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as variables mediating the link between perceived security and the intention to use Indonesia's B2C e-commerce websites. Design/Methodology/Approach : Using a purposive sampling approach, this study conducted an online survey of respondents who had done online transactions, such as business-to-customer (B2C) transactions. Research Findings : The study's results showed that perceived security significantly correlated with buyers' intention to use B2C websites. Theoretical contribution/Originality : This study contributes to developing and validating key dimensions of perceived security and their constructs. Mediation effect test results from TAM, which were perceived ease and perceived use, indicated that only the perceived usefulness variable significantly mediated the relationship between perceived security and intention to use B2C e-commerce websites. Perceived use's mediation was not supported. Practitioner/Policy implication : This research empirically supports the perceived security construct as a second-order construct involving confidentiality, availability, non-repudiation, and privacy. Research limitation/Implication : This study used data from Indonesian individuals, which may differ from other countries' characteristics. It may limit the research' finding generalization.
Brain Activation in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain : A Systematic review and ALE Meta-analysis

Pain, a protective mechanism turns into a pathologic response when it becomes chronic. Recent evidences are pointing towards neuroplastic brain changes as the primary factor for the persisting pain in chronic nonspecific low back pain (cLBP). To summarise the previous fMRI studies, a coordinate-based ALE meta-analysis of resting functional brain imaging studies is carried out to identify the clusters activated in the brain in cLBP. Literature survey: PubMed, Scopus and Sleuth were searched for studies with resting functional whole-brain imaging in cLBP. Till October 2020; 258, 238, and 7 studies were found respectively after search. The activity pattern was documented in without stimulation and with stimulation groups. The risk of bias was assessed by Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-section studies. Total seven (224 cLBP patients, 110 activation foci) and six studies (106 cLBP patients, 66 activation foci) were selected among 277 studies for metanalysis in the without stimulation and with stimulation group respectively. In the without stimulation group 8 statistically significant clusters were found. The clusters are distributed in the prefrontal cortex, primary somatosensory cortex, and primary motor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, putamen, claustrum, amygdala, and associated white matters in both hemispheres. On the other group, 3 statistically significant clusters were found in the frontal cortex, Parietal cortex, and Insula. In the with stimulation group, significant lateralization was observed and most of the clusters were in the right hemisphere. The white matter involvement was more in the with stimulation group (78.62% Vs 38.21%). The statistically significant clusters found in this study indicate a probable imbalance in GABAergic modulation of brain circuit and dysfunction in descending pain modulation system. This disparity in pain neuro-matrix is the source of spontaneous and persisting pain in cLBP.
Poverty, Inequality and Social Protection in Myanmar

In 2014, prior to the political transition of 2015 towards democracy, the government published the Myanmar National Social Protection Strategic Plan with the aim of supporting socio-economic development, and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable people against shocks and life cycle contingencies. In this study, we take stock of the social protection system in place in Myanmar until the end of 2020, paying attention to the design features, and levels of institutionalisation of these programmes. We conduct a poverty and inequality decomposition analysis as well as a benefit-incidence analysis to examine the degree of progressivity or regressivity of these programmes. Overall, we find low coverage rates of welfare benefits, with negligible poverty reducing effects at the national level. The contribution of welfare benefits to reducing inequality is mixed, with social insurance having disequalising effects while social assistance programmes have a more equalizing contribution to the distribution of income. Further simulation analysis indicates that expanding coverage under poverty targeting approaches would produce larger welfare gains than universal approaches in the delivery of welfare benefits, irrespective of the design features of programmes.
Bankruptcy Prediction of Privately Held SMEs Using Feature Selection Methods

In this paper, we test alternative feature selection methods for bankruptcy prediction and illustrate their superiority versus popular models used in the literature. We test these methods using a comprehensive dataset of more than one million financial statements from privately held Norwegian SMEs in 2006-2017. Our methods are allowed to choose among 155 accounting-based input variables derived from prior literature. We find that the input variables chosen by an embedded least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) feature selection method yield the best in-sample fit, out-of-sample performance, and stability. Our findings are robust to using discrete hazard models with either a deep artificial neural network (DNN) or logistic regression (LR) in the estimation and hold across different time periods. We show in a simulation which mimics a real-world competitive credit market that using LASSO to choose bankruptcy predictors improves credit risk pricing and decision making, resulting in significantly higher bank profits.
A Model of Livestream Selling with Online Influencers

As the usage of livestreaming as a shopping channel skyrocketed during Covid-19 lockdowns (especially in China), numerous brands started to leverage livestream selling to drive sales. One core challenge for companies is to identify when to join the tide of livestream selling and how to select a right online inﬂuencer to cooperate with. This paper develops a model of livestream selling that incorporates inﬂuencer’s main characteristics and diﬀerent levels of consumer sophistication in product quality perception to investigate a ﬁrm’s optimal livestream adoption strategy. Our research yields the following main insights. First, livestream selling should only be adopted when the inﬂuencer can attract a considerable number of viewers (i.e., social inﬂuence is relatively large) and can accurately identify the product quality (i.e., endorsement reliability is high), but requires low price discounts from the ﬁrm (i.e., bargaining power is relatively small). Depending on the inﬂuencers’ characteristics, two pricing strategies can be adopted: the exclusive-discounting strategy (i.e., deep price discount with the guaranteed inﬂuencer’s cooperation) and the selective-discounting strategy (i.e., moderate price discount with the inﬂuencer’s rejection risk). Second, the livestream adoption always increases the ﬁrm’s quality investment level but may decrease the quality-price ratio and consequently lead to lower consumer surplus and even social welfare. Third, while inﬂuencers with a larger social inﬂuence are always preferred by the ﬁrm, the preferences over endorsement reliability and bargaining power are more nuanced. Counter to intuition, a lower endorsement reliability or a larger bargaining power of the inﬂuencer may beneﬁt the ﬁrm. Lastly, as more consumers become sophisticated (being able to infer the product quality based on the inﬂuencer’s endorsement), it always hurts the product quality and the ﬁrm’s proﬁt, and somewhat surprisingly, may even lower consumer surplus, leading to a “lose-lose” outcome.
Political Settlement Dynamics and the Emergence and Decline of Bureaucratic Pockets of Effectiveness in Ghana

This paper explores the factors that shape the performance trajectories of three relatively effective public organisations in Ghana, namely, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Revenue Authority. Drawing on an original investigation of organisational performance under the various political settlements that Ghana has experienced in the past few decades, it argues that although ‘pockets of effectiveness’ can emerge under different political settlement types and dynamics, such agencies are more likely to endure in concentrated political settlements than in contexts characterised by dispersed configurations of power. The main mechanism that links Ghana’s shifting political settlement and organisational performance is the quality of organisational leadership and its relationship to the political leadership of the day. Much depends on whether organisational leaders are (a) sufficiently politically loyal to be awarded the protection required to deliver on their mandate and (b) possess the political management skills required to navigate difficult political conditions. High levels of support (both technical and financial) from international development organisations and their privileged status as key nodes of economic governance have undoubtedly helped these organisations attain high levels of performance vis-à-vis the wider public bureaucracy. Nevertheless, the fact that the performance of these agencies has waxed and waned over time, despite international support and mandates being largely constant, suggests that the key to understanding their performance lies with political economy factors, with their effectiveness regularly undermined by the increasingly dispersed nature of power within Ghana’s political settlement and the resultant vulnerability of ruling elites.
Cyber risk, financial reporting, and auditing

Modern firms routinely manage their financial reporting systems on external cloud and other enterprise technology platforms. This practice puts the integrity of the financial statements at risk, especially given the threat of cyberattacks. Therefore, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants developed a special type of voluntary audit that evaluates this risk. This study conducts one of the first systematic analyses of the benefits and costs of these voluntary audits. Using hand-collected data from public firms, I find that (1) 29 percent of firms in the S&P 500 (representing $10.9 trillion in total market value) receive these audits; (2) a firm's business-model exposure to technology predicts its decision to receive these audits; (3) the scope of these audits includes internal controls over data integrity and security; and (4) these audits are one of the largest predictors of the variation in audit-related fees, amounting to an economically significant $900,000 average annual increase in these fees at the firm level (by comparison, the well-researched topic of tax preparation costs firms $1.3 million annually on average in sample). These findings highlight the importance of non-financial audits in our attempts to understand the audit fee environment, and support theory that predicts a demand for supplemental audits of the firm.
Effects of Rapamycin on Insulin Brain Endothelial Cell Binding and Blood–Brain Barrier Transport

Rapamycin is an exogenous compound that has been shown to improve cognition in Alzheimer’s disease mouse models and can regulate pathways downstream of the insulin receptor signaling pathway. Insulin is also known to improve cognition in rodent models of Alzheimer’s disease. Central nervous system (CNS) insulin must first cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a specialized network of brain endothelial cells. This transport process is regulated by physiological factors, such as insulin itself, triglycerides, cytokines, and starvation. Since rapamycin treatment can alter the metabolic state of rodents, increase the circulating triglycerides, and acts as a starvation mimetic, we hypothesized rapamycin could alter the rate of insulin transport across the BBB, providing a potential mechanism for the beneficial effects of rapamycin on cognition. Using young male and female CD-1 mice, we measured the effects of rapamycin on the basal levels of serum factors, insulin receptor signaling, vascular binding, and BBB pharmacokinetics. We found chronic rapamycin treatment was able to affect basal levels of circulating serum factors and endothelial cell insulin receptor signaling. In addition, while acute rapamycin treatment did affect insulin binding at the BBB, overall transport was unaltered. Chronic rapamycin slowed insulin BBB transport non-significantly (p = 0.055). These results suggest that rapamycin may not directly impact the transport of insulin at the BBB but could be acting to alter insulin signaling within brain endothelial cells, which can affect downstream signaling.
Evidence of stereotyped contact call use in narwhal (Monodon monoceros) mother-calf communication

Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are gregarious toothed whales that strictly reside in the high Arctic. They produce a broad range of signal types; however, studies of narwhal vocalizations have been mostly descriptive of the sounds available in the species’ overall repertoire. Little is known regarding the functions of highly stereotyped mixed calls (i.e., biphonations with both sound elements produced simultaneously), although preliminary evidence has suggested that such vocalizations are individually distinctive and function as contact calls. Here we provide evidence that supports this notion in narwhal mother-calf communication. A female narwhal was tagged as part of larger studies on the life history and acoustic behavior of narwhals. At the time of tagging, it became apparent that the female had a calf, which remained close by during the tagging event. We found that the narwhal mother produced a distinct, highly stereotyped mixed call when separated from her calf and immediately after release from capture, which we interpret as preliminary evidence for contact call use between the mother and her calf. The mother’s mixed call production occurred continually over the 4.2 day recording period in addition to a second prominent but different stereotyped mixed call which we believe belonged to the narwhal calf. Thus, narwhal mothers produce highly stereotyped contact calls when separated from their calves, and it appears that narwhal calves similarly produce distinct, stereotyped mixed calls which we hypothesize also contribute to maintaining mother-calf contact. We compared this behavior to the acoustic behavior of two other adult females without calves, but also each with a unique, stereotyped call type. While we provide additional support for individual distinctiveness across narwhal contact calls, more research is necessary to determine whether these calls are vocal signatures which broadcast identity.
Newborn Screening for 5q Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Comparisons between Real-Time PCR Methodologies and Cost Estimations for Future Implementation Programs

Since the approval of modifying therapies for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), several protocols aiming to screen SMN1 homozygous deletion in a neonatal context have been published. However, no work has compared different methodologies along with detailed implementation costs for centers where the neonatal screening of SMA has not yet been implemented. Therefore, our work compared different qualitative real-time PCR approaches for SMA screening and the estimated costs of test implementation. Using Brazilian blood samples, the presence and absence (P/A) and melt curve protocols were analyzed. MLPA was used as a confirmatory test. The costs were calculated for the simplex and multiplex tests plus equipment. The test workflow was based on the present experience and literature report. The accuracy of the P/A protocol was 1 (95% CI 0.8677−1) using dried blood spots (DBS). The melt curve protocol also achieved 100% concordance. The consumable costs ranged from USD 1.68 to 4.42 and from USD 2.04 to 12.76 per reaction, for the simplex and multiplex tests, respectively. The equipment acquisition costs ranged from USD 44,817.07 to 467,253.10, with several factors influencing this value presented. Our work presents a framework for decision-making, with a project demonstration of the different assays that will be useful in dealing with the issues of cost and availability of reagents. Moreover, we present a literature review and discussion of important concerns regarding treatment policies. We take the first step towards a future SMA NBS pilot program where it is not yet a reality.
Molecular Pathology Demonstration of SARS-CoV-2 in Cytotrophoblast from Placental Tissue with Chronic Histiocytic Intervillositis, Trophoblast Necrosis and COVID-19

A subset of placentas from pregnant women having the SARS-CoV-2 infection have been found to be infected with the coronavirus using molecular pathology methods including immunohistochemistry and RNA in situ hybridization. These infected placentas can demonstrate several unusual findings which occur together—chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. They frequently also have increased fibrin deposition, which can be massive in some cases. Syncytiotrophoblast is the most frequent fetal-derived cell type to be positive for SARS-CoV-2. It has recently been shown that in a small number of infected placentas, villous stromal macrophages, termed Hofbauer cells, and villous capillary endothelial cells can also stain positive for SARS-CoV-2. This report describes a placenta from a pregnant woman with SARS-CoV-2 that had chronic histiocytic intervillositis, trophoblast necrosis, increased fibrin deposition and positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, molecular pathology testing including RNAscope and immunohistochemistry for SARS-CoV-2 and double-staining immunohistochemistry using antibodies to E-cadherin and GATA3 revealed that cytotrophoblast cells stained intensely for SARS-CoV-2. All of the cytotrophoblast cells that demonstrated positive staining for SARS-CoV-2 were in direct physical contact with overlying syncytiotrophoblast that also stained positive for the virus. The pattern of cytotrophoblast staining for SARS-CoV-2 was patchy, and there were chorionic villi having diffuse positive staining of the syncytiotrophoblast for SARS-CoV-2, but without staining of cytotrophoblast. This first detailed description of cytotrophoblast involvement by SARS-CoV-2 adds another fetal cell type from infected placentas that demonstrate viral staining.
Development and preliminary validation of the Emotions while Learning an Instrument Scale (ELIS)

Learning to play a musical instrument is associated with different, partially conflicting emotions. This paper describes the development and psychometric properties of the Emotions while Learning an Instrument Scale (ELIS). In a longitudinal study with 545 German elementary school children factorial structure and psychometric properties were evaluated. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed a two-factor solution measuring Positive musical Emotions while Learning an Instrument (PELI) and Negative Emotions while Learning an Instrument (NELI). Both subscales yielded scores with adequate internal reliability (Cronbach’s α = .74, .86) and relatively stable retest reliabilities over 18 months (r = .11 -.56). Preliminary evidence of congruent and divergent validity of the subscales is provided. Implications for future research of musical emotional experiences in children are discussed.
The Effect of HBV/HCV in Response to HAART in HIV Patients after 12 Months in Kumba Health District in the South West Region of Cameroon

Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) are two among the numerous forms of infections whose clinical degeneration, morbidity–mortality and low immune responsiveness in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are highly evident. Co-infection of HIV with HBV and HCV has been associated with reduced survival, increased risk of progression to liver diseases and increased risk of hepatotoxicity associated with antiretroviral therapy (ARV). We carried out biochemical, immunological, virological and clinical analysis of hepatitis B and C positive HIV patients as well as some HIV positive individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy in Kumba Health District to evaluate the immune response to the ARV therapy and identified risk factors associated with the treatment outcomes. A total of 52 HIV patients, 36 HIV/HBV and 12 HIV/HCV patients were involved in this study. We performed CD4 counts, viral load test, analyzed ALAT/ASAT, albumin, bilirubin, and creatinine and measured the weights of HIV patients, HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV enrolled for not more than one year in Kumba Health District. The results were analyzed to evaluate the immune response and possible risk factors associated with the treatment outcomes. The mean increase in weight in participants of all groups over 12 months (17.12 kg) was greater than the mean increase in CD4 (8.92 cell/mm3). However, the mean decrease in viral loads over a 12 months was also very high (1035.17 copies/mL). There was a significant change in the mean values from baseline for all the three variables (p < 0.0001). HIV disease outcomes following HAART (high active antiretroviral therapy) do not appear to be adversely affected by HBV or HCV co-infection, except for slightly poorer CD4 count responses in HIV/HCV co-infected patients. Concerning the renal and liver functions, all the biomarkers witnessed a decrease in patients of all groups in response to HAART over time, with a more rapid decrease in mono-infected patients as compared with those co-infected with HBV but the case was contrary for those co-infected with HCV. Co-infection with HBV or HCV was relatively common among HIV infected participants in Kumba Health District. There were differences in response to HAART between the mono-infected compared with the co-infected, taking into consideration the weight, CD4 count, and viral load. In addition, there was also a variation in the different biomarkers of liver and renal function between mono-infected and co-infected patients.