Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Board Structure on Egyptian Mutual Fund Performance: A Structural Equation Model Analysis

Purpose – This paper empirically explores the causality between board structure and the fund performance in the mutual fund industry of an emerging market. Design – Using a panel of 82 Egyptian funds spanning 10 years before and after the global financial crisis, we develop a Structural Equation Model to deal with the endogeneity between measures of governance and performance in a systematic and identified way. Findings – Experimental results show a significant negative relationship between the equity ownership by the directors and the fund performance. Evidence shows little support for a significant effect of board structure on the performance after controlling for the endogeneity. It implies the misconduct of governance rules in Egypt, especially the weakness in board composition. Originality– Given the important role of mutual fund industry in Egypt, this is the first study of its kind explores the causality between board structure and the fund performance in the mutual fund.
A study of the prognostic and predictive role of HER-2 expression in bladder urothelial carcinoma

Results A total of 51 urothelial carcinoma cases were positive, whereas 39 were negative for HER-2 expression. Significant correlations were found between HER-2 expression and advanced tumor stage (P < 0.000), higher grade (P < 0.000), advanced nodal stage (P = 0.004), vascular invasion (P = 0.002), squamous differentiation (P = 0.001), and distant metastasis (P = 0.003). HER-2 proved together with the stage to be the most independent prognostic factors on overall survival (P < 0.000 for both).
The development of robotic flexible endoscopic platforms

Many different types of endoscopy robot have been developed or are under development. Some of these innovative biotechnologies are dedicated to complex endoscopic procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection whereas others are purely diagnostic. In endoscopy robotics, there are still several problems that need a solution. These problems basically concern robotic locomotion and instrument control, as well as clinical application. Flexible robotic endoscopic platforms are divided into four categories as follows: robot-assisted flexible endoscopy for maneuvering, robotic flexible endoscopy with therapeutic functions, active flexible colonoscopy, and active capsule endoscope. A thorough literature analysis was performed to assess the current status of robotic flexible endoscopic platforms designed for advanced endoluminal procedures. Copyright © 2020, Society of Gastrointestinal Intervention.
Modelling Public Transport Accessibility with Monte Carlo Stochastic Simulations: A Case Study of Ostrava

Activity-based micro-scale simulation models for transport modelling provide better evaluations of public transport accessibility, enabling researchers to overcome the shortage of reliable real-world data. Current simulation systems face simplifications of personal behaviour, zonal patterns, non-optimisation of public transport trips (choice of the fastest option only), and do not work with real targets and their characteristics. The new TRAMsim system uses a Monte Carlo approach, which evaluates all possible public transport and walking origin–destination (O–D) trips for k-nearest stops within a given time interval, and selects appropriate variants according to the expected scenarios and parameters derived from local surveys. For the city of Ostrava, Czechia, two commuting models were compared based on simulated movements to reach (a) randomly selected large employers and (b) proportionally selected employers using an appropriate distance–decay impedance function derived from various combinations of conditions. The validation of these models confirms the relevance of the proportional gravity-based model. Multidimensional evaluation of the potential accessibility of employers elucidates issues in several localities, including a high number of transfers, high total commuting time, low variety of accessible employers and high pedestrian mode usage. The transport accessibility evaluation based on synthetic trips offers an improved understanding of local situations and helps to assess the impact of planned changes.
EVALUATION OF THREE TRANSGENIC CORN HYBRIDS (BT CORN) IN BROILER GROWTH TRIAL

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of including three transgenic corn hybrids in broiler diets with the corresponding isogenic corn diets on broiler performance, blood characteristics and histological status for both liver and kidney. Two hundred and fifty two chicks (Ross 308) were fed for 35 days with diets containing Bt or isogenic corn. Both Bt and isogenic corn were analyzed for chemical composition and total aflatoxin contents. The analysis has shown that the amino acid balance for the tested corn was relatively similar to their crude protein content. The diets were formulated to be iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous and covering the chick requirements as recommended by the management guide data (Ross). The different in chemical composition between corn used in this study is considered as a natural variation. Also, the results showed that both Bt and isogenic corn were free from aflatoxins. The results of the growth study showed no differences in performance parameters. No differences were detected in blood characteristics or histological structure of both kidneys and liver between groups fed the three transgenic corn and their corresponding isogenic corn. Accordingly, it is clear that the transgenic corn had no deleterious or unintended effects on production traits of broiler chickens in this study.
The Role of Radiological Parameters in Assessing Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer

Background: Surgery in pancreatic cancer remains the curative option, consequently drawing attention to the importance of an indeterminate group of patients potentially curable by undergoing this procedure, Borderline Resectable Pancreatic Cancer (BRPC). Despite this seemingly positive outlook the outcome of these patients remains undefined. Aim: To assess the response of BRPC patients to neoadjuvant treatment and the accuracy of radiological constraints in their selection. Methods: Data extraction from a university hospital filing system from September 2015 to September 2018 was performed to select patients with BRPC. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria to define BRPC were used. Clinical, surgical and radiological parameters were collected pre/ post-operative for all cases and correlated to outcome. Results: Sixty patients with BRPC were identified. The outcome of neoadjuvant treatment was partial response in 6 (10%) patients, stable disease in 49 (81.7%) and progressive disease in 5 (8.3%). The majority (78.3%) of patients underwent pancreatectomy. In patients who underwent resection a median overall survival of 31 months (95% CI: 29.180 - 32.820) was achieved vs. 17 months (95% CI: 15.625 - 18.375) in non-resected cases (p < 0.001). Response to neoadjuvant therapy was found to be favorable for overall survival (p = 0.014) and progression-free survival (p = 0.006). Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria did not predict operative potential. Conclusion: RECIST criteria lacked predictive potentiality for surgical intervention after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in a cohort of BRPC patients. The significant positive outcome observed in BRPC patients who underwent surgery emphasizes that the decision for this procedure should not depend on the response to neoadjuvant treatment per se.
Individual Differences in Moral Attitudes: Disgust-Sensitivity Predicts Non-Consequentialistic Responses

日本の大学生237人に3つの道徳的側面(独裁的支配,絶対的忠誠,応報的罰)に基づく9つの教訓 話を読ませ,道徳的に望ましい2つの結末(帰結主義の結末,非帰結主義の結末)について評定を求め た。 参加者には自身の性格特性についても評定を求めた。 認知スタイルや怒り易さではなく,嫌悪感感 受性が3つの道徳的側面における非帰結主義的態度を有意に予測した。 この結果は,嫌悪感感受性にお ける個人差が,道徳的判断の厳しさだけではなく,非帰結主義的態度も予測することを示唆している。 237 Japanese university-students read nine moral stories based on three moral aspects (absolute rules, absolute loyalty and retributive punishment) and rated which of two endings (one typically consequentialistic and one typically non-consequentialistic) they believed to be morally preferable. Participants also rated themselves on several personality-variables. Disgust-sensitivity, but not cognitive style or anger proneness, significantly predicted non-consequentialistic attitudes in all three aspects. The results suggest that individual differences in disgustsensitivity not only predict the severity of moral judgments, but also the amount of non-consequentialistic attitudes. 道徳的態度における個人差 ―嫌悪感感受性と非帰結主義的態度の関係について― Individual Differences in Moral Attitudes: Disgust-Sensitivity Predicts Non-Consequentialistic Responses アーランソン,アルビッド ERLANDSSON, Arvid ● ルンド大学大学院心理学研究科 Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology, Lund University, Sweden ● 国際基督教大学教育研究所 Institute for Educational Research and Service, International Christian University
Carrageenan and Garlic Essensial Oil Edible Film as Protective Coating on Catfish Sausage

The edible film based on carrageenan containing garlic essential oil (GEO) at different concentration (0%; 0,2%; 0,4%; and 0,6%) were added into carrageenan edible film (CEF) then applied on sausage, chilled storage for 10 days. The antioxidative allicin prevention on product determined its chemical characteristics such as TBA, TVBN, Aw, and pH. The addition of garlic essential oil on carrageenan based edible film was not significantly different on tensile strength. CEF with 0,6% of garlic essential oil produced the highest elongation value and the lowest Water Vapor Transmission Rate with the amount of 3,970% and 0,673%; respectively. The catfish sausage coated with 0,4% CEF produced TBA and TVBN value during chilled storage with the amount of 0,870 mg malonaldehyde/kg and 17,223 mgN/100g; respectively and not significantly different to CEF 0,6%. The result indicated that edible film containing garlic essential oil able to retard the oxidation process. Indicated from FTIR test, 0,2%; 0,4%; and 0,6% CEF containing garlic compound illustrated with S-S, N-H, C=O and C-H functional group with the wavelength of 408,91 cm-1, 925,83 cm-1, 1543,05 and 2931,8 cm-1. ; respectively.
Exploration of machine learning methods for the classification of infrared limb spectra of polar stratospheric clouds

Abstract. Polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) play a key role in polar ozone depletion in the stratosphere. Improved observations and continuous monitoring of PSCs can help to validate and improve chemistry–climate models that are used to predict the evolution of the polar ozone hole. In this paper, we explore the potential of applying machine learning (ML) methods to classify PSC observations of infrared limb sounders. Two datasets were considered in this study. The first dataset is a collection of infrared spectra captured in Northern Hemisphere winter 2006/2007 and Southern Hemisphere winter 2009 by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) instrument on board the European Space Agency's (ESA) Envisat satellite. The second dataset is the cloud scenario database (CSDB) of simulated MIPAS spectra. We first performed an initial analysis to assess the basic characteristics of the CSDB and to decide which features to extract from it. Here, we focused on an approach using brightness temperature differences (BTDs). From both the measured and the simulated infrared spectra, more than 10 000 BTD features were generated. Next, we assessed the use of ML methods for the reduction of the dimensionality of this large feature space using principal component analysis (PCA) and kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) followed by a classification with the support vector machine (SVM). The random forest (RF) technique, which embeds the feature selection step, has also been used as a classifier. All methods were found to be suitable to retrieve information on the composition of PSCs. Of these, RF seems to be the most promising method, being less prone to overfitting and producing results that agree well with established results based on conventional classification methods.
A Taxonomy of Consumer Resale Behavior in Consumer-to-A Taxonomy of Consumer Resale Behavior in Consumer-to-Consumer(C2C) E-commerce: An Exploratory Study in Taiwan Consumer(C2C) E-commerce: An Exploratory Study in Taiwan

This article draws on a phenomenological study of consumer resale behavior in consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce. We developed a taxonomy to describe consumer online resale behavior using the dimensions of ―planned‖ or ―unplanned resell‖ and ―used‖ or ―unused products‖ in order to examine the relationship between consumers’ reselling and purchasing behavior. We named the four consumer resale types as 1) resale of extra purchase, 2) resale after temporary ownership, 3) unintentional resale, and 4) disposition. Further, we implemented consumer interviews to empirically examine our taxonomy. Three major implications are derived. Firstly, consumer resale behavior influences consumers’ purchasing decisions. Secondly, consumer unsatisfied resale experience would damage brand image and decrease consumers’ willingness to repurchase. Finally, the motivations and behavior of consumer resale behavior are multidimensional.
Information Gain based Methodology to Predict the Effect of Conformational Change on the Existence of f10 Epitope on the Surface of Human H5N1 Virus Hemagglutinin Protein

Bio-informatics tools are widely used to obtain results that are hard to be obtained by physical experiments alone. In this study, we predicted the 3D structure of all human H5N1 hemagglutinin proteins with estimated precision 100%. We tested the existence of the F10 antibody epitope at their surfaces. The information gain (IG) is applied to calculate the degree of association between each position mutation and the absence of F10 antibody epitope on the protein surface. We identified amino acid positions that are responsible for the protein escape from neutralization by f10 antibody. General Terms Bioinformatics.
Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of leaves of Eugenia involucrata DC.

In the Myrtaceae family, the species Eugenia involucrata DC. , popularly known as "cerejeira-do-mato", is traditionally used for the antidiarrheal and digestive action of its leaves. However, no studies were found in the literature regarding its antimicrobial and antioxidant potential. In this context, the objective of the present study was to determine the chemical composition by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to evaluate the antimicrobial activity by the broth microdilution technique and the antioxidant activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazila (DPPH) method of the essential oil of E. involucrata leaves. GC-MS identified 28 compounds, all sesquiterpenes, corresponding to 89.41% of the essential oil. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was observed for all Gram-positive bacteria tested (Staplylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis and Staplylococcus aureus) and for yeast Candida albicans. The essential oil presented a reduction capacity of DPPH up to 66.81%, evidencing its antioxidant potential. It is suggested that the antimicrobial and antioxidant action of E. involucrata essential oil is related to the presence of the major compounds, elixene (26.53%), β-caryophyllene (13.16%), α-copaene (8.41%) and germacrene D (7.17%).
A Supply and Demand Model of the College Admissions Problem

Economists have developed a range of empirically tractable demand systems for fixed price markets. But auction mechanisms also play an important part in allocating goods, and yet existing empirical auction techniques treat each auction in isolation, obscuring market interactions. Here we provide a framework for estimating a demand system in a large auction platform market with a dynamic population of buyers, heterogeneous objects and unit demand. We construct a model of repeated second-price auctions in which bidders have multidimensional private valuations, developing an equilibrium concept under which strategies reflect option values. We prove existence of this equilibrium and characterize the ergodic distribution of types. Having developed a demand system, we show that it is non-parametrically identified from panel data. Relatively simple nonparametric and semiparametric estimation procedures are proposed and tested by Monte Carlo simulation. Our analysis highlights the importance of both dynamic bidding strategies and panel data sample selection issues when analyzing these markets. ∗We are grateful to Chris Adams, Gary Chamberlain, Ken Hendricks, Ariel Pakes, Maher Said, and participants at the UBC Summer IO conference, SITE, the SIEPR conference on internet economics and the FTC-NU microeconomics conference for helpful suggestions; and for comments in seminars at Haas, Stanford, UCSC, UCSD and Yale. All remaining errors are our own.
The relationship between volunteerism, personality, and psychological well-being among oldest old adults

Volunteering has positive effects for older adults on many aspects of well-being, especially on their psychological well-being. Personality can play an important role as a psychological resource which may motivate or select older adults to participate in volunteering. Thus, it is important to assess the role of volunteering and personality in older adults’ life satisfaction. However, there has been a lack of studies which explore the relationship between volunteerism, personality, and life satisfaction among the oldest old population. In addition, there are no studies in the existing literature exploring such relationship from the life-span perspective. Applying the volunteer personality model, the current study examined three hypothesized effects: direct effects of personality and volunteering on life satisfaction, indirect effects of personality on life satisfaction mediated by volunteering, and moderation effects of volunteerism and personality on life satisfaction among octogenarians and centenarians. Data of 208 oldest old adults from the Georgia Centenarian Study were included in the present study. For volunteering measures, three different forms of volunteerism were used: “ever volunteered,” “last volunteered,” and “currently volunteering. ” The results suggest that there are significant age differences in last volunteered and currently volunteering, indicating that the majority of centenarians last volunteered when they were 81 to 99 years of age, whereas most of the octogenarians volunteered “even today. ” There were no significant gender and ethnicity differences in all types of volunteering. Findings from the direct effects model revealed that extraversion and competence were directly and positively associated with the level of life satisfaction, indicating that those with higher levels of extraversion and competence had higher levels of life satisfaction. Neuroticism significantly predicted the time point when older adults last volunteered, indicating that those with higher levels of neuroticism were more likely to have volunteered up to the age of the 80s and 90s. In addition, participants with more educational
Relationship between Willingness to Communicate in English and Classroom Environment among Libyan EFL Learners

Oral communication skills can be regarded as core and significant skills in foreign language learning. English language teaching (ELT) educators have always been concerned with finding appropriate ways that can help English as a foreign or second language learners (EFL/ESL) to improve their oral communication skills. Such skills are closely related to the learners’ willingness to communicate (WTC). Currently, researchers in ELT have focused their attention on the significance of classroom environmental factors in developing learners’ WTC. Therefore, this study examines the association between classroom environmental factors and Libyan EFL students’ WTC. The results of the descriptive analysis indicated that the individual’s level of WTC and classroom environment among Libyan EFL students is at a moderate level. Analysis using correlations indicated a positive relationship between WTC, students’ cohesiveness, and task orientation. Multiple regressions analysis revealed that only students’ cohesiveness and task orientation were significant predictors of WTC. However, for teacher support, there was no apparent correlation and prediction relationship between teacher’s support and learners’ WTC. The study has implications for EFL university instructors and the academic authorities who are concerned with enhancing the oral communication skills of undergraduate students and enable them to become better communicators in the future.
Results from a phase 2 trial of bortezomib (B) and sorafenib (S) in unresectable or metastatic renal cell cancer.

495 Background: B is a small molecule proteasome inhibitor that affects multiple signaling pathways. S is an orally active multikinase inhibitor with known activity in renal cell cancer. In vitro data has shown that S and B interact synergistically in a number of neoplastic cell lines to cause apoptosis. A phase 1 trial of S and B demonstrated no unexpected toxicities. We now report the results of this phase 2 efficacy trial. Methods: Eligibility included cytologically confirmed clear cell cancer with no prior chemotherapy, PS 0-1, Cr < 1.5 mg/dl, normal LFTs. Regimen: S 200 mg PO BID and B 1mg/m2 IV days 1,4,8, & 11 every 21 days. Patients were treated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective of the study was to achieve a PFS of 70 weeks. Results: Seventeen patients were enrolled between April of 2011 and January of 2013. Median age was 62y (range 44-75). Four of 17 patients had known brain metastasis on entry to the trial. Median number of cycles = 4 (range 1-45+). Respo.
Intellectual Capital and Corporate Performance: Evidence From Banking Industry of Bangladesh

Intellectual capital (IC) is about the greatest competitive weapon for an organizational development. It becomes the most significant factor in the organization’s economic life. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) and corporate performance of the banking industry. This study used econometric models against five years of panel data from 2012 to 2016 of commercial banks in Bangladesh. The empirical study revealed a positive and significant relationship between value added intellectual capital (VAIC) and banks’ performances. Further, only capital employed efficiency (CEE) as a component of VAIC has a significant relationship with banks’ performance. In addition, structural capital efficiency (SCE) has a very high degree of moderating power on CEE which can be transformed into corporate performance. This study enriches the existing literature of IC and corporate performance and it may be beneficial for the sustainable economic performances of banking industry of Bangladesh.