Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INTERNET BANKING AND FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION IN THE NIGERIAN BANKING INDUSTRY

The acceptance and deployment of internet banking service is expected to improve financial intermediation banking system by reducing cost of transactions, enhancing liquidity and increased financial intermediation. However, this is a far cry to what is being experienced in the Nigerian banking industry, as credit flow from banks have been on the decline. It has been revealed that the total credit from banks to the economy recorded a decline of #135.8bn from #15.74tn at the end of the fourth quarter of last year to #15.6tn in the first three months of 2020. These revelations suggest that Nigeria’s economic growth trajectory has been diminutive, as individuals have found it difficult to have access for either start-up or expansion of their businesses from banks. On this premise, this study was carried out to investigate the effect of internet banking on financial intermediation. In a clear departure from existing literature, the study factored in the moderating effects of interest rate and cash reserve ratio, which hitherto has been identified as key impediments to bank intermediation. Data was collected from 2009 to 2020 on monthly bases from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the variables; financial intermediation (measured as ratio of currency outside banks to broad money supply), interest rate, cash reserve ratio and internet banking service for all commercial banks in Nigeria. Linear Regression models were formulated to achieve the stated objectives. Findings revealed that internet banking service has a negative insignificant effect on financial intermediation, the interaction between internet banking and interest rate has a positive insignificant effect on financial intermediation while the interaction between internet banking and cash reserve ratio has a negative insignificant effect on financial intermediation. It was recommended among others that the Central bank of Nigeria should make efforts to alleviate the cost of internet banking borne by banks. This will certainly reduce the burden on banks and make more money available for intermediation.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind? A Longitudinal Investigation of Smart Working and Burnout in the Context of the Job Demands–Resources Model during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The academic interest in smart working, a form of flexible work characterized by the use of technology to conduct one’s work, has dramatically increased over recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, in this study we investigate whether smart working affects the longitudinal association between perceived work characteristics, such as workload and social support (SS), and workers’ health and well-being, in terms of exhaustion. Overall, 185 workers completed a self-report questionnaire at two time points (four-month time-lag) during the COVID-19 outbreak. The results from moderated multiple regression analysis partially support our predictions. The longitudinal association between workload and exhaustion was positive—although marginally significant—for smart workers, but nonsignificant for in-person workers. Contrarily, the longitudinal association between SS and exhaustion was negative for in-person workers, but nonsignificant for smart workers. Overall, this study suggests that, to support employees’ health and productivity, work characteristics—both physical and psychosocial—should fit the new way of working as well as remote workers’ specific needs and expectations. Hence, to promote sustainable work, interventions should be aimed at helping smart workers to manage their workload effectively, as well as reducing professional and social isolation.
Positive outcomes after surgical correction of grade IV medial patellar luxation in small breed dogs

Background: Medial patellar luxation (MPL) is a common orthopedic condition in dogs. After surgical correction, the recurrent rates appear to be higher and outcomes worse in grade IV than in lower grade MPL. Aim: To describe the outcomes of surgical correction of canine grade IV MPL. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 16 dogs (11 females, 5 males; mean age = 5.05 years) with 22 stifle joints (8 left and 14 right) that underwent MPL surgery at Rakuno Gakuen University between May 2015 and October 2020. The procedures included capsulorrhaphy, trochlear block recession, tibial tuberosity transposition, medial retinacular release, and lateral fabellotibial suturing. The types of postsurgical complications, including a recurrence of MPL, were recorded. Results: Twelve of the 16 (75 %) dogs had concurrent contralateral MPL, and 2 dogs (12.5%) had concurrent cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The mean follow-up was 12.1 months. No lameness was observed. The outcomes of surgery for grade IV MPL were not associated with bilateral surgery, age, sex, body weight, or the preoperative quadriceps angle. Although none of the dogs showed any major or catastrophic complications following surgery, postoperative minor and major complications were observed in 8 of the 22 stifle joints (36.4%). Conclusion: Grade IV MPL is a complex orthopedic disease in dogs, which requires surgical patellar realignment to improve limb function. The surgical techniques used in this study were associated with a good prognosis without a surgical revision.
Toxic Metabolites and Inborn Errors of Amino Acid Metabolism: What One Informs about the Other

In inborn errors of metabolism, such as amino acid breakdown disorders, loss of function mutations in metabolic enzymes within the catabolism pathway lead to an accumulation of the catabolic intermediate that is the substrate of the mutated enzyme. In patients of such disorders, dietarily restricting the amino acid(s) to prevent the formation of these catabolic intermediates has a therapeutic or even entirely preventative effect. This demonstrates that the pathology is due to a toxic accumulation of enzyme substrates rather than the loss of downstream products. Here, we provide an overview of amino acid metabolic disorders from the perspective of the ‘toxic metabolites’ themselves, including their mechanism of toxicity and whether they are involved in the pathology of other disease contexts as well. In the research literature, there is often evidence that such metabolites play a contributing role in multiple other nonhereditary (and more common) disease conditions, and these studies can provide important mechanistic insights into understanding the metabolite-induced pathology of the inborn disorder. Furthermore, therapeutic strategies developed for the inborn disorder may be applicable to these nonhereditary disease conditions, as they involve the same toxic metabolite. We provide an in-depth illustration of this cross-informing concept in two metabolic disorders, methylmalonic acidemia and hyperammonemia, where the pathological metabolites methylmalonic acid and ammonia are implicated in other disease contexts, such as aging, neurodegeneration, and cancer, and thus there are opportunities to apply mechanistic or therapeutic insights from one disease context towards the other. Additionally, we expand our scope to other metabolic disorders, such as homocystinuria and nonketotic hyperglycinemia, to propose how these concepts can be applied broadly across different inborn errors of metabolism and various nonhereditary disease conditions.
Evaluation of Thyroid Hormones Level in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus as Compared to Normal Individuals in Nepal

Objective: Diabetes mellitus and thyroid disorders are two of the most common endocrine disorders. Studying the levels of thyroid hormones in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus can aid in the diagnosis of various thyroid related disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate thyroid hormones (free tri-iodothyronine [FT3] and, free thyroxine [FT4]) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus as compared to normal individuals. Methods: The study was conducted at Norvic International Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The study included thirty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the Inpatient and Outpatient departments. Serum levels of FT4, FT3 and TSH were estimated as part of a thyroid hormone assay. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and random plasma glucose were estimated to test diabetes. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in the mean FT3 activity of normal individuals (4.44 ± 0.82) and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (3.37 ± 1.14; P =0.000). Statistically significant differences were also observed in the mean FT4 activity of normal individuals (1.45 ± 0.39) and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (1.1± 0.335; P=0.002). Statistical differences in the mean TSH activity were also observed between normal individuals (3.56 ± 2.50) and patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (5.52 ± 2.41; P=0.003). A positive correlation between TSH and HBA1c (0.397) and a negative correlation between FT3 and HbA1c (-0.508) was found. Conclusions: Thyroid hormone levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are perturbed with an increase in TSH and decrease in FT3 and FT4. Therefore this study suggests hypothyroidism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Mechanocardiography in the Detection of Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction: The MECHANO-STEMI Study

Novel means to minimize treatment delays in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are needed. Using an accelerometer and gyroscope on the chest yield mechanocardiographic (MCG) data. We investigated whether STEMI causes changes in MCG signals which could help to detect STEMI. The study group consisted of 41 STEMI patients and 49 control patients referred for elective coronary angiography and having normal left ventricular function and no valvular heart disease or arrhythmia. MCG signals were recorded on the upper sternum in supine position upon arrival to the catheterization laboratory. In this study, we used a dedicated wearable sensor equipped with 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope and 1-lead ECG in order to facilitate the detection of STEMI in a clinically meaningful way. A supervised machine learning approach was used. Stability of beat morphology, signal strength, maximum amplitude and its timing were calculated in six axes from each window with varying band-pass filters in 2–90 Hz range. In total, 613 features were investigated. Using logistic regression classifier and leave-one-person-out cross validation we obtained a sensitivity of 73.9%, specificity of 85.7% and AUC of 0.857 (SD = 0.005) using 150 best features. As a result, mechanical signals recorded on the upper chest wall with the accelerometers and gyroscopes differ significantly between STEMI patients and stable patients with normal left ventricular function. Future research will show whether MCG can be used for the early screening of STEMI.
Estimated cochlear neural degeneration is associated with loudness hypersensitivity in individuals with normal audiograms

In animal models, cochlear neural degeneration (CND) is associated with excess central gain and hyperacusis, but a compelling link between reduced cochlear neural inputs and heightened loudness perception in humans remains elusive. The present study examined whether greater estimated cochlear neural degeneration (eCND) in human participants with normal hearing thresholds is associated with heightened loudness perception and sound aversion. Results demonstrated that loudness perception was heightened in ears with greater eCND and in subjects who self-report loudness aversion via a hyperacusis questionnaire. These findings suggest that CND may be a potential trigger for loudness hypersensitivity.
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Recession on Career Preparation during High School

ABSTRACT School closings in response to COVID-19 reduced the opportunity for students to engage in all learning including career and technical education (CTE). As a result of the COVID-19 disruption student opportunities for work-based learning and completion of hours required for professional certification was severely reduced. The absence of these experiences had the potential to create disruptions in the skill and experience accumulation for youth and their transition to the labor market. Prior research demonstrated that CTE training and certifications in high school improve earnings and employment outcomes for students, particularly those from marginalized communities. This paper uses administrative data from Massachusetts to investigate whether COVID-19 disruptions differentially influenced outcomes for CTE students relative to non-CTE students. We find graduation rates fell for all students, but students in specialized CTE high schools experienced smaller declines. These smaller differences were apparent for CTE students from lower-income families and those with disabilities. In contrast, students in large cities where the influence of COVID-19 was elevated fared less well, even among CTE participants. In contrast to educational attainment, graduating seniors continued earning industry credentials comparably to pre-COVID-19 rates. This work illuminates how the pandemic disrupted youth transitions to adulthood, particularly in marginalized communities.
Impact of atmospheric stability on X-band and C-band synthetic aperture radar imagery of offshore windpark wakes

C-band and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired by the Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X satellites are used to study atmospheric wakes behind offshore wind parks in the German Bight. A particular focus is on the impact of atmospheric stability on wake parameters like the wake length. Stability parameters are estimated from measurements taken at the FINO-1 observation platform. Based on a data set covering different seasons and concentrating on the first German offshore wind park Alpha Ventus (AV), it is shown that in this area stable atmospheric conditions favour longer wakes. This is first demonstrated for situations, where the wake behind AV was unperturbed by other neighbor wind parks. In this case, wakes of more than 30 km length are observed. In a second step, the more complicated situation with wake superposition from different neighboring wind parks is analysed. It is shown that in this case, the merged wakes can extend to more than 70 km downstream.The analysis is challenged by two factors. First of all, the FINO-1 platform is within the wind farm wakes for a certain range of wind directions. This means stability estimates for the upstream conditions are not straightforward to obtain in these conditions. The second complication is associated with an apparent increase in the radar cross section downstream of wind parks observed on many SAR scenes, typically within the first 10 km downstream the wind park. A semi-empirical model is proposed to explain this effect by an increased downward momentum flux associated with increased turbulence generated by the wind park. Applying numerical inversion methods, a couple of typical downstream wind speed profiles are reproduced with this model based on SAR derived estimates of the friction velocity.C-band and X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired by the Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X satellites are used to study atmospheric wakes behind offshore wind parks in the German Bight. A particular focus is on the impact of atmospheric stability on wake parameters like the wake length. Stability parameters are estimated from measurements taken at the FINO-1 observation platform. Based on a data set covering different seasons and concentrating on the first German offshore wind park Alpha Ventus (AV), it is shown that in this area stable atmospheric conditions favour longer wakes. This is first demonstrated for situations, where the wake behind AV was unperturbed by other neighbor wind parks. In this case, wakes of more than 30 km length are observed. In a second step, the more complicated situation with wake superposition from different neighboring wind parks is analysed. It is shown that in this case, the merged wakes can extend to more than 70 km downstream.The analysis is challenged by two factors.
Deformation of Exposed Tool Parts for Crushing of Undesirable Advance Growth

Abstract Tools for crushing of undesirable advance growth and mulching wood are subjected to heavy wear in operation with the need for their frequent replacement shortly after deployment. It is important to address the problem of their wear due to price of tools, as well as the time necessary for their replacement. Tool life is shortened because of deformation taking place due to the loss of wolfram-carbide (WC) tips, what is an undesirable phenomenon. Solutions for increasing the tool lifetimes were designed on the basis of analysis of wear mechanisms that cause this deformation. Furthermore, effect of deformed layer was evaluated by measuring hardness and microhardness. It was found that there was a strain hardening the surface due to cyclic loading. Size and extent of deformation of the entire tool with the loss of material on the functional part were documented using an optical scanning sensor system. Effect of the deformation on the material structure change, as well as topography and extent of surface area affected by abrasive wear under impact loads, were assessed by means of light and electron scanning microscopy. On the basis of these analyses, an option for increasing the lifetime of exposed areas on the tool by application of hardfacing to increase the tool wear resistance was proposed. Prerequisite for extending their work lifetime in the field is creation of a sufficient coarse layer or multiple layers of wear resistant material at specific tool areas.
Production of GMP-Compliant Clinical Amounts of Copper-61 Radiopharmaceuticals from Liquid Targets

PET imaging has gained significant momentum in the last few years, especially in the area of oncology, with an increasing focus on metal radioisotopes owing to their versatile chemistry and favourable physical properties. Copper-61 (t1/2 = 3.33 h, 61% β+, Emax = 1.216 MeV) provides unique advantages versus the current clinical standard (i.e., gallium-68) even though, until now, no clinical amounts of 61Cu-based radiopharmaceuticals, other than thiosemicarbazone-based molecules, have been produced. This study aimed to establish a routine production, using a standard medical cyclotron, for a series of widely used somatostatin analogues, currently labelled with gallium-68, that could benefit from the improved characteristics of copper-61. We describe two possible routes to produce the radiopharmaceutical precursor, either from natural zinc or enriched zinc-64 liquid targets and further synthesis of [61Cu]Cu-DOTA-NOC, [61Cu]Cu-DOTA-TOC and [61Cu]Cu-DOTA-TATE with a fully automated GMP-compliant process. The production from enriched targets leads to twice the amount of activity (3.28 ± 0.41 GBq vs. 1.84 ± 0.24 GBq at EOB) and higher radionuclidic purity (99.97% vs. 98.49% at EOB). Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that clinical doses of 61Cu-based radiopharmaceuticals can easily be obtained in centres with a typical biomedical cyclotron optimised to produce 18F-based radiopharmaceuticals.
TITLE : The influence of gap size on the development of fracture union with a micro 1 external fixator 2

250) 22 Increasingly, the rat femoral fracture model is being used for preclinical investigations of 23 fracture healing, however, the effect of gap size and its influence on mechanobiology is not 24 well understood. We aimed to evaluate the influence of osteotomy gap on osteotomy healing 25 between the previously published extremes of guaranteed union (0.5mm) and non-union 26 (3mm) using this model. 27 A femoral osteotomy in 12-14 week old female Wistar rats was stabilised with a micro fixator 28 (titanium blocks, carbon fiber bars) with an osteotomy gap of 1.0mm (n=5), 1.5mm (n=7), 29 2.0mm (n=6). After five weeks, the left femur was retrieved. The osteotomy gap was scanned 30 using X-ray microtomography and then histologically evaluated. The radiographic union rate 31 (complete mineralised bone bridging across the osteotomy) was three times higher for the 32 1.0mm than the 2.0mm gap. The 1.0mm gap had the largest callus (0.069um) and bone 33 volume (0.035um). Callus and bone volume were approximately 50% smaller within the 34
Effect of CaF2 and CaO/Al2O3 ratio on evaporation and melting characteristics of low-fluoride CaF2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO–TiO2 slag for electroslag remelting

ABSTRACT The present study focuses on the evaporation of fluoride from low-fluoride CaF2–CaO–Al2O3–MgO–TiO2 slag with varying CaF2 content and CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio and the melting characteristics of the slag. Moreover, thermodynamic and kinetic calculations are made to reveal the fluoride evaporation mechanism. The results show that the gaseous substance evaporated from the slag is mainly CaF2. The calculated vapour pressure in a sequence is CaF2 > MgF2 > AlF3 > AlOF. Furthermore, with the increase in CaF2 content from 15 to 30 wt-%, the evaporation of fluoride increases from 0.934 to 1.047%, and the melting temperature drops from 1480 to 1443°C. With the increase in the CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio from 0.8 to 1.4, the weight loss increases from 0.92 to 1.95% and then decreases to 1.70%, and the melting point drops from 1460 to 1324°C. The slag evaporation is controlled by the Valensi reaction mechanism, and its mechanism function is G(α) = α+(1−α)ln(1−α), which belongs to two-dimensional diffusion.
Power Flow Control of Interconnected AC–DC Microgrids in Grid-Connected Hybrid Microgrids Using Modified UIPC

This paper introduces a new approach for power flow control of interconnected ac–dc microgrids in grid-connected hybrid microgrids based on implementing a modified unified interphase power controller (UIPC). A typical grid-connected hybrid microgrid including one ac microgrid and one dc microgrid is considered as studied system. Instead of using the parallel-connected power converters, these microgrids are interconnected using a modified UIPC. As the first contribution of this paper, the conventional structure of UIPC, which uses three power converters in each phase, is modified so that a reduced number of power converters is implemented for power exchange control between ac and dc microgrids. The modified structure includes one power converter in each phase (line power converter (LPC)), and a power converter which regulates the dc bus voltage (bus power converter (BPC)) here. The ac microgrid is connected to the main grid through the LPCs which their dc buses are linked and can operate in capacitance mode or inductance mode. A fuzzy logic controller is used in the control structure of the LPCs. The fuzzy inference system is optimized based on ${H}_{{\infty }}$ filtering method to reduce the errors in membership functions design. Through the BPC, the dc voltage of LPCs is supplied by the dc microgrid. However, since the dc microgrid voltage is provided here by a photovoltaic system, the dc link voltage of the LPCs is fluctuating. Thus, as the second contribution to stabilize the dc link fluctuations, a new nonlinear disturbance observer-based robust multiple-surface sliding mode control strategy is presented for dc side control of the BPC. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed power flow control strategy of the improved UIPC for hybrid microgrids.