Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Islamic Banking Regulations in Light of Basel II

This paper seeks to determine whether the existing regulatory standards and supervisory framework are adequate to ensure the viability, strength, and continued expansion of Islamic financial institutions. The reemergence of Islamic banking and the attention given to it by regulators around the globe as to the implications of a recently issued Basel II banking regulation makes this article timely. The Basel II framework, which is based on minimum capital requirements, a supervisory review process, and the effective use of market discipline, aligns capital adequacy with banking risks and provides an incentive for financial institutions to enhance risk management and their system of internal controls. Like conventional banks, Islamic banks operate under different regulatory regimes. The still diverse views held by the regulatory agencies of different countries on Islamic banking and finance operations make it harder to assess the overall performance of international Islamic banks. In light of the increased financial innovation and diversity of instruments offered in Islamic finance, the need to improve the transparency of bank operations is particularly relevant for Islamic banks. While product diversity is important in maintaining their competitiveness, it also requires increased transparency and disclosure to improve the understanding of markets and regulatory agencies. The governance of Islamic banks is made even more complex by the need for these banks to meet a set of ethical and financial standards defined by the Shari`ah and the nature of the financial contracts banks use to mobilize deposits. Effective transparency in this area will greatly enhance their credibility and reinforce their depositors and investors’ level of confidence.
Factor structure of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4)

Abstract The Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) appears to offer excellent potential as an easily administered and patient acceptable assessment and monitoring measure of quality of life (QoL). However, a principle psychometric criterion crucial to the use and validity of the instrument concerns the underlying factor structure. The SQLS-R4 comprises two sub-scales, these being cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL. However, the factor structure of the SQLS-R4 has yet to be established in a patient group in the UK. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the SQLS-R4 to determine its psychometric properties in 100 patients with a primary ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia. Internal reliability of the SQLS-R4 cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL sub-scales was found to be excellent. Consistent with the original validation of the SQLS-R4, two correlated factors comprising cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL were observed to offer the best fit to the data. In conclusion, the SQLS-R4 would appear to be suitable for use in patients with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia in the UK. Potential clinical uses and the direction of future research with the SQLS-R4 are indicated.
Release of interleukin-12 in experimental Escherichia coli septic shock in baboons: relation to plasma levels of interleukin-10 and interferon-gamma.

Interleukin (IL)-12 is thought to be a key factor for the induction of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma), a cytokine essential for the lethal effects of endotoxin. We report here on the release of the nonfunctional subunit of IL-12, p40, as well as biologically active heterodimeric IL-12, p70, after administration of a lethal (n = 5) or sublethal (n = 8) dose of live Escherichia coli to baboons. Remarkably, on lethal challenge, peak levels of p40 were observed at 3 hours that were about twofold lower than those elicited after sublethal challenge (2,813 +/- 515 pg/mL v 4,972 +/- 732 pg/mL, P < .05). This disparity was also observed, although to a lesser extent, for IL-12 p70 antigen, of which maximum levels of 91 +/- 47 pg/mL and 151 +/- 41 pg/mL were measured 6 hours after a lethal or sublethal dose of E coli, respectively. Circulating p70 antigen correlated with IL-12 biologic activity (r = 0.869; P < .001). When comparing lethal to sublethal conditions, lower peak levels of IL-12 on lethal E coli sharply contrasted with higher levels of other proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-8 observed in these animals. Lower IL-12 concentrations in the lethal group may have resulted in part from the enhanced production of IL-10, a known inhibitor of IL-12 synthesis in vitro, as peak levels of this cytokine 3 hours postchallenge inversely correlated with peak levels of IL-12, in particular p40 (r = -0.802; P < .01). Contrary to what might be expected if IFN-gamma were solely induced by IL-12, lethally challenged baboons generated threefold more IFN-gamma at 6 hours than those receiving a sublethal dose (P < .05). Moreover, higher levels of IFN-gamma were associated with lower p40/p70 ratios, suggesting that, in agreement with observations in vitro, IFN-gamma may have preferentially upregulated the release of p70 over p40. These data show that IL-12 is released in experimental septic shock in nonhuman primates and suggest that IL-10 and IFN-gamma are involved in the regulation of this release. Furthermore, this study indicates that the systemic release of IL-12 might be essential, but is not likely sufficient, to promote lethal production of IFN-gamma in sepsis.
Discovery of a New Capsular Serotype (6C) within Serogroup 6 of Streptococcus pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Using two monoclonal antibodies, we found subtypes among pneumococcal isolates that are typed as serotype 6A by the quellung reaction. The prevalent subtype bound to both monoclonal antibodies and was labeled here 6Aα, whereas the minor subtype bound to only one monoclonal antibody and was labeled 6Aβ. To determine the biochemical nature of the two serologically defined subtypes, we purified capsular polysaccharides (PSs) from the two subtypes and examined their chemical structures with gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The study results for 6Aα PS are consistent with the previously published structure of 6A PS, which is →2) galactose (1→3) glucose (1→3) rhamnose (1→3) ribitol (5→phosphate. In contrast, the 6Aβ PS study results show that its repeating unit is →2) glucose 1 (1→3) glucose 2 (1→3) rhamnose (1→3) ribitol (5→phosphate. We propose to continue referring to 6Aα as serotype 6A but to refer to 6Aβ as serotype 6C. Serotype 6C would thus represent the 91st pneumococcal serotype, with 90 pneumococcal serotypes having previously been recognized. This study also demonstrates that a new serotype may exist within an established and well-characterized serogroup or serotype.
Sensor based on extending the concept of fidelity to classical waves

We propose and demonstrate a remote sensor scheme by applying the quantum mechanical concept of fidelity loss to classical waves. The sensor makes explicit use of time-reversal invariance and spatial reciprocity in a wave chaotic system to sensitively and remotely measure the presence of small perturbations. The loss of fidelity is measured through a classical wave analog of the Loschmidt echo by employing a single-channel time-reversal mirror to rebroadcast a probe signal into the perturbed system. We also introduce the use of exponential amplification of the probe signal to partially overcome the effects of propagation losses and to vary the sensitivity.
Parametric animation of performance‐captured mesh sequences

In this paper, we introduce an approach to high‐level parameterisation of captured mesh sequences of actor performance for real‐time interactive animation control. High‐level parametric control is achieved by non‐linear blending between multiple mesh sequences exhibiting variation in a particular movement. For example, walking speed is parameterised by blending fast and slow walk sequences. A hybrid non‐linear mesh sequence blending approach is introduced to approximate the natural deformation of non‐linear interpolation techniques whilst maintaining the real‐time performance of linear mesh blending. Quantitative results show that the hybrid approach gives an accurate real‐time approximation of offline non‐linear deformation. An evaluation of the approach shows good performance not only for entire meshes but also with specific mesh areas. Results are presented for single and multi‐dimensional parametric control of walking (speed/direction), jumping (height/distance) and reaching (height) from captured mesh sequences. This approach allows continuous real‐time control of high‐level parameters such as speed and direction whilst maintaining the natural surface dynamics of captured movement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synchronization of phasor measurement units and its error propagation to state estimators

The recent breakthrough on power grid technologies was promoted by the emergence of phasor measurement units (PMUs), as they provide direct and high-rate data for analyzing and controlling the network. Time becomes critical however, since offsets in the internal clocks of PMUs render their data unreliable. In this context, the present work describes grid-wide implementation of a Precision Time Protocol system to deliver an accurate time reference to PMUs at different power stations. Residual time offsets are modeled as PMU noise, propagating to linear state estimators, and their non-linear counterparts that result from combining PMU and power flow data.
A Model of Wavelet Chaotic Neural Network with Applications in Optimization

Chaotic neural networks have been applied to solve function optimization problems successfully. To improve the optimization capacity of the chaotic neural network, a new chaotic neural network model called wavelet chaotic neural network was presented by transferring sigmoid function to wavelet function. The reversed bifurcation figures of signal neural unit were given and the parameters of the new model were discussed. The wavelet function is a non-monotonic function, so the new model can spend the less time than the common chaotic neural network model in function optimization. The simulation result shows that the new chaotic neural network model is superior to the common neural network model
Auditor, Client, and Investor Consequences of the Enhanced Auditor's Report

This study examines the impact of the enhanced auditor’s report (ISA 701) in New Zealand on audit effort (audit fees and audit delay); audit quality (absolute abnormal accruals); client disclosures (inventory) and investors (value relevance). ISA 701 requiries an enhanced auditor’s report. A notable feature of the report is a section termed Key Audit Matters (KAMs). The purpose of a KAM is to disclose financial reporting risks, thereby enhancing the communication value of the audit report. We find no incremental affect related to the introduction of KAM disclosures. We find that both auditors and investors price the information in KAMs (audit fees and share prices) in both in the first year of KAM reporting and in the prior year. We note that client disclosure related to inventory KAMs are greater than non-inventory KAMs firms in both the year of KAM reporting and in the prior year.
2014 International Conference on Lightning Protection ( ICLP ) , Shanghai , China Study on Methods to Improve Transient Performance of Grounding Grid

The transient characteristics of a grounding grid is very important for the safety of the equipment on it, which is quite different from the performance at power frequency. In this paper, based on numerical simulation, the factors due to the grounding grid that affect its transient performance were discussed. The methods to improve the transient performance of the grounding grid such as increasing the horizontal grounding conductors and vertical grounding conductors near the current injection point were presented. It shows that increasing the horizontal grounding conductors is such more effective than increasing vertical grounding conductors to decrease the ground potential rise and the potential difference in the grounding grid. Keywords-Grounding grid; lighting; ground potential rise; potential difference
Hesa-A Down-Regulates erb/b2 Oncogene Expression and Improves Outcome of Oral Carcinoma in a Rat Model.

BACKGROUND Oral carcinoma (OC) remains one of the most difficult malignancies to cure. Hesa-A is an Iranian herbal-marine compound that has shown promising anti-tumor properties against various human tumors. However, its mechanism of action remains to be addressed. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two doses of Hesa-A on mRNA expression of erb\b2 as a main prognosticator tumor marker for OC in an animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 60 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 12 animals each. Rats in carcinoma groups received 0, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight doses of Hesa-A 3 times a day. The other two groups were considered as treated and untreated control groups. At the end of the experiment, animals were sacrificed and tongue tissues subjected to H and E staining and real time PCR. RESULTS Our results showed that compared to the control group, erb\ b2 was over-expressed ~ 30% in the carcinoma group. After treatment with 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight of Hesa-A , erb\b2 levels dropped by 24.1% and 3.4 % respectively compared to the control carcinoma group (p<0.01, p<0.0001). Moreover, there was a significant relation between erb\ b2 mRNA content and observed pathological changes in studied groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS These data provide insight into mechanism(s) by which Hesa-A may improve clinical outcome of oral carcinoma by affecting oncogene erb\b2 expression and suggest Hesa-A as an effective chemotherapeutic agent in treatment of HER+ tumors.
Double-Layer Full-Corporate-Feed Hollow-Waveguide Slot Array Antenna in the 60-GHz Band

In order to achieve a wide bandwidth characteristic of high gain and high efficiency antennas, a double-layer hollow-waveguide slot array is proposed, where a full-corporate-feed waveguide is arranged in the lower layer. This antenna can be built up easily by the process of diffusion bonding of laminated thin metal etching plates, which has high precision and is possibly a low cost technique. The radiating elements and the feed waveguide are designed to suppress the reflection over a wideband. The predicted bandwidth of the reflection less than -14 dB is 8.3% for a 16 × 16-element array antenna. A test antenna is fabricated in the 60-GHz band, and about 80% antenna efficiency with more than 32 dBi is achieved over 4.8 GHz.
Antecedents of recalls prevention: analysis and synthesis of research on product recalls

ABSTRACT There is sufficient research on product recalls remedy, but not enough on recalls prevention. Not surprisingly, the shortage of research on recalls prevention coincided with the preponderance of product recalls observed in recent history. This study extracted the antecedents of recalls prevention from various research by applying the strategies of supply chain quality management. 76 articles were examined using a summative approach to qualitative content analysis to extract, estimate and compare the meaning of emerging constructs. The final constructs led to the synthesis of a framework for supply chain quality management with four layers of antecedents identified as PEP-I (Product, Equipment, Process, and Intervention) to help prevent the production of defective products.
BEHAVIORAL DETERMINANTS OF THE BUSINESS MODEL IN THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT – ON THE EXAMPLE OF SELECTED INDUSTRIES

Summary: The business model is a new subject in accounting research. It results from a variety of factors occurring in a business environment, but also from the impact of behavioral factors influencing the decision-making process of an individual. Research goal: to identify the scope of disclosures about the business model in financial statements and the impact of behavioral factors on reporting on the business model. Research conclusions: The scope of disclosures about the business model in financial reports, their structure and presentation are significantly diversified. It makes it difficult to identify behavioral factors in this area. There is also lack of disclosures on the impact of business model on accepted accounting solutions in entities.
Optical communication with two-photon coherent states-Part III: Quantum measurements realizable with photoemissive detectors

In Part I of this three-part study it was shown that the use of two-photon coherent state (TCS) radiation may yield siginificant performance gains in free-space optical communicatinn if the receiver makes a quantum measurement of a single field quadrature. In Part II it was shown that homodyne detection achieves the same signal-to-noise ratio as the quantum field quadrature measurement, thus providing a receiver which realizes the linear modulation TCS performance gain found in Part I. Furthermore, it was shown in Part il that ff homodyne detection does exactly correspond to the field quadrature measurement, then a large binary communication performance gain is afforded by homodyne detection of antipodal TCS signals. The full equivalence of honmdyne detection and single-quadrature field measurement, as well as that of heterodyne detection and two-quadrature field measurement, is established. Furthermore, a heterodyne configuration which uses a TCS image-band oscillator in addition to the usual coherent state local oscillator is studied. This coafiguration termed TCS heterodyne detection is shown to realize all the quantum measurements described by arbitrary TCS. The foregoing results are obtained by means of a representation theorem which shows that photoemissive detection realizes the photon flux density measurement.
The killer trait of Paramecium and its causative agents 1

Some paramecia express the so-called killer trait: killer paramecia release toxic particles into the environment and these particles kill sensitive Paramecium cells after ingestion. These particles are bacteria belonging to the genus Caedibacter, endosymbionts of killer Paramecium strains. A peculiarity of Caedibacter is the presence of an unusual structure termed R-body (refractile body) due to its bright appearance in phase contrast microscopy. It is constituted of a proteinaceous ribbon which is typically coiled within the bacterial cell. In response to certain stimuli, e. g. a low pH, the R-body unrolls in a telescopic fashion and thereby produces a hollow tube, several times the length of the bacterium which is destroyed by the extension. R-bodies are prerequisite for the killer trait. Their structure and mode of action suggest that they act as a releasing system for an unidentifi ed lethal toxin by delivering it from the bacterial cell to the cytoplasm of the sensitive Paramecium where it fi nally causes death. The expression of the killer trait confers a competitive advantage to Caedibacter-harbouring paramecia, but it also infl icts costs on both partners of this symbiotic association. K e y w o r d s : Competitive advantage, endosymbiont, horizontal gene transfer, intracellular bacteria, mutualism, parasitism, phage, R-body, symbiosis. Zusammenfassung Bei einigen Paramecien ist das sogenannte Killer-Phanomen zu beobachten: Killer-Paramecien geben toxische Partikel in ihre Umgebung ab, welche nach Aufnahme sensitive Paramecium Zellen toten. Diese Partikel sind Bakterien der Gattung Caedibacter, Endosymbionten von Killer-Paramecium Stammen. Eine Eigenart von Caedibacter ist das Vorkommen einer ungewohnlichen Struktur, die wegen ihres hell leuchtenden Aussehens im Phasenkonstrast R-Korper (refraktiler Korper) genannt wird. Dieser besteht aus einem Proteinband, welches innerhalb der Bakterienzelle auf typische Weise gerollt vorliegt. In Antwort auf bestimmte Stimuli, wie z. B. einen niedrigen pH Wert, entrollt sich der R-Korper teleskopartig und bildet so ein langes, hohles Rohr. Dieses hat eine Lange, die mehrere Male die des Bakteriums ubertrifft, welches durch die Ausdehnung zerstort wird. R-Korper sind Voraussetzung fur das Killer-Phanomen. Ihre Struktur und Wirkungsweise deuten an, dass sie als Freisetzungssystem fur ein unidentifi ziertes, todliches Toxin agieren, dessen Freisetzung in das Cytoplasma des sensitiven Parameciums letztendlich zum Tode fuhrt. Die Expression des Killer-Phanomens liefert einen Wettbewerbsvorteil fur Caedibacterinfi zierte Paramecien, es birgt aber auch Kosten fur beide Symbiose-Partner.
HORIZON 2020 Work Programme 2016-2017 Societal Challenge 2 - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, together with the bio-based industries, are integral parts of the European economy and society. Relying on the use of limited natural resources, these sectors produce and process biological resources to satisfy the demand of consumers and a wide range of industries for food, feed, bio-energy and bio-based products. While they enhance Europe’s self-reliance and provide jobs and business opportunities essential for rural, coastal and marine areas, these sectors are also facing significant challenges which require solutions based on research and innovation.
Psychic trauma in children: observations following the Chowchilla school-bus kidnapping.

Twenty-three children involved in a school-bus kidnapping were studied from 5 to 13 months following the event. Each child suffered posttraumatic emotional sequelae. The author found that the children suffered from initial misperceptions, early fears of further trauma, hallucinations, and "omen" formation. Later they experienced posttraumatic symptoms consisting of posttraumatic play, reenactment, personality change, repeated dreams (including predictive dreams and those in which they died), fears of being kidnapped again, and "fear of the mundane. " Differences between child and adult response to psychic trauma are discussed.
The costs of crime to the society in Malaysia

Crime has many effects on the daily lives of citizens; it can affect everyone, not just victims. The consequences of criminal activities are the costs incurred, including direct costs (immediate impacts) and indirect costs (long-term effects). This paper provides a preliminary estimation of the monetary costs of crime in Malaysia. For the purpose of this study, only the immediate impact of monetary value was calculated; for example, indirect costs were not included in the cost estimation. A self-administered survey questionnaire or closed ended question was carried out to gather the information on costs of crime in Malaysia. It was found that majority of the respondents were involved in property crime compared to violent crime. The highest number of respondents involved in this crime was from snatch theft. The direct costs involved from this crime can be divided in three which were damage or loss, medical costs and insurance claimed form the crime involved. This paper discusses only on the loss of crime based on the property crime involved.
A look at the sensitivity of the Thru-Reflect-Line vector network analyzer calibration algorithm

This paper looks at the sensitivity of the Thru-Reflect-Line and Line-Reflect-Line vector network analyzer calibration algorithms to changes in their inputs. Using a consistent measurement data set throughout, it highlights differences observed in the error-corrected measurements of a DUT when interchanging line standards and the effect of small changes to the value of the length of these lines.