Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Banking Innovations and New Income Streams: Impact on Banks' Performance

Banks in India have focused on non-interest income streams to complement their income from traditional interest earning activities for some years now. This move to innovation adoption and new income streams has been more pronounced for new private and foreign banks, while there appears to have been certain hesitation on the part of public sector and old private banks. This article studies the impact of the move to new income streams and the consequent rising diversification on performance (as measured by profitability and stability of income) for Indian banks. A comparative analysis of income generated from these income streams for different bank groups in India shows that new private banks and foreign banks in India have been more successful than public sector banks in generating a greater proportion of their income from non-interest and fee-based sources. However, this increasing diversification cannot be linked to better risk-adjusted performance in the Indian context. Using multiple regression analysis, the impact of diversification and increasing share of fee-based income on profitability and risk-adjusted profitability is questioned for all banks in India over the period 2005–2012. The article finds that the rising share of fee-based income and non-interest income in total income and diversification has a positive impact on profitability, but the impact on risk-adjusted performance and hence stability is not statistically significant. While the results show a positive impact of diversification on profitability, the article underlines that the impact direction of diversification measures may be negative, which is in agreement to what many studies have shown in the US, European, Australian and Indian contexts. This article considers the impact of diversification in non-interest income separately from diversification in total income. This diversification score helps to know if the banks are generating their non-interest income from only fee income or only their own investments or have they diversified the non-interest income generation by focusing on both. Importantly, there is a positive impact of increasing share of ‘fee income’ in both total income and non-interest income on profitability as well as risk-adjusted measures. The results underscore that while public sector banks need to generate more income from fee-based activities, it would be imperative to choose sources of fee-based income that remain stable and have a positive impact on risk-adjusted measures.
PERSONALITY VULNERABILITY, LOW SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND MALADAPTIVE COGNITIVE EMOTION REGULATION UNDER ONGOING EXPOSURE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS

In two consecutive cross-sectional independent samples, we examined the relationship between the personality vulnerability dimensions of the trait Dependency and the trait Self-Criticism and the severity of traumatic stress-related mental health symptoms within a population of Israeli adults who had been directly exposed to ongoing rocket-fire on their homes in Sderot and other Gaza-Bordering Communities (GBC); a sample of individuals who had been indirectly exposed to these attacks served as a comparison group. Study 1 indicates significantly elevated levels of PTSD-Severity and stress in the GBC sample, as well as significant associations between Dependency and PTSD-Severity scores. In the indirectly exposed group, there were significant associations between Self-Criticism and PTSD-Severity scores. Study 2 confirmed these findings and also demonstrated that the associations between Dependency and PTSD-Severity and distress symptoms among individuals directly exposed to prolonged communal life-threatenin.
Vibrating Mesh Nebulisers – Can Greater Drug Delivery to the Airways and Lungs Improve Respiratory Outcomes?

Aerosols are an increasingly important mode of delivery of drugs, particularly bronchodilators, for the treatment of respiratory diseases, notably asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most common type of nebuliser is the jet nebuliser (JN); they have been in use for more than a century but these devices can be cumbersome to use and may sometimes deliver insufficient amounts of drug. A more recent development in aerosol therapy is the vibrating mesh nebuliser (VMN) which is very user friendly and is more efficient than the JNs due to an extremely low residual volume. Scintigraphy images from studies of volunteer subjects using radio-labelled aerosol treatment show that VMN-generated aerosols deliver more drug to patients in a shorter period of time than JN-generated aerosols. Various bench, animal model and small clinical studies have shown that VMNs are more efficient than JNs in drug delivery, potentially improving clinical outcomes. These studies have included various breathing circuits used in mechanical ventilation (MV), non-invasive ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula systems and devices for spontaneously breathing patients. The efficiency of drug delivery was affected by factors including the position of the nebuliser in the circuit and humidity. Some studies have shown potential substantial savings by hospitals in the cost of MV treatments after switching from metered dose inhalers to VMNs. VMNs have also been shown to be effective for the administration of inhaled antibiotics, corticosteroids and other drugs. Larger studies of the effects of VMNs on patient outcomes are needed but they are likely to be an increasingly important means of administering therapies to a burgeoning population with respiratory disease.
Sleep hygiene and sleep quality as predictors of positive and negative dimensions of mental health in college students

Abstract College students are one of the top at-risk groups for chronic sleep loss and poor sleep quality, which can yield deleterious effects on health. The college population is also notorious for poor sleep hygiene, or modifiable behaviors that promote sufficient sleep quantity and quality. Research suggests sleep can impact both positive and negative aspects of college mental health, but few studies have examined the effects of sleep on both subjective well-being and depression within one model. Further, little research has tested sleep hygiene as a modifiable risk factor for positive and mental aspects of health. The present study tested structural equation models in which sleep quality either partially or fully mediated the effects of sleep hygiene behaviors on depression and poor subjective well-being. A partial mediation model (CFI = .98, TLI = .94, RMSEA = .08) suggested a very good-fitting model, and sleep hygiene yielded significant direct and indirect effects on both depression and subjective well-being. Findings suggest intervention efforts targeting the improvement of sleep hygiene and sleep quality among college students may yield effects on student well-being, which can improve mental health among this at-risk population.
Surprisingly high levels of biodiversity and endemism amongst Antarctic rotifers uncovered with mitochondrial DNA

Antarctica is one of the harshest environments on the planet because of its extreme climatic conditions, with prolonged winters, freezing temperatures and lack of liquid water. While almost the entire continent (99.7%) is covered year round by snow and ice, some mountain peaks and coastal areas are ice-free and sustain life. Invertebrates dominate in this environment, but despite their obvious abundance, little is known of one major player, the rotifers. In this study, we examine the distribution and diversity of rotifers from across continental Antarctica using mitochondrial c oxidase subunit I DNA sequences, and compare to sequences extracted from specimens collected in limited locations in the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and in Tierra del Fuego (TF) in South America. We identified rotifers of the Class Bdelloidea to be the most frequently sampled micro-organisms in soil and limno-terrestrial environments. From the Antarctic samples, 514 sequences were generated and 37 distinct lineages were identified (40 putative species based on the PTP model) within Philodina, Adineta and unidentified bdelloids (all currently considered endemic to Antarctica). Overall, we observed widespread ranges for some rotifers in continental Antarctica, many of them exceeding 2000 km. Only one bdelloid lineage (Adineta cf. gracilis) from continental Antarctica was also present in maritime Antarctica. No close similarities were found with worldwide locations, or amongst AP and TF. Our broad coverage across Antarctica shows unique lineages that may represent potential species surpassing what is presently known from morphology, even when conservative approaches are applied for species delimitation.
Determinants of Non-Farm Labour Participation Rates Among Farmers in Australia

In recent decades, non‐farm employment has become prevalent and an important source of income for Australian farm families. However, models identifying the relative significance of the socioeconomic variables influencing non‐farm employment participation rates have never been estimated in Australia. In this paper, a bivariate probit model of non‐farm employment participation rates was estimated, using information from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural Resource Economics (ABARE) 1994–1995 surveys. It was found that the participation decision of the farm operator and spouse is likely to be jointly determined, that non‐farm employment participation increased at a declining rate with age among farmers and that university education enhances the participation rates particularly among spouses. Participation rates were also higher among spouses with lower other income and with no dependent children.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KIM-1 DETERMINATION IN TISSUE AND URINE OF PATIENTS WITH DIFFERENT KIDNEY DISEASES ZNA^AJ ODRE\IVANJA KIM-1 U TKIVU I URINU BOLESNIKA SA RAZLI^ITIM BOLESTIMA BUBREGA

Kratak sadr`aj: U poslednje vreme je postala o~igledna potreba za novim bubre`nim biomarkerima za monitoring o{te}enja proksimalnih tubula jer je pokazano da promene u tubulointersticijumu zna~ajno doprinose progresiji hroni~ne bubre`ne slabosti i vode ka terminalnoj fazi bolesti. Jedan od njih je i kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), novi, specifi~an biomarker za dijagnozu ranih tubulskih o{te}enja koji se odre|uje u tkivu bubrega ali i u urinu bolesnika. Ovaj transmembranski tubulski protein sa nepo znatom funkcijom se ne detektuje u zdravim bubrezima, ali je obele`je skoro svih proteinuri~nih, toksi~nih i ishemi~nih bolesti bubrega. Nedavna istra`ivanja su ukazala na nje go vu eventualnu patofiziolo{ku ulogu u moduliranju tubul skog o{te}enja i reparaciji. U ovom preglednom ~lanku bi}e predstavljen strukturalni i biohemijski aspekt KIM-1, njegova ekspresija i patofiziolo{ka uloga u bubre`nim bolestima. Tako|e }e biti razmatrana i njegova prognosti~ka uloga u odnosu na proteinuriju kao i uloga biomarkera bubre`nog o{te}enja i prediktora smanjenja bubre`ne funkcije ali i perspektive za monitoring odgovora na terapiju.
Lethal and sublethal behavioural responses of saline water beetles to acute heat and osmotic stress

As species' physiological breadth determines their potential to deal with environmental changes, and influences individuals' survival and the persistence of populations, information about lethal and sublethal responses could be fundamental for conservation purposes. 2. We used a standard experimental approach to explore mortality and behavioural avoidance responses (i.e. flight and emersion from the water) to a combination of acute heat and osmotic stress on six species of saline water beetles (belonging to Enochrus, Nebrioporus, and Ochthebius genera). 3. Heat stress affected survival and behavioural responses in all of the species, whereas osmotic stress and the interaction between both stressors only showed significant effects for the Ochthebius genus. Behavioural and survival patterns were highly interrelated across the stress gradients. The Enochrus and Nebrioporus studied species showed maximum avoidance activity at 35-40 ◦ C, and a short (< 30 min) exposure to 45 ◦ C was lethal. Ochthebius species were the most heat tolerant and displayed increasing behavioural responses with increasing temperature. In the Nebrioporus and Ochthebius genera, the species occupying lotic, more environmentally stable habitats, showed greater mortality, and avoidance responses were higher or initiated at lower stress thresholds than lentic species. In contrast, both Enochrus species displayed a similar mortality, and the lentic species E. bicolor emerged and flew more than the lotic E. falcarius, in concordance with its higher dispersal capacity. 4. Avoidance responses could provide interesting information about species' physiological amplitudes as a complement to lethal responses. The lotic species here studied showed narrower physiological amplitude (i.e. N. baeticus and O. glaber )o r lower dispersal ability (i.e. E. falcarius) than their lentic relatives; both traits could result in a higher vulnerability of lotic species to thermal habitat changes.
Detecting Negative Emotions During Real-Life Driving via Dynamically Labelled Physiological Data

Driving is an activity that can induce significant levels of negative emotion, such as stress and anger. These negative emotions occur naturally in everyday life, but frequent episodes can be detrimental to cardiovascular health in the long term. The development of monitoring systems to detect negative emotions often rely on labels derived from subjective self-report. However, this approach is burdensome, intrusive, low fidelity (i.e. scales are administered infrequently) and places huge reliance on the veracity of subjective self-report. This paper explores an alternative approach that provides greater fidelity by using psychophysiological data (e.g. heart rate) to dynamically label data derived from the driving task (e.g. speed, road type). A number of different techniques for generating labels for machine learning were compared: 1) deriving labels from subjective self-report and 2) labelling data via psychophysiological activity (e.g. heart rate (HR), pulse transit time (PTT), etc.) to create dynamic labels of high vs. low anxiety for each participant. The classification accuracy associated with both labelling techniques was evaluated using Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM). Results indicated that classification of driving data using subjective labelled data (1) achieved a maximum AUC of 73%, whilst the labels derived from psychophysiological data (2) achieved equivalent performance of 74%. Whilst classification performance was similar, labelling driving data via psychophysiology offers a number of advantages over self-reports, e.g. implicit, dynamic, objective, high fidelity.
Adopting a spatially explicit perspective to study the mysterious fairy circles of Namibia

The mysterious ‘fairy circles’ are vegetation-free discs that cover vast areas along the pro-Namib Desert. Despite 30 yr of research their origin remains unknown. Here we adopt a novel approach that focuses on analysis of the spatial patterns of fairy circles obtained from representative 25-ha aerial images of north-west Namibia. We use spatial point pattern analysis to quantify different features of their spatial structures and then critically inspect existing hypotheses with respect to their ability to generate the observed circle patterns. Our working hypothesis is that fairy circles are a self-organized vegetation pattern. Finally, we test if an existing partial-differential-equation model, that was designed to describe vegetation pattern formation, is able to reproduce the characteristic features of the observed fairy circle patterns. The model is based on key-processes in arid areas such as plant competition for water and local resource-biomass feedbacks. The fairy circles showed at all three study areas the same regular spatial distribution patterns, characterized by Voronoi cells with mostly six corners, negative correlations in their size up to a distance of 13 m, and remarkable homogeneity over large spatial scales. These results cast doubts on abiotic gas-leakage along geological lines or social insects as causal agents of their origin. However, our mathematical model was able to generate spatial patterns that agreed quantitatively in all of these features with the observed patterns. This supports the hypothesis that fairy circles are self-organized vegetation patterns that emerge from positive biomass-water feedbacks involving water transport by extended root systems and soil-water diffusion. Future research should search for mechanisms that explain how the different hypotheses can generate the patterns observed here and test the ability of self-organization to match the birth- and death dynamics of fairy circles and their regional patterns in the density and size with respect to environmental gradients.
Social Intelligence for a Robot Engaging People in Cognitive Training Activities

Current research supports the use of cognitive training interventions to improve the brain functioning of both adults and children. Our work focuses on exploring the potential use of robot assistants to allow for these interventions to become more accessible. Namely, we aim to develop an intelligent, socially assistive robot that can engage individuals in person-centred cognitively stimulating activities. In this paper, we present the design of a novel control architecture for the robot Brian 2.0, which enables the robot to be a social motivator by providing assistance, encouragement and celebration during an activity. A hierarchical reinforcement learning approach is used in the architecture to allow the robot to: 1) learn appropriate assistive behaviours based on the structure of the activity, and 2) personalize an interaction based on user states. Experiments show that the control architecture is effective in determining the robot's optimal assistive behaviours during a memory game interaction.
Analysis of Waveguides on Lithium Niobate Thin Films

Waveguides formed by etching, proton-exchange (PE), and strip-loaded on single-crystal lithium niobate (LN) thin film were designed and simulated by a full-vectorial finite difference method. The single-mode condition, optical power distribution, and bending loss of these kinds of waveguides were studied and compared systematically. For the PE waveguide, the optical power distributed in LN layer had negligible change with the increase of PE thickness. For the strip-loaded waveguide, the relationships between optical power distribution in LN layer and waveguide thickness were different for quasi-TE (q-TE) and quasi-TM (q-TM) modes. The bending loss would decrease with the increase of bending radius. There was a bending loss caused by the electromagnetic field leakage when the neff of q-TM waveguide was smaller than that of nearby TE planar waveguide. LN ridge waveguides possessed a low bending loss even at a relatively small bending radius. This study is helpful for the understanding of waveguide structures as well as for the optimization and the fabrication of high-density integrated optical components.
Development and Validation of a Nomogram to Predict Pathological Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Purpose The purpose of this study was to combine clinical pathologic variables that are associated with pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy into a prediction nomogram. Methods A total of 15,553 women who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy for invasive breast cancer in 2010 and 2011 were identified from National Cancer Database (NCDB). Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to examine the association of patient age, race, tumor histology, tumor grade, molecular type, and clinical stage with pCR. A nomogram was then developed to predict individual patient probability of pCR to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Internal validation was performed in terms of discrimination and calibration. The nomogram was then tested against 319 patients from Yale New-Haven Hospital. Results The predicted probability of the nomogram is between 4% and 74% based on clinical characteristics. In multivariate analysis, high pCR rate is significantly associated with young age, white race, ductal carcinoma, poorly differentiated tumor, Her2 positive and triple negative tumor, small tumor size and less advanced nodal status (p<0.001). The nomogram had the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.697 in the training set, 0.693 in the internal validation set, and 0.798 in the external validation set. The calibration plot showed good agreement between predicted and actual outcomes. Conclusions We developed a nomogram that can be used to predict the individual probability of achieving pCR following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with invasive breast cancer, based upon age, race and clinicopathologic characteristics.
Detection of volatile organic compound gas using localized surface plasmon resonance of gold nanoparticles

This paper reports on the detection of several organic vapors using the unique characteristic of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles on quartz substrate were prepared using seed mediated growth method. In a typical process, gold nanoparticles with average size ca. 36 nm were obtained to densely grown on the substrate. Detection of gas was based on the change in the LSPR of the gold nanoparticles film upon the exposure to the gas sample. It was found that gold nanoparticles were sensitive to the presence of volatile organic compound (VOC) gas from the change in the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) intensity. The mechanism for the detection of VOC’s gas will be discussed
Translating ideas into action : The policy entrepreneur role at the public policy process

Over the last decades, research in policy formulation, especially agenda-setting studies, has shown that the action of individuals (or groups) named “policy entrepreneurs” constitutes a central aspect of the public policy process. The agenda-setting theoretical models (John Kingdon’s multiple streams model, Baumgartner and Jones’s punctuated equilibrium model) picture those individuals from different perspectives, stressing different features of their role in the policy process. Both models consider the policy entrepreneur as an essential actor in their explanations on policy maintenance or change. This paper aims at presenting and discussing the centrality of policy entrepreneurs in agendasetting models, analyzing this important actor, as well as the limits and contributions of this conceptualization for the policy process understanding.
Prognostic Value of SUVmax of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Early Stage Breast Cancer with No LN Metastasis

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between SUVmax of FDG-PET/CT and pathological findings including prognostic factors in early-stage T1-T2 breast cancer patients with no LN metastasis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study investigated 75 patients (mean age 58.9 years; age range 30 - 82 years) with invasive breast cancer who underwent FDG-PET/CT for preoperative staging. All patients underwent subsequent surgery without prior neoadjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and those who were confirmed to have T1- or T2-stage by histopathology with no LN metastasis were included. Two patients who had no perceptible FDG accumulation on PET/CT scans were excluded. The correlations between the SUVmax of the tumor and the pathological and immunohistochemical data were evaluated. Results: The mean SUVmax for the total 73 tumors was 5.46 ± 4.05. The mean SUVmax was 3.95 ± 3.28 for the T1 stage group (n = 36) and 7.23 ± 4.10 (p p p p = 0.008), and high Ki-67 status (p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: In T1-T2 breast cancer with no LN metastasis, the SUVmax of FDG-PET/CT had significant positive relationships with several prognostic parameters of pathological status. Even in early-stage breast cancer patients, pretreatment FDG-PET/CT is useful for predicting malignant behavior and prognosis).