Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk in Commercial Banking: Evidence from Postwar Failures

During the postwar years-1946 to 1976-a total of 171 commercial and savings banks (including 135 insured and 36 non-insured banks) failed-an average of about 5.5 failures per year. The sizes of these bankrupt institutions ranged widely-from one with $3.7 billion in total assets to two with less than $50 thousand in deposits. Far from declining in recent years, the number of failures seems to have increased. From 1970 to 1976, 54 banks failed (all but two of which were insured) for an average of more than 7 closings per year. During the past ten years failures have averaged 6.3 per year. (See Table I.) Moreover, as Benston [6] observes, in the 1960s and early 1970s there was a sharp increase in the proportion of active banks failing and in the proportion of the deposits of active banks failing. The few previous studies in existence imply that the principal causes of bank failures are: (1) self-serving loans to management or to owners; (2) general mismanagement of the loan case, defalcations or embezzlements; and (3) other manipulations by bank officials. ' The notion that bank failures are a result of long-term financial or economic factors, and therefore, are predictable over a substantial period of time has been widely discounted. However, both economic and financial factors do appear to be correlated with the rate of bank failures. For example, an average of 5.6 U.S. banks failed during postwar recession years and only 4.5 banks closed in other years. In this paper, we examine in detail the financial characteristics of commer-
Phenotypic Investigation of Biofilm Formation and the Prevalence of icaA and icaD Genes in Staphylococcus epidermidis Isolates

IJMM 2019; 12(6): 371-381 Background and Aims: The most important factor for pathogenicity of Staphylococcus epidermidis is the ability to produce biofilm. Identification of biofilm-forming strains using an appropriate method and recognizing the mechanisms of biofilm formation can help understand the proper use of artificial medical equipment and prevent increased drugs resistance . The aim of this study was to 1) evaluate the biofilm formation of S. epidermidis isolates using phenotypic methods such as Tube Method (TM), Congo Red Agar Method (CRA) and Microtiter Plates Method (MTP) as well as PCR of the genes icaA and icaD 2) determine the drug resistance pattern of S. epidermidis isolates and its association with biofilm formation among clinical specimens and samples of healthy carriers.
Health behaviors among older adults with hypertension, Brazil, 2006.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of unhealthy behaviors and other cardiovascular risk factors among older adults with self-reported arterial hypertension, and to compare these prevalences with those of non-hypertensives. METHODS Data used was obtained from the system Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL--Telephone-based Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases) referring to the 9,038 older adults living in households with at least one fixed telephone line in the 26 Brazilian state capitals and Federal District in 2006. RESULTS Prevalence of self-reported hypertension was 55% (95% CI: 53;57). The majority of hypertensives showed three or more concomitant risk factors (69%; 95% CI: 67;71). It was found a high prevalence of insufficient physical activity during leisure (88%; 95% CI: 86;89) and of fruit and vegetable intake below five daily portions (90%; 95% CI: 88;90) among hypertensive subjects, followed by adding salt to meals (60%; 95% CI: 57;63), regular intake of fatty meats (23%; 95% CI: 21;25), smoking (9%; 95% CI: 7;10), and binge drinking (3%; 95% CI: 2;4). With the exception of smoking, these prevalences were similar to those reported by non-hypertensive subjects (p >0.05). Prevalence of smoking was lower among hypertensives (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 0.75; 95% CI: 0.64;0.89), whereas prevalence of overweight (APR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.25;1.49), dyslipidemia (APR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.26;1.36), and diabetes (APR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.27;1.37) was higher. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that, with the exception of smoking, unhealthy behaviors persist among older adults after hypertension is diagnosed.
A reduced output ripple step-up DC-DC converter for automotive LED lighting

This works presents the design and test of a switching power supply intended for powering LED tail lights in automotive applications. The design is proposed as an alternative to an existing Boost reference design, and is based on a different step-up topology, the ZetaBoost, with the objective of reducing the output ripple, and therefore ease the compliance with automotive electromagnetic interference regulations.
Functional Tumor Necrosis Factor–Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand Production by Avian Influenza Virus–Infected Macrophages

Abstract Severe human disease associated with influenza A H5N1 virus was first detected in Hong Kong in 1997. Its recent reemergence in Asia and high associated mortality highlight the need to understand its pathogenesis. We investigated the roles of death receptor ligands (DRLs) in H5N1 infection. Significant up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)–related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TNF-α, but not Fas ligand (FasL) mRNA, was detected in human monocyte–derived macrophages (MDMs) infected with avian influenza viruses A/Hong Kong/483/97 (H5N1/97) or its precursor, A/Quail/Hong Kong/G1/97. H5N1/97-infected MDMs exhibited the strongest induction of apoptosis in Jurkat T cells, and it could be reduced by TRAIL–receptor 2 blocking antibody. Furthermore, influenza virus infection enhanced the sensitivity of Jurkat T cells to apoptosis induced by TNF-α, TRAIL, and FasL. Our data suggested that functional TRAIL produced by influenza virus–infected MDMs was related to their cytotoxicity and that the enhanced sensitization to DRL-induced apoptosis detected in avian influenza may contribute to disease pathogenesis
A Rare Clinical Entity in the Differential Diagnosis of Mastalgia: Thoracic Zona.

OBJECTIVE Mastalgia is the most common complaint of patients who are admitted for breast examination. Breast pain may originate breast tissue pathologies or non-breast pathologies adjacent organs. One of the causes of mastalgia is the varicella-zoster infection of the thoracic nerve ganglions. The zona zoster infection is painful, and vesicular lesions in the infected dermatomal regions can be observed because of the reactivation of the latent varicella (Herpes)-zoster virus (VZV) in the dorsal radix of medulla spinalis. There are no reviews of the zona cases of mastalgia patients in the literature. We aimed to investigate and represent the characteristics of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients complaining of mastalgia and who were diagnosed with zona zoster infection after physical examination and clinical evaluation in the outpatients department of General Surgery were investigated retrospectively between January 2010 and January 2015. RESULTS The study included 12 patients. All of them were female, and the mean age of patients was 51.66 (36-72) years. Eight of the zona cases were seen in the right breast (66.6%), and four of them were seen in the left breast (33.4%). Complaints of patients were pain (100%), eruption (70%), and burning sensation (60%). Underlying pathology was seen in one of the cases. Physical examination at admission revealed that four of the patients did not have any physical abnormality (33.3%). On the contrary of vesicular lesions, typical physical findings of zona, were seen in eight patients (66.7%). CONCLUSION Detailed history analysis and physical examination of the breast should be performed, particularly in older patients with unilateral severe mastalgia, and zona should be considered.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in hypertension

Purpose of review Hypertension is the most prevalent risk factor in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and plays a key role in the disease. The continued lack of effective therapies to improve outcomes in HFpEF underscores the knowledge gaps regarding the pathophysiology of HFpEF. This review builds on fundamental concepts in pressure overload-induced left ventricular modeling, and summarizes recent knowledge gained regarding the mechanisms underlying the transition from hypertensive heart disease to HFpEF. Recent findings The pathophysiology of hypertensive HFpEF extends beyond the development of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction to myocardial contractile dysfunction, beyond left atrial structural dilatation to left atrial functional decline, beyond macrovascular stiffening to microvascular dysfunction, beyond central cardiac triggers to systemic endothelial inflammation, beyond fibrosis to titin changes, and beyond collagen deposition to qualitative changes in collagen. The central paradigm involves a systemic proinflammatory state triggering a downstream cascade of cardiac microvascular endothelial activation, oxidative stress, and abnormal myocardial cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling, leading to microvascular rarefaction, chronic ischemia, fibrosis and progression to HFpEF. Summary Recent advances have provided insights into the pathophysiology of HFpEF in hypertension. Such knowledge provides novel opportunities for therapeutic strategies in the treatment of hypertensive HFpEF.
A blade element actuator disc approach applied to tidal stream turbines

At a commercial scale tidal stream turbines are likely to be installed in multi-device arrays to maximise power output from a tidal site. This paper demonstrates a computationally efficient method for predicting the performance of an array. The approach parameterises the turbine by deriving momentum source terms using blade element (BE) theory. The source terms are added to Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) momentum equations. The RANS+BE method is similar to blade element momentum (BEM) theory but can predict the flow field as well as the performance of the rotor. This investigation first verifies the RANS+BE method against BEM theory and shows good agreement, although tip-losses still need to be included. Secondly, it compares the RANS+BE approach to a parameterisation based on a uniform resistance coefficient, over a range of ambient turbulence values and thrust coefficients. The RANS+BE method generates increased azimuthal velocities in the near wake compared to the uniform approach. Finally the investigation compares results of a model of an infinitely wide array of turbines with five rows. The RANS+BE model can predict the performance of each turbine. and shows more rapid wake velocity recovery within the array. The investigation provides a detailed insight into the applicability of wake modelling techniques for the configuration of tidal stream turbine arrays.
Seasonality of Warm Water Intrusions Onto the Continental Shelf Near the Totten Glacier

Warm Modified Circumpolar Deep Water (MCDW) from the Southern Ocean drives rapid basal melt of the Totten Ice Shelf on the Sabrina Coast (East Antarctica), affecting the mass balance of the grounded Totten Glacier. Recent observations show that MCDW intrudes onto the continental shelf through a depression at the shelf break. Here we investigate such intrusions by combining (1) new oceanographic and bathymetric observations collected for two consecutive years by profiling floats in the depression south of the shelf break, (2) oceanographic measurements collected by conductivity‐temperature‐depth‐instrumented seals on continental slope, and (3) an ocean model. The depression provides a pathway for persistent inflow of warm (0‐1°C) MCDW to the inner shelf. In austral autumn and early winter MCDW intrusions were up to 0.5°C warmer and were are ~75 m thicker than in spring and summer. The seasonality of the flow on the continental slope explains the seasonality of the intrusions. The MCDW layer on the continental slope is warmer and thicker to the east of the depression than to the west. In autumn and early winter a strong, top‐to‐bottom westward current (Antarctic Slope Current) transports the warmer and thicker MCDW layer along the slope and is diverted poleward at the eastern entrance of the depression. A bottom‐intensified eastward current (Antarctic Slope Undercurrent) develops in other months, allowing cooler and thinner intrusions to enter the depression from the west. Our study illustrates how circulation on the Antarctic slope regulates the ocean heat delivery to the continental shelf and ultimately to the ice shelves.
Emisiones de CO2, crecimiento económico y escolaridad: análisis subnacional para Ecuador

En las últimas décadas, las emisiones de gases de CO2 han tenido un crecimiento constante a nivel mundial. Para frenar o disminuir el deterioro ambiental, se torna difícil sostener que se puede lograr exclusivamente a través del crecimiento económico de las provincias. Es más, el crecimiento económico sin sostenibilidad ocasiona serios daños ambientales. Las estimaciones de la curva de Kuznets ambiental (CKA), evidencian que el mejoramiento ambiental no depende únicamente del crecimiento económico (VABPCSEMI); variables como: el número de vehículos per cápita (VEHICULOS), es una variable relevante que merece ser tomada en cuenta en el diseño de políticas públicas para lograr reducir las emisiones de CO2 (CO2PC), asimismo la concientización y educación (ESCOLARIDAD) de las personas que repercute en un mayor cuidado y responsabilidad sobre el medio ambiente. Para analizar las variables mencionadas, se toma información de 21 provincias del Ecuador. Los resultados muestran que el número de vehículos per cápita expresa una relación directa con las emisiones de CO2 por el consumo de energía eléctrica, ya que cada vehículo en promedio genera 1.3 toneladas de CO2 por año. El VAB per cápita es significativo y cumple con la expectativa teórica de una relación directa entre estas dos variables, afirmando que el crecimiento económico, tiene un impacto sobre las emisiones de CO2 generadas por el consumo de energía eléctrica.
Summary annual reports.

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES AND HOUSE STAFF ENROLLED IN DUKE’S BENEFIT PLANS Under the terms of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), it is required that a summary annual report for all welfare benefit plans be furnished to plan participants and beneficiaries. To facilitate a single printing, the reports for the plan year ending December 31, 2015 have been combined in this notice for distribution to employees and House Staff members. Consequently, portions of this combined summary annual report may refer to plans in which you are not currently participating or receiving benefits.
A TECHNOLOGICAL AND USER BASED PERSPECTIVES АСПЕКТИ В СИГУРНОСТТА НА СОЦИАЛНИТЕ МРЕЖИ . ТЕХНОЛОГИЧНИ И ПОТРЕБИТЕЛСКИ ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

The paper describes some leading security aspects, related to social engineering/reengineering from both technological and users’ based perspectives. A model, organized around Entity-Relationship paradigm and experts’ knowledge for the problem, is presented and validated on the basis of psychophysiological monitoring amongst two focus groups. The achieved initial results have shown a predisposition to Web 2.0 technological threats by means of manipulative social engineering/reengineering, concerning the users and over trust in some famous social networks. This can produce negative changes in users’ behaviour and emotional state. XX TELECOM’ 2012 18-19 October, NSTC, Sofia, BULGARIA
Defective Antigen Processing in GILT-Free Mice

Processing of proteins for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II–restricted presentation to CD4-positive T lymphocytes occurs after they are internalized by antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Antigenic proteins frequently contain disulfide bonds, and their reduction in the endocytic pathway facilitates processing. In humans, a gamma interferon–inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) is constitutively present in late endocytic compartments of APCs. Here, we identified the mouse homolog of GILT and generated a GILT knockout mouse. GILT facilitated the processing and presentation to antigen-specific T cells of protein antigens containing disulfide bonds. The response to hen egg lysozyme, a model antigen with a compact structure containing four disulfide bonds, was examined in detail.
[Basal immunological parameters in a group of retirees].

OBJECTIVES a) establish the major immunological parameters for clinical use in a group of retirees; b) correlate its levels in relation to gender; c) assess the influence of some specific factors (substance abuse, diseases) on the analyzed parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS study period: 1990-1999; sample: 249; 102 men (M); 147 women (W). Median age: 67.03 (4.2) years. Analyzed immunological variables: total leukocytes, lymphocytes B, immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM), rheumatoid factor, lymphocytes subpopulations (CD4, CD8, ratio), natural killer, complement (C3 and C4) and delayed hypersensitivity tests. TECHNIQUES flow cytometry (EPICS-Profile II) and Multitest IMC. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SPSS version 10.0. Results. Gender influence: leukocytes: M: 6,699.4 (1,615.0); W: 6,105.9 (1,470.5); p < 0,003; lymphocytes B (%): M: 9.4 (5.0); W: 11.3 (4.1); p < 0,003; IgG: M: 1,155.7 (320.0); W: 1,116.1 (257.8); p = 0,28, IgM: M: 112.7 (69.3); W: 136.8 (85.6); p < 0,01; IgA: M: 276.1 (114); W: 254.0 (122); p = 0,15; rheumatoid factor: M: 18.5 (6.6); W: 20.9 (18.8); p = 0,020; CD4 (%): M: 42.2 (9.7); W: 47.3 (9,1); p < 0.001; CD8 (%): M: 30.3 (10,8); W: 25.0 (10.2); p < 0,001; scores: M: 13.2 (7.4); 11m: 10.0 (7.2); p < 0,005. Influence of the substance abuse: smokers; lymphocytes B (%): 8.8 (3.4); No: 10.9 (4.7); p < 0.008; CD8 (%): smokers: 31.8 (13.2); No: 26.2 (9.9); p < 0.003; CD4/CD8 ratio: smokers: 1.6 (0.9); No: 2.0 (1.3); p < 0,05; scores: smokers: 14.3 (6.8); No: 10.8 (7.5); p < 0.02; alcoholism: lymphocytes B (%): 8.7 (2.5). No: 10.8 (4.7); p < 0.001; alcoholism: store: 16.9 (6.7); No: 10.7 (7.3); p < 0,001. Influence of the diseases: diabetes: CD4 (%): 49.4 (12.0); diabetics versus healthy: p = 0,05; CD4/CD8 ratio: 2.6 (2.5); diabetics versus healthy: p = 0,04; EPOC: CD8 (%): 32.9 (16,3); COPD versus healthy: p = 0,07; neoplasias NK (%): 17.1 (21.4); neoplasias versus healthy: p < 0,01. CONCLUSIONS. a) there are differences according to the gender in the parameters of normalcy of some variables; b) smoking and alcoholism alter the immunological test analyzed, and c) some chronic diseases influence the subpopulations of lymphocytes and the cutaneous test of delayed hypersensitivity.
Perception and Confusion of Speech Sounds by Adults with a Cochlear Implant

The aim of this pilot study was to identify the most common speech sound confusions of 5 Norwegian cochlear implanted post‐lingually deafened adults. We played recorded nonwords, aCa, iCi and bVb, to our informants, asked them to repeat what they heard, recorded their repetitions and transcribed these phonetically. We arranged the collected data in confusion matrices to find the most common and most uncommon speech sound confusions. We found that the voiced and unvoiced consonants are seldom confused. We also found that there was a higher rate of consonant confusion for the iCi words than for the aCa words. The most frequent confusion was [] perceived as [], [] perceived as [] and [] perceived as []. For the consonants, manner of articulation was rarely confused, but place of articulation was often confused. An exception from this was the confusion of [l] and [n], which differs only in manner of articulation. The latter is in accordance with reports we get from clinicians. We postulate that this is caused by the speech processing of the cochlear implant. We found less confusion of the vowels, which can be explained by the fact that vowels have much higher energy and longer duration than most of the consonants. The most frequent confusion was [] perceived as [] and [] perceived as []. [], [] and [] were never confused with other vowels.
Migration of additives from polymers into food simulants: numerical solution of a mathematical model taking into account food and polymer interactions

The principle of a computing program describing precisely the migration of additives from a polymer into a food simulant is presented. As six parameters are used to fit the simulant sorption and additive extraction kinetics, the parameters have been determined by independent experiments. Owing to the complicated coupling between the liquid and additive diffusion processes, migration kinetics cannot be obtained by a mathematical resolution of kinetic equations, but they must be calculated by numerical analysis. The method is applied to a UV absorber in polypropylene migrating into glyceryl tripelargonate, a pure triglyceride, of which behaviour and average molecular weight are similar to official fatty food simulants. Properly designed experiments validate the model used to fit the migration kinetics. The possibility of erasing any parameters is also discussed.
Epidemiology of enteric adenovirus infection in prospectively monitored Argentine families

SUMMARY To examine the role of enteric adenoviruses (EAV) in an urban area of Buenos Aires (Argentina), we prospectively studied faecal samples from 49 families of newborns. These were monitored weekly for diarrhoea for 2 years. A total of 180 samples from cases of diarrhoea and 766 samples obtained during diarrhoea-free periods were studied by dot-blot hybridization with an EAV-specific DNA probe. EAV were found in 6/180 (3·3%) cases of diarrhoea and 6/766 (0·8%) asymptomatic samples (P < 0·015). Incidence of EAV was 3·9 cases per 100 person-years in children < 60 months old. EAV-related diarrhoeas were slight and of short duration. In addition, 129 faeces from hospital out-patients, 1–30 months old, were also studied. EAV was identified in 7/129 cases (5·4%). These cases were 9·5 ±3·5 months old and the diarrhoea was mild or severe, of 3±1·5 days of duration. We suggest that EAV are low-risk causes of diarrhoea under natural conditions, although a few children may develop more severe diarrhoea. The diagnosis of EAV needs to be considered in these patients.
By Design or by Drift: How, Where, and Why HRM Activities Are Organized in the Public Sector

In the past decades, scholarship has recognized the potential of human resource management (HRM) to contribute to organizational performance in the public sector. Even so, the issue of how HRM activities are organized to achieve superior performance is still in largely unknown territory. De-centering and re-centering dynamics for the organization of HRM have been recognized, but insufficiently analyzed in terms of theoretical and analytical integration. This study investigates the specifics of how the public sector organizes a variety of HRM activities, including the questions of where and why. We find that a complementary use of a rational design perspective and a constraining drift perspective is crucial in order to fully understand the complexities of organizing HRM activities in the public sector. Public organizations generally intend to seek the most optimal arrangement but are sometimes constrained from doing so. Institutional constraints sometimes result in more optimal arrangements, but they can also lead to unintended side-effects. This calls for more research on how design and drift factors intertwine.