Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Islamic Stock Markets in a Global Context

This study is a sequel to the 2012 Sheng and Singh article that identified and explained the significance of the two central tenets of Islamic finance: namely, its underpinning by a strong ethical system, and the absolute prohibition of the use of interest rates. That study also argued that the cooperation between the conventional Western system and the Islamic system is eminently sensible and will lead to a Pareto optimal increase in world welfare
Dowry "inflation" in rural India: a statistical investigation.

Dowries in most regions of South Asia have steadily become larger over the last 40 years, causing widespread destitution among families with daughters to be married. This paper attempts to investigate the reasons behind dowry ‘inflation’ with data on marriage transactions and other individual and household information from six villages in south-central India, and from the Indian census. It is found that a ‘marriage squeeze’ caused by population growth which resulted in a surplus of younger women in the marriage market, has played an important role in the increase in dowries. Other factors that increase the size of dowries include differences in the landholdings of the parental households, and residence in regions in the more northerly parts of India.
Education for sustainability – a prerequisite for post-crisis economic competitiveness with possible inference for Romania

The need to integrate sustainability among the skills of specialists in economics and its accreditation for the university curricula was recognized in academic literature for over twenty years. Based on literature review the study outlines the idea that although there is significant interest in the concept of sustainability for economic education, particularly for the accounting domain, as demonstrated by the wide range of topics dealt with in a number of high quality journals, the dispersion is extremely high, the subjects are not treated consistently and the research impact is not reflected in practice. The paper presents then a documentary based research on the deepening the subjects included in the curricula of master's programs in a number of European universities, central or collateral dealing with aspects of sustainability. In the last part of the article a study is depicted in order to present a picture of the possible involvement of Romanian students, graduated of economic studies, regarding the aspects of sustainability (environment, society and corporate responsibility), impacting the future evolution of the Romanian economy.
Cooling Reduces cAMP-Stimulated Exocytosis and Adiponectin Secretion at a Ca2+-Dependent Step in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

We investigated the effects of temperature on white adipocyte exocytosis (measured as increase in membrane capacitance) and short-term adiponectin secretion with the aim to elucidate mechanisms important in regulation of white adipocyte stimulus-secretion coupling. Exocytosis stimulated by cAMP (included in the pipette solution together with 3 mM ATP) in the absence of Ca2+ (10 mM intracellular EGTA) was equal at all investigated temperatures (23°C, 27°C, 32°C and 37°C). However, the augmentation of exocytosis induced by an elevation of the free cytosolic [Ca2+] to ~1.5 μM (9 mM Ca2+ + 10 mM EGTA) was potent at 32°C or 37°C but less distinct at 27°C and abolished at 23°C. Adiponectin secretion stimulated by 30 min incubations with the membrane permeable cAMP analogue 8-Br-cAMP (1 mM) or a combination of 10 μM forskolin and 200 μM IBMX was unaffected by a reduction of temperature from 32°C to 23°C. At 32°C, cAMP-stimulated secretion was 2-fold amplified by inclusion of the Ca2+ ionophore ionomycin (1μM), an effect that was not observed at 23°C. We suggest that cooling affects adipocyte exocytosis/adiponectin secretion at a Ca2+-dependent step, likely involving ATP-dependent processes, important for augmentation of cAMP-stimulated adiponectin release.
Sensitivity to Various Stimuli in Primary Headaches: A Questionnaire Study

Questions about discomfort or pain produced by various stimuli (eg, light, sound, exercise, neck movements) are currently used to differentiate between various primary headache disorders. In order to evaluate the usefulness of differences in sensitivity to physical stimuli in headache diagnosis, the answers to a questionnaire about sensitivity to various stimuli were compared in 68 patients with migraine, 45 with tension‐type headache, 46 with cluster headache, and 23 patients with cervicogenic headache, and in 71 controls. Even among controls, a high proportion reported that many of these stimuli could elicit some degree of discomfort or pain. Without headache, migraineurs differed from the other patients with headache and controls mainly in their increased sensitivity to light. With headache, patients with tension‐type headache were the least sensitive and migraineurs were the most sensitive to all stimuli, except for stimuli stemming from neck movements, to which patients with cervicogenic headache were most sensitive. Migraineurs also reported the highest degree of sensitivity regarding aggravation and provocation of headache. However, the most striking finding was that all patient groups, cluster headache in particular, became significantly more sensitive with headache than without headache to almost all stimulus categories. This may indicate that these headaches share important pathogenetic mechanisms. The fact that no headache had a very specific sensitivity profile may point to weaknesses of present headache classification systems.
Differential regulation of TRAIL and CD95 ligand in transformed cells of the T and B lymphocyte lineage

TRAIL (APO‐2 ligand) and CD95L (CD95/APO‐1/Fas ligand) share the highest homology among the TNF family members and the ability to induce apoptosis. These similarities raise the issue of a potential functional redundancy between the two ligands. We have previously shown that CD95L‐resistant cells may be sensitive to TRAIL, even though apoptosis induced by both ligands is blocked by caspase inhibitors. Here we investigated TRAIL protein expression in cells of T and B origin and compared its regulation of expression with that of CD95L. A rabbit antibody (Ab) to a peptide sequence in the extracellular region of TRAIL identified recombinant TRAIL (rTRAIL) produced by Sf9 cells as a protein of approximately 32 – 33 kDa and soluble rTRAIL as a 19 – 20‐kDa protein. In human and mouse cells, the Ab identified a 33 – 34‐kDa and an additional 19 – 20‐kDa protein only in human cells. Both transformed cells of the T and B lymphocyte lineage were found to react with the anti‐TRAIL Ab by immunoblot analysis and surface staining. The majority of the cells analyzed co‐expressed TRAIL and CD95L. Two cell lines showed a mirror‐pattern, one being TRAILhigh CD95Llow and the other TRAILlow CD95Lhigh, thus suggesting the existence of a cell type‐specific regulation of expression of the two ligands. Differently from CD95L, surface TRAIL was not up‐regulated by any of the metalloprotease inhibitors tested, independently of the cell type analyzed. Conversely, reactivity with the anti‐TRAIL but not with the anti‐CD95L Ab was enhanced by cysteine protease inhibitors. An in vitro cleavage assay showed that generation of soluble rTRAIL was dependent on the functional activity of cysteine proteases, as it was blocked by leupeptin and E64 but not by the metalloprotease inhibitor 1,10‐phenanthroline. Thus, even though TRAIL and CD95L share structural and functional properties, they have unique properties as they differ in their regulatory pathways, i. e. cell‐type‐dependent expression and sensitivity to protease inhibitors.
U.S. Agency Performance Reporting: Time to Clear the Crowded Management Space

Abstract For federal agencies to better manage and budget for their operations, Congress has enacted laws meant to address certain deficiencies. These laws require agencies to report on their progress in improving performance management, financial management, and information technology. Taken together, the laws require numerous reports, some of which are not as useful as they could be. In response to this problem, Congress has allowed agencies to consolidate their reports. An agency can now offer an integrated picture of performance in one report. Consolidated reporting can lead to better information for decision-makers in Congress, the executive branch, and the public.
Hemodynamic and plasma atrial natriuretic factor responses to cardiac volume loading in young versus older normotensive humans.

To assess the effects of age on responsiveness of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) release, and the possible contribution of cardiac sympathetic activity, in young (n = 8) and older normotensives (n = 7), the effects of cardiac volume load on plasma ANF, central venous pressure, and general hemodynamics were evaluated. Studies were performed after pretreatment with placebo or 80 mg propranolol. Cardiac volume loading increased central venous pressure by 3-5 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa); beta-blockade did not affect this response. Cardiac volume load caused significant increases in heart rate (10-15 beats/min) and cardiac index (by 0.7-0.8 L.min-1.m-2) and decreases in plasma catecholamines. Propranolol attenuated the increases in heart rate and cardiac index. These hemodynamic responses did not differ significantly between the two groups of subjects. Cardiac volume load significantly increased plasma ANF, by 87 +/- 21 pg/mL in the young normotensives and by 212 +/- 33 pg/mL in the older normotensives (p < 0.01, young vs. older). beta-Blockade did not affect this different response. Our results show that the plasma ANF response to volume loading is potentiated by aging. Although differences in atrial stretch cannot be excluded, this effect may relate to the decrease in clearance of plasma ANF occurring with aging.
Use of technology to improve bicycle mobility in smart cities

In the past few decades there has been a significant growth in cycling and the use of bicycles as a transportation mode and beyond recreational use. Technological advancements along with mobile phones and web platforms can aid bicyclists while considering and planning their routes. Moreover, the vast data that can be generated, and thus collected, from smartphones can provide a database that can be used to develop a systematic evaluation of potential routes and provide meaningful information to the bicyclists. Several of these technologies are based on self-monitoring efforts and sharing experiences among bicyclists but they do not provide a systematic and objective evaluation of the infrastructure. Throughout the world, transportation agencies are promoting bicycling as a serious alternative transportation option, since it provides health benefits and reduces carbon emissions and congestion. It is imperative then that transportation agencies can provide an appropriate infrastructure in order to encourage the continued growth of bicycling. The current technological tools can aid in data collection but what is currently lacking is a systematic, objective review of such information that a transportation agency can use aiming to assess existing infrastructure and develop an action plan to complete and improve it. Transportation agencies require information about their facilities and the use of technology can provide such data in order to better estimate needs and develop an action plan. This paper reviews existing such platforms and applications under the premise of developing a systematic review and an objective performance index for bicycling infrastructure.
A survey of remote sensing-based aboveground biomass estimation methods in forest ecosystems

Remote sensing-based methods of aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation in forest ecosystems have gained increased attention, and substantial research has been conducted in the past three decades. This paper provides a survey of current biomass estimation methods using remote sensing data and discusses four critical issues – collection of field-based biomass reference data, extraction and selection of suitable variables from remote sensing data, identification of proper algorithms to develop biomass estimation models, and uncertainty analysis to refine the estimation procedure. Additionally, we discuss the impacts of scales on biomass estimation performance and describe a general biomass estimation procedure. Although optical sensor and radar data have been primary sources for AGB estimation, data saturation is an important factor resulting in estimation uncertainty. LIght Detection and Ranging (lidar) can remove data saturation, but limited availability of lidar data prevents its extensive application. This literature survey has indicated the limitations of using single-sensor data for biomass estimation and the importance of integrating multi-sensor/scale remote sensing data to produce accurate estimates over large areas. More research is needed to extract a vertical vegetation structure (e.g. canopy height) from interferometry synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) or optical stereo images to incorporate it into horizontal structures (e.g. canopy cover) in biomass estimation modeling.
Irresponsible Lending with a Better Informed Lender

We present a simple model of personal finance in which an incumbent lender has an information advantage vis-a-vis both potential competitors and households. In order to extract more consumer surplus, a lender with sufficient market power may engage in irresponsiblelending, approving credit even if this is knowingly against a household’s best interest. Unless rival lenders are equally well informed, competition may reduce welfare. This holds, in particular, if less informed rivals can free ride on the incumbent’s superior screening ability.
Segregation in Vienna: Impacts of Market Barriers and Rent Regulations

Market barriers may have an enormous influence on the spatial segregation patterns of immigrant groups. This is specifically the case in Vienna, Austria, where accessibility rules with respect to different segments of the housing stock can be seen as one of the most important factors in explaining the residential patterns of Turks and Yugoslavs. Describing and explaining the patterns of these groups is the central issue in this paper. Conclusions are drawn with a reference to recent economic and social trends and the ongoing deregulation of the housing market.
Long-Term Plasticity in the Regulation of Olfactory Bulb Activity by Centrifugal Fibers from Piriform Cortex

Olfactory bulb granule cells are activated synaptically via two main pathways. Mitral/tufted (M/T) cells form dendrodendritic synapses on granule cells that can be activated by antidromic stimulation of the lateral olfactory tract (LOT). Centrifugal fibers originating from the association fiber (AF) system in piriform cortex (PC) make axodendritic synapses on granule cells within the granule cell layer (GCL) that can be activated by orthodromic stimulation of AF axons in the PC. We explored functional plasticity in the AF pathway by recording extracellularly from individual M/T cells and presumed granule cells in male Long–Evans rats under urethane anesthesia while testing their response to LOT and AF stimulation. Presumed granule cells driven synaptically by LOT stimulation (type L cells) were concentrated in the superficial half of the GCL and were activated at short latencies, whereas those driven synaptically by AF stimulation (type A cells) were concentrated in the deep half of the GCL and were activated at longer latencies. Type A cells were readily detected only in animals in which the AF input to the GCL had been previously potentiated by repeated high-frequency stimulation. An additional bout of high-frequency stimulation administered under urethane caused an immediate increase in the number of action potentials evoked in type A cells by AF test stimulation and a concomitant increase in inhibition of M/T cells. These results underscore the importance of the role played in olfactory processing by PC regulation of OB activity and document the long-lasting potentiation of that regulation by repeated high-frequency AF activation.
Sexual activity, contraceptive use and pregnancy among metropolitan-area teenagers: 1971-1979.

Results of a 1979 national survey concerning attitudes and practices of 15-19 year old women living in metropolitan areas are presented and compared with survey findings for 1971 and 1976. The proportion of 15-19 year old metropolitan area women who report having had premarital sexual intercourse rose from 30% in 1971 to 43% in 1976 and to 50% in 1979. Among whites the proportion sexually active rose from 26% in 1971 to 47% in 1979. Almost all of the increase is accounted for by increased sexual activity of never-married white women. 12% of the sexually active women in 1979 reported having had intercourse only once. The level of premarital pregnancy among teenagers increased from 9% in 1971 to 13% in 1976 and to 16% in 1979. The proportion of premaritally pregnant teenagers who married before resolution of the pregnancy decreased from 33% in 1971 to 16% in 1979. The proportion terminated by abortion rose from 23% in 1971 to 37% in 1979. 34% of sexually active teenagers said they always used contraception in 1979 compared to 29% in 1976, while those who reported they never used it declined from 36 to 27%. The proportion of premarital pregnancies occurring among those reporting they had always used a contraceptive method rose from 10% to 14% between 1976 and 1979, partly due to a decline in the use of the most effective medical methods between 1976 and 1979 and a rise in the use of the least effective methods, especially withdrawal.
Is Human Fear Affecting Public Willingness to Pay for the Management and Conservation of Large Carnivores?

From an interdisciplinary approach, this study aims at analyzing self-reported animal fear, specifically large carnivore fear, in relation to public willingness to pay to fulfill a governmental policy on large carnivore-induced costs. In a survey in Sweden involving more than 2,000 respondents, it was found that people whose animal fear was directed particularly toward large carnivores were less likely to be willing to pay these costs, or were likely to be willing to pay a lower amount of money. In the prediction of willingness to pay (WTP), the contribution of the fear variable was as equally important as previously addressed socioeconomic factors.
Integration of Spatial and Temporal Information During Floral Induction in Arabidopsis

Flowering of Arabidopsis is regulated by several environmental and endogenous signals. An important integrator of these inputs is the FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) gene, which encodes a small, possibly mobile protein. A primary response to floral induction is the activation of FT RNA expression in leaves. Because flowers form at a distant site, the shoot apex, these data suggest that FT primarily controls the timing of flowering. Integration of temporal and spatial information is mediated in part by the bZIP transcription factor FD, which is already expressed at the shoot apex before floral induction. A complex of FT and FD proteins in turn can activate floral identity genes such as APETALA1 (AP1).
Audit expectation gap and MBA accounting students' knowledge on auditor(s)' responsibilities: Evidence from a public university in Kumasi Ashanti Region of Ghana

Auditing has become a critical indispensable part of business and corporate life in today’s world and it is receiving great entrenchment in national legal status of almost every nation. However, there are evidences that suggest that users of financial statements and the public at large do not have knowledge about auditors’ responsibilities and this has resulted in what has become known as audit expectation gap. This study sought to investigate the level of knowledge of final year MBA (Accounting) students on auditors’ responsibilities and what auditors do vis-a-vis the companies’ code, International Standards on Auditing as well as the professional guidelines on auditing in one of the public universities in Kumasi, the capital town of Ashanti Region of Ghana. The study used structured self-administered questionnaire to gather information from the final year MBA (Accounting) students. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of MS Excel package. The study revealed that the mean knowledge of the students’ on auditors’ responsibilities was 4.25 suggesting that only 25% of the final year MBA (Accounting) students know for sure what auditors’ responsibilities are. The study therefore recommended that policy makers, the university education administrators and regulators such as National Accreditation Board of Ghana together with the faculties take a closer look at Teaching and Learning of Accountancy and business Studies especially Auditing in Higher Education. It was further suggested that the universities review their syllabi on auditing courses to include the responsibilities, duties and roles of auditors, so as to examine these sections regularly to encourage students to read and understand it properly. Finally, the study proposed further research to cover most of the public universities in Ghana in the near future. Key words: Audit expectation gap, final year MBA (Accounting), auditors’ responsibilities, knowledge, teaching and learning in higher education.
Convergence in GDP Growth Rates across the Provinces of China

Economic theory predicts that poorer economies will catch up with richer ones through the process of convergence. The aim of this Master’s thesis is to establish if convergence in GDP growth rates exists across the provinces of China. After performing a steady state analysis of the provinces’ level of GDP per capita a regression analysis is carried out in order to establish if conditional convergence exists across the 31 provinces of Mainland China during the period 1985-2004. Based on the growth model with technology transfer we distinguish eleven variables explaining the variation in growth rate of GDP per capita. The variables are: initial GDP per capita, investments as share of GDP, population growth, productivity in the agricultural sector, school enrolment in higher and primary education, foreign direct investments, patents granted, infrastructure related to population and area of the province and a preferential policy index. In our optimal model initial GDP per capita, investments as share of GDP, population growth, patents granted and the preferential policy index are found significant. The parameter for initial GDP is -0.0000106 implying conditional convergence. Even though the catching up process is slow the conclusion is that convergence in GDP growth rates exists across the provinces of China for the period 1985-2004.
Foreign Aid and Regime Change: A Role for Donor Intent

This paper uses data from the AidData project to analyze the association between foreign aid and the likelihood of democratization in aid recipients. Previous studies have argued that aid can entrench dictatorships, making a transition less likely. I find evidence that the relationship between aid and democratization depends on characteristics of the aid donor. During the period from 1992 to 2007, aid from democratic donors is often found to be associated with an increase in the likelihood of a democratic transition. This is consistent with a scenario in which aid promotes democratization and/or a situation in which democratic donors reward countries that take steps in a democratic direction. In either case, it suggests that democratic donors use scarce aid resources to encourage democracy. During the same period, aid from authoritarian donors exhibits a negative relationship with democratization. This suggests that the source of funding matters, with donor preferences regarding democracy helping to determine the link between aid and democratization.