Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumer acceptance of Islamic home financing

Purpose - – This study aims to examine the factors influencing the consumer acceptance on Islamic home financing products amongst clients of Islamic banks. For the purpose, the study extends the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in explaining the Islamic home financing adoption along. Further, the study also intends to analyze the effects of “Islamicity of product” and seven demographic factors on the consumer acceptance of Islamic home financing products. Design/methodology/approach - – Using the TPB model as a baseline theory, data are collected from bank customers in East Malaysia involving two cities, namely, Kota Kinabalu and Labuan, using self-administered questionnaires. A total of 300 questionnaires are distributed; however, only 278 are found usable. We use ordered probit model to analyze the effects of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, Islamicity of product and demographic factors. Findings - – Using the ordered probit model, this study finds that attitude, subjective norm, perceived control and Islamicity of product are instrumental in determining the consumer acceptance of Islamic home financing products. Concerned with demographic items, the study finds that marital status, ethnic, occupation and religion are influential. It is also discovered, however, that gender, academic qualification and monthly income have little effects on the consumer acceptance. Research limitations/implications - – Three limitations are available for future studies. First, the current work does not include the experienced users who patronize Islamic home financing products. Second, the contribution of the present study is confined to the analyzed explanatory variables. Third, this study also has geographical constraint in which it is conducted in East Malaysia whilst samples from West-Malaysia are overlooked. These limitations, however, provide directions for further future research. Practical implications - – Essentially, this study is a pioneering effort in applying the TPB model to the new context of Islamic home financing products in Malaysia. The study integrates the effects of Islamicity of product and demographic factors on the consumer acceptance on Islamic home financing products. The TPB model is proven valid and is reliable in predicting the consumer acceptance on Islamic home financing products. Originality/value - – This study introduces Islamicity of product and demographic factors in explaining the consumer acceptance on Islamic home financing products. Most fundamentally, this study proposes a modified theoretical framework that is of paramount importance to predict the demand of Islamic home financing products in the future.
Correlation between cough frequency and airway inflammation in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Cough is common in airway disease. We measured cough frequency in children with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), to determine how accurately families assess this symptom; and to assess the relationship between cough frequency and airway inflammation, measured using induced sputum and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO). Twenty stable PCD children (7 boys), median age 10.8 years (interquartile range (IQR), 9–14), and 10 healthy control children, median age 12 years (IQR, 10.5–12.7), were recruited. ENO was measured using a chemiluminescence analyzer, with sputum induction with 3.5% saline. PCD children underwent ambulatory cough monitoring. Sputum neutrophils were higher in PCD (median, 70.3%; IQR, 55.3–78%) compared to controls (median, 27%; IQR, 24.5–33%; P = 0.004); cough frequency was higher (median episodes, 19; IQR, 11–22.5) compared to healthy children (median episodes, 6.7; IQR, 4.1–10.5; P < 0.001). Forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1 percent predicted) and eNO were lower in PCD (median, 63%; IQR, 57–85%; P < 0.0001); eNO (median, 7.1 ppb (IQR, 4.8–19.1 ppb) vs. 12.4 ppb (IQR, 10.3–17.3 ppb), P = 0.043). Parental scoring of day and night cough correlated with recorded cough (r = 0.930, P < 0.0001, daytime; r = 0.711 for nighttime, P = 0.002). Visual analogue score and cough episodes also correlated positively (r = 0.906; P < 0.0001). There was a positive correlation between cough frequency and sputum neutrophil count in PCD (Spearman's r = 0.693, P < 0.002), but not percent FEV1 or eNO. Stable PCD children have increased cough frequency and neutrophilic airway inflammation. In conclusion, cough frequency correlated with sputum neutrophils but not with FEV1 or eNO. Pediatr Pulmonol © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dynamique de l'accumulation de capital en présence de contraintes de débouchés

There are different formulations of capital inertia based on costs of adjustment. The differences in the results derive essentially from the returns to scale of the revenu fonction relating production and costs. Based on an example, we study two questions bearing on the role of the anticipated constraints: the lag between the application of a constraint and the diminution of investments, and the influence of fluctuations in demand on investment decisions.
Ets1 blocks terminal differentiation of keratinocytes and induces expression of matrix metalloproteases and innate immune mediators

The transcription factor Ets1 is normally expressed in the proliferative layer of stratified epithelium, but expression of Ets1 is significantly upregulated in squamous cell carcinomas. How elevated levels of Ets1 impact tumor initiation and progression is not well understood. To determine the biological consequences of overexpression of Ets1, we developed a transgenic mouse model that allows induction of Ets1 expression in keratinocytes of stratified epithelium in a regulatable fashion. Induction of Ets1 during embryonic development results in a dramatic alteration in epidermal structure and function by suppressing the expression of multiple stratum corneum constituents, while at the same time inducing expression of EGF ligands, AP1 transcription factors and matrix metalloproteases. Interestingly, expression of certain immune-related genes, including defensins, chemokines and cytokines was increased as well, suggesting a possible role for immune dysregulation in the promotion of squamous dysplasia. Experiments using cultured mouse keratinocytes indicate that Ets1 can induce expression of some of these mediators in a cell-intrinsic fashion. Collectively, our data reveal that elevated expression of Ets1 has a much broader array of pro-tumorigenic effects on epithelial cells than previously appreciated.
[Effect of early onset of transdermal and oral estrogen therapy on the lipid profile: a prospective study with cross-over design].

OBJECTIVE The aim of study was to evaluate changes of lipid profil during different types of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT). DESIGN Prospective randomized study. SETTING 1st Faculty of Medicine and General Faculty Hospital Prague. METHODS Two routes of administration were used for 12 weeks: oral estradiol 2 mg/day and transdermal estradiol 50 microg/day (7-day pathes). Forty five healthy women with average age 49 +/- 6 years were randomised into prospective cross-over designed study. Forty one women finished the study and were analysed. Blood collections were performed from veins on the beginning of study and during last week of each therapeutic interventions. Statistical results have counted by paired t-test. RESULTS Total cholesterol levels were not changed. Triglycerides grew up from 1,39 +/- 0,9 mmol/l to 1.61 +/- 0.8 mmol/l (p = 0,004) after oral ERT. This results showed significant (p = 0.0001) differences between oral and transdermal application because of nonsignificant (p = 0.187) lowering trends after transdermal ERT. The elevation of HDL levels after oral ERT (from 1.85 +/- 0.39 mmol/l to 2.09 +/- 0.42 mmol/l, p = 0.0001) was significantly (p = 0.009) more favourable than after transdermal ERT (to 1.96 +/- 0.42 mmol/l, p = 0.029). Changes of LDL levels are also more favourable (p = 0.0001). LDL levels decreased after oral ET from 3.06 +/- 0.97 mmol/l to 2.52 +/- 0.71 mmol/l in comparison with the nonsignificant decline on 3.0 +/- 1.0 mmol/l after transdemal ERT. CONCLUSION All data from lipid metabolism had more favourable changes after oral ET with the exception of triglycerides. Knowledge of the patient's lipid profile and it's changes after each type of estrogen applications enable doctors individualisation of hormone replacement therapy from this point of view.
The History and Politics of Corporate Ownership in Sweden

Not despite but because of persistent Social Democratic political influence since the Great Reversal in 1932 have a few families and banks controlled the largest listed firms in Sweden. The Social Democrats have de facto been the guarantor rather than the terminator of private capitalism since the political and corporate incumbencies have been united by strong common interests. Incumbent owners need the political support to legitimize that their corporate power rests on extensive use of dual-class shares and pyramiding. While the Social Democrats only get the necessary resources and indirect support for their social and economic policies from the private sector if the largest firms remain under Swedish control so that capital does not migrate. The extensive use of mechanisms to separate votes from capital however drives a significant wedge between the costs of internal and external capital that causes an enhanced (political) pecking order of financing where new external equity is strongly avoided. Since financing via retained earnings and borrowing also have been tax-subsidized, firms have only to a limited extent been dependent on the primary equity markets and ownership did not become dispersed. The heavy entrenchment of both the political and corporate powers worked well until the 70s when domestic and international capital markets were dormant. But then signs of stagnation became apparent as the economy did not respond with resiliency to economic shocks and stiffer international competition. The policies had been too focused on the very largest firms but systematically ignored the need to create new entrepreneurial firms. By not encouraging outsiders to create new firms and fortunes, and by not fully activating the primary equity markets, the heavy politicized system has redistributed incomes but not property rights and wealth. The result is an ageing economy with an unusually large proportion of very old and very large firms with well-defined owners in control. 31 of the 50 largest listed firms in 2000 were founded before 1914, only 8 in the post-war period and none after 1970.
Receptor Binding , and Virulence in Mice of H 10 N 8 Influenza Viruses Isolated from Ducks and Chickens in Live Poultry Markets in China

We analyzed eight H10N8 viruses isolated from ducks and chickens in live poultry markets from 2009 to 2013 in China. These viruses showed distinct genetic diversity and formed five genotypes: the four duck isolates formed four different genotypes, whereas the four chicken viruses belong to a single genotype. The viruses bound to both humanand avian-type receptors, and four of the viruses caused 12.7% to 22.5% body weight loss in mice.
Twenty Years of International Equity Investing

International equity portfolio diversification is now well accepted by investors around the world. It was a novel concept, and perceived as unusually risky, when proposed originally in the Journal by Bergstrom (1975). In the twenty years since, many other writers have described the risk reduction and return enhancement of carefully diversifying portfolios across different international equity markets. A comprehensive summary of the extensive literature appears in Solnik (1988). In these two decades, the benefits of global portfolio diversification have been largely accepted by the academic and professional investment communities. At this point, it is of interest to consider two critical questions: 1. Has international equity diversification achieved it original objectives of raising return per unit of risk for U.S.-based and other global investors? 2. What new routes are open to future global investors?
WAS THE WORLDWIDE ASYMMETRY IN CURRENT ACCOUNTS CAUSED BY THE MACROECONOMIC POLICY OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMYâ€™S LEADER?

Some authors sketch the causal chain that produced the current account surplus in China and the current account deficit of the US (as a part of global imbalances) as follows: declining interest rates in the US cause a redirection of capital flows into the periphery, rising capital inflows into China and other Asian countries trigger currency purchases by periphery central banks, and increasing stocks of foreign reserves on the asset side in the central bank balance sheet are matched by a proportional increase of reserve money on the liability side. To keep the exchange rate stable, foreign reserves are accumulated and reserve money expands. The Peoples Bank of China is trying to fight the inflation pressure with several measures, among them higher interest rates. This attracts even more foreign capital to China. Moreover, it cannot solve a problem that originates in the macroeconomic policy of the global economyâ€™s leader â€“ a crucial point in this argument is the redirection thesis. The empirical evidence does not support this thesis in several respects â€“ there is no evidence for a redirected capital flow away from the US toward China, and there is no evidence that interest rates controlled by the Federal Reserve are the cause of the capital flow to China.
Epipelagic mesozooplankton dynamics around the Mascarene Plateau and Basin, Southwestern Indian Ocean

It has been suggested that the obstruction of the South Equatorial Current by the Mascarene Plateau might cause upwelling, nutrient enrichment and enhanced chlorophyll and secondary production levels downstream. A study conducted in April and May 2001 showed variability in biomass and community structure which appeared to support this hypothesis but, in the absence of supporting physical and biochemical measurements, we were unable to confirm it. In June and July 2002 the sampling was repeated with the supporting environmental measurements available from a large research vessel. In this paper we present the results from this sampling programme, compare them with the 2001 results, and examine both datasets in the light of physical and other environmental data gathered during the 2002 programme in order to evaluate the evidence for significant upwelling around the Mascarene Plateau. The evidence is inconclusive: the 2002 dataset shows only a little evidence of topographic upwelling. However, the mesozooplankton and other physical and biochemical data from the 2002 sampling programme indicate support for the theory of an open–ocean upwelling between 5 and 10○ S across the central and western Indian Ocean from 50 to 90° E, due to Ekman divergence along the northern edge of the South Equatorial Current. It is possible that these two separate sources of upwelling may coexist and combine at times, producing the very high levels of biomass found during 2001.
Design and acceptability of patient-oriented computerized diabetes care reminders for use at the point of care

Despite the widespread availability of guidelines for caring for patients with diabetes and decades of research on computerized reminder systems, large gaps in quality remain in diabetes care remain and computerized reminder systems are rarely used for patients with diabetes. We set out to develop and test the feasibility of a system that would overcome many of the barriers preventing the widespread use of point-of-care computerized reminders to improve diabetes care. Five primary care physicians and 32 patients with type 2 diabetes pilot tested the system. We set out to design and measure the preliminary acceptability of patient-oriented point of care computerized diabetes care reminders. The main findings of our study were that (1) the reports were well accepted by both patients and providers and (2) survey and audiotape data suggest that they may be helpful at improving the quality of outpatient care for patients with diabetes.
Inferring Future Volatility from the Information in Implied Volatility in Eurodollar Options: A New Approach

We study the information content of implied volatility from several volatility specifications of the Heath-Jarrow-Morton (1992) (HJM) models relative to popular historical volatility models in the Eurodollar options market. The implied volatility from the HJM models explains much of the variation of realized interest rate volatility over both daily and monthly horizons. The implied volatility dominates the GARCH terms, the Glosten et al. (1993) type asymmetric volatility terms, and the interest rate level. However, it cannot explain that the impact of interest rate shocks on the volatility is lower when interest rates are low than when they are high. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Systems-of-systems analysis of national infrastructure

National infrastructure is as much a priority in countries with a large stock of ageing infrastructural assets as it is for rapidly industrialising economies. Increasing attention is being paid to the risk and opportunities that the growing interdependence between infrastructural systems brings. However, there is no current methodology to enable long-term planning and future performance assessment of interdependent infrastructural systems. This paper makes the case for a long-term, cross-sectoral approach to analysing and planning the performance of national infrastructure systems. Such an approach is required to develop credible long-term visions for infrastructure provision and to analyse system performance across a range of possible futures. A preliminary version of a system-of-systems analysis for the UK is presented as an example. The implementation of a comprehensive, model-based approach is currently well under way.
Cycles, stochasticity and density dependence in pink salmon population dynamics

Complex dynamics of animal populations often involve deterministic and stochastic components. A fascinating example is the variation in magnitude of 2-year cycles in abundances of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) stocks along the North Pacific rim. Pink salmon have a 2-year anadromous and semelparous life cycle, resulting in odd- and even-year lineages that occupy the same habitats but are reproductively isolated in time. One lineage is often much more abundant than the other in a given river, and there are phase switches in dominance between odd- and even-year lines. In some regions, the weak line is absent and in others both lines are abundant. Our analysis of 33 stocks indicates that these patterns probably result from stochastic perturbations of damped oscillations owing to density-dependent mortality caused by interactions between lineages. Possible mechanisms are cannibalism, disease transmission, food depletion and habitat degradation by which one lineage affects the other, although no mechanism has been well-studied. Our results provide comprehensive empirical estimates of lagged density-dependent mortality in salmon populations and suggest that a combination of stochasticity and density dependence drives cyclical dynamics of pink salmon stocks.
AML compliance for foreign correspondent accounts: a primer on beneficial ownership requirements and other challenges

Purpose – To educate on AML legal requirements and issues relative to foreign correspondent accounts, and give practical advice on relatively low-burdensome measures firms can take to help them achieve compliance in this challenging area. Design/methodology/approach – Summarizes AML requirements relevant to foreign correspondent accounts, discusses two related FINRA settlements involving the alleged failure to obtain and verify beneficial ownership information, reviews ongoing regulatory and legislative initiatives (including a FinCEN initiative to require firms to identify beneficial owners and verify their identities), and suggests certain due diligence procedures firms can use to screen foreign correspondent accounts. Findings – One of the fundamental risks that firms face when dealing with foreign correspondent accounts is not knowing their customers' customers. While the current regulatory framework does not, in most cases, explicitly require firms to obtain beneficial ownership information, the prac.
Space for female foreign‐trained non‐Greek nationals in the Greek labour market

This research examines the process of labour market entry for foreign‐trained non‐Greek national women in Greece as a means by which to understand the key factors shaping entry portals. In doing so, the paper assesses the influence of pre‐migration skills, qualifications and vocational experience (human capital); and the role played by one’s local employment knowledge and access to and connection with social networks (social capital). The research develops an appreciation of the implications of available labour market access channels and the consequent labour market location of the cohort in question.
Results of a Pilot Test of a Self-Administered Smartphone-Based Treatment System for Alcohol Use Disorders: Usability and Early Outcomes

Background This paper provides results from a pilot study focused on assessing early-stage effectiveness and usability of a smartphone-based intervention system that provides a stand-alone, self-administered intervention option, the Location-Based Monitoring and Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorders (LBMI-A). The LBMI-A provided numerous features for intervening with ongoing drinking, craving, connection with supportive others, managing life problems, high-risk location alerting, and activity scheduling. Methods Twenty-eight participants, ranging in age from 22 to 45, who met criteria for an alcohol use disorder used an LBMI-A–enabled smartphone for 6 weeks. Results Participants indicated the LBMI-A intervention modules were helpful in highlighting alcohol use patterns. Tools related to managing alcohol craving, monitoring consumption, and identifying triggers to drink were rated by participants as particularly helpful. Participants also demonstrated significant reductions in hazardous alcohol use while using the system (56% of days spent hazardously drinking at baseline vs. 25% while using the LBMI-A) and drinks per day diminished by 52%. Conclusions Implications for system improvement as well as suggestions for designing ecological momentary assessment and intervention systems for substance use disorders are discussed.