• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.665-673
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• 2021

Default has become an extreme concern in the current world due to the financial crisis. The previous prediction of companies' bankruptcy exhibits evidence of decision assistance for financial and regulatory bodies. Notwithstanding numerous advanced approaches, this area of study is not outmoded and requires additional research. The purpose of this research is to find the best classifier to detect a company's default risk and bankruptcy. This study used secondary data from the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) and it is time-series data to examine the impact on the determinants. This research examined several different classifiers as per their competence to properly categorize default and non-default Pakistani companies listed on the PSX. Additionally, PSX has remained consistent for some years in terms of growth and has provided benefits to its stockholders. This paper utilizes machine learning techniques to predict financial distress in companies listed on the PSX. Our results indicate that most multi-stage mixture of classifiers provided noteworthy developments over the individual classifiers. This means that firms will have to work on the financial variables such as liquidity and profitability to not fall into the category of liquidation. Moreover, Adaptive Boosting (Adaboost) provides a significant boost in the performance of each classifier.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.49-59
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• 2022

The relationship between income inequality and capital account openness is empirically investigated in this study, where macroeconomic variables have opposing effects. Panel data used in the study from the KAOPEN Index and World Bank consists of 28 Asian countries and has been examined; it contains annual observations from 1970 to 2018. The data is examined using a random-effect model based on GMM estimates. Income inequality and capital account openness are positively and significantly related, according to our findings. Overall, the findings imply that increasing income gaps reduced capital investment in nations with large discrepancies. The growing economic discrepancy is being caused by the rich's increasing income share at the expense of the poor. In Asia, inward capital account openness exacerbates income inequality, while outward capital account openness exacerbates it. As a result, income inequality slows economic growth, leading to inflation, unemployment, and increased government spending in several Asian countries. Our control factors, GDP, and other secondary school enrolments, all had a statistically significant negative relationship with income inequality. Income disparity has a positive and statistically significant association with government spending, inflation, population, trade openness, and unemployment. Income disparity has a negative association with capital account openness, gross domestic product, and secondary school enrollment.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2022.10a
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• pp.231-231
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• 2022

The GASA protein (Gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis) are family of small cysteine-rich peptides found in plants. These GASA gene family mainly involved in biotic/abiotic stress responses and plant development. Despite being present in a wide plant species, their action and functions still remain unclear. In this study, using the in-silico analysis method we identified 41 GASA genes in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). Based on the phylogenetic analysis 41 GASA genes are classified in the four major clusters and subclades. Mainly, clusters IV and III comprise the majority of GASA genes 15 and 11 genes respectively, followed by cluster I and cluster II with 9 and 6 genes respectively. Additionally, based on in-silico analysis we predicted the post-transcriptional and post-translational changes of GASA proteins under abiotic stresses such as drought and salt stress would aid our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms. Hence, a further study is planned to evaluate the expression of these GASA genes under stress in different plant tissues to elucidate the possible functional role of GASA genes in peanut plants. These findings might offer insightful data for peanut advancement.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.177-197
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• 2018

This paper presents a case study about the damages on the structural elements of a cast in place reinforced concrete (RC) building after a big fire which was able to be controlled after six hours. The fire broke off at the $2^{nd}$ basement floor of the building, which has five basements, one ground, and two normal floors. As a result of intensely stocked ignitable materials, it spread out to the all of the upstairs. In visual inspection, most of the typical fire damages were observed (such as spalling, net-like cracks, crumbled plasters, bared or visible reinforcement). Also, failures of the $2^{nd}$ basement columns were encountered. It has been concluded that the severity failures of the columns at the $2^{nd}$ basement caused utterly deformation of the building, which is responsible for the massive damages on the beam-column connections. All of the observed damages were categorized related to the types and presented separated regarding the floors. Besides to the visual inspection, the numerical analysis was run to verify the observed damaged on the building for columns, beams, and the connection regions. It is concluded from the study that several parameters such as duration of the fire, level of the temperature influence on the damages to the RC building. Also, it is highlighted by the study that if the damaged building is considered on the overall structural system, it is not able to satisfy the minimum service requirements neither gravity loads nor earthquake conditions.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.482-487
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• 2002

Early activation of human peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils is characterized by their morphological changes from spherical to polarized shapes. The endotoxins from enteric pathogens (S. dysenteriae type 1, V. cholerae Inaba 569B, S. typhimurium, and K. pneumoniae) were assessed by their ability to induce morphological polarization of the neutrophils as measures of early activation. Phagocytic activity, adhesion, chemokinetic locomotion, and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye-reduction ability measured the later activation of the cells. Neutrophils showed distinct morphological polarization in suspension over a wide range of concentrations of these endotoxins when were compared with those that were induced by the standard chemotactic factor, N-formyl-L-methionyl-L-leucyl-L-phenylalanine (FMLP). It was discovered that all of the endotoxins induced locomotor responses in neutrophils in suspension that were dose- and time-dependent. The optimum concentration for the endotoxins of S. dysenteriae, V. cholerae, and K. pneumoniae was 1 mg/ml in which 71, 69, and 66% of the neutrophils were polarized. However, the S. typhimurium dose was 2 mg/ml in which 50% of the cells responded. Neutrophils that were stimulated with endotoxins also showed increased random locomotion (p<0.005) through cellulose nitrate filters, but an enhanced adhesion of the cells to glass surfaces (p<0.03). These are important functions of these cells to reach and phagocytose damaged cells, as well as invading microorganisms. Interestingly, the endotoxins had a highly-significant inhibitory effect upon the proportions of neutrophils phagocytosing opsonized yeast (p<0.01) with a small number of yeast that were engulfed by the cells (p<0.02). Further, endotoxin-treated cells showed an enhanced ability to reduce NBT dye (p<0.03). Therefore, we concluded that endotoxins of enteric pathogens are neutrophil chemotactic factors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.661-667
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• 2005

Since conflicting results have been reported on non-specific immune response in type 1 diabetes, this study evaluates polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) functions in the infection free Long Evan diabetic rats (type 1) by using tests that include: polarization assay, phagocytosis of baker's yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) dye reduction. Polarization assay showed that neutrophils from diabetic rats were significantly activated at the basal level compared to those from the controls (p < 0.001). After PMN activation with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP), control neutrophils were found to be more polarized than those of the diabetic neutrophils and the highest proportions of polarization were found to be 67% and 57% at $10^{-7}\;M$ FMLP, respectively. In the resting state, neutrophils from the diabetic rats reduced significantly more NBT dye than that of the controls (p < 0.001). The percentages of phagocytosis of opsonized yeast cells by the neutrophils from control and diabetic rats were 87% and 61%, respectively and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Evaluation of the phagocytic efficiency of PMNs revealed that control neutrophils could phagocytose $381{\pm}17$ whereas those from the diabetic rats phagocytosed $282{\pm}16$ yeast cells, and the efficiency of phagocytosis varied significantly (p < 0.001). Further, both the percentages of phagocytosis and the efficiency of phagocytosis by the diabetic neutrophils were inversely related with the levels of their corresponding plasma glucose (p = 0.02; r = -0.498 and p < 0.05; r = -0.43, respectively), which indicated that increased plasma glucose reduced the phagocytic ability of neutrophils. Such relationship was not observed with the control neutrophils. These data clearly indicate that PMN functions are altered in the streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic rats, and hyperglycemia may be the cause for the impairment of their functions leading to many infectious episodes.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.67 no.6
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• pp.579-585
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• 2018

Masonry walls are of a complex (anisotropic) structure in terms of their mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the walls are affected by the properties of the materials used in wall construction, joint thickness and the type of masonry bond. The carried-out studies, particularly in the seismic zones, have revealed that the most of the conventional masonry walls were constructed without considering any engineering approach. Along with that, large-scale damages were detected on such structural elements after major earthquake(s), and such damages were commonly occurred at the brick-joint interfaces. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of joint thickness and also type of mortar on the mechanical behavior of the masonry walls. For this aim, the brick masonry walls were constructed through examination of both the literature and the conventional masonry walls. In the construction process, a single-type of brick was combined with two different types of mortar: cement mortar and hydraulic lime mortar. Three different joint thicknesses were used for each mortar type; thus, a total of six masonry walls were constructed in the laboratory. The mechanical properties of brick and mortars, and also of the constructed walls were determined. As a conclusion, it can be stated that the failure mechanism of the brick masonry walls differed due to the mechanical properties of the mortars. The use of bed joint thickness not less than 20 mm is recommended in construction of conventional masonry walls in order to maintain the act of brick in conjunction with mortar under load.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.49-56
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• 2016

The objective of this work is to analyze the variation in energy performance for each flat plate collector connected in series. In this study, it was assumed that solar water heating system with annual solar fraction of 60% was installed in an office building in Seoul, South Korea. The transient energy performance corresponding to four cases, which are selected using different solar radiation and outdoor air temperature, is studied by analyzing the variation in outlet temperature, solar useful heat gain, and thermal efficiency of each collector. It is observed that the useful heat gain and the collector efficiency decrease continuously, and outlet temperature increases when increasing the number of collector connected in series. The long-term performance is assessed by evaluating the thermal efficiency of each collector for two solar radiation conditions ranging from 780 to $820W/m^2$ and from 380 to $420W/m^2$. It is found that the differences between the intercept and slope of the efficiency curves for first and eighth collectors are 3.68% and 6.74% for solar radiation of $800{\pm}20W/m^2$ and 8.57% and 12.90% for solar radiation of $400{\pm}20W/m^2$, respectively. In addition, it is interesting to note that annual useful heat gain and collector efficiency are reduced with similar rate of about 6.13% when increasing the collector area by connecting the collectors in series.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3691-3696
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• 2015

Background: Cancer loci comprise heterogeneous cell populations with diverse cellular secretions. Therefore, disseminating cancer-specific or cancer-associated protein antigens from tissue lysates could only be marginally correct, if otherwise not validated against precise standards. Materials and Methods: In this study, 2DE proteomic profiles were examined from lysates of 13 lung-adenocarcinoma tissue samples and matched against the A549 cell line proteome. A549 matched-cancer-specific hits were analyzed and characterized by MALDI-TOF/MS. Results: Comparative analysis identified a total of 13 protein spots with differential expression. These proteins were found to be involved in critical cellular functions regulating pyrimidine metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway and integrin signaling. Gene ontology based analysis classified majority of protein hits responsible for metabolic processes. Among these, only a single non-predictive protein spot was found to be a cancer cell specific hit, identified as Armadillo repeat-containing protein 8 (ARMC8). Pathway reconstruction studies showed that ARMC8 lies at the centre of cancer metabolic pathways. Conclusions: The findings in this report are suggestive of a regulatory role of ARMC8 in control of proliferation and differentiation in lung adenocarcinomas.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.191-195
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• 2003

Euphorbia hirta, locally called 'ara tanah' or 'susun nabi' in Malaysia is a small annual herb common to the tropical countries and belongs to the same family as the tic and tapioca. E. hirta has had a long history of usage in the treatment of various ailments. In this current study, in vitro sensitivity test of crude aqueous and ethanol extracts of leaves and barks of E. hirta was carried out against bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylocccus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and fungi (Microsporum canis, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis) using the discs diffusion method. The extract-impregnated discs (20, 40 and $80\;{\mu}g/{\mu}l$), the E. hirta extracts inhibited the growth of all the bacteria tested. The growth of C. albicans was inhibited in a concentration dependent manner by the aqueous leaves and barks extracts. C. tropicalis was found to be sensitive to the aqueous leaves extracts. The results were compared to antibacterial drugs of chloramphenicol, ampicilin, penicillin G, and enrofloxacine; and to antifungal drug of ketoconazole, itraconazole and miconazole. In this current study, it can be concluded that this plant has antimicrobial activity that is as potent as the standard antimicrobial drugs against certain microorganisms.