Anti - theft vehicle security system with preventive action

Nowadays rate of vehicle theft is very high all through the world and the situation are even worse in developing country. Therefore, protection of vehicles with an intelligent, reliable, effective and economical system is very important. The existing technologies for vehicle security have a number of limitations including high false alarm rate, easy deactivation and high cost. In this research an Anti-Theft Vehicle Security System (ATV2S) has been design and implemented utilizing sensor-network system which employ Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for mobile communication (GSM) technology to track the vehicle. The cutting edge technology of ATV2S is capable to protect, monitor and track the vehicle even within a minute

Effect of Student Loans on Income Inequality in the United States

Student loan is a pervasive problem in the United States. Historically, higher education has been a major driver of intergenerational mobility in the United States. The current student loan has increased substantially over the years, surpassing credit card and auto loans. Using panel data from all States, this paper attempts to empirically predict if income inequality is affected by student loans. Statistical analysis points towards student loan exacerbating income inequality. Other variables such as private college tuition and household poverty have a highly significant negative effect on income inequality. The overall results suggest that increased access to higher education at the expense of higher student loans may be countervailing to the income distribution dynamics of the United States

IMPACT OF CAPITAL STRUCTURE POLICY ON VALUE OF THE FIRM – A STUDY ON SOME SELECTED CORPORATE MANUFACTURING FIRMS UNDER DHAKA STOCK EXCHANGE

The study is about capital structure policy and its impacts on value of the firm. The outcome of this study was both the primary and secondary data. The study was based on opinions survey of 80 respondents of the 20 manufacturing corporate firms, enlisted under Dhaka Stock Exchange. The empirical analysis of the study was limited to a period of five years ranging 2008-2012. The major findings of the study are: (i) the most important determinant of capital structure policy as rated by the respondents have been financial risk , profitability, availability of fund, productivity, liquidity, operating risk, growth rate, proper timing, corporate tax, stability of sales/ investment etc, (ii) the study reveals that in terms of the average positions of capital structure and financial structure during 2008-2012, Beximco pharma has ranked first followed by Square pharma, Apex Adelchi, DESCO, ACI ltd, Titas gas, Bata shoe,Aftab automobile, Reneata pharma, Square textile ltd etc,(iii) as regards the value of the firm during the study period, Titas gas has obtained first rank followed by Square pharma, DESCO, Beximco pharma, BATBC, ACI, Reneta pharma, Apex Tennary, Apex Adelchi, Bata shoe and so on.(iv) this study has portrayed that the independent variables namely capital structure (CS), debt to equity (DER) & debt to asset (DR), fixed assets to total assets(Tangibility), earnings before interest and taxes to interest charges(ICR), financial leverage multiplier(FLM) have influenced value of the firm(VF) to the extent of 79.1 percent significantly. Therefore, it is recommended that the relevant firm’s authority should take proper measures in order to improve the independent variables having positive influence on value of the firms

Impaired tumor growth and angiogenesis in mice heterozygous for Vegfr2 (Flk1)

Abstract VEGF signaling through its tyrosine kinase receptor, VEGFR2 (FLK1), is critical for tumor angiogenesis. Previous studies have identified a critical gene dosage effect of VegfA in embryonic development and vessel homeostasis, neovascularization, and tumor growth, and potent inhibitors of VEGFR2 have been used to treat a variety of cancers. Inhibition of FGFR signaling has also been considered as an antiangiogenic approach to treat a variety of cancers. Inhibition of VEGFR2 with neutralizing antibodies or with pharmacological inhibitors of the VEGFR tyrosine kinase domain has at least short-term efficacy with some cancers; however, also affects vessel homeostasis, leading to adverse complications. We investigate gene dosage effects of Vegfr2, Fgfr1, and Fgfr2 in three independent mouse models of tumorigenesis: two-stage skin chemical carcinogenesis, and sub-cutaneous transplantation of B16F0 melanoma and Lewis Lung Carcinoma (LLC). Mice heterozygous for Vegfr2 display profound defects in supporting tumor growth and angiogenesis. Unexpectedly, additional deletion of endothelial Fgfr1 and Fgfr2 in Vegfr2 heterozygous mice shows similar tumor growth and angiogenesis as the Vegfr2 heterozygous mice. Notably, hematopoietic deletion of two alleles of Vegfr2 had minimal impact on tumor growth, with little effect on angiogenesis, reinforcing the importance of endothelial Vegfr2 heterozygosity. These studies reveal previously unrecognized Vegfr2 gene dosage effects in tumor angiogenesis and a lack of synergy between VEGFR2 and endothelial FGFR1/2 signaling during tumor growth

Conserved angio-immune subtypes of the tumor microenvironment predict response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, only a fraction of patients respond to ICB therapy. Accurate prediction of patients to likely respond to ICB would maximize the efficacy of ICB therapy. The tumor microenvironment (TME) dictates tumor progression and therapy outcome. Here, we classify the TME by analyzing the transcriptome from 11,069 cancer patients based on angiogenesis and T cell activity. We find three distinct angio-immune TME subtypes conserved across 30 non-hematological cancers. There is a clear inverse relationship between angiogenesis and anti-tumor immunity in TME. Remarkably, patients displaying TME with low angiogenesis with strong anti-tumor immunity show the most significant responses to ICB therapy in four cancer types. Re-evaluation of the renal cell carcinoma clinical trials provides compelling evidence that the baseline angio-immune state is robustly predictive of ICB responses. This study offers a rationale for incorporating baseline angio-immune scores for future ICB treatment strategies

An edible cutleries using green materials: sorghum flour

Plastic cutlery may be a convenient alternative and detrimental to the health. The presence of toxins and carcinogens that can quickly be ingested into the body is a petroleum by-product. As toxins and carcinogens can leech into food through the natural ecosystem, the processing of plastic cutlery has become harmful for the environment. Therefore, to minimize the negative impact towards the envi�ronment, and to support the green materials product, this study proposes an edible cutlery from sorghum flour. This study aims to calculate the exact quantity of the product used to manufacture edible cutlery, to identify the expense of making edible cutlery, and to compare the ability of edible cutleries and plastic cutleries to resist water absorption test and soil burial test. The edible cutleries are produced from the combination of natural ingredients like green materials, which are sorghum flour, wheat flour and rice. The tests involved in this study are soil burial test and water absorption test. Thus, from this study, it can minimize the negative impact towards the environment and be able to replace the conventional plastic cutleries. For commer�cialized purposes in future, the edible cutlery should be moulded in perfect shape and size to get the same quality for every single unit

Loan Loss Provisioning in OIC Countries: Evidence from Conventional vs. Islamic Banks

Using a sample of 291 banks from 35 OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation) member Muslim countries with 2078 bank year observations from 2003 to 2010, we analyze if bank earning management in terms of Loan Loss Provisioning (LLP hereafter) is affected by the banking nature whether Islamic or conventional, by the bank accounting standards whether rule-based local Generally accepted accounting principles (here after local GAAP) or principle-based International Financial Reporting Standards (hereafter IFRS), and by the bank listing status. We argue that Islamic banks may exhibit lower signs of earning management, as the Sharia’h Supervisory Boards (SSB hereafter) in Islamic banks may work as an additional tier into the governance system. On the use of accounting standard, we argue that banks using IFRS standard may exhibit lower evidence of earning management, as IFRS requires managers to disclose more accounting information compared to local GAAP. We report mixed evidence supporting these arguments

[6]-Gingerol, from Zingiber officinale, potentiates GLP-1 mediated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion pathway in pancreatic β-cells and increases RAB8/RAB10-regulated membrane presentation of GLUT4 transporters in skeletal muscle to improve hyperglycemia in Leprdb/db type 2 diabetic mice

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Abstract Background [6]-Gingerol, a major component of Zingiber officinale, was previously reported to ameliorate hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetic mice. Endocrine signaling is involved in insulin secretion and is perturbed in db/db Type-2 diabetic mice. [6]-Gingerol was reported to restore the disrupted endocrine signaling in rodents. In this current study on Leprdb/db diabetic mice, we investigated the involvement of endocrine pathway in the insulin secretagogue activity of [6]-Gingerol and the mechanism(s) through which [6]-Gingerol ameliorates hyperglycemia. Methods Leprdb/db type 2 diabetic mice were orally administered a daily dose of [6]-Gingerol (200 mg/kg) for 28 days. We measured the plasma levels of different endocrine hormones in fasting and fed conditions. GLP-1 levels were modulated using pharmacological approaches, and cAMP/PKA pathway for insulin secretion was assessed by qRT-PCR and ELISA in isolated pancreatic islets. Total skeletal muscle and its membrane fractions were used to measure glycogen synthase 1 level and Glut4 expression and protein levels. Results 4-weeks treatment of [6]-Gingerol dramatically increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and improved glucose tolerance. Plasma GLP-1 was found to be significantly elevated in the treated mice. Pharmacological intervention of GLP-1 levels regulated the effect of [6]-Gingerol on insulin secretion. Mechanistically, [6]-Gingerol treatment upregulated and activated cAMP, PKA, and CREB in the pancreatic islets, which are critical components of GLP-1-mediated insulin secretion pathway. [6]-Gingerol upregulated both Rab27a GTPase and its effector protein Slp4-a expression in isolated islets, which regulates the exocytosis of insulin-containing dense-core granules. [6]-Gingerol treatment improved skeletal glycogen storage by increased glycogen synthase 1 activity. Additionally, GLUT4 transporters were highly abundant in the membrane of the skeletal myocytes, which could be explained by the increased expression of Rab8 and Rab10 GTPases that are responsible for GLUT4 vesicle fusion to the membrane. Conclusions Collectively, our study reports that GLP-1 mediates the insulinotropic activity of [6]-Gingerol, and [6]-Gingerol treatment facilitates glucose disposal in skeletal muscles through increased activity of glycogen synthase 1 and enhanced cell surface presentation of GLUT4 transporters

Auxilio: A Sensor-Based Wireless Head-Mounted Mouse for People with Upper Limb Disability

Upper limb disability may be caused either due to accidents, neurological disorders, or even birth defects, imposing limitations and restrictions on the interaction with a computer for the concerned individuals using a generic optical mouse. Our work proposes the design and development of a working prototype of a sensor-based wireless head-mounted Assistive Mouse Controller (AMC), Auxilio, facilitating interaction with a computer for people with upper limb disability. Combining commercially available, low-cost motion and infrared sensors, Auxilio solely utilizes head and cheek movements for mouse control. Its performance has been juxtaposed with that of a generic optical mouse in different pointing tasks as well as in typing tasks, using a virtual keyboard. Furthermore, our work also analyzes the usability of Auxilio, featuring the System Usability Scale. The results of different experiments reveal the practicality and effectiveness of Auxilio as a head-mounted AMC for empowering the upper limb disabled community.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures, 5 table

PRUDENTIAL REGULATORY REGIMES, ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, AND EARNINGS MANAGEMENT IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY

We analyze if a change in accounting standard or a change in prudential regulation impacts banks’ loan loss provision. We find that, in general, the banks using a principles-based accounting standard exhibit a lower level of earnings management compared to banks using a rules-based accounting standard. When a country moves from pro-cyclical macro-prudential regulations to a dynamic provisioning regime, banks are more likely to set aside a larger amount of loan loss provision for the purpose of income smoothing