Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Total Factor Energy Efficiency: A Cross-Region Analysis in China

Environmental regulations are the key measure by which governments achieve sustainable environmental and economic development. This study aimed to determine the direct and indirect impacts of environmental regulations on total factor energy efficiency of regions in China. Since regions have different levels of economic development and resource endowment, we used the slacks-based measure (SBM)-undesirable model to calculate total factor energy efficiency considering regional technology heterogeneity and examined the regional impacts of environmental regulation on this efficiency using the Tobit regression model. A positive direct impact was generated in the eastern region of China by the forced mechanism, which forced enterprises to reduce fossil fuel energy demand and increase clean energy consumption; whereas a negative direct impact was generated in the middle and western regions owing to the green paradox, which is the observation that expected stringent environmental regulation prompts energy owners to accelerate resource extraction. Moreover, indirect impacts through technological progress and foreign direct investment were taken into account in the model, and the results show that the indirect impacts vary across regions. A logical response to these findings would be to develop different policies for different regions.
Hypersociability in Williams syndrome: A role for the amygdala?

We read with great interest the paper of Riby et al. regarding atypical, unfamiliar face processing in Williams syndrome (WS; Riby, Doherty-Sneddon, & Bruce, 2008a). It offers considerable insight into the mechanism of facial perception in humans and a further elaboration of the hypersociability observed in patients with Williams syndrome. We would like to suggest that the neurologic mechanisms underlying the hypersociability in WS may be attributable to an impaired recognition of facial expressions of threat, a feature that localises to the amygdala.
Regulation of the Neurofibromatosis Type 2 Tumor Suppressor Protein, Merlin, by Adhesion and Growth Arrest Stimuli*

The neurofibromatosis type 2 tumor suppressor gene is inactivated in the development of familial and sporadic schwannomas and meningiomas. The encoded protein, Merlin, is closely related to the Ezrin, Radixin, and Moesin family of membrane/cytoskeletal linker proteins. Examination of Merlin in several cell lines revealed that the protein migrates as two distinct species near 70 kDa. Phosphatase treatment and orthophosphate labeling demonstrated that the species with decreased mobility is phosphorylated. Given Merlin’s localization to cortical actin structures, we examined the effect of cell-cell contact or other forms of growth arrest on Merlin expression and post-translational modification. Under conditions of confluency or serum deprivation, the levels of phosphorylated and unphosphorylated Merlin species increased significantly. Cells arrested in G1 by other methods or other phases of the cell cycle did not show changes in Merlin levels. Furthermore, loss of adhesion resulted in a nearly complete dephosphorylation of Merlin, which was reversed upon re-plating of cells, suggesting Merlin phosphorylation may be responsive to cell spreading or changes in cell shape. Thus, the tumor suppressor function of Merlin may involve the regulation of cellular responses to cues such as cell-cell contact, growth factor microenvironment, or changes in cell shape.
ARE DUSTY GALAXIES BLUE? INSIGHTS ON UV ATTENUATION FROM DUST-SELECTED GALAXIES

Galaxies' rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) properties are often used to directly infer the degree to which dust obscuration affects the measurement of star formation rates (SFRs). While much recent work has focused on calibrating dust attenuation in galaxies selected at rest-frame ultraviolet wavelengths, locally and at high-z, here we investigate attenuation in dusty, star forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected at far-infrared wavelengths. By combining multiwavelength coverage across 0.15–500 μm in the COSMOS field, in particular making use of Herschel imaging, and a rich data set on local galaxies, we find an empirical variation in the relationship between the rest-frame UV slope (β) and the ratio of infrared-to-ultraviolet emission (LIR/LUV ≡ IRX) as a function of infrared luminosity, or total SFR. Both locally and at high-z, galaxies above SFR ≳ 50 M☉ yr−1 deviate from the nominal IRX–β relation toward bluer colors by a factor proportional to their increasing IR luminosity. We also estimate contamination rates of DSFGs on high-z dropout searches of ≪1% at z ≲ 4–10, providing independent verification that contamination from very dusty foreground galaxies is low in Lyman-break galaxy searches. Overall, our results are consistent with the physical interpretation that DSFGs, e.g., galaxies with >50 M☉ yr−1, are dominated at all epochs by short-lived, extreme burst events, producing many young O and B stars that are primarily, yet not entirely, enshrouded in thick dust cocoons. The blue rest-frame UV slopes of DSFGs are inconsistent with the suggestion that most DSFGs at z ∼ 2 exhibit steady-state star formation in secular disks.
Molecular Detection of Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica in Sheep Respiratory Infections in Ethiopia

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia haemolytica directly from clinical and section tissues of acute respiratory diseases of sheep. Laboratory specimen consisting of nasopharyngeal swab, tonsil and lung was collected from two types of sheep: Menz local and Black Head Somali sheep in selected areas of Ethiopia. A total of seventy-four specimens were used for the detection of the species directly. The strains of P. multocida and M. haemolytica were detected from 20 specimens. Both P. multocida and M. haemolytica were detected by PCR assay in this study. P. multocida was detected from nasopharyngeal swabs (n=3) and lung (n=3); this species, however, was not detected from the tonsil. M. haemolytica was detected from all the three specimens (nasopharyngeal swabs 2, tonsils 2, and lungs 10). Besides, P. multocida capsular type A tox’+ and P. multocida capsular type D tox’+ were observed from lung and nasopharyngeal swabs. As it was observed in this study, PCR assay when performed on specimens taken directly from clinical and section tissues represents species specific method for detection of P. multocida and M. haemolytica in sheep.
Effects of Printed Circuit Board Materials on Lead-free Interconnect Durability

This study investigates the effects of printed circuit board (PCB) material on interconnect durability of lead free assemblies. The assemblies involve soldering various packages (array and peripheral) on to FR4, high glass transition temperature (Tg) FR4 and Polyimide (PI) printed circuit boards using Sn3Ag0.5Cu solder alloy. The glass transition temperature of these materials ranges from 130°C to 230°C. Thermomechanical properties, such as elastic modulus and thermal expansion coefficients, of the board materials vary considerably. These properties have a direct impact on the interconnect durability. In this paper, thermomechanical properties are experimentally determined and used for solder joint durability simulation. Two kinds of environmental loadings are simulated: temperature cycling and random vibration loading. The results show that PI board provides a better solder joint durability than FR4 and high TgFR4 under temperature cycling conditions. PI assembly has better durability than FR4 assembly under random vibration. The paper also presents the effect of temperature on the vibration response of the FR4 printed circuit board assemblies. The understanding of these changes can contribute to the study on interconnect durability under combined temperature cycling and vibration loading conditions.
Blood storage alters mechanical stress responses of erythrocytes

BACKGROUND: Erythrocytes undergo irreversible morphological and biochemical changes during storage. Reduced levels of deformability have been reported for stored erythrocytes. Erythrocyte deformability is essential for healthy microcirculation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate shear stress (SS) induced improvements of erythrocyte deformability in stored blood. METHODS: Deformability changes were evaluated by applying physiological levels of SS (5 and 10 Pa) in metabolically depleted blood for 48 hours and stored blood for 35 days with citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 (CPDA-1). Laser diffractometry was used to measure erythrocyte deformability before and after application of SS. RESULTS: Erythrocyte deformability, as a response to continuous SS, was significantly improved in metabolically depleted blood, whereas it was significantly impaired in the blood stored for 35 days with CPDA-1 (p≤0.05). The SS-induced improvements of deformability were deteriorated due to storage and relatively impaired according to the storage time. However, deformability of stored blood after exposure to mechanical stress tends to increase at low levels of shear while decreasing at high SS levels. CONCLUSION: Impairment of erythrocyte deformability after storage may contribute to impairments in the recipient’s microcirculation after blood transfusion. The period of the storage should be considered to prevent microcirculatory problems and insufficient oxygen delivery to the tissues.
Stimulus-speci fi c suppression preserves information in auditory short-term memory

Philosophers and scientists have puzzled for millennia over how perceptual information is stored in short-term memory. Some have suggested that early sensory representations are involved, but their precise role has remained unclear. The current study asks whether auditory cortex shows sustained frequency-specific activation while sounds are maintained in short-term memory using high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI). Investigating short-term memory representations within regions of human auditory cortex with fMRI has been difficult because of their small size and high anatomical variability between subjects. However, we overcame these constraints by using multivoxel pattern analysis. It clearly revealed frequency-specific activity during the encoding phase of a change detection task, and the degree of this frequency-specific activation was positively related to performance in the task. Although the sounds had to be maintained in memory, activity in auditory cortexwas significantly suppressed. Strikingly, patterns of activity in this maintenance period correlated negatively with the patterns evoked by the same frequencies during encoding. Furthermore, individuals who used a rehearsal strategy to remember the sounds showed reduced frequency-specific suppression during the maintenance period. Although negative activations are often disregarded in fMRI research, our findings imply that decreases in blood oxygenation level-dependent response carry important stimulus-specific information and can be related to cognitive processes. We hypothesize that, during auditory change detection, frequency-specific suppression protects short-term memory representations from being overwritten by inhibiting the encoding of interfering sounds.
Efficient Multiternary Digit Adder Design in CNTFET Technology

This letter presents an efficient multiternary digit (trit) adder design in carbon nanotube field effect transistor technology. The adder is based on an efficient single-trit full-adder design with low-complexity encoder and reduced complexity carry-generation unit. Further, we optimize the number of encoder and decoder blocks required while putting together several single-trit full-adder units to realize a multitrit adder. Extensive HSPICE simulation results show roughly 79% reduction in power-delay product for three-trit adders and 88 % reduction in power-delay product for nine-trit adders in comparison to a direct realization.
Diversity gain for CDMA systems equipped with antenna arrays

If the angular spread is not zero, the diversity gain can be achieved in the antenna-array reception. In order to achieve the diversity gain, we propose a beamforming method that utilizes two beamforming weight vectors and apply this beamforming technique to code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems equipped with antenna arrays under a time-varying multipath-fading channel environment. In the proposed beamforming method, the channel vector has been estimated using two basis vectors that span the signal subspace. Since the proposed beamforming method utilizes two-dimensional (2D) signal subspace, it provides better performance than the conventional beamforming method, which utilizes one-dimensional signal subspace. Through simulation results, we can see that the performance is improved as the angular spread gets larger.
Sheehan syndrome presented with acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis and hyponatraemia.

Sir, Hyponatraemia is a frequent complication of moderate to severe hypothyroidism [1]. Thus, thyroid function should be evaluated in any patient with an otherwise unexplained reduction in the plasma sodium concentration. There have been several case reports of rhabdomyolysis, which may lead to acute renal failure, associated with hypothyroidism [2]. We describe a patient with acute renal failure due to rhabdomyolysis, Sheehan syndrome and hyponatraemia. Case. A 58-year-old woman presented with confusion, severe myalgia, lower limb weakness and oliguria for 3 days prior to admission. She denied any form of strenuous muscle exercise. Her physical findings and a history of amenhorrea following massive postpartum hemorrhage 20 years previously suggested Sheehan’s syndrome, and the pituitary hormonal studies revealed panhypopituitarism. She had not taken any treatment for this illness. Her laboratory findings were as follows: serum sodium 94 mmol/l, chlorine 70 mmol/l, urea 32 mg/dl, creatinine 1.3 mg/dl, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 271 IU/l, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 232 IU/l, creatine kinase (CK) >40 000 IU/l, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 2396 U/l, T4 <0.3 ng/dl, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 6.1 mIU/ml, FSH 2 miU/ml, LH 1 miU/ml, cortisol 21mg/dl, leucocytes 30 000, C-reactive protein (CRP) 200 mg/l. Due to poor general condition of the patient, with leucocytosis and a high CRP, empiric antibiotic treatment was started for possible sepsis; however, no infection source could be found. In addition, methylprednisolone and thyroxine were started. While the sodium level was normalizing, creatinine and CK rose abruptly and oliguria developed, leading to the start of haemodialysis. Extensive intramuscular haemorrhages developed in the scapular and gluteal muscular regions (Figures 1 and 2), with progressive decrease of haemoglobin levels and increase of INR. A total of 10 units of blood was transfused. Haemorrhages could not be stopped despite replacement with fresh frozen plasma. Although the patient was afebrile, leucocytosis, high CRP level and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy suggested sepsis. The patient ultimately died. We could not find any similar case presenting with intramuscular haemorrhages in the literature. Rhabdomyolysis and acute renal failure due to hypothroidism is a rare entity. There are few reported cases in the literature [3–6]. Three important features were present in our patient, first an undiagnosed and untreated Sheehan syndrome of 20 years duration, second a severe and possibly chronic hyponatraemia associated with hypothyroidism, third, the development of severe intramuscular haemorrhages. The rhabdomyolysis was enhanced possibly due to the severe hyponatraemia. Hypothyroidism should be in the differential diagnosis in patients with acute renal failure associated with rhabdomyolysis and hyponatraemia. Prolonged hypothyroidism may increase mortality.
Systemically Administered &agr;2-Agonist-induced Peripheral Vasoconstriction in Humans

Background &agr;2-Adrenoceptors mediate both sympatholytic and vasoconstrictive hemodynamic effects. The goal of this study was to profile the peripheral vasoconstrictive effects of a selective &agr;2-adrenoceptor agonist in isolation from the sympatholytic effects it also induces. Methods The authors administered increasing plasma target concentrations of dexmedetomidine (0.075, 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 ng/mL) or saline placebo to healthy young volunteers in whom the sympatholytic effects of the drug were attenuated in one of two ways: general anesthesia (propofol–alfentanil–nitrous oxide) or axillary brachial plexus block. Measurements were made of finger blood volume (an indicator of vasoconstriction) by photoplethysmographic determination of light transmitted through a finger (LTF) and hemodynamic variables. Measurements made before and during the four steps of infusion were compared by repeated-measures ANOVA. Results In anesthetized volunteers, all concentrations of dexmedetomidine increased LTF (vasoconstriction) and systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001 for both), whereas placebo did not. In awake volunteers, all concentrations decreased systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001). Concentrations of 0.15, 0.3, and 0.6 ng/mL decreased LTF (vasodilation) in the neurally intact hand; in contrast, the same concentrations increased LTF (vasoconstriction) in the sympathectomized hand (P < 0.001 for both). Conclusions The results of this study are the first to characterize the lower end of the dose–response curve for vasoconstriction induced by dexmedetomidine. By denervating the vascular bed of interest or by decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity, the authors were able to observe vasoconstriction induced by a systemically administered &agr;2-agonist with minimal interference from the sympatholytic effects of the drug.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia:Focusing on Therapy According to Classification

AutoImmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA) is a rare disease characterized by premature destruction of the red blood cells due to autoantibodies produced against erythrocyte antigens. Early destruction shortens the lifespan of the erythrocytes and causes anemia, the hallmark of the disease. It is a heterogeneous disease so the clinical presentation is diverse from a mild asymptomatic anemia to a refractory disease associated with mortality and morbidity. The different classifications are constituted to determine the prognosis and appropriate treatment strategy. It can be classified according the absence or presence of an underlying cause as primary or secondary. Another classification in AIHA is according to the type and thermal activity of the antibody as Cold Agglutinin Disease (CAD) or warm AIHA. In CAD, rituximab monotherapy or combinations is the treatment of choice. In the warm AIHA, the steroid should be preferred as a first line therapy. In the steroid refractory or relapsed patients, rituximab or splenectomy can be chosen according to the patient’s characteristics and the experience of the doctor. Since treatment mainly depends on the subtype of the disease differential diagnosis between the subtypes becomes important. This review will be focused on the classification and the treatment of AIHAs according to subtypes.
[Topographic anatomy of the asterion].

BACKGROUND In the surgical approaches to the posterior fossa, the accurate location of the transverse-sigmoid sinus (TS-SS) complex is of great importance. The asterion is a referral landmark to the transverse sinus location. METHOD Twenty-five skulls of adult cadavers were studied. We seek for the relationships of the asterion with: TS location, mastoid emissary vein, suprametal crest and inion. RESULTS The asterion was found in 49 cases. In the great majority of cases (87.8%) the asterion was over the TS (72.2% over the sinus proper, 27.8% over the TS-SS transition). The mastoid emissary vein was present in 46 cases, and in 36% we found two veins. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The burr hole for posterolateral approaches to the posterior fossa must be located below and behind the asterion.
A case-control study of traffic risk factors and child pedestrian injury.

BACKGROUND Pedestrian injuries in children constitute an important cause of mortality and morbidity. Specific hazards which contribute to these injuries need to be identified to enable the development of preventive strategies. METHODS A population-based case-control study was conducted in which 40 aspects of traffic and road environment that contribute to the likelihood of childhood pedestrian injury were examined. The factors of interest were measured at 100 places of injury and 200 control sites between December 1991 and December 1993. RESULTS The volume of traffic (odds ratio [OR] = 2.16 for an increase of 100 vehicles per hour) in combination with the proportion of vehicles exceeding the speed limit (OR = 1.04) for each 1% increase in average speed, and the presence of footpaths (OR = 11.0) were associated with significant increase in the risk of injury. A graded inverse relationship was present between socioeconomic status and the odds of pedestrian injury. CONCLUSIONS These findings have obvious implications for public health as features of the physical environment are potentially modifiable.
Clank: Architectural support for intermittent computation

The processors that drive embedded systems are getting smaller; meanwhile, the batteries used to provide power to those systems have stagnated. If we are to realize the dream of ubiquitous computing promised by the Internet of Things, processors must shed large, heavy, expensive, and high maintenance batteries and, instead, harvest energy from their environment. One challenge with this transition is that harvested energy is insufficient for continuous operation. Unfortunately, existing programs fail miserably when executed intermittently. This paper presents Clank: lightweight architectural support for correct and efficient execution of long-running applications on harvested energy-without programmer intervention or extreme hardware modifications. Clank is a set of hardware buffers and memory-access monitors that dynamically maintain idempotency. Essentially, Clank dynamically decomposes program execution into a stream of restartable sub-executions connected via lightweight checkpoints. To validate Clank's ability to correctly stretch program execution across frequent, random power cycles, and to explore the associated hardware and software overheads, we implement Clank in Verilog, formally verify it, and then add it to an ARM Cortex M0+ processor which we use to run a set of 23 embedded systems benchmarks. Experiments show run-time overheads as low as 2.5%, with run-time overheads of 6% for a version of Clank that adds 1.7% hardware. Clank minimizes checkpoints so much that re-execution time becomes the dominate contributor to run-time overhead.
Acculturation and Adaptation Revisited

The research employed a new and recently developed instrument to examine the two dimensions (host and co-national identification) and four modes (integration, separation, marginalization, and assimilation) of acculturation and their relationship to sojourner adjustment. International aid workers in Nepal completed a questionnaire including the Acculturation Index and the assessments of psychological and sociocultural adjustment. Analyses revealed that strong co-national identification predicted enhanced psychological well-being, whereas strong host national identification was associated with better sociocultural adaptation. Acculturation styles were also related to adjustive outcomes. Sojourners who adopted an integrated style fared better psychologically than others, whereas those who assumed an assimilationist perspective experienced fewer social difficulties. The article highlights methodological issues pertaining to the measurement of acculturation and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the use of categorical versus continuous data and mean comparisons versus correlational techniques in the analysis of the relationship among identification, acculturation, and sojourner adjustment.