Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and Trends of Ambient Ozone and Nitrogen Oxides at Urban, Suburban, and Rural Sites from 2011 to 2017 in Shenzhen, China

The emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) decreased under China’s air quality control policies. However, concern remains regarding the response of ozone (O3) in the metropolitan areas. The characteristics and trends of ambient O3 and NOx in Shenzhen were investigated during the 2011–2017 period. Both the human population and vegetation are exposed to higher O3 at suburban and rural sites than at the urban site. The O3 weekend effect is significant (p = 0.062) at the urban site, with O3 levels 1.19 ppb higher on Sunday than on weekdays. Solar radiation, precipitation, and relative humidity are the most relevant meteorological factors that affect O3 daily variations. Wind speed is the least relevant factor, but wind direction is related to the presence of high O3 air concentrations. Both 1-h and 8-h O3 exhibit an increase, opposite to the trend of NOx. A slight decline in O3 occurs in autumn at less urbanized sites. The increase in O3 is more prevalent and rapid in the winter at more urbanized sites. This can be due to the transport of increased O3 from northern China, as well as a lowered O3 titration effect with NOx reduction. O3 increases fastest at the urban site, with an estimated rate of 4.3% (95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.96, 8.25) per year (p < 0.05) for 8-h O3 and 2.5% (95% CIs: −0.46, 6.12) per year (p > 0.1) for 1-h O3, posing greater human health risks to areas with high population density.
Infective Meningitis Caused by Phialemonium curvatum

ABSTRACT Infections caused by rarely encountered fungal pathogens have increased in recent decades. Phialemonium species are widely distributed in the environment and are also involved in human infections, affecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. The present study describes a case of meningitis caused by Phialemonium curvatum.
MANY REASONS FOR LEAVING AFGHANISTAN: SOCIAL OBLIGATIONS IN TIMES OF PROTRACTED VIOLENCE

2005 b Co-Editor with Susanne Binder and Maria Six-Hohenbalken. “Heraus Forderung Migration”. Beiträge zur Aktionsund Informationswoche der Universität Wien anlässlich des “UN International Migrant ́s Day”. [The Challenge of Migration. Contributions to the Action and Information Week of the University of Vienna on the Occasion of the “UN International Migrant ́s Day”] (Abhandlungen zur Geographie und Regionalforschung, Vol.7) Vienna (Institut für Geographie und Regionalforschung); 282 pp.
Etiology of coxarthrosis in patients with total hip replacement.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to find out the distribution of etiological factors in patients who had total hip replacement for coxarthrosis. METHODS The medical records of the 965 hips of 886 patients operated with total hip replacement between 2001 and 2012 in two separate arthroplasty clinics were analyzed by two separate senior surgeons. Each patient's pre- and postoperative X-rays and demographic data such as gender, age, side and probable etiologic factors were noted. RESULTS Six hundred and eighty-four patients were women and 202 were men. The mean age were 62.7±14.3 (range: 16 to 91) in women, 58.8±17.1 (range: 25 to 91) in men. 52.1% of the surgeries were performed on the right side, 39% on the left, and 8.9% bilaterally. In women 36.2% of the cases were primary coxarthrosis, while the etiology was developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in 43.5% of the cases, avascular necrosis in 10%, romatoid diseases in 7%, slipped capital femoral epiphysis in 5%, posttraumatic coxarthrosis in 3.9%, pathologic coxarthrosis in 1.9%, and Perthes sequel in 1.7%. In men, 24.4% of the cases were primary coxarthrosis, while the etiology was avascular necrosis in 21% of the cases, DDH in 17.6%, posttraumatic coxarthrosis in 16.8%, romatoid diseases in 10.9%, Perthes sequel in 4.2%, slipped capital femoral epiphysis in 2.5%, and pathologic coxarthrosis in 2.5%. The most common etiologic factor was DDH with a rate of 37.1%. CONCLUSION Despite the heterogeneity of our study population, our results may reflect the distribution of coxarthrosis etiologies in Turkey. Developmental dysplasia of the hip appears to be the most frequent cause of coxarthrosis among the patients undergoing total hip replacement.
CD34, CD117, and actin expression in phyllodes tumor of the breast.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the immunophenotypic patterns of CD34, CD117 (a product of the c-kit proto-oncogene), and actin (HHF35) in benign and malignant phyllodes tumors (PTs). We correlated the expression of CD34, CD117, and actin with histopathological grade. MATERIALS AND RESULTS We analyzed 19 cases (7 benign and 12 malignant cases) of PTs using immunohistochemical analysis. Six of 7 benign PT stromal lesions stained positively for CD34, while only 3 of 12 cases of malignant PT were focally CD34 positive (P = 0.0106). Only 1 of the 7 benign PTs stromal lesions expressed CD117. Nine of the malignant PTs were composed CD117-positive fibroblasts. This result demonstrated that CD117 expression is associated with the malignant potential of PTs (P = 0. 0106). Actin (HHF-35) expression was found in 8 of 12 cases of malignant PTs (P = 0.027), but in only 1 of 7 cases of benign PTs. Actin expression was significantly (P = 0.04) correlated to frequent mitotic activity (>5 mitoses per 10 high-power fields). The immunophenotypic markers were not related to tumor size. Additionally, we sequenced part of the juxtamembrane region of the c-kit proto-oncogene and found point mutations in two malignant PTs. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated that expression of CD34 was associated with benign PTs, while CD117 and actin were preferentially expressed in malignant PTs. Our results implied that these immunohistological markers might be used for the histopathological grading of PTs.
Salmonella SipA Polymerizes Actin by Stapling Filaments with Nonglobular Protein Arms

Like many bacterial pathogens, Salmonella spp. use a type III secretion system to inject virulence proteins into host cells. The Salmonella invasion protein A (SipA) binds host actin, enhances its polymerization near adherent extracellular bacteria, and contributes to cytoskeletal rearrangements that internalize the pathogen. By combining x-ray crystallography of SipA with electron microscopy and image analysis of SipA-actin filaments, we show that SipA functions as a “molecular staple,” in which a globular domain and two nonglobular “arms” mechanically stabilize the filament by tethering actin subunits in opposing strands. Deletion analysis of the tethering arms provides strong support for this model.
Glutathione S-transferase and metallothionein levels in the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii exposed to mercury

Healthy juveniles of M. malcolmsonii were exposed to 24.1 μg l of mercury (96 hr LC 50 : 145 μg l Hg) for a period of 21 days. The hepatopancreas and gills of the prawns were sampled on 8, 15 and 22 day of exposure. Accumulation and elimination of Hg, activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), content of glutathione (GSH) and metallothionein (MT) level were studied. Mercury accumulation was found to be higher in the hepatopancreas (88.60 μg g) and lower in the gills (67.8 μg g). However, Hg elimination was found to be faster in the gills (62%) and slower in the hepatopancreas (58%). Therefore, the rate of Hg elimination did not match the rate of its uptake. The activity of GST was found to be higher in tissues of test prawns (5.94-9.13 nmol mg protein min) on all sampling days when compared with controls (3.45-4.23 nmol mg protein min). Similarly, the content of GSH was found to be higher in tissues of test prawns (0.80-1.43 μmol g protein) on all sampling days when compared with controls (0.55-1.00 μmol g protein). These results indicate the formation of glutathione conjugate in test prawns to eliminate Hg. The induction of MT level was also found to be higher in tissues of test prawns (57.50-75.76 nmol g protein) on all sampling days when compared with control (20.24-45.22 nmol g protein). This indicates the fact that sequestration of Hg has occurred for its easy elimination. Thus, induction of GST-GSH and MT ensured protection and adaptation of test prawns to thrive in Hg contaminated environment.
The Effect of Intelectual Capital Performance, Profitability, Leverage, Managerial Ownership, Institutional Ownership, and Independent Commissioner on The Disclosure of Intelectual Capital

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh kinerja modal intelektual, profitabilitas, leverage, kepemilikan manajerial, kepemilikan institusional, dan komisaris independen terhadap pengungkapan modal intelektual. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah perusahaan perbankan yang terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia tahun 2012-2014. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode purposive sampling dalam pengambilan sampel dan diperoleh 69 unit analisis yang menjadi objek pengamatan. Metode analisis yang digunakan adalah regresi berganda. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa profitabilitas, kepemilikan institusional, dan komisaris independen berpengaruh positif terhadap pengungkapan modal intelektual. Sedangkan kinerja modal intelektual, leverage, dan kepemilikan manajerial tidak berpengaruh terhadap pengungkapan modal intelektual. Saran bagi penelitian selanjutnya adalah penggunaan sampel yang lebih luas sehingga hasilnya dapat digeneralisasi dan menggunakan metode lain dalam pengumpulan data seperti wawancara atau kuesioner untuk mencari informasi mengenai pengungkapan modal intelektual perusahaan. This study aimed to analyze the effect of intellectual capital performance, profitability, leverage, managerial ownership, institutional ownership and independent commissioners on the disclosure of intellectual capital. The population in this study was banking companies listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2012-2014. This study used purposive sampling method in taking sample and acquired 69 units of analysis which was the object of observation. The analytical method used was multiple regression. The results showed that profitability, institutional ownership and independent directorshad had positive effect on the disclosure of intellectual capital. While the performance of intellectual capital, leverage, and managerial ownership had no effect on the disclosure of intellectual capital. Suggestions for future research is the use of a broader sampling so that the results can be generalized and used other methods of data collection such as interviews or questionnaires to seek information regarding the disclosure of the company's intellectual capital.
Getting the message out about cognitive health: a cross-cultural comparison of older adults' media awareness and communication needs on how to maintain a healthy brain.

PURPOSE Evidence suggests that physical activity and healthy diets may help to maintain cognitive function, reducing risks of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Using a cross-cultural focus, we describe older adults' awareness about cognitive health, and their ideas about how to inform and motivate others to engage in activities that may maintain brain health. DESIGN AND METHODS Nineteen focus groups were conducted in 3 states (California, North Carolina, South Carolina) with 177 adults aged 50 years and older. Six groups were with African Americans (AAs), 4 with Chinese, 3 with Vietnamese, 4 with non-Hispanic Whites, and 2 with American Indians (AIs). A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS Many participants did not recall reading or hearing about brain health in the media. Participants recommended a multimedia approach to inform others about brain health. Both interpersonal and social/group motivational strategies were suggested. Word of mouth and testimonials were recommended most often by Chinese and Vietnamese. AAs and AIs suggested brain health education at church; AAs, Chinese, and Vietnamese said brain health slogans should be spiritual. Participants' perceived barriers to seeking brain health information included watching too much TV and confusing media information. IMPLICATIONS Findings on communication strategies for reaching racial/ethnic groups with brain health information will help guide message and intervention development for diverse older adults.
Modelling bicycle route choice using data from a GPS-assisted household survey

This paper considers bicycle route choice for commuter trips. Bicycle route preferences are analysed using a dataset from a GPS-assisted household travel survey conducted in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Different choice set generation methods were applied to generate alternative routes for each observation, and the matching with the actual route is discussed. Model estimation is performed for different route choice sets to test the sensitivity of the parameter estimates. The results obtained are quite consistent, and indicate an expected tendency to ride in longer routes, but with separated bike lanes. In the absence of such lanes, riders prefer to use local streets and avoid riding on busy arterial streets and highways.
Two essays on earnings comparability

Prior studies have established an extensive literature on accounting comparability, largely with the focus on its economic consequences. However, the current literature is characterised by at least two limitations. First, the prior studies on earnings comparability document evidence exclusively for GAAP earnings despite the fact that non-GAAP earnings are widely used by market participants. Second, while research has examined the economic consequences of comparability, limited attention has been given to the underlying mechanism that produces more comparable (or incomparable) earnings. My thesis, composed of two related studies, aims to contribute to these two gaps. Chapter 4 seeks to fill the first gap by bridging the literatures on accounting comparability and non-GAAP earnings. Specifically, I find that non-GAAP adjustments are associated with significant comparability benefits. Chapter 5 aims to close the second gap regarding the underlying mechanism that produces comparable (or incomparable) earnings. The main finding suggests that earnings comparability is partially driven by firms’ accrual components. These findings combined contribute to the literature by furthering our understanding of the underlying determining factors for earnings comparability.
Statistical Physics and Information Theory Perspectives on Linear Inverse Problems

Many real-world problems in machine learning, signal processing, and communications assume that an unknown vector $x$ is measured by a matrix A, resulting in a vector $y=Ax+z$, where $z$ denotes the noise; we call this a single measurement vector (SMV) problem. Sometimes, multiple dependent vectors $x^{(j)}, j\in \{1,. ,J\}$, are measured at the same time, forming the so-called multi-measurement vector (MMV) problem. Both SMV and MMV are linear models (LM's), and the process of estimating the underlying vector(s) $x$ from an LM given the matrices, noisy measurements, and knowledge of the noise statistics, is called a linear inverse problem. In some scenarios, the matrix A is stored in a single processor and this processor also records its measurements $y$; this is called centralized LM. In other scenarios, multiple sites are measuring the same underlying unknown vector $x$, where each site only possesses part of the matrix A; we call this multi-processor LM. Recently, due to an ever-increasing amount of data and ever-growing dimensions in LM's, it has become more important to study large-scale linear inverse problems. In this dissertation, we take advantage of tools in statistical physics and information theory to advance the understanding of large-scale linear inverse problems. The intuition of the application of statistical physics to our problem is that statistical physics deals with large-scale problems, and we can make an analogy between an LM and a thermodynamic system. In terms of information theory, although it was originally developed to characterize the theoretic limits of digital communication systems, information theory was later found to be rather useful in analyzing and understanding other inference problems. (The full abstract cannot fit in due to the space limit. Please refer to the PDF.)
Managing acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients: current perspectives

Acute abdominal pain in pediatric patients has been a challenge for providers because of the nonspecific nature of symptoms and difficulty in the assessment and physical examination in children. Although most children with acute abdominal pain have self-limited benign conditions, pain may be a manifestation of an urgent surgical or medical condition where the biggest challenge is making a timely diagnosis so that appropriate treatment can be initiated without any diagnostic delays that increase morbidity. This is weighed against the need to decrease radiation exposure and avoid unnecessary operations. Across all age groups, there are numerous conditions that present with abdominal pain ranging from a very simple viral illness to a life-threatening surgical condition. It is proposed that the history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and imaging studies should initially be directed at differentiating surgical versus nonsurgical conditions both categorized as urgent versus nonurgent. The features of the history including patient’s age, physical examination focused toward serious conditions, and appropriate tests are highlighted in the context of making these differentiations. Initial testing and management is also discussed with an emphasis on making use of surgeon and radiologist consultation and the need for adequate follow-up and reevaluation of the patient.
The Ephemeral Nature of Local Political Monopolies

The decentralization of political and fiscal authority in Indonesia in 1999 triggered a series of studies that predicted the rise of subnational strongmen who would subjugate the local state to their personal interests. However, almost 20 years after the devolution of power, Indonesian local politics are a lot more dynamic than earlier studies had assumed. While there are undoubtedly oligarchic and dynastic tendencies in Indonesian local politics, recent scholarship has emphasized the ephemeral nature of such power constellations. This chapter argues that a unique combination of institutional and structural conditions explains why local dynasties struggle to survive multiple election cycles in Indonesian local politics. The findings also speak to research on subnational authoritarian regimes in other parts of the world by showing that different constellations of institutional and socio-economic variables shape the rise and fall of local political monopolies.
Glypican-3 binds to Frizzled and plays a direct role in the stimulation of canonical Wnt signaling

ABSTRACT Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a proteoglycan that is bound to the cell surface. It is expressed by most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) but not by normal hepatocytes. GPC3 stimulates HCC growth by promoting canonical Wnt signaling. Because glypicans interact with Wnts, it has been proposed that these proteoglycans stimulate signaling by increasing the amount of Wnt at the cell membrane, thus facilitating the interaction of this growth factor with its signaling receptor, Frizzled. However, in this study, we demonstrate that GPC3 plays a more direct role in the stimulation of Wnt signaling. Specifically, we show that, in addition to interacting with Wnt, GPC3 and Frizzled interact directly through the glycosaminoglycan chains of GPC3, indicating that this glypican stimulates the formation of signaling complexes between Wnt and Frizzled. Consistent with this, we show that the binding of Wnt at the cell membrane triggers the endocytosis of a complex that includes Wnt, Frizzled and GPC3. Additional support for our model is provided by the finding that glypican-6 (GPC6) inhibits canonical Wnt signaling, despite the fact that it binds to Wnt at the cell membrane.
Pepsin Detection in the Sputum/Saliva for the Diagnosis of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease in Patients with Clinically Suspected Atypical Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Symptoms

Background/Aims: Atypical manifestations of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are diverse. We aimed to determine whether pepsin detection in the sputum/saliva could be useful for diagnosing GERD in patients with clinically suspected atypical GERD symptoms. Methods: Patients with clinically suspected atypical GERD symptoms provided sputum/saliva collected before bedtime, at the time of those symptoms, and after awakening for pepsin measurement by Western blot analysis. All subjects received 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring, and then 40 mg of esomeprazole was given twice a day for 2 weeks. Results: The pepsin test was positive in 20 out of 40 patients, with pepsin detected mainly in the samples collected at the time of symptoms (45%). Samples collected from healthy volunteers (n = 8) were all negative for pepsin. 24-hour pH-metry was positive in 9 patients (23%). Based on 24-hour pH-metry data, the sensitivity and negative predictive value of the pepsin test were excellent in most of typical and atypical symptom groups, whereas its specificity and positive predictive value were relatively low, particularly in atypical symptom groups. Conclusions: Pepsin measurement in the sputum/saliva collected at the time of symptoms provides a sensitive, non-invasive method for diagnosing GERD in patients with clinically suspected atypical GERD symptoms.
Agro-ecological implications of forest and agroforestry systems conversion to cereal-based farming systems in the White Nile Basin, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The Afromontane forests of southwest Ethiopia are high in endemism and biodiversity. However, the increasing human population and expansion of agricultural land have led to deforestation. We evaluated the effects of land use change on species composition, species diversity and soil fertility. Woody and herbaceous plant species were recorded in natural forest, agroforestry and cropland at different altitudes, using 15 plots with three replicates. A total of 90 soil samples were taken. In total, 77 woody and herbaceous species have been recorded. The selective felling of trees and shrubs in the agroforestry system to favor coffee growth through enhanced light penetration also favors grass and herb diversity. A Factor Analysis based on the soil characteristics shows a gradient in soil fertility from both forests and agroforestry to croplands. The bulk density, pH, organic C, total N, available P, cation exchange capacity and base cations saturation of the forest soil are equivalent with that of agroforestry. However, forests and agroforestry are significantly different from croplands regarding those soil characteristics. Therefore, this study suggests that the agroforestry practices are important for keeping biodiversity and soil fertility at levels which are similar to the natural forest.
Adult Diagnosis of Swyer-James-Macleod Syndrome: Retrospective Analysis of Four Cases

Swyer-James-Macleod syndrome (SJMS) is a rare constrictive bronchiolitis with air-flow obstruction and a decreased number and diameter of ipsilateral peripheral pulmonary vessels. This syndrome is characterized by unilateral hyperlucency on chest radiography. Computed tomography provides useful additional information. The diagnosis is usually made in childhood but sometimes occurs in adulthood. The disease often presents with dyspnea, decreased exercise tolerance, cough, hemoptysis, and recurrent pulmonary infections. SJMS may be confused with asthma or pulmonary embolism due to similar symptoms and may result in inappropriate therapy. This case series examined the clinical and imaging spectrum of four patients who were diagnosed with SJMS in adulthood.