Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tradable Performance-Based CO2 Emissions Standards: Walking on Thin Ice?

Climate policy, like climate change itself, is subject to debate. Partially due to the political deadlock in Washington, DC, US climate policy, historically, has been driven mainly by state or regional effort until the recently introduced federal Clean Power Plan (CPP). Instead of a traditional mass-based standard, the US CPP stipulates a state-specific performance-based CO2 emission standard and delegates considerable flexibility to the states in achieving the standard. Typically, there are two sets of policy tools available: a tradable performance-based and a mass-based permit program. We analyze these two related but distinct standards when they are subject to imperfect competition in the product and/or permit markets. Stylized models are developed to produce general conclusions. Detailed models that account for heterogenous technologies and the transmission network are developed to evaluate policy efficiency. Depending on the scenarios under consideration, the resulting problem could be either a complementarity problem or a Stackelberg leaderfollower game, which is implemented as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC). We overcome the nonconvexity of MPECs by reformulating them as mixed integer problems. We show that while the cross-subsidy inherent in the performance-based standard that might effectively reduce power prices, it could inflate energy demand, thereby rendering permits scarce. When the leader in a Stackelberg formulation has a relatively clean endowment under the performancebased standard, its ability to manipulate the electricity market as well as to lower permit prices might worsen the market outcomes compared to its mass-based counterpart. On the other hand, when the leader has a relatively dirty endowment, the "cross-subsidy" could be the dominant force leading to a higher social welfare compared to the mass-based program. This paper contributes to the current policy debates in regulating emissions from the US power sector and highlights different incentives created by the mass- and performance-based standards.
Biosorption of Pentachlorophenol by Fungal Biomass from Aqueous Solutions: a Factorial Design Analysis

A 2(5-1) fractional factorial design was conducted for the biosorption of pentachlorophenol (PCP) using Aspergillus niger biomass. Effects of several factors on the percentage removal of PCP from aqueous solutions were evaluated. These factors were as follows: type of biomass (autoclaved- chemically modified); pH (3-11); concentration (1-10 mgl−1); temperature (6-32°C); and dissolved oxygen (2.5-20 mgl−1). Time of shaking (equilibrium time), volume of the solution and mass of biomass were kept constant. The results showed that type of biomass and pH had a larger impact on the removal of PCP. Concentration of PCP in the aqueous solution, temperature, and dissolved oxygen only marginally affected the removal efficiency of PCP.
Neural retina limits the nonviral gene transfer to retinal pigment epithelium in an in vitro bovine eye model

We investigated the permeation of liposomal and polymeric gene delivery systems through neural retina into retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and determined the roles of various factors in permeation and subsequent uptake of the delivery systems by RPE. Anterior parts and vitreous of fresh bovine eyes were removed. Retina was left intact or peeled away. Complexes of ethidium monoazide (EMA)-labeled plasmid DNA and cationic carriers (polyethyleneimine, poly-L-lysine, DOTAP liposomes) were pipetted on the retina or RPE. Two hours later the neural retina was removed, if present, and the RPE cells were detached. Contaminants were removed by sucrose centrifugation, and the RPE cells were analyzed for DNA uptake by flow cytometry. Cellular uptake of FITC-dextrans (molecular weight [mw] 20 000, 500 000 and 2 000 000), FITC-poly-L-lysine (mw 20 000), FITC-labeled oligonucleotide (15-mer), and naked EMA-labeled plasmid DNA was determined after pipetting the solutions on the RPE or neural retina. Location of the fluorescent materials in the retina was visualized with fluorescence microscopy. Neural retina decreased the cellular uptake of DNA complexes by an order of magnitude, the uptake of FITC-dextrans slightly, whereas delivery of polycationic FITC-poly-L-lysine to RPE was almost completely inhibibited. Neural retina decreased the cellular uptake of FITC-oligonucleotides, while the uptake of uncomplexed plasmid was always negligible. conclusions from FACS and fluorescence microscopy were similar: delivery of polymeric and liposomal DNA complexes into RPE are limited by the neural retina. This is due to the size and positive charge of the complexes.
Autonomic Neuropathy in Diabetes Mellitus: A Follow-up Study

To evaluate the development of autonomic neuropathy, 23 patients with a moderate (group A) and 18 patients with a long (group B) duration of diabetes and without symptoms of autonomic neuropathy were re-investigated 6 yr after the initial studies. Autonomic nerve function was evaluated from heart reactions to deep breathing (E/I ratio) and to a rapid 90° tilt (acceleration and brake indices). Symptoms of autonomic neuropathy (SAN) developed in 18 patients (nine in each group) who showed a low mean E/I ratio and brake index in both studies. In group A, but not in group B, patients with SAN showed a decrease in the acceleration index and most SAN patients (8/9) in group A had an abnormal acceleration index in the follow-up study. We conclude that in both groups SAN developed rapidly and was preceded by decreases in E/I ratio and brake index.
PERAN TEKNOLOGI INFORMASI DALAM PERKEMBANGAN DAKWAH MAHASISWA

Higher education like ITB, is expected as a pioneer in the use of application in the era of information technology nowadays, including in the Islamic Religious Education program. Information technology can be applied in the teaching and learning instruction of Islamic Religious program, as it can be used by the lecturers to deliver Islamic moral values to ITB students. In the context of Islamic preaching in higher education, ICT can be used as a medium to convey Islamic Religious materials, and it practically contributes to the development of Islamic proselytization for ITB students. As the Islamic youths, university students can take apart as the agents of change in the development of human resources to face the challenge of globalization era including the fast growth of information technology and the opened-accessibility of ASEAN Economic Community (EAC). In this context, the role of technology is crucial in overcoming these rapid changes. This paper is particularly aimed at mapping the Islamic preaching for ITB students. From this notion, it can be noted that online-social media is effective for persuading Islamic values to students. By only one posted-article, it can reach and inspire thousands readers. Besides, it is considered more effective, because the use of social media is not restricted by the specific time and place.
Clinic Attendances during the First 12 Months of Life for Aboriginal Children in Five Remote Communities of Northern Australia

Background The vast majority (>75%) of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory (NT) live in remote or very remote locations. Children in these communities have high attendance rates at local Primary Health Care (PHC) centres but there is a paucity of studies documenting the reason and frequency of attendance. Such data can be used to help guide public health policy and practice. Methods and Findings Clinic presentations during the first year of life were reviewed for 320 children born from 1 January 2001–31 December 2006. Data collected included reason for infectious presentation, antibiotic prescription and referral to hospital. The median number of presentations per child in the first year of life was 21 (IQR 15–29) with multiple reasons for presentation. The most prominent infectious presentations per child during the first year of life were upper respiratory tract infections (median 6, IQR 3–10 ); diarrhoea (median 3, IQR 1–5); ear disease (median 3, IQR 1–5); lower respiratory tract infection (median 3, IQR 2–5); scabies (median 3, IQR 1–5); and skin sores (median 3, IQR 2–5). Conclusions Infectious diseases of childhood are strongly linked with poverty, poor living conditions and overcrowding. The data reported in our study were collected through manual review, however many remote communities now have established electronic health record systems, use the Key Performance Indicator System and are engaged in CQI (continuous quality improvement) processes. Building on these recent initiatives, there is an opportunity to incorporate routine monitoring of a range of infectious conditions (we suggest diarrhoea, LRTI, scabies and skin sores) using both the age at first presentation and the median number of presentations per child during the first year of life as potential indicators of progress in addressing health inequities in remote communities.
Extinction dynamics in mainland-island metapopulations: An N-patch stochastic model

A generalization of the well-known Levins’ model of metapopulations is studied. The generalization consists of (i) the introduction of immigration from a mainland, and (ii) assuming the dynamics is stochastic, rather than deterministic. A master equation, for the probability that n of the patches are occupied, is derived and the stationary probability Ps(n), together with the mean and higher moments in the stationary state, determined. The time-dependence of the probability distribution is also studied: through a Gaussian approximation for general n when the boundary at n = 0 has little effect, and by calculating P(0, t), the probability that no patches are occupied at time t, by using a linearization procedure. These analytic calculations are supplemented by carrying out numerical solutions of the master equation and simulations of the stochastic process. The various approaches are in very good agreement with each other. This allows us to use the forms for Ps0) and P(0, t) in the linearization approximation as a basis for calculating the mean time for a metapopulation to become extinct. We give an analytical expression for the mean time to extinction derived within a mean field approach. We devise a simple method to apply our mean field approach even to complex patch networks in realistic model metapopulations. After studying two spatially extended versions of this nonspatial metapopulation model—a lattice metapopulation model and a spatially realistic model—we conclude that our analytical formula for the mean extinction time is generally applicable to those metapopulations which are really endangered, where extinction dynamics dominates over local colonization processes. The time evolution and, in particular, the scope of our analytical results, are studied by comparing these different models with the analytical approach for various values of the parameters: the rates of immigration from the mainland, the rates of colonization and extinction, and the number of patches making up the metapopulation.
Characteristics of Persistent Diarrhea in a Community-Based Cohort of Young US Children

Objective: The objective of the study was to define the characteristics and microbiology of persistent diarrhea (PD) in US children. Methods: Six-month prospective cohort study of a convenience sample of 604 healthy 6- to 36-month-old children recruited by the Slone Center Office-based Research Network. Results: Of 611 diarrhea episodes, 50 (8.2%) lasted ≤ 14 days. The incidence of PD was 0.18 episodes per person-year, and the median duration of episodes was 22.0 days (range, 14-64 days). PD episodes were more likely than acute episodes to result in a medical visit (28.0% vs 8.2%; P = 0.0001). The most commonly used treatments were oral rehydration solution (12.0% of episodes) and antibiotics (6.0%). No bacterial or parasitic pathogens were associated with PD; but norovirus, rotavirus and sapovirus were each significantly more prevalent in PD stools compared with baseline stools, with relative risks of 12.4, 6.9 and 6.2, respectively. Fifty-nine per cent of the PD specimens tested were negative for all studied pathogens. Conclusions: PD occurs with a frequency of approximately 1 case per 5 person-years in US infants and young children. It seems to be a generally benign illness, with only 28% of cases presenting to medical care. Although viral pathogens seem to cause a minority of PD episodes in this population, most are not due to currently known infectious agents.
Maternal–fetal attachment in blind women using physical model from three-dimensional ultrasound and magnetic resonance scan data: six serious cases

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the maternal–fetal attachment (MFA) in six blind pregnant women by means three-dimensional (3D) physical models from 3D ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan data. Methods: We performed a prospective observational cross-sectional study with six blind pregnant women who performed 3D ultrasound and MRI exams to build 3D physical models for their fetuses. The MFA was assessed quantitatively by means a questionnaire of three questions, each one with a score ranging from 0 to 3. We considered MFA values ≥ 7 to each pregnant woman. The descriptive data were expressed by mean ± standard deviation (SD). Results: The mean (±SD) maternal age was 32 ± 2.7 years. The mean gestational age at 3DUS and MRI exams were 23.1 ± 3.7 and 21.3 ± 0.9 weeks, respectively. The mean of gestational age at delivery was 36.5 ± 4.7 weeks and all of them were cesarean sections. The mean newborn weight was 2615.8 ± 871.9 g and the gender was 50% both female and male. The MFA was quantitatively observed in all pregnant women, with maximum value (9) in all of them. Conclusion: The MFA was quantitatively observed in all blind pregnant women using 3D physical models.
Outcomes in major depressive disorder: The evolving concept of remission and its implications for treatment

It is increasingly recognised that major depressive disorder can be a chronic condition with many patients experiencing recurrent episodes. Remission from a depressive episode implies the absence or near absence of depressive symptoms. However, for many patients the periods between depressive episodes are not symptom free. Residual symptoms are predictors of relapse or recurrence, and may be associated with residual psychosocial impairment. In clinical studies, remission is commonly defined using a cut-off score on a rating scale for depressive symptoms, such as a score of ≤7 on the 17-item Hamilton scale. However, there is debate about which scales and cut-offs are optimal and full-length rating scales are not widely used in clinical practice. In spite of such issues, it seems clear that a therapy should aim at the most complete remission possible. Unfortunately, recent studies have highlighted that in clinical practice usually only a low rate of remission is achieved. Although long-term treatment with antidepressants can reduce the risk of relapse or recurrence only a minority of patients in clinical practice achieve this as treatment is often prematurely stopped due to long-term side effects such as sleep disturbance, sexual dysfunctioning and weight gain. Therefore, it represents an unmet need to come up with antidepressant drugs of greater efficacy and improved tolerability as such treatments could lead to more complete remission in more patients.
Expression of adhesion molecules and cytokines in vitro by endothelial cells seeded on various polymer surfaces coated with titaniumcarboxonitride.

Although endothelial cell (EC) seeding improves the patency of vascular prostheses, the detachment of adherent ECs after the restoration of circulation remains one of the major obstacles. Polymer surfaces for endothelialization can be optimized. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyurethane (PUR), and silicone were coated with a titaniumcarboxonitride (Ti(C,N,O)) layer by a plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition process to verify the effect of titanium onto human saphenous vein ECs. Almost confluent EC monolayers were evaluated for 1) proliferation activity and 2) expression of adhesion molecules using cellular enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and release of cytokines. The results showed that all titanium-coated polymers and uncoated PET have no toxic effect on human saphenous vein ECs excepting uncoated PTFE, PP, and silicone. Moreover, growing ECs showed an insignificant decrease in cytokine production and an unessential change in basal expression of adhesion molecules. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced response depends on polymer surface: for example, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression decreased. E-selectin expression was unchanged for culturing ECs on coated PET, PP, and PTFE and reduced for polyurethane and silicone. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression was unchanged for coated PUR and silicone and reduced for PET, PP, and PTFE. In summary, titanium-coating layers promote adhesion of human ECs on polymer vascular grafts with no proinflammatory reaction of ECs.
UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Positive reinforcement (e.g., appetitive, rewarding properties) has often been hypothesized to maintain excessive intake of palatable foods. Recently, rats receiving intermittent access to high sucrose diets showed binge-like intake with withdrawallike signs upon cessation of access, suggesting negative reinforcement mechanisms contribute as well. Whether intermittent access to high fat diets also produces withdrawal-like syndromes is controversial. The present study therefore tested the hypothesis that binge-like eating and withdrawal-like anxiety would arise in a novel model of binge eating based on daily 10-min access to a sweet fat diet (35% fat kcal, 31% sucrose kcal). Within 2-3 weeks, female Wistar rats developed binge-like intake comparable to levels seen previously for high sucrose diets (~40% of daily caloric intake within 10 min) plus excess weight gain and adiposity, but absent increased anxiety-like behavior during elevated plus-maze or defensive withdrawal tests after diet withdrawal. Binge-like intake was unaffected by pretreatment with the corticotropin-releasing factor type 1 (CRF1) receptor antagonist R121919, and corticosterone responses to restraint stress did not differ between sweet-fat binge rats and chow-fed controls. In contrast, pretreatment with the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor antagonist SR147778 dose-dependently reduced binge-like intake, albeit less effectively than in ad lib chow or high fat controls. A priming dose of the sweet fat diet did not precipitate increased anxiety-like behavior, but rather increased plus maze
Accounting Standards and Legal Capital in EU Law

This paper examines the interaction between accounting standards and legal capital in the European Union legal framework. More in particular, it attempts to compare on a parallel basis the distributional and behavioural function of both concepts and to address whether the current legal status quo in the European Union fulfils these functions. First, this paper makes a short reference to the various accounting families which are encountered today, with a strong emphasis on the distinction between Anglo-American and Continental systems. Then, it describes the EU accounting regulation and the introduction of IFRS in domestic legislation. Further, it discusses the concept of legal capital as it has been established in European jurisdictions and it points to the relevance of the Continental accounting standards. It is argued that both are characterized by paternalism , contrasting with Anglo-American standards and American distributional methods, which are outlined by contractariansm . The final argument is that the combination of legal capital rules and Anglo-American standards, like the IFRS, neither achieves the protective role prescribed to the former, nor guarantees the aims of the latter.
Regulation of nitrogen metabolism in Bacillus subtilis: vive la différence!

Nitrogen metabolism genes of Bacillus subtilis are regulated by the availability of rapidly metabolizable nitrogen sources, but not by any mechanism analogous to the two‐component Ntr regulatory system found in enteric bacteria. Instead, at least three regulatory proteins independently control the expression of gene products involved in nitrogen metabolism in response to nutrient availability. Genes expressed at high levels during nitrogen‐limited growth are controlled by two related proteins, GlnR and TnrA, which bind to similar DNA sequences under different nutritional conditions. The TnrA protein is active only during nitrogen limitation, whereas GlnR‐dependent repression occurs in cells growing with excess nitrogen. Although the nitrogen signal regulating the activity of the GlnR and TnrA proteins is not known, the wild‐type glutamine synthetase protein is required for the transduction of this signal to the GlnR and TnrA proteins. Examination of GlnR‐ and TnrA‐regulated gene expression suggests that these proteins allow the cell to adapt to growth during nitrogen‐limited conditions. A third regulatory protein, CodY, controls the expression of several genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, competence and acetate metabolism in response to growth rate. The highest levels of CodY‐dependent repression occur in cells growing rapidly in a medium rich in amino acids, and this regulation is relieved during the transition to nutrient‐limited growth. While the synthesis of amino acid degradative enzymes in B. subtilis is substrate inducible, their expression is generally not regulated in response to nitrogen availability by GlnR and TnrA. This pattern of regulation may reflect the fact that the catabolism of amino acids produced by proteolysis during sporulation and germination provides the cell with substrates for energy production and macromolecular synthesis. As a result, expression of amino acid degradative enzymes may be regulated to ensure that high levels of these enzymes are present in sporulating cells and in dormant spores.