Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Financial Deepening Foster Clean Energy Sustainability over Conventional Ones? Examining the Nexus between Financial Deepening, Urbanization, Institutional Quality, and Energy Consumption in China

Energy availability and the selection of suitable energy sources have substantial implications on both economic and environmental sustainability, and it is because the environmental protection cost is directly linked to overall energy inclusion in the economy. Thus, the importance of clean energy has been noticed in the literature regardless of the economic structure. The purpose of the study is to discover the effects of financial deepening (FD), urbanization (UR), and institutional quality (IQ) on China’s energy consumption. Annual time series date for 1985 to 2019 utilized for documenting the coefficients of explanatory variables by implementing both linear and nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lagged (ARDL) and the Fourier-TY causality test. In terms of the test statistics for combined and Maki cointegration, the study revealed that a long-run association prevails in the empirical nexus. Moreover, the symmetric and asymmetric framework established long-run associations. Referring to the coefficients of financial deepening, UR, and governmental effectiveness, the study found a statistically significant and favorable impression of REC. While financial deepening and governmental effectiveness unveiled negatively influenced NREC and fossil energy consumption. The asymmetric linkage between explained and explanatory variables was confirmed through the execution of a standard weld test with a null symmetry. The asymmetry coefficients of FD, UR, and IQ were positive and statistically significant at the 1% level in both the long and short runs. The directional causality revealed feedback hypothesis holds in understanding the causal relationship between explanatory factors and RE usage. The policy recommendations for the future were generated from the research findings.
Revisiting Resveratrol as an Osteoprotective Agent: Molecular Evidence from In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Resveratrol (RSV) (3,5,4′-trihydroxystilbene) is a stilbene found in abundance in berry fruits, peanuts, and some medicinal plants. It has a diverse range of pharmacological activities, underlining the significance of illness prevention and health promotion. The purpose of this review was to delve deeper into RSV’s bone-protective properties as well as its molecular mechanisms. Several in vivo studies have found the bone-protective effects of RSV in postmenopausal, senile, and disuse osteoporosis rat models. RSV has been shown to inhibit NF-κB and RANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis, oxidative stress, and inflammation while increasing osteogenesis and boosting differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to osteoblasts. Wnt/β-catenin, MAPKs/JNK/ERK, PI3K/AKT, FoxOs, microRNAs, and BMP2 are among the possible kinases and proteins involved in the underlying mechanisms. RSV has also been shown to be the most potent SIRT1 activator to cause stimulatory effects on osteoblasts and inhibitory effects on osteoclasts. RSV may, thus, represent a novel therapeutic strategy for increasing bone growth and reducing bone loss in the elderly and postmenopausal population.
A Low-Cost Fertilizer Medium Supplemented with Urea for the Lutein Production of Chlorella sp. and the Ability of the Lutein to Protect Cells against Blue Light Irradiation

This study aimed to investigate the use of organic fertilizers instead of modified f/2 medium for Chlorella sp. cultivation, and the extracted lutein of the microalga to protect mammal cells against blue-light irradiation. The biomass productivity and lutein content of Chlorella sp. cultured in 20 g/L fertilizer medium for 6 days were 1.04 g/L/d and 4.41 mg/g, respectively. These values are approximately 1.3- and 1.4-fold higher than those achieved with the modified f/2 medium, respectively. The cost of medium per gram of microalgal biomass reduced by about 97%. The microalgal lutein content was further increased to 6.03 mg/g in 20 g/L fertilizer medium when supplemented with 20 mM urea, and the cost of medium per gram lutein reduced by about 96%. When doses of ≥1 μM microalgal lutein were used to protect mammal NIH/3T3 cells, there was a significant reduction in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the cells in the following blue-light irradiation treatments. The results show that microalgal lutein produced by fertilizers with urea supplements has the potential to develop anti-blue-light oxidation products and reduce the economic challenges of microalgal biomass applied to carbon biofixation and biofuel production.
Une introduction au critère BIC : fondements théoriques et interprétation

Dans cet article, nous proposons une discussion sur le critere de selection de modeles BIC (Bayesian Information Criterion). Afin de comprendre son comportement, nous decrivons les etapes de sa construction et les hypotheses necessaires a son application en detaillant les approximations dont il decoule. En s'appuyant sur la notion de quasi-vrai modele, nous reprecisons la propriete de « consistance pour la dimension » definie pour BIC. Enfin, nous mettons en evidence les differences de fond entre le critere BIC et le critere AIC d'Akaike en comparant leurs proprietes.
SKELETONS AND SEGMENTATION OF SHAPES

The emphasis of the two approaches described in this chapter is on determining shape skeletons in the presence of noise. The parts of the skeleton which are most robust in the presence of noise correspond to the parts of the shape where its width varies slowly. In contrast, singular points of the skeleton such as junctions tend to be sensitive to noise. The strategy therefore is to concentrate on determining the robust parts and fill in the details afterwards as needed. The first approach takes advantage of the geometry of the distance function while the second analyzes the local symmetries of the level sets of a smooth analog of the distance function.
Allee Effect in Gause Type Predator-Prey Models: Existence of Multiple Attractors, Limit cycles and Separatrix Curves. A Brief Review

This work deals with the consequences on structural stability of Gause type predator-prey models, when are considered three standard functional responses and the prey growth rate is subject to an Allee effect. An important consequence of this ecological phenomenon is the existence of a separatrix curve dividing the behavior of trajectories in the phase plane. The origin is an attractor for any set of parameters and the existence of heteroclinic curves can be also shown. Conditions on the parameter values are established to ensure the existence of a unique positive equilibrium, which can be either an attractor or a repellor surrounded by one or more limit cycles. The influence of the Allee effect on the number of limit cycles is analyzed and the results are compared with analogous models without this phenomenon, and which main features have been given in various above works. Ecological interpretations of these results are also given.
Increasing heatwave with associated population and GDP exposure in North China

Twenty‐seven CMIP6 models were grouped into three ensembles based on the simulated performance of heatwaves in North China during present‐day (1995–2014), and future changes in the duration and intensity of heatwaves were projected under SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5. The selected three ensembles showed consistent projections: both the duration and intensity of heatwaves would increase significantly, with the greatest under SSP5‐8.5. Besides, the heatwave growth in 2081–2100 would double in 2041–2060, except for SSP1‐2.6, where heatwaves would be similar in both periods. For the spatial distribution, the duration (intensity) would increase more in southern (western) parts of North China. Combining heatwaves with population and GDP, future heat exposures would concentrate on urban areas and the tertiary industry. For example, the 2041–2060 population exposure would reach 3.2–5.6 times the current level, with contributions from the urban population ranging from 55% to 60%. The GDP exposure would hit tens to hundreds of times the current level, with the tertiary sector replacing the secondary sector as the leading industry in North China, producing the major contribution and facing significant heat‐related risks. Overall, there will be significant heat‐related impacts under SSP5‐8.5, about 1.5–3.0 fold of those under SSP1‐2.6 and SSP2‐4.5. The urban and tertiary sectors would suffer greater risks relative to the rural and other industries. Our results reinforced the need to minimize global emissions and develop strategic plans to mitigate heat impacts under high‐emission scenarios, especially for urban areas and the tertiary industry, requiring great attention to climate adaptation.
Point-wise and cell average error estimates of the DG and LDG methods for 1D hyperbolic and parabolic equations

In this paper,we study superconvergence properties of the discontinuous and local discontinuous Galerkin methods for 1D hyperbolic conservation laws and parabolic equations.Specifically,when using upwind fluxes(for hyperbolic conservation laws) and alternating fluxes(for parabolic equations),we prove for any polynomial degree k,a(2k + l)-th superconvergence rate for the error of cell average,as well as the point-wise error estimates of the DG approximation at downwind points(hyperbolic) or the LDG approximation of numerical traces at nodes(parabolic). These superconvergence results are completely consistent with the numerical results provided in Cao et al.(2014),Cao and Zhang(2014) and Yang and Shu(2012),and improve the theoretical results in Cao et al.(2014) and Cao and Zhang(2014),which is 1/2 order and one order higher than that in Cao et al.(2014) and Cao and Zhang(2014) for the point-wise error estimates and cell average,respectively.
Pengaruh Persepsi Harga dan Citra Merek Terhadap Loyalitas Pelanggan Handbody Shinzui

ABSTRAKTujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh Persepsi haraga dan citra Merek terhadap Loyalitas Pelanggan Handbody Shinzui pada Mahasiswa Program Studi Manajemen Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis Islam Universitas Islam Negeri Raden Intan Lampung. Metode penelitian ini adalah kuantitatif. Dalam penelitian ini teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan Purposive Sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 33 responden. Pengumpulan data dilakukan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner yang berisikan pernyataan berkaitan dengan variabel Persepsi haraga dan Citra Merek dan Loyalitas Pelanggan. Selanjutnya data dari hasil pengumpulan kuesioner tersebut diolah, Uji Statistik dilakukan dengan structurel Equation Modelling yang berbasis PLS. Uji Validitas menggunakan nilai faktor loading, reabilitas diuji dengan menggunakan nilai Cronbachs alpha, composite realibility dan Average Variance Extracted (AVE). setelah hasil item indikator secara keseluruhan yang digunakan valid dan juga reliable, selanjutnya dilakukan Uji Hipotesis. Hasil dari penelitian ini ditemukan bahwa persepsi harga dan citra merek berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap loyalitas pelanggan.Kata Kunci: Persepsi Harga, Citra Merek, Loyalitas Pelanggan
The Hidden Cost of COVID-19: Focus on Antimicrobial Resistance in Bloodstream Infections

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest growing public health threats and a worldwide priority. According to the WHO, drug-resistant diseases may cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050 and have a substantial impact on the global economy, driving up to 24 million people into poverty. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fallacies and vulnerability of healthcare systems worldwide, displacing resources from existing programs and reducing funding for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) fighting efforts. Moreover, as already seen for other respiratory viruses, such as flu, COVID-19 is often associated with superinfections, prolonged hospital stays, and increased ICU admissions, further aggravating healthcare disruption. These events are accompanied by widespread antibiotic use, misuse, and inappropriate compliance with standard procedures with a potential long-term impact on AMR. Still, COVID-19-related measures such as increasing personal and environmental hygiene, social distancing, and decreasing hospital admissions could theoretically help the AMR cause. However, several reports have shown increased antimicrobial resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. This narrative review focuses on this “twindemic”, assessing the current knowledge of antimicrobial resistance in the COVID-19 era with a focus on bloodstream infections and provides insights into the lessons learned in the COVID-19 field that could be applied to antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
An Experimental Study: The Perception of The Availability of Facebook Pay as an Escrow Service and the Impact on Purchase Intention on Instagram

Facebook is launching Facebook Pay in 2020. This study uses an experimental design to examine whether or not the availability of Facebook Pay could have a significant effect on perceived financial risk, trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived use on purchase intention in Instagram. A research model that depicts the purchase intention on Instagram compared the two groups, 76 respondents as an experimental group and 62 respondents as a control group. This study tests a research model with structural equation modeling (SEM PLS). This study shows no significant difference between the experimental & control groups related to perceived financial risk, trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived use on purchase intention on Instagram. Interestingly, the strong relationship between perceived financial risk, trust, perceived usefulness, and perceived use and purchase intention in the experimental group is stronger than the control group. This study's findings could help the practitioners to maximize product and marketing effort for maximizing Facebook Pay function for social commerce users and give a new understanding of these study variables for future research. This study has written discussions, limitations, and recommendations for future research.
The effects of foreign direct investment on the performance of small-medium enterprises: The case of Vietnam

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is one of the most important elements influencing countries' international economic integration. FDI establishes direct, consistent, and long-lasting interconnections between economies as well as encouraging innovative technology and know-how transmission across territories while allowing host economies to offer their goods more extensively on global markets. FDI is also a source of investment financing that creates the climate for appropriate policies. Aside from the obvious advantages for all economic sectors, attracting FDI in small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) has a variety of additional benefits. For example, an opportunity to participate in the global supply chain for parts and components; an opportunity not yet wholly established in most developing nations but is critical for industrialization and improving income distribution through job creation for low-skilled employees. This study compared the impact of FDI on the performance of SMEs in Vietnam to that of a group of ASEAN nations with comparable economic structures including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The empirical evidence indicates that FDI has a negative effect on the performance of SMEs in the group of four ASEAN member countries while having a positive influence on Vietnamese SMEs.
Existence of positive solution for a class of fractional difference equations

We studied the existence of positive solutions of the boundary value problem for a nonlinear finite fractional difference equation.First,according to fractional difference equation and its boundary conditions,we constructed the Green's function and analyzed its properties.Then,by using the Krasnosel'skii fixed point theorem we obtained sufficient conditions for the existence of positive solutions of the boundary value problem for the nonlinear finite difference equation.
Distribution of α2-Adrenergic Receptors in the Living Human Brain Using [11C]yohimbine PET

The neurofunctional basis of the noradrenergic (NA) system and its associated disorders is still very incomplete because in vivo imaging tools in humans have been missing up to now. Here, for the first time, we use [11C]yohimbine in a large sample of subjects (46 healthy volunteers, 23 females, 23 males; aged 20–50) to perform direct quantification of regional alpha 2 adrenergic receptors’ (α2-ARs) availability in the living human brain. The global map shows the highest [11C]yohimbine binding in the hippocampus, the occipital lobe, the cingulate gyrus, and the frontal lobe. Moderate binding was found in the parietal lobe, thalamus, parahippocampus, insula, and temporal lobe. Low levels of binding were found in the basal ganglia, the amygdala, the cerebellum, and the raphe nucleus. Parcellation of the brain into anatomical subregions revealed important variations in [11C]yohimbine binding within most structures. Strong heterogeneity was found in the occipital lobe, the frontal lobe, and the basal ganglia, with substantial gender effects. Mapping the distribution of α2-ARs in the living human brain may prove useful not only for understanding the role of the NA system in many brain functions, but also for understanding neurodegenerative diseases in which altered NA transmission with specific loss of α2-ARs is suspected.
First Record of cf. Aenocyon dirus (Leidy, 1858) (Carnivora, Canidae), from the Upper Pleistocene of the Atacama Desert, Northern Chile

ABSTRACT Fossil records of canids are rare and incomplete in South America. In Chile, all well-identified taxa are part of the “South American Canid Clade” and come from sites located in southern Patagonia. Here, we report the first record for Chile of a taxon of the “Canis clade,” assigned to cf. Aenocyon dirus. The fossil remains consist of a partially complete left hind limb, exposed by aeolian deflation, which facilitated its discovery at an isolated setting in Quebrada Maní, named QM38 site, in the southern sector of the Pampa del Tamarugal basin, part of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, northern Chile. Measurements of the fossil are larger than the Protocyon troglodytes, falling in the smaller size range of A. dirus and within the larger range of Theriodictis platensis. Its morphological features compared with bone references of large extinct canids show that the fossil belongs to a small-sized Aenocyon. The remains occur in surface silty clays deposited by an alluvial fan that was active in the Pampa del Tamarugal basin in the Late Pleistocene. A radiocarbon date from bone apatite yielded an age of 14,660 cal years BP, placing it within the first half of the Central Andean Pluvial Event when this basin was wetter, well vegetated, and inhabited by large, medium, and small herbivores. No other large predator records are known from this basin, and our find affords a more complete view of this ecosystem which thrived in the hyperarid core of the Atacama during the Late Pleistocene.
Renoprotective Effect of Thai Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treated with SGLT-2 Inhibitors versus DPP-4 Inhibitors: A Real-World Observational Study

Background Recently, there is a lack of studies comparing the renoprotective effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. This study therefore aimed to investigate the renoprotective effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors on Thai patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods Patient medication records of all patients who used those two antidiabetic classes at Fort Wachirawut Hospital were reviewed. Renal function tests, blood glucose levels, and other baseline characteristics were collected. Continuous variables were compared within the group using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and between groups using the Mann–Whitney U test. Results There were 388 and 691 patients with SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors, respectively. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of the SGLT-2 inhibitor group was significantly lower from baseline at 18 months of treatment, as well as the DPP-4 inhibitor group. However, the trend of eGFR reduction in patients with baseline eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was smaller than those with baseline eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2. In addition, the fasting blood sugar and haemoglobin A1c levels significantly decreased from baseline in both the groups. Conclusions Both SGLT-2 inhibitors and DPP-4 inhibitors showed the same trends of eGFR reductions from baseline in Thai patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, SGLT-2 inhibitors should be considered in patients with impaired renal function rather than in all T2DM patients.
HPV Infection of the Oropharyngeal, Genital and Anal Mucosa and Associated Dysplasia in People Living with HIV

Background: The main objectives were to describe the prevalence of HPV, its genotypes and HPV-associated dysplastic lesions in the oropharyngeal mucosa of PLHIV and related factors. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study consecutively enrolled PLHIV attending our specialist outpatient units. At visit, HIV-related clinical and analytical variables were gathered, and oropharyngeal mucosa exudates were taken to detect HPV and other STIs by polymerase chain reaction. Samples were also taken from the anal canal of all participants and from the genital mucosa of the women for HPV detection/genotyping and cytological study. Results: The 300 participants had a mean age of 45.1 years; 78.7% were MSM and 21.3% women; 25.3% had a history of AIDS; 99.7% were taking ART; and 27.3% had received an HPV vaccine. HPV infection prevalence in the oropharynx was 13%, with genotype 16 being the most frequent (2.3%), and none had dysplasia. Simultaneous infection with Treponema pallidum (HR: 4.02 (95% CI: 1.06–15.24)) and a history of anal HSIL or SCCA (HR: 21.52 (95% CI: 1.59–291.6)) were risk factors for oropharyngeal HPV infection, whereas ART duration (8.8 vs. 7.4 years) was a protective factor (HR: 0.989 (95% CI: 0.98–0.99)). Conclusions: The prevalence of HPV infection and dysplasia was low in the oropharyngeal mucosae. A higher exposure to ART was protective against oral HPV infection.
Transient-wave solution for Lamb's problem at the free surface

An exact analytic solution of Lamb's problem is presented with no approximation or restriction for material parameters or source observer geometries. The transient-wave field for a directional point force normal to the surface of an elastic half-space is given in terms of its constituent components: the body waves, the surface wave, and the near field. In contrast to other known solutions, ours enables us to characterize these wave phenomena separately. Some outstanding features should be mentioned: the singularities appearing in the Green's function solution of the problem are integrable. The transient-wave solution presented is well-suited for numerical computation.