Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electricity Intensity in the Commercial Sector: Market and Public Program Effects

Publicly-funded energy efficiency programs have grown in number, size, and scope in the past two decades. The focus of many of these programs is the commercial buildings sector, which purchases approximately one-third of all the electricity produced in the United States. Using a fixed effects panel model, this study analyzes commercial sector electricity intensity across 42 states from 1989 to 2001; in aggregate, these states account for between 90 and 95 percent of U.S. commercial sector electricity sales. The analysis separates market effects from public program effects, finding that electric utility demand side management programs were responsible for reducing commercial sector electricity intensity in 2001 by 1.9 percent relative to the 1989 level. Further, rapidly expanding market transformation programs were responsible for reducing electricity intensity in this sector by 5.8 percent relative to the 1989 level. The findings suggest that in 2001 the combined effects of these public programs reduced commercial sector retail electricity sales by 77.1 million MWh, representing about 2.3 percent of total U.S. retail electricity sales.
Michigan Medicaid's Healthy Kids Dental program: an assessment of the first 12 months.

BACKGROUND In 2000, Michigan's Medicaid dental program initiated Healthy Kids Dental, or HKD, a demonstration program offering dental coverage to Medicaid-enrolled children in selected counties. The program was administered through a private dental carrier at private reimbursement levels. The authors undertook a study to determine the effect of these changes. METHODS The authors obtained enrollment and utilization data for four groups: children covered in the first 12 months of HKD in 22 counties, children with private dental coverage in the same 22 counties in the same 12 months, Medicaid-enrolled children in the same 22 counties for 12 prior months, and Medicaid-enrolled children in 46 counties who were not included in the HKD program at any time. The authors compared access to care, dentists' participation, treatment patterns, patient travel distances and program cost. RESULTS Under HKD, dental care utilization increased 31.4 percent overall and 39 percent among children continuously enrolled for 12 months, compared with the previous year under Medicaid. Dentists' participation increased substantially, and the distance traveled by patients for appointments was cut in half. Costs were 2.5 times higher, attributable to more children's receiving care, the mix of services shifting to more comprehensive care and payment at customary reimbursement levels. CONCLUSIONS By increasing reimbursement levels and streamlining administration, the HKD demonstration program has shown that substantial improvements can be made to dental access for the Medicaid-enrolled population. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The findings of this assessment suggest that appropriate attention to administration and payment levels can rapidly improve access for Medicaid-enrolled patients using existing dental personnel. By cooperating with state officials to design a program that addresses multiple issues, dental providers can help create a Medicaid dental program that is attractive to both providers and patients.
Specific protein methylation defects and gene expression perturbations in coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1-deficient mice

Arginine methylation has been implicated in the regulation of gene expression. The coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1/PRMT4) binds the p160 family of steroid receptor coactivators (SRCs). This association enhances transcriptional activation by nuclear receptors. Here, we show that embryos with a targeted disruption of CARM1 are small in size and die perinatally. The methylation of two known CARM1 substrates, poly(A)-binding protein (PABP1) and the transcriptional cofactor p300, was abolished in knockout embryos and cells. However, CARM1-dependent methylation of histone H3 was not observed. Furthermore, estrogen-responsive gene expression was aberrant in Carm1–/– fibroblasts and embryos, thus emphasizing the role of arginine methylation as a transcription activation tag. These findings provide genetic evidence for the essential role of CARM1 in estrogen-mediated transcriptional activation.
Myxococcus xanthus Chemotaxis Homologs DifD and DifG Negatively Regulate Fibril Polysaccharide Production

ABSTRACT The extracellular matrix fibrils of Myxococcus xanthus are essential for the social lifestyle of this unusual bacterium. These fibrils form networks linking or encasing cells and are tightly correlated with cellular cohesion, development, and social (S) gliding motility. Previous studies identified a set of bacterial chemotaxis homologs encoded by the dif locus. It was determined that difA, difC, and difE, encoding respective homologs of a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein, CheW, and CheA, are required for fibril production and therefore S motility and development. Here we report the studies of three additional genes residing at the dif locus, difB, difD, and difG. difD and difG encode homologs of chemotaxis proteins CheY and CheC, respectively. difB encodes a positively charged protein with limited homology at its N terminus to conserved bacterial proteins with unknown functions. Unlike the previously characterized dif genes, none of these three newly studied dif genes are essential for fibril production, S motility, or development. The difB mutant showed no obvious defects in any of the processes examined. In contrast, the difD and the difG mutants were observed to overproduce fibril polysaccharides in comparison with production by the wild type. The observation that DifD and DifG negatively regulate fibril polysaccharide production strengthens our hypothesis that the M. xanthus dif genes define a chemotaxis-like signal transduction pathway which regulates fibril biogenesis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of functional studies of a CheC homolog in proteobacteria. In addition, during this study, we slightly modified previously developed assays to easily quantify fibril polysaccharide production in M. xanthus.
Gait Characteristics and Functional Ambulation Profile in Patients with Chronic Unilateral Stroke

Titianova EB, Pitkänen K, Pääkkönen A, Sivenius J, Tarkka IM: Gait characteristics and functional ambulation profile in patients with chronic unilateral stroke. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2003;82:778–786. Objective Recent technical progress in gait analysis has resulted in portable walkways with embedded pressure-sensitive sensors. Often claims are made in connection with new equipment of their straightforward clinical use. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether the functional ambulation profile (FAP), calculated from walkway data, is a sensitive measure in the characterization of dissimilar patients with chronic hemiparesis due to stroke. Design We investigated the relationships between FAP and the type of stroke, patients’ functional disability, and spatial and temporal variables of gait obtained with the pressure sensor system walkway. Gait variables and FAP scores were compared in 25 patients with residual hemiparesis due to stroke and in 31 healthy subjects. Results A prolonged swing phase in the affected side and a prolonged stance phase in the nonaffected side were found in patients. Footprint pressure data revealed reduced peak pressure of the affected-side metatarsal area in patients, probably reflecting foot paresis. Higher Barthel Index score and lower Rankin Scale score were reflected in FAP scores. Conclusions The FAP scores of patients reflected well their characteristic spatio-temporal gait variations; however, the FAP score seemed a reliable measure of gait normality/abnormality only in rather unhurried gait. Thus, it is useful when a single number is needed.
Long-term prognostic value of exercise echocardiography compared with exercise 201Tl, ECG, and clinical variables in patients evaluated for coronary artery disease.

BACKGROUND The accuracy of exercise echocardiography and 201Tl single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is similar in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, comparative data on long-term prognosis are lacking. METHODS AND RESULTS Clinical variables and exercise, echocardiographic, and 201Tl tomographic parameters were studied in 248 patients (age, 56+/-12 years [mean+/-SD]; 189 men) who underwent simultaneous treadmill exercise 201Tl SPECT and echocardiography. Follow-up was obtained in 225 patients (91%) at a mean of 3.7+/-2.0 years. A total of 64 cardiac events occurred. With the use of stepwise logistic regression, 4 models simulating clinical stress testing scenarios were evaluated in the prediction of all cardiac events, ischemic events, and/or cardiac death. The best clinical models were exercise echocardiography with exercise ECG and exercise 201Tl SPECT with exercise ECG. Both models were comparable in the prediction of cardiac events. For the exercise echocardiography model, exercise wall motion score index and induction of ischemia were the strongest predictors of events with ORs of 2.63 per unit increment (95% CI, 1. 34 to 5.17; P=0.005) and 4.1 (95% CI, 1.32 to 12.79; P=0.015), respectively. For the model with exercise 201Tl SPECT, the strongest predictor was ischemic perfusion defect (OR, 4.93; 95% CI, 1.72 to 14.08; P=0.003). The absence of ST changes during exercise decreased the risk of events. For the prediction of ischemic events and/or cardiac death, echocardiographic and 201Tl parameters were the only predictive variables. CONCLUSIONS In patients evaluated for CAD, exercise echocardiography and 201Tl combined with ECG variables provide comparable prognostic information and can be used interchangeably for risk stratification.
Shock-wave propagation in a sonoluminescing gas bubble.

The motion of the bubble radius and of the air trapped inside the bubble during sonoluminescence are determined self-consistently by coupling the solution of the Rayleigh-Plesset equation governing the bubble radius to the solution of Euler's equations for the motion of air in the bubble. Results are presented for three slightly different conditions of excitation, in two of which shocks are formed during the collapse of the bubble, and in which such high temperatures are attained that the air is ionized. Estimates are made of the duration and intensity of the light then radiated by the plasma.
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with microwave coagulation therapy and the perioperative care for patients with hepatocellural carcinoma.

PURPOSE To explore the value of artificial hydrothorax microwave coagulation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy in the treatment of ultrasound-invisible malignant tumors in the hepatic dome (mainly hepatocellular carcinoma/HCC) and the perioperative care for the patients. METHODS Sixty-eight patients with malignant liver tumors in the hepatic dome were treated with a combination therapy of TACE and microwave coagulation via an artificially induced hydrothorax. Their perioperative condition was under close observation and the nursing care was intensified. Paracentesis of the chest was successfully carried out via the positioning of ultrasound and guidance of microwave to the tumor site, so that the tumor could be treated with cold cycle microwave coagulation therapy. RESULTS After treatment, 3/68 patients (4.4%) achieved complete tumor ablation, while 59/68 (86.8%) achieved tumor ablation >50% or tumor shrinkage >30%. Another 6/68 patients (8.8%) achieved tumor ablation <50% or tumor shrinkage <30%. Of 45 patients, 42 (93.3%) obtained a reduction of AFP level >50% post-therapy, 28/37 patients (75.7%) achieved a reduction of CEA level >50%, 23/29 patients (79.3%) achieved a reduction of CA19-9 level> 50%; 3/68 patients (4.4%) survived for 4 to 6 months, 31/68 (45.6%) survived >6 months and 34/68 (50%) survived >12 months. No bleeding, liver failure, infection or needle tract seeding occurred after the operation, and no treatment-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSION Microwave coagulation combined with TACE for HCC in the hepatic dome is safe and effective. Perioperative observation and nursing care can not only reduce the complications but also improve the therapeutic effect and the patient quality of life.
IMPLIKASI TINDAKAN PERATAAN LABA TERHADAP PENGAMBILAN KEPUTUSAN BAGI INVESTOR

Net revenue or earnings often use to evaluate management performance. Therefore management tend to do disfunctional behaviour. One kind of disfunctional behaviour is income smoothing. The purpose of income smoothing is to increase stock price. Income smooting is logic and rationale for manajer with use inherent weakness in incounting. Although income smoothing can reduce reliability of financial statement and disserve of investor because it’s can make investor wrong in decision making, income smoothing is legally practise because not violate generally accepted accounting principles.
Categories of financial crime

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic approach to classify financial crime into main categories as well as sub categories.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review, the main four categories were labeled corruption, fraud, theft, and manipulation, respectively.Findings – There is a massive variety of crime types and crime names in the literature that can successfully be allocated to main categories of financial crime.Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on exploratory research to stimulate future research in refining and improving the categories suggested here.Practical implications – The great variety of criminal activities is classified in this paper so that practitioners can organize their thinking around crime themes rather than crime examples when mapping crime.Social implications – The public and society at large will be able to understand the confusing variety of financial crime in terms of main categories.Originality/value – There has been.
Dynamics in artifact ecologies

We increasingly interact with multiple interactive artifacts with overlapping capabilities during our daily activities. It has previously been shown that the use of an interactive artifact cannot be understood in isolation, but artifacts must be understood as part of an artifact ecology, where artifacts influence the use of others. Understanding this interplay becomes more and more essential for interaction design as our artifact ecologies grow. This paper continues a recent discourse on artifact ecologies. Through interviews with iPhone users, we demonstrate that relationships between artifacts in artifact ecologies cannot be understood as static, instead they evolve dynamically over time. We provide activity theory-based concepts to explain these dynamics.
A theoretical investigation of the fat reserves and mortality levels of small birds in winter

We assume that the fat levels of a small bird in winter reflect a tradeoff between starvation and predation. This tradeoff is formalized by finding the level of fat that minimizes total mortality (starvation plus predation) in a given environment. A bird is characterised in terms of its level of energy reserves. The bird starves if these reserves fall to zero. In general, the probability that the bird is killed by a predator increases with increasing reserves. We consider two models. In both at each time unit during a day a bird can choose, as a function of its reserves, to forage or to rest. In the forage vs rest model there is only one foraging option. In the foraging intensity model the bird can choose from a range of options, where options with a high energetic gain also incur a high predation risk. We find the optimal level of reserves for various environments, together with the resulting levels of starvation and predation. Unless food availability is very high, an improvement in overall availability results in a decrease in the mean reserves at dusk (MRD); in the foraging intensity model there is also a trend towards choosing safer foraging options with lower mean gains. An increase in variability, either as a result of a decreased probability of finding food or an increase in interruptions of foraging, increases MRD. The increase in reserves is not sufficient to prevent an increase in starvation. As a result, reserves and starvation can be positively correlated across environmental conditions. The level of starvation tends to be lower than the level of predation, but the ratio of starvation to predation tends to increase as conditions become worse. In the middle of winter, the days are short and the nights are long and cold. The optimal response to a decrease in daylength involves an increase in both dawn and dusk levels of reserves. This pattern is also found when overnight expenditure increases but daylength is constant. In this context we show that when temperatures are very low, a small saving in energy can result in a substantial increase in survival probability. The relevance of this result for evaluating the importance of hypothermia is discussed.
[Imported fever due to Chikungunya virus].

INTRODUCTION Imported diseases pose a diagnostic challenge for the physician, epidemiologists, and the local health care authorities, implying a risk for the community in some cases. METHOD We report the case of a patient with Chikungunya virus infection in Spain and describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this condition. RESULTS Diagnosis was confirmed by specific tests in paired samples. CONCLUSIONS The vector for the disease (Aedes albopictus) now exists in Spain. There is a danger that local outbreaks may occur where there are patients with viremia in areas with a prevalence of the vector.
Capital markets research and accounting standard setting

Accounting academics and practitioners have been known to question whether accounting research is as efficacious as it might be. This paper focuses on capital markets-based research in accounting and how its potential contribution to the wider regulatory process can be realised more fully. Examples used are: research on corporate regulation; the move to ‘harmonise’ accounting standards; accounting for RD accounting for goodwill; and equity accounting.
A low-power and high-efficiency cache design for embedded bus-based symmetric multiprocessors

Several optimization strategies for cache design in embedded bus-based symmetric multiprocessor are proposed in this paper. To reduce the miss penalty of the cache, optimized MESI snoopy protocol and pipelined split-transition bus architecture as well as snoopy filter mechanism are applied in the proposed design. With these strategies, transactions on the bus along with memory accesses and unnecessary snoopy actions also decrease remarkably, which will save a large part of the power consumption. The proposed design is implemented in IMS-DPU SoC chip by CSMC 180nm technology with a clock frequency of 100MHz and 158.4K equivalent logic gates (including 4KB memory).
Balancing Consumer Privacy with Behavioral Targeting

Behavioral targeting is the emerging practice of collecting information about consumers’ behavior and using that information to customize an advertisement or other service for the consumer. This article first describes the practice and technology of behavioral targeting in its various forms. Second, it aims to identify how this emerging technology might benefit and harm consumers, and to understand how harms occur. Third, it overviews the FTC’s self-regulatory principles and a variety of other proposals to strengthen regulations to prevent harm to consumers and concludes that the proposed approaches do not give consumers the right information to effectively allow them to intelligently manage the risk of harm. Therefore, the article proposes a regime of broad mandatory regulation combined with an audit requirement to address the root causes of potential harm. The article argues that this approach will aid consumers in making informed decisions about their participation in activities that involve behavioral targeting.
SURPRISE PRICE SHIFTS, TAX CHANGES AND THE SUPPLY BEHAVIOUR OF RESOURCE EXTRACTING FIRMS*

It is shown that a surprise increase in the current price (due to, say, a change in the tariff rate) may cause a resource firm to increase or decrease its current rate of extraction, depending on its expectation of future changes in the price. The key parameters are the rate of price change in the absence of the surprise shock, the rate of interest, and the rate of change of the tax rates. Copyright 1985 by Blackwell Publishers Ltd/University of Adelaide and Flinders University of South Australia
Alp7R Regulates Expression of the Actin-Like Protein Alp7A in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT Alp7A is a bacterial actin from Bacillus subtilis plasmid pLS20 that functions in plasmid segregation. Alp7A's function requires that it assemble into filaments that treadmill and exhibit dynamic instability. These dynamic properties require the two other components of the alp7A operon, the downstream alp7R gene and the upstream alp7C sequence, as does the ability of Alp7A to form filaments at its physiological concentration in the cell. Here, we show that these two other components of the operon also determine the amount of Alp7A that is produced in the cell. The deletion of alp7R leads to overproduction of Alp7A, which assembles into large, amorphous, static filaments that disrupt chromosome segregation and cell division. The product of the alp7R gene is a DNA-binding protein that represses transcription of the alp7A operon. Purified Alp7R protein binds specifically to alp7C, which contains two σA promoters embedded within a series of near-repeats of a 10-mer. Alp7R also shows the typical nonspecific binding activity of a DNA-binding protein: Alp7R-GFP (green fluorescent protein) associates with the chromosomes of cells that lack alp7C. When Alp7A-GFP is produced in B. subtilis along with untagged Alp7R, Alp7A-GFP also colocalizes with the chromosome, indicating that Alp7R associates with Alp7A. Hence Alp7R, determines both the activity and the cellular concentration of Alp7A, and it can associate with Alp7A even if it is not bound to alp7C.
Market Reactions to Dividend Announcements Under Different Business Cycles

In this paper, I examine the impact of business cycles on the market reaction to dividend announcements of large-cap firms in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The findings show that the 2001-7 significant positive first-day dividend announcement reaction is derived from the significantly stronger market reaction during the crisis period of 2001-2. Hence, I conclude that the business cycle is a critical parameter in the investors' interpretation of dividend announcements. During busts, a dividend announcement is perceived as a strong and reliable signal about the state of the corporation, compared to times of normality.