Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preliminary report on the behavior of spotted-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis, Lichtenstein, 1835) living in a lentic ecosystem.

Little is known of spotted-necked otter behavior, particularly in lentic ecosystems. In 2005, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) selected this species for management under the Small Carnivore Taxonomic Regional Collection Plan (SCTAG). In 2012, the AZA Otter group recommended this species for Red SSP status. As a result of the paucity of information on natural behaviors and the requirement of thoroughly understanding a species' behavior to properly manage ex-situ populations this study was initiated. Behavioral data was recorded on Rubondo Island National Park, Tanzania between 2006 and 2009. Data was collected on habitat use as well as general behavior. Additionally, a complete catalogue of observed behaviors was maintained for future ethogram construction. Latrines, where scat is deposited, were predominantly located on projections and scattered in 20 m areas. The majority of latrines were located along forest edge habitats. Females routinely used key core areas for denning and extensive intra- and inter-sex overlapping of ranges was evident. Forest-edge habitat was used for denning; foraging and resting occurred along both forest-edge and emergent wetland shorelines. Behavioral results indicate this species is cathemeral on RINP. Average group size recorded was 1.99 with a range of 1-12. Group composition consisted of singletons or females with young. These basic groups often coalesced into packs which occasionally joined to form temporary larger schools. The results of this study will provide valuable information for the design and implementation of ex-situ spotted-necked otter management in the future.
Laparoscopic Heller's cardiomyotomy without an antireflux procedure

The treatment of achalasia by laparoscopic Heller's cardiomyotomy may combine the minimally invasive advantages of pneumatic dilatation with the success rate and low risk of perforation of conventional surgery. The requirement for an antireflux procedure remains a contentious issue, as in conventional surgery. Nine patients underwent laparoscopic cardiomyotomy; excellent symptomatic relief was obtained in eight at follow‐up between 12 and 21 months after operation. Four of these patients agreed to 24‐h pH monitoring and showed no evidence of acid reflux. One patient, however, developed recurrent symptoms associated with significant acidityi on monitoring. Laparoscopic Heller's cardiomyotomy without an antireflux procedure produced effective symptomatic relief in this small group of patients.
Association of Apolipoprotein E Polymorphism with Impact on Overweight University Pupils.

BACKGROUND Obesity is known to be a complex disorder caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Patients with obesity tend to develop cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have revealed that obesity is associated with genetic variations including those found in the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene, which also affects lipid profiles. Hence, in this study, we aimed to perform a molecular characterization of APOE gene polymorphisms found in overweight subjects within a Saudi population. METHODS A case-control study was performed consisting of 198 cases and 198 controls, selected from participants at the King Saud University. TaqMan genotyping was performed to characterize the APOE gene polymorphisms. RESULTS The present study identified the E4 allele of the APOE gene as being significantly associated with obesity in the Saudi population (p = 0.0001). We found a statistically significant difference in the genotype distribution between cases and controls [for E3/E4: OR, 2.16 (95% CI: 1.19-3.91); p = 0.009]. DISCUSSION Significant differences were observed in the APOE allele profiles (p < 0.001) and lipid profile parameters, including triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein among the obese patients compared with the non-obese control population. CONCLUSION Our results confirm that APOE variants are associated with obesity in the Saudi population.
Solving Discrete Logarithms in Smooth-Order Groups with CUDA 1

This paper chronicles our experiences using CUDA to implement a parallelized variant of Pollard’s rho algorithm to solve discrete logarithms in groups with cryptographically large moduli but smooth order using commodity GPUs. We first discuss some key design constraints imposed by modern GPU architectures and the CUDA framework, and then explain how we were able to implement efficient arbitrary-precision modular multiplication within these constraints. Our implementation can execute roughly 51.9 million 768-bit modular multiplications per second — or a whopping 840 million 192-bit modular multiplications per second — on a single Nvidia Tesla M2050 GPU card, which is a notable improvement over all previous results on comparable hardware. We leverage this fast modular multiplication in our implementation of the parallel rho algorithm, which can solve discrete logarithms modulo a 1536-bit RSA number with a 2 55 -smooth totient in less than two minutes. We conclude the paper by discussing implications to discrete logarithm-based cryptosystems, and by pointing out how efficient implementations of parallel rho (or related algorithms) lead to trapdoor discrete logarithm groups; we also point out two potential cryptographic applications for the latter. Our code is written in C for CUDA and PTX; it is open source and freely available for download online.
AmpC-BETA Lactamases among Enterobacteriaceae Isolated at a Tertiary Hospital, South Western Uganda

Aim To characterize AmpC-beta lactamases among Enterobacteriaceae isolates from clinical samples at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Study Design Laboratory-based descriptive cross-sectional study Place and Duration of Study Microbiology Department, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and MBN clinical Laboratories, between May to September 2013. Methodology This study included 293 Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from clinical specimens that included blood, urine, stool and aspirates. AmpC Beta lactamase production was determined using disc placement method for cefoxitin at a break point of <18mm. Common AmpC plasmid mediated genes were EBC, ACC, FOX, DHA, CIT and MOX were; was determined by Multiplex PCR as described by Hanson and Perez-Perez. Results Plasmid mediated AmpC phenotype was confirmed in 107 of the 293 (36.5%) cefoxitin resistant isolates with 30 isolates having more than one gene coding for resistance. The commonest source that harbored AmpC beta lactamases was urine and E. coli was the most common AmpC producer (59.5%). The genotypes detected in this study, included EBC (n=36), FOX (n=18), ACC (n=11), CIT (n=10), DHA (n=07) and MOX (n=1). Conclusion Our findings showed that prevalence of AmpC beta-lactamase at MRRH was high (39.6), with EBC as the commonest genotype among Enterobacteriaceae Urine and E. coli were the commonest source and organism respectively that harbored AmpC beta-lactamases. There‘s rational antimicrobial therapy and antibiotic susceptibility tests should be requested by health workers especially patients presenting with urinary tract infections and bacteraemias.
Consensus and disagreement in collective homing problems: A mean field games formulation

Inspired by successful biological collective decision mechanisms such as honey bees searching for a new colony or the collective navigation of fish schools, we consider a mean field games (MFG) scenario producing decentralized homing decisions in large multi-agent systems. For our setup, we show that given an initial distribution of the agents, many strategies exist, with each one of them defining an ϵ-Nash equilibrium. These strategies, on which the processes of consensus and disagreement within the group depend, collapse into one strategy as the number of agents goes to infinity.
Can the heuristic model of positive terror management enhance prosocial values and reduce intergroup conflict? The case of Muslims in the USA

The aim of this paper is to discuss how intergroup conflict in the USA has recently escalated between Muslim Americans and the broader non-Muslim American population after the recent Boston Marathon bombing terrorist attack perpetrated by ‘homegrown’ Muslim American terrorists. The recent intergroup conflict leads Muslim Americans to be falsely stereotyped as sympathetic to terrorism, and thus are identified as a social outgroup within the USA. The evolution of terror management theory (TMT) into the heuristic model of positive terror management (HMPTM) will explain how individuals can manage mortality salience with threats of outgroup members in a socially constructive manner through cultural worldviews and the application of prosocial cultural values, such as empathy and forgiveness. This paper will conclude with future recommendations to further understand the relationships among prosocial cultural values; thus, potentially mitigating intergroup conflict within the USA which has been continuously plagu.
A Novel Approach to the Hydrothermal Synthesis of Anatase Titania Nanoparticles and the Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

Murat AKARSU, Meltem ASILTURK, Funda SAYILKAN, Nadir KIRAZ, Ertugrul ARPAC and Hikmet SAYILKAN3∗ Institute fur Neue Materialien, D-66123, Saarbrucken, GERMANY 2 Inonu University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Chemistry Department, 44280, Malatya, TURKEY 3 Inonu University, Faculty of Education, Department of Science, 44280, Malatya, TURKEY e-mail: hsayilkan@inonu.edu. tr Akdeniz University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Chemistry Department, 07100, Antalya, TURKEY
Junctional protein MAGI-3 interacts with receptor tyrosine phosphataseβ (RPTPβ) and tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins

Receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase β (RPTPβ) mediates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. By searching for intracellular proteins that interact with the cytoplasmic region of this phosphatase using the two-hybrid method, we identified several proteins containing PDZ domains. One of these proteins, MAGI-3, contains a guanylate-kinase-like region, six PDZ and two WW domains. The interaction between RPTPβ and MAGI-3 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and pulldown experiments in transfected cells. Immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy revealed that MAGI-3 is concentrated in specific sites at the plasma membrane and in the nucleus. In epithelial cells, MAGI-3 was localized with ZO-1 and cingulin at tight junctions, whereas in primary cultured astrocytes it was found in E-cadherin-based cell-cell contacts and in focal adhesion sites. Although MAGI-3 itself was not phosphorylated on tyrosine residues, it became associated with tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins following a short treatment of the cells with vanadate. In glioblastoma SF763T cells MAGI-3 was associated with a tyrosine-phosphorylated protein with the apparent molecular weight of 130 kDa, whereas in Caco2 cells it was associated with a 90 kDa protein. Finally, we show that p130 served as a substrate for RPTPβ and that its dephosphorylation required the C-terminal sequence of the phosphatase, which mediated the interaction with MAGI-3. These findings suggest a possible role for MAGI-3 as a scaffolding molecule that links receptor tyrosine phosphatase with its substrates at the plasma membrane.
The global burden of unsafe medical care: analytic modelling of observational studies

Objective To contextualise the degree of harm that comes from unsafe medical care compared with individual health conditions using the global burden of disease (GBD), a metric to determine how much suffering is caused by individual diseases. Design Analytic modelling of observational studies investigating unsafe medical care in countries’ inpatient care settings, stratified by national income, to identify incidence of seven adverse events for GBD modelling. Observational studies were generated through a comprehensive search of over 16 000 articles written in English after 1976, of which over 4000 were appropriate for full text review. Results The incidence, clinical outcomes, demographics and costs for each of the seven adverse events were collected from each publication when available. We used disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) lost as a standardised metric to measure morbidity and mortality due to specific adverse events. We estimate that there are 421 million hospitalisations in the world annually, and approximately 42.7 million adverse events. These adverse events result in 23 million DALYs lost per year. Approximately two-thirds of all adverse events, and the DALYs lost from them, occurred in low-income and middle-income countries. Conclusions This study provides early evidence that adverse events due to medical care represent a major source of morbidity and mortality globally. Though suffering related to the lack of access to care in many countries remains, these findings suggest the importance of critically evaluating the quality and safety of the care provided once a person accesses health services. While further refinements of the estimates are needed, these data should be a call to global health policymakers to make patient safety an international priority.
Mechanism of Electron Trapping and Characteristics of Traps in $\hbox{HfO}_{2}$ Gate Stacks

Electron trapping in high- gate dielectrics under constant voltage stress is investigated. It is suggested that the electron trapping occurs through a two-step process: resonant tunneling of the injected electron into the preexisting defects (fast trapping) and thermally activated migration of trapped electrons to unoccupied traps (slow trapping). Characteristics of the electron traps extracted based on the proposed model are in good agreement with the calculated properties of the negatively charged oxygen vacancies. The model successfully describes low-temperature threshold voltage instability in NMOS transistors with /TiN gate stacks.
Stent Placement for Flow Restoration in Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Single-Center Experience with the Solitaire Stent System

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In acute thromboembolic stroke, mechanical recanalization with stents may result in immediate flow restoration. The Solitaire stent can be used both for flow restoration and thrombectomy. In this single-center experience, we report safety and efficacy data on the application of the Solitaire stent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2009 and July 2010, 18 patients were treated with the Solitaire stent. To evaluate perfusion of the occluded vessel segment before and after the intervention, the TICI score was used (0–3). Clinical outcome was assessed by using the mRS at discharge. RESULTS: Overall, recanalization was successful in 16 of 18 patients (88.8%). There were no procedure-related complications. Mean TICI score after the intervention was 2.3 ± 0.8. In 5 patients, reocclusion of the treated vessel occurred immediately after retrieval of the temporarily opened stent, and permanent stent deployment was performed to maintain stable perfusion. In 3 patients, hemorrhage occurred after successful recanalization. Five patients died (infarction, n = 3; hemorrhage, n = 1; organ failure, n = 1). A good clinical outcome (mRS ≤2) was achieved in 33.3% of the patients, 5.5% had a moderate outcome (mRS, 3/4), and 61.2% had a poor outcome or died (mRS, 5/6). CONCLUSIONS: Application of the Solitaire stent in acute stroke results in a high recanalization rate (88.8%) without procedural complications and with a good outcome in one-third of patients. These results encourage further evaluation of the stent in larger patient populations.
Access to primary and preventive care among foreign-born adults in Canada and the United States.

OBJECTIVE To conduct cross-country comparisons and assess the effect of foreign birth on access to primary and preventive care in Canada and the United States. DATA SOURCES Secondary data from the 2002 to 2003 Joint Canada-United States Survey of Health. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted, and logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of immigrant status and country of residence on access to care. Outcomes included measures of health care systems and processes, utilization, and patient perceptions. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In adjusted analyses, immigrants in Canada fared worse than nonimmigrants regarding having timely Pap tests; in the United States, immigrants fared worse for having a regular doctor and an annual consultation with a health professional. Immigrants in Canada had better access to care than immigrants in the United States; most of these differences were explained by differences in socioeconomic status and insurance coverage across the two countries. However, U.S. immigrants were more likely to have timely Pap tests than Canadian immigrants, even after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS In both countries, foreign-born populations had worse access to care than their native-born counterparts for some indicators but not others. However, few differences in access to care were found when direct cross-country comparisons were made between immigrants in Canada versus the United States, after accounting for sociodemographic differences.
Ash leachates from some recent eruptions of Mount Etna (Italy) and Popocatepetl (Mexico) volcanoes and their impact on amphibian living freshwater organisms

Abstract. Leaching experiments were carried out on fresh ash samples from Popocatepetl 2012, Etna 2011, and Etna 2012 eruptions, in order to investigate the release of compounds in both double-deionized and lake (Lake Ohrid, FYR of Macedonia) waters. The experiments were carried out using different grain sizes and variable stirring times (from 30 min to 7 days). Results were discussed in the light of changing pH and release of compounds for the different leachates. In particular, Etna samples induced alkalinization, and Popocatepetl samples induced acidification of the corresponding leachates. The release of different elements does not show correlation with the stirring time, with the measured maximum concentrations reached in the first hours of washing. General inverse correlation with grain size was observed only for Na+, K+, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, and Mn2+, while the other analysed elements show a complex, scattering relationship with grain size. Geochemical modelling highlights leachates' saturation only for F and Si, with Popocatepetl samples sometimes showing saturation in Fe. The analysed leachates are classified as undrinkable for humans on the basis of European laws, due to excess in F−, Mn2+, Fe, and SO42− (the latter only for Popocatepetl samples). Finally, the Etna 2012 and Popocatepetl leachates were used for toxicity experiments on living biota (Xenopus laevis). They are mildly toxic, and no significant differences exist between the toxic profiles of the two leachates. In particular, no significant embryo mortality was observed; while even at high dilutions, the leachates produced more than 20 % of malformed larvae.
Investigations on the effects of co-channel interference on dual-hop transmission in Nakagami-m fading

The performance of dual-hop transmission system operating over independent and non-identical Nakagami-m fading channels in the presence of co-channel interference is studied. Exact and upper-bound expressions for the signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) at the destination are formulated. Then, the cumulative distribution function (CDF) and probability density function (PDF) of the upper bounded SINR are determined. Furthermore, closed-form expressions for the error and outage probabilities are obtained and discussed. Moreover, an approximate PDF of the dual-hop link's instantaneous SINR is derived. Based on said PDF, simple, yet general, asymptotic expressions for the error and outage probabilities are presented and discussed. Numerical and simulation results are provided to verify the tightness of the presented analysis.
Torsional Fatigue of Turbine-Generator Shafts Caused by Different Electrical System Faults and Switching Operations

The torsional stresses that occur in large steam turbine- generator shafts due to both planned and unplanned system switching operations are discussed. These operations include routine line switching, reclosing line-to-ground faults by either triple-pole or single-pole breaker operation, reclosing line-to-line and three-phase faults, malsynchronization and load rejection. The calculation of cumulative fatigue of individual turbine-generator shafts from computer-plotted torsional swing traces is explained. The benefits of single-pole breaker operation and of dividing the output of large generators between different electrical systems are briefly mentioned.
Advances in Brief Differential Expression of MMAC / PTEN in Glioblastoma Multiforme : Relationship to Localization and Prognosis 1

MMAC/PTEN, a tumor suppressor gene located on chromosome 10q, has recently been shown to act as a phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate phosphatase and to modulate cell growth and apoptosis. Somatic mutations of MMAC/PTEN have been reported in a number of human cancers, especially in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), although the number of identified mutations (;10–35%) is significantly lower than the frequency of LOH affecting the MMAC/PTEN locus in the specimens (;75–95%). To further investigate the possible alterations that may affect MMAC/PTEN, we examined the expression of the gene by reverse transcription-PCR in a series of gliomas. A significant difference ( P < 0.001) was observed between the expression of MMAC/PTEN in GBMs versus lower grades of gliomas, thus mimicking the difference in allelic deletion associated with the locus in these tumors. Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival plots, adjusted for age and tumor grade, showed a significantly better prognosis for patients whose tumors expressed high levels of MMAC/PTEN. Additionally, immunostaining of GBMs revealed little or no MMAC/PTEN expression in about two-thirds of the tumors, whereas the other approximately one-third of tumors had significantly higher levels of expression. However, in about two-thirds of the high-expressing specimens, a heterogeneous pattern of expression was observed, indicating that certain cells within the tumor failed to express MMAC/PTEN. The combination of these results suggest that, in addition to molecular alterations affecting the gene, altered expression of MMAC/PTEN may play a significant role in the progression of GBM and patient outcome.
Embryonic development of the rat cerebellum. I. Delineation of the cerebellar primordium and early cell movements

Short‐survival and long‐survival thymidine radiograms, and methacrylate‐embedded tissue from normal and X‐irradiated rat embryos were used to delineate the neuroepithelial source of the cerebellum and trace the earliest cell movements. The cerebellar anlage, crescent shaped, is demarcated by two ventricular landmarks, the anterior extension of the tela choroidea of the fourth ventricle and the embryonic cerebellar fissure. The cerebellar tela choroidea extends from the medullary fourth ventricle posteromedially to the lateral recess of the pontine fourth ventricle anterolaterally. The embryonic cerebellar fissure begins caudally as a single midline incision beneath the fused posterior cerebellar primordium, then splits to follow the unfused cerebellar halves, first separating each from the isthmus then from the pons.