Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome Sequencing Identifies Two Nearly Unchanged Strains of Persistent Listeria monocytogenes Isolated at Two Different Fish Processing Plants Sampled 6 Years Apart

ABSTRACT Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne human-pathogenic bacterium that can cause infections with a high mortality rate. It has a remarkable ability to persist in food processing facilities. Here we report the genome sequences for two L. monocytogenes strains (N53-1 and La111) that were isolated 6 years apart from two different Danish fish processers. Both strains are of serotype 1/2a and belong to a highly persistent DNA subtype (random amplified polymorphic DNA [RAPD] type 9). We demonstrate using in silico analyses that both strains belong to the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) type ST121 that has been isolated as a persistent subtype in several European countries. The purpose of this study was to use genome analyses to identify genes or proteins that could contribute to persistence. In a genome comparison, the two persistent strains were extremely similar and collectively differed from the reference lineage II strain, EGD-e. Also, they differed markedly from a lineage I strain (F2365). On the proteome level, the two strains were almost identical, with a predicted protein homology of 99.94%, differing at only 2 proteins. No single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differences were seen between the two strains; in contrast, N53-1 and La111 differed from the EGD-e reference strain by 3,942 and 3,471 SNPs, respectively. We included a persistent L. monocytogenes strain from the United States (F6854) in our comparisons. Compared to nonpersistent strains, all three persistent strains were distinguished by two genome deletions: one, of 2,472 bp, typically contains the gene for inlF, and the other, of 3,017 bp, includes three genes potentially related to bacteriocin production and transport (lmo2774, lmo2775, and the 3′-terminal part of lmo2776). Further studies of highly persistent strains are required to determine if the absence of these genes promotes persistence. While the genome comparison did not point to a clear physiological explanation of the persistent phenotype, the remarkable similarity between the two strains indicates that subtypes with specific traits are selected for in the food processing environment and that particular genetic and physiological factors are responsible for the persistent phenotype.
Psychological Well - Being and Physical Self-Esteem in Sport and Exercise

The value of various forms of physical activity, exercise and sport for the promotion of mental health has been emphasised in recent research and intervention programmes. This research investigated the relationship between sports involving diverse types of regular exercise, namely hockey and health club activities (team and individual sports involving relatively more aerobic and resistance exercise respectively), and various components of psychological well-being and physical self-perception. Comparisons between 60 university hockey players, 27 health club members and 111 non-exercising students revealed that both hockey players and health club members were generally more psychologically well and had more positive physical self-perception than non-exercising students. Hockey players had significantly higher means than health club members on positive relations with others, sports competence and sport importance. While health club members' means were clearly higher than hockey players on environmental mastery and perceptions of body attractiveness, these relationships did not reach statistical significance. The relevance of these findings and further implications for health, exercise and sport psychological research and interventions are discussed.
Religious Fundamentalism and Responses to Mortality Salience: A Quantitative Text Analysis

Investigating an issue of critical importance for the psychology of religion and for terror management theory, this study examines the relationship between religious fundamentalism and beliefs about death as articulated during a mortality salience (MS) manipulation. Participants wrote about the emotions and events surrounding their own death (MS), or a control topic, and linguistic content in the essays was related to levels of self-reported fundamentalism of the essay authors. Higher levels of fundamentalism were associated with responses to MS that were less cognitively complex, contained more positive emotion, and were more future and socially oriented. There was virtually no relationship between fundamentalism and linguistic properties of writings about a control topic. The discussion centers on the influence of fundamentalist belief systems on attitudes toward death and suggests how the current results might aid future study of religious belief and of terror management.
The role of lead in gout nephropathy.

UNTIL recently, renal disease was considered a major cause of death among patients with gout.1 Modern long-term follow-up studies of renal function, however, have indicated that hyperuricemia and gout rarely result in kidney damage unless other renal disease supervenes.2 3 4 These conflicting views of the occurrence of renal disease in gout might be reconciled if a single agent could be identified as a cause of both gout and renal disease in some patients. Lead is a likely candidate for such an agent, since this heavy metal has long been recognized as a causative factor in both gout and nephropathy.5 To test .
Statistical multiplexing gains of H.264/AVC video in E-MBMS

With the increasing acceptance of H.264/AVC as a video coding standard for mobile multimedia, it becomes very important to control the extreme burstiness of the traffic generated by the H.264/AVC encoder. Statistical multiplexing of video streams can be used to reduce the bit rate variations. In practice, the number of video streams that can be multiplexed together is quite limited and therefore, additional mechanisms are needed to eliminate the residual burstiness and to adapt the bit rate of the bundle to the bit rate of the transport channel. Here we evaluate the potential statistical multiplexing gains with and without the coordination in the encoders. The gains are measured relative to the case where rate-controlled (capped) streams are delivered on individual transport channels.
Biodiversity reporting in Denmark

Purpose – This paper aims to suggest that companies have ethical reasons to report about biodiversity issues and to investigate whether companies act on these reasons by examining the extent of biodiversity reporting in Denmark. Design/methodology/approach – For the first purpose, desk research was conducted using consequentialist ethics, while for the second purpose, data were gathered from the 2009-2011 annual reports, CSR-type reports and homepages of 24 Danish large-cap companies. Findings – Philosophically, it is shown that biodiversity preservation and reporting is an ethical issue, even on the assumption that biodiversity does not possess intrinsic value. Empirically, it is shown that Danish companies score poorly overall, both quantitatively and qualitatively, with regards to reporting on biodiversity. Research limitations/implications – Even though the importance of biodiversity can be justified on different assumptions, biodiversity reporting is under-researched offering potential for future research on a globally important issue. Practical implications – Justifying the preservation of biodiversity from an instrumental viewpoint might convince accounting audiences that are sceptical of normative ethical argumentation based on intrinsic value. The relative lack of biodiversity reporting in Denmark shows the need for the State and accounting standard setters to address this issue together with business and other stakeholders. Originality/value – Few studies theorize on why there is a need for environmental reporting. Those that do are based on non-instrumental considerations. This paper gives philosophical arguments for biodiversity reporting normally outside the scope of accounting. It emphasizes how even those who deny that biodiversity has intrinsic value are morally obliged to account for biodiversity. The argument also provides novel reasons for why thinking about discount rates should be governed by pure preference considerations. Empirically, this is only the second paper examining biodiversity reporting and the first about the Danish context.
FSNoC: A Flit-Level Speedup Scheme for Network on-Chips Using Self-Reconfigurable Bidirectional Channels

In this paper, we explore optimizing the bandwidth utilization of the network-on-chips (NoCs). We propose a flit-level speedup scheme to improve the NoC performance using self-reconfigurable bidirectional channels. For the NoC intrarouter bandwidth, in addition to allowing flits from different packets to use the idle internal bandwidth of the crossbar, our proposed flit-level speedup scheme also allows flits within the same packet to be transmitted simultaneously. For interrouter channels, a distributed channel configuration scheme is developed to dynamically change the link directions. In this way, the effective bandwidth between two routers can change adaptively depending on the run time network traffic. We present the implementation of the proposed flit-level speedup NoC on a 2-D mesh. An input buffer architecture, which supports reading and writing two flits from the same virtual channel at the same time, is proposed. The switch allocator is also designed to support flit-level parallel arbitration. Extensive simulations on both the synthetic traffic and real applications show performance improvement in throughput and latency over the existing architectures using bidirectional channels.
Genetic Association of MiR-146a with Multiple Sclerosis Susceptibility in the Chinese Population

Background: miR-146a polymorphisms have been involved in susceptibility to multiple diseases. The aim of the present study was to analyze the potential association between two functional miR-146a polymorphisms (rs2910164 and rs57095329) and multiple sclerosis (MS) in the Han Chinese population. Methods: A cohort of 525 patients and 568 healthy controls were genotyped to detect the two polymorphisms by SNaPshot. Results: No significant differences were detected in the distribution of the two miR-146a polymorphisms between the patients and controls (P > 0.05). However, stratification by gender showed a statistically significant difference in the frequency of the genotype rs2910164 between MS patients and control females (P=0.009). Further stratification analysis by subgroup revealed that the miR-146a rs2910164 C allele conferred a higher risk of developing relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (P=0.018). In addition, the rs2910164 C allele was significantly associated with increased expression of miR-146a in patients with RRMS (P=0.025). Moreover, patients with the rs2910164 C allele released more TNF-α and IFN-γ, but not IL-1β, compared with individuals carrying the homozygous GG genotype (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results provide evidence that rs2910164 may play a role in MS susceptibility in females. The rs2910164 G>C variation may affect the expression of miR-146a and the release of proinflammatory cytokines.
Editorial—Educational sciences and a media ecology perspective

Theories in educational sciences pay little or no attention to the fact that technologies hold deep and crucial implications for what Bernstein (1996) calls “content” and “framing” in an educational discourse. This also applies to Bernstein. It is easy to ignore the fact that tools are always involved in teaching and learning and that today’s teaching is mainly based on old technologies like paper, books and pens. The radical technological shift we are experiencing highlights the major role technology really plays in both what we teach and learn and how we organise it. This must be taken into consideration when developing theories within educational sciences, i.e. a media ecological perspective must be developed.
Amorphous/crystalline silicon interface defects induced by hydrogen plasma treatments

Excellent amorphous/crystalline silicon interface passivation is of extreme importance for high-efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells. This can be obtained by inserting hydrogen-plasma treatments during deposition of the amorphous silicon passivation layers. Prolonged hydrogen-plasmas lead to film etching. We report on the defect creation induced by such treatments: A severe drop in interface-passivation quality is observed when films are etched to a thickness of less than 8 nm. Detailed characterization shows that this decay is due to persistent defects created at the crystalline silicon surface. Pristine interfaces are preserved when the post-etching film thickness exceeds 8 nm, yielding high quality interface passivation.
Perceived workplace competences at three sites on the Chinese Mainland

Strengthening the transition from school to work is a major educational reform issue on the Chinese Mainland. Starting in 1985, the government began developing a massive secondary vocational education system, which sought to have 50% of all secondary senior level students enrolled in a vocational education programme. In this study, qualitative research methods were employed to conduct interviews with principals, teachers, workers and employers in vocational schools and workplaces at three sites on the Chinese Mainland. These three sites include the eastern, central and western areas of the country, each with a different level of economic development. As the national policy stressed equipping students with practical manual skills (Dongshounengli) in secondary vocational education, vocational schools in these three sites spent over 50% of their total teaching hours on practical manual skills. However, the study found that stakeholders in the workplace perceived that adaptability, the ability to work independently, a sense of responsibility, a desire to improve and the ability to learn were actually the key competences in the changing workplace. Comparing stakeholders’ perceived competences in the workplace and at school, it was found that there was an explicit gap between what was taught in schools and what was needed in the workplace. Teaching and learning in secondary vocational education in China should pay greater attention to the actual needs of the changing workplace to ensure a more successful transition from schooling to work.
Trends From 1996 to 2007 in Incidence and Mortality Outcomes of Heart Failure After Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Population‐Based Study of 20 812 Patients With First Acute Myocardial Infarction in Western Australia

Background Advances in treatment for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are likely to have had a beneficial impact on the incidence of and deaths attributable to heart failure (HF) complicating AMI, although limited data are available to support this contention. Methods and Results Western Australian linked administrative health data were used to identify 20 812 consecutive patients, aged 40 to 84 years, without prior HF hospitalized with an index (first) AMI between 1996 and 2007. We assessed the temporal incidence of and adjusted odds ratio/hazard ratio for death associated with HF concurrent with AMI admission and within 1 year after discharge. Concurrent HF comprised 75% of incident HF cases. Between the periods 1996–1998 and 2005–2007, the prevalence of HF after AMI declined from 28.1% to 16.5%, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.44 to 0.55). The crude 28‐day case‐fatality rate for patients with concurrent HF declined marginally from 20.5% to 15.9% (P<0.05) compared with those without concurrent HF, in whom the case‐fatality rate declined from 11.0% to 4.8% (P<0.001). Concurrent HF was associated with a multivariate‐adjusted odds ratio of 2.2 for 28‐day mortality and a hazard ratio of 2.2 for 1‐year mortality in 28‐day survivors. Occurrence of HF within 90 days of the index AMI was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.7 for 1‐year mortality in 90‐day survivors. Conclusions Despite encouraging declines in the incidence of HF complicating AMI, it remains a common problem with high mortality. Increased attention to these high‐risk patients is needed given the lack of improvement in their long‐term prognosis.
Characteristics of students who enroll and succeed in psychology Web-based classes.

This study compared the cognitive-motivational and demographic characteristics of students enrolled in 3 Web-based sections of Psychological Statistics with their counterparts in 3 conventional (face-to-face) sections of this course. No demographic differences were found; however, cyberstudents exhibited a greater external locus of control than conventional students. The authors also investigated whether there were any predictors of student performance in Web courses. Measures of on-line course activity (e.g., homepage hit rate), a high need for cognition, and an internal locus of control were predictive of cyberstudent success. The authors discuss the implications of these results for instructors who are considering the design and implementation of Web-based classes.
The Role of Demographics on Decision-Making Styles of Botswana’s Retail Shoppers

The current paper presents findings on key decision-making styles adopted by retail shoppers and how such styles are influenced by gender, age, education, income and marital status in an attempt to facilitate a sound understanding of retail shopping behavior. The sampling unit consists of the general shopping public whose age ranges from 18 to 64 years residing in Gaborone and Francistown. Gaborone and Francistown are the two largest cities with a combined population of approximately 20% of the two million people in Botswana. Data was collected by way of mall intercepts from a sample of 894 retail shoppers. Findings reflected that retail shoppers in Botswana are best described by three decision-making styles — time energy conserving, perfectionism and fashion-hedonistic consciousness . Time energy conservers were found to be old and less educated males. Perfectionistic shoppers were younger, more educated and married females. Fashion-hedonistic consciousness was common among older and married female shoppers. It is crucial for retailers to have an extensive knowledge of the role of demographics on consumers’ decision-making styles in order to ensure competitive advantage through the use of appropriate marketing strategies.
Tradition and Change in Domestic Roles and Food Preparation

Recognising the importance of food preparation in divisions of domestic labour, this paper discusses influential literature on the gendering of domestic food preparation. It argues that findings from research on food preparation and food choice carried out in the late 1970s and early 1980s must be seen in their historical context, and outlines major structural changes since then which impact on women's roles. It also argues that the tendency of sociology of food research to focus on the cultural norm of the nuclear family with dependent children ignores more common household structures in Britain today. This is particularly inappropriate since there are a number of reasons why we should not expect men and women at this stage in the life course to be typical, in terms of food preparation and choice, of those at other stages in the life course.
The Dynamics of Social Reproduction: How Class Works at a State College and Elite Private College

This article examine how students from different class backgrounds at vastly different colleges interpret the role of social class in their past and future. It begins with a review of previous research findings based on freshmen and sophomore year interviews (2002–2004) with three groups of students: low income students at a state college; low income students at an elite private college (Little Ivy), and affluent students at the same elite private college. During a period of relative quiescence on college campuses, all three groups of students tended to look at their own lives in individualistic, non-structural ways, and generally downplayed the role of their own class backgrounds. Many of the students were interviewed again during their senior year to determine what, if any, changes had occurred in their overall outlook. Both groups of students at Little Ivy had become less politically progressive and active as they approached graduation; State College students had verbally moved to the Left, but without corresponding activism. Occupational goals for each of the three groups differed. The affluent students anticipated positions with the most power and prestige, while the State College students aimed for entry and middle level statuses. Not surprisingly, the low income Little Ivy students expected to obtain positions below their affluent peers, but higher than the State College students. The meaning of these findings in the context of the current historical period and the power of social reproduction is discussed. †This is a longer and revised paper based on a presentation at the “How Class Works” Conference, June 10, 2006, State University of New York at Stony Brook. I wish to thank the journal Editor and the several anonymous reviewers for their suggestions.
Fixed-Duration Therapy in Leprosy: Limitations and Opportunities

Leprosy has been considered a curable disease after the implementation of multidrug therapy (MDT), which has been proven to be safe and effective, by bringing about a significant change in the global and national scenario of leprosy by upgrading the control of leprosy to the next stage of eradication. Since its introduction, the MDT regimens for the treatment of leprosy have undergone several changes especially with regard to the duration of treatment. The advantages of shortened duration of treatment need to be balanced against the risk of relapse and a lot of controversies exist pertaining to this aspect. The fixed-duration (FD) therapy is not popular among academicians and private practitioners who prefer precise diagnosis and treatment with superior MDT regimens and for a longer duration. On the contrary, from a public health-care point of view, precise diagnosis and a longer treatment schedule are not cost effective and not feasible to be implemented in elimination programs. Hence, a fine balance needs to be maintained between achieving a cure for the patient and protecting the society at risk, and this review discusses the various limitations and opportunities of FD therapy with a note on the newer MDT regimens.
Ingroup bias and the black sheep' effect: assessing the impact of social identification and perceived variability on group judgements

Two studies compared the relative strength of motivational assumptions drawn from SIT (e.g. Tajfel, 1978) and memory-based assumptions drawn from the differential familiarity hypothesis (Linville, Fischer and Salovey, 1989) in explaining ingroup bias and the black sheep effect (Marques, 1986, 1990). In Study 1, 15 subjects estimated member distributions and gave overall ratings of an ingroup and two outgroups. In Study 2, 42 subjects performed similar tasks for ingroup or outgroup, and evaluated likeable and unlikeable group members. Results showed, first, that overall group ratings account better for ingroup bias than do central tendencies of group distributions. In addition, likeable and unlikeable ingroup members were, respectively, upgraded and downgraded relative to their outgroup counterparts. Finally, whole ingroup ratings as well as judgements of likeable and unlikeable ingroup members proved more independent from variability and central tendency of underlying distributions than did similar outgroup judgements. Results are discussed in light of motivational and knowledge-based determinants of group judgements.