Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glycerol Monolaurate Antibacterial Activity in Broth and Biofilm Cultures

Background Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is an antimicrobial agent that has potent activity against gram-positive bacteria. This study examines GML antibacterial activity in comparison to lauric acid, in broth cultures compared to biofilm cultures, and against a wide range of gram-positive, gram-negative, and non-gram staining bacteria. Methodology/Principal Findings GML is ≥200 times more effective than lauric acid in bactericidal activity, defined as a ≥3 log reduction in colony-forming units (CFU)/ml, against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes in broth cultures. Both molecules inhibit superantigen production by these organisms at concentrations that are not bactericidal. GML prevents biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Haemophilus influenzae, as representative gram-positive and gram-negative organisms, tested in 96 well microtiter plates, and simultaneously is bactericidal for both organisms in mature biofilms. GML is bactericidal for a wide range of potential bacterial pathogens, except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. In the presence of acidic pH and the cation chelator ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, GML has greatly enhanced bactericidal activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae. Solubilization of GML in a nonaqueous delivery vehicle (related to K-Y Warming®) enhances its bactericidal activity against S. aureus. Both R and S, and 1 and 2 position lauric acid derivatives of GML exhibit bactericidal activity. Despite year-long passage of Staphylococcus aureus on sub-growth inhibitory concentrations of GML (0.5 x minimum bactericidal concentration), resistance to GML did not develop. Conclusions/Significance GML may be useful as a broad-spectrum human or animal topical microbicide and may be useful as an environmental surface microbicide for management of bacterial infections and contamination.
Sustentabilidade ambiental, social e econômica da cadeia produtiva do leite: desafios e perspectivas.

Cap. 1. Extensao rural e a viabilidade economica da producao de leite familiar no Sul do Brasil: conceitos aplicados e resultados obtidos na atuacao da Cooperideal; Cap. 2. Falta mao de obra na roca (E vai faltar cada vez mais); Cap. 3. Sucessao e heranca na propriedade rural leiteira; Cap. 4. Importancia de los lacteos en la nutricion humana; Cap. 5. Bacterias probioticas en productos lacteos fermentados; Cap. 6. Topicos avancados em reproducao de bovinos leiteiros; Cap. 7. Reaproveitamento de agua residuaria em sistemas de producao de leite; Cap. 8. GISLEITE: um sistema computacional para a gestao de sistemas de producao de leite; Cap. 9. Uma visao internacional da sustentabilidade na pecuaria leiteira; Cap. 10. Indicadores de sustentabilidade e gestao ambiental na agropecuaria brasileira - aplicacoes na intensificacao ecologica da producao leiteira Cap. 11. Pesquisar para conhecer e crescer na producao do leite; Cap. 12. Fundamentos e perspectivas do desenvolvimento sustentavel e do uso de indicadores de sustentabilidade em propriedades leiteiras; Cap. 13. Lacteos naturalmente enriquecidos com acidos graxos beneficos a saude; Cap. 14. Terapeutica de precisao e suas perspectivas em um pais de pecuaria heterogenea; Cap. 15. Novos produtos para a industria de laticinios; Cap. 16. A sustentabilidade da bovinocultura de leite: a perspectiva do sistema de protecao ambiental; Cap. 17. Sistemas de integracao lavoura-pecuaria-floresta como alternativa para producao pecuaria leiteira sustentavel em areas declivosas; Cap. 18. Technical assistance for agricultural development, a review of international experiences with focus on dairy; Cap. 19. Boas praticas na producao leiteira.
Use of the Rasch Model in the Development of a Clinical Competence Scale

ABSTRACT: This article illustrates the use of the Rasch model in the development and implementation of a student clinical competence scale. The short instrument described was used by the academic coordinator of clinical education to assess the clinical competence of 47 physical therapy students. The Rasch analysis converted scores from an ordinal scale to student scores on an interval scale. It also provided us with a ranking of item difficulties on an interval scale. The items, ranked from easiest to hardest, were as follows: exhibits professionalism, exhibits effective communication skills, performs effective treatment skills, performs safe treatment skills, can problem‐solve, and works from an adequate knowledge base. More research is needed on this scale to ascertain whether the item difficulties remain constant across time, academic settings, and raters. If this can be demonstrated, then students can be compared from one year to the next and across educational programs.
Economical impact of the introduction of GMOs into the Hungarian Agriculture

Table 1 The total area on which GM crops are grown in 2007 (by country, million ha) 20 Figure 1 The main industrial sectors affected by biotechnology 22 Figure 2 Agricultural biotechnology concentration and integration: purchases and mergers 23 Table 2 The largest seed producing companies on the basis of their generated revenue (billion USD) 25 Table 3 The regulation of agricultural biotechnology in the United States and the EU 27 Table 4 The political styles of Asilomar and Brussels 28 Figure 3 Genetically modified organisms in the food supply chain 31 Figure 4 Biotechnologies as seen by European consumers 42 Figure 5 The factors of consumer behaviour regarding GM food products 44 Figure 6 Biotechnology according to Hungarian respondents 50 4 Executive (Professional) Summary, Proposals (Abstract) The state of the international agricultural biotechnology industry The state of the international agricultural biotechnology industry is extremely contradictory. On the one hand, according to the representatives of the industry, they experienced a two figure annual growth to reach a total of 114.3 million hectares on which genetically modified crops were grown in 23 countries around the world in 2007. On the other hand, more than a decade after their appearance, the majority (90%) of the area on which GM crops are grown is concentrated in five countries, all of which are located on the American continent (United States of America, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay). Only one country, the United States of America, is responsible for half of the world production of GM crops and for 70% together with Argentina. In the year 2007, the market value of GM crops totalled 6.9 billion USD, which is 20% of the commercial seed market valued at 34 billion USD; 47% of the global GM market is made up by GM maize, 37% by GM soybean, and 13% by GM cotton. Taking into account the areas under cultivation, GM soybean is the leading grain crop and is grown on a total of 58.6 million ha (51% of the total GM grain crop), GM maize is grown on 35.2 million ha (31%), GM cotton on 15.0 million ha (13%), and GM rapeseed on 5.5 million ha (5%). Since the introduction of GM plants, resistance to herbicide has become the most widespread characteristic which is made use of in GM soybean, maize, rapeseed, cotton, and alfalfa and is grown on 63% (72.2 million ha) of the total …
Tolerance for workplace incivility, employee cynicism and job search behavior

ABSTRACT Workplace incivility is a source of predominant stress in organizations, and a vital cause for job search behavior (JSB). Drawing upon conservation resource theory, this paper examines the relationship between tolerance for workplace incivility (TWI), JSB and cynicism among employed individuals. Utilizing data obtain from n = 331 hotel employees in Jordan, a structural equation modeling was applied. The data revealed that (1) TWI has a positive impact on JSB; (2) that cynicism has a positive impact on JSB and (3) and that cynicism does not moderate the relationship between TWI and JSB. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Decentralized management of persistent bandwidth provision for mobile devices in cellular radio networks

WLAN, GSM and UMTS are the most acquainted radio networks for digital telephony and data transfer and for this reason (business) applications arise rapidly. In contrast to wire networks (e.g. Ethernet), radio networks have strict restraints: because of their physical characteristics radio networks implicate a permanent contest about bandwidth; a static access point is sharing one frequency together with all mobile user devices connected. Thus a competition for the bandwidth naturally arises as the bottleneck bandwidth is available to all participants and cannot be extended unlimited in a fixed number of usable channels. The paper introduces an economic approach that balances the scarce quantity of bandwidth in a market system with the help of an internal payment system. This coordination of bandwidth can be implemented both by a central point - like a stock market instance - or decentralized within the radio network cells. Research results, comparing central coordination to a decentralized organized subject to different network topologies and -parameters have shown that networks underlying high dynamic appearance of peers outperform the centralized mechanism by far. Furthermore, it is shown, that for the dispersion of bandwidth and the choice of the access point, market mechanisms can be mapped to radio networks and efficient allocations can be reached in comparison to previous techniques and central coordination.
Risk factors for ocular toxoplasmosis in Brazil

SUMMARY The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors for ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) in patients who received medical attention at a public health service. Three hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients, treated in the Outpatient Eye Clinic of Hospital de Base, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo state, Brazil, were enrolled in this study. After an eye examination, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. The results showed that 25·5% of the patients were seronegative and 74·5% were seropositive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies; of these 27·3% had OT and 72·7% had other ocular diseases (OOD). The presence of cats or dogs [odds ratio (OR) 2·22, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·24–3·98, P = 0·009] and consumption of raw or undercooked meat (OR 1·77, 95% CI 1·05–2·98, P = 0·03) were associated with infection but not with the development of OT. Age (OT 48·2 ± 21·2 years vs. OOD: 69·5 ± 14·7 years, P < 0·0001) and the low level of schooling/literacy (OT vs. OOD: OR 0·414, 95% CI 0·2231–0·7692, P = 0·007) were associated with OT. The presence of dogs and cats as well as eating raw/undercooked meat increases the risk of infection, but is not associated with the development of OT.
A study of Urban heat island intensity based on “local climate zones”: A case study in Fuzhou, China

Urban heat island intensity (UHII) is an important metric used in measuring Urban heat island (UHI) effect. Nevertheless, its quantitative measurement has not yet been clearly addressed. Due to the limitation of meteorological stations either in their number or location, the traditional method which calculates the temperature difference between urban and rural areas based on the meteorological station data fails to accurately describe the UHII of a city. In order to work out this problem, Steward and Oke proposed a classification schema - “Local Climate Zones” (LCZ). This paper applied the new framework of LCZ to the study of UHII in Fuzhou using remote sensing technology. Fuzhou has witnessed a rapid urban expansion process since the late 1970s. The fast expansion of the city has caused severe UHI phenomenon occurring in the city and thus to have become the top one furnace city in China. The study reveals that the remote sensing technology based LCZ can effectively distinguish the thermal contrasts among all LCZ classes. In addition, the LCZ can fully disclose the distribution patterns of UHI. In this study, we revealed a UHIILCZ of 6.73°C for Fuzhou city on 27 September 2015, which indicates an intensification of the UHI in the city.
Predictors of haemoglobin levels and resistance to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in patients treated with low-flux haemodialysis, haemofiltration and haemodiafiltration: results of a multicentre randomized and controlled trial

Background Predictors of haemoglobin (Hb) levels and resistance to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) in dialysis patients have not yet been clearly defined. Some mainly uncontrolled studies suggest that online haemodiafiltration (HDF) may have a beneficial effect on Hb, whereas no data are available concerning online haemofiltration (HF). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of convective treatments (CTs) on Hb levels and ESA resistance in comparison with low-flux haemodialysis (HD) and to evaluate the predictors of these outcomes. Methods Primary multivariate analysis was made of a pre-specified secondary outcome of a multicentre, open-label, randomized controlled study in which 146 chronic HD patients from 27 Italian centres were randomly assigned to HD (70 patients) or CTs: online pre-dilution HF (36 patients) or online pre-dilution HDF (40 patients). Results CTs did not affect Hb levels (P = 0.596) or ESA resistance (P = 0.984). Hb correlated with polycystic kidney disease (P = 0.001), C-reactive protein (P = 0.025), ferritin (P = 0.018), ESA dose (P < 0.001) and total cholesterol (P = 0.021). The participating centres were the main source of Hb variability (partial eta2 0.313, P < 0.001). ESA resistance directly correlated with serum ferritin (P = 0.030) and beta2 microglobulin (P = 0.065); participating centres were again a major source of variance (partial eta2 0.367, P < 0.001). Transferrin saturation did not predict either outcome variables (P = 0.277 and P = 0.170). Conclusions In comparison with low-flux HD, CTs did not significantly improve Hb levels or ESA resistance. The main sources of variability were participating centres, ESA dose and the underlying disease.
An Ecobehavioral Analysis of Child Academic Engagement: Implications for Preschool Children Not Responding to Instructional Intervention

A gap exists in the information needed to make intervention decisions with preschool children who are unresponsive to instructional intervention. Multi-Tiered System of Supports/Response to Intervention (MTSS/RTI) progress monitoring is helpful in indicating when an intervention change is needed but provides little information on what to change. Ecobehavioral observation data may provide this support through information on a child’s academic and other behaviors, given the opportunity to learn. We sought to investigate this hypothesis and develop benchmarks for decision making. Teachers (N = 39) and two representative age-cohorts of preschool children (N = 117, 51% boys) were observed using an ecobehavioral, momentary time sample observation system (the Code for Interactive Recording of Children’s Learning Environments [CIRCLE]). Results provided insights into the content and amount of academic instruction children received, the responsiveness of children to instruction, and how context/teacher and child behaviors relationships were moderated by children’s level of Get Ready to Read (GRTR) literacy and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) status risk. Implications are discussed.
The Occupations and Human Capital of U.S. Immigrants

This paper develops a model of comparative advantage in labor markets in which workers with heterogeneous skills choose the occupations that best use those skills. Application to immigration suggests that the occupational differences between U.S. natives and immigrants arise from human capital differences. This principle makes it possible to estimate the human capital endowments of immigrants along five dimensions, including cognitive ability and physical skills, which are difficult to measure directly. Counterfactual simulations describe the distributional implications of immigration for native wages.
Plurilingual interaction at a catalan university doing internationalisation: context and learning

This study is a qualitative account of plurilingual practices as they emerge in both classroom and non-classroom settings immersed in processes of internationalisation at a Catalan university. It aims, on the one hand, to understand how university members define their context and mobilise available means from different languages, among other resources at their disposal, in ways that are both sensitive to and constitutive of such interpretations. On the other hand, this research focuses on how participants talk situations of teaching and learning into being in different settings, and on how knowledge is potentially built. The construction of second language and subject content knowledge is focalised. Explicit attention is also paid to when, how and why members draw on available plurilingual and multimodal resources in engaging in and achieving their situated teaching and learning goals.
CAN THE LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATE OF SWEDISH-SPEAKERS IN FINLAND BE ATTRIBUTED TO LANGUAGE-GROUP AND INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE ?

This paper attempts to explain why the unemployment rate of the Swedishspeaking minority in Finland is substantially lower than that of the Finnish-speaking majority. Specifically, we are concerned with the role of language-group and industrial structure. The study mainly utilise cross section data from the end of 1990, 1995 and 1998, of all labour force participants in bilingual municipalities. The analysis results of logistic regression models suggest that the language-group difference in unemployment rates is larger in areas with a higher proportion of Swedish-speakers, but that it only to a limited extent can be explained by industrial structure, age, gender and education. Our conclusion is that the reasons behind the unemployment gap can hardly be found by analysing existing register data.
Risk factors for childhood poisoning: a case-control study in Greece.

OBJECTIVES: To identify child or family related risk factors for unintentional childhood poisoning in Greece and to explore whether product specific poisonings might have special features that make them amenable to preventive interventions. SETTING: A case-control study was undertaken in Athens, Greece in 1995. Cases were 100 consecutive children brought with poisoning to the emergency clinics of the two university affiliated children's hospitals. For every case two age, gender, and hospital matched controls were chosen from among children brought to the outpatient clinics of these hospitals on the same date. METHODS: All children and their guardians were interviewed by the same person using a standard questionnaire that covered demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and past injury characteristics. Information was also obtained concerning type and conditions of poisoning for cases. Statistical analysis was undertaken by modeling the data using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Socioeconomic factors were not important risk indicators in these data but children living with other than both parents were at increased risk (odds ratio (OR) = 4.7, p = 0.08), as were children with a history of previous poisoning that required medical care (OR = 5.1, p = 0.05). Unintentional poisonings caused by chewing or swallowing cigarettes were concentrated in families where both parents were smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of a parent appears to be associated with increased likelihood of childhood poisoning. The importance of product accessibility is underlined by the concentration of tobacco poisoning among children of parents who were both smokers. In the cultural context of this study, sociodemographic factors do not appear to represent demonstrable risk factors. Instead, control of childhood poisoning should be concentrated on safe packaging, storage, and disposal of potentially hazardous products.
The Influence of Online Problem-Based Learning on Teachers' Professional Practice and Identity.

In this paper we describe the design of a managed learning environment called MTutor, which is used to teach an online Masters Module for teachers. In describing the design of MTutor pedagogic issues of problem-based learning, situated cognition and ill-structured problems are discussed. MTutor presents teachers with complex real-life teaching problems, which they are required to solve online through collaboration with other teachers. In order to explore the influence of this online learning experience on the identity and practice of teachers, we present the results from a small-scale study in which six students were interviewed about their online experiences. We conclude that, within the sample, students’ engagement with online problem-based learning within their community of practice positively influenced their professional practice styles, but that there is little evidence to suggest that online identity influences real-life practice. DOI: 10.1080/09687760500104088
A Convergence Rate Analysis for LogitBoost, MART and Their Variant

LogitBoost, MART and their variant can be viewed as additive tree regression using logistic loss and boosting style optimization. We analyze their convergence rates based on a new weak learnability formulation. We show that it has O(1/T) rate when using gradient descent only, while a linear rate is achieved when using Newton descent. Moreover, introducing Newton descent when growing the trees, as LogitBoost does, leads to a faster linear rate. Empirical results on UCI datasets support our analysis.
Considering the Role of Relationship-Contingent Self-Esteem: Attachment Style, Conflict Behaviors, and Relationship Satisfaction

Research has empirically demonstrated that adult attachment style directly affects communication between partners in romantic relationships, in particular, how partners address and handle conflicts in the relationship. The construct of relationship-contingent self-esteem (RCSE) suggests that individuals behave differently in romantic relationships based on the degree to which their personal self-esteem is connected to successes or failures in that relationship. However, few studies have examined how these two independent constructs are related to one another in terms of relationship communication behaviors during conflict. The purpose of my study was to examine the moderating and mediating effect of RCSE on the relation between attachment styles in romantic relationships and conflict behaviors in romantic relationships, as well as its moderating and mediating effect on the relation between attachment styles and relationship satisfaction. Results indicated that anxious attachment scores were significantly positively correlated with RCSE, anxious and avoidant attachment characteristics were significantly negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction, and that RCSE neither had a moderating or mediating effect on the relations between pure anxious attachment and number of detrimental decisions endorsed during conflict scenarios, or level of relationship satisfaction. Implications for continued examination of role that RCSE plays in the context of conflict in romantic relationships, as well as implications for clinical work are discussed.