Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phenotypic traits and comparative detection methods of vaginal carriage of Group B Streptococci and its associated micro-biota in term pregnant Saudi women

Group B streptococcus (GBS) is a significant cause of serious infections in neonates and the composition of the vaginal micro-biota also affect neonatal outcome. To investigate vaginal carriage of Group B streptococcus in 217 term Saudi pregnant women, the direct antigen detection method in selective enrichment broth, Todd-Hewitt broth with 8 µg/ml gentamicin and 15 µg/ml nalidixic acid, using 2 commercial kits was used and compared to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC-gold standard method where following enrichment conventional means for identify­ing GBS is through isolation on subculture to blood agar plates, which requires 72 h before a final result is achieved. Phenotypic traits of Group B streptococcus serotypes distribution, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, biofilm formation and its associated vaginal micro-biota were also studied. The CDC-gold standard method positivity rate of Group B streptococcus was 23%, with no significant correlation with any of the studied demographic factors. In comparison, direct antigen detection method in boiled selective enrichment broth growth revealed 52.2 and 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity after growth amplification for 4 and 18 h incubation, respectively. Of 50 Group B streptococcus isolates, serotype II was the most predominant (42%), followed by serotype IV (16%). No resistance to ampicillin, cefepime, ceftriaxone or vancomycin was found, but 10, and 6%, of the strains were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin, respectively. Overall 54% of Group B streptococcus strains were biofilm producers, but (100%) among serotype Ib, III, or V. Of several coexistent, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus feacalis were the most frequently Group B streptococcus -associated organisms, but with no statistical correlation. Key words: Group B Streptococcus, GBS-serotypes, antibiotics susceptibility, GBS-biofilm, vaginal micro-biota, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus feacalis.
Potential risk factor of pre-eclampsia among healthy Chinese women: a retrospective case control study

Objective: To identify predictive factors which helps in screening the healthy Chinese pregnant women who were at high risk of developing Pre-Eclampsia (PE). Materials and methods: We have reviewed the medical records of healthy Chinese pregnant women with single gestation and had given birth to baby at department Ggynecology and obstetrics, Wuhan Medical & HealthCare Center for Women and Children (Wuhan Children’s Hospital Wuhan Women and Children Care Hospital) , china between January 2006 and July 2015.We reviewed the medical records of each healthy pregnant woman who were diagnosed pre-eclamptic before labor pain (case), and not diagnosed pre-eclamptic (control), and data were analysed using univariate analysis. Result: Medical records of 32, 000 pregnant women who were admitted during January 2006 to July 2015 in our hospital were studied. Of total cases, 853 (3%) had PE. Abnormal perinatal outcome was significantly higher in women with PE compared to control women; this indicates that the PE is responsible for adverse maternal and foetal outcome. Incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), urinary infection was meaningfully greater among women with PE than women with no PE. Family history of diabetes and hypertension was significantly higher in women with PE when compared with control group. We also observed that the stress score was significantly higher in women with PE than control. Conclusion: We suggest GDM, family history of DM/high blood pressure; urinary tract infection, fibroids and psychological stress during pregnancy are key predictors of PE among Chinese pregnant women. These prognostic factors help in screening the pregnant women who were at high risk of developing PE.
Teachers’ Perceptions of the Impact of Continuing Professional Development on Promoting Quality Teaching and Learning

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the impact of Continuing Professional Development on promoting quality teaching and learning. This study adopted a mixed method approach using both quantitative and qualitative research designs. Closed-ended self-administered questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect data. Two hundred teachers were sampled through simple random sampling procedure to complete the questionnaires, while ten teachers participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The results show that teachers recognise the impact of professional development in broadening their pedagogical and content knowledge, teaching skills and strategies to improve student’s learning. Results also show that teachers are undergoing professional development initiatives in order to gain financial rewards. The study concludes that teachers have positive perceptions of their professional development even though they are not being supported adequately by Department of Basic Education and their schools.The study recommends that adequate financial rewards be put in place to encourage and motivate teachers when furthering their studies as part of Continuing Professional Development. Further research into the factors influencing teachers furthering their studies as part of professional development in South Africa should be undertaken.
Spiderδ: an empirical method to extrapolate grapevine ( Vitis vinifera L.) water status at the whole denomination scale using δ 13 C as ancillary data

Aims: The aim of this study is to test a method to extrapolate vine water status (estimated by the water potential; Ψ) over a whole appellation (protected geographical indication). The spatial extrapolation is based on an empirical approach that combines a reference site (baseline measurements) and carbon isotope discrimination (δ13C) values as ancillary data (AD). Methods and results: Experiments were conducted on the whole Tavel appellation (Gard, France). The study focused on the dominant variety: Grenache. Ψ was measured as predawn leaf water potential and was monitored over three consecutive years, 2008, 2009 and 2010, on 10, 24 and 24 sites, respectively. δ13C measurements were made at harvest in 2010 on the 24 sites. The spatial model (SPIDERδ) was calibrated using Ydata from 2009 and 2010 and δ13C data from 2010. The quality of prediction was tested on the 2008 data, considered as an independent data set. The results show that SPIDERδ was relevant in estimating Ψ at the whole appellation scale. The extrapolation model significantly improves the prediction (R² = 0.88) compared to a conventional method based on Ψ averages across the appellation (R² = 0.66). Conclusion: Based on a single measurement taken at time «t» on a reference site, SPIDERδ makes it possible to estimate Ψ on all sites where a δ13C value is available. The use of AD like δ13C makes it possible to consider the spatial extrapolation of Ψ with higher spatial resolution than when only direct measurements are used to calibrate the model.Significance and impact of the study: This work demonstrates the value of using an AD like δ13C to assess Ψ at a scale larger than the single field. This significant result opens the door to the practical use of spatial extrapolation models with higher spatial resolution.
Stock Market-Driven Factors of Investors’ Sentiment A Review of The Stylized Facts

Investigating the stylized facts of different driving facets of retail investors’ sentiment is non-existent in the literature. This study aims to find such market-driven factors by reviewing the relevant literature. More specifically, this study finds how investors’ sentiment is developed from the nature of stock markets, Index/stock returns, investors’-friendly stock market environment, primary market activities, information uncertainty, trading volume and momentum, market technical and institutional investors’ investment activities. A literature review approach is undertaken in this study. All the available published literature as collected from different search engines is thoroughly reviewed to explain critically the stylized facts of the facets of above market-driven drivers. This study finds that all the market drivers have some specific role to play in influencing investors’ sentiment. So, this review study will be of immense help to the retail investors, professional investment communities and many others concerned in finding out the weaknesses of them and thereby avoid them or solve them. Also, this study undertakes a well-researched topic of investor sentiment, but in its unique way. No previous studies are found to do a review research to find out the sources from where the retail investors generate their sentiment. Also, no other studies clarify the stylized facts of the facets of above sentiment drivers. Key Words: Investors’ sentiment, Stylized facts, Market factors. Article Classification: Literature Review
Giving‐up densities and ideal pre‐emptive patch use in a predatory benthic stream fish

SUMMARY 1. We used observational and experimental field studies together with an individual-based simulation model to demonstrate that behaviours of mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi) were broadly consistent with the expectations of Giving-Up Density theory and an Ideal Pre-emptive Distribution habitat selection model. 2. Specifically we found that: (i) adult mottled sculpin established territories within patches characterised by significantly higher prey densities and prey renewal rates than patches occupied by juveniles or randomly selected patches; (ii) patches abandoned by adult sculpin possessed significantly lower prey densities than newly occupied patches, although this was not true for juveniles; (iii) the observed giving-up density (GUD) for adult sculpin (i.e. average prey density in patches recently abandoned) increased linearly with increasing fish size up to the average prey density measured in randomly selected patches (i.e. 350 prey items per 0.1 m 2 ) and decreased with increasing sculpin density and (iv) juveniles rapidly shifted their distribution towards the highest quality patches following removal of competitively dominant adult sculpin. 3. These results provide the first evidence of the applicability of GUD theory to a streamdwelling organism, and they elucidate the underlying factors influencing juvenile and adult sculpin habitat selection and movement behaviours. Furthermore, optimal patch use, ideal pre-emptive habitat selection and juvenile ‘floating’ provide behavioural mechanisms linking environmental heterogeneity in the stream benthos to density-dependent regulation of mottled sculpin populations in this system.
Price effects on vertical brand extensions: A conceptual framework

Brand extension has been extensively discussed during the past two decades, however, most of the work has focused on horizontal extensions and little attention has been paid to vertical extensions. To address this imbalance of existing knowledge, we propose in this article aconceptual framework that integrates existing brand extension knowledge with insights from the pricing literature. Drawing from reference price and social judgement theories we propose a conceptual model that illustrates the effects of core brand price on consumers’ price expectancy which in turn affect evaluations of the extension perceived quality. Moderating factors that influence this relationship are also identified, namely step size and direction of the extension. The conceptual model is subsequently used to develop concrete research propositions to guide further research in the area.
Evaluation of Inoculation Methods on Maize Seeds with Sporisorium reilianum f . sp . z eae ( Kûhn )

Andrés Quezada Salinas, Servicio Nacional de Sanidad, Inocuidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria, Guillermo Pérez Valenzuela 1 Carlos De León García De Alba, Ana María Hernández Anguiano, Cristian Nava Díaz, Especialidad de Fitopatología, Instituto de Fitosanidad, Colegio de Postgraduados, km 36.5 Carretera México-Texcoco, Montecillo, Texcoco, Edo. de México, CP. 56230, México. Correspondencia: andresqs@colpos.mx 27, Colonia Del Carmen, Delegación Coyoacán, México D.F. , CP. 04100, México;
A multi-site evaluation of the range correction and convective-stratiform separation algorithms for improving WSR-88D rainfall estimates

The Range Correction Algorithm (RCA, Seo et al. 2000), which has been developed by the Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD), National Weather Service (NWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), functions to reduce rangedependent biases in radar precipitation estimates due to nonuniform vertical profiles of reflectivity (VPR). It improves estimates of stratiform precipitation by approximating the mean VPR over the entire radar umbrella, then using the mean VPR to calculate and apply range-dependent multiplicative correction factors to radar reflectivity and/or Z-R precipitation estimates. RCA reduces bright band contamination at near-to-mid ranges from the radar, and enhances rainfall estimates at farther ranges, where the radar beam typically intercepts ice particles above the melting layer. To deal with situations of embedded convection, a companion algorithm, the Convective-Stratiform Separation Algorithm (CSSA, Seo et al. 2002, Ding et al. 2003), has been implemented in conjunction with RCA. If CSSA identifies those precipitation areas that are convective in nature; neither such areas contribute to the model of the stratiform VPR, nor is range correction applied there.
Evaluating the performance of survey-based operational management procedures

The design and evaluation of survey-based management strategies is addressed in this article, using three case-study fisheries: North Sea herring, Bay of Biscay anchovy and North Sea cod, with a brief history and the main management issues with each fishery outlined. A range of operational management procedures for the case study stocks were designed and evaluated using trends that may be derived from survey indices (spawner biomass, year-class strength and total mortality) with an array of simple and more structured observation error regimes simulated. Model-free and model-based indicators of stock status were employed in the management procedures. On the basis of stochastic stock-specific simulations, we identified the following key determinants of successful management procedures: (i) adequate specification of the stock-recruit relationship (model structure, parameter estimates and variability), (ii) knowledge of the magnitude and structure of the variation in the survey indices, and (iii) explication of the particular management objectives, when assessing management performance. More conservative harvesting strategies are required to meet specified targets in the presence of increasing stochasticity, due to both process and observation error. It was seen that survey-based operational management procedures can perform well in the absence of commercial data, and can also inform aspects of survey design with respect to acceptable levels of error or bias in the surveys.
Mutual Coupling and Chassis-Mode Coupling in Small Phased Array on a Small Ground Plane

Feed point impedance and mutual coupling of monopole array elements on a small ground plane are found to depend critically on the ground plane size when one length dimension comes near to half-wavelength. This is demonstrated to be due to the excitation of the lowest order chassis mode, which acts as an additional radiator element parasitically coupled to the array elements. A model is given in terms of impedance matrix description of the array including the effect of excited chassis mode. Important consequences of the chassis mode excitation and coupling are formulated for the characteristics of phased arrays and for diversity- and MIMO concepts.
Small-angle X-ray scattering from polystyrene polymacromonomers with relatively short main chains

Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering measurements were made on polystyrene polymacromonomers F33 and F110 with 33 and 110 styrene residues, respectively, in each side chain in toluene at 298.2 K and cyclohexane at 307.7 K. Two F33 samples with different weight-average degrees of polymerization of main chain Nw of 37 and 17 (F33-13 and F33-14, respectively) and two F110 samples with Nw of 61 and 27 (F110-10 and F110-11, respectively) were used. The z-average mean-square radii of gyration of these polymacromonomers were explained by the wormlike chain with finite diameter when we considered the contribution of side chains near the main chain to the contour length. This model was also applied to calculate the particle scattering function P(θ), giving satisfactory agreements between calculated and experimental k2P(θ) for F33-13 and F110-10 plotted against the magnitude of the scattering vector k = (4π/λ0)sin(θ/2), where λ0 and θ denote the wavelength of the incident X-ray and the scattering angle, respectively. The data for F33-14 and F110-11, which have short main chains relative to the side chains, cannot be explained by the same model. However, these data were closely fitted by the theoretical values for a comb polymer model with semiflexible main and side chains. The stiffness parameter for side chains in toluene was larger than that in cyclohexane, suggesting that the side chains in the former solvent are more stretched than those in cyclohexane.
Estimating the planetary boundary layer height from radiosonde and doppler lidar measurements in the city of São Paulo - Brazil

This study aims to compare the planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) values estimated by radiosonde data through the bulk Richardson number (BRN) method and by Doppler lidar measurements through the Carrier to Noise Ratio (CNR) method, which corresponds to the maximum of the variance of CNR profile. The measurement campaign was carried during the summer of 2015/2016 in the city of Sao Paulo. Despite the conceptual difference between these methods, the results show great agreement between them.
Multiple directorships and related parties transactions: The weakness of numbers

We examine whether the presence of outside directors with multiple boards seats influence firms related-parties transactions. These non-executive directors with vast skill, experience, knowledge, prestige and shared networks are part of major Boards Committees responsible for key corporate policies, strategy and management. Subsequently, it remains an untested assumption whether the outcome of related parties’ transactions are influenced by the presence of this class of ‘busy directors’. We obtain data from 142 companies across five sectors between 2009 and 2014 and conduct analysis using a two-stage multiple regression. The results reveal that the existence of multiple directorships on boards failed to evolve as predictors for related parties’ transactions. We thus conclude that the presence of these ‘busy directors’ on boards does not alter a firm’s related parties’ transactions significantly. Overall, this may suggest that the influence of executive directors and other outside directors and key management personnel do play an important role in explaining organizationally complex strategic decisions in this regard.
Evaluation of boundary‐layer type in a weather forecast model utilizing long‐term Doppler lidar observations

Many studies evaluating model boundary‐layer schemes focus on either near‐surface parameters or short‐term observational campaigns. This reflects the observational datasets that are widely available for use in model evaluation. In this article, we show how surface and long‐term Doppler lidar observations, combined in such a way as to match model representation of the boundary layer as closely as possible, can be used to evaluate the skill of boundary‐layer forecasts. We use a two‐year observational dataset from a rural site in the UK to evaluate a climatology of boundary‐layer type forecast by the UK Met Office Unified Model. In addition, we demonstrate the use of a binary skill score (Symmetric Extremal Dependence Index, SEDI) to investigate the dependence of forecast skill on season, horizontal resolution and forecast lead time. A clear diurnal and seasonal cycle can be seen in the climatology of both model and observations, with the main discrepancies being the model overpredicting cumulus‐capped and decoupled stratocumulus‐capped boundary layers and underpredicting well‐mixed boundary layers. Using the SEDI skill score, the model is most skilful at predicting the surface stability. The skill of the model in predicting cumulus‐capped and stratocumulus‐capped stable boundary‐layer forecasts is low, but greater than a 24 h persistence forecast. In contrast, the prediction of decoupled boundary layers and boundary layers with multiple cloud layers is lower than persistence. This process‐based evaluation approach has the potential to be applied to other boundary‐layer parametrization schemes with similar decision structures.
A Critical Review on the Corporate Governance, Board Independence and Gender Diversity in Emerging Asian Countries

The aim of this study was to identify the role of board independence and gender diversity in corporate governance practiced in emerging Asian countries. Literature was critically examined on the role of board independence and gender diversity in corporate governance for developed and developing countries. The current practices of the emerging nations in Asia were also closely followed. It was observed that despite efforts on the part of governments and policy makers, the emerging states are not being able to fully reap the benefits or realize the significance of board independence and gender diversity in corporate governance. Owing to well rooted cultural traits in the Asian world regarding women, the emerging markets are finding it difficult to let go off their conservative diversity profile. The traditional views on gender diversity and board independence require revision keeping in view the growing trend of women directorship in organizations worldwide. Further research on board independence and gender diversity in the developing Asian countries may help to provide a basis for a paradigm shift and result in better representation of gender at the level of decision making and in influencing corporate governance. Keywords : Board independence, gender diversity, corporate governance, emerging countries
Effects of Reduced- Protein Diets at Constant Total Sulfur Amino Acids: Lysine Ratio on Pullet Development and Subsequent Laying Hen Performance

The effect of using a low protein regime in pullet development and subsequent layer performance was studied. The experiment consisted of two periods of rearing and laying. Two hundred and sixty Hy-line W36 chicks were used. In the rearing period, dietary protein level and ME content series of the control group used during starter (18-42), grower (43-63) and developer (64-119d) phases were 20, 2930, 18, 2930, and 16, 3025, respectively. Dietary protein sequence of the low protein group was 18.5, 16.5, and 14.6% during the respective periods. In the laying period lasted from week18 to week32 of age, CP content of the control and reduced-protein diets were 17.8 and 16.3%, respectively. Reduced-protein diets were kept isoenergetic with their corresponding controls in each period and phase and they balanced to keep the same total sulfur amino acid to lysine ratio as well. Results indicated that birds on reduced-protein diet during starter phase of the rearing period consumed less feed (p = 0.003) and as a result they had significantly (p = 0.012) better feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control. However, dietary protein regime had no significant effect on weight gain, feed intake and FCR during grower and developer phases. In the laying period, there was no significant difference in terms of layer performance and egg quality criteria. In conclusion, reduced-CP diets can be satisfactory used for rearing pullets and laying hens up to 32 weeks of age.