Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the Distribution of the Extracellular Polymeric Substances in the Biofilms of the Liverpool Epidemic Strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Examining the Distribution of the Extracellular Polymeric Substances in the Biofilms of the Liverpool Epidemic Strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Kirsten Chuli Adviser: University of Guelph, 2017 Dr. Cezar Khursigara The Liverpool Epidemic Strain (LES) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa is responsible for causing antibiotic resistant, transmissible infections in individuals with cystic fibrosis. The biofilm lifestyle, which has been well characterized in P. aeruginosa, is thought to contribute to the enhanced ability of isolates of this strain to resist drug therapy and persist in the lung environment. The extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by biofilm cells have been implicated in biofilm mediated drug resistance, although their abundance, localization and response to antibiotic treatment has not previously been characterized in the LES. In this study the predominant EPS components, extracellular DNA (eDNA) and secreted polysaccharides, were quantified using fluorescent staining and confocal microscopy in biofilms of eight LES isolates grown in flow cells. The LES isolates formed biofilms that were phenotypically distinct from one another and the EPS components do not follow the same localization patterns as the laboratory standard P. aeruginosa PAO1. When treated with aztreonam, LESlike4 exhibited an increase in EPS components that was not seen in LES400 or in PAO1. While these specific isolates share many of the same genes, each has a unique profile of SNPs and genetic elements that are likely responsible for the observed phenotypic diversity. A better understanding of the genotypic and phenotypic diversity of the LES isolates is necessary for the development of therapies able to eradicate the chronic infections they cause.
Conservation Agriculture Practices in Salt-Affected, Irrigated Areas of Central Asia: Crop Price and Input Cost Variability Effect on Revenue Risks

The threats to sustainable agriculture caused by severe land degradation, high soil salinity, and increased production costs on salt-affected, irrigated croplands of Uzbekistan, Central Asia, are both challenging and urgent. The present wide-spread cultivation practices of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.), but in particular cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), which was the predominant crop during the Soviet Union period (1924-1991) need to be altered by considering improved, technically feasible and economically viable practices. Therefore, the economic performance of three innovative crop rotation systems have been assessed and compared to Conventional Tillage (CT) practices. The cropping systems were all exposed to Bed Planting (BP) with a crop residue cover and included cotton-cover crop-cotton, cotton-wheat, and cotton-wheat-maize. Risk assessment was based on commodity prices and included State Procurement Price (SPP) and free Market Price (MP), but also variable production and input costs. A linear mathematic optimization model was employed to generate various simulations. Financial benefits (expressed in US dollars) were based on 2009 input costs and product prices. The findings revealed that Conservation Agriculture (CA)-based practices applied to the cropping systems could substantially increase economic returns especially in the early stages of adaption, provided they are flanked with appropriate agricultural practices and careful farm managements.
Temperature decrease in the extratropics of South America in response to a tropical forcing during the austral winter

Abstract. This paper focuses on the dynamic mechanisms that create favorable conditions for the occurrence of frosts that affect large areas of Argentina and are denominated generalized frosts (GF). The hemispheric teleconnection patterns linked to extreme cold events affecting central and northeastern Argentina during winter are identified. The objective is to determine whether the conditions found in previous studies for the composite of winters with extreme (maximum and minimum) frequency of GF occurrence respond to typical characteristics of the austral winter or they are inherent to those particular winters. Taking the mean winter as basic state in the 1961–1990 period, a series of numerical experiments are run using a primitive equation model in which waves are excited with a thermal forcing. The positions of the thermal forcing are chosen according to observed convection anomalies in a basic state given by the austral winters with extreme frequency of GF occurrence. The wave trains excited by anomalous convection situated in specific regions may propagate across the Pacific Ocean and reach South America with the appropriate phase, creating the local favorable conditions for the occurrence of GF. However, the anomalous convection is, by itself, not sufficient since the response also depends on the basic state configuration. This is proved by placing the forcing over the region of significant anomalous convection for maximum and minimum frequency of GF occurrence and the response was very different in comparison to the mean winter. It is concluded that the conditions for a greater GF frequency of occurrence are inherent to these particular winters, so that such conditions are not present in the average winter.
Textual Entailment Resolution via Atomic Propositions

This paper presents an approach to solving the problem of textual entailment recognition and describes the computer application built to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach. The method presented here is based on syntax-driven semantic analysis and uses the notion of atomic proposition as its main element for entailment recognition. The idea is to find the entailment relation in the sentence pairs by comparing the atomic propositions contained in the text and hypothesis sentences. The comparison of atomic propositions is performed via an automated deduction system OTTER; the propositions are extracted from the output of the Link Parser; and semantic knowledge is taken from the WordNet database. On its current stage the system is capable to recognize basic semantically and syntactically based entailments and is potentially capable to use more external and internal knowledge to deal with more complex entailments.
TASK-BASED INSTRUCTION FOR ENGLISH YOUNG LEARNER CLASSROOM

Abstract: As the development of globalization era, teaching English for young learner regarded as a preparation for a future generation to face it. The children regarded as the future generation are already enrolled in an English class in their early ages. Within their unique characters, the way of teaching and learning process is different from what the adults got. Task-Based Instruction, as one of the new method of communicative approach, has been used as an effective way in teaching a foreign language, especially for adult learners. The issue comes by its implementation into young learners. It is said to be a doubtful thing to apply Task-Based Instruction into young learners in learning foreign language. The characteristics of Task-Based Instruction which includes three stages; (1) Pre-Task, (2) Task-Cycle, (3) Language focus is regarded to be too much for young learners. Bedsides, it is said that implementing Task-Based in English young learner classroom can be a burden for them. Beginning by this perception, this study investigates; (1) the implementation of Task-Based Instruction in English young learner classroom (2) some adaptation that can be done in using Task-Based Instruction for young learner (3) the strengths and weaknesses of Task-Based Instruction in English Young Learner Classroom. Keywords: Task-Based Instruction, pre-task, task-cycle, young Learners
Covered Interest Parity Lost: Understanding the Cross-Currency Basis

Covered interest parity verges on a physical law in international finance. And yet it has been systematically violated since the Great Financial Crisis. Especially puzzling have been the violations since 2014, even once banks had strengthened their balance sheets and regained easy access to funding. We offer a framework to think about these violations, stressing the combination of hedging demand and tighter limits to arbitrage, which in turn reflect a tighter management of risks and bank balance sheet constraints. We find empirical support for this framework both across currencies and over time.
Factors Influencing Effective Implementation of Evidence Based Practice among Nurses in Assiut City Hospitals, Egypt: A Comparative Study

Nurses have relied on expert and opinions in clinical decision-making. However, these ways of practicing may be unsafe. Experienced-based knowledge may be associated with biased thinking that lead to errors. Scientific research is the standard by which sciences derive knowledge. This study aims to explore factors influencing the effective implementation of evidence-based practice among nurses working in outpatients clinics in hospitals of Assiut city. A cross-sectional comparative study was carried out on 807 nurses. Data were collected by interview questionnaires from January to June 2014. The present study included 414 nurses working in Assiut University Hospitals and 393 nurses from hospitals of Ministry of Health. Nearly 40% of the both studied groups never looked for information, research or evidence to support their nursing practice. Facilitators of evidence based practice were perceived slightly higher by the nurses working in Assiut University Hospitals than the other group. There are statistically significant differences between nurses working in Assiut University hospitals and nurses of Ministry of Health regarding reported facilitators and barriers of implementation of evidence-based practice. Improvement of nursing education, training and reducing barriers to implement research findings as evidence are essential steps to use the research evidence in clinical practice.
Stabilizing Inflation under Heterogeneity: a welfare-based measure on what to target

What measure of inflation a Central Bank should respond to? This paper characterizes the optimal targeting index in a multisectorial economy with Calvo-pricing, defined as a composition of sectorial inflations that maximizes a selected welfare criterion. This is a purely quadratic approximation to the representative agent's utility in an environment of distorted steady state and sectorial heterogeneity of price stickiness. The Central Bank is modeled as following a historical Taylor Rule. For most parameter values, weights of sectorial inflations are increasing functions of the degrees of nominal rigidity and productivity volatility and decreasing functions of sectorial wage markup volatilities, resembling most of the conclusions from related literature. Bayesian estimation for the structural model using sectorial quantum and price indexes for Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) provides the parameter values that allow constructing the optimal index for the US economy. The result points out towards a price index with similar properties than the PCE, with more weight on services and less weight of inflation from durable goods. I find no evidence that a core index based on the exclusion of food and energy goods is welfare improving.
The Redshift Dependence of the Radio Flux of Gamma-Ray Bursts and Their Host Galaxies

Using multiwavelength observations of radio afterglows, we confirm the hypothesis that the flux density of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at a fixed observing frequency is invariable when the distance of the GRBs increases, which means the detection rate will be approximately independent of redshift. We study this behavior theoretically and find that it can be well explained by the standard forward shock model involving a thin shell expanding in either a homogeneous interstellar medium (ISM) or a wind environment. We also found that short GRBs and supernova-associated GRBs, which are at relatively smaller distances, marginally match the flux–redshift relationship and they could be outliers. We rule out the assumption that the medium density evolves with redshift as n ∝ (1 + z)4 from the current measurements of n and z for short and long GRBs. In addition, the possible dependence of host flux on the redshift is also investigated. We find that a similar redshift independence of the flux exists for host galaxies as well, which implies that the detection rate of radio hosts might also be independent of the redshift. It is also hinted that most radio hosts have spectral indices ranging from βh ≃ −1 to 2.5 in statistics. Finally, we predict the detection rates of radio afterglows by next-generation radio telescopes such as the Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and the Square Kilometer Array (SKA).
Using species-environmental amplitudes to predict pH values from vegetation

Abstract Question: Species optima or indicator values are frequently used to predict environmental variables from species composition. The present study focuses on the question whether predictions can be improved by using species environmental amplitudes instead of single values representing species optima. Location: Semi-natural, deciduous hardwood forests of northwestern Germany. Methods: Based on a data set of 558 relevés, species responses (presence/absence) to pH were modelled with Huisman-Olff-Fresco (HOF) regression models. Species amplitudes were derived from response curves using three different methods. To predict the pH from vegetation, a maximum amplitude overlap method was applied. For comparison, predictions resulting from several established methods, i. e. maximum likelihood/present and absent species, maximum likelihood/present species only, mean weighted averages and mean Ellenberg indicator values were calculated. The predictive success (squared Pearson's r and root mean square error of prediction) was evaluated using an independent data set of 151 relevés. Results: Predictions based upon amplitudes defined by maximum Cohen's κ probability threshold yield the best results of all amplitude definitions (R2 = 0.75, RMSEP = 0.52). Provided there is an even distribution of the environmental variable, amplitudes defined by predicted probability exceeding prevalence are also suitable (R2 = 0.76, RMSEP = 0.55). The prediction success is comparable to maximum likelihood (present species only) and – after rescaling – to mean weighted averages. Predicted values show a good linearity to observed pH values as opposed to a curvilinear relationship of mean Ellenberg indicator values. Transformation or rescaling of the predicted values is not required. Conclusions: Species amplitudes given by a minimum and maximum boundary for each species can be used to efficiently predict environmental variables from species composition. The predictive success is superior to mean Ellenberg indicator values and comparable to mean indicator values based on species weighted averages. Nomenclature: Wisskirchen & Haeupler (1998); Koperski et al. (2000).
DIET PREFERENCES OF SUB-SPECIES OF OSTRICH (STRUTHIO CAMELUS CAMELUS AND STRUTHIO CAMELUS MOLYBDOPHANES) AT LANGANO OSTRICH FARM, ABIJATA SHALLA LAKES NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA

This study investigated diet preferences of two sub-species of ostriches (Struthio camelus camelus and S. c. molybdophanes) at LanganoOstrich Farm during the dry and wet seasons of 2009. Observations on the food items consumed and food leftovers were recorded. Observations were made five hours a day for 40 days for the natural food items consumed by the ostriches during morning (06:00 h-10:00 h) and in the afternoon (16:00 h-18:00 h). Twenty observations at an interval of five minutes were made to determine the frequency of natural diet consumed by the ostriches. Prepared food and wheat bran were given to the ostriches for five days and the frequency of consumption was recorded for 100 minutes. Ostriches consumed various parts of eight major plant species of eight families. On an average, the leaves of succulent grass, Cenchrus ciliaris was consumed most (41%) during both seasons. The leaves of Acacia tortilis, Balanites aegyptiaca and pods of A. tortilis were the most frequently consumed plant materials. Though both sub-species preferred the succulent grass during both seasons, the frequency of consumption was higher for the blue-necked ostrich (43-49%). Wheat bran was the most preferred (93.7%) by both sub-species among the prepared food items. The ostriches also consumed mineral salt and faeces of other animals and their own.
Tax Potential and Tax Effort: An Empirical Estimation for Non-resource Tax Revenue and VAT’s Revenue

Taxation is one of the main components of a country’s fiscal space. Its internal origin and the accountability it creates between rulers and populations make it a key element in financing public expenditure. Tax capacity differs between countries and depends on structural factors. A number of empirical studies attempted to determine countries’ overall tax potential and tax effort (Lotz and Morss, 1967; Stotsky and Wolde Mariam, 1997; Fenochietto and Pessino, 2013). However, the methodologies used tend to underestimate or overestimate countries’ tax potential and thereby their tax effort. The purpose of this study is to better assess countries’ non-resource tax potential and VAT’s tax potential independently using a more appropriate method. It is in line with the study of Brun et al. (2014) and rests on a large sample of developing countries over the period 1980/2014. We first employ the previous models and discuss about their shortcomings, after we use the stochastic frontier model of Kumbhakar, Lien and Hardaker (2014). This model allows to disentangle the overall tax effort into a persistent tax effort due to policy economy decisions and a time-varying tax effort relating to tax administration efficiency. The results are more realistic. Low income countries have higher tax effort along the period even if their tax effort decline at the end of period on the opposite of resource depending countries. In fact, the latter characterized by lower tax effort compared to non-resource countries improved consequently the efficiency of their system since 2010. The results also suggest that inefficiency in taxation depends more on policy decisions than on tax administration performance.
Cognitive Dysfunction in Patients With Rapid Eye Movement Dependent and Other Types of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Background: Some cognitive functions have shown to be impaired in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS); however, differences between substypes have not been investigated yet. We aim to compare patients with rapid eye movement (REM) dependent sleep apnea syndrome (ROSAS) and control OSAS (COSAS) with regard to the impairment in cognitive functions and several sleep parameters. Methods: Fifty COSAS and 20 ROSAS patients who met the inclusion criteria and diagnosed via polysomnographic examination were assessed using a data collection form and several scales. Results and conclusion: No significant statistical difference was detected between groups regarding cognitive functions. The findings indicate that the cognitive function impairments in OSAS do not get more significant with the intensifying of the abnormal respiratory functions in REM periods. J Neurol Res. 2015;5(6):283-290 doi: http://dx.doi. org/10.14740/jnr363w
The effect of medicinal plants and plant extracted oils on broiler duodenum morphology and immunological profile.

It was previously reported that essential oils from aromatic plants have an antimicrobial activity against many bacterial pathogens (13). We have conducted an in vivo experiment to study the effect of some aromatic plants and in particular to investigate the effect of oils extracted from these plants at the immune level and duodenal morphology. During the experiment 90 chicken broilers were divided in three experimental groups: control group (C), group 1 (G1) and group 2 (G2). The chicken broilers from group G1 had received feed with 0.05% incorporated oils extracted from savory (Satureja hortenis), mint (Mentha piperita) and sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides). Group G2 received a premix of plants (savory, mint and sea-buckthorn) during daily feeding. The control group (C) received normal feed with no supplements. The amount of lysozyme detected at group G1 was doubled (28.55 mcg/cm 3 ) compared to G2 (13.2 mcg/cm 3 ) and the control (11.42 mcg/cm 3 ). The incorporation of extracted oils in food resulted in a powerful stimulation of intestinal mucous membrane, manifested by development of intestinal villi, the hypertrophy of villi, hyperplasic hypertrophy of capillary network and the stimulation of leukocytes infiltration. The muscular hypertrophic processes and leukocyte infiltration are visible in the endomesium and perimesium of the muscular tunic. Microscopical images of the G2 group taken from the duodenum sections suggest the stimulation of angiogenesis. The processes are however of smaller intensity in the G1 group. This work shows that essential oils extracted from plants improve the immune response and also are able to cause changes of the duodenal mucosa with beneficial effects for the animal.
PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECT OF BACOPA MONNIERI: A REVIEW

It is said that the use of Bacopa monnieri for memory enhancement goes back 3000 years or more in India, when it was cited for its medicinal properties, especially the memory enhancing capacity, in the Vedic texts "Athar-Ved Samhila" (3:1) of 800 B.C. and in Ayurveda. In the folklore of Indian medicine, several herbs have been used traditionally as brain or nerve tonics. One of the most popular of these neurotonics is Bacopa monnieri , a well known memory booster. Brahmi has been administered at religious institutions to help students to enhance their memory for learning ancient, religious hymns. It is also used as cardio-tonic, tranquilizer and sedative, improves process of learning, Restores memory, enhances power of speech and imagination, diuretic and nervine tonic, anti stress, for nervous and mental strain, use in insanity, epilepsy, hysteria, aesthenia, nervous breakdown. It is a small, creeping succulent herb. The leaf and flower bearing stems are 10- 30 cm long and arise from creeping stems that form roots at the nodes with pale blue or pinkish white flowers belonging to Family Scrophulariaceae grown nearly banks of freshwater streams and ponds, paddy fields and other damp places. The chief Phyto-constituents present are brahmine, herpestine, alkaloids and saponins. Keywords: Ayurveda, Brahmi, memory booster, herb, neurotonics, tranquilizer.
The entrepreneurship of host cities of the Olympic Games – Between success and social destruction

Many publications focus on the deficit nature of the Olympic Games organisation, when considered from the point of view of host cities – organisers of such events. However, does such an event actually affect the region and the host country in a positive way? The presented article aims at the assessment of the organisation of mass sports events, such as the Olympic Games, taking into consideration entrepreneurial activities which can be defined in terms of a productive, destructive or socially destructive category. In order to determine the relevant types of entrepreneurship, the authors refer to well-established definitions (in the case of productive and socially destructive types) and to their own, original definition of destructive entrepreneurship.