Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occurrence and characterization of urinary tract infection in patients with and without diabetes mellitus with special reference to Escherichia coli

Introduction: The urinary tract is the second most common site for infection next to respiratory tract and urinary tract infection (UTI) occurs more frequently in persons with diabetes mellitus. The factors affecting UTI in diabetic patients are not well documented and there is lack of adequate surveillance information and characterization pertaining to urinary pathogens in diabetic cases in developing countries. Hence, the study aimed to look into the characterization and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of pathogens associated with UTI among diabetic and non-diabetic patients with special reference to Escherichia coli. Materials and Method: A total of 1695 non-repetitive urine samples were screened prospectively from symptomatic cases of diabetic and non-diabetic individuals by semi-quantitative calibrated loop culture technique between 2014 and 2016. Result: In our study, out of 1695 urine samples screened, 446 (24.9%) urine samples showed significant bacteriuria and Escherichia coli was accounted for 280 (62.7%) bacterial isolates. Though E.coli was the predominant organism, its occurrence was significantly high in non-diabetic subjects compared to diabetic subjects (70.6% Vs 55.2%, p<0.001). While Staphylococcus aureus (6.5% Vs 2.7%; p< 0.001) and Candida species (7% Vs 2.7%; p <0.001) were the more frequent cause of UTI in diabetic subjects. Among diabetic cases, 61% of the UTI cases were having long term diabetes of more than 10 years. The E.coli strains isolated from both groups showed increased resistance to ampicillin (86.7%), ceftazidime (63.2%), ciprofloxacin (52.5%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50%). Conclusion: E.coli was predominant organisms isolated from UTI in both diabetic and non-diabetic groups. Microorganisms encountered in UTI did not differ by diabetic status except for Candida species and Staphylococcus aureus, which were more frequently isolated from diabetic patients. Among diabetics, age of the patient, long duration and poor glycemic control were associated risk factors in the development of UTI.
Microbial Degradation of n-Eicosane by Filamentous Fungi

The degradation of n-eicosane by Trichoderma sp. S019, a fungus collected from petroleum-contaminated soil with extensive degradation capability on an agar medium containing n-eicosane, was demonstrated in liquid medium and in soil. The optimum carbon source on degradation (73%) was obtained when Trichoderma sp. S019 was incubated with glucose for 30 days while the optimum nitrogen source for degradation (63%) was obtained in culture with the addition of polypeptone. Furthermore, the degradation of neicosane was affected by the addition of carbon and nitrogen source. nEicosane was indeed degraded by Trichoderma sp. S019 because nonadecanoic acid considered to be the metabolite in the biodegradation of n-eicosane, were detected among the reaction products.
Green Banking : As Initiative for Sustainable Development

The banking sector can play an intermediary role between economic development and environmental protection, for promoting environmentally sustainable and socially responsible investment, banking of this kind can be termed as “Green Banking”. Green Banking refers to the banking business conducted in selected area and manner that helps the overall reduction of external carbon emission and internal carbon footprint. To aid the reduction of external carbon emission, bank should finance green technology and pollution reducing projects. Green finance as a part of Green Banking makes great contribution to the transition to resource efficient and low carbon industries i.e. green industry and green economy in general. Green banking is a component of the global initiative by a group of stakeholders to save environment. The present paper aims to highlight the means to create awareness in internal as well as external sub systems among target groups and impart education to attain sustainable development through green banking. Further, an attempt has been made to enumerate effective methods for green banking.
Vital Signs: Binge Drinking Among Women and High School Girls — United States, 2011

Background Excessive alcohol use accounted for an estimated average of 23,000 deaths and 633,000 years of potential life lost (YPLL) among women and girls in the United States each year during 2001–2005. Binge drinking accounted for more than half of those deaths and YPLL. Binge drinking also is a risk factor for many health and social problems among women and girls, including unintended and alcohol-exposed pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and breast cancer. Methods To describe the prevalence, frequency, and intensity of binge drinking (four or more drinks on an occasion in the last 30 days) among U.S. women aged ≥18 years, CDC analyzed data from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Data were also analyzed from the 2011 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey on the prevalence of current alcohol use (one or more drinks during the past 30 days) and binge drinking (five or more drinks in a row during the past 30 days) among U.S. high school girls in grades 9–12. Results Among adult women, the prevalence of binge drinking was 12.5%, and among those who binge drank, the frequency of binge drinking was 3.2 episodes per month and the intensity was 5.7 drinks on occasion. Binge drinking was most prevalent among women aged 18–24 years (24.2%) and 25–34 years (19.9%), and among those from households with annual incomes of ≥$75,000 (16.0%). Among those who binge drank, women aged 18–24 years had the highest frequency (3.6 episodes) and intensity (6.4 drinks) of binge drinking. Among high school girls, the prevalence of current alcohol use was 37.9%, the prevalence of binge drinking was 19.8%, and the prevalence of binge drinking among girls who reported current alcohol use was 54.6%. Conclusions Binge drinking is reported by one in eight U.S. adult women and one in five high school girls. Women who binge drink tend to do so frequently and with high intensity. Most high school girls who reported current alcohol use also reported binge drinking. Implications for Public Health Practice More widespread implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as those recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, would be expected to reduce the frequency and intensity, and ultimately the prevalence of binge drinking among women and girls, and the harms related to it.
Current structure of leaf beetle assemblages (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) of forest communities in the Krzemionki Opatowskie Reserve as a result od succession of vegetation

The aim of the study was to specify the current status and direction of transformations of leaf beetle assemblages taking part in the rapid process of succession of vegetation towards the types of forest communities occurring in the Krzemionki Opatowskie reserve. At five sampling sites (in five plant associations) 30 species of Chrysomelidae were recorded. Five typical forest species (Chrysomela populi, Pyrrhalta viburni, Calomicrus pinicola, Altica brevicollis and Cryptocephalus labiatus) accounted for 16.67% of the number of species and 12.85% of the number of individuals caught in the reserve. The forest association richest in species (18) was Querco roboris-Pinetum (Que_Pin). This was followed by Tilio-Carpinetum association (Til_Car, 15 spp.), and then a mosaic of Tilio-Carpinetum and Querco roboris-Pinetum (Til_Car/Que_Pin), and Peucedano-Pinetum (Peu_Pin) (11 spp. each). The fewest number of species (10) were noted in Potentillo albae-Quercetum (Pot_Que). The most similar were the fauna of Potentillo albae-Quercetum (Pot_Que) and Querco roboris-Pinetum (Que_Pin) (55.08% similarity). The most distinct was the fauna of Peucedano-Pinetum (Peu_Pin). We can conclude that the structure of the leaf beetle assemblages in the forest associations studied in the reserve is at present an adaptive mixture of faunas characteristic of all the intermediate successional stages of vegetation, changing in this area in a relatively short time. The considerable diversity of fauna is the result of an ‘ecotone in time’, i.e. the continuous presence of open-land species, which until recently had dominated here, accompanied by forest species characteristic of the current habitat types.
Macroeconomic Determinants of Non-Performing Loans: Case of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

Non Performing loans (NPLs) are important variables on a macro scale for the financial stability of the country as well as microscale for banks profitability itself. Since 2008 global crisis, NPLs are monitored worldwide and became systemically important. In this research, by using a data set between 2000-2016, the macroeconomic determinants of NPLs have been investigated for Turkey and Saudi Arabia. By using NPL ratio as the dependent variable and estimating through beta regression analysis, it is found that market capitalization and inflation variables are pozitively related with NPL for Turkey while GDP, inflation, debt, market capitalization and money supply have positively related with NPL for Saudi Arabia and unemployment and transparencey variables are negatively related with NPL for Saudi Arabia . It has been found that the NPL ratios are well explained by some macroeconomic variables. Countries with different macroeconomic conditions have different determinants of NPLs
EFFECT OF YTTRIUM DOPING ON THE PROPERTIES OF BISMUTH FERRITE : A REVIEW

Multiferroics are those materials which have simultaneous existence of at least two ferroic properties in the same material. Multiferroic magnetolectrics exhibit both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric properties. One of the primary applications of magnetoelectrics is in memory devices, high density data storage etc. An ideal memory material is one that exhibits high saturation magnetization, high remanent magnetization and polarization along with low coercive value. Bismuth ferrite (BFO) is a magnetoelectric material which has drawn quite an attention over the last few years. It has been observed that the multiferroic properties of BFO can be improved significantly by doping with rare earth transition metals. In this paper, we are going to provide a review on the important findings of research investigations on the enhancement of properties of BFO due to yttrium (Y) doping. Hence, the material with enhanced properties can be applied in a number of applications like gas sensors and optical fibers which require essentially high precision.
The Calsequestrin Mutation CASQ2D307H Does Not Affect Protein Stability and Targeting to the Junctional Sarcoplasmic Reticulum but Compromises Its Dynamic Regulation of Calcium Buffering*

Mutations in cardiac ryanodine receptor (RYR2) and cardiac calsequestrin (CASQ2) genes are linked to catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, a life-threatening genetic disease. They predispose young individuals to cardiac arrhythmia in the absence of structural abnormalities. One such mutation that changes an aspartic residue to histidine at position 307 in CASQ2 has been linked to catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. In this study we made a transgenic mouse model expressing the mutant CASQ2D307H protein in a CASQ2 null background and investigated if the disease is caused by accelerated degradation of the mutant protein. Our data suggest that the mutant protein can be expressed, is relatively stable, and targets appropriately to the junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum. Moreover, it partially normalizes the ultrastructure of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, which was altered in the CASQ2 null background. In addition, overexpression of the mutant protein does not cause any pathology and/or structural changes in the myocardium. We further demonstrate, using purified protein, that the mutant protein is very stable under chemical and thermal denaturation but shows abnormal Ca2+ buffering characteristics at high calcium concentrations. In addition, trypsin digestion studies reveal that the mutant protein is more susceptible to protease activity only in the presence of high Ca2+. These studies collectively suggest that the D307H mutation can compromise the dynamic behavior of CASQ2 including supramolecular rearrangement upon Ca2+ activation.
SURFACE RADIATION FROM GOES SATELLITES : IMPROVING RADIATIVE TRANSFER IN A PHYSICAL MODEL

Models to compute global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI) have been in development over the last three decades. These models can be classified as empirical or physical based on the approach. Empirical models relate ground-based observations with satellite measurements and use these relations to compute surface radiation. Physical models consider the physics behind the radiation received at the satellite and create retrievals to estimate surface radiation. While empirical methods have been traditionally used for computing surface radiation for the solar energy industry, the advent of faster computing has made operational physical models viable. The Global Solar Insolation Project (GSIP) uses a physical model that computes DNI and GHI using the visible and infrared channel measurements from a weather satellite. GSIP uses a two-stage scheme that first retrieves cloud properties and uses those properties in a radiative transfer model to calculate GHI and DNI. Developed for polar orbiting satellites, GSIP has been adapted to NOAA’s Geostationary Operation Environmental Satellite series and can run operationally at high spatial resolutions. This method holds the possibility of creating high quality datasets of GHI and DNI for use by the solar energy industry. Various radiative transfer models are being considered for improving the GSIP datasets. We will present results of this research and a comparison of improvement from using various radiative transfer models.
Evaluation of Some Fungal Nano-Particles for Removing of Oil Pollution

Petroleum pollution is a global disaster and bioremediation is a cost effective method that was interested in recent years. In a field study, four fungal strains, Acromonium sp. , Alternaria sp. , Aspergillus terreus and Penicillium sp. , were collected determined from an oil contaminated sites of Arak refinery (Iran) and their growth ability was checked in the PDA media containing 0-10% petroleum. Results showed that the all fungi were able to growth in the subjected concentrations. The nano-particles prepared from the fungi were added to the petroleum polluted media and remained oils were extracted and determined after 30 days and compared with its amounts in the beginning of experiments. Results showed that the studied fungal particles were able to decrease petroleum pollution. The highest removing efficiency of Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium sp. , Alternaria sp. and Acromonium sp. particles was in the media with 10%, 8%, 8% and 2% petroleum pollution respectively.
Relationship between Metacognitive Awareness and Self-Efficacy of Secondary School Students

Article Info The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between 6, 7 and 8 grade students’ metacognitive awareness and their self-efficacy perceptions. In addition, the researchers examined whether students' metacognitive awareness and self-efficacy perceptions have differed in terms of various variables. The study employs the relational survey model. The sample of the study is composed of 370 students who are in 6, 7 and 8 grade in the city center of Kütahya province. “The Metacognitive Awareness Scale for Children” and “The Self-Efficacy Scale for Children” have been used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data; descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficients have been used. In the study, it has been determined that students’ metacognitive awareness and their self-efficacy perceptions are at the good level. Students’ metacognitive awareness varies significantly in terms of gender and grade levels. Students’ self-efficacy perceptions vary in terms of gender and grade levels in all sub-dimensions. It has been found that there are significant differences in the academic self-efficacy sub-dimension and total self-efficacy perceptions of the students in terms of the number of books they read per month. In the study, positive and significant relationships have been determined between students’ metacognitive awareness and their self-efficacy perceptions.
Comparison of Phenotypic and molecular profile of Coagulase negative Staphylococci from clinical isolates and commensals along with Biofilm detection

Background: Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are commensals of the human skin and mucosa. However, Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) and other CoNS have emerged as nosocomial pathogens. This study aims to identify and characterize clinical and commensal isolates of CoNS, to compare their association with potential virulence factors and to determine their antimicrobial resistance pattern. Materials and Method: This study was conducted in Department of Microbiology of a tertiary care centre in Bangalore. A total of 100 samples were processed (50 samples isolated from clinical samples were treated as cases and 50 from skin of healthy volunteers were considered as controls). Identification and speciation of CoNS was done by conventional biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. Detection of biofilm by Tissue culture plate method. Detection of icaAB, atlE genes which code for polysaccharide intracellular adhesin (PIA) that is fundamental for biofilm formation and mecA gene which encodes an altered Penicillin binding protein (PBP2a) mediating oxacillin resistance was done by multiplex PCR. Results: Out of the 50 cases from clinical samples, 21/50 (42%) of the isolates were from blood, 18/50 (36%) from pus, 9/50 (18%) from urine and 2/50 (4%) were from CSF. S. epidermidis was the most common species isolated among clinical and commensal isolates. Biofilm was detected in 16/50 (32%) clinical isolates and 05/50 (10%) of controls. 37/50 (74%) cases and 27/50 (54%) controls were tested positive for mecA gene. 17/50 (34%) cases and 15/50 (30%) controls were found to express atlE gene. 20/50 (40%) cases and 12/50 (24%) controls possessed icaAB gene. Conclusion: Species identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and understanding the genetic components involved in pathogenesis are important aids in the diagnosis and management of serious CoNS infections.
Interferon combined with temozolomide for treatment of high-grade gliomas : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Combination therapy with interferon (IFN) and temozolomide (TMZ) for high-grade gliomas (HGG) has been assessed in several clinical trials with small sample sizes. The present systematic review and metaanalysis was performed to evaluate the overall efficacy of combination therapy with IFN and TMZ for HGG. Methods: Medline and EMBASE databases, along with the Cochrane Library (up to September 12, 2017), were searched to identify relevant studies. The primary outcome was tumor response. Secondary outcomes included progressionfree survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), median PFS, and median OS. Results: Five studies, comprising 155 cases, were subjected to meta-analysis. As determined by a fixed-effects model, the overall clinical benefit rate was 68.8% (95% CI 59.3-77.0%; heterogeneity analysis: Q = 2.718, I2 = 0.000, P = 0.437), overall PFS-6 rate was 35.4% (95% CI 25.8-46.3%; Q = 2.995, I2 = 0.000, P = 0.392), and overall median PFS was 4.306 months (95% CI 3.231-5.380 months; Q = 2.554, I2 = 0.000, P = 0.466). The overall PFS-12 rate was 25.4% (95% CI 9.8-51.7%; Q = 17.079, I2 = 76.579, P = 0.002), overall OS-12 rate was 70.2% (95% CI 46.2-86.6%; Q = 13.260, I2 = 69.834, P = 0.010), overall OS-24 rate was 37.2% (95% CI 15.9-64.8%; Q = 14.648, I2 = 72.692, P = 0.005), and overall median OS was 11.212 months (95% CI 7.314-15.110 months; Q = 22.331, I2 = 86.566, P < 0.001), as determined by the randomeffects model. Incidence of grade 3-4 leukopenia and neutropenia was 20% and 6.8%, respectively. Fatal adverse effects were not reported. Conclusion: Combination therapy with interferon and TMZ is effective for HGG, although the available studies have several limitations.
Design , Fabrication and Performance of Open Source Generation I and II Compliant Hydrodynamic Gas Foil Bearings NASA / TM — 2007-214691 April 2007

Foil gas bearings are self-acting hydrodynamic bearings made from sheet metal foils comprised of at least two layers. The innermost “top foil” layer traps a gas pressure film that supports a load while a layer or layers underneath provide an elastic foundation. Foil bearings are used in many lightly loaded, high-speed turbo-machines such as compressors used for aircraft pressurization, and small micro-turbines. Foil gas bearings provide a means to eliminate the oil system leading to reduced weight and enhanced temperature capability. The general lack of familiarity of the foil bearing design and manufacturing process has hindered their widespread dissemination. This paper reviews the publicly available literature to demonstrate the design, fabrication and performance testing of both first and second generation bump style foil bearings. It is anticipated that this paper may serve as an effective starting point for new development activities employing foil bearing technology.
A short-filament mutant of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 that fragments in nitrogen-deficient medium

Strain 129 is a fragmentation mutant of the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120. Growing with fixed nitrogen, this mutant forms filaments that are much shorter than wild-type filaments. Following starvation for fixed nitrogen, strain 129 becomes nearly unicellular and forms few heterocysts, although electron microscopy suggests that proheterocysts form while fragmentation occurs. Starvation for sulfate, phosphate, iron, and calcium does not cause this fragmentation. The affected gene in strain 129, fraC, was cloned by complementation and characterized. It encodes a unique 179-amino-acid protein rich in phenylalanine. Insertional inactivation of the chromosomal copy of fraC results in a phenotype identical to that of strain 129, while complementation using a truncated version of FraC results in only partial complementation of the original mutant. Heterocysts could be induced to form in N-replete cultures of strain 129, as in wild-type cells, by supplying extra copies of the hetR gene on a plasmid. Thus, FraC is required for the integrity of cell junctions in general but is apparently not directly involved in normal differentiation and nitrogen fixation.