Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of Vancomycin and Methicillin Resistance in Clinical Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus in Iranian Hospitals

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant or vancomycin intermediate resistant S. aurues (aureus) (VRSA/VISA) among clinical isolates. Study Design: S.aureus isolates used in this study were randomly collected from in-patient and outpatient of several hospitals of 7 cities in Iran (Tehran, Shiraz, Zahedan, Tabriz, Sannandaj, Sari, and Ahvaz) during 2006-2008. Methodology: Antibiotic susceptibility of 250 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Iranian hospitals were determined by disk diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) were determined for oxacillin and vancomycin by E-test. PCRs were used by specific primers (PCR used specific primers) for detection of mecA, vanA, vanB genes. Results: The percentage of resistance by disk diffusion method was as below: methicillin 46%, vancomycin 0%, penicillin 86%, erythromycin 42%, ciprofloxacin 29%, gentamicin 39% and clindamycin 33%. E-test MIC method showed that 43% isolates were resistant to Original Research Article British Microbiology Research Journal, 4(4): 454-461, 2014 455 methicillin and 4% isolates were VISA (≤ 8μg/ml). The prevalence of resistance genes in the clinical isolates were: mecA 44%, vanA 0%, vanB 0%. Conclusion: This study revealed that clinical isolates have rather high resistance to methicillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, penicillin and clindamycin We did not observe resistance to vancomycin. In order to avoid a possible outbreak involving VISA), vancomycin should be used carefully as a drug for treatment of S. aureus infections.
Developing a Gamified Behavior Change Support System: Case Implicity - The Food Game

This paper describes the development process of a gamified mobile Behavior Change Support System for increasing its users’ fruit and vegetable consumption. The system was based on the principles of implicit association measures as the behavioral feedback for reflection. The project used the Persua-sive Systems Design (PSD) together with gamification principles and the Implicit Association Test (IAT). The present paper describes the background and process of implementing IAT in a gamified form for a mobile device platform. Key outputs from the process include perceiving such a system to be built of a basic BCSS core which is then gamified, and identifying a system to have segments that each have their own relevant persuasive features.
Sustainable livelihoods through conservation of wetland resources: a case of economic benefits from Ghodaghodi Lake, western Nepal

We investigated the participation of local ethnic groups in wetland conservation, determined the economic benefits that they received from the wetlands, and assessed socioeconomic factors that affect dependency on wetlands. A total of 217 wetland resource-user households residing around Ghodaghodi Lake, western Nepal were surveyed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests and ordinary least squares regressions. The wetland resources contributed significantly to the household economy of the local people. Each household extracted lake resources at an annual worth of NPR 4379 ($63 USD), equivalent to 12.4% of the household total gross income. Although the people maintained a positive attitude toward wetland conservation, their participation in conservation efforts was inadequate. Socioeconomic factors such as larger household size, older age of the head of the family, and larger area of agricultural land increased the rate of resource extraction. In contrast, when households were involved with local conservation organizations, resource extraction was reduced. We recommend the following resource conservation and livelihood strategies: implementation of community-based conservation approaches to increase system productivity, adoption of biogas plants, and improved cooking stoves to reduce fuelwood consumption, coupled with conservation awareness programs.
Evolution of Cooperation among Mammalian Carnivores and Its Relevance to Hominin Evolution

Anthropological theory suggests direct links between the origins of cooperation in hominins and a shift toward an energy-rich diet. Although the degree to which early hominins ate meat remains controversial, here we reevaluate the notion, originally suggested by Schaller and Lowther in 1969, that mammalian carnivores can shed light on human origins. Precisely when cooperation evolved in hominins or carnivores is unknown, but species from both groups cooperatively hunt large game, defend resources, guard against predators, and rear young. We present a large-scale comparative analysis of extant carnivore species, quantifying anatomical, ecological, and behavioral correlates of cooperation to determine whether metabolic rate, body and relative brain size, life history traits, and social cohesion coevolved with cooperation. We focus heavily on spotted hyenas, which live in more complex societies than other carnivores. Hyenas regularly join forces with kin and nonkin to hunt large antelope and to defend resources during intergroup conflicts and disputes with lions. Our synthesis highlights reduced sexual dimorphism, increased reproductive investment, high population density, fission-fusion dynamics, endurance hunting of big game in open habitats, and large brains as important correlates of cooperation among carnivores. We discuss the relevance of our findings to understanding the origins of cooperation in hominins.
Cave monitoring and the potential for palaeoclimate reconstruction from Cueva de Asiul, Cantabria (N. Spain)

Palaeoclimate records from northern Iberia are becoming increasingly sought after as this region is one of the most southerly terrestrial locations in Europe to have its climate dictated principally by the North Atlantic. Terrestrial records therefore have the potential to offer insights into changing oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the wider North Atlantic region. Cave speleothems offer one of the most promising archives from northern Iberia due to their wide geographic distribution and potential for accurately dated climate reconstruction. Cueva de Asiul, situated in Cantabria (N. Iberia; 43°19'0.63''N, 3°35'28.32''W; 285 m.a.s.l) within the Matienzo karst depression is one such site that offers the potential for palaeoclimate reconstructions. Here we present three years of climate and cave monitoring from Cueva de Asiul, giving detailed insight into local meteorology, hydrology and cave ventilation dynamics. In doing so, this paper presents a background to high resolution, Holocene duration speleothem records which have been extracted from this cave. Annual average cave temperatures are +13.7oC, with a maximum range of 1oC, reflecting the seasonality of external air temperature (average external temp +13.8°C). Cave ventilation is controlled by changes in external air temperature and variations in external air pressure during low pressure events. Local rainfall measurements show an average of 1400 mm/year with the majority of rainfall occurring during the winter, with periods of water excess between October and April. Speleothem drip rates are characterised by summer lows and a rapid transition to higher rates at the onset of the winter season. Stable isotope analysis (δ18O, δ2H) indicate that aquifer water is derived predominantly from the previous year’s rainfall and the rainfall feeding the karst system is controlled by a strong amount effect. Speleothems from this site are potentially suited to preserving extended records of rainfall amount in northern Spain and therefore have the potential to inform more clearly about Holocene scale changes in the rainfall source region, the North Atlantic.
Third-Generation Femtosecond Technology

FATTAHI, Hanieh; BARROS, HELENA G. ; GORJAN, MARTIN; NUBBEMEYER, THOMAS; ALSAIF, BIDOOR; TEISSET, CATHERINE Y. ; SCHULTZE, MARCEL; PRINZ, STEPHAN; HAEFNER, MATTHIAS; UEFFING, MORITZ; ALISMAIL, AYMAN; VAMOS, LENARD; SCHWARZ, ALEXANDER; PRONIN, OLEG; BRONS, JONATHAN; GENG, XIAO TAO; Arisholm, Gunnar; CIAPPINA, MARCELO; YAKOVLEV, VLADISLAV S. ; KIM, DONG-EON; AZZEER, ABDALLAH M. ; KARPOWICZ, NICHOLAS; SUTTER, DIRK; Major, Zsuzsanna; Metzger, Thomas; Krausz, Ferenc. Third-generation femtosecond technology. Optica 2014 ;Volum 1. (1) s. 45-63
Association between the Degree of Obesity and the Development of Microalbuminuria in Korean Men: Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Not a few studies have investigated the clinical association between obesity and renal dysfunction. Nonetheless, there is still scarcity of information about the degree of obesity with the development of microalbuminuria. Thus, we evaluate the longitudinal relationship between the degree of obesity stratified by body mass index (BMI) and the risk for microalbuminuria. Method: A cohort of 1,938 Korean men with normoalbuminuria in 2005 was followed-up until 2010. The development of microalbuminuria was defined as urine-albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) between 30 and 300 µg/mg and the incidences of microalbuminuria were compared among 4 groups according to their baseline degree of obesity stratified by BMI. Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the hazard ratios (HRs) for microalbuminuria according to the degree of obesity. Result: During follow-up, 103 cases of microalbuminuria (5.4%) developed. The incidence of microalbuminuria was lowest in normal BMI group (underweight: 3.4%, normal: 2.6%, overweight: 4.2%, obesity: 7.9%, P<0.001). When HRs for microalbuminuria in normal BMI group was set as a reference, only obese group had the statistically significant association with the development of microalbuminuria [underweight: 1.73 (0.22-13.49), overweight: 1.49 (0.73-3.06), obese: 2.54 (1.31-4.93), respectively]. Conclusion: Comparing to normal BMI group, people with obesity had the higher risk for microalbuminuria. This study suggests that obesity is longitudinally related to the development of microalbuminuria.
Scattering from Large 3-D Piecewise Homogeneous Bodies through Linear Embedding via Green's Operators and Arnoldi Basis Functions

We apply the linear embedding via Green's operators (LEGO) method to the scattering by large flnite dielectric bodies which contain metallic or penetrable inclusions. After modelling the body by means of LEGO bricks, we formulate the problem via an integral equation for the total incident currents over the boundaries of the bricks. This equation is turned into a weak form by means of the Method of Moments (MoM) and sub-domain basis functions. Then, to handle possibly large MoM matrices, we employ an order-reduction strategy based on: i) compression of the ofi-diagonal sub-blocks of the system matrix by the adaptive cross approximation algorithm and ii) subsequent compression of the whole matrix by using a basis of orthonormal entire-domain functions generated through the Arnoldi iteration algorithm. The latter leads to a comparatively small upper Hessenberg matrix easily inverted by direct solvers. We validate our approach and discuss the properties of the Arnoldi basis functions through selected numerical examples.
Relative homological algebra

Introduction. The main purpose of this paper is to draw attention to certain functors, exactly analogous to the functors "Tor" and "Ext" of Cartan-Eilenberg [2], but applicable to a module theory that is relativized with respect to a given subring of the basic ring of operators. In particular, we shall show how certain relative cohomology theories for groups, rings, and Lie algebras can be subsumed under the theory of the relative Ext functor, just as (in [2]) the ordinary cohomology theories have been subsumed under the theory of the ordinary Ext functor. Among the various relative cohomology groups that have been considered so far, some can be expressed in terms of the ordinary Ext functor; these have been studied systematically within the framework of general homological algebra by M. Auslander (to appear). A typical feature of these relative groups is that they appear naturally as terms of exact sequences whose other terms are the ordinary cohomology groups of the algebraic system in question, and of its given subsystem. There is, however, another type of relative cohomology theory whose groups are not so intimately linked to the ordinary cohomology groups and exhibit a more individualized behaviour. Specifically, the relative cohomology groups for Lie algebras, as defined (in [3]) by Chevalley and Eilenberg, and the relative cohomology groups of groups, defined and investigated by I. T. Adamson [1], are of this second type. It is these more genuinely "relative" cohomology theories that fall in our present framework of relative homological algebra. Our plan here is to sketch the general features of the relative Tor and Ext functors (? 2) and to illustrate some of their possible uses or interpretations by a selection of unelaborated examples. Thus, ? 3 illustrates the use of the relative Ext functor in extending the cohomology theory for algebras. 4 deals with relative homology and relative cohomology of groups, and involves both the relative Tor functor and the relative Ext functor. 5 discusses the role played by the relative Ext functor in the cohomology theory for Lie algebras. Since this paper is intended to serve as a preliminary survey, and since the topics dealt with are supplementary to the corresponding topics of the nonrelative theory (contained in [2]), we feel justified in presupposing that the
The Effect of Sanctions and Active Labour Market Programmes on the Exit Rate from Unemployment

This paper simultaneously investigates the effectiveness of benefit sanctions and active labour market programmes on the exit rate from un mployment using Danish data. In the data about one third of the individuals who are sanctioned also participate in some active labour market programmes (ALMPs). Hence, modeling only one of them as treatment might over or underestimate the true effect. Therefore, by using a multivariate mixed proportional hazard model (MMPH), we model the hazard rate out of unemployment along with the sanction rate and hazard rate into active labour market programmes. We optimally select the number of supports point for the distribution of unobserved heterogeneity. Results show that pre-specifying two support points underestimates the effect of sanctions and active labour market programmes. Failing to control for selectivity for sanctions not only underestimates the treatment effect of sanctions but also biases the treatment effect of ALMPs.
Heritability, combining ability and inheritance of storage root dry matter in yam beans

Storage root dry matter content (RDM) is central to the improvement of consumer and industrial attributes of root crops. Yam bean ( Pachyrhizus species) is a legume root crop newly introduced in Uganda, but its adoption may be constrained by low RDM. The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of variance for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects, heritability estimates and inheritance of RDM in yam beans. Progenies of sixteen crosses, generated using the North Carolina (NCII) mating scheme, were evaluated in F 1 and F 2 field experiments, with three replications at the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI), Namulonge in Central Uganda, during the first cropping seasons of April, 2013 and 2014, respectively. Significant (p<0.001) mean squares for general combining ability (GCA), and specific combining ability (SCA) were observed in F 1 and F 2 generations, demonstrating additive and non-additive genetic inheritance of RDM. High Baker’s ratio in F 1 (0.76) and F 2 (0.78), and large σ 2 GCA / σ 2 SCA (3.13) indicate predominance of additive gene effects. Narrow sense heritability was high in both F 1 (0.74) and F 2 (0.75), implying that RDM can be improved in yam beans through selection. The results provide a basis for selection of suitable parents for hybridisation and breeding programmes to develop high dry matter yam bean varieties in Uganda. Keywords: Baker’s ratio, gene action, Pachyrhizus species
Participatory modeling as a tool for community development planning: tourism in the Northern Forest

Tourism development planning is challenging for rural communities transitioning from dependence on resource extraction to a diversified economy including tourism. This research examines how participatory modeling can help communities improve their understanding of diverse perspectives and identify intrinsically linked components of tourism. Using a participatory process in six communities in the Northern Forest region of the northeastern United States, a dynamic computer model was developed illustrating complex relationships associated with recreation and tourism development. A user-friendly interface and step-by-step manual were distributed to facilitate application of the model by community planners. Evaluation of the model indicated that barriers limited widespread adoption of the model as a decision-making aid for planners. However, evaluation of the modeling process revealed positive impacts on community capacity including fostering dialogue, increasing understanding of different perspectives, and helping to build consensus.
Sub-surface damage issues for effective fabrication of large optics

A new ultra precision large optics grinding machine, BoX® has been developed at Cranfield University. BoX® is located at the UK's Ultra Precision Surfaces laboratory at the OpTIC Technium. This machine offers a rapid and economic solution for grinding large off-axis aspherical and free-form optical components. This paper presents an analysis of subsurface damage assessments of optical ground materials produced using diamond resin bonded grinding wheels. The specific materials used, Zerodur® and ULE® are currently under study for making extremely large telescope (ELT) segmented mirrors such as in the E-ELT project. The grinding experiments have been conducted on the BoX® grinding machine using wheels with grits sizes of 76 μm, 46 μm and 25 μm. Grinding process data was collected using a Kistler dynamometer platform. The highest material removal rate (187.5 mm3/s) used ensures that a 1 metre diameter optic can be ground in less than 10 hours. The surface roughness and surface profile were measured using a Form Talysurf. The subsurface damage was revealed using a sub aperture polishing process in combination with an etching technique. These results are compared with the targeted form accuracy of 1 μm p-v over a 1 metre part, surface roughness of 50-150 nm RMS and subsurface damage in the range of 2-5 μm. This process stage was validated on a 400 mm ULE® blank and a 1 metre hexagonal Zerodur® part.
Reliability And Validity Of Unilateral And Bilateral Isometric Strength Measures Using A Customised, Portable Apparatus

The ability to produce high levels of muscular force and power are considered to be essential determinants in successful athletic performance across a broad range of sports (3,14,16,29). While conjecture continues to exist regarding the precise levels of strength required to optimise performance (25,36), the overriding conclusion drawn from a multitude of research upholds the positive relationship between maximal strength and athletic performance in sports reliant on strength, speed and power (8,14,25,29,36,37,38). In order to assess maximal strength, a variety of measures are available for use, including isotonic, isokinetic and isometric testing modalities (21,27,28); however, a lack of consensus remains concerning the most suitable mechanism to assess muscle function due to inherent limitations and varying situational contexts (8,16,27,28,30).
Critical species of Odonata in Europe

Abstract The status of the odonate fauna of Europe is fairly well known, but the current IUCN Red List presents only six species out of ca 130, two of which are actually out of danger today. In this paper we propose a tentative list of 22 possibly declining or threatened species in the region. For the majority, reliable data of population size and possible decline is still lacking. Also 17 endemic species are listed, most occurring in the two centres of endemism in the area: the south-eastern (mountains and islands) and the western Mediterranean. These species should receive extra attention in future updates of the world Red List due to their limited distribution. The extreme variation in biomes and the human exploitation of habitats make conservation planning complicated in Europe. Within the EU, the FFH directive is a working tool aiding conservation. However, the species included do not fully correspond to those on the current Red List, nor to those discussed in this paper. We believe that future conservation efforts should focus on the most valuable and threatened habitats in each sub-region. Active conservation measures could be implemented on a European scale, provided that research will establish a solid ground for such measures.
No 63 Hospital Market Concentration and Discrimination of Patients

In this paper we investigate the existence of a two-tier medical system in the German acute care hospital sector using data from a survey of 483 German hospitals. The focus of our analysis lies on the impact of hospital concentration on the probability of discrimination of patients with different health insurances in regard to the access to medical services. Accounting for a possible endogeneity of market structure, we find that hospitals in highly concentrated markets are less likely to pursue any differentiation among prospective patients with different health insurances. We ascribe this finding to competitive pressure in less concentrated markets. Hospitals in competitive markets are more obliged to steal business from rival hospitals by privileging profitable patients than hospitals in highly concen-
STAR MAPS AND TRAVELLING TO CEREMONIES: THE EUAHLAYI PEOPLE AND THEIR USE OF THE NIGHT SKY

The Euahlayi people are an Australian Aboriginal language group located in north-central New South Wales and south-central Queensland. They have a rich culture of astronomy, and use of the night sky in resource management. Like several other Aboriginal peoples, they did not travel extensively at night, and so were assumed not to use the night sky for navigation. This study has confirmed that they, like most other Aboriginal groups, travelled extensively outside their own country for purposes of trade and ceremonies. We also found that, previously unknown, they used star maps in the night sky for learning and remembering waypoints along their routes of travel, but not for actual navigation. Further research may find that this was common to many Aboriginal groups in Australia.
Noncausality and asset pricing

Abstract Misspecification of agents’ information sets or expectation formation mechanisms may lead to noncausal autoregressive representations of asset prices. Within the class of linear (vector) autoregressions, annual US stock prices are found to be best described by noncausal models, implying that agents’ expectations are not revealed to an outside observer such as an econometrician observing only realized market data. A simulation study shows that noncausal asset prices are observed when the data are generated by asset-pricing models featuring heterogeneous expectations.