Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MULTI DRUG RESISTANT TUBERCULOUS MENINGITIS IN PEDIATRIC AGE GROUP

Objective: Past decade has seen increase in cases of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) and multidrug resistance in such cases. The mortality rate for a mismanaged TBM is very high which increases manifold in presence of associated complicating factors. The present study was thus planned to evaluate the prevalence of MDR-TBM and look for associated complicating factors and carry out drug sensitivity pattern in all culture positive isolates. Methods: One hundred cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) samples from children clinically suspected of having TBM were collected and processed for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by conventional methods like Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining, Lowenstein- Jensen (LJ) culture and newer method like BACTEC 460 TB culture. Antimicrobial susceptibility was performed on all culture positive isolates by BACTEC 460 TB system. Findings: Twenty two cases could be diagnosed as definitive TBM based on BACTEC culture. Of these 22 cases, six cases (27.3%) were positive by ZN staining and/or LJ culture. Of all isolates tested for drug sensitivity 18 were sensitive to all four drugs whereas 4 isolates were resistant to more than one drug. Conclusion: Since the prevalence of MDR-TBM is very high we conclude that all CSF samples should be subjected to sensitivity testing to diagnose it at an early time and determine its sensitivity pattern in view of its very high mortality.
Personal Selling as a Knowledge-Based Activity: Communities of Practice in the Sales Force

This research posits personal selling as a knowledge-based activity. In their day-to-day interaction with customers, sales personnel gain priceless insights into their personalities, likes and dislikes, their process requirements or their position in formal and informal networks. If such ‘soft’ knowledge is externalised and made available in organisations, it can be a highly precious asset in developing genuine customer-oriented marketing and sales strategies. In most firms, however, such knowledge is not included in databases and other technological means of knowledge exchange. Using the Grounded Theory method, an exploratory investigation is undertaken to examine if and how such personal customer knowledge is shared in sales teams. The findings point toward the importance of so-called ‘communities of practice’ in the sales organisation and show that knowledge exchange is inseparable from the social environment in which it is created and put to use.
Crop influence on mobile sulphur content and arylsulphatase activity in the plant rhizosphere

The changes of mobile sulphur (S) contents were investigated in the plant rhizosphere using precise model experiments with rhizoboxes. The tested plants were winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter rape (Brassica napus L.) and white lupine (Lupinus albus L.). In this experiment, a Cambisol from a precise field experiment treated with sewage sludge or manure was used. Total extractable S concentration and mineral S (S-SO4 2–) concentration in the water extract were higher in the plant rhizosphere (< 6 mm from the root) compared to the so-called bulk soil (> 6 mm). The contents of total extractable S0 decreased in order: lupine (5–35 mg/kg) > rape (4–18 mg/kg) > wheat (1.5–3 mg/kg). The same order was observed for mineral S-SO4 2– where the contents in soil extracts were 1–10 mg/kg, 2–7 mg/kg, and 0.5–3 mg/kg, respectively. The highest total extractable S and mineral S (S-SO4 2–) contents were found in the treatments fertilized with organic fertilizers. In the case of rape and wheat the arylsulphatase (ARS) activity was higher in the rhizosphere compared to the bulk soil; the opposite was recorded for lupine. It was acknowledged that the ARS activity was higher in the treatments fertilized with organic fertilizers (manure or sewage sludge) with all three tested plants. The highest determined ARS activity was found after wheat cultivation, the lowest after the lupine cultivation. The organic sulphur content followed an opposite tendency (lupine > rape > wheat).
Using SAR satellite data time-series for regional glacier mapping

Abstract. With dense SAR satellite data time series it is possible to map surface and subsurface glacier properties that vary in time. On Sentinel-1A and RADARSAT-2 backscatter time series images over mainland Norway and Svalbard, we outline how to map glaciers using descriptive methods. We present five application scenarios. The first shows potential for tracking transient snow lines with SAR backscatter time series and correlates with both optical satellite images (Sentinel-2A and Landsat 8) and equilibrium line altitudes derived from in situ surface mass balance data. In the second application scenario, time series representation of glacier facies corresponding to SAR glacier zones shows potential for a more accurate delineation of the zones and how they change in time. The third application scenario investigates the firn evolution using dense SAR backscatter time series together with a coupled energy balance and multilayer firn model. We find strong correlation between backscatter signals with both the modeled firn air content and modeled wetness in the firn. In the fourth application scenario, we highlight how winter rain events can be detected in SAR time series, revealing important information about the area extent of internal accumulation. In the last application scenario, averaged summer SAR images were found to have potential in assisting the process of mapping glaciers outlines, especially in the presence of seasonal snow. Altogether we present examples of how to map glaciers and to further understand glaciological processes using the existing and future massive amount of multi-sensor time series data.
Fiscal Sustainability and Policy Implications for the Euro Area

In this paper we examine the sustainability of euro area public finances against the backdrop of population ageing. We critically assess the widely used projections of the Working Group on Ageing Populations (AWG) of the EU's Economic Policy Committee and argue that ageing costs may be higher than projected in the AWG reference scenario. Taking into account adjusted headline estimates for ageing costs, largely based upon the sensitivity analysis carried out by the AWG, we consider alternative indicators to quantify sustainability gaps for euro area countries. With respect to the policy implications, we assess the appropriateness of different budgetary strategies to restore fiscal sustainability taking into account intergenerational equity. Our stylised analysis based upon the lifetime contribution to the government's primary balance of different generations suggests that an important degree of pre-funding of the ageing costs is necessary to avoid shifting the burden of adjustment in a disproportionate way to future generations. For many euro area countries this implies that the medium-term targets defined in the context of the revised stability and growth pact would ideally need to be revised upwards to significant surpluses.
Soil Physical Quality and Soybean Yield as Affected by Chiseling and Subsoiling of a No-Till Soil

The concept of soil physical quality (SPQ) is currently under discussion, and an agreement about which soil physical properties should be included in the SPQ characterization has not been reached. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the ability of SPQ indicators based on static and dynamic soil properties to assess the effects of two loosening treatments (chisel plowing to 0.20 m [ChT] and subsoiling to 0.35 m [DL]) on a soil under NT and to compare the performance of static- and dynamic-based SPQ indicators to define soil proper soil conditions for soybean yield. Soil sampling and field determinations were carried out after crop harvest. Soil water retention curve was determined using a tension table, and field infiltration was measured using a tension disc infiltrometer. Most dynamic SPQ indicators (field saturated hydraulic conductivity, K0, effective macroporosity, ema, total connectivity and macroporosity indexes [CwTP and Cwmac]) were affected by the studied treatments, and were greater for DL compared to NT and ChT (K0 values were 2.17, 2.55, and 4.37 cm h-1 for NT, ChT, and DL, respectively). However, static SPQ indicators (calculated from the water retention curve) were not capable of distinguishing effects among treatments. Crop yield was significantly lower for the DL treatment (NT: 2,400 kg ha-1; ChT: 2,358 kg ha-1; and DL: 2,105 kg ha1), in agreement with significantly higher values of the dynamic SPQ indicators, K0, ema, CwTP, and Cwmac, in this treatment. The results support the idea that SPQ indicators based on static properties are not capable of distinguishing tillage effects and predicting crop yield, whereas dynamic SPQ indicators are useful for distinguishing tillage effects and can explain differences in crop yield when used together with information on weather conditions. However, future studies, monitoring years with different weather conditions, would be useful for increasing knowledge on this topic.
X Marks the Spot: Nexus of Filaments, Cores, and Outflows in a Young Star-forming Region

We present a multiwavelength investigation of a region of a nearby giant molecular cloud that is distinguished by a minimal level of star formation activity. With our new (J = 2–1) and (J = 2–1) observations of a remote region within the middle of the California molecular cloud, we aim to investigate the relationship between filaments, cores, and a molecular outflow in a relatively pristine environment. An extinction map of the region from Herschel Space Observatory observations reveals the presence of two 2 pc long filaments radiating from a high-extinction clump. Using the observations, we show that the filaments have coherent velocity gradients and that their mass-per-unit-lengths may exceed the critical value above which filaments are gravitationally unstable. The region exhibits structure with eight cores, at least one of which is a starless, prestellar core. We identify a low-velocity, low-mass molecular outflow that may be driven by a flat spectrum protostar. The outflow does not appear to be responsible for driving the turbulence in the core with which it is associated, nor does it provide significant support against gravitational collapse.
Functionally sequenced scanpath similarity method (FuncSim): Comparing and evaluating scanpath similarity based on a task’s inherent sequence of functional (action) units

Measures of scanpath similarity are essential in many domains of eye tracking research. Depending on the question, different calculations are adequate. We (Foerster, Carbone, Koesling, & Schneider, 2011) developed a method with a functional matching procedure suitable for sequential tasks. Here, we report two extensions. We introduced an alignment variant making the method more robust across tasks. We added the possibility to compare scanpaths according to multiple characteristics. The extended method, here called “functionally sequenced scanpath similarity method (FuncSim)” reveals whether gaze characteristics are similar in the same functional units of a task, opposed to when participants are engaged in different functional units. Finally, the advantages of our method are presented and compared to other methods of scanpath similarity calculation.
Simulations of mono-sized solid particles in the Reflux Classifier under continuous process conditions

In this study, a fluidized bed separator incorporating inclined channels, the Reflux Classifier (RC), was modeled to describe the transport behavior of mono-sized solid particles using a 2D computational segregation-dispersion model. The model is a volume flux-based model comprising the dispersion and segregation fluxes. Simulations were performed to examine variations in the solid volume fraction of particle species of size 0.163 mm and density 2450 kg/m3 by altering variables such as fluidization velocity, underflow rate and water flux in the feed. The system achieved a maximum solid volume fraction of 0.50 (v/v) near the base at a fluidization velocity 0.00020 m/s, that reduced to 0.20 at the fluidization velocity 0.0060 m/s. Overall, the results showed a decrease in the average solid volume fraction from 0.37 to 0.21 for the corresponding fluidization velocities. Simulation results also successfully demonstrated the capacity of the RC in retaining the solid particles at a superficial fluidization velocity 0.020 m/s, significantly higher than the terminal settling velocity, 0.015 m/s, of the solid particles, due to the presence of an inclined channel. Similarly, with increasing the underflow rate, the average solid volume fraction decreased from 0.29 to 0.055 due to the discharge of a larger quantity of solid particles from the base. Furthermore, a higher concentration of solid particles was observed in the inclined section at lower water flux in the feed stream. Additionally, flux balance calculations were carried out at different points within the RC to ensure the accuracy of the model predictions.
Determinants of Intent to Transfer among Black Male Community College Students: A Multinomial, Multilevel Investigation of Student Engagement

Background/Context Transfer is a core function of community colleges; this is a critical point given that these institutions serve as the primary pathway into postsecondary education for Black men. However, too few Black men identify transfer as a primary goal and/or eventually transfer to a 4-year college or university. Purpose Using Nora and Rendón's (1990) research on transfer predisposition as a theoretical guide, this study investigated determinants of Black male community college students’ predisposition to transfer from a community college to a 4-year university. This research sought to determine whether student-level and institutional-level measures of engagement were predictive of transfer intent. This research also examined whether engagement predictors at the student level had randomly varying slopes across colleges. Population This study employed a quantitative analysis of secondary data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). A total of 11,384 Black men nested within 259 community colleges were included in the analytic sample. Research Design Data were analyzed using multilevel, multinomial logistic regression. Students’ predisposition to transfer was modeled in three categories, transfer as a primary goal, secondary goal, or not a goal. The first analysis examined predictors of students’ intent to transfer using student-level variables while the second analysis added institutional-level variables. In the third analysis, the researchers’ constructed random slopes and intercepts models to investigate whether the student-level engagement slopes on the outcome differed across the nested structure. Findings/Results Students with transfer as a primary goal (as opposed to not being a goal) were more likely to be younger, have earned more credits, non-first-generation, full-time enroll-ees, and to have taken developmental education courses. They were also more likely to spend more hours per week studying and involved in extracurricular activities. These students were also more engaged in active and collaborative learning and used student services on campus. Conclusions/Recommendations This research has shown that that the factors influencing Black men's predisposition toward transfer largely mirror that of their White and Hispanic peers. Findings from this study demonstrated that social integration was a positive predictor of students’ intent to transfer; the finding diverges from prior research on Black men in the community college, which have shown social integration to serve as a negative predictor of success outcomes.
Interactions among Varroa jacobsoni mites, acute paralysis virus, and Paenibacillus larvae larvae and their influence on mortality of larval honeybees in vitro

La mortalite des larves et des nymphes d'abeilles (Apis mellifera L.) elevees in vitro a ete etudiee apres plusieurs combinaisons d'inoculation par voie orale de spores de P. larvae larvae, d'inoculation par voie orale de virus de la paralysie aigue (APV) et d'infestation par V. jacobsoni. Les acariens ont ete soit debarrasses des pathogenes, soit infectes par l'APV. La procedure de nettoyage consistait a transferer les acariens a quatre lots successifs de nymphes d'abeilles saines a trois jours d'intervalle (Fig. 1). L'infection des acariens avec l'APV a ete faite de la facon suivante : on a injecte de l'APV purifie aux nymphes d'abeilles du 4 e lot avant de transferer les acariens. La relation a ete etudiee in vitro afin d'exclure toute influence de la part des abeilles nourrices ou nettoyeuses. Les resultats suggerent que l'infection par la loque americaine (AFB) est severe avec des mortalites allant de 25 a 55 % selon la dose d'infection. Les effets de l'inoculation par voie orale de l'APV, qui a provoque une mortalite de 9 %, ne s'additionnent pas a ceux de l'infection par P. larvae larvae et P. larvae larvae ne peut activer une infection par l'APV passee inapercue. La mortalite provoquee par V. jacobsoni seul a ete de 25 %, ce qui laisse penser que l'acarien lui-meme a une influence sur la mortalite larvaire au moins en elevage in vitro. Pourtant, il n'y a pas eu de difference de mortalite dans les groupes inocules avec trois ou huit spores de P. larvae larvae et infestes par un acarien par rapport aux groupes correspondants non infestes. La mortalite provoquee par V. jacobsoni infecte par l'APV a ete de 55 %. Il n'y a pas eu de difference significative de mortalite entre le groupe infeste uniquement avec des acariens et l'APV et les groupes egalement inocules avec des spores de P. larvae larvae, mais les differences etaient significatives avec les groupes inocules correspondants mais non infestes. Les resultats suggerent que l'infestation par les acariens n'a pas eu d'effet s'additionnant a la mortalite causee par P. larvae larvae. Ils suggerent que les acariens vecteurs de l'APV ne sont pas le facteur de mortalite le plus eleve parmi les combinaisons testees. Mais les acariens eux-memes ou les acariens vecteurs de l'APV agissent comme facteur de stress, provoquant les symptomes cliniques de la loque americaine chez les larves elevees in vitro. Cela n'exclut pas neanmoins que l'acarien V. jacobsoni est un facteur de stress pour la colonie d'abeilles.
Chlorosphaeropsidone and Epichlorospaeropsidone, Two New Chlorinated Dimedone Methyl Ethers Isolated from Liquid Cultures of "Sphaeropsis sapinea" f. sp. "cupressi"

Two new dimedone methyl ethers, named chlorosphaeropsidone and epichlorosphaeropsidone were isolated from the culture filtrates of Sphaeropsis sapinea f. sp. cupressi, the causal agent of a canker of Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.). The same fungus also produced various phytotoxic metabolites: three pimarane diterpenes (sphaeropsidins A, B and C) and two dimedone methyl ethers (sphaeropsidone and episphaeropsidone). Chlorosphaeropsidone and epichlorosphaeropsidone were characterized using chemical and spectroscopic methods as two 6-chloro-4,5-dihydroxy-3-methoxycyclohex-2-en-1-ones epimers at C-6. Their relative and absolute configurations were established by NMR, X-ray analysis and circular dichroism. Assayed on host plants they did not show phytotoxic activity. Comparison with other sphaeropsidones suggested that this might result from opening of the epoxy ring.
State Space Reduction on Wireless Sensor Network Verification Using Component-Based Petri Net Approach

With the recent advancement of Internet of Things, the applications of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are increasingly attracting attention from of both industry and research communities. However, since the deployment cost of a WSN is relatively large, one would want to make a logic model of a WSN and have the model verified beforehand to ensure that the WSN would work correctly and effectively once practically employed. Petri Net (PN) is very suitable to model a WSN, since PN strongly supports modeling concurrent and ad-hoc systems. However, verification of a PN-modeled system suffers from having to explore the huge state space of the system. In order to overcome it, in this paper we suggest a novel component-based approach to model and verify a PN-modeled WSN system. First of all, the original WSN system is divided into components, which can be further abstracted to reduce the model size. Moreover, when verifying the corresponding PN model produced from the abstracted WSN, we introduce a strategy of component-based firing, which can reduce the state space significantly. Compared to typical approach of PN-based verification, our method enjoys an impressive improvement of performance and resource consuming, as depicted in our experimental results.
The effects of the interaction of technology, structure, and organizational climate on job satisgfaction

This s tudy examines the e ffects of the interaction o f technology, structure, and o rganizational climate on job satisfaction in po wer-generation p lants. Correlation tests and series of hierarchical regression analyses were performed. The study reveals several significant correlations among these three organizational variables and with employee job satisfaction.
Probabilistic Calibration of Computer Model and Application to Reliability Analysis of Elasto-Plastic Insertion Problem

: 표준편차 Key Words: Pyrotechnically Actuated Device(파이로작동기구), Elasto-Plastic Analysis(탄소성해석), Calibration (보정), Markov Chain Monte Carlo(마르코프체인 몬테카를로) 초록: 컴퓨터 해석모델은 물리현상을 바탕으로 단순화된 모델을 구축하고 해를 구하는 유용한 도구이나, 많은 경우 단순화 가정 또는 입력변수 정보의 미비나 불확실성으로 인해 실제와 차이가 발생한다. 본 연구에서는 이러한 문제에 대해 베이지안 확률이론을 이용하여 실측데이터를 통해 해석모델을 보정하는 방법을 소개하고 이를 파이로 작동기구의 탄소성 압착 문제에 적용한다. 파이로 작동기구는 고에너지의 재료를 원격으로 폭발시켜 작동하는 장치로 그 작동의 신속한 계산을 위해서 단순한 수학모델을 구축하고 실험데이터를 토대로 미지의 입력변수를 확률적으로 보정하였다. 이 때, 확률적 추정을 위해서는 현대적 계산통계기법의 하나인 Markov Chain Monte Carlo 기법을 이용하였으며, 최종적으로 그 결과를 압착거동해석에 활용하여 작동기구의 신뢰도를 평가하였다. Abstract: A computer model is a useful tool that provides solution via physical modeling instead of expensive testing. In reality, however, it often does not agree with the experimental data owing to simplifying assumption and unknown or uncertain input parameters. In this study, a Bayesian approach is proposed to calibrate the computer model in a probabilistic manner using the measured data. The elasto-plastic analysis of a pyrotechnically actuated device (PAD) is employed to demonstrate this approach, which is a component that delivers high power in remote environments by the combustion of a self-contained energy source. A simple mathematical model that quickly evaluates the performance is developed. Unknown input parameters are calibrated conditional on the experimental data using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, which is a modern computational statistics method. Finally, the results are applied to determine the reliability of the PAD.