Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Revealing Microbial Population Complexity on Hospital Textiles Using DHPLC

Hospital environment provides an important ecological niche that can serve as a reservoir for potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Hospital textiles together with moisture and heat create the right conditions for growth, dissemination and long-term survival of many microorganisms, which may results in transmission of nosocomial infections. Therefore, understanding of total microbial population on hospital textiles is an important part for assessment of public health risks. In the present work, we tested the suitability of DHPLC for estimation of total microbial population on hospital textiles. All of the identified bacteria belonged to the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and up to 63 bacterial genera/species were identified. Mostly abundant species important in perspective of HCAI were Acinetobacter spp. , Corynebacterium spp. , Staphylococcus spp. , Sphingomonas mucosissima and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Microbial diversity on hospital textiles was extensive and partly coincides with the intensive care units bacterial communities and pathogens obtained from clinical samples. This is the first study describing total microbial population complexity on hospital textiles, which are important factors contributing to the hospital microbiome.
Auctions with Downstream Interaction Among Buyers

We study an auction whose outcome influences the future interaction among agents. The impact of that interaction on agent i is assumed to be a function of all agents' types (which are private information at the time of the auction). Explicit illustrations treat auctions of patents and takeover contests. We derive equilibria for second-price, sealed-bid auctions in which the seller sometimes keeps the object, and we point out the various effects caused by positive and negative impacts. We also study the effect of reserve prices and entry fees on the seller's revenue and on welfare.
Comparative evaluation of reproductive performance and some egg quality parameters of black and white skinned snails.

One hundred sexually matured snails, fifty each of the black skinned and white skinned ectotypes were used in the evaluation of reproductive performance and egg quality traits in a study that lasted for eighty-four days. The reproductive performance traits measured included clutch size (number of eggs laid per clutch), incubation period (days) of eggs, percent hatchability, and percent mortality and survivability, while the egg quality traits evaluated included egg weight and length. Results obtained showed significant differences at different levels among parameters measured in the two ectotypes of snails studied. The results of reproductive traits showed that mean clutch sizes were 5 and 4 for black skinned and white skinned ectotypes respectively. Mean incubation periods were 25.8 days for the black skinned ectotype and 22 days for the white skinned ectotype. The values for mean percent hatchability were 26.8 % and 22.8 % for the black skinned and white skinned ectotypes respectively. Mean survivability values were 22.8 % for black skinned ectotype and 20 % for the white skinned ecotype. The mean egg quality parameters were 2.7 g and 2.4 g, weight for black skinned and white skinned ectotypes respectively. The mean egg lengths were 4.6 mm and 4.2 mm for black skinned and white skinned ectotypes respectively. Among the measured parameters, clutch size and egg length had very high significant difference (P
A Randomized Trial of Cognitive Group Therapy vs. Waiting List for Patients with Co-Morbid Psychiatric Disorders: Effect of Cognitive Group Therapy after Treatment and Six and Twelve Months Follow-Up

The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of cognitive group therapy compared to a waiting list in a sample of patients with heterogeneous non-psychotic disorders. Participants in this study were referred from either the psychiatric in- or outpatient clinic at the psychiatric university hospital in Trondheim, Norway. The patients were assessed with SCID I and SCID II, and randomized either to cognitive group therapy (n=15) or to a waiting list (n=17). Self-report assessments of symptoms and interpersonal difficulties were administered at the start of therapy, after termination of therapy (8 weeks), and at 6 months and 12 months follow-up. Thirty-two patients completed 8 weeks of therapy. Results showed that an 8-week program of CBGT performed better than the waiting list controls, on symptom relief at post-treatment for all patients. The effects of therapy were still upheld at 6 and 12 months follow-up. Cognitive therapy seems to be useful and effective in a group format in naturalistic clinical settings, with patients suffering from various forms of non-psychotic co-morbid psychiatric disorders.
The Sea Surface Bounce Channel: Bubble‐Mediated Energy Loss and Time/Angle Spreading

A model is presented for the energy loss in the sea surface forward bounce channel due to attenuation from wind‐speed‐dependent bubbles; the model is compared to data from ASIAEX and other archival data sets. At high wind speeds the model predicts an energy loss bound, i.e., no further attenuation with increasing wind speed. Prior to reaching this bound and while there is attenuation, time and angle spreading in the forward bounce path remain largely controlled by the spectral properties of the air‐sea interface, i.e., they remain unchanged by the bubbles. Once bounding of energy loss occurs, initiated by the dominance of bubble scattering over air‐sea interface scattering, time and angle spreading of the arrival change profoundly.
Multiple antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli and Salmonella species isolated from broilers and local chickens retailed along the roadside in Zaria, Nigeria

Pathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella species are the causative agents of various disease complexes in poultry such as colibacillosis, fowl typhoid, pullorum disease and salmonellosis. Some strains of E. coli and Salmonella spp. have been shown to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. We carried out a bacteriological investigation on 105 cloacal swabs from local and broiler chickens retailed along the roadside in Hanwa, Zaria for the occurrence of E. coli and Salmonella spp. by isolation through culture, and identification using biochemical and serotyping techniques. Serotyping of E. coli isolates was carried out with polyvalent E. coli O157:H7 antisera while Salmonella spp. isolates were serotyped using polyvalent antisera specific for all groups and type-factor for Salmonella spp. Presumptive isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using 13 panels of antibiotics for both E. coli and Salmonella spp. Results showed that the overall isolation rate of Salmonella spp. was 12 (11.4%), broiler chickens had higher isolation rate 9 (12.0%) of Salmonella than local chickens. However, the isolation rate of E. coli from local chickens 15 (50.0%) was higher compared to broilers 6 (8.0%). Also, non-E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157:H7 were isolated from both broilers and local chickens at a frequency of 15 (14.3%) and 6 (5.7%) respectively. The overall isolation rate of E. coli was 21 (20.0%). Multiple antibiotic resistance was observed among local and broiler chickens. However, E. coli and Salmonella species were 100% susceptible to Enrofloxacin. We therefore concluded that E. coli and Salmonella species are prevalent in the cloacae of both broiler and local chickens retailed along the roadside in Hanwa, Zaria, Nigeria and could pose serious veterinary and public health risks.
Sediment as a constituent of Mediterranean benthic communities dominated by Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea

Mediterranean macroalgal assemblages in areas invaded and non-invaded by Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea were compared and trapped sediments were characterised. Results showed that assemblages invaded by C. racemosa var. cylindracea differed greatly from non-invaded ones: encrusting and erect algae, both articulated and foliose, decreased in invaded areas, while opportunistic filamentous species increased their abundance The percentage of sediment was 7 times higher in areas invaded by C. racemosa var. cylindracea than in non-invaded areas. Characteristics of trapped sediments were similar in all the studied assemblages, while redox values were lower in the invaded ones. Results suggested that sediment constitutes an important component in C. racemosa var. cylindracea populations, probably enhancing the competitive ability of this species.
Urban Noise Recorded by Stationary Monitoring Stations

The paper presents the analysis results of equivalent sound level recorded by two road traffic noise monitoring stations. The stations were located in Kielce (an example of a medium-size town in Poland) at the roads in the town in the direction of Łódź and Lublin. The measurements were carried out through stationary stations monitoring the noise and traffic of motor vehicles. The RMS values based on A-weighted sound level were recorded every 1 s in the buffer and the results were registered every 1 min over the period of investigations. The registered data were the basis for calculating the equivalent sound level for three time intervals: from 6:00 to 18:00, from 18:00 to 22:00 and from 22:00 to 6:00. Analysis included the values of the equivalent sound level recorded for different days of the week split into 24h periods, nights, days and evenings. The data analysed included recordings from 2013. The agreement of the distribution of the variable under analysis with normal distribution was evaluated. It was demonstrated that in most cases (for both roads) there was sufficient evidence to reject the null hypothesis at the significance level of 0.05. It was noted that compared with Łódź Road, in the case of Lublin Road data, more cases were recorded for which the null hypothesis could not be rejected. Uncertainties of the equivalent sound level measurements were compared within the periods under analysis. The standard deviation, coefficient of variation, the positional coefficient of variation, the quartile deviation was proposed for performing a comparative analysis of the obtained data scattering. The investigations indicated that the recorded data varied depending on the traffic routes and time intervals. The differences concerned the values of uncertainties and coefficients of variation of the equivalent sound levels.
OnChannel Estimation for Analog Network Coding in a Frequency-Selective Fading Channel

Recently, broadband analog network coding (ANC) was introduced for high-speed transmission over the wireless (frequencyselective fading) channel. However, ANC requires the knowledge of channel state information (CSI) for self-information removal and coherent signal detection. In ANC, the users’ pilot signals interfere during the first slot, which renders the relay unable to estimate CSIs of different users, and, consequently, four time-slot pilot-assisted channel estimation (CE) is required to avoid interference. Naturally, this will reduce the capacity of ANC scheme. In this paper, we theoretically analyze the bit error rate (BER) performance of bi-directional broadband ANC communication based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) radio access. We also theoretically analyze the performance of the channel estimator’s mean square error (MSE). The analysis is based on the assumption of perfect timing and frequency synchronization. The achievable BER performance and the estimator’s MSE for broadband ANC is evaluated by numerical and computer simulation. We discuss how, and by how much, the imperfect knowledge of CSI affects the BER performance of broadband ANC. It is shown that the CE scheme achieves a slightly higher BER in comparison with ideal CE case for a low and moderate mobile terminal speed in a frequency-selective fading channel.
The Influence of Company Size and Capital Structure towards Liquidity, Corporate Performance and Firm Value, for Large and Small Group Companies

This research conducted based on a deep curiosity towards the issues of which among the key variables that will genuinelly influence a company profitability and the Firm Value. Clustering the companies by it’s asset size ie. Large and Small Groups, was offered as the novelty of this research. Statistical testing method employed is Generalized Structured Component Analysis (GSCA) to measure the influence of Company Size and Capital Structure towards Liquidity, Financial Performance and Firm Value and to prove the moderation between the two company size clusters. This research found that essentially there was a significant different characteristic between the two groups, regarding the influence of the endogenic variables towards exogenic variable. It is then considered as a new contribution to the academic world, that the influence of endogenic variables towards exogenic variables are not identical one to another, when there is different assets size involved. Keywords: Asset Size Grouping, Company Size, Capital Structure, Financial Performance, Liquidity, Firm Value, GSCA
The centre-to-limb variations of solar Fraunhofer lines imprinted upon lunar eclipse spectra - Implications for exoplanet transit observations

The atmospheres of exoplanets are commonly studied by observing the transit of the planet passing in front of its parent star. The obscuration of part of the stellar disk during a transit will reveal aspects of its surface structure resulting from general centre-to-limb variations (CLVs). These become apparent when forming the ratio between the stellar light in and out of transit. These phenomena can be seen particularly clearly during the progress of a penumbral lunar eclipse, where the Earth transits the solar disk and masks different regions of the solar disk as the eclipse progresses. When inferring the properties of the planetary atmosphere, it is essential that this effect originating at the star is properly accounted for. Using the data observed from the 2014-April-15 lunar eclipse with the ESPaDOnS spectrograph mounted on the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), we have obtained for the first time a time sequence of the penumbral spectra. These penumbral spectra enable us to study the centre-to-limb variations of solar Fraunhofer lines when the Earth is transiting Sun. The Na i and Ca ii absorption features reported from previous lunar eclipse observations are demonstrated to be CLV features, which dominate the corresponding line profiles and mask possible planetary signal. Detecting atmospheric species in exoplanets via transit spectroscopy must account for the CLV effect.
BRIDGING THE LEARNING DISTANCE: INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES FOR THE VIDEOCONFERENCE TUTORIALS

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges which are experienced by open and distance learning (ODL) tutors in facilitating teaching and learning during the videoconference (VC) tutorials. It is believed that if these challenges can be addressed, the VC technology will serve as a facilitation tool that bridges the distance in learning. Following a phenomenological research design, this study employed interviews and observations to collect data from students and tutors engaged in the VC tutorials in an ODL institution. Four to six students per focus group based in four learning centres of an ODL institution were interviewed to determine how tutors interact with them through videoconferencing. Five VC tutorial sessions at the connecting site was attended for observations. The findings to this study highlight various factors contributory to tutors’ abilities in fostering interactivity during VC tutorials; as well as the facilitation methods used in VC tutorials. This study concludes that the approaches used in the VC tutorials is ineffective and thus make interactivity impossible throughout the tutorial sessions. The study therefore suggests modification in tutor training on exploiting the VC technology and on how to integrate this technology with various suitable teaching methodologies.
Thin shell analysis from scattered points with maximum‐entropy approximants

We present a method to process embedded smooth manifolds using sets of points alone. This method avoids any global parameterization and hence is applicable to surfaces of any genus. It combines three ingredients: (1) the automatic detection of the local geometric structure of the manifold by statistical learning methods; (2) the local parameterization of the surface using smooth meshfree (here maximum‐entropy) approximants; and (3) patching together the local representations by means of a partition of unity. Mesh‐based methods can deal with surfaces of complex topology, since they rely on the element‐level parameterizations, but cannot handle high‐dimensional manifolds, whereas previous meshfree methods for thin shells consider a global parametric domain, which seriously limits the kinds of surfaces that can be treated. We present the implementation of the method in the context of Kirchhoff–Love shells, but it is applicable to other calculations on manifolds in any dimension. With the smooth approximants, this fourth‐order partial differential equation is treated directly. We show the good performance of the method on the basis of the classical obstacle course. Additional calculations exemplify the flexibility of the proposed approach in treating surfaces of complex topology and geometry. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gender in Context, Content, and Approach

I explore gender messages in Boy Scout and Girl Scout handbooks through an analysis of how gender is infused in the context and content of Scout activities as well as in instructions about how the Scouts are to approach these activities. I find that girls are offered more activities intended to be performed in group contexts than are boys. Boys are offered proportionately more activities with scientific content and proportionately fewer artistic activities than are girls. The girls’ handbook conveys messages about approaching activities with autonomous and critical thinking, whereas the boys’ handbook facilitates intellectual passivity through a reliance on organizational scripts. Taken together, girls’ messages promote an “up-to-date traditional woman” consistent with the Girl Scouts’ organizational roots; boys’ messages promote an assertive heteronormative masculinity that is offset by facilitating boys’ intellectual passivity.
Alcohol Use Disorder and its Correlates among Health Professionals

Background: Alcohol is commonly used psychoactive drug particularly among adults. Harmful use of alcohol leads to occupational, social and physical impairment. However, studies on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) among Health Professionals (HPs) remains limited in Ethiopia. Objective: This study aimed to determine prevalence of AUD and to identify its risk factors among HPs working in tertiary teaching hospital, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods: In this study, facility based cross-sectional study design was employed. Pretested, structured, self-administered questionnaire was utilized to collect data. The CAGE instrument was used to screen HPs for AUD. The data were coded, cleaned and analyzed by using SPSS version 16 software program. Variables with p-value <0.05 at multivariate logistic regression were identified to know the risk factors for AUD. Result: Off the total participants (n=334), 41.7% and 34.4% were ever and current users of alcohol respectively. Prevalence of AUD was 8.1%. Eighteen percent of current alcohol users felt the need to cut down. Few of them (5.1%) had the need of alcohol in the morning as an eye opener. The main reason given by participants for alcohol use was “to get relief from stress and exhaustion” (26.1%) followed by “peer pressure” (18.3%), and “for relaxation” (17.4%). Based on the results the results of this study, the odds of AUD were lower among those with higher education, no psychological distress, and no current khat use among HPs in Northwest Ethiopia. Conclusion: HPs identified to have prevalence of AUD the same to the general population. Prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of AUD find to be crucial. Addressing enabling factors found to be important in this era of alcohol beverage promotions by companies.
Evaluation of the use of the Endotoxin Activity Assay (EAA™) to Quantify Non-septic Exposure of Metabolic Endotoxemia

Objective: Endotoxin, also known as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is a potent immune stimulant. Low levels of endotoxin exposure (metabolic endotoxemia) play a pivotal role in metabolic disorders. However, there is no robust clinical assay to directly quantify metabolic endotoxemia. We aimed to validate the whole blood Endotoxin Activity Assay (EAA™) as a novel, rapid method to quantify low grade metabolic endotoxemia against the well-established lipopolysaccharide binging protein assay (LBP), a robust surrogate marker of endotoxaemia. Methods: 67 women and 47 men aged 21 to 47 years (35.4 ± 5.5 years, 34.5 ± 7.2 years respectively) were assessed for adiposity (BMI, waist circumference and % body fat using bio-impedance), endotoxin levels (LBP, EAA™) and inflammatory status (serum CRP, IL-6, IL-8). Results: There was no direct relationship between EAA™ and LBP measures for quantitating metabolic endotoxemia for either women or men (R=0.146, p=0.284; R=0.283 p=0.09 respectively). In women, the traditional indirect marker of endotoxemia LBP correlated significantly with CRP and IL-6, measures of generalised immune activation and inflammation (R=0.664, p<0.001, R=0.296, p=0.028 respectively), but not with EAA™ assed endotoxemia. Supporting this relationship, LBP correlated with BMI and body fat percentage (R=0.306, p=0.022; R=0.301, p=0.024 respectively). However, the EAA™ only correlated with body fat percentage (R=0.382, p=0.014). In men, LBP was significantly related to CRP and IL-6 (R=0.345, p=0.046; R=0.421, p=0.009 respectively), but no relationship was observed between these inflammatory markers and EAA™ assed metabolic endotoxemia (R=0.206, p=0.243; R=0.280, p=0.093 respectively). There was no relationship between EAA™ or LBP and any of the three measures of adiposity. Conclusion: In conclusion, the existing rapid whole blood EAA™ method of analysis was not suitable to detect low levels of endotoxemia known to be present in the obese state, while the results suggest LBP indirect analysis remains the superior tool for measuring low grade endotoxemia in this population.
The Invalidity of Profit=F(Product Quality) PIMS Validation Of Marketing Games

Research that purports to validate simulations should itself be valid. A current stream of research puts forth as game validation criteria â€œlawsâ€ drawn from the Profit Impact of Market Strategies (PIMS) project. One PIMS-based â€œlawâ€ is that the most important determinant of company performance is product quality. The present study invalidates that PIMS profit=f(product quality) criterion based on empirical findings from the PIMS project itself, PIMS companies being nonrepresentative, the ultimate infeasibility of simulating fundamental PIMS concepts and executions, and the invalidity in several vital respects of the methodology applying that invalid â€œvalidationâ€ criterion.