Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vertical transmission of bacterial pathogens from municipal waste dumps to waste site workers: Role of molecular and phenotypic profiling of isolates

Having noticed some phenotypic similarities in bacteria isolates from hands or clothings of waste dump workers and those from the leacheates or topsoils of the dumpsites in Benin City, the need for further investigations in order to possibly establish a positive linkage between these bacteria strains became necessary. We therefore selected 8 pairs of phenotypically similar species from the site workers and dumpsites from 4 locations (University of Benin, Costain, Government Reservation Area and Benin Bye-pass) as our study bacterial candidates. The selected isolates ( Bacillus subtilis, staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens ) were tested in pairs and were tested for their susceptibilities to 10 antimicrobial agents and their resistogram patterns were consequently determined. The isolates were also assayed for presence of heat labile or heat stable enterotoxins and for their invasiveness. They were further subjected to Multiplex PCR runs with primers for genes coding for virulence and resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulphonamide and tetracyclin . Phenotypic characterization of the bacteria isolates showed that similar species were invariably isolated from topsoils and leacheates at dumpsite and from the hands and clothings of site workers. The resistogram patterns showed that 5 out of the 8 pairs of strains tested were identical, thus suggesting possible vertical bacterial transmissions at the affected locations. Similarly, the pathogenicity assay profiles showed that 6 out of 8 paired strains gave identical results. However, results from the Multiplex PCR tests revealed that only the paired Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains appeared identical. We conclude that although there were phenotypic and molecular evidence of possible vertical transmissions of bacteria from waste dumps to the site workers, we suggest that the ultimate markers of similarity of strains may lie with genomic sequencing of bacteria that are being matched for strain similarity
A Chemical Composition Survey of the Iron-complex Globular Cluster NGC 6273 (M19)

Recent observations have shown that a growing number of the most massive Galactic globular clusters contain multiple populations of stars with different [Fe/H] and neutron-capture element abundances. NGC 6273 has only recently been recognized as a member of this “iron-complex” cluster class, and we provide here a chemical and kinematic analysis of >300 red giant branch and asymptotic giant branch member stars using high-resolution spectra obtained with the Magellan–M2FS and VLT–FLAMES instruments. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that NGC 6273 possesses an intrinsic metallicity spread that ranges from about [Fe/H] = −2 to −1 dex, and may include at least three populations with different [Fe/H] values. The three populations identified here contain separate first (Na/Al-poor) and second (Na/Al-rich) generation stars, but a Mg–Al anti-correlation may only be present in stars with [Fe/H] ≳ −1.65. The strong correlation between [La/Eu] and [Fe/H] suggests that the s-process must have dominated the heavy element enrichment at higher metallicities. A small group of stars with low [α/Fe] is identified and may have been accreted from a former surrounding field star population. The cluster’s large abundance variations are coupled with a complex, extended, and multimodal blue horizontal branch (HB). The HB morphology and chemical abundances suggest that NGC 6273 may have an origin that is similar to ω Cen and M54.
Effects of Electron Beam Irradiation on the Mechanical, Thermal, and Surface Properties of Some EPDM/Butyl Rubber Composites

The effects of electron beam irradiation on the properties of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)/butyl rubber composites in presence of a polyfunctional monomer were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), and mechanical and surface energy measurements. The samples were exposed over a wide range of irradiation doses (20–150 kGy). The EPDM matrix was modified with butyl rubber, chlorobutyl rubber, and bromobutyl rubber. The gel content and crosslink density were found to increase with the electron beam irradiation dose. The values of the hardness and modulus increased gradually with the irradiation dose, while the tensile strength and elongation at break decreased with increasing irradiation dose. The EPDM/butyl rubber composites presented a higher thermal stability compared to the initial EPDM sample. The incorporation of butyl rubbers into the EPDM matrix led to an increase in material hydrophobicity. A similar trend was observed when the irradiation dose increased. The greatest change in the surface free energy and the contact angles occurs at an irradiation dose of 20 kGy. The Charlesby–Pinner plots prove the tendency to crosslinking as the irradiation dose increases.
Matematik dersinde üstbilişsel stratejilerle desteklenen işbirlikli öğrenme yönteminin öğrencilerin üstbilişsel becerilerine etkisi

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of cooperative learning method enhanced with metacognitive strategies on metacognitive skills of 6 th grade students in mathematics education. The research was designed as a mixed method in which qualitative and quantita­tive methods were used together. The quantitative research was planned as a pre-test post-test control group quasiexperimental design. Document review method, one of the qualitative research techniques, was used to obtain qualitative data. The research participants were composed of 101 6 th grade students. Cooperative learning method enhanced by metacognitive strategies was used in the first experimental group and only cooperative learning method with no support of metacognitive strategies was used in the second experimental group. There was no intervention for the control group. Data were collected using the “Junior Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (Jr. MAI)” developed by Sperling, Howard, Miller, and Murphy (2002) and through the written opinions of the students about implementation process. The quantitative data was analyzed by performing the dependent group t-test and analysis of variance. For the qualitative section, data was analyzed using descriptive analysis. According to the results of the data analysis, at the end of the interventions, it was seen that the levels of metacognitive skills of the first experimental group were significantly higher than of both the second experimantal group and the control group. Also, the levels of metacognitive skills of the second experimental group were higher than those of the control group. According to the results based on the analysis of students’ views, it was seen that, the students in the first experimental group expressed their thoughts on the development of their metacognitive skills. In this context, it was observed that, the students’ questioning the problems and their solution processes, analyzing their mistakes and their planning skills have been improved. Also, the second experimental group students stated that they did reciprocal questioning on paired worksheets and their group work skills improved.
Church-Rosser property and intersection types

We give a proof via reducibility of the Church-Rosser property for the system D of λ-calculus with intersection types. As a consequence we can get the confluence property for developments directly, without making use of the strong normalization property for developments, by using only the typability in D and a suitable embedding of developments in this system. As an application we get a proof of the Church-Rosser theorem for the untyped λ-calculus.
Sex Trafficking of American Indian Women and Girls in Minnesota

Co-Sponsors: •Adorers of the Blood of Christ •Adrian Dominican Sisters •Benedictine Sisters of Chicago •Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica •Capacitar International, Inc. •Cenacle Sisters, N. Amer. Prov. •Congregation of Notre Dame •Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes •Daughters of Charity, East Central Prov. •Daughters of Charity, West Central Prov. •Daughters of Charity, Emmitsburg Prov. •Daughters of Wisdom •Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose •Dominican Sisters of San Rafael •Felician Sisters •Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY •Holy Union Sisters •Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary •San Jose CA Police Department Vice Unit, Human Trafficking Task Force •School Sisters of Notre Dame, Mankato Prov. •Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary, USA Province •Servants of Mary, Ladysmith, WI •Sisters of Bon Secours USA •Sisters of Charity of Halifax •Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, Houston •Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY •Sisters of Christian Charity, Mendham NJ & Wilmette, IL •Sisters Faithful Companions of Jesus •Sisters of the Holy Family, Fremont, CA •Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary •Sisters of the Humility of Mary •Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur •Sisters of Providence, Mother Joseph Prov. •Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul, Canada •Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother •Sisters of St. Anne, U.S., Canada & Chile •Sisters of St. Francis of Colorado Springs •Sisters of St. Francis of Redwood City •Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Los Angeles •Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, PA •Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, CA •Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union USA Sponsors: Sisters of the Divine Savior
Testing the effect of a microbial-based soil amendment on aggregate stability and erodibility

x Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1.1 Background . 1 1.2 Soil degradation problem . 2 1.2.1 Soil degradation problem in Denmark . 3 1.2.2 Soil degradation problem in Tanzania . 3 1.3 Soil degradation mitigation strategies and options . 4 1.4 Objective of the study . 5 1.4. 1 Specific objectives of the study . 5 1.4. 2 Hypotheses . 5 Chapter 2: Literature Review . 6 2.1 Soil degradation Problem . 6 2.2 Role of soil structure on aggregate stability. 7 2.3 Soil aggregation processes . 10 2.4 Soil structure destruction and aggregate breakdown mechanisms . 11 2.4. 1 Soil erodibility . 13 2.5 Soil amendment for structure improvement . 14 2.6 Methods for characterization of soil aggregation and structural stability . 15
The Potential of Kinect as Interactive Educational Technology

This paper explores the idea of Kinect as interactive technology and discusses how it can facilitate and enhance teaching and learning. Kinect is examined in terms of its affordances of technical interactivity, which is an important aspect of pedagogical interactivity. Though it has facilities to fabricate meaningful classroom interactions, Kinect technology can not stand alone in the classroom setting but needs to be integrated with a computer, projector and compatible software. As far as a teaching tool is concerned, due to the multiple interaction types it supports, Kinect has the potential to enhance classroom interactions and to increase the opportunities for student participation. As a learning tool, Kinect has the affordances to create enjoyable and interesting interactions types to boost student motivation. In addition, students can utilize the information gathered by Kinect with software programs to create highly interactive multimedia works. However, the implementation of Kinect in the classroom has constraints such as large classroom space, lack of standard development tools, and long calibration time.
Ultrafast chemical imaging by widefield photothermal sensing of infrared absorption

Widefield photothermal microscopy enables ultrafast chemical imaging at submicrometer spatial resolution. Infrared (IR) imaging has become a viable tool for visualizing various chemical bonds in a specimen. The performance, however, is limited in terms of spatial resolution and imaging speed. Here, instead of measuring the loss of the IR beam, we use a pulsed visible light for high-throughput, widefield sensing of the transient photothermal effect induced by absorption of single mid-IR pulses. To extract these transient signals, we built a virtual lock-in camera synchronized to the visible probe and IR light pulses with precisely controlled delays, allowing submicrosecond temporal resolution determined by the probe pulse width. Our widefield photothermal sensing microscope enabled chemical imaging at a speed up to 1250 frames/s, with high spectral fidelity, while offering submicrometer spatial resolution. With the capability of imaging living cells and nanometer-scale polymer films, widefield photothermal microscopy opens a new way for high-throughput characterization of biological and material specimens.
Origin of size effect on efficiency of organic photovoltaics

It is widely accepted that efficiency of organic solar cells could be limited by their size. However, the published data on this effect are very limited and none of them includes analysis of light intensity dependence of the key cell parameters. We report such analysis for bulk heterojunction solar cells of various sizes and suggest that the origin of both the size and the light intensity effects should include underlying physical mechanisms other than conventional series resistance dissipation. In particular, we conclude that the distributed nature of the ITO resistance and its influence on the voltage dependence of photocurrent and dark current is the key to understanding size limitation of the organic photovoltaics (OPV) efficiency. Practical methods to overcome this limitation as well as the possibility of producing concentrator OPV cells operating under sunlight concentrations higher than 10 suns are discussed.
Green HRM for Green Services: A Proposed Best Practices Green HRM Model for Green Banking Performance in Bangladesh

The study proposes best practices Green HRM model to improve and innovate green banking services of the banking organizations of Bangladesh. The proposed model provides insights into what extent HRM practices can be linked to capitalize green banking services for greening the economy. Therefore, it can increase the environmental awareness and the theoretical and managerial insights for an effective implementation of green banking through green HRM practices. The banking sector in Bangladesh is at a stage of planning ecological adaptation in response to global green efforts. The present study develops a HRM model suggesting that bank management should link HRM practices to use bank employee capabilities for improving and innovating green banking services in their green strategies. Furthermore, the review on extant literature on green banking across the globe provides evidences of financial sector responses to global ecological concern. This study addresses future empirical study on the proposed model to justify green HRM impact on green services in banking industry and other industries within and beyond Bangladesh. Keywords : Green HRM, Green Management, Best Practices Green HRM, Green Banking, Bangladesh.
Effect of dietary vitamin C supplement on reproductive performance of aviary pheasants

The effects of three doses of vitamin C (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) added to the feed of reproductive pheasants on egg production, egg fertility and parameters of hatchability were investigated. In experiments I (1999) and II (2000) birds were kept in outdoor aviaries. In 2000, air temperatures recorded on the farm during the experi- ment were high (25-30 o C), differing considerably from those recorded in the preceding years. In experiment I no statistically significant differences were shown between the control pheasants and those supplemented with 100 and 200 mg/kg vitamin C in terms of egg production, egg fertility and parameters of hatchability. The poorest results were found in the group of birds receiving a feed supplemented with 300 mg/kg vitamin C. In experiment II, statistically higher egg production and egg fertility were noted, compared to the control group, in the groups supplemented with 100 and 200 mg/kg vitamin C. Compared to the control group, pheasants from these groups were also characterized by higher hatchability from set eggs (by approx. 15 percentage units) and fertilized eggs (by approx. 9 percentage units) and smaller number of unhatched chicks and dead embryos after day 10 of incubation. In experiment II, the beneficial effect of 100 and 200 mg supplements of vitamin C on the studied parameters could result from the sooth - ing action of the vitamin on the effects of heat stress. The present results justify the prophylactic use of vitamin C supplement at 100 mg/kg feed in the nutrition of reproductive pheasants reared in aviaries. Under heat stress (high air temperatures) increasing the dose of this vitamin to 200 mg/kg feed seems beneficial.
Intracranial CT findings in traumatic brain injury: A retrospective, cross-sectional study among Igbo population in Nigeria

Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability and in recent years has been increasingly reported even in developing countries. Computed Tomography (CT) plays a key role in accurate TBI diagnosis and management. The objective of this study was to document the pattern of CT findings in TBI cases reported from Igbo people, in Nigeria. Method: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, a sample of 287 patients, who were consecutively referred to the CT Unit of the Radiology Department of Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, Nigeria, between January 2015 and December 2016, on account of trauma to the head was reviewed. Only CT scan without contrast and intracranial findings were considered. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) and confidential intervals were collected. Results: After applying exclusion criteria, our sample comprised 242 patients (M = 163, 67.4%; mean age 32.6 ± 17.6 years). The peak age range was 20–29 years. Abnormal findings were reported for 205 patients (84.72%, 95% Confidential Interval [CI] 80.0 to 86.8). Cerebral oedema was the most common finding observed in the study (n = 64, 24.44%, CI 19.03% to 29.85%), followed by subarachnoid haemorrhage (n = 41, 16.94%, CI 12.21% to 21.67%) and epidural haematoma (n = 26, 10.74%, CI 6.84% to 14.64%). Only 37 patients (15.28%) showed normal findings. Main reported causal factors of TBI were: Road Traffic Accidents (RTA) (35.5%), falls (20.2%) and assault (15.7%). Most cases of RTA (34.9%) occurred in the age group of 20–29 years. Discussion and Conclusion: CT brain without contrast is useful in screening of patients with TBI. In this Nigeria-based study the most common cause of TBI was RTA and cerebral oedema was the most common intracranial finding reported. Affiliations:
Induced representations of discrete groups

We determine necessary and sufficient conditions for a unitary representation of a discrete group induced from a finite-dimensional representation to be irreducible, and also briefly examine the question of when these induced representations are Type II. Induced representations play an important role in the theory of representations of locally compact groups, and it is of some interest to know when an induced representation is irreducible. In the case where the representation i7 on the separable locally compact group G is induced from an irreducible representation a on a normal subgroup H, a simple criterion is known, Let ax (x c G) be the representation defined by the action of x on H: aX(h) = a(xhx 1). Then 77 is irreducible ax a a only if x c H. (See [2] for a proof; =* is elementary, but *= requires direct integral theory.) In general, of course, anything so simple is too much to hope for. However, in the case where G is discrete, one can hope that at least the question will have some sort of reasonable answer. In this case, one could ask as well for further information about i7. In this paper, we find an irreducibility criterion for i7 in the case where dim a is finite, and say a bit (but only a bit) about other properties i7 may have. Given the subgroup H of the discrete group G, we define the quasinormalizer QH of AH to be lx e G: x'Hx n H has finite index in H and in x-'Hxl. For convenience, we denote H n x 1Hx by Hx. (Then xe HH and H _ 1 both have finite index in H.) xx Lemma 1. H has finite index in H xH is contained in finitely many right cosets Hy of H HxH is a finite union of right cosets of H. Proof. The second equivalence is straightforward, so we work on the first. Received by the editors December 24, 1973. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 20E99, 22D10. ISloan Foundation Fellow. Copyright ( 1975, American Mathematical Society
The PyCBC search for gravitational waves from compact binary coalescence

We describe the PyCBC search for gravitational waves from compact-object binary coalescences in advanced gravitational-wave detector data. The search was used in the first Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) observing run and unambiguously identified two black hole binary mergers, GW150914 and GW151226. At its core, the PyCBC search performs a matched-filter search for binary merger signals using a bank of gravitational-wave template waveforms. We provide a complete description of the search pipeline including the steps used to mitigate the effects of noise transients in the data, identify candidate events and measure their statistical significance. The analysis is able to measure false-alarm rates as low as one per million years, required for confident detection of signals. Using data from initial LIGO's sixth science run, we show that the new analysis reduces the background noise in the search, giving a 30 % increase in sensitive volume for binary neutron star systems over previous searches.
Intellectual Property Protection as Strategic Trade Policy

Despite the WTO agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights implemented in 1995, international coordination of intellectual property (IP) policy remains contentious. This paper reviews recent research addressing whether IP policy should be standardized across countries, and whether IP protection has become overly cumbersome. It concludes that much IP protection is excessive (possibly reflecting regulatory “capture”) and that international standardization has regressive redistributive effects and unclear efficiency effects. Coordinated decentralization would be preferred. It also suggests that much intellectual property protection can be viewed as “strategic trade policy” whose primary effect is “profit-shifting” rather than the enhancement of economic efficiency.
Characteristics of DMSP-lyase in Phaeocystis sp (Prymnesiophyceae)

The marine phytoplankton species Phaeocystis sp, is one of the few microalgae known to be able to convert dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) enzymatically into dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylic acid. The function of this enzymatic process for the organism is not known. From experiments with crude extracts and whole cells of axenic cultures of Phaeocystis it was concluded that DMSP-lyase is membrane-bound and located extracellularly because: (1) the enzyme activity in extracts and in whole cells varied in a similar manner with pH; (2) between 50 and 80% of the DMSP-lyase activity was associated with the membrane fraction; (3) lyase activity in whole cells was inhibited by the nonpermeable thiol-reagent p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid (pCMBS). The pH optimum was 10.5 or higher, which is in contrast with available data for the enzyme from other organisms. The pH profile, the requirement for reduced thiol groups in extracts and the inhibition by pCMBS suggest the involvement of cysteine residues at the active site. Production of DMSP as well as its cleavage by DMSP-lyase are apparently not involved in the short term regulation of the osmotic potential of cells upon changes in salinity.