Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immunomodulatory Effect of Lung Surfactant on Buffalo Monocytes and Polymorphs in vitro

*Corresponding author A B S T R A C T The innate immunological effects of buffalo lung surfactant were investigated through performance of some cellular immunity assays. There was a remarkable decrease in CFU growth number and increase in the percentage of killed Escherichia coli, with slight increase in the phagocytosed bacteria, accompanied with an increase of surfactant concentration. Also, there was a significant increase in nitric oxide and super oxide reactive molecules produced by macrophages. These results revealed that buffalo pulmonary surfactant exhibit both immunostimulant and bactericidal activities. K e y w o r d s Buffalo pulmonary surfactant, Macrophage, Phagocytosis, Bactericidal,
Incidence and Risk Factors Associated with Multi-Drug-Resistant Pathogens in a Critically Ill Trauma Population: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Multi-drug resistance is considered a serious health threat particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Studies evaluating multi-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens in critically ill trauma patients are limited. The objectives were to describe the incidence of MDR, extensive-drug-resistant (XDR), and pan-drug-resistant (PDR) organism growth in ICU patients admitted with traumatic injuries and to identify any risk factors associated with MDR growth. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective single-center cohort study of all ICU adult patients identified via the institution's trauma registry from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017. Patients were included if they had positive culture growth with susceptibility data taken during the index hospitalization. Patients were excluded if their cultures were drawn within 48 hours of emergency department triage. Study groups were defined based on the presence of at least one MDR pathogen during the index hospitalization. Results: A total of 2,578 charts were reviewed and 95 patients (mean age, 60 years; 66 males [69%]) with 201 total cultures were included. The majority of positive cultures were from respiratory (69%) and urinary (16%) sources. Of the 201 positive cultures, the majority of species identified was Enterobacteriaceae (47%), Staphylococcus (32%), Enterococcus (7%), Acinetobacter (5%), and Pseudomonas (3%). Of the 95 patients with positive cultures, the incidence of MDR, XDR, and PDR organisms was found to be 31%, 17%, and 0%, respectively. Augmented renal clearance (ARC) was the only risk factor associated with an increased risk for MDR organism growth (adjusted odds ratio 9.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.56-37.41; p = 0.001). Conclusions: In this cohort of critically ill trauma patients, the incidence of an MDR pathogen occurred in 31% of patients. This is the first study to find an association of ARC and multi-drug resistance, which should be further validated as a potential cause for MDR organisms.
Frequence of antibodies for Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii in dogs in northest of São Paulo State

Two hundred and ninety five samples of canine sera, of dogs from northeast of Sao Paulo State were tested using an immunofluorescent antibody technique (RIFI-IgG) for the presence of Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. The relationship between antibodies and casual clinical problems also were investigated. The reactions with title = 50 (N. caninum) and = 16 (T. gondii) were considered positive. A total of 25 (8,48%) of tested samples were reactive and 270 (91,52%) non-reactive to N. caninum, while 151 (51,19%) of the samples were reactive and 144 (48,81%) were non-reactive to T. gondii. Dogs with serum that reacted positively to both protozons parasites were seen in 17 animals (5,76%). From 58 dogs (19,66%), that showed nervous sintomatology, were detected antibodies in 04 (1,36%) to N. caninum and in 24 (8,14%) to T. gondii. Statistical differences (P<0,05) between normal dogs and dogs with nervous sintomatology were not observed, despite of some papers have associated nervous signals with these parasites. More experiments should be conduced to show the relationship between N. caninum and clinical problem.
EFFECTS OF INTEGRATION , TYING AND UPSTREAM MARKET STRUCTURES ( Revised Edition )

This paper shows that vertical integration enables an upstream monopolist to exploit leverage in a market and to exclude a rival from a market, but firms other than a monopolist can not foreclose a rival from a market. It will be shown when integration is permissible and when it is not. Moreover, the model is applicable to the analysis of tying and shows the reason why tying MS Windows to Internet Explorer browser drives rival products out of the Japanese market and why introduction of Face Screen in Europe has reduced the market share of Internet Explorer browser. Acknowledgement Financial support from Chuo University (Research Grant, 0382) and the Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Grand-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C),20604001) is highly appreciated. We would like to thank Professors Akio Matsumoto, Masahiro Yabuta of Chuo University for their suggestions and Ferenc Szidarowszky of University of Arizona for his kind advices. JEL classification: L2, L4, L5
Microstructure and texture analysis of δ-hydride precipitation in Zircaloy-4 materials by electron microscopy and neutron diffraction

This work presents a detailed microstructure and texture study of various hydrided Zircaloy-4 materials by neutron diffraction and microscopy. The results show that the precipitated δ-ZrH1.66 generally follows the δ(111)//α(0001) and δ[1{\overline 1}0]//α[11{\overline 2}0] orientation relationship with the α-Zr matrix. The δ-hydride displays a weak texture that is determined by the texture of the α-Zr matrix, and this dependence essentially originates from the observed orientation correlation between α-Zr and δ-hydride. Neutron diffraction line profile analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations reveal a significant number of dislocations present in the δ-hydride, with an estimated average density one order of magnitude higher than that in the α-Zr matrix, which contributes to the accommodation of the substantial misfit strains associated with hydride precipitation in the α-Zr matrix. The present observations provide an insight into the behaviour of δ-hydride precipitation in zirconium alloys and may help with understanding the induced embrittling effect of hydrides.
Recreational fish feeding affects coastal fish behavior and increases frequency of predation on damselfish Chromis chromis nests

Wildlife feeding has become an integral part of the range of activities offered to protected area visitors. In marine protected areas (MPAs), fish feeding may cause changes in the behavior, and thus the density and distribution, of coastal fish species. We evaluated spatial variability in human-positive fish behavior around the Ustica Island MPA (Italy) and the potential indirect effects of behavioral change on other species. Two mensurative experiments demonstrated that ca. 1/3 of the species present in fish-feeding areas exhibited human-positive behavior, losing instinctive fear in the presence of humans and encircling people in the water even when food was not provided. A manipulative experiment demonstrated that this behavioral response was learned rapidly. Damselfishes were negatively affected by the unnatural aggregation of a labrid species, as these aggregations frequently attacked and destroyed the benthic nests of the damselfish. Thus, fish feeding can have both direct and indirect effects. Therefore the MPA management goals need to be explicitly stated on a case-by-case basis. If the aim of a reserve is only to promote awareness of marine life and the benefits of conservation to the public, activities such as fish feeding may be regarded as desirable, since the human-positive behavior brought about by this activity guarantees a visual spectacle for visitors. Fish-feeding locations, however, cannot be regarded as natural and may reduce the effectiveness of a reserve for scientific research.
Assessing the Level of Test-Anxiety Manifestation among Junior Secondary School Students in Ebonyi State

This study focused on the assessing the level of test-anxiety manifestation among junior secondary school students in Ebonyi State. The study looked at basic concepts and some literatures in the areas of anxiety, assessment, test, test-anxiety, factor influencing test-anxiety. For this, the researcher constructed a twenty-item (questionnaire, statements) on how people generally feel and how they feel after taking a test. Nine hundred and sixty questionnaire forms were administered to junior secondary school students in the eight sampled schools in the selected rural and urban areas. A 100% return rate of the instrument was recorded and the instrument was validated by experts in the field of psychology. Data was analyzed using simple standard deviation and t-test statistics. The results among others revealed that sex is presumed not to be a strong indicator of test-anxiety in boys and girls; it was found that those in the rural schools manifested high level of test-anxiety more than their urban counterparts. Recommendations were made on the findings of the study. Keywords: Test-Anxiety, Anxiety, Assessment, Junior Secondary Schools
Exploiting Microwave Imaging Methods for Real-Time Monitoring of Thermal Ablation

Microwave thermal ablation is a cancer treatment that exploits local heating caused by a microwave electromagnetic field to induce coagulative necrosis of tumor cells. Recently, such a technique has significantly progressed in the clinical practice. However, its effectiveness would dramatically improve if paired with a noninvasive system for the real-time monitoring of the evolving dimension and shape of the thermally ablated area. In this respect, microwave imaging can be a potential candidate to monitor the overall treatment evolution in a noninvasive way, as it takes direct advantage from the dependence of the electromagnetic properties of biological tissues from temperature. This paper explores such a possibility by presenting a proof of concept validation based on accurate simulated imaging experiments, run with respect to a scenario that mimics an ex vivo experimental setup. In particular, two model-based inversion algorithms are exploited to tackle the imaging task. These methods provide independent results in real-time and their integration improves the quality of the overall tracking of the variations occurring in the target and surrounding regions.
Elements enhancing the use of mobile phone money services: A case of Homa Bay region, Kenya

The history of mobile payments is more than 10 years old and mobile money services in various countries such as Finland are still relatively unpopular, even though consumers have shown clear interest towards mobile money. The Mobile phone banking idea was initially born out of the intention to reach the unbanked poor. There exist a spectacular mobile phone money service divide, highly skewed against the rural population. The study therefore, established mobile phone elements enhancing mobile money services, in Homa Bay Region. A sample size of 48 participants for semi-structured interviews, focus group discussion and participant observation was used. The data for the study was both primary and secondary. Interview was the main tool for primary data collection, supported by focus group discussion and participant observation, while secondary data was obtained from online journals, books and Daily Newspapers. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study established that remittances had a positive influence on mobile phone money use, while lack of National Identification cards as well as lack of information by some users had a negative influence on mobile phone money use in the study area.
Communication vulnerability in the digital age: A missed concern in constructivism

The current wave of globalization aided by ubiquitous computing necessarily involves interaction and integration among people and human institutions worldwide. This has led to a worldwide awareness that professionals in academia need to have effective communication skills. Such communication-driven academic discourse puts much demand on language education, particularly tied to English as a medium of global communication. There is, however, a critical but unidentified gap. The targeted students are technically and academically capable but often with general communication difficulties, and such a student population is growing. This poses a challenge to constructivist classroom that is marked by student-centered, interactive, and group-oriented learning. This paper reports on exploratory studies on the temperamental, autistic tendencies of university students carried out in Japan and their preference in academic subjects including the English language. Results indicate that the university students are in general more toward drawing into themselves; that is, they are neither sociable nor communicative. The survey also shows a clear preference for less communication-driven subjects within their major, as opposed to study of the more communication-driven English language. These findings indicate the necessity of calling for complementary constructivism that would accommodate a student population with communication vulnerabilities. As far as English classroom is concerned, the relevance of adopting ESP (English for Specific Purposes) is clarified, which focuses on the knowledge structure of the subjects that find the students’ strength. ESP is expected to compensate for their communication vulnerabilities, and thus to offer a hint for a meaningful form of complimentary constructivism for educational settings.
Corporate real estate strategies for future higher education

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the alignment of Corporate Real Estate (CRE) strategies of Dutch Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) with the developments in higher education.Methodology/approach – The paper first illustrates the key developments in higher education learning and teaching, and relevant CRE management literature. Subsequently, it presents two studies that examine the CRE strategies of large Dutch UAS, to align their CRE with current and potential future developments. These are explored based on interviews and scenario analysis with experts in the field of higher education and CRE management.Findings – The findings of the two studies show that CRE in the short term is well aligned with recent and current developments in higher education. Yet, in the long term, CRE-managers in general doubt the probability of some developed scenarios and are not sufficiently prepared for disruptive developments due to inflexibility of the CRE portfolio.Originality/value –There is still limited understanding of how to optimally align school buildings to education. Furthermore, the future is unclear. The two studies in this paper contribute to insights about strategies of CRE-managers in the education sector to translate current and assumed developments into future proof accommodations. The presented frameworks and the scenario approach are applicable in other sectors as well
Perfect powers in products of integers from a block of consecutive integers (II)

(1) (m+ d1) . (m+ dt) = by in m, t, d1, . , dt, b, y and l. We always assume that the left hand side of equation (1) is divisible by a prime exceeding k. Consequently, there is an i with 1 ≤ i ≤ t such that m + di is divisible by an lth power of a prime exceeding k. Thus m+ di ≥ (k + 1) implying that m > k. Equation (1) with t = k and b = 1 is solved completely by Erdős and Selfridge [5] in 1975; a product of two or more consecutive positive integers is never a power. In fact, Erdős [4] proved in 1955 that for e > 0, equation (1) with b = 1 and
Single and Sequential Extraction of Cadmium in Some Highly Calcareous Soils of Southwestern Iran

Thirty-two surface soil samples with different physical and chemical properties were collected from calcareous soils of arid regions of Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran. Actual and potential cadmium (Cd) bioavailability was assessed by means of a greenhouse study, two different single extractions: 0.005 DTPA and 0.05 EDTA and two sequential extraction procedures: modified five-step Tessier method and the three-step BCR method. Extraction results were correlated with grain Cd uptake by Durum wheat (Triticum durum L. ) grown under greenhouse conditions. Cadmium in the durum grain ranged from 0.064 to 0.273 mg kg -1 . The results showed better suitability of DTPA extraction in these highly carbonated soils than EDTA extraction for predicting Cd phytoavailability. DTPA –extractable Cd was positively related to soil electrical conductivity (p < 0.01, r = 0.65). Cadmium was predominantly associated with carbonate fraction in these soils (Tessier procedure 40% and BCR 44%). 1 M NH 4 OAc which extracted the soluble + exchangeable fraction in the Tessier scheme may also provide useful information on Cd availability in studied soils.
Distribution and abundance of Caribbean spiny lobsters in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge: relationship to habitat features and impact of an intensive recreational fishery

During 1999 we determined abundance and size frequency of the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus , in various habitats within the 'Lakes' and 'Marquesas' regions (122 km 2 ) of the Key West National Wildlife Refuge (KWNWR), USA, using visual surveys. We also assessed the relationship between lobster abundance and habitat characteristics. During July-August 2000, we quantified the impact of a two-day recreational fishing 'miniseason' in fished and nonfished areas within the KWNWR. Lobster density was highest in channels, followed by hard bottom and patch reefs. P. argus was rarely observed in sea-grass and never in mangrove prop-roots. Its density was related to density and volume of large sponges in channel habitats. Although channels represent only 0.06% of the study area, they provide abundant refuges and a likely corridor for migrating juveniles. The two-day fishing season reduced density of lobsters >7 cm CL by an average of 80% across several habitats, including three marine protected areas closed to fishing. The observed decline was probably due to fishing, because percent change in density was related to number of recreational boats anchored at a given site. Relatively small marine protected areas (30-150 ha) may therefore be too small to protect the population structure of P. argus adequately within the KWNWR.
China ON THE COMPUTATION OF SEISMIC FRAGILITY CURVES

Seismic damage assessment is dealt with in terms of fragility curves. Several approaches for their evaluation, including first-order reliability and a fuzzy random method, are reviewed. These methods are applied to a deterministic infilled reinforced-concrete frame, and the resulting fragility curves compared. Aim is to appraise empirically any difference. Nonstructural damage of the infill is considered. It is assumed to be correlated with the peak interstory drift ratio and dependent on the peak ground acceleration. It is concluded that randomness of the capacity is essential. If a damage state is associated with a deterministic drift range, then fragility steeply increases with the peak ground acceleration, and it is quite overestimated. Comparatively, any other difference among the considered methods results to be minor.
Stagnant lid convection in bottom‐heated thin 3‐D spherical shells: Influence of curvature and implications for dwarf planets and icy moons

Because the viscosity of ice is strongly temperature dependent, convection in the ice layers of icy moons and dwarf planets likely operates in the stagnant lid regime, in which a rigid lid forms at the top of the fluid and reduces the heat transfer. A detailed modeling of the thermal history and radial structure of icy moons and dwarf planets thus requires an accurate description of stagnant lid convection. We performed numerical experiments of stagnant lid convection in 3‐D spherical geometries for various ice shell curvatures f (measured as the ratio between the inner and outer radii), effective Rayleigh number Ram, and viscosity contrast Δη. From our results, we derived scaling laws for the average temperature of the well‐mixed interior, θm, and the heat flux transported through the shell. The nondimensional temperature difference across the bottom thermal boundary layer is well described by (1−θm)=1. 23γf1. 5 , where γ is a parameter that controls the magnitude of the viscosity contrast. The nondimensional heat flux at the bottom of the shell, Fbot, scales as Fbot=1.46Ram0. 27γ1. 21f1.78 . Our models also show that the development of the stagnant lid regime depends on f. For given values of Ram and Δη, the stagnant lid is less developed as the shell's curvature increases (i.e., as f decreases), leading to improved heat transfer. Therefore, as the outer ice shells of icy moons and dwarf planets grow, the effects of a stagnant lid are less pronounced.
Rossby Wave Instability and three-dimensional vortices in accretion disks

Context. The formation of vortices in accretion disks is of high interest in various astrophysical contexts, in particular for planet formation or in the disks of compact objects. But despite numerous attempts it has thus far not been possible to produce strong vortices in fully three-dimensional simulations of disks. Aims. The aim of this paper is to present the first 3D simulation of a strong vortex, established across the vertically stratified structure of a disk by the Rossby Wave Instability. Methods. Using the Versatile Advection Code (VAC), we set up a fully 3D cylindrical stratified disk potentially prone to the Rossby Wave Instability. Results. The simulation confirms the basic expectations obtained from previous 2D analytic and numerical works. The simulation exhibits a strong vortex that grows rapidly and saturates at a finite amplitude. On the other hand the third dimension shows unexpected additional behaviours that could be of strong importance in the astrophysical roles that such vortices can play.
Monospeciflc Antisera Against Capsid Polypeptides of Poliovirus Type 1 Distinguish Antigenic Structures of Pofiovirus Proteins

Pure poliovirus polypeptides, namely VP1, VP2, VP3 and VP4, have been isolated by isoelectric focusing after dissociation of poliovirus by urea. When injected into rabbits, all four polypeptides produced monospecific antisera which were used for the characterization of poliovirus particles and poliovirus-infected cells. The specificity of these antisera was determined by immunoprecipitation of polypeptides obtained by dissociation of poliovirus with SDS, followed by characterization by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The antisera revealed differences in the antigenic sites of native poliovirus particles, heated poliovirus particles and naturally occurring empty capsids. Only VP3 antiserum reacted with native poliovirus and showed some neutralization, whereas all antisera precipitated heated virus and empty capsids. These antisera reacted also with the appropriate precursors of the capsid polypeptides demonstrating their usefulness for an analysis of the cleavage pathway by monospecific antibodies and revealed a second protomer (90 kilodalton) polypeptide for the capsid proteins of poliovirus particles.