Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Seroprevalence of Parvovirus B19 among Pregnant Women with Spontaneous Abortion in Thi-Qar province, Iraq

Background: Parvovirus B19 (B19 V) is a pathogenic for humans and the cause of erythema infectiosum, a common rash of childhood. B19 infection also causes severe disease such as chronic anemia in immunocompromised patients; aplastic crisis in the fetus can lead to cardiac failure, nonimmune hydrops, and fetal death in pregnant women. Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of immunoglobulin (IgM, IgG) to Parvovirus B19 in pregnant women with spontaneous abortion. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study was carried out in 100 pregnant women who referred due to a spontaneous abortion that attended at Bunt AL- Huda hospital for maternity and children in Thi-Qar province, Iraq. Then, the blood samples were tested to assay of anti-human B19 specific IgM, and IgG using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (DRG-Elisa kit, Germany). Furthermore, a questionnaire filled for all participants during samples collection. Results: Among study group the mean age was 27.35 years, with an age range 17-40 years. Seropositivity rate was 34% (34 cases) for an individual occurrence of human parvovirus B19 IgM alone and 38% (38 cases) for a similar individual rate of human parvovirus B19 IgG, Meanwhile,12 cases (12%) had both types of antibodies. There was no significant difference between the presence of antibody and age of pregnant women, gestational age, number of previous abortion, presence of children below the age of six. Conclusion: The results of this study showed (84%) of studied participants had a high susceptibility to parvovirus B19 in a way similar to that found in most countries. And also there might be a number of spontaneous abortions in which parvovirus infection caused fetal death. However, more studies are needed to prove the absolute role of parvovirus B19 in these abortions. Keywords: Pregnant women, Spontaneous abortion, Human parvovirus B19, ELISA.
Order‐restricted score tests for homogeneity in generalised linear and nonlinear mixed models

Lin (1997). building on work by Solomon & Cox (1992) and Lin & Breslow (1996), introduced a score test for homogeneity in the generalised linear mixed model. In this paper we propose an improvement to Lin's test that exploits the fact that covariance parameters associated with random effects in the model are constrained so as to form a positive semidefinite covariance matrix. Therefore, an omnibus score test will have power against alternatives that are known never to occur. Our improvement works by concentrating the score test into directions given by the positive semidefiniteness constraint. We apply the same sort of modification to the bias-corrected version of her score test in the generalised linear mixed model context and, in a nonlinear mixed model context, to a score test analogous to hers. We show how to obtain the limiting distribution of our proposed test statistic. We also argue, via simulations and local alternative power calculations, that the restricted test has better power than the unrestricted one.
Genomics-informed design of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for detection of phytopathogenic Xanthomonas arboricola pv . pruni at the intraspecific level

The objective of this study was to develop a rapid, sensitive detection assay for the quarantine pathogen Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni, causal agent of stone fruit bacterial spot, an economically important disease of Prunus spp. Unique targets were identified from X. arboricola pv. pruni genomes using a comparative genomics pipeline of other Xanthomonas species, subspecies and pathovars, and used to identify specific diagnostic markers. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was then applied to these markers to provide rapid, sensitive and specific detection. The method developed showed unrivalled specificity with the 79 tested strains and, in contrast to previously established techniques, distinguished between phylogenetically close subspecies such as X. arboricola pv. corylina. The sensitivity of this test is comparable to that of a previously reported TaqMan assay at 10 CFU mL, while the unrivalled speed of LAMP technology enables a positive result to be obtained in <15 min. The developed assay can be used with real-time fluorescent detectors for quantitative results as well as with DNA-staining dyes to function as a simplified strategy for on-site pathogen detection.
Effect of Different Heat-moisture Treatments on the Physicochemical Properties of African Locust Bean ( Parkia biglobosa ) Starches

Parkia biglobosa starch was subjected to different heat-moisture treatment (HMT) at different moisture contents (15, 20, 25, and 30%) at 110 o C for 16 hours. The content of resistant starch (RS) was the lowest (33.38%) in the untreated native Parkia and increased in the samples with HMT-15 (37.79%), HMT-30 (39.64%), HMT-25 (46.63%), and HMT-20 (50.14%), showing significant increase (P < 0.05) in RS following the HMT. There was a reduction in the swelling power and pasting properties of HMT starches, but the solubility of the HMT starches was higher than that of untreated native starch. Differential scanning calorimetry and the changes in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed the effect of HMT on Parkia starch. Therefore, replacing native Parkia with heat-moisture treated Parkia starch leads to the development of new products from RSrich powder with high RS levels and functional properties.
Germination strategy of the East African savanna tree Acacia tortilis

Germination of Acacia tortilis seeds strongly depends on micro-site conditions. In Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania, Acacia tortilis occurs abundantly in recently abandoned arable fields and in elephant-mediated gaps in acacia woodland, but does not regenerate in grass swards or beneath canopies. We examined the germination of Acacia tortilis using field and laboratory experiments. Seeds placed on top of the soil rarely germinated, while seeds covered with elephant dung or buried under the soil surface had a germination success between 23–43%. On bare soil 39% of both the dung-covered and buried seeds germinated, in perennial grass swards 24–43%, and under tree canopies 10–24% respectively. In laboratory experiments, seed water absorption correlated positively with temperature up to 41 °C, while subsequent germination was optimal at lower (21–23 °C) temperatures. Seeds that had absorbed water lost their viability when kept above 35.5 °C. The absence of light did not significantly influence germination success. Acacia tortilis does not actively disperse its seeds, but regeneration outside tree canopies was substantial. The regeneration potential thus strongly depends on the physiognomy of the vegetation.
Institutional Ownership and Firm Performance: Evidence from Finland

This paper investigates the relationship between different classes of institutional investors and firm performance. Using industry level data from Finland, which is characterized by various institutional investors who own multiple ownership stakes in different firms across a broad spectrum of industries, the paper exhibits two novelties. First, unlike previous studies which treated institutional investors as a monolithic group, we segment them in classes. Second, we recognize the joint determination of firm performance and institutional ownership. We account for this issue in the context of a system of equations, using three stage least squares methodology. The empirical results suggest a significant two-way feedback between firm performance and institutional equity ownership. However, this effect is not symmetric. We find that institutional investors with likely investment and business ties with firms have adverse (negative) effect on firm performance and the impact is very significant in comparison to the negative effect of firm performance on institutional ownership.
Using the Internet as a Pleasure Travel Planning Tool: an Examination of the Sociodemographic and Behavioral Characteristics Among Internet Users and Nonusers

A critical prerequisite for the formulation of effective travel marketing strategies in the next decade must include an understanding of the influence exerted through the Internet. The increasing presence of the Internet as an instrument for advertising travel destinations and travel-related services highlights its importance as a factor in travelers'decision-making processes. This exploratory investigation examined travelers who requested on-line infor mation about a potential vacation destination using the Internet. Results of this investiga tion suggest that Internet "users," when compared with "nonusers," are more educated, have higher household incomes, use commercial lodging accommodations while travel ing, tend to travel by air, and spend more money on travel-related expenses on a per diem basis. Implications for target marketing strategies designed for travel destination areas, services, and facilities are discussed.
Please Call Me John: Name Choice and the Assimilation of Immigrants in the United States, 1900-1930

The vast majority of immigrants to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century adopted first names that were common among natives. The rate of adoption of an American name increases with time in the US, although most immigrants adopt an American name within the first year of arrival. Choice of an American first name was associated with a more successful assimilation, as measured by job occupation scores, marriage to a US native and take-up of US citizenship. We examine economic determinants of name choice, by studying the relationship between changes in the proportion of immigrants with an American first name and changes in the concentration of immigrants as well as changes in local labor market conditions, across different census years. We find that high concentrations of immigrants of a given nationality in a particular location discouraged members of that nationality from taking American names. Poor local labor market conditions for immigrants (and good local labor market conditions for natives) led to more frequent name changes among immigrants.
Serum Selenium Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Control Group

In addition to known risk factors, the role of different micronutrients such as selenium in diabetes incidence has been proposed. Some previous studies have shown an association of selenium deficiency and type 2 diabetes mellitus, while other studies have not confirmed such a relationship. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum level of selenium in patients with Type 2 diabetes compared with the control group. This cross-sectional study was carried out on patients with type 2 diabetes in Zahedan, southeastern Iran. One hundred newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were evaluated for serum selenium level. One hundred subjects from the general population who had normal fasting blood sugar levels were selected as the control group. The control group subjects were matched in pairs with each of patients on the basis of sex, age (± one year), and body mass index (±1). Serum level of selenium was determined by spectrometry method. Results were compared using t-test. The mean serum level of selenium in patients was 94.47±18.07 µg/L whereas in control group was 142.79±23.67 µg/L. The mean serum level of selenium was significantly different between the two groups (P<0.001). Serum levels of selenium in diabetic patients with significant difference statistically were lower than the control group. In order to evaluate serum level of selenium in patients with diabetes, studies with larger sample size are required. Likewise, prospective studies along with selenium supplementation and investigating its effect on incidence of diabetes are accordingly needed.
Triangulating a vocational tutor's and her learners' meaning-making on a pre-apprenticeship hairdressing programme in the tertiary sector

In this article, we report on how we used a reperto ry ratings grid to triangulate a vocational tutor’s and her learners’ meaning-making on a pre-apprenticeship hairdressing course in the tertiary sector. We devise d and administered a group repertory grid to elicit learn ers’ constructs-based ratings of seven elements who se focus of convenience was “effective industry-directed and employability-promoting hairdressing training prac tices”. Finally, we performed two sets of analyses: the fir st, to show how the constructs-based ratings were c onfigured; and the second, to explore how the elements i n the grid were associated within the grid data.
Prevalence of Neonatal Tetanus in Northeastern Nigeria

Background: Neonatal tetanus (NNT), a deadly vaccine preventable disease and one of the most underreported diseases in the developing countries, is seen in the newborn within the first 28 days of life. NNT remains one of the leading causes of deaths among neonates in the developing countries with about 130,000 neonatal deaths recorded in 2004. In the 1989 World Health Assembly and the 1990 world summit for children, WHO/UNICEF together with partner agencies called for the elimination of tetanus by 1995. Despite the global success recorded in the NNT elimination strategy, Nigeria is still among the 25 remaining countries that are yet to achieve the global NNT elimination target as set by the WHO. Study Design: Retrospective study Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional study involved mothers who gave birth to NNT babies between January 2008 and December 2013. The study used secondary dataset collected by trained NNT surveillance officers in the northeast zone of Nigeria using a standard tool. Results: Although the trend of NNT in the region showed a decrease in cases with fewer cases 9% (27/306) recorded in 2013, the prevalence rate of NNT was unacceptably high at 28.815%. Conclusion: Though at a slow pace, it is clear that the measures put in place by the Nigerian government towards meeting the 2015 NNT elimination deadline is yielding positive results. In spite this, there is need for policy makers to increase their commitments to ensure that Nigeria meet up with the 2015 NNT elimination deadline.
Effects of dispersal mode on the environmental and spatial correlates of nestedness and species turnover in pond communities

Advances in metacommunity theory have made a significant contribution to understanding the drivers of variation in biological communities. However, there has been limited empirical research exploring the expression of metacommunity theory for two fundamental components of beta diversity: nestedness and species turnover. In this paper, we examine the influence of local environmental and a range of spatial variables (hydrological connectivity, proximity and overall spatial structure) on total beta diversity and the nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity for the entire macroinvertebrate community and active and passively dispersing taxa within pond habitats. High beta diversity almost entirely reflects patterns of species turnover (replacement) rather than nestedness (differences in species richness) in our dataset. Local environmental variables were the main drivers of total beta diversity, nestedness and turnover when the entire community was considered and for both active and passively dispersing taxa. The influence of spatial processes on passively dispersing composition, total beta diversity and nestedness was significantly greater than for actively dispersing taxa. Our results suggest that species sorting (local environmental variables) operating through niche processes was the primary mechanism driving total beta diversity, nestedness and turnover for the entire community and active and passively dispersing taxa. In contrast, spatial factors (hydrological connectivity, proximity and spatial eigenvectors) only exerted a secondary influence on the nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity.
Hydrogen Production in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with Engineered Subunit of the Bidirectional H2-ase

Hydrogenase (H 2 -ase) enzyme holds great promise as a bio-generator for bio-solar hydrogen (H 2 ) production. Consequently, an oxygen-tolerant H 2 -ase is needed in a photosynthetic organism. In this work, a mutant strain of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 with modified H 2 -ase analyzed under various physiological conditions. The growth rate was higher than that of wt strain and cellular capacity to fix carbon was increased, as shown by higher glycogen accumulation. Oxygen evolution by mutant strain in chemostats was higher than by wt cells over a range of pH levels. The mutant displayed significantly higher hydrogen (H 2 ) production than wt cells, especially at high pH. Examinations of electron flow pathways in the presence of various inhibitors indicated that the genetically modified H 2 -ase apparently behaves similarly to the wt with respect to its electron source. Remarkably, it was consistently observed H 2 production under continuous light conditions, in the presence of oxygen (O 2 ), under many circumstances in both chemostat and batch tests. H 2 production in the light was improved under alkaline pH in mutant strain than wt. The data suggest that the genetically modified hydrogenase (H 2 ase) is a functionally active. Several lines of evidence suggest that O 2 may be important in draining electrons from the donor side of photosystem I (PSI) in turn increases the linear electron flow and thereby helping to feed the H 2 ase activity. In conclusion, the bidirectional H 2 ase in Synechocystis may play a critical role in cell physiology not only under anoxic conditions but also under O 2 -evolving activity. Keywords: Cyanobacteria, Hydrogen, Hydrogenase, Protein engineering.
Beyond tariffs: three essays on non-conventional impediments to trade

This thesis explores the impact that two types of non-conventional barriers - non-tariff measures (NTMs) and cultural traits - have on trade. The first essay deals with the asymmetric impact that NTMs can have on trading partners and provides estimates of the bilateral effects of NTMs (in terms of ad valorem equivalents) across exporter-importer pairs. The second essay finds support that, at the global level, the negative impact of NTMs on trade is greater with respect to final goods (“NTM escalation”), but that there is a degree of NTM de-escalation as one moves from primary goods to intermediate goods. The third essay investigates what role, if any, that the cultural traits of trust propensity and agreeableness might have on international trade and shows that their impact is limited when considered in isolation, but that trust propensity has a strong and positive effect on trade when it is interacted with distance.
Study of Fixed Point Theorem for Common Limit Range Property and Application to Functional Equations

Abstract The aim of our paper is to use common limit range property for two pairs of mappings deriving common fixed point results under a generalized altering distance function. Some examples are given to exhibit different type of situation which shows the requirements of conditions of our results. At the end the existence and uniqueness of solutions for certain system of functional equations arising in dynamic programming with the help of a common fixed point theorem is presented.
Circumstellar medium around close southern PMS binaries - New results with the ESO ADONIS + COMIC/SHARP infrared system

We have started a series of high angular resolution observations of close southern pre Main-Sequence (PMS) binary systems in order to study their respective photometry from 1 to 5 μm. For most of the binaries of our sample, we present the first near infrared (NIR) measurements longward of 3μm on both components. From these measurements we characterize the stellar Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of the primary and its companion, adjust standard photospheres to estimate their luminosities & temperatures, hence masses & ages through the use of an HR diagram. At the same time, we study the presence of circumstellar material around our PMS targets, in order to assess how the eventually leftover material is distributed after contraction. We find the same proportion of mixed systems (CTTS/WTTS) as in the overall southern clouds and all these mixed systems are found with mass ratios <0.5; all the WTTS/WTTS systems of our sample are found in binaries closer than 60 AU; apart from one of the most separated binaries, all our objects appear coeval.
Achieving Better Than 1 Minute Accuracy in the Heliocentric and Barycentric Julian Dates

As the quality and quantity of astrophysical data continue to improve, the precision with which certain astrophysical events can be timed becomes limited not by the data themselves, but by the manner, standard, and uniformity with which time itself is referenced. While some areas of astronomy (most notably pulsar studies) have required absolute time stamps with precisions of considerably better than 1 minute for many decades, recently new areas have crossed into this regime. In particular, in the exoplanet community, we have found that the (typically unspecified) time standards adopted by various groups can differ by as much as a minute. Left uncorrected, this ambiguity may be mistaken for transit timing variations and bias eccentricity measurements. We argue that, since the commonly-used Julian Date, as well as its heliocentric and barycentric counterparts, can be specified in several time standards, it is imperative that their time standards always be reported when accuracies of 1 minute are required. We summarize the rationale behind our recommendation to quote the site arrival time, in addition to using BJDTDB, the Barycentric Julian Date in the Barycentric Dynamical Time standard for any astrophysical event. The BJDTDB is the most practical absolute time stamp for extraterrestrial phenomena, and is ultimately limited by the properties of the target system. We compile a general summary of factors that must be considered in order to achieve timing precisions ranging from 15 minutes to 1 µs. Finally, we provide software tools that, in principal, allow one to calculate BJDTDB to a precision of 1 μs for any target from anywhere on Earth or from any spacecraft.
Discussion of Experimental Data for 3D Crack Propagation on the Basis of Three Dimensional Singularities

Three dimensional fracture mechanics was done by several groups in the past. One topic for these three dimensional fracture mechanics is to consider re-entrant corners or wedges for isotropic material. An algorithm was developed in the past to compute the dominant eigenvalues for those problems with high accuracy. Based on Kondratiev’s Lemma for elliptic boundary value problems it is started with the asymptotic for the displacement and stress distribution around these three dimensional corners. By considering the mixed boundary value problem, the field quantities in the vicinity of corner points are computed by using a special finite element formulation, which is here the Petrov-Galerkin method. On that basis the quadratic eigenvalue problem is formulated and the dominant singularity exponent λ is determined iteratively by the Arnoldi method. Besides that, there are some new formulations in 3D crack propagation considering curved crack surfaces. They have been outlined as mode I, mode II and mode III formulations. In the fracture mechanics group of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, some experiments have been done especially for this 3D fracture mechanics effect at re-entrant corners. Therewith, the numerical data are compared with the experimental one. Moreover, the results are interpreted and it is shown that there are coincidences between theoretical and experimental results for re-entrant corners.