Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Mortality in Mice following Immunoprophylaxis Therapy with High Dosage of Nicotinamide in Burkholderia Persistent Infections

Bacterial persistence, known as noninherited antibacterial resistance, is a factor contributing to the establishment of long-lasting chronic bacterial infections. In this study, we examined the ability of nicotinamide (NA) to potentiate the activity of different classes of antibiotics against Burkholderia thailandensis persister cells. ABSTRACT Bacterial persistence, known as noninherited antibacterial resistance, is a factor contributing to the establishment of long-lasting chronic bacterial infections. In this study, we examined the ability of nicotinamide (NA) to potentiate the activity of different classes of antibiotics against Burkholderia thailandensis persister cells. Here we demonstrate that addition of NA in in vitro models of B. thailandensis infection resulted in a significant depletion of the persister population in response to various classes of antibiotics. We applied microfluidic bioreactors with a continuous medium flow to study the effect of supplementation with an NA gradient on the recovery of B. thailandensis persister populations. A coculture of human neutrophils preactivated with 50 µM NA and B. thailandensis resulted in the most efficient reduction in the persister population. Applying single-cell RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis and quantitative PCR, we found that NA inhibited gene expression of the stringent response regulator relA, implicated in the regulation of the persister metabolic state. We also demonstrate that a therapeutic dose of NA (250 mg/kg of body weight), previously applied as immunoprophylaxis against antibiotic-resistant bacterial species, produced adverse effects in an in vivo murine model of infection with the highly pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, indicating that therapeutic dose and metabolite effects have to be carefully evaluated and tailored for every case of potential clinical application.
Imaging Organic–Mineral Aggregates Formed by Fe(II)-Oxidizing Bacteria Using Helium Ion Microscopy

Helium ion microscopy (HIM) has been used to image the development of mineralized twisted stalks produced by a neutrophilic, microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria of the class Zetaproteobacteria. HIM is a relatively new type of microscopy which has several advantages over conventional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) due to its higher spatial resolution and the fact that samples can be imaged without coating (e.g., with Pt/Au). Here, we use HIM to show the development of nanometer- and micrometer-sized twisted stalk features consisting of organic material and Fe(III) minerals which appear to be loosely bound to the bacterial cells. These appendages are thought to be essential for eliminating Fe(III) waste produced during Fe(II) oxidation by sorbing Fe(III) and transporting it away from the cell. The results show the initial formation of long, precipitate-free stalks. After just 2 days, these became encrusted with spiky lepidocrocite crystals, and by 1 month, the characteristic twisted shape was almo.
Modeling of the dissolution kinetics of arbutus wild berries-based tablets as evaluated by electric conductivity

Lyophilized powder (LP) from Algerian arbutus wild berries (Arbutus unedo L.) was obtained. This present paper reports about the dissolution (releasing) properties of LP-based tablets, evaluated through the electric conductivity (EC) of distilled water which is employed as surrounding medium, at three different temperatures (291, 298 and 309 K). In addition to this, secondary physicochemical characteristics such as elementary analysis, color and compressibility were evaluated. Regarding the modeling of ionic transfer, among the three tested models, namely Peleg, Singh et al. and Singh and Kulshestha, the latter seems to be the most appropriate (R2 = 0.99), particularly in the case of compacted tablets under 2000 Pa. The temperature dependence of the dissolution process was also studied applying Arrhenius equation (R2>0.8) which allowed to deduce the activation energy, ranging from 18.7 to 21.4 kJ.mol-1 according to the model and compression force employed.
Farm Education and The Effect of a Farm Visit on Children’s Conception of Agriculture

Personal connections to agriculture have decreased considerably in Finland during the last few decades due to structural changes in agriculture. In this study, we will elucidate the understanding and conception of agriculture amongst urban pupils who have grown up during the 21st century. The research strategy consists of intervention in form of a farm visit, with pre- and postassessment. The methods for collecting data were drawings for gaining a diversified understanding of how pupils understand, experience and conceptualize agriculture. The drawings were analyzed by visual content analysis. In addition, interviews, analyzed by inductive content analysis method, were used to clarify the results. Qualities of farms as authentic learning environments are defined and studied The study revealed that many pupils had irrational conceptions of agriculture before the farm visit (38 %), but decreased significantly after the visit. One of the explaining factors for these irrational conceptions was considered to be the influence of media sources. Farms as educational learning environments were able to correct pupils’ false conceptions. A realistic image of agriculture is of significant value for becoming an aware and responsible consumer as well as choosing a career in agriculture.
Bladder Recovery Patterns in Patients with Complete Cauda Equina Syndrome: A Single-Center Study

Study Design Retrospective case series. Purpose Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is associated with etiologies such as lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and lumbar canal stenosis (LCS). CES has a prevalence of 2% among patients with LDH and exhibits variable outcomes, even with early surgery. Few studies have explored the factors influencing the prognosis in terms of bladder function. Therefore, we aimed to assess the factors contributing to bladder recovery and propose a simplified bladder recovery classification. Overview of Literature Few reports have described the prognostic clinical factors for bladder recovery following CES. Moreover, limited data are available regarding a meaningful bladder recovery status classification useful in clinical settings. Methods A single-center retrospective study was conducted (April 2012 to April 2015). Patients with CES secondary to LDH or LCS were included. The retrieved data were evaluated for variables such as demographics, symptom duration, neurological symptoms, bladder symptoms, and surgery duration. The variable bladder function outcome during discharge and at follow-up was recorded. All subjects were followed up for at least 2 years. A simplified bladder recovery classification was proposed. Statistical analyses were performed to study the correlation between patient variables and bladder function outcome. Results Overall, 39 patients were included in the study. Majority of the subjects were males (79.8%) with an average age of 44.4 years. CES secondary to LDH was most commonly seen (89.7%). Perianal sensation (PAS) showed a significant correlation with neurological recovery. In the absence of PAS, bladder function did not recover. Voluntary anal contraction (VAC) was affected in all study subjects. Conclusions Intactness of PAS was the only significant prognostic variable. Decreased or absent VAC was the most sensitive diagnostic marker of CES. We also proposed a simplified bladder recovery classification for recovery prognosis.
Crises, Labor Market Policy, and Unemployment

Using a sample of 97 countries spanning the period 1980? 2008, we estimate that financial crises have a large negative impact on unemployment in the short term, but that this effect rapidly disappears in the medium term in countries with flexible labor market institutions, whereas the impact of financial crises is less pronounced but more persistent in countries with more rigid labor market institutions. These effects are even larger for youth unemployment in the short term and long-term unemployment in the medium term. Conversely, large upfront, or gradual but significant, comprehensive labor market policies have a positive impact on unemployment, albeit only in the medium term.
Subsoil rhizosphere modification by chickpea under a dry topsoil: implications for phosphorus acquisition

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) roots exude carboxylates. While chickpea commonly grows where the topsoil dries out during crop growth, the importance of carboxylate exudation by the roots and mobilization of soil P from below the dry topsoil has not been examined. The study investigates the response of carboxylate exudation and soil P mobilization by this crop to subsoil P fertilizer rate. In constructed soil columns in the glasshouse, the P levels (high, low, and nil P) were varied in the well-watered subsoil (10-30 cm), while a low level of P in the dry topsoil (0-10 cm) was maintained. At flowering, rhizosphere carboxylates and rhizosphere soil from topsoil and subsoil roots were collected separately and analyzed. The concentration of total carboxylates per unit rhizosphere mass in the subsoil was nearly double that of the topsoil. Plants depleted sparingly soluble inorganic P (Pi), NaOH-Pi, and HCl-Pi, along with the labile Pi (water soluble and NaHCO3-Pi). The P depletion by plants was greater from the subsoil than the topsoil. The study concluded that depletion of sparingly soluble P from the chickpea rhizosphere in the subsoil was linked with the greater levels of carboxylates in the rhizosphere. These findings indicate that chickpea, with its deep rooting pattern, can increase its access to subsoil P when the topsoil dries out during crop growth by subsoil rhizosphere modification.
Population Aging, Health Care, and Fiscal Policy Reform: The Challenges for Japan

We construct a transition analysis based on a general equilibrium life‐cycle model to investigate the effects of aging, and we evaluate various policy alternatives designed to lessen the negative influence of aging. In particular, we analyze reforms of insurance benefits and tax financing tools that were recently the focus of a great amount of attention and debate in Japan because of the tense financial situation there. We show that although the potential reforms improve the welfare of future generations, the political implementation of such reforms is difficult because of the large welfare costs for the current population. Our analysis suggests that a gradual reform with an intergenerational redistribution will be more politically implementable than an immediate reform.
What Drives the Choice of Third Party Logistics Provider?

The service value proposition plays a key role in defining the most appropriate mix of components in service operations management. However, service companies often find it difficult to obtain a good understanding of how customers differentially value the service components that are offered by different providers. In this paper we identify the factors that are important to the choice of a logistics service provider. We use a stated choice experiment to explore the relative importance of seven service attributes based on a sample of 309 individuals across a range of industries and countries who have a role in purchasing logistics services. The results show that three distinct types of behavior populate our data and the preferences for price, delivery performance, service recovery, relationships, capacity, innovation and professional knowledge varies greatly between these customer groups. The practical importance of this insight is that we provide a logical starting point from which managers can begin to reverse engineer their service operations.
Preparation and Characterization of Anti-CeTNT-1 and Anti-CeTNT-4 Antibodies

Among the four CeTNT isoforms, CeTNT-1, CeTNT-2 are body wall types, CeTNT-4 is pharynx type and CeTNT-3 is expressed in both the body wall and pharyngeal tissue. In our previous study, we used body wall and pharynx type anti-CeTNI, anti-CeTNC and anti-CeTM antibodies to observe the tissue specific interaction of the TNI isoforms with others TN subunits and tropomyosin isoforms. To extent the interaction study of CeTNT isoforms, in this study, we prepared and characterized the body wall type anti-CeTNT-1 and pharynx type anti- CeTNT-4 antibodies. For the preparation of the anti-CeTNT-1 and anti-CeTNT-4 antibodies, in this study we constructed the pCTNT-1 and pCTNT-4 expression vectors. The sub-cloned of the pCTNT-1 and pCTNT-4 expression vectors were verified by DNA sequencing. These expression vectors were used to generate fusion proteins of the body wall, TNT-1 and pharyngeal TNT-4 isoforms in Escherichia Ecoli . The expression of these fusion proteins were confirmed by SDS-PAGE analysis. The anti-CeTNT-1 and anti-CeTNT-4 antibodies were prepared in the rabbit by using the gel cut of the CeTNT-1 and CeTNT-4 fusion proteins. The antibody specificity of the CeTNT-1 and CeTNT-4 fusion proteins was also judged by Western-analysis using prepared anti-CeTNT-1 and anti-CeTNT-4 antibodies. The antibody specificity results indicated that anti-sera against each of both the body wall type TNT-1 and pharynx type TNT-4 isoforms had tissue specificity. Key words: Troponin T, Caenorhabditis elegans, Body wall, Pharynx DOI: 10.3329/bjsir.v44i3. 4413 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 44(3) , 371-376, 2009
Narumi-Katayama Polynomial of Some Nano Structures

‎ The Narumi-Katayama index is the first topological index defined by the product of some graph theoretical quantities. Let G be a simple graph. Narumi-Katayama index of G is defined as the product of the degrees of the vertices of G. In this paper, we define the Narumi-Katayama polynomial of G. Next, we investigate some properties of this polynomial for graphs and then, we obtain this polynomial for some composite graphs such as splice, link, join, composition and Cartesian product of two graphs. Finally, using our results, we compute this polynomial for some nanostructures such as dendrimers and the chain of fullerenes.
Mass transfer and interfacial properties in two-phase microchannel flows

Drop-based microfluidic devices are becoming more common, and molecular mass transfer and drop circulation are issues that often affect the performance of such devices. Moreover, interfacial properties and surfactant mass transfer rates govern emulsion behavior. Since these phenomena depend strongly on drop size, measurement methods using small drops and flow typical of applications are desired. Using mineral oil as a continuous phase, water droplets and an alcohol surfactant, we demonstrate here a microfluidic approach to measure the interrelated phenomena of dynamic interfacial tension, surfactant mass transfer and interfacial retardation that employs droplet flows in a microchannel with constrictions/expansions. Interfacial flow is influenced markedly by adsorption of surfactant: severe interfacial retardation (by a factor of 30) is observed at low surfactant concentrations and interface remobilization is observed at higher surfactant concentrations. The interfacial tension is described by Langmuir kinetics and the parameters for interfaces with mineral oil (studied here) compare closely with those previously found at air interfaces. For the conditions explored, the surfactant mass transfer is described well by a mixed kinetic-diffusion limited model, and the desorption rate coefficients are measured to be both approximately 70 s−1. The transition from a diffusion-controlled to mixed diffusion-kinetic mass transfer mechanism predicted with reducing drop size is verified. This experimental approach (i.e. adjustable geometry and drop size and height) can therefore probe interfacial dynamics in simple and complex flow.
Corporate Governance, Accountability and Mechanisms of Accountability: An Overview

Purpose – This paper reviews traditional corporate governance and accountability research, to suggest opportunities for future research in this field. The first part adopts an analytical frame of reference based on theory, accountability mechanisms, methodology, business sector/context, globalisation and time horizon. The second part of the paper locates the seven papers in the special issue in a framework of analysis showing how each one contributes to the field. The paper presents a frame of reference which may be used as a 'roadmap' for researchers to navigate their way through the prior literature and to position their work on the frontiers of corporate governance research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs an analytical framework, and is primarily discursive and conceptual. Findings – The paper encourages broader approaches to corporate governance and accountability research beyond the traditional and primarily quantitative approaches of prior research. Broader theoretical perspectives, methodological approaches, accountability mechanism, sectors/contexts, globalisation and time horizons are identified. Research limitations/implications – Greater use of qualitative research methods are suggested, which present challenges particularly of access to the “black box” of corporate boardrooms. Originality/value – Drawing on the analytical framework, and the papers in the special issue, the paper identifies opportunities for further research of accountability and corporate governance.
Floral Phenology, Nectar Secretion Dynamics, and Honey Production Potential, of Two Lavender Species (Lavandula Dentata, and L. Pubescens ) in Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Abstract The aim of the current study was to determine the floral phenology, nectar secretion dynamics, and honey production potentials of two naturally growing lavender species (L. dentata and L. pubescens), in southwestern Saudi Arabia. In both species, flowering is continuous. This means that, when open flowers on a spike are shaded, new flowers emerge. Such a flowering pattern might be advantageous to the plant to minimise competition for pollinators and promote efficient resource allocation. The flowering periods of the two species overlap. Both species secreted increasing amounts of nectar from early morning to late afternoon. The mean maximum volumes of accumulated nectar from bagged flowers occurred at 15:00 for L. pubescens (0.50 ± 0.24 μL/flower) and at 18:00 for L. dentata (0.68 ± 0.19 μL/flower). The volume of the nectar that became available between two successive measurements (three-h intervals) varied from 0.04 μL/flower to 0.28 μL/flower for L. pubescens and from 0.04 μL/flower to 0.35 μL/ flower for L. dentata, This variation reflects the differences in the dynamics of nectar secretion by these species, and indicates the size of the nectar that may be available for flower visitors at given time intervals. The distribution of nectar secretions appears to be an adaptation of the species to reward pollinators for longer duration. Based on the mean amount of nectar sugar secreted by the plants, the honey production potentials of the species are estimated to be 4973.34 mg and 3463.41 mg honey/plant for L. dentata and L. pubescens, respectively.
Exploring the Oral Communication Strategies Used by Turkish EFL Learners: A Mixed Methods Study.

This study aimed to examine the impact of teaching philosophy for children in developing critical thinking and self-efficacy among students. The current study had a statistical population constituting of all female first-grade junior high school students in Khash in the academic year 2017-2018. Among these students, a corpus of 54 students (27 people assigned to an experimental group and 27 people assigned to a control group) was selected as a sample using a convenience sampling method. The experimental group was taught philosophy; however, the control group did not receive any training. To collect data, Sosu Critical Thinking Disposition Scale and Muris et al. Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents were used. For data analysis, using descriptive statistics, means and standard deviations were calculated and by applying inferential statistics, initially, differences between pretest and posttest scores were calculated and these differences between the scores obtained by the control and experimental groups were determined by conducting an independent t-test. Results indicated that there were significant differences in components of critical thinking, critical thinking, and self-efficacy between these two groups. In other words, teaching philosophy for children had a positive impact on increasing self-efficacy, critical thinking, and its components (critical openness and reflective skepticism).
3D spectroscopy of local luminous compact blue galaxies: Kinematics of NGC 7673

The kinematic properties of the ionized gas of local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy (LCBG) NGC 7673 are presented using three dimensional data taken with the PPAK integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman. Our data reveal an asymmetric rotating velocity field with a peak to peak difference of 60 km s −1 . The kinematic centre is found to be at the position of a central velocity width maximum (� = 54± 1 km s −1 ), which is consistent with the position of the luminosity-weighted centroid of the entire galaxy. The position angle of the minor rotation axis is 168 � as measured from the orientation of the velocity field contours. At least two decoupled kinematic components are found. The first one is compact and coincides with the position of the second most active star formation region (clump B). The second one is extended and does not have a clear optical counterpart. No evidence of active galactic nuclei activity or supernovae galactic winds powering any of these two components has been found. Our data, however, show evidence in support of a previously proposed minor merger scenario in which a dwarf galaxy, tentatively identified with clump B, is falling into NGC 7673. and triggers the starburst. Finally, it is shown that the dynamical mass of this galaxy may be severely underestimated when using the derived rotation curve or the integrated velocity width, under the assumption of virialization.
Diagnosis of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus by Real Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay in Iran

Background and Aims: Accurate and rapid diagnosis is necessary for effective control and prevention of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). In present study, was evaluated real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay along with diagnostic routine methods for the detection of all seven serotypes of FMD virus (FMDV), namely O, C, A, SAT1, 2, 3 and Asia 1 in biological samples at the reference laboratory for FMD, Iran. Materials and Methods: Two different RT-PCR assays targeting two different regions 5´ untranslated region (5´-UTR) and RNA polymerase (3D) of the FMDV genome were used to confirm the presence of FMDV in epithelial suspensions. Results: In the two methods the viral RNA in all tested archival serotypes of FMDV were detected. Specificity of this reaction was confirmed by the use of swine vesicular disease virus and blue-tongue. The amount of cycle threshold (CT) value of all seven serotypes was different and the lowest and highest of CT value achieved for SAT3, A, O types and SAT2, C types, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed that RT-PCR was more sensitive and effective than routine diagnostic methods. Furthermore, RT-PCR as a strong and valuable tool concomitant with diagnostic routine methods facilitate monitoring the fields FMDV strains and suggested that the use of the multiple diagnostic targets could enhance the sensitivity of the molecular methods for the detection of FMDV.