Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study on Detection of Bartonella henselae Infection by Culture Followed by PCR , Nested-PCR and IFA [ 1 ]

Cats are the main reservoirs of zoonotic Bartonella henselae which are the causative agents of Cat Scratch Disease (CSD). The aim of this study is to compare three diagnostic methods including culture followed by PCR from whole blood, nested-PCR from oral swab and whole blood, and IFA from serum samples. The diagnosis of B. henselae was compared with the bacteriological methods following conventional PCR and by two separate nested PCR from blood, and oral cavity swabs which were collected from 81 pet and stray cats in Istanbul, Turkey. Also the seroprevalence was determined by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) technique in the same animals. Bartonella spp. was determined in 26 (32%) of the blood samples by culture. Twenty of them were identified as B. henselae and 6 of them were B. clarridgeiae by following conventional PCR assay. Of 81 whole blood samples subjected to PCR, 29 (36%) were positive in the nested reaction. Of these, 20 were identified as B.henselae and 8 were B. clarridgeiae. However, one of the samples was found to be positive for both B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae DNA by the nested reaction. Of 81oral swab samples subjected to PCR, 25 (31%) were positive in the nested reaction. Of these, 19 were identified as B. henselae and 6 were B. clarridgeiae. B.henselae IgG antibody seroprevalence was detected as 67% (54/81). Using the combination of blood and oral samples by Nested-PCR simultaneously may increase the sensitivity of the test. Also, the combination of the blood culture with nestedPCR and serology is likely to give the most definitive information in the diagnosis of bartonellosis in cats.
The genus Munida Leach (Crustacea, Decapoda, Galatheidae) in the eastern tropical Pacific, with description of two new species

In the eastern tropical Pacific, the genus Munida is made of I 0 previously known and 2 undescribed species, M. bapensis sp. nov. and M. williamsi sp. nov. , di stributed from Californ ia to Peru and the Galapagos Islands. Nine of the known species were described by Walter Faxon in 1893 (Munida gracilipes, M. obesa, M. propinqua, and M. refulgens) and by James Benedict in 1902 (M. debilis, M. hispida, M. me.xicana, M. perlara, and M. rene/fa) . A western-Atl anti c species, M. microphrha/ma A. Milne-Edwards, is also reported from Coco Island, Costa Rica. Munida debilis, M. rene/la , and the two undescribed species are known only from the Gulf of California. The munidas from the eastern tropical Pacific have a depth range from 16.5 to 3292 m. Shallow water species (not deeper than 200 m) include M. debilis, M. renella, M. me.xicana, M. refulgens and Mun ida williamsi. The present contribution increases from 39 to 74 the number of localities known for the genus in the region.
NGC 307 and the effects of dark-matter haloes on measuring supermassive black holes in disc galaxies

We present stellar-dynamical measurements of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the S0 galaxy NGC 307, using adaptive-optics IFU data from VLT-SINFONI. We investigate the effects of including dark-matter haloes as well as multiple stellar components with different mass-to-light (M/L) ratios in the dynamical modelling. Models with no halo and a single stellar component yield a relatively poor fit with a low value for the SMBH mass [(7.0 +/- 1.0) x 10(7) M-circle dot] and a high stellarM/L ratio (gamma(K) = 1.3 +/- 0.1). Adding a halo produces a much better fit, with a significantly larger SMBH mass [(2.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(8) M-circle dot] and a lower M/L ratio (gamma(K) = 1.1 +/- 0.1). A model with no halo but with separate bulge and disc components produces a similarly good fit, with a slightly larger SMBH mass [(3.0 +/- 0.5) x 10(8) M-circle dot] and an identical M/L ratio for the bulge component, though the disc M/L ratio is biased high (gamma(K), disc = 1.9 +/- 0.1). Adding a halo to the two-stellar-component model results in a much more plausible disc M/L ratio of 1.0 +/- 0.1, but has only a modest effect on the SMBH mass [(2.2 +/- 0.6) x 10(8) M-circle dot] and leaves the bulge M/L ratio unchanged. This suggests that measuring SMBH masses in disc galaxies using just a single stellar component and no halo has the same drawbacks as it does for elliptical galaxies, but also that reasonably accurate SMBH masses and bulge M/L ratios can be recovered (without the added computational expense of modelling haloes) by using separate bulge and disc components.
The A-Effect and Global Motion

When the head is tilted, an objectively vertical line viewed in isolation is typically perceived as tilted. We explored whether this shift also occurs when viewing global motion displays perceived as either object-motion or self-motion. Observers stood and lay left side down while viewing (1) a static line, (2) a random-dot display of 2-D (planar) motion or (3) a random-dot display of 3-D (volumetric) global motion. On each trial, the line orientation or motion direction were tilted from the gravitational vertical and observers indicated whether the tilt was clockwise or counter-clockwise from the perceived vertical. Psychometric functions were fit to the data and shifts in the point of subjective verticality (PSV) were measured. When the whole body was tilted, the perceived tilt of both a static line and the direction of optic flow were biased in the direction of the body tilt, demonstrating the so-called A-effect. However, we found significantly larger shifts for the static line than volumetric global motion as well as larger shifts for volumetric displays than planar displays. The A-effect was larger when the motion was experienced as self-motion compared to when it was experienced as object-motion. Discrimination thresholds were also more precise in the self-motion compared to object-motion conditions. Different magnitude A-effects for the line and motion conditions—and for object and self-motion—may be due to differences in combining of idiotropic (body) and vestibular signals, particularly so in the case of vection which occurs despite visual-vestibular conflict.
The missing middle in developing countries revisited

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a dynamic model to understand the evolution of the firm size distribution in developing countries. Design/methodology/approach - Evidence points to the existence of a “missing middle” in the size distribution of firms in developing countries. In the model presented in this paper, the bimodality arises because of agents optimally selecting into a traditional and a modern sector. The key parameter in this model is the mean level of knowledge in the economy. Findings - For a low mean, the two sectors co-exist. As the mean rises, the size distribution converges from a bimodal to an unimodal distribution. Originality/value - Unlike existing explanations, this model does not rely on frictions to generate the bimodality in size distribution.
Global phase diagram in the quantum Hall effect

In this paper, we report on our progress in determining the global behavior of the two-dimensional electron gas in a high magnetic field. Our results are summarized in the schematic phase diagrams in Figs. 1(a)—1(c). The logic that leads to these figures is fairly simple, although the specific calculations become somewhat complex. To begin with, in this introduction, we will describe the logic and motivate our conclusions physically, but will not provide detailed derivations. In the subsequent two sections, we will discuss the derivation of the various concrete results we have obtained which support our picture. These sections are fairly technical, and can be skipped by the reader who is interested in results but is uninterested in their derivation. In Sec. IV and the Appendix we discuss the issue of the universality of the conductivity at the critical point between quantum Hall liquids. Finally, in Sec. V, we discuss specific experimentally testable consequences of our global picture.
Present‐Day Kinematics in Southeastern Tibet Inferred From GPS Measurements

Quantifying the regional kinematics is critical for understanding the deformation mechanisms of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we construct an elastic block model using a dense GPS velocity field to derive the fault slip rates in SE Tibet. We uncover good agreement between GPS and late Quaternary slip estimates, suggesting that the GPS slip rates estimated from our model can represent the long‐term fault motions in SE Tibet. Specifically, our model shows that the slip along the Xianshuihe fault increases from west to east, which may result from the initiation of the Longriba fault. The Litang, Zhongdian, and Xiaojiang faults and the faults bounding the Lijiang block exhibit extensional motions, in agreement with the regional tectonics and earthquake focal mechanisms. In the regions north of the Red River fault whose kinematics can be described through the rotations of subblocks with small residuals, the fault motions agree with focal mechanism patterns and tectonic block models. In regions south of the Red River fault, the right‐lateral shearing among the Red River, Lancang and Sagaing faults appears to explain the first‐order deformation features. However, the relatively large residuals and complex tectonic setting suggest that various other factors, such as asthenospheric flow and the subduction of the Burma plate may also influence the deformation. Thus, a single model extended to interpret all the geodynamic features in SE Tibet, especially south of the Red River fault, may be overly simple, and the extent to which each factor contributes to this deformation requires further study.
Competitiveness and Profitability of Intercropping Sunflower with Peanut under Different Irrigation Water Levels and Potassium Fertilizer Rates

A two-year study was carried out at Ismailia Agricultural Research Station, Egypt during 2016 and 2017 summer seasons to evaluate competitive effects of intercropping sunflower and peanut under different drip irrigation water amounts and K fertilizer rates for increasing farmer profitability. Three irrigation amounts (70%, 100% and 120% ETo), three K fertilizer levels (57, 86 and 114 K2O kg/ha) and four intercropping patterns of sunflower and peanut (different spatial arrangements) were implemented. The experimental design was strip split plot with three replications. The results showed that there were no significant differences between 100% and 120% ETo on most of yield traits of the intercrops. The highest K fertilizer level had the highest values of most yield traits of the intercrops. The highest values of peanut and sunflower traits were obtained from intercropping sunflower with peanut, where peanut seeds were sown on both sides of all the raised beds, sunflower seeds were sown on one row above the raised beds and the following bed was left without intercropping (P1). Thus, to attain the highest yield of intercrops and water equivalent ratio (WER), the lowest competitive pressure and the highest farmer profitability, 120% ETo, 114 K2O kg/ha and P1 intercropping pattern should be implemented. This research found that the result of competitiveness was consistent with the result of profitability.
Does a Big Bazooka Matter? Central Bank Balance-Sheet Policies and Exchange Rates

We estimate the effects of quantitative easing (QE) measures by the ECB and the Federal Reserve on the US dollar-euro exchange rate at frequencies and horizons rele- vant for policymakers. To do so, we derive a theoretically-consistent local projection regression equation from the standard asset pricing formulation of exchange rate de- termination. We then proxy unobserved QE shocks by future changes in the relative size of central banks’ balance sheets, which we instrument with QE announcements in two-stage least squares regressions in order to account for their endogeneity. We find that QE measures have large and persistent effects on the exchange rate. For example, our estimates imply that the ECB’s APP program which raised the ECB’s balance sheet relative to that of the Federal Reserve by 35 percentage points between September 2014 and the end of 2016 depreciated the euro vis-`a-vis the US dollar by 12%. Regarding transmission channels, we find that a relative QE shock that ex- pands the ECB’s balance sheet relative to that of the Federal Reserve depreciates the US dollar-euro exchange rate by reducing euro-dollar short-term money market rate differentials, by widening the cross-currency basis and by eliciting adjustments in currency risk premia. Changes in the expectations about the future monetary policy stance, reflecting the “signalling” channel of QE, also contribute to the exchange rate response to QE shocks.
FUNCTIONS POSSESSING RESTRICTED MEAN VALUE PROPERTIES1

A real-valued function / denned on an open subset of R" is said to have the restricted mean value property with respect to balls (spheres) if, for each point x in the set, there exists a ball (sphere) with center x and radius r{x) such that the average value of /over the ball (sphere) is equal tof(x). Iff is harmonic then it has the restricted mean value property. Here new conditions for the converse implication are given.
The Unique Role of Anger among Negative Emotions in Goal-Directed Decision Making

While much of consumer choice is goal driven, consumers often fail to prioritize their goals when making decisions. Despite this relevance of goal pursuit to consumer behavior, relatively little work has examined the factors that facilitate it. The current research examines when and how different negative emotions influence such goal-directed decision making. Six studies show that anger leads to greater goal-directed decision making and more goal-consistent choices compared to sadness and fear. Consequently, anger results in both less susceptibility to contextual choice biases and greater post-choice satisfaction. We argue that the results arise because anger is characterized by appraisals of both high certainty and high control, which increase the likelihood that consumers will use goals as decision criteria. With anger becoming more common in the consumer space, thanks to contemporary social media and political polarization, we provide a framework for marketers and managers to put this negative emotion to good use.
New concept of metal ion thruster based on pulsed thermionic vacuum arc discharge

A new approach for the development of an innovative, low-cost, long lifespan, small size and versatile metal ion thruster (MIT), able to independently control thrust and specific impulse generation, is proposed. The concept of pulsed thermionic vacuum arc (PTVA) is used to generate and accelerate metal ions, without using acceleration grids. Operating under high or ultra-high vacuum conditions makes PTVA discharge suitable to be used in the vacuum of space. The proposed electric propulsion system can provide significant thrust and specific impulse levels due to an efficient metal ion acceleration process in the electric field of a double layer structure developed in PTVA plasma. For certain experimental conditions, the performance parameters values of this MIT–PTVA approach, and even exceed, those of the classical ion thrusters like xenon ion propulsion system and stationary plasma Hall thruster.
The laws of action and reaction: on determinants of patent disputes in European chemical and drug industries

Patent disputes are important events for patentees, their competitors, and society. Using a unique dataset of patent disputes in Europe, we estimate their likelihood and outcome based on the choices and actions of parties during patent prosecution. We build our hypotheses using classical models of litigation and settlement, namely, divergent expectations, asymmetric stakes, and informational asymmetries. Our results suggest that parties are involved in a dynamic bargaining game throughout the lifecycle of a patent. They use procedural instruments at their disposal to achieve certainty, and continuously update their beliefs about the strength of their case as new information is revealed. Uncertainty over scope and validity triggers third-party actions to eliminate blocking patents, while patentees use divisionals and amendments to isolate valuable parts of their applications before quickly bringing them to court. Defendants may retaliate by challenging the validity of patents as a counterclaim before court, bringing more uncertainty and thus impeding settlement. The main policy implication is that specific patent procedures (e.g., third-party observations and amendments) might be exploited to reduce uncertainty and improve the validity of patents. These should be encouraged, while bulky patents followed by long chains of divisionals should be regarded with a degree of suspicion.
Free energy of a general computation.

Starting from Landauer's slogan "information is physical," we revise and modify Landauer's principle stating that the erasure of information has a minimal price in the form of a certain quantity of free energy. We establish a direct link between the erasure cost and the work value of a piece of information and show that the former is essentially the length of the string's best compression by a reversible computation. We generalize the principle by deriving bounds on the free energy to be invested for-or gained from, for that matter-a general computation. We then revisit the second law of thermodynamics and compactly rephrase it (assuming the Church-Turing-Deutsch hypothesis that physical reality can be simulated by a universal Turing machine): Time evolutions are logically reversible-"the future fully remembers the past (but not necessarily vice versa). " We link this view to previous formulations of the second law, and we argue that it has a particular feature that suggests its "logico-informational" nature, namely, simulation resilience: If a computation faithfully simulates a physical process violating the law, then that very computation procedure violates it as well.
Friction-Stir-Welded Lap Joint of Aluminum to Zinc-Coated Steel

This paper has dealt with the feasibility of friction-stir welding a zinc-coated steel plate to a pure aluminum plate in a lap joint configuration (the aluminum plate was top and the steel bottom). The friction stir welding was carried out at rotation speeds of 16.7-41.7 s-1 and travel speeds of 3.3-5 mm/s. It was found that the performance of the joint depended strongly on the depth of the pin tip of the FSW tool relative to the steel surface; when the pin depth did not reach the steel surface the joint showed quite weak fracture loads, while the penetration of the pin tip to a depth of 0.1 mm under the steel surface significantly increased the joint strength. The joint strength tended to increase with rotation speed and slightly decrease with the increase in the traveling speed. As compared with the similar joints of an aluminum to a steel without Zn-coating, joints of aluminum to the Zn-coated steel exhibited high strength at all bonding parameters employed in this investigation, which suggested the beneficial effect of the Zn coating on the bond strength.
Availability as key determinant in the palliative home care setting from the patients’ and family caregivers’ perspectives: A quantitative-qualitative-content analysis approach

Abstract Objective A sense of security is important in palliative home care. Yet, knowledge about which components contribute most to feeling secure from the patients’ and family caregivers’ perspectives, especially since the introduction of specialist palliative home care, is sparse. The goal of the current study was to determine the key components contributing to a sense of security and how they relate to each other as experienced by patients and family caregivers in specialist and generalist palliative home care. Methods The current sub-study, as part of a larger study, was performed in different regions in Germany. Palliative care patients and family caregivers of at least 18 years of age, being cared for at home were interviewed using semi-structured interview guides following a three-factor model and analyzed by using a combined quantitative-qualitative-content approach. Results One hundred and ninty-seven patients and 10 carers completed interviews between December 2017 and April 2019. The majority of patients were diagnosed with an oncological disease. Sense of security was mentioned particularly often suggesting its high relevance. We identified nine subcategories that were all mentioned more frequently by specialist than generalist palliative home care recipients in the following order of priority and relation: (i) patient-centeredness: availability, provision of information/education, professional competence, patient empowerment, and trust (ii) organizational work: comprehensive responsibility, external collaboration, and internal cooperation, and (iii) direct communication. Significance of results The work of specialist palliative home care services in particular was perceived as very effective and beneficial. Our findings confirm a previously developed three-factor model allowing for generalizability and revealed that availability was most important for improving the sense of security for effective palliative home care.
Experimental Validation of Aero-Hydro-Servo-Elastic Models of a Scaled Floating Offshore Wind Turbine

Floating offshore wind turbines are complex dynamical systems. The use of numerical models is an essential tool for the prediction of the fatigue life, ultimate loads and controller design. The simultaneous wind and wave loading on a non-stationary foundation with a flexible tower makes the development of numerical models difficult, the validation of these numerical models is a challenging task as the floating offshore wind turbine system is expensive and the testing of these may cause loss of the system. The validation of these numerical models is often made on scaled models of the floating offshore wind turbines, which are tested in scaled environmental conditions. In this study, an experimental validation of two numerical models for a floating offshore wind turbines will be conducted. The scaled model is a 1:35 Froude scaled 5 MW offshore wind turbine mounted on a tension-leg platform. The two numerical models are aero-hydro-servo-elastic models. The numerical models are a theoretical model developed in a MATLAB/Simulink environment by the authors, while the other model is developed in the turbine simulation tool FAST. A comparison between the numerical models and the experimental dynamics shows good agreement. Though some effects such as the periodic loading from rotor show a complexity, which is difficult to capture.