Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Moderate Decrease in ADAMTS13 Activity Correlates with the Severity of STEC-HUS

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) develops as a result of damage to the endothelium of microvasculature vessels by Shiga toxin produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (STEC-HUS). STEC-HUS remains the leading cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children aged 6 months to 5 years. The pathomorphological essence of the disease is the development of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). One of the key causes of TMA is an imbalance in the ADAMTS13–von Willebrand factor (vWF)–platelet system. The goal of the work was to clarify the role of a moderate decrease in ADAMTS13 activity in the pathogenesis of STEC-HUS. The activity of ADAMTS13 was determined in 138 children (4 months–14.7 years) in the acute period of STEC-HUS and the features of the course of the disease in these patients were analyzed. The study revealed a decrease in the activity and concentration of ADAMTS13 in 79.8% and 90.6% of patients, respectively. Measurements of von Willebrand factor antigen content and the activity of von Willebrand factor in the blood plasma of part of these patients were carried out. In 48.6% and 34.4% of cases, there was an increase in the antigen concentration and the activity of the Willebrand factor, respectively. Thrombocytopenia was diagnosed in 97.8% of children. We have demonstrated that moderately reduced ADAMTS13 activity correlates with the risk of severe manifestations of STEC-HUS in children; the rate of developing multiple organ failure, cerebral disorders, pulmonary edema, and acute kidney injury with the need for dialysis increases. It is assumed that reduction in ADAMTS13 activity may serve as a predictor of disease severity.
Management assessment of cattle exposed to trypanosomosis challenge in the new settlement and native areas of the Ghibe Valley, Southwestern Ethiopia

Tsetse-transmitted trypanosomosis is a widespread protozoan dis­ ease affecting cattle and a wide range of other hosts in sub-Saharan Africa. Its course may run from a chronic long lasting disease to an acute and rapidly fatal one depending on parasite-host interactions (2). It is mainly characterized by intermittent fever, progressive anemia and loss of condition of susceptible hosts which if untreated leads to heavy mortality. It is caused by pathogenic species of tryp­ anosomes transmitted cyclically by tsetse flies (Glossina sp.) and non-cyclically by other biting flies, except Trypanosoma equiper­ dum, which follows another epidemiological route of transmission among the equine population in its endemic areas. Trypanosomosis is the main constraint to cattle production on the continent of Africa
Millennial-scale climatic oscillations during the last interglaciation in central China

Repeated southward excursions of North Atlantic polar water during the last interglaciation (δ 18 O stage 5, 130‐74 ka) are recorded by planktonic foraminifera and ice-rafted detritus in North Atlantic sediment cores, and Greenland ice-sheet cores display quasi-synchronous fluctuations. Comparable high-frequency variations in the East Asian winter monsoon climate are discernible in three loess-paleosol profiles in central China that span the last interglaciation. Peak values of the >40 μm quartz fraction and bulk sediment samples from the S1 (last-interglacial) accretionary paleosol complex reflect major dust-flux events when winter monsoon winds strengthened. Frequent oscillations of the dust flux and nine significant dust events are recorded. Six events, falling between ca. 110 and 70 ka, are correlated with cold peaks (C19‐24) identified in North Atlantic cores. Two comparable dust peaks occur within paleosol S1SS3 (= substage 5e); the older of these, dating to ca. 121 ka, may correlate with a brief cold event recently recognized in high-resolution marine and terrestrial climate-proxy records.
The role of cluster organisations in stimulating cooperation between business and science. Experience from the Visegrad Group countries

Cooperation between science and business is regarded as a prerequisite for the development of innovation. The aim of this article is to provide a holistic view on the nature of business-research relations in cluster organisations in the Visegrad countries, by assessing their role in promoting this cooperation and identifying its determinants and barriers. The recognition of cluster organisations as a driver of innovation is connected with the fact that they create an environment conducive to cooperation, building trust between their members and reducing numerous barriers that limit it. This paper examines the role of cluster organisations in stimulating cooperation between business and science, providing a comparative analysis of the Visegrad countries in this respect. On the basis of in-depth interviews with managers of cluster organisations, and a survey of representatives of science-sector institutions, the authors clarified the role of cluster organisations in this process. Barriers were also diagnosed, such as the capacity constraints of R&D&I in SMEs, the cost of cooperation due to administrative overheads, differences in the organisational interest and culture. The study sheds new light on the role of cluster organisations and their members, showing that the ‘strategic innovators’ are critical to science-business cooperation. The research findings may inspire cluster organisation managers and other actors to create a common innovation ecosystem and approach, as well as encourage cluster organisation companies to implement joint research projects together with research organisations, which will result in mutual benefits for the parties involved.
Attenuation of spatial aliasing by means of stationary-wavelet and slant-stack transforms

Abstract Spatial aliasing happens in some seismic data acquisition and affects severely the performance of multichannel data processing and interpretation. Conventional methods (e.g. antialias filtering) remove high-frequency information from data in hand and distort the signals. The procedure we present here produces a unaliased estimation of all frequency components within the original seismic wavefield. The method is benefitted from the advantages of the Wavelet and Radon transforms, for instance the overlap of information between wavelet scales at the same frequency, in decomposing the seismic time series. We demonstrated the performance of the developed dealiasing algorithm in wavelet-Radon domain by applying on synthetic seismic data.
Eclogite and garnet pyroxenite from Stor Jougdan, Seve Nappe Complex, Sweden: implications for UHP metamorphism of allochthons in the Scandinavian Caledonides

Ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism (UHPM) has recently been discovered in far‐travelled allochthons of the Scandinavian Caledonides, including finding of diamond in the Seve Nappe Complex. This UHPM of Late Ordovician age is older and less recognized than that in the Western Gneiss Region of southwestern Norway, which was related to terminal collision between Baltica and Laurentia. Here we report new evidence of UHPM in the Lower Seve Nappe, recorded by eclogite and garnet pyroxenite from the area of Stor Jougdan in northern Jämtland, central Sweden. Peak‐metamorphic assemblage of eclogite, garnet + omphacite + phengite + rutile + coesite? yields P–T conditions of 2.8–4.0 GPa and 750–900 °C, constrained by conventional geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling in the NCKFMTASH system. The prograde metamorphic evolution of the eclogite is inferred from inclusions of zoisite and amphibole in garnet, which are stable at lower pressure, whereas the retrograde evolution is recorded by formation of diopsidic clinopyroxene + plagioclase symplectites after omphacite, growth of amphibole replacing these symplectites, and of titanite around rutile. In garnet pyroxenite the peak‐metamorphic assemblage consists of garnet + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + olivine. P–T conditions of 2.3–3.8 GPa and 810–960 °C have been derived based on the conventional geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling in the CFMASH and CFMAS systems. Retrograde evolution has been recognized from replacement of pyroxene and garnet by amphibole. The results show that eclogite was metamorphosed during deep subduction of continental crust, most probably derived from the continental margin of Baltica, whereas the origin and tectonic setting of the garnet pyroxenite is ambiguous. The studied pyroxenite/peridotite of Baltican subcontinental affinity could have been metamorphosed as a part of the subducting plate and exhumed due to the downward extraction of a forearc lithospheric block.
SUSTAINABLE PORTLAND? A CRITIQUE, AND THE LOS ANGELES COUNTERPOINT

This paper examines the Portland experience as Americaâ€™s most widely regarded example of urban sustainability. It suggests that appearances are deceptive. It compares some characteristics of development in Portland with similar trends in Los Angeles, not known as an exemplar of sustainability. The data suggest that Portland and Los Angeles are much more alike than different. In fact, from some points of view, Portland is less sustainable. It sprawls more (with densities about one-half of Los Angeles), its housing is less affordable, it consumes more land for urban development, it has more roads, and its minimal reliance on transit is similar.
Prognostic Value of CT Pulmonary Angiography Parameters Prediction Short Term Outcome in Patients with Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Risk stratification for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is important to create applicable treatment and management. Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is the first-line imaging method for assessment of patients PE. The different parameters of this modality can be used as predictors for survival in those patients
Mate or Menace? Exploring Organizational Identity Threats in Nonprofit-Business Partnerships

Nonprofit organizations frequently engage in partnerships with profit-oriented businesses to fulfill their goals and social mission. Although nonprofit-business partnerships can benefit both parties, they are a potential source of intra-organizational controversy and conflict, especially when social objectives clash with business interests. An increasingly recognized risk of nonprofit-business partnerships lies in organizational identity threats. Adopting a sensemaking perspective, we investigate how nonprofit members make sense of nonprofit-business partnerships and how these appraisal processes influence whether they perceive these inter-organizational partnerships as organizational identity threats. Our qualitative study draws on semi-structured interviews and shows that nonprofit members’ evaluations of partnership congruence (i.e., the perceived fit of a partnership with members’ organizational identity expectations) and partnership relevance (i.e., the perceived meaning of a partnership for an organization’s identity) influence whether they perceive partnerships as organizational identity threats. In doing so, we extend research on organizational identity threats (and opportunities) of nonprofit-business partnerships.
Trace Element Accumulation in Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Collected from Haneda Area, Japan in 1999

1999年に羽田で捕獲されたチョウゲンボウの肝臓, 腎臓, 胸筋, 肺における微量元素濃度を測定し, その蓄積特性と体内分布を検討した。 FeとMnは肝臓に蓄積していたが, 他の元素はおもに腎臓と肺で高濃度が認められた。 Al, V, Ga, Baは肺で高値を示し, 大気由来の曝露が考えられた。 また, Biも他の器官と比べて肺において高濃度で検出された。 Crは分析に供した全組織において加齢と供に減少し, Vは腎臓と肝臓, 肺において加齢とともに減少した。 またNiは肝臓と肺において加齢とともに増加したが, 腎臓と筋肉において減少した。 雌雄差に関して, オスはおもにアルカリ, アルカリ土類金属元素を蓄積しており, メスはMn, Fe, Cdを比較的高濃度に蓄積していた。 他の鳥類と比較した結果, Mn, Fe, Rb, Cs, Tl, Hgの高レベルは猛禽類の特徴と考えられ, 他の猛禽類と比較すると, 本種はV, Mn, Cs, Tl濃度が高値であった。
Financial (il)literacy vs. individual’s behavior

We explore the role that financial (il)literacy and personal traits have on financial behavior. Using a sample of 156 college students from the United States, we provide unique empirical evidence by specifically differen- tiating between individuals with higher levels of financial literacy versus individuals declaring not knowing the answers to financial literacy questions and those answering incorrectly. Thus, we assess the implications of revealed lack of financial knowledge on financial behavior regarding credit card use in comparison with two other cohorts; cohort one answering correctly, and cohort two failing to answer correctly. A novelty of our study is that we contrast these results to the behavioral factors of over spending and surprised levels of spend- ing—proxies for personality traits—when using credit card. Our exploratory empirical findings indicate that among personal-traits considered in this study overspending results in lack of payment in full in credit card debt, and more importantly these effects dominate any gains derived from financial literacy. To this extent fi- nancial literacy appears to only play a marginal role avoiding month-to-month credit card debt. Furthermore, financial knowledge derived from parents has a strong positive effect on individuals’ financial behavior espe- cially for students characterized by a relevant financial illiteracy. The implications of this research support the argumentation that early financial literacy may have the strongest effect in shaping individuals inherent behav- ior patterns; that is, early exposure to financial education is strictly preferred and should be promoted at early stages of the educational system.
Co-factor independent oxidases ncnN and actVA-3 are involved in the dimerization of benzoisochromanequinone antibiotics in naphthocyclinone and actinorhodin biosynthesis

Abstract Streptomyces produce complex bioactive secondary metabolites with remarkable chemical diversity. Benzoisochromanequinone polyketides actinorhodin and naphthocyclinone are formed through dimerization of half-molecules via single or double carbon-carbon bonds, respectively. Here we sequenced the genome of S. arenae DSM40737 to identify the naphthocyclinone gene cluster and established heterologous production in S. albus J1074 by utilizing direct cluster capture techniques. Comparative sequence analysis uncovered ncnN and ncnM gene products as putative enzymes responsible for dimerization. Inactivation of ncnN that is homologous to atypical co-factor independent oxidases resulted in the accumulation of fogacin, which is likely a reduced shunt product of the true substrate for naphthocyclinone dimerization. In agreement, inactivation of the homologous actVA-3 in S. coelicolor M145 also led to significantly reduced production of actinorhodin. Previous work has identified the NAD(P)H-dependent reductase ActVA-4 as the key enzyme in actinorhodin dimerization, but surprisingly inactivation of the homologous ncnM did not abolish naphthocyclinone formation and the mutation may have been complemented by an endogenous gene product. Our data suggests that dimerization of benzoisochromanequinone polyketides require two-component reductase-oxidase systems.
Geology and tectonics of the Baja California Peninsula and adjacent areas

This volume honors Russell "Gordon" Gastil, emeritus professor at San Diego State University's Department of Geological Sciences, who served as professor there from 1959 to 1993. Gordon mapped and supervised the mapping of tens of thousands of square kilometers of Mexico, California, and Arizona. One of his many contributions was GSA Memoir 140, which included the first reconnaissance map of the northern half of the Baja California peninsula (Gastil et al., 1975). This long out-of-print opus probably is the most-cited work in all geo-literature pertaining to the peninsula and is jealously guarded by those who own a copy. Gordon and his students continued their studies in the region over the next two decades, and many of these analyses were collected in GSA Special Paper 279 (Gastil and Miller, 1993). Gordon's early interest in the geology and tectonics of the Peninsular Ranges in southern California and northern Baja California (e.g., Bushee et al., 1963; Gastil, 1968) expanded to include a wide variety of geologic and tectonic problems throughout northwestern Mexico. The regional focus of papers in this volume reflects his seminal work in the Peninsular Ranges, other parts of Baja, islands in the Gulf of California, and the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit, and Jalisco (Fig. 1). The goals of this introductory paper are to (1) summarize our present understanding of the geology and tectonics of southernmost California and Baja California, the Gulf of California, and western mainland Mexico; (2) identify outstanding problems and suggest avenues of research that might address those problems; and (3) provide context for the other papers in this volume. The emphasis on tectonics-oriented issues reflects Gordon's interests as well as my own. Coverage of other topics, such as paleontology and modern sedimentary environments, is incomplete or absent. This paper first describes the salient aspects of the geography, modern tectonic setting, seismicity, and geophysical attributes of the region. It then summarizes the geology in terms of specific terranes and describes major batholiths throughout the region. The geology of western mainland Mexico is not covered systematically, though some components of it are addressed in later sections of the paper. The bulk of this paper is an analysis of major events in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic history of the Baja California peninsula and nearby regions. Three topics receive the most attention, reflecting the scope of other papers in this volume and the focus of tectonics-oriented research in the region in the last few decades: (1) the nature, origin, and development of the Peninsular Ranges batholith and its host rocks in southernmost and Baja California; (2) possible northward translation of part, most, or all of southernmost and Baja California in the Late Cretaceous, Paleogene, or both; and (3) late Cenozoic transtension, rifting, and formation of oceanic crust in the Gulf of California. Other tectonics-related issues are addressed, but in less detail.
Modernidad en movimiento. Cómo enfrentarse a la movilidad motorizada en Teherán, Santiago y

The progress of modernization is accompanied by an emphasis on urban mobility and economic growth together with increasing environmental awareness. This article aims at analysing the transformation of transport systems (car-road system and public transport) together with related urban changes and their societal effects in three very different cities: Santiago, Tehran and Copenhagen. In these cities vehicle ownership is increasing and motorized mobility is further facilitated. Mass motorization is an essential part of modernization. However, its impact on societal development is an area of research that has received little attention. Moreover, mass motorization is handled in different ways in different socio-political settings. In Tehran the emphasis is on technological upgrading and enlargement. In Santiago, an important re-regulation and modernisation of the systems is taking place. In Copenhagen all kinds of improvements are made partly inspired by the Agenda 21. Furthermore, as this article points out, the local political order and chosen strategies to handle motorization problems are diverse. My analysis emphasizes mass motorization, political interventions, civil society, urban governance, sustainable development and the management of urban mobility. I conclude that political strength at the city level seems to be weaker than what is observed at the national level.
Multiscale seismicity analysis and forecasting: Examples from the western Pacific and Iceland

Seismicity forecasting has three major challenges: (1) the development of models or algorithms to forecast of seismicity, (2) the evaluation and testing of the forecasts and (3) the need for an appropriate software package. The goal of my thesis is to improve seismicity forecasting. I do this by contributing to a solution for all of the three challenges, using data from the West Pacific and from Iceland. The thesis is split into three chapters, each focusing on one of the challenges and each chapter will be (or already is) published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. This first chapter (chapter 2 in this thesis) is about testing of seismic forecasts. The Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP, www.cseptesting.org; Jordan, 2006) has been conducting an earthquake forecast experiment in the western Pacific. The data and forecasts of this experiment serve as example for this chapter. For the three participating statistical models, I analyze the first four years of this experiment. I use likelihood-based metrics to evaluate the consistency of the forecasts with the observed target earthquakes, and I apply measures based on Student’s t-test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to compare the forecasts. I estimate also the uncertainties of the test results resulting from uncertainties in earthquake location and seismic moment. The estimated uncertainties are relatively small and suggest that the evaluation metrics are relatively robust. In chapter 3 I focus on the forecast itself with an Operational Earthquake Forecasting (OEF) experiment–forecasting seismicity in near real-time–for Iceland. The goal is to estimate the feasibility of OEF with the state-of-the-art models. I use the period between 2007 and 2010 and a sparsely processed catalogue as basis for a retrospective forecasting experiment with next-day forecasts. To better understand the effect of updating cycle on the probability gain I also use scheme in which the forecasts are updated after every earthquake M ≥ 3. Three different models (ETAS, STEP and TripleS) and an ensemble model consisting of three different models are used for this experiment. I found that while there is still room for improvement, the forecasts model are capable of producing usable forecasts even with the sparsely processed earthquake catalogue. The ensemble forecast has the highest information gain, but the difference to the best non-ensemble model is not significant. Chapter 5 is about the technical aspects of seismicity analysis and forecasting. I introduce in this a new software framework called MapSeis. MapSeis is an open-source software framework with focus on statistical seismology and seismicity forecasting and testing. It has been written by myself and is used in every single step in this thesis;,
Government’s Income Support and Women Empowerment: Regional Estimates of a Lower Middle-Income Economy

Investment in women is the smart thing to do. Pakistan has to meet SDGs till 2030, among which the 5th goal is empowering women and gender equality. We have to find the correlates that affects the empowerment of a woman to empower them. For this purpose, the current study was designed. A large sample of 12339 married women aged between 15 to 49 years was taken from PDHS 2017-18. The status of women empowerment was evaluated by formulating an index (ranged from score 0 to 10) by taking the 8 dimensions of women empowerment namely, woman’s decision making autonomy, digital inclusion, educational status, employment status, ownership of house, self-esteem, consent in choosing husband and her inclusion in financial sectors. The extent of women empowerment is observed at urban and rural areas. For analysis, ordered logistic regression technique was applied by using SPSS-23. It was concluded that as compared to women of urban areas, the women belonged to rural areas were less empowered. The disaggregated analyses showed that the determining factors of women empowerment were affecting in similar way in both urban and rural areas, except that of BISP which was increasing women empowerment in rural areas but not in the urban areas.