Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quaternary ironstones in the Xingu River, eastern Amazonia (Brazil)

Abstract Using a multimethod approach, including polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), SEM with mineral liberation analyzer (MLA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy, we examined sub-recent ferruginous crusts in the Xingu River in the Amazon Basin that have formed since the Early Pleistocene (<1.2 Ma), as indicated by (U-Th)/He dating of goethite. Although now preserved as goethite, the size and form of the smallest components of the ironstone (nanorods) and the nature of isomorphic substitution in the goethite point to very early transformation of the original precipitate, an unstable hydrous ferrous oxide (HFO) mineral, into goethite. The fine, multiply undulating laminae of the ironstone contain abundant filamentous microbial molds and casts that together support identification of the crusts as ferruginous microbialites and suggest a role of bioinduction/bioinfluence in ironstone precipitation, although inorganic precipitation is also evident. The Xingu Quaternary ironstones are the first evidence of ferruginous microbialite in a modern freshwater system in South America and may hold clues to the recent history of the Xingu River.
Dietary Patterns and Metabolic Disorders in Polish Adults with Multiple Sclerosis

Diet plays a major role in the aetiopathogenesis of many neurological diseases and may exacerbate their symptoms by inducing the occurrence of metabolic disorders. The results of research on the role of diet in the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) are ambiguous, and there is still no consensus concerning dietary recommendations for patients with MS. The aim of this study was to analyse the dietary patterns (DPs) of patients with MS and to assess the relationships between these DPs and the metabolic disorders. The study participants were comprised of 330 patients aged 41.9 ± 10.8 years. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data related to diet, lifestyle and health. The DPs were identified using a principal component analysis (PCA). Three DPs were identified: Traditional Polish, Prudent and Fast Food & Convenience Food. An analysis of the odds ratios adjusted for age, gender, smoking and education showed that a patient’s adherence to the Traditional Polish and the Fast Food & Convenience Food DPs increased the likelihood of abdominal obesity and low HDL-cholesterol concentration. Conversely, adherence to the Prudent DP was not significantly associated with any metabolic disorder. The results of this study confirmed that an unhealthy diet in patients with MS is connected with the presence of some metabolic risk factors. There is also an urgent need to educate patients with MS on healthy eating, because the appropriate modifications to their diet may improve their metabolic profile and clinical outcomes.
The use of displacement and zoning ventilation in a multipurpose arena

ABSTRACT This study investigated the performance of ventilation and indoor climate in a multipurpose arena located in Malmö, Sweden, with a seating capacity of 13,000 individuals, and in which a combination of displacement and zoning ventilation was applied. The main objective was to explore thermal conditions, indoor air quality, airflow patterns and air distribution. The measured operating conditions were ice hockey game and training situation. The measurements were conducted to observe the indoor climate and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed to get a generic view of the air distribution and the flow field over the whole arena indoor environment. The results show that air movement was highly case-dependent. However, the experiments indicated an upward flow along the lower seating area and a downward flow along the upper seating area. During the game, the average rise of temperature was around 2 °C in arena with low stratification while using displacement ventilation. The temperature range was 12–17 °C at the lower seating area and 15–17 °C at the upper seating area. The corresponding air-speed level was 0.06–0.36 m/s. The relative humidity was about 30%–40% where a part of the humidity was transferring into the ice sheet. The carbon dioxide concentration increased locally to near 900 ppm indicating reasonable operation of ventilation. The CFD simulations predicted well-mixed conditions in arena, thus supporting the measured low-temperature stratification. Overall, the air movement was significantly affected by supply air temperature, variable airflow rates and retractable stand position (on–off) in the arena enclosure. The results support the use of displacement and zoning ventilation in multipurpose arenas.
The impact of ERP implementation on the financial performance of the firm: An empirical study

This thesis consists of eight chapters on investment in ERP and its impact on financial performance of adopters and non-adopters. In first two chapters, we discuss ERP implementation in general and why it is interesting to focus on the context of Pakistan and literature review respectively. The conceptual innovation of research is the cost of not investing in IT is discussed in chapter three. In this chapter, an ITIVJ Model has been developed based on Game-theoretic ground and review of past studies. It has also been shown how the cost of not investing can be used to extend a traditional decision model based on NPV. Chapter four and five focus on variables and hypotheses and data and methodology respectively. It has also been probed in these chapters that how ERP implementation affect variables representing the operational and strategic performance of adopters and non-adopters. Chapter six explore the results of statistical techniques used in this study. The main result of the research is that companies implementing ERP are not necessarily doing better after implementation, but they perform better than the non-adopters whose financial performance generally degraded in the same period of time. These results also validate the model developed in chapter three. The discussion and limitation are given in chapter seven whereas chapter eight conclude the dissertation and provide the gaps for future research.
A Retrospective Analysis to Estimate the Burden of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and Non-Invasive Pneumonia in Children <15 Years of Age in the Veneto Region, Italy

Despite advances in preventative interventions, invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. We studied the annual incidence of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and non-invasive pneumonia in children <15 years of age during the early (2010–2013) and late (2014–2017) 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) periods in Veneto, Italy. In this retrospective observational study, pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and non-invasive pneumonia cases were identified from several sources, including the Pedianet database. Interrupted time series analysis and Mann–Kendall tests were conducted to explore trends in incidence rates (IRs). Among 72,570 patients <15 years of age between 2010–2017, 88 episodes of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and 3926 episodes of non-invasive pneumonia were reported. Overall IR of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease was 0.4/1000 person-years and did not change significantly (p = 0.46) throughout the study. Overall IR of non-invasive pneumonia was 10/1000 person-years and decreased significantly (−0.64, p = 0.026) over the study period. Following PCV13 introduction, the IRs of non-invasive pneumonia in children <15 years of age declined significantly, with no significant change in the IRs of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease. There is a continuing clinical burden associated with pediatric pneumococcal diseases in Veneto, Italy.
MDR Pathogens Organisms as Risk Factor of Mortality in Secondary Pulmonary Bacterial Infections Among COVID-19 Patients: Observational Studies in Two Referral Hospitals in West Java, Indonesia

Purpose The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has created a global health crisis. Secondary pulmonary bacterial infection is a COVID-19 complication, increasing morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the pathogens, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, and risk factors for mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Patients and Methods This retrospective study used secondary data from patients’ electronic medical records at Hasan Sadikin General Hospital and Santo Borromeus Hospital between March 2020 and March 2021. Overall, 2230 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were screened, and 182 of them who were hospitalized ≥48 hours with a procalcitonin level of ≥0.25 ng/mL were enrolled. Culture examination was performed on sputum samples to determine pathogen and antibiotic susceptibilities. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine mortality-related risk factors in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Results The prevalence of secondary pulmonary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients was 8.2%, with 161/182 pathogen growth from sputum samples. Mainly gram-negative bacteria (64.8%) were present, including Acinetobacter baumannii (31.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (19.8%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.8%). High rate of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens was found among isolate (45.9%), ie carbapenem-resistance A.baumannii (CR-Ab) was 84.2%, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) among K. pneumoniae was 61.1%. Secondary infection of MDR pathogens was associated with a higher risk of mortality (AOR 5.63, p = 0.001). Other associated factors were age ≥60 years, ventilator use, and female gender. Conclusion Gram-negative bacteria are the predominant pathogens causing secondary pulmonary bacterial infection in COVID-19 patients, implying nosocomial infection. High resistance to first-line antimicrobial drugs was observed in Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria. High rate of MDR pathogens was found among isolate and was associated with a significant risk of mortality.
Involvement of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Inflammatory Response in Human Mesothelial Cells from Peritoneal Dialysis Effluent

Recent studies have related mitochondrial impairment with peritoneal membrane damage during peritoneal dialysis (PD) therapy. Here, we assessed the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in the inflammatory response in human mesothelial cells, a hallmark in the pathogenesis of PD-related peritoneal membrane damage. Our ex vivo studies showed that IL-1β causes a drop in the mitochondrial membrane potential in cells from peritoneal effluent. Moreover, when mitochondrial damage was induced by inhibitors of mitochondrial function, a low-grade inflammatory response was generated. Interestingly, mitochondrial damage sensitized mesothelial cells, causing a significant increase in the inflammatory response induced by cytokines, in which ROS generation and NF-κB activation appear to be involved, since inflammation was counteracted by both mitoTEMPO (mitochondrial ROS scavenger) and BAY-117085 (NF-κB inhibitor). Furthermore, the natural anti-inflammatory antioxidant resveratrol significantly attenuated the inflammatory response, by reversing the decline in mitochondrial membrane potential and decreasing the expression of IL-8, COX-2 and PGE2 caused by IL-1β. These findings suggest that IL-1β regulates mitochondrial function in mesothelial cells and that mitochondrial dysfunction could induce an inflammatory scenario that sensitizes these cells, causing significant amplification of the inflammatory response induced by cytokines. Resveratrol may represent a promising strategy in controlling the mesothelial inflammatory response to PD.
Image Classification with Small Datasets: Overview and Benchmark

Image classification with small datasets has been an active research area in the recent past. However, as research in this scope is still in its infancy, two key ingredients are missing for ensuring reliable and truthful progress: a systematic and extensive overview of the state of the art, and a common benchmark to allow for objective comparisons between published methods. This article addresses both issues. First, we systematically organize and connect past studies to consolidate a community that is currently fragmented and scattered. Second, we propose a common benchmark that allows for an objective comparison of approaches. It consists of five datasets spanning various domains (e.g., natural images, medical imagery, satellite data) and data types (RGB, grayscale, multispectral). We use this benchmark to re-evaluate the standard cross-entropy baseline and ten existing methods published between 2017 and 2021 at renowned venues. Surprisingly, we find that thorough hyper-parameter tuning on held-out validation data results in a highly competitive baseline and highlights a stunted growth of performance over the years. Indeed, only a single specialized method dating back to 2019 clearly wins our benchmark and outperforms the baseline classifier.
Creating Character Identification and Liking in Narratives: The Impact of Protagonist Motivations on Real-Time Audience Responses

ABSTRACT Popular narratives can have a significant cultural and persuasive impact. Audience identification with a protagonist and liking of the protagonist are two important types of audience engagement. The present study proposes that character motivations play a central role in the establishment of both identification and liking. Two typologies of motivations are tested (one from a hierarchy of psychological needs perspective, and the other from the professional field of screenwriting) as predictors of dynamic fluctuations in audience identification and liking. Three professional screenwriters served as “expert coders” of three randomly selected films and identified key moments that were of particular importance for establishing character motivation. N = 308 participants viewed the first 35 minutes of one of the three films and provided real-time ratings of either liking or identification. Results indicated that the establishment of character motivations does indeed have a major impact on shaping identification and liking in real time.
The Isolation and Characterization of a Broad Host Range Bcep22-like Podovirus JC1

Bacteriophage JC1 is a Podoviridae phage with a C1 morphotype, isolated on host strain Burkholderia cenocepacia Van1. Phage JC1 is capable of infecting an expansive range of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) species. The JC1 genome exhibits significant similarity and synteny to Bcep22-like phages and to many Ralstonia phages. The genome of JC1 was determined to be 61,182 bp in length with a 65.4% G + C content and is predicted to encode 76 proteins and 1 tRNA gene. Unlike the other Lessieviruses, JC1 encodes a putative helicase gene in its replication module, and it is in a unique organization not found in previously analyzed phages. The JC1 genome also harbours 3 interesting moron genes, that encode a carbon storage regulator (CsrA), an N-acetyltransferase, and a phosphoadenosine phosphosulfate (PAPS) reductase. JC1 can stably lysogenize its host Van1 and integrates into the 5′ end of the gene rimO. This is the first account of stable integration identified for Bcep22-like phages. JC1 has a higher global virulence index at 37 °C than at 30 °C (0.8 and 0.21, respectively); however, infection efficiency and lysogen stability are not affected by a change in temperature, and no observable temperature-sensitive switch between lytic and lysogenic lifestyle appears to exist. Although JC1 can stably lysogenize its host, it possesses some desirable characteristics for use in phage therapy. Phage JC1 has a broad host range and requires the inner core of the bacterial LPS for infection. Bacteria that mutate to evade infection by JC1 may develop a fitness disadvantage as seen in previously characterized LPS mutants lacking inner core.
Impact of Oral Microbiome in Periodontal Health and Periodontitis: A Critical Review on Prevention and Treatment

The skin, oral cavity, digestive and reproductive tracts of the human body harbor symbiotic and commensal microorganisms living harmoniously with the host. The oral cavity houses one of the most heterogeneous microbial communities found in the human organism, ranking second in terms of species diversity and complexity only to the gastrointestinal microbiota and including bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses. The accumulation of microbial plaque in the oral cavity may lead, in susceptible individuals, to a complex host-mediated inflammatory and immune response representing the primary etiological factor of periodontal damage that occurs in periodontitis. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting about 20–50% of people worldwide and manifesting clinically through the detection of gingival inflammation, clinical attachment loss (CAL), radiographic assessed resorption of alveolar bone, periodontal pockets, gingival bleeding upon probing, teeth mobility and their potential loss in advanced stages. This review will evaluate the changes characterizing the oral microbiota in healthy periodontal tissues and those affected by periodontal disease through the evidence present in the literature. An important focus will be placed on the immediate and future impact of these changes on the modulation of the dysbiotic oral microbiome and clinical management of periodontal disease.
Development of a Coelenterazine Derivative with Enhanced Superoxide Anion-Triggered Chemiluminescence in Aqueous Solution

Superoxide anion is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) of biological interest. More specifically, it plays a role in intra- and intercellular signaling, besides being associated with conditions such as inflammation and cancer. Given this, efforts have been made by the research community to devise new sensing strategies for this ROS species. Among them, the chemiluminescent reaction of marine Coelenterazine has been employed as a sensitive and dynamic probing approach. Nevertheless, chemiluminescent reactions are typically associated with lower emissions in aqueous solutions. Herein, here we report the synthesis of a new Coelenterazine derivative with the potential for superoxide anion sensing. Namely, this novel compound is capable of chemiluminescence in a dose-dependent manner when triggered by this ROS species. More importantly, the light-emission intensities provided by this derivative were relevantly enhanced (intensities 2.13 × 101 to 1.11 × 104 times higher) in aqueous solutions at different pH conditions when compared to native Coelenterazine. The half-life of the chemiluminescent signal is also greatly increased for the derivative. Thus, a new chemiluminescence molecule with significant potential for superoxide anion sensing was discovered and reported for the first time.
Awareness Regarding Diabetes Risk Factors, Prevention and Management among Community Members in Diyala/Baqubah

Background: Background: Diabetes mellitus is a life-threatening disease. Global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly providing a worrying indication and major threat to global health unless interventions are created through community awareness and knowledge regarding different aspect of DM. Aims: To assess the level of awareness regarding diabetes risk factors, prevention and management among community members in Baqubah city and to identify any association between awareness level and some variables. Methods: Across sectional study was carried out from the 1st of January - 30th of November 2019 in all primary health care centers (six centers) in center of Baqubah city. A convenient sample of 400 participants who attended the health centers during the study period and eligible to inclusion criteria were included. Data were collected vie direct interview with a structural questionnaire that include personal data, questions regarding knowledge, regard diabetes definition, prevention, risk factor, management and control. Results: Good diabetes awareness were reported among 50% of studied. A significant statistical association were found between good awareness and age of 20-30years, more than secondary school education, high family income and positive family history of diabetes with the following (52, 34, 35 & 68) % respectively. Conclusion: Good diabetes awareness was dominant and was significantly associated with middle age group, higher education and positive family history of diabetes. an educational health programs that tackles area of weakness about awareness of diabetes mellitus need to be implemented on the governmental level.
A Case of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Due to Metastatic High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma Successfully Treated With Chemotherapy

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common and potentially life-threatening condition. Metastatic disease is an exceedingly rare cause of UGIB. We report the case of a 73-year-old man with high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) who presented for the initiation of chemotherapy and was found to be acutely anemic due to UGIB. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) revealed multiple large, discrete, ulcerated, non-circumferential, and friable masses in the stomach. Biopsies were consistent with HGBL. The patient was urgently initiated on chemotherapy with the resolution of lesions on subsequent EGD. The rate of prevalence of gastric metastases is unknown, but it should be considered in patients with active malignancy who present with signs of UGIB.
Age and sex related variations of MRI parameters of hippocampus and amygdala in healthy humans: A cross sectional study using a small cohort

Introduction and Aim: Aging alters limbic structure, sex and hemispheric variations with anterior-posterior dominances of which are still obscure in relation to cognition in humans. Methodology: The present study included MRI coronal images for measurements of volumes [hippocampal volume (HV), amygdala volume (AV)], shapes [hippocampal angle (HA), medial distance ratio (MDR), parahippocampal angle (PHA)] and their hemispheric asymmetry indices (AI) in male and female healthy individuals of young and aged groups. The best-fitted formulae of 'volume index' (VI) and 'shape index' (SI) were evaluated for better interpretation. Results: In young, males showed larger bi-hemispheric volumes and AV/HV-ratios, greater HA and MDR values with distinct hemispheric dominances and greater VI with different SI values, compared to females. Aged subjects showed lesser VI and bi-hemispheric volumes compared to young counterparts where the decrement of volumes were more in aged males resulting in same volumes and AV/HV-ratios in both aged sexes. Only aged females exhibited greater HA and MDR values with altered SI compared to young counterparts retaining the sex-specific such differences with their altered AIs. The parametric changes showed significant correlations in respective cases. PHA remained unaltered in all cases. Conclusion: Sex-specific volume differences in young and volume reduction in age might associate with distinct alterations of hippocampal shapes viz. shifting of the (a) head (anterior portion) vertically compared to its horizontal position and (b) body (posterior portion) laterally toward temporal cortex, in both hemispheres. The recent findings claim further studies to unveil the cognitive variations corroborated with such limbic structural/shape alterations among sexes and ages.