Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHARACTERIZATION OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ISOLATES FROM TRADITIONAL DAIRY PRODUCTS OF SMALL-SCALE ALPINE FARMS

This study investigated the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in raw milk dairy products handcrafted in traditional alpine small-scale farms, and characterised the enterotoxigenicity and resistance to methicillin. Among the analysed samples, 69% exceeded the international microbiological recommendations. The highest counts were observed for cheese or fatty products (~106 cfu/g). Conversely, lower contamination levels concerned raw milk and whey cheese (~102 cfu/g). A total of 163 S. aureus isolates were collected, and the prevalence of MRSA was low (1.7%) but not negligible. The finding of enterotoxins genes in 67% of the isolates is of concern for the public health.
A broadband semi passive piezoelectric technique for structural damping

The damping of vibration resonance is a crucial problem for light and elongated structures. Different kinds of solutions have been developed in order to address the problem of volume or mass, or temperature dependence which are common to the passive approach. In the semi-passive technique proposed here, damping is obtained through the use of piezoelectric patches bonded on the structure. These piezoelements are controlled with a very simple approach only requiring switches which are driven periodically and synchronously with the structure motion. The overall control circuit requires a very few amount of energy. Results obtained on a beam and on a plate demonstrate that this self-adaptive technique is able to control simultaneously different modes on a broad frequency range.
Development of Self-Assembling Nucleators for Highly Transparent Semi-Crystalline Polypropylene

In 1,3:2,4-bis-O-(p-methylbenzylidene)-D-sorbitol (PDTS)/molten i-PP systems, the self-assembling ramified fibrils of PDTS are formed at T f g , c higher than T c during the cooling process. They function as the nucleators for the nucleation of molten i-PP. The ramified fibrils have the following characteristics: i) hexagonal crystal with the lattice cell a = b = 30.2, c = 4.4 A, and y = 120°, ii) mass fractal structure with large specific surface area, and iii) random orientation. Thus the following properties are induced for the i-PP: i) excellent transparency so that the lamellae build a sheaf-like crystalline superstructure with a small apex angle, ii) iso-directional and improved mechanical properties, and iii) shortened molding time.
Characterization of a type of ?-bend ribbon spiral generated by the repeating (Xaa-Yaa-Aib-Pro) motif: The solution structure of harzianin HC IX, a 14-residue peptaibol forming voltage-dependent ion channels

The three-dimensional solution structure of harzianin HC IX, a peptaibol antibiotic isolated from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum, was determined using CD, homonuclear, and heteronuclear two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy combined with molecular modeling. This 14-residue peptide, Ac Aib1 Asn2 Leu3 Aib4 Pro5 Ala6 Ile7 Aib8 Pro9 Iva10 Leu11 Aib12 Pro13 Leuol14 (Aib, α-aminoisobutyric acid; Iva, isovaline; Leuol, leucinol), is a main representative of a short-sequence peptaibol class characterized by an acetylated N-terminus, a C-terminal amino alcohol, and the presence of three Aib-L-Pro motifs at positions 4–5, 8–9, and 12–13, separated by two dipeptide units. In spite of a lower number of residues, compared to the 18/20-residue peptaibols such as alamethicin, harzianin HC IX exhibits remarkable membrane-perturbing properties. It interacts with phospholipid bilayers, increasing their permeability and forming voltage-gated ion channels through a mechanism slightly differing from that proposed for alamethicin. Sequence-specific 1H- and 13C-nmr assignments and conformational nmr parameters (3JNHCαH coupling constants, quantitative nuclear Overhauser enhancement data, temperature coefficients of amide and carbonyl groups, NH–ND exchange rates) were obtained in methanol solution. Sixty structures were calculated based on 98 interproton distance restraints and 6 Φ dihedral angle restraints, using high temperature restrained molecular dynamics and energy minimization. Thirty-seven out of the sixty generated structures were consistent with the nmr data and were convergent. The peptide backbone consists in a ribbon of overlapping β-turns twisted into a continuous spiral from Asn2 to Leuol14 and forming a 26 A long helix-like structure. This structure is slightly amphipathic, with the three Aib–Pro motifs aligned on the less hydrophobic face of the spiral where the Asn2 side chain is also present, while the more hydrophobic bulky side chains of leucines, isoleucine, isovaline, and leucinol are located on the concave side. The repetitive (Xaa–Yaa–Aib–Pro) tetrapeptide subunit, making up the peptide sequence, is characterized by four sets of (Φ,Ψ) torsional angles, with the following mean values: Φi = −90°, Ψi = −27°; Φi+1 = −98°, Ψi+1 = −17°; Φi+2 = −49°, Ψi+2 = −50°; Φi+3 = −78°, Ψi+3 = +3°. We term this particular structure, specifically occurring in the case of (Xaa–Yaa–Aib–Pro)n sequences, the (Xaa–Yaa–Aib–Pro)-β-bend ribbon spiral. It is stabilized by 4 1 intramolecular hydrogen bonds and differs from both the canonical 310-helix made of a succession of type III β-turns and from the β-bend ribbon spiral that has been described in the case of (Aib–Pro)n peptide segments. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 50: 71–85, 1999
Mechanisms for hydrophilic/hydrophobic wetting transitions on cellulose cotton fibers coated using Al2O3 atomic layer deposition

This report explores reactions that proceed during the first few cycles of inorganic film atomic layer deposition (ALD) on natural cellulose cotton fibers, and how surface reactions can explain the previously observed transitions in surface wetting upon ALD on cotton fibers. Atomic layer deposition of aluminum oxide and zinc oxide onto natural cotton cellulose produces a transition from hydrophilic to hydrophobic, then from hydrophobic back to hydrophilic, and we describe here the main factors that bring about. Interestingly, we show that air exposure and related adventitious carbon adsorption also affects the subsequent reactions and wetting properties obtained after subsequent ALD cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data indicate Al-(O-C-)3 bonding units form when trimethylaluminum interacts with surface –OH units during the first precursor doses, producing a hydrophobic finish on the cotton that remains for only a few ALD cycles. Also, field-emis.
Micro X-ray fluorescence imaging and micro X-ray absorption spectroscopy of cadmium hyper-accumulating plant, Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera, using high-energy synchrotron radiation

Monochromatic high-energy X-rays (37 keV) focused into a microbeam (3.8 × 1.3 μm2) with a Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror allows us for the first time to reveal the striking sub-cellular distribution and the chemical form of cadmium in the cadmium hyperaccumulating plant, Arabidopsis halleri ssp. gemmifera, by detecting the Cd Kα line. Micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (μ-XRF) and micro X-ray absorption near-edge structure analysis (μ-XANES) were used for the nondestructive analysis of the Cd distribution and chemical form of Cd at a cellular level in the plant in order to investigate the Cd accumulation mechanism. It was clearly observed by two-dimensional μ-XRF imaging that Cd was highly accumulated in a part of the trichomes, epidermal hairs existing on the surface of the leaves. The bases of the trichomes contained Cd, Zn and Mn at high concentrations and their distribution patterns were similar to each other. These elements were located near the surface of the trichome in the form of a ring. The μ-XANES analysis revealed that the majority of the Cd exists in the divalent state and bound to the O and/or N ligands. This study has demonstrated the potential of the Cd K-edge μ-XANES spectroscopy, which was applied here for the first time to plant samples.
Potential of an Automatic Grounding Zone Characterization Using Wrapped InSAR Phase

The work deals with the identification and the characterization of the grounding zone area using InSAR data. The idea is to point towards a methodology that minimizes the role of the operator and provides results with performance that can be mathematically described using input parameters. The approach uses the information of the interferometric phase gradient to follow the path of the grounding zone and fit them using a physical model that describes the ice bending. The approach is tested on more than 300 km grounding zone comparing also the results with existing products.
Thyroid Disorders Associated with Alopecia Areata Patients in Al- Ramadi City

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, and alopecia areata is characterized by patchy hair loss, which includes the scalp and other areas of the head, including eyelashes, beard and entire body hair, which may also be affected. A patient with alopecia areata notes the sudden appearance of a circular patch of hair loss, which may lead to baldness of the entire scalp and is called (Alopecia areata totalis) or loss of full body hair called (Alopecia areata universals). (Finner,2011) The etiopathogenesis of the disease is still unclear, but the role of autoimmunity is strongly suggested. AA is commonly associated with Thyroid disorders; the most frequent among them is autoimmune thyroid disorders. (Kyriakis et al.,2009), (Seyrafi et al., 2005) The aim of our study To determine whether Alopecia Areata (AA) is associated with some hormone such as : Thyroid hormones ( T3, T4 and TSH ). The study included 72 cases with age ranging from (10-50 years) ; (Group A) 42 patients with AA (27 male and 15 female) and (Group B) 30 healthy volunteers ( 7 male and 23 female ) were selected as a control group. All samples were obtained from Dermatology outpatient clinic, Al-Ramadi Hospital, AlAnbar Governorate, Iraq. during the period from December 2019 to march 2020. Every case and control were subjected to history taking, dermatological examination and complete general Venous blood samples were taken from controls and patients after taking their agreement for measurement of some hormones such ; Thyroid Hormones (TSH, T3, T4). We found statistically significant differences between patients and controls regarding Thyroid Hormones levels of TSH, T3 and T4.
The Interdisciplinarity of Economics

Economics has the reputation to be an insular discipline with little consideration for other social sciences and humanities (SSH). New research [Angrist et al, 2020, JEL] challenges this perception of economics: the perception would be historically inaccurate and especially at odds with the recent interdisciplinarity of economics. By systematically studying citation patterns since the 1950 in thousands of journals, we offer the best established conclusions to date on this issue. Our results do show that the discipline is uniquely insular from a historical point of view. But we also document an important turn after the 1990s that drastically transformed the discipline has it became more open, very quickly, to the influence of management, environmental sciences, and to a lesser degree, a variety of SSH. While this turn made economics less uniquely insular, as of today economics remains the least outward-looking discipline with management among all SSH. Furthermore, unlike in the other major social sciences, the most influential journals in economics have not significantly contributed to the recent increase in the interdisciplinarity of the discipline. While economics is changing, it is too soon to claim that it has completed an interdisciplinary turn.
Household characteristics and under-five mortality in Bankass, Mali

Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia Population Studies Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali Ministère de la Sante et des Affaires Sociales, Bamako, Mali Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA MUSO, Bamako, Mali School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA Institute for Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, USA
High-Pressure Methane Combustion over a Perovskyte Catalyst

Catalytic combustion has been extensively studied as an alternative route to homogeneous combustion for power generation systems, in particular for gas turbines. Despite the great interest, very little work has been devoted to high-pressure catalytic combustion, i.e., under conditions more relevant for gas turbines. In this work, the effect of pressure on the catalytic combustion of methane on a perovskite-based monolith is investigated both experimentally and numerically. Results show that methane can be ignited by increasing the operating pressure, and this behavior can be reproduced qualitatively and quantitatively by simulating the monolith using simple overall homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction rates. Moreover, numerical results show that only the coupling between catalytic and homogeneous reactions allows correct prediction of methane conversion. As the operating pressure increases, the catalytic reaction is activated, thus behaving as a pilot for sustaining the homogeneous reaction that allows .
Methionine Sources in Escherichia coli

The transport and utilization of D-methionine was investigated in several strains of Escherichia coli K-12. Wild-type cells exhibit a single transport system with aK. of 1.16 ,uM. This activity exhibits a specificity similar to that of the uptake of L-methionine. The activity toward the D-isomer and the highaffinity uptake of L-methionine are lost in strains mutant in metD, along with the ability to utilize D-methionine as methionine source. Both activities respond identically to gene dosage of metD and are both restored in revertants or transductants. However, although L-methionine is a potent inhibitor of Dmethionine uptake, D-methionine has little or no effect on the uptake of the Lisomer. No mutants altered in the uptake of only one of the two isomers were found in a screening. Regulation of both activities was similar in their response to the internal methionine pool, and some evidence was suggestive of partial repressive control of these activities. The evidence is most consistent with the role of the metD product as a common step for two methionine-specific uptake systems, but other gene products may represent the initial substrate binding sites. This system also appears to be involved in the uptake ofN-acetyl methionine and methionine sulfoxide and methionine sulfoximine. The uptake of the keto analogue of methionine, a-keto-y-methiol butyrate, appears to be mediated by a separate system specific for a-keto straight-chain acids 5to 6-carbon units in length.
Exploring Contents of Peer Feedback Dynamics Using Patterns of Pair Interaction: Iranian EFL Learners' Written Discourse in Focus

This study investigated the content of peer feedback dynamics using patterns of pair interaction among Iranian EFL learners in English writing class, making use of Audio Stimulated Recall (ASR) interview and the compositions. This qualitative case study was conducted comprising twelve EFL learners at Poldokhtar University. Three kinds of data, including semi-structured interviews, writing assignments, and the artifacts of peer feedback dynamic using patterns of pair interaction, were analyzed by software NVivo 8.0. The findings revealed that the quality of writing was improved by peer feedback dynamics using patterns of pair interaction; the content of peer feedback dynamics became more detailed and various, and the content of peer feedback dynamics focuses on the six aspects including mechanics, syntax, error correction, pragmatic functions, word choice, and style.Specifically, students perceived the contents of the writing, reinforced their critical thinking ability, and enhanced their social interaction skills. Hence, peer feedback should be implemented in L2 writing. Some implications of the study were discussed.
SYSTEMATIC CALIBRATION OF ACTIVATED SLUDGE MODELS SYSTEMATISCHE CALIBRATIE VAN ACTIEF SLIB MODELLEN

Since the introduction of ASM1 in 1987 (Henze et al., 1987), numerous studies have been reported dealing with calibration of activated sludge models (particularly ASM1). A recent thorough review on calibration of activated sludge models (particularly ASM1) by Petersen et al. (2003a) has documented that there are a large number of experimental methodologies proposed and applied for the calibration. The choice of calibration approach and experimental procedures followed by practitioners during calibration depends heavily on the case under study i.e. ad hoc approaches are typically followed. This clearly indicates there is no unified approach towards calibration of activated sludge models worldwide. Moreover, there is a lack of systematic protocols to aid practitioners during a calibration study. In this section, a systematic methodology for calibration of the activated sludge plant models is proposed on the basis of consolidated engineering and scientific experience. It is called the BIOMATH protocol. The proposed protocol for the modelling of the treatment plant is refined on the basis of a previous protocol developed by Petersen et al. (2002b). In the BIOMATH protocol, the definition of the target(s) of the model usage plays a crucial role in the selection of the steps to be followed during calibration. For the activated sludge modellers this protocol tries to combine and link state of the art methodologies for calibration of different processes in a wastewater treatment plant (hydraulics, biological reactions, sedimentation processes, etc.), and it can thus be used as a complete guideline for extensive model calibration tasks. Part of this chapter was published as: Vanrolleghem P.A. , Insel G. , Petersen B. , Sin G. , De Pauw D. , Nopens I. , Weijers S. and Gernaey K. (2003) A comprehensive model calibration procedure for activated sludge models. In Proceedings: 76 Annual Technical Exhibition & Conference. WEFTEC 2003. October 11 15, 2003, Los Angeles, California U.S.A. (on CD-ROM).
Estimation of Beta Two Microglobulins, Fetuin-A, Resistin Serum Level in Iraqi Multiple Myeloma Patients

Multiple myeloma is hematological disease produces many complications in the bone, kidney, neural and other complications. The study aims to measure serum biomolecules like fetuin-A and resistin and determined the possibility to use these biomarkers as disease predictor. blood samples were isolated from 58 patients and 24 sex and age-matched control, serum then isolated, and proper ELISA kit then used to a determined level of β2 microglobulin, resistin, and fetuin-A. The result demonstrated significant increase in β2 microglobulin, fetuinA and resistin in patients compare to control (1.347±0.714 vs. 0.913±0.253), p = 0.000, (14.003±10.352 vs. 9.259±4.264), p= 0.005, (1.967±3.595 vs. 0.604±0.622), p = 0.009, respectively. These differences give the possibility to use these biomolecules as a predictor in multiple myeloma.
A Double-Blind Randomized Trial on the Effectiveness of Mometasone 0.1% Cream and Hydrocortisone 1% Cream on the Prevention of Acute Radiation Dermatitis in Breast Cancer Patients following Breast Conserving Surgery

Background: Despite the high prevalence of acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in breast radiation treatment, data about its prevention is inconsistent. We conducted the present research to investigate whether the use of topical corticosteroids with different potencies or moisturizing cream could prevent ARD. Method: In this double-blind randomized trial, 120 patients, who had undergone breast conserving surgery for breast cancer, were randomly assigned to use Mometasone 0.1% cream or hydrocortisone 1% cream or moisturizing base cream from the first day of radiotherapy (RT) throughout the entire course. CTCAE v. 4 scale was utilized to score the grade of ARD. The outcomes were analysed with relevant statistical methods. Results: 105 subjects were analysed. Mometasone delayed the incidence of grade 1 ARD in a week. However, no differences were observed among the groups concerning the incidence of the maximum ARD grade. 𝜒2 (6, N= 104)=8.12, P=0.2. Moreover, the timing of the maximum ARD was not significantly different among the groups. 𝜒2 (4, N =84) = 2.87, P=0.58. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the application of corticosteroid creams (hydrocortisone 1% or Mometasone 0.1%) does not result into a significant difference concerning the timing and incidence of ARD occurrence when compared with daily skin care and use of emollient.
The Effect of Listening Journal on Speaking Ability

This study examines the effectiveness of using listening journals to students speaking ability. At this moment, researchers were used the listening journal to facilitate learning how to speak. The researchers tested what the effect of the treatment would be on students' speaking abilities. The participants consist of 11 male and 39 female English education students from the Universitas Muhammadiyah Sorong. Data was gathered using a test to determine the students' speech level. This research was under descriptive quantitative, using a pre-experimental design with a center on the sort of one group pretest-posttest design. The information were displayed by the significance of hypothesis testing which appears that the Sig. (2-tailed) the significance of the report is 0.000 less than the level of value 0.05. Therefore, the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternative hypothesis was accepted. The results showed that there was an impact use of listening journal media on students' speaking skills.
European Welfare States and Migrant Poverty: The Institutional Determinants of Disadvantage

In almost all European welfare states, immigrants face a higher risk of poverty than natives, but the gap between the two groups varies. In examining this variation, our article contributes to the nascent literature on the impact of welfare states on immigrants. We hypothesize that whether immigrants benefit from welfare generosity depends on three intervening factors: immigration policy, labor market regulation, and welfare eligibility rules. We use fuzzy-set analysis to examine the interplay of these determinants in sixteen West-European states. The findings show that in most countries a high migrant disadvantage results from the combination of a large share of humanitarian and family immigrants and generous social policies. The underlying mechanism is that ‘unwanted’ immigrants are institutionally impeded from full access to generous welfare states.
Competing Platforms and Transport Equilibrium: Evidence from New York City

This paper studies platform competition in the app-based transportation industry. I present a model of competing platforms in transport equilibrium, characterizing analytically the profit-maximizing allocations and prices, and estimate it using high-frequency data on the operations of the two main platforms in New York City. One main issue associated with the growth of these platforms is their impact on traffic volumes. I argue that this is exacerbated by missed economies of density from platform competition. I use the model to simulate the impact of a merger, finding that it would reduce the average number of idle vehicles in the Central Business District by 30%, improving efficiency and reducing vehicle traffic by 12%. I also use the model to study common policies aimed at reducing traffic volumes, such as congestion pricing and entry restrictions. ∗Harvard University, Department of Economics, Littauer Center, Cambridge MA 02138, USA, nicolarosaia@g.harvard. edu I am thankful to my advisors Myrto Kalouptsidi, Robin Lee, Ariel Pakes for constant advice and support, to Giulia Brancaccio for many helpful advices, and to Edward Glaeser, Gabriel Kreindler, Frank Pinter and Allen Zhang for helpful comments.