Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of a Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Strain Causing Community-Acquired Pneumonia in a Young Healthy Women

Background Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii rarely causes community-acquired pneumonia. Here, we report the clinical and genomic characteristics of a multidrug-resistant A. baumannii strain responsible for community-acquired pneumonia in a 31-year-old healthy young women. Methods A. baumannii strain W2LL was recovered from the alveolar lavage fluid sample of a hospitalized patient with pulmonary infection. Growth rate studies were conducted under various conditions, and virulence assessments were performed using Galleria Mellonella larvae. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was carried out using Oxford Nanopore MinIon and Illumina HiSeq. In silico multilocus sequence typing (MLST), plasmid replicons, antimicrobial resistance genes, and virulence genes were determined using the BacWGSTdb webserver. Phylogenetic analysis between strain W2LL and other closely related A. baumannii genomes retrieved from NCBI database was performed. Results WGS identified strain W2LL as a rare sporadic lineage sequence type (ST) 1431. In addition to the detection of the β-lactamase gene (blaOXA-98) on the chromosome, blaOXA-58 was found on a 92,034 bp plasmid. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed this strain was resistant to cephalosporins and carbapenems, with initial treatment using cefoxitin proving ineffective. Subsequent treatment with piperacillin-sulbactam combined with levofloxacin led to gradual improvement. Compared to A. baumannii ATCC 17978, W2LL exhibited similar growth rates at 37°C and 42°C, as well as in the presence of zinc. However, strain W2LL exhibited higher virulence phenotype compared to ATCC 17978 in G. mellonella model. The closest relative of A. baumannii W2LL was CAM180_1, another isolate recovered from Cambodia, which differed by 191 SNPs. Conclusion W2LL is a rare ST1431 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strain recovered from a patient with no prior hospitalization or typical risk factors. This underscores the growing menace posed by carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii, no longer limited to hospitalized patients, potentially impacting the broader, younger population.
Self-reflection practices of school-management teams in the Capricorn district: towards a reflective management strategy for South African schools

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.iii DEDICATION.iv LIST OF CONTENT.v ACRONYMS.xxi LIST OF TABLES.xxii LIST OF FIGURES.xxiv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1.
Land dominates the regional response to CO2 direct radiative forcing

In Atmospheric General Circulation Models (AGCMs) direct radiative forcing (increased CO2 with fixed sea surface temperature) is an imperfect concept because land temperatures are not fixed. Here the response to direct radiative forcing is decomposed into increased CO2 over ocean and land using an AGCM with spatially dependent CO2. The land versus ocean response is mostly linear. Consistent with previous work, ocean direct radiative forcing decreases ocean‐averaged outgoing longwave radiation, precipitation, and tropical circulation intensity; however, it cannot explain the regional response to direct radiative forcing. Increased CO2 over land dominates the regional response via energy input over land, e.g., over deserts where there is no cloud and water vapor masking and a Rossby wave teleconnection. This mechanism operates across a range of climate perturbations, including decreased CO2. Previous AGCM decompositions involving direct radiative forcing and indirect sea surface temperature warming must be reinterpreted to include the importance of increased CO2 over land.
FLORISTICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: BALANCING USER-NEEDS AND PHYLOGENETIC INFORMATION

The status of floristic work on pteridophytes around the world is reviewed. Relatively modern floras exist for most temperate and Mediterranean areas, including Europe, the former Soviet Union, North America north of Mexico, Chile, South Africa, and Australia, but are absent, partial, or outdated for many, if not most, tropical and subtropical countries/regions. Exceptions in the New World include Mexico, Mesoamerica, and certain of the Antilles. For many areas we have only annotated checklists (e.g., Tropical East Africa, Malaysia, Mount Kinabalu) or partially written floras (Ecuador, Malesia). Modern treatments for island floras are also few, exceptions being for New Zealand (Brownsey & Smith-Dodsworth, 2001), Hawaii (Palmer, 2003), and the Mariana Islands (Raulerson & Rinehart, 1992). Floristic “hotspots”, e.g., Colombia, Brazil, Madagascar, New Guinea, and the Himalayas, often have inadequate or incomplete modern accounts. Treatments of the ferns are planned or in progress for many countries, including Venezuela, Bolivia, East Africa, and China, but these often proceed at a painstakingly slow pace. Local florulas, such as for Barro Colorado Island in Panama, complement larger regional floras while serving different, but overlapping, purposes; Flora Guaramacal (Venezuela), Central French Guiana (Saul), and the Hong Kong flora are notable examples. Ideally, modern pteridofloras should incorporate recent phylogenetic conclusions at various ranks (especially family, genus), multi-access keys, comments on relationships and taxonomic problems, and references to phylogenetic literature, coupled with access to online data-bases (interactive keys, gazetteers, publication data, distribution maps, images and photographs, specimen citations, trees of relationship, and links to pertinent websites). Two families usually considered “fern allies”, Psilotaceae and Equisetaceae, are now thought to be intimately related to basal ferns, and this evidence needs inclusion into floristic literature. Many traditional genera (e.g., Asplenium, Pellaea, Polypodium, Pteris) need substantial recircumscription to meet criteria of monophyly or even paraphyly in floras. The dwindling number of people with broad expertise in floristics, fern systematics, and identification seriously constrains the creation of modern floras, and is expected to be an increasing problem in the future.
Influence of surface roughness on diffraction in the externally occulted Lyot solar coronagraph

Context. The solar coronagraph ASPIICS will fly on the future ESA formation flying mission Proba-3. The instrument combines an external occulter of diameter 1.42 m and a Lyot solar coronagraph of 5 cm diameter, located downstream at a distance of 144 m. Aims. The theoretical performance of the externally occulted Lyot coronagraph has been computed by assuming perfect optics. In this paper, we improve related modelling by introducing roughness scattering effects from the telescope. We have computed the diffraction at the detector, that we compare to the ideal case without perturbation to estimate the performance degradation. We have also investigated the influence of sizing the internal occulter and the Lyot stop, and we performed a sensitivity analysis on the roughness. Methods. We have built on a recently published numerical model of diffraction propagation. The micro-structures of the telescope are built by filtering a white noise with a power spectral density following an isotropic ABC function, suggested by Harvey scatter theory. The parameters were tuned to fit experimental data measured on ASPIICS lenses. The computed wave front error was included in the Fresnel wave propagation of the coronagraph. A circular integration over the solar disk was performed to reconstruct the complete diffraction intensity. Results. The level of micro-roughness is 1.92 nm root-mean-square. Compared to the ideal case, in the plane of the internal occulter, the diffraction peak intensity is reduced by ≃0.001%. However, the intensity outside the peak increases by 12% on average, up to 20% at 3 R⊙, where the mask does not filter out the diffraction. At detector level, the diffraction peak remains ≃10−6 at 1.1 R⊙, similar to the ideal case, but the diffraction tail at large solar radius is much higher, up to one order of magnitude. Sizing the internal occulter and the Lyot stop does not improve the rejection, as opposed to the ideal case. Conclusions. Besides these results, this paper provides a methodology to implement roughness scattering in the wave propagation model for the solar coronagraph.
A new composite index of stand spatial structure for natural forest

Forest spatial structure index (FSSI) was defined with commonly-used forest spatial structure parameters (mingling, neighborhood comparison and neighborhood pattern index) as the breakthrough point, referring to the thought of diminishing marginal benefit of Cobb-Douglas production function in microeconomics and through constructing forest spatial structure production function with mingling, neighborhood comparison and neighborhood pattern index as the "input" and forest spatial structure as the "output". Meanwhile, forest spatial structure distance (FSSD) was calculated according to the trend of a change from actual forest spatial structure to ideal structure in "three-dimensional scatter diagram"of parameters of forest spatial structure. It is verified that FSSI and FSSD can effectively reflect the features of forest spatial structure and the dynamic changes in combination of forest spatial structure parameters, FSSI and the calculation results of FSSD obtained through complete investigation of 75 sample plots with different forest types in 3 different areas in Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China. It can be regarded that FSSI and FSSD perfect and supplement widely-used forest spatial structure parameters. The two can act as overall indicators to describe forest spatial structure states and changes quantificationally.
A Single Administration of Progesterone during the Neonatal Period Shows No Structural Changes in Male Reproductive Tracts in Mice

The concentration of female-dominant steroid hormones, such as progesterone and estrogen, drops after birth in neonates. We have reported that neonatal estrogen treatment results in inflammation in the epididymis after puberty in male mice. Our recent study discovered that progesterone receptor was specifically expressed in efferent ducts just before birth in male mice. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the impact of neonatal progesterone administration on the efferent ducts after puberty. Progesterone was subcutaneously administered to neonatal mice on their birthday in three groups: high-dose (200 mg/kg), low-dose (8 mg/kg), and control (cottonseed oil). Their testis and epididymis were collected at 12 weeks old. Semi-serial paraffin sections of these tissues were prepared and evaluated through PAS-hematoxylin staining. Efferent ducts were reconstructed into a three-dimensional structure, and their length and volume were analyzed. Spermatogenesis in the testis and epithelium of the tracts appeared normal, even in individuals administered with progesterone. There were no significant differences in the length and volume of the efferent ducts among the three groups. This study suggests that progesterone treatment in neonatal mice does not cause any structural changes in the male reproductive tracts at puberty, unlike the neonatal estrogen treatment.
From destination image to destination branding: An emerging area of research

The idea of branding a destination is a relatively new one and the academic investigation of such a process is still in its infancy (Gnoth, 1998). Although the words ‘brand’, ‘branding’ and ‘destination image’ have already appeared in many academic studies and industry conferences, no apparent effort has been made to distinguish between destination image and destination branding. The purpose of this short commentary is to stimulate thinking on destination branding and to outline its relationship with destination image. As the choice of destinations available to consumers increases, an effective destination ‘positioning’ strategy becomes necessary. A key component of this positioning process is the creation and management of a distinctive and appealing destination image. And thus, a considerable amount of time and money is spent establishing a positive image in order to influence consumer decision-making. We argue that effective destination marketing should follow a three-stage process in order to develop a favourable destination image. Figure 1 outlines this process.
Amino Acid Profiles in the Biological Fluids and Tumor Tissue of CRC Patients

Simple Summary Amino acids are the fundamental building blocks of proteins and play a crucial role in various cellular functions, such as protein metabolism/catabolism pathways and redox signaling. They are also vital in normal and cancer metabolism. The concentrations of amino acids in blood, urine, and tissue samples of cancer patients differ from those of healthy individuals. These differences can be used for cancer screening, monitoring treatment response, and predicting tumor prognosis. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadly cancers. This review aims to gather reported amino acid abnormalities in blood, urine, and tissue samples of CRC patients and how these abnormalities can be used as potential tools in the multifold management of CRC, including screening, establishing cancer prognosis, and monitoring treatment response. Abstract Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and essential players in pathways such as the citric acid and urea cycle, purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis, and redox cell signaling. Therefore, it is unsurprising that these molecules have a significant role in cancer metabolism and its metabolic plasticity. As one of the most prevalent malign diseases, colorectal cancer needs biomarkers for its early detection, prognostic, and prediction of response to therapy. However, the available biomarkers for this disease must be more powerful and present several drawbacks, such as high costs and complex laboratory procedures. Metabolomics has gathered substantial attention in the past two decades as a screening platform to study new metabolites, partly due to the development of techniques, such as mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography, which have become standard practice in diagnostic procedures for other diseases. Extensive metabolomic studies have been performed in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in the past years, and several exciting results concerning amino acid metabolism have been found. This review aims to gather and present findings concerning alterations in the amino acid plasma pool of colorectal cancer patients.
Fabrication and Characterization of Eco-Friendly Polystyrene Based Zinc Oxide-Graphite (PS/ZnO-G)

One of the most significant environmental challenges nowadays is the rising manufacturing of non-biodegradable polymer wastes like polystyrene. In order purpose of manufacture environmentally friendly polystyrene that easily decomposes, a solvent approach was used to create polystyrene based zinc oxide- graphite composites. The surface morphology and materials contained in the modified polystyrene were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis to verify the dispersion and distribution of the nanoparticles by scanning electron microscopy and the material contents by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. While the crystal structure, chemical bonds, and functions were determined by X-ray Diffraction and Fourier transform infrared, no change in the chemical structure occurred in polystyrene. Thermogravimetric analysis was used to assess the thermal decomposition. And its results found that the temperature of the decomposition was 46.78° lower in zinc oxide and graphite-based polystyrene composites than in pure polystyrene. It came to light that the presence of zinc oxide nanoparticles causes phase separation and consequently impacts the thermal behaviour of graphite-based polystyrene composites. The phase separation was demonstrated by the Thermogravimetric curves showing two degrading steps. This satisfies the urgent demand to synthesize polystyrene that is eco-friendly and easy to thermally decomposition, as well as easy to recycle, which benefits both the environment and the commercial side.
Evolution of the mammalian fauna across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in northeastern Montana and other areas of the Western Interior

Paleontological and geological studies of the Hell Creek Formation and Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation in the northern Western Interior of North America provide a globally unique, detailed record of the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates during the transition from the latest Cretaceous into the earliest Paleocene. In the area south of the Fort Peck Reservoir, northeastern Montana, high-resolution lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies, abetted by 40Ar/39Ar radiometric age determinations and paleomagnetic correlations, have clarified the local record of faunal evolution. This research demonstrates that the lithostratigraphic boundary between the Hell Creek and Tullock in northeastern Montana usually is coincident with, but can be younger than, the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. A nonrandom pattern of survival and extinction of mammals and other terrestrial vertebrates characterizes faunal evolution across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in northeastern Montana. Paleontological and geological data support hypotheses that a variety of long- and short-term factors influenced the course of vertebrate evolution. Recovery of the terrestrial fauna of northeastern Montana during the first million years of the Paleocene was not simply the product of evolutionary radiations stemming from some local survivors. In addition, waves of immigration of mammals from outside the northern Western Interior are recorded in the early (Pul) and undifferentiated middle and late (Pu2-Pu3) Puercan local faunas of the area. They document both the important role of dispersal in recovery of the mammalian fauna of northeastern Montana during the Puercan as well as the biogeographic differentiation of Lancian and Puercan local faunas in more distant areas.
A Robust Open-Set Multi-Instance Learning for Defending Adversarial Attacks in Digital Image

In recent times, digital image forensics is gaining increased attention in multimedia forensics owing to the widespread scam alertness. Several forensic methods have been studied to establish the integrity of digital images by disclosing manipulation fingerprints. Anti-forensic (AF) attacks on manipulated images, particularly deep learning-based adversarial attacks using generative adversarial network (GAN), have been successfully applied to delude forensic methods. Consequently, an efficacious, efficient, and robust counter-AF (CAF) method is required to secure the integrity of digital images. In this study, we propose a robust open-set multi-instance learning approach for exposing GAN-based AF on manipulated images by introducing additional GAN-based operations. First, we generate multiple real instances from real images using multiple additional generators. Then we train an embedding network collaboratively with multiple real instances in an open-set fashion. During training, the embedding network learns only real images and has no prior knowledge regarding AF images. In the testing phase, real and AF images are processed for detection. The proposed open-set CAF method can effectively detect AF images and is more robust against transferable updating.
Convective Cold Pools over the Atlas Mountains and Their Influence on the Saharan Heat Low

The West African Monsoon (WAM) and its representation in numerical models are strongly influenced by the Saharan Heat Low (SHL), a low-pressure system driven by radiative heating over the central Sahara and ventilated by the cold and moist inflow from adjacent oceans. It has recently been shown that a significant part of the southerly moisture flux into the SHL originates from convective cold pools over the Sahel. These density currents driven by evaporation of rain are largely absent in models with parameterized convection. This crucial issue has been hypothesized to contribute to the inability of many climate models to reproduce the variability of the WAM. Here, the role of convective cold pools approaching the SHL from the Atlas Mountains, which are a strong orographic trigger for deep convection in Northwest Africa, is analyzed. Knowledge about the frequency of these events, as well as their impact on large-scale dynamics, is required to understand their contribution to the variability of the SHL and to known model uncertainties. The first aspect is addressed through the development of an objective and automated method for the generation of multi-year climatologies not available before. The algorithm combines freely available standard surface observations with satellite microwave data. Representativeness of stations and influence of their spatial density are addressed by comparison to a satellite-only climatology. Applying this algorithm to data from automated weather stations and manned synoptic stations in and south of the Atlas Mountains reveals the frequent occurrence. On the order of 6 events per month are detected from May to September when the SHL is in its northernmost position. The events tend to cluster into several-days long convectively active periods, often with strong events on consecutive days. This study is the first to diagnose dynamical impacts of such periods on the SHL, based on simulations of two example cases using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model at convection-permitting resolution. Sensitivity experiments with artificially removed cold pools as well as different resolutions and parameterizations are conducted. Results indicate increases in surface pressure of more than 1 hPa and significant moisture transports into the desert over several days. This moisture affects radiative heating and thus the energy balance of the SHL. Even though cold pool events north of the SHL are less frequent when compared to their Sahelian counterparts, it is shown that they gain importance due to their temporal clustering on synoptic timescale. Together with studies focusing on the Sahel, this work emphasizes the need for improved parameterization schemes for deep convection in order to produce more reliable climate projections for the WAM.