Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Father-targeted nutrition education improves early initiation and breastfeeding exclusivity: The case of Kisumu county, Kenya

Objectives: Mothers who have physical and emotional support during the early post-partum period have a greater likelihood of succeeding in breastfeeding. This study examined the effect of nutrition education on fathers in improving early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in the first 3 months of the infant’s life. Methods: An interventional study was conducted in Kisumu East Sub County, Kenya. All the women who were 6 months pregnant between January and April 2016 and attending the antenatal clinic at Kisumu County hospital were included in the study. Once contacted, each woman provided the telephone contact of the father-to-be. The later were then invited to a meeting at the hospital within 2 weeks of first contact to get their consent to participate in the study. The pair were asked to pick one among pre-numbered papers which randomly put them in either the intervention or control group with each group having 145 pairs. A total of 290 fathermother pairs were recruited. The study site was selected based on the high infant mortality rate in the region. No intervention was given in the control group while both father-mother pairs in the intervention group received nutrition education on breastfeeding. The study participants were followed up until the children birthed reach 3 months of age. Results: At 97.1%, initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth was significantly higher among the intervention group compared to 52.1% in the control group (p<0.001). Likewise, at 81.1%, sustained exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months was significantly higher among the intervention group compared to 63.4% in the control group (p=0.001). Conclusion: The intervention positively impacted on early initiation and sustenance of exclusive breasting in the first 3 months of life. Nutrition education at the health facility or community level should involve fathers as key influencers of the breastfeeding process, which contributes to improved infant feeding practices.
Molecular characterization of Apis mellifera colonies from Argentina: genotypic admixture associated with ecoclimatic regions and apicultural activities

The European honeybee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), is considered as a main contributor to pollination of important crops and to honey production. Originally, beekeeping in Argentina was performed in an extended area covering the north and central region of the country and involving A. mellifera of European origin. Later, honeybees of African origin entered South America through Brazil and hybridized with European genetic resources, giving rise to Africanized populations that are characterized by a more aggressive behavior among other unfavorable traits. In this study, a genetic characterization of 396 honeybee colonies from the most important apicultural region of Argentina is presented in order to provide an updated description of population structure and genetic diversity of commercial and feral colonies. Diversity was analyzed using mitochondrial (COI‐COII region) and nuclear (eight microsatellites) markers. Three European (M4, C1, C2J) and three African (A1, A4, A30) haplotypes were detected. European haplotypes were mostly found in commercial apiaries, whereas African haplotypes were detected at high frequencies in feral colonies. Microsatellite data were analyzed to estimate population genetic variability at the province level and to evaluate genetic admixture. A high level of hybridization between Africanized and European honeybees was detected with a significant latitudinal cline from north to south. Extensive population admixture resulted in the definition of four clusters that included both feral and commercial colonies and that are explained not only by geographical distribution and degree of Africanization but also by human influence through beekeeping activities.
Steering the climate system: Comment

Lemoine and Rudik (2017) argue that it is efficient to delay reducing carbon emissions, due to supposed inertia in the climate system’s response to emissions. This conclusion rests upon misunderstanding the relevant Earth system modelling: there is no substantial lag between CO2 emissions and warming. Applying a representation of the Earth system that captures the range of responses seen in complex Earth System Models invalidates the original article’s implications for climate policy. The least-cost policy path that limits warming to 2 ◦C implies that the carbon price starts high and increases at the interest rate. It cannot rely on climate inertia to delay reducing and allow greater cumulative emissions. ∗[Further suggested authors: Simon Dietz, Rick van der Ploeg, Anselm Schultes, Fiona Spuler – subject to final decision by editor. ] †We thank Derek Lemoine and Ivan Rudik for helpful comments. This note is an abridged and revised version of a manuscript circulated as CESifo Working Paper 7414 also co-authored by Nico Bauer, Simon Dietz, Ottmar Edenhofer, Niall Farrell, Cameron Hepburn, Jacquelyn Pless, Gunnar Luderer, Rick van der Ploeg, Fiona Spuler, Anselm Schultes, Nicholas Stern and Alexander Teytelboym, but not H. Damon Matthews and Susan Solomon. LM was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). FV received funding from the Fond National de la Recherche Scientifique. ‡University of Oxford and Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change §Concordia University ¶University of Oxford ‖Vienna University of Economics and Business and International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis ∗∗Massachusetts Institute of Technology ††University of Mons and London School of Economics
Relating growth potential and biofilm formation of Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli to in planta colonisation and the metabolome of ready-to-eat crops

Contamination of fresh produce with pathogenic Escherichia coli, including Shigatoxigenic E. coli (STEC), represents a serious risk to human health. Colonisation is governed by multiple bacterial and plant factors that can impact on the probability and suitability of bacterial growth. Thus, we aimed to determine whether the growth potential of STEC for plants associated with foodborne outbreaks (two leafy vegetables and two sprouted seed species), is predictive for colonisation of living plants as assessed from growth kinetics and biofilm formation in plant extracts. Fitness of STEC was compared to environmental E. coli, at temperatures relevant to plant growth. Growth kinetics in plant extracts varied in a plant-dependent and isolate-dependent manner for all isolates, with spinach leaf lysates supporting the fastest rates of growth. Spinach extracts also supported the highest levels of biofilm formation. Saccharides were identified as the major driver of bacterial growth, although no single metabolite could be correlated with growth kinetics. The highest level of in planta colonisation occurred on alfalfa sprouts, though internalisation was 10-times more prevalent in the leafy vegetables than in sprouted seeds. Marked differences in in planta growth meant that growth potential could only be inferred for STEC for sprouted seeds. In contrast, biofilm formation in extracts related to spinach colonisation. Overall, the capacity of E. coli to colonise, grow and internalise within plants or plant-derived matrices were influenced by the isolate type, plant species, plant tissue type and temperature, complicating any straight-forward relationship between in vitro and in planta behaviours. Importance Fresh produce is an important vehicle for STEC transmission and experimental evidence shows that STEC can colonise plants as secondary hosts, but differences in the capacity to colonise occur between different plant species and tissues. Therefore, an understanding of the impact of these plant factors have on the ability of STEC to grow and establish is required for food safety considerations and risk assessment. Here, we determined whether growth and the ability of STEC to form biofilms in plants extracts could be related to specific plant metabolites or could predict the ability of the bacteria to colonise living plants. Growth rates for sprouted seeds (alfalfa and fenugreek) exhibited a positive relationship between plant extracts and living plants, but not for leafy vegetables (lettuce and spinach). Therefore, the detailed variations at the level of the bacterial isolate, plant species and tissue type all need to be considered in risk assessment.
Genetic damage in Mexican and South American sweet corn varieties due to the use of herbicides (Nicosulfuron and Topramezone)

In order to encourage corn production, several herbicides such as nicosulfuron and topramezone are used. Though they offer great advantages, they may affect crop productivity and may even induce DNA damage. This study evaluated genotoxic activity at two nicosulfuron concentrations (40,000 and 80, 000 ppm) and at four topramezone concentrations (1480, 148, 14.8 and 1.48 ppm) in sweet corn and hybrid populations from Mexico and South America. NCMAMD were used in 113 variety accessions from Mexico and South America and on 5 commercial hybrids for nicosulfuron and 9 accessions and a hybrid for topramezone. Both nicosulfuron concentrations induced significant genetic damage (P < 0.01) on sweet corn and on normal hybrids. Topramezone showed significant genotoxic activity (P < 0.01) on both sweet corns and normal hybrids. On both sweet corns and normal hybrids, the original situation did not provide protection from genetic damage caused by herbicides and all showed significant genetic damage (P < 0.01) compared to their corresponding negative controls. This paper clearly shows nicosulfuron and topramezone genotoxicity and the study with comet assay in SCAMCN indicated that corn can be used as an excellent biomonitor for genotoxicity assessment.
A discussion on the structure and evolution of the Red Sea and the nature of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Ethiopia rift junction - Magnetic and gravity fields over the Red Sea

Strong magnetic anomalies associated with the axial trough of the Red Sea are considered to be related to a second phase of opening. Lack of magnetic expression of the first and wider separation is attributed to initial thinning and necking of the continental crust and, possibly, to a slow rate of spreading. The rise of the mantle during this first stage is reflected in the positive Bouguer gravity anomaly which extends over the whole Sea. A displacement of the magnetic anomaly pattern and a grouping of earthquake epicentres at latitude 19½° N delineates a transform fault. Futher offsets in the anomaly pattern between 19½° N and 23° N may be related to other transform faults presently inactive. If Sinai is treated as a separate block then the two-stage clockwise rotation of Africa to open the Red Sea leads to the southerly displacements of this block required by the geology. Negative gravity anomalies in the Gulf of Aqaba support the idea of a shear. A separate rotation of the Horn of Africa is believed to have contributed to the opening of the Gulf of Aden.
Alcohol Availability and Alcohol-Related Harm: Exploring the Relationship between Local Alcohol Policies and Crime in New Zealand

We exploit spatial and temporal variation in the implementation of local alcohol policies in New Zealand to study their impact on crime. To do this, we construct a detailed dataset on local alcohol policies applicable across territorial authorities between July 2014 and January 2019. We then merge in monthly crime counts and estimate Poisson regressions of the relationship, controlling for unobservable local characteristics and time trends. Overall, local alcohol policies do not appear to have reduced crime. This result holds for specific policy dimensions and their stringency, and is reasonably robust across crime types, days/times of occurrence, and socio-economic subgroups.
The Anti-angiogenic Activity of Phoenix dactylifera seeds Methanol Extract in vivo study

The Anti-angiogenic Activity of Phoenix dactylifera seeds methanol extract in vivo study Abstract: The aim of the study was to identify the antiangiogenic activity of Phoenix dactylifera seeds methanolic extract in vivo and the probable anti-angiogenic mechanism of action. The date seeds were extracted with methanol using cold method, the crude extract was tested on chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) as an in vivo anti-angiogenic assay. The phytochemical analysis was carried out using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FT-IR and Gas chromatography mass spectrometry GC-MS analysis. The results showed significant inhibition of blood vessels growth, while the phytochemical analysis showed the presence of different chemicals including phenolic compounds, terpene, fatty acids, aliphatic alcohols and others. From the data above the mechanism of action may relate to the presence of the above named compounds, as they have direct perturbing action on blood vessels and prevent cell proliferation of endothelial cells growth via their potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
'Real-time' biomolecular interaction analysis: novel applications and developments

The work described in this thesis involves the application of direct 'real-time' biomolecular interaction analysis using existing SPR-based biosensors and the development of novel alternative SPR-based technologies. These systems were applied to the investigation of whole cell binding to an immobilised ligand. Solid-phase blood typing was demonstrated by employing monoclonal anti- A IgG and anti-B IgM as affinity ligands for the capture of washed whole red blood cells (RBC). Protein A affinity-capture of anti-A IgG was used as an alternative to direct immobilisation thereby facilitating surface regeneration. A new non-'real-time' fibre optic-based system (BIACORE Probe) was evaluated using the same affinity-capture format and was successfully applied to direct whole blood typing. Non-'real time' analysis limited the data quality. Therefore, a similar 'real-time' fibre optic device was constructed. In addition, a miniature SPR-based biosensor employing a single platform optical configuration was developed with a view towards the production of a smaller, cheaper and portable alternative to the existing range of instruments. Determination of kinetic rate constants using direct 'real-time' biosensors has proved more complex than suggested by early investigators and has lead to misleading conclusions from artifactual data. A model study, employing the interaction of CD4 and glutathione-s-transferase with specific monoclonal antibodies, investigated experimental and data analysis methods for the determination of reliable rate constants. In addition, novel assays for determination of the active analyte concentration without the requirement for a standard curve were examined.
Interaction between the Different Leadership Styles on Innovative Behavior based on Organizational Culture in Ecological Industry: Empirical Research from China

Owing to the accelerating of globalization in past years and the changeable technologies, a lot of companies positively promote innovation or personal creativity, expecting to achieve the sustainable management in the changeable environment. An enterprise has to constantly create new products, services, and processes to stand on the top. For this reason, innovation is regarded as a method of enterprise survival. There are certain risks for innovation. However, it would be dangerous for an enterprise remain the same, as the competitors might outperform with the development of more competitive innovation technology and the application of novel thinking. Innovation is inevitable in technology, service, and manufacturing industries, as an enterprise would not achieve the sustainable management without innovation. In the globally competitive environment, the size of an enterprise and the departments or staff in an enterprise should be innovated to maintain certain competitiveness and keep the leading status in the market. It is worth noticing that, among various factors in employees’ innovation or creativity, leadership might be the essential factor in employees’ creativity. In other words, a leader could establish situations and conditions to facilitate the subordinates’ performance on creativity and further achieve the goal. Nonetheless, several studies on innovation focused on organizational innovation, but seldom studied employees’ creativity and innovation capabilities. Since employees’ creativity and innovation are the sources of organizational innovation, it is considered essential to study employee innovation. Aiming at the effect of leadership style on organizational culture and innovative behavior, ecological industry in Guangdong Province are sampled for the questionnaire survey. According to the statistical analyses, conclusions and suggestions are proposed, expecting to help ecological industry induce more innovative behaviors and performance of the employees.
Modeling of carbide fuel rods

For a number of reasons, over the past ten years, much interest has been shown in developing the concept of advanced fuel in liquid-metal fast breeder reactors alongside the classical oxide fuel rod. To describe those concepts theoretically, the integral fuel rod code URANUS was extended to include a carbide fuel version. All the relevant material propertiesthermal, mechanical, and irradiation-induced-for UC and (U,Pu)C were taken into account. Material data were extracted from published literature and after careful comparison were assessed and correlated. The models for solid body and gas bubble swelling and for fission gas release are newly developed and calibrated to accessible data. Together with the standard routines of URANUS for calculating temperatures, geometry in hot state, stresses, strains, crack mechanics, plasticity, gap conductance and burnup, and with the axial coupling of individual sections, a detailed description is available for precalculation and interpretation of carbide rod experiments.
Contextual Interference Effect Is Independent of Retroactive Inhibition but Variable Practice Is Not Always Beneficial

Positive effects of variable practice conditions on subsequent motor memory consolidation and generalization are widely accepted and described as the contextual interference effect (CIE). However, the general benefits of CIE are low and these benefits might even depend on decreased retest performances in the blocked-practicing control group, caused by retroactive inhibition. The aim of this study was to investigate if CIE represents a true learning phenomenon or possibly reflects confounding effects of retroactive inhibition. We tested 48 healthy human participants adapting their reaching movements to three different force field magnitudes. Subjects practiced the force fields in either a Blocked (B), Random (R), or Constant (C) schedule. In addition, subjects of the Blocked group performed either a retest schedule that did (Blocked-Matched; BM) or did not (Blocked-Unmatched; BU) control for retroactive inhibition. Results showed that retroactive inhibition did not affect the results of the BU group much and that the Random group showed a better consolidation performance compared to both Blocked groups. However, compared to the Constant group, the Random group showed only slight benefits in its memory consolidation of the mean performance across all force field magnitudes and no benefits in absolute performance values. This indicates that CIE reflects a true motor learning phenomenon, which is independent of retroactive inhibition. However, random practice is not always beneficial over constant practice.
Biotransformation to Produce the Anticancer Compound Colchicoside Using Cell Suspension Cultures of Astragalus vesicarius Plant Species

This paper discusses the biotechnological process affected by means of plant suspension cultures, for production of colchicoside, the 3-O-glucosyl derivative of 3-O-demethylcolchicine. Colchicoside can be considered as an antitumoural prodrug which is activated after oral administration and may have more beneficial effects and a better toxicity profile (because of a slow-release effect) than colchicine. We have developed a green and efficient biotechnological method using colchicine, as a precursor, derived from its natural source G. superba seeds. Plant suspension cultures of Astragalus vesicarius were used to design a practical biotechnological platform to replace a methyl group at C-3 regiospecifically by a glycosyl moiety in colchicine. Using different concentrations of a colchicine-rich extract, the maximum enzymatic potential of Astragalus vesicarius suspension cells was achieved. According to quantitative HPLC-UV analysis, levels of 9.35 μmol/g DW colchicoside were achieved. This is the first report of region-specific glycosylation at C-3 of the aromatic ring A of the colchicine using plant suspension cultures.
Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of selected Polish grape and fruit wines

The aim of this work was to characterize the oenological profile and antioxidant properties of selected Polish grape and fruit wines. The wines produced in Golesz Vineyard in Podkarpacie and commercially available fruit wines were the experimental material. The analysed wines, except Seyval Blanc – the white grape wine, were characterized by a relatively high amount of total extract (10.5-18.8% m/v). The ethanol concentration in wines was at the similar level, only the cider, as a low-alcohol beverage, contained 5.7% (v/v) of ethanol. The red wines had the higher antioxidant potential and total polyphenol content than analyzed white grape and fruit wines. The prevailing volatile compounds of wines were higher alcohols, mainly amyl alcohols and isobutanol. The particularly high concentrations of them were detected in liqueur wines. The relatively high concentrations of propanol were also observed in the cherry wines and cider.
Improving Multimodal Localization Through Self-Supervision

Modern warehouses utilize fleets of robots for inventory management. To ensure efficient and safe operation, real-time localization of each agent is essential. Most robots follow metal tracks buried in the floor and use a grid of precisely mounted RFID tags for localization. As robotic agents in warehouses and manufacturing plants become ubiquitous, it would be advantageous to eliminate the need for these metal wires and RFID tags. Not only do they suffer from significant installation costs, the removal of wires would allow agents to travel to any area inside the building. Sensors including cameras and LiDAR have provided meaningful localization information for many different positioning system implementations. Fusing localization features from multiple sensor sources is a challenging task especially when the target localization task’s dataset is small. We propose a deep-learning based localization system which fuses features from an omnidirectional camera image and a 3D LiDAR point cloud to create a robust robot positioning model. Although the usage of vision and LiDAR eliminate the need for the precisely installed RFID tags, they do require the collection and annotation of ground truth training data. Deep neural networks thrive on lots of supervised data, and the collection of this data can be time consuming. Using a dataset collected in a warehouse environment, we evaluate the performance of two individual sensor models for localization accuracy. To minimize the need for extensive ground truth data collection, we introduce a self-supervised pretraining regimen to populate the image feature extraction network with meaningful weights before training on the target localization task with limited data. In this research, we demonstrate how our self-supervision improves accuracy and convergence of localization models without the need for additional sample annotation.