Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding the variability of rice bacterial blight pathogen, Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae in Andhra Pradesh, India

Bacterial blight (BB) of rice is a devastating disease caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). The evolution of new pathogenic races of bacterial blight pathogen is always a potential threat for rice production. The deployment of pathotype‐specific resistant genes in the host plants is a feasible strategy to develop BB‐resistant varieties. Therefore, continuous disease monitoring, identification of Xoo pathotypes, and their distribution are crucial to managing BB. In this study, 71 Xoo isolates were collected from the Godavari delta in Andhra Pradesh (India) and their virulence profiles on rice BB differentials were characterized. Data revealed that different International Rice Bacterial Blight (IRBB) lines with single BB resistance genes were susceptible to 73.2%–97.2% of the isolates, except IRBB13 (possessing BB resistance gene, xa13) which showed a moderately susceptible or susceptible reaction to 47.9% of the isolates. Three gene combination rice differentials like IRBB56 (Xa4 + xa5 + xa13), IRBB57 (Xa4 + xa5 + Xa21), IRBB58 (Xa4 + xa13 + Xa21), and IRBB59 (xa5 + xa13 + Xa21) showed very broad‐spectrum resistance to majority of the Xoo isolates from the region. None of the tested Xoo isolates were virulent on IRBB58 (Xa4 + xa13 + Xa21), IRBB60 (Xa4 + xa5 + xa13 + Xa21), and IRBB66 (Xa4 + xa5 + Xa7 + xa13 + Xa21). Based on the virulence reaction, 71 Xoo isolates were grouped into 10 major pathotypes. Highly virulent pathotypes viz., IXoPt # 14, 17, 19, and 22 can break the resistance of major BB‐resistant genes and were commonly distributed throughout the surveyed regions. Genotypic data of 71 Xoo isolates using J3 primer divided them into three major clusters. Cluster I consisted of 24 Xoo isolates that belonged to pathotype IXoPt‐19. Cluster II consisted of 41 Xoo isolates belonging to seven different pathotypes, and Cluster III was composed of six isolates from three different pathotypes. The findings of this study will be helpful to develop rice varieties with pathotype‐specific broad‐spectrum resistance against BB.
Library adoption of knowledge management using Web 2.0

While Web 2.0 tools are increasingly being adopted by academic libraries to connect with patrons, they are not actively used to facilitate knowledge management (KM). This study investigates the awareness and comfort of librarians, their perceived usefulness of KM using Web 2.0, organizational readiness, and the ways in which these affect the library adoption of KM using Web 2.0. The survey questionnaire was completed by 101 librarians from 35 countries in 6 continents. Most respondents had heard of KM, were comfortable with Web 2.0, perceived KM using Web 2.0 to be highly useful, but were not entirely sure if their libraries were ready to adopt KM. Comfort with Web 2.0 was found to impact perceived usefulness, which in turn, strongly affected the likelihood of adoption of KM using Web 2.0. This is the first study that combines KM using Web 2.0 from the perspective of academic librarians globally, and has important implications for theory and practice.
Power Quality Management in Distribution Systems

In this paper, we propose a methodology to classify Power Quality (PQ) in distribution systems based on voltage sags. The methodology uses the KDD process (Knowledge Discovery in Databases) in order to establish a quality level to be printed in labels. The methodology was applied to feeders on a substation located in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, considering attributes such as sag length (remnant voltage), duration and frequency (number of occurrences on a given period of time). On the Data Mining stage (the main stage on KDD Process), three different techniques were used, in a comparative way, for pattern recognition, in order to achieve the quality classification for the feeders: Artificial Neural Networks (ANN); Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Genetic Algorithms (GA). By printing a label with quality level information, utilities companies (power concessionaires) can get better organized for management and mitigation procedures by establishing clear targets. Moreover, the same way costumers already receive information regarding PQ based on interruptions, they will also be able to receive information based on voltage sags.
Interprofessional spiritual care education in pediatric hematology‐oncology: A pilot study

Evidence and clinical guidelines call care team members to address the spiritual well‐being of pediatric patients, especially adolescents and young adults (AYA), with cancer and blood disorders. However, the lack of relevant training in generalist spiritual care has been a key barrier. Therefore, we aimed to improve clinicians’ capabilities by utilizing the Interprofessional Spiritual Care Education Curriculum (ISPEC) to close this gap in pediatric hematology‐oncology. A model of interprofessional spiritual care entails that all team members attend to patients’ spirituality by employing generalist spiritual care skills and collaborating with spiritual care specialists such as chaplains.
Performance evaluation of a three-storey unreinforced masonry building during the 1992 Erzincan earthquake

Seismic performance of a three-storey unreinforced masonry building which survived the 1992 Erzincan earthquake without damage is evaluated. Mechanical properties of the masonry walls have been determined experimentally by using identical brick and mortar used in construction. An accurate material model is developed for masonry and employed in a computer program for the non-linear dynamic analysis of masonry buildings. The analytical results based on measured material properties indicated that masonry buildings which satisfy basic seismic code requirements possess remarkable lateral strength, stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. Accordingly, a simple elastic design approach is rendered suitable for unreinforced masonry under seismic excitations, provided that realistic material properties are employed in design.
Factors impacting the experience of empathic distress in social anxiety: a path analysis approach

ABSTRACT Personal distress is a manifestation of empathy characterized by a tendency to respond to others’ difficulties by increasing one’s distress. Previous work on socially anxious individuals has shown mixed results, consistent with a model of social anxiety symptomatology characterized by increased personal distress in empathy eliciting situations, which is driven by emotional dysregulation. The current study aimed to test a serial mediation model to uncover the role of emotional dysregulation in the relationship between social anxiety and empathic distress. 330 young adults were included in the sample. Social anxiety symptomatology, difficulty identifying one’s feelings, expressive suppression, and empathic distress were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling. Measurement and structural models were supported by data, with social anxiety exhibiting direct and indirect effects on empathic distress. Results also suggest that expressive suppression exhibits a negative effect on the distress exhibited in empathy eliciting situations, which brings forth relevant theoretical and clinical implications.
Gut Microbiome in Probable Intestinal Tuberculosis and Changes following Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment

Purpose Information on the gut microbiome in patients with intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) and changes therein following anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT) is lacking. We aimed to elucidate differences in stool microbiome between ITB patients and controls and to evaluate stool microbiome changes after ATT. Materials and Methods Eleven patients with probable ITB underwent ATT for 6 months, with stool samples collected at 0, 2, and 6 months. We performed next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes in stool bacteria and compared the gut microbiome. Results Initially, the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was higher (5.0% vs. <1%) and that of Proteobacteria was lower (<1% vs. 6.6%) in ITB patients than in controls. Higher numbers of butyrate-producing bacteria (Blautia and Roseburia) were noted in ITB patients. The alpha-diversity of stool microbiome of ITB patients was lower than that in controls (p=0.045). There was a significant difference in beta-diversity between the groups (p=0.001). At 6 months, the proportion of Verrucomicrobia decreased to <1%, while the proportion of Proteobacteria remained at <1%. Conclusion There were no significant differences in alpha- and beta-diversity in the stool microbiome at 0, 2, and 6 months after ATT. The stool microbiome composition of probable ITB patients was different from that of controls, and 6 months of ATT did not significantly affect it.
Phospholipase activity of acyloxyacyl hydrolase induces IL‐22‐producing CD1a‐autoreactive T cells in individuals with psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by Th17 responses. Recent evidence has identified Langerhans cells to have a key role in disease pathogenesis, with constitutive high expression of CD1a and capacity to present lipid antigens to T cells. Phospholipase A2 enzymes generate neolipid antigens for recognition by CD1a‐reactive T cells; however, the broader enzymatic pathways of CD1a lipid ligand generation have not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we used immunofluorescence of skin and ELISpot analyses of CD1a‐reactive T cells to investigate the role of the lipase acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) in CD1a ligand generation with relevance to the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We found that the PLA2 activity of rAOAH leads to the activation of circulating CD1a auto‐reactive T cells, leading to the production of IFN‐γ and IL‐22. Circulating AOAH‐responsive CD1a‐reactive T cells from patients with psoriasis showed elevated IL‐22 production. We observed that AOAH is highly expressed in psoriatic lesions compared to healthy skin. Overall, these data present a role for AOAH in generating antigens that activate circulating lipid‐specific CD1a‐restricted T cells and, thus, contribute to psoriatic inflammation. These findings suggest that inhibition of PLA2 activity of AOAH may have therapeutic potential for individuals with psoriasis.
Adverse effects following dental local anesthesia: a literature review

Local anesthesia is indispensable in dentistry. Worldwide, millions of local anesthetic injections are administered annually, and are generally considered safe invasive procedures. However, adverse effects are possible, of which dentists should be aware of. This scoping review aimed to provide an extensive overview of the reported literature on the adverse effects of dental local anesthesia. The types of papers, what is reported, and how they are reported were reviewed. Additionally, the incidence and duration of adverse effects and factors influencing their occurrence were also reviewed. An electronic search for relevant articles was performed in PubMed and Embase databases from inception to January 2, 2020. The titles and abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers. The analysis was narrative, and no meta-analysis was performed. This study included 78 articles. Ocular and neurological adverse effects, allergies, hematomas, needle breakage, tissue necrosis, blanching, jaw ankylosis, osteomyelitis, and isolated atrial fibrillation have been described. Multiple adverse effects of dental local anesthesia have been reported in the literature. The results were heterogeneous, and detailed descriptions of the related procedures were lacking. Vital information concerning adverse effects, such as the dosage or type of anesthetic solution, or the type of needle used, was frequently missing. Therefore, high-quality research on this topic is needed. Finally, the adverse effects that are rarely encountered in real-world general practice are overrepresented in the literature.
The key to superior memory encoding under stress: the relationship between cortisol response and mnemonic discrimination

Some previous studies have shown that increased stress hormone levels have beneficial effects on memory encoding; however, there is no clear consensus on which encoding-related processes are affected by stress hormones. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between interindividual differences in neuroendocrine response to acute stress and interference resolution (i.e., mnemonic discrimination). Participants were healthy young adults who were exposed to physical and psychological stressors (Socially Evaluated Cold Pressor Test). Then participants completed the modified version of the Mnemonic Similarity Task. Specifically, they were presented with photographs of emotionally arousing (negative and positive) and nonarousing (neutral) scenes followed by a recognition memory test where they saw a mixture of old and new stimuli. Crucially, participants were also presented with critical lure items, that is, visually similar stimuli to ones presented at encoding. We found that participants who had higher cortisol response to the stressors were better in discriminating between the studied items and their visually similar lures. This effect was present for the arousing and nonarousing materials as well. These findings suggest that increased hormonal response to acute stress has a beneficial impact on the formation of distinct, nonoverlapping, unique memory representations, and consequently, on episodic memory encoding processes.
Optimizing Motor Learning: Difficulty Manipulation Combined with Feedback- Frequency Enhance Under-Time-Pressure Fine-Motor-Coordination Skill Acquisition and Retention

Abstract Improving acquisition and retention of new motor skills is of great importance. This study investigated the effects of progressive task difficulty manipulation (TD), combined with varying knowledge of results frequencies (KR) on performance accuracy and consistency when learning novel fine motor coordination tasks, and examined relationships between novel fine motor task performance and executive function (EF), working memory (WM), and perceived difficulty (PD). Thirty-six, right-handed, novice physical-education students (age = 10.72 ± 0.89 years) participated; participants were separated into three groups, receiving varying KR frequency (100%KR, 50%KR, and 33%KR). For each group, distance to the target was increased progressively (2 m, 2.37 m, and 3.56 m) to obtain three difficulty levels. We assessed performance during test sessions (pretest, post-test, Retention1 and Retention2) under free (FC) and time pressure (TPC) conditions. Results revealed that under FC, 100%KR improved significantly. Results revealed significant linear improvements in accuracy for 50%KR and 33%KR under TPC. New findings indicate that the association between TD and KR (50%KR) may provide more appropriate cognitive loads compared to 33%KR and 100%KR groups. These have implications for practitioners because, while strategies are clearly necessary for improving learning, the efficacy of the process appears to be based on the characteristics of the learners.
S-acylation by ZDHHC20 targets ORAI1 channels to lipid rafts for efficient Ca2+ signaling by Jurkat T cell receptors at the immune synapse

Efficient immune responses require Ca2+ fluxes across ORAI1 channels during engagement of T cell receptors (TCR) at the immune synapse (IS) between T cells and antigen presenting cells. Here, we show that ZDHHC20-mediated S-acylation of the ORAI1 channel at residue Cys143 promotes TCR recruitment and signaling at the IS. Cys143 mutations reduced ORAI1 currents and store-operated Ca2+ entry in HEK-293 cells and nearly abrogated long-lasting Ca2+ elevations, NFATC1 translocation, and IL-2 secretion evoked by TCR engagement in Jurkat T cells. The acylation-deficient channel remained in cholesterol-poor domains upon enforced ZDHHC20 expression and was recruited less efficiently to the IS along with actin and TCR. Our results establish S-acylation as a critical regulator of ORAI1 channel trafficking and function at the IS and reveal that ORAI1 S-acylation enhances TCR recruitment to the synapse.
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and the Teaching of Ignaz Semmelweis and Florence Nightingale: a Lesson of Public Health from History, after the “Introduction of Handwashing” (1847)

Summary Ignác Fülöp Semmelweis (1818-1865) and Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) were two important personalities in the history of medicine and public health. They dealt with the problem of handwashing. Semmelweis is also known as the “father of hand hygiene”; just in 1847 he discovered the etiology and prophylaxis of puerperal sepsis and imposed a new rule mandating handwashing with chlorine for doctors. He also tried to persuade European scientific community of the advantages of handwashing. During the Crimean War, in Scutary (Turkey), Florence Nightingale strengthened handwashing and other hygiene practices in the war hospital where she worked and her handwashing practices reached a reductions in infections. Unfortunately the hygiene practices promoted by Semmelweis and Nightingale were not widely adopted. In general handwashing promotion stood still for over a century. During current pandemic SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) one of the most important way to prevent the spread of the virus is still to wash the hands frequently.
Learning and balancing unknown loads in large-scale systems

Consider a system of identical server pools where tasks with exponentially distributed service times arrive as a time-inhomogenenous Poisson process. An admission threshold is used in an inner control loop to assign incoming tasks to server pools while, in an outer control loop, a learning scheme adjusts this threshold over time to keep it aligned with the unknown offered load of the system. In a many-server regime, we prove that the learning scheme reaches an equilibrium along intervals of time where the normalized offered load per server pool is suitably bounded, and that this results in a balanced distribution of the load. Furthermore, we establish a similar result when tasks with Coxian distributed service times arrive at a constant rate and the threshold is adjusted using only the total number of tasks in the system. The novel proof technique developed in this paper, which differs from a traditional fluid limit analysis, allows to handle rapid variations of the first learning scheme, triggered by excursions of the occupancy process that have vanishing size. Moreover, our approach allows to characterize the asymptotic behavior of the system with Coxian distributed service times without relying on a fluid limit of a detailed state descriptor.
An experiment on the mechanisms of racial bias in ML-based credit scoring in Brazil

We dissect an experimental credit scoring model developed with real data and demonstrate - without access to protected attributes - how the use of location information introduces racial bias. We analyze the tree gradient boosting model with the aid of a game-theoretic inspired machine learning explainability technique, counterfactual experiments and Brazilian census data. By exposing algorithmic racial bias explaining the trained machine learning model inner mechanisms, this experiment comprises an interesting artifact to aid the endeavor of theoretical understanding of the emergence of racial bias in machine learning systems. Without access to individuals' racial categories, we show how classification parity measures using geographically defined groups could carry information about model racial bias. The experiment testifies to the need for methods and language that do not presuppose access to protected attributes when auditing ML models, the importance of considering regional specifics when addressing racial issues, and the central role of census data in the AI research community. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of algorithmic racial bias in ML-based credit scoring in Brazil, the country with the second largest Black population in the world.
The application of scattering matrices to re-entrant cavities

A method that utilizes the scattering matrix formulation to solve for the electromagnetic properties of re-entrant cavities is described. The process involves the cascading of several 2-port scattering matrices for overmoded circular and coaxial waveguides with abrupt radial wall transitions and the main cavity section, which is modelled as a 4-port device. The formulations to find the resonant frequencies and transmission properties of re-entrant cavities are both given. The technique is used to evaluate the performance of a high power klystron cavity and a choke flange. A comparison of this approach with another numerical technique is made.
Size and Material Effects on Cymbal Transducer for Actuator Applications

Flextensional cymbal pizocomposites have a number of applications as actuators, sensors, and transducers. In this study, the effect of the design parameters and materials on actuator performance were evaluated by Finite Element Analysis. There are trade-offs among displacement, force and speed which are important for actuator applications.
DETECTION OF MYCOPLASMA AND CHLAMYDIA IN PYTHONS WITH AND WITHOUT SERPENTOVIRUS INFECTION

Abstract: Serpentoviruses (order Nidovirales) are an important cause of respiratory disease in snakes. Although transmission studies have shown that serpentoviruses can cause respiratory disease in pythons, the possible role of additional potential pathogens is not yet understood. Very little information is available on the role of mycoplasma and chlamydia infections in disease in pythons. Diagnostic samples from 271 pythons of different genera submitted to a laboratory for detection of serpentoviruses were also screened for mycoplasma and chlamydia infections by PCR. Most of the samples were oral swabs. Almost 30% of the samples were positive for serpentoviruses, and mycoplasmas were detected in more than 60% of the pythons. The occurrence of these two pathogens correlated significantly (P < 0.001). Additionally, about 3% of the snakes tested positive for Chlamydia. This study found a high prevalence of mycoplasmas in the tested pythons and a correlation between infections with these bacteria and serpentoviruses in python samples submitted for diagnostic testing. Because the role mycoplasmas play in respiratory diseases of snakes is still largely unknown, further investigations are necessary to evaluate the role of mixed infections in disease.
COMPARISON OF THREE ANALYZERS FOR ASSESSING COMPLETE BLOOD COUNTS IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES

Abstract: Diagnostic hematology can prove challenging to the exotic animal practitioner presented with a nonhuman primate patient. Few point-of-care automated cell counters are calibrated for primate samples. Twenty-one samples from 17 nonhuman primates presented to an exotic animal practice were analyzed. Samples were run on both canine and feline settings on each of two veterinary point-of-care analyzers: one that assays by impedance technology, and one that assays by laser flow cytometry. Samples were also sent to a reference laboratory to be assayed on an analyzer that performs simultaneous impedance and laser measurements of blood cells and has been calibrated for use in nonhuman primates. Fourteen analytes were assessed for each sample on each machine. Manual hematocrits and total white blood cell counts were also performed on 16 of the samples. Statistical analysis indicated some variance between individual parameters, but overall correlation was acceptable.