Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Microbiome of the ‘Williams’ Pear Variety Grown in the Organic Orchard and Antifungal Activity by the Autochthonous Bacterial and Yeast Isolates

The total diversity of bacterial and fungal communities associated with the phyllosphere (fruits and leaves) of the ‘Williams’ pear variety was analyzed in two phenological stages during fruit development and maturation. The antagonistic potential of autochthonous bacterial and yeast isolates against phytopathogenic fungi was also evaluated. A metabarcoding approach revealed Pantoea, Sphingomonas, Hymenobacter, Massilia, and Pseudomonas as dominant bacterial constituents of the pear phyllosphere, whilst most abundant among the fungal representatives identified were Metschnikowia, Filobasidium, Aureobasidium pullulans, Botrytis cinerea, and Taphrina. The traditional culturable approach revealed that the Pseudomonas genus with P. graminis, P. putida, and P. congelans was most prevalent. The most frequently cultivated fungal representatives belonged to the genus Fusarium with six identified species. A broad range of the antagonistic activity was detected for the Hannaella luteola and Metschnikowia pulcherrima yeasts, significantly affecting the growth of many fungal isolates in the range of 53–70%. Fusarium sporotrichioides was the most susceptible fungal isolate. The autochthonous antagonistic yeasts H. luteola and M. pulcherrima might be powerful biological control agents of postharvest diseases caused by Fusarium spp. and common pathogens like Monilinia laxa, Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria tenuissima, and Cladosporium cladosporioides.
Possibilities of a Direct Synthesis of Aluminum Alloys with Elements from Deep-Sea Nodules

This work investigated the possibility of the direct preparation of aluminum alloys by aluminothermic reduction of deep-sea nodules with a high excess of aluminum. The process was found to be unable to obtain aluminum alloy, but an aluminum-rich manganese-based alloy was obtained instead, being composed of intermetallics. The alloy was characterized in the as-reduced state, as well as after crushing and sintering in the temperature range of 800–950 °C. The sample sintered at 900 °C was also heat-treated by annealing at 800 °C for 3 h and rapidly cooled. It was observed that with the increasing sintering temperature, the original matrix phase Al11Mn14 was transformed into a duplex matrix with a structure corresponding to Al11Mn14 and Al4Cu9, and this mixture was further transformed to the matrix with the structure corresponding to Al4Cu9. Furthermore, the mechanical properties and wear resistance of the samples were described. The highest microhardness was reached in the sample, which was annealed after sintering. Sintered samples reached a lower wear rate because of the fragmentation of brittle intermetallics during crushing.
Targeted Nanocarrier Delivery of RNA Therapeutics to Control HIV Infection

Our understanding of HIV infection has greatly advanced since the discovery of the virus in 1983. Treatment options have improved the quality of life of people living with HIV/AIDS, turning it from a fatal disease into a chronic, manageable infection. Despite all this progress, a cure remains elusive. A major barrier to attaining an HIV cure is the presence of the latent viral reservoir, which is established early in infection and persists for the lifetime of the host, even during prolonged anti-viral therapy. Different cure strategies are currently being explored to eliminate or suppress this reservoir. Several studies have shown that a functional cure may be achieved by preventing infection and also inhibiting reactivation of the virus from the latent reservoir. Here, we briefly describe the main HIV cure strategies, focussing on the use of RNA therapeutics, including small interfering RNA (siRNA) to maintain HIV permanently in a state of super latency, and CRISPR gRNA to excise the latent reservoir. A challenge with progressing RNA therapeutics to the clinic is achieving effective delivery into the host cell. This review covers recent nanotechnological strategies for siRNA delivery using liposomes, N-acetylgalactosamine conjugation, inorganic nanoparticles and polymer-based nanocapsules. We further discuss the opportunities and challenges of those strategies for HIV treatment.
Inferring Sparse Preference Lists from Partial Information

Probability distributions over rankings are crucial for the modeling and design of a wide range of practical systems. In this work, we pursue a nonparametric approach that seeks to learn a distribution over rankings (aka the ranking model) that is consistent with the observed data and has the sparsest possible support (i.e., the smallest number of rankings with nonzero probability mass). We focus on first-order marginal data, which comprise information on the probability that item i is ranked at position j, for all possible item and position pairs. The observed data may be noisy. Finding the sparsest approximation requires brute force search in the worst case. To address this issue, we restrict our search to, what we dub, the signature family, and show that the sparsest model within the signature family can be found computationally efficiently compared with the brute force approach. We then establish that the signature family provides good approximations to popular ranking model classes, such as the multinomial logit and the exponential family classes, with support size that is small relative to the dimension of the observed data. We test our methods on two data sets: the ranked election data set from the American Psychological Association and the preference ordering data on 10 different sushi varieties.
One Solution of an Android In-Vehicle Infotainment Service for Communication with Advanced Driver Assistance System

Today, modern vehicles are equipped with computers that can provide advanced driving assistance functionalities (ADAS), as well as with infotainment systems (IVI) that provide users with the relevant information about the vehicle and offer various entertainment features. To satisfy the growing user expectations from the IVI systems, Android is often used as the operating system in this domain. Users are already familiar with it, and it enables them to run the entertainment applications they normally use on their phones. Various IVI applications would benefit from the possibility to have access to ADAS data and resources. However, current applications do not provide the mechanism for resource sharing between the two domains. In this paper, we propose a solution that allows triggering actions in the IVI system, based on the data collected from the ADAS domain. On the IVI system side, Android Native Service is developed and extended with a comprehensive set of permissions to meet safety demands. The solution is implemented using the service-oriented architecture mechanism provided by COVESA CommonAPI and mapping it to the Android paradigm, evaluated in terms of safety demands required in the automotive industry.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Disclosure on Politically Connected-Family Firms

Research aims: This study examines the relationship between political connections and family ownership toward CSR activities disclosure.Design/Methodology/Approach: This study employed 624 Indonesian public companies on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) list for 2010-2018. The researchers used OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) regression by considering the fixed effect diversity of industry, year, and type of GRI to examine the relationship between political connections and family ownership on CSR disclosure.Research Findings: This study discovered that companies with political connections disclosed more CSR activities because they desired to bind themselves with the government, instruments of legacy, and social motivation. However, family firms were not found to have a significant relationship with CSR disclosure. In addition, the strong family ownership in the firm impacted the reduced strength of political connections, thereby reducing the company's CSR activities disclosure. Theoretical contribution/Originality: This study is interesting because the researchers combined the issue of the politically connected board and family firms, which are frequently found in the context of Indonesian companies. The researchers expect this study to enhance corporate board characteristics and CSR disclosure literature. Practically, the researchers expect this study could provide useful information for investors to make investment decisions. Furthermore, this study provides insight for regulators, who need a view of how political connections and family companies exist in responding to the regulations they set. Therefore, the existing regulations can be improved. Yet, this study was limited to the proxy of political connection based on local regulation of politically exposed person (PEP).
Social biases can lead to less communicatively efficient languages

ABSTRACT Language is subject to a variety of pressures. Recent work has documented that many aspects of language structure have properties that appear to be shaped by biases for the efficient communication of semantic meaning. Other work has investigated the role of social pressures, whereby linguistic variants can acquire positive or negative evaluation based on who is perceived to be using them. While the influence of these two sets of biases on language change has been well documented, they have typically been treated separately, in distinct lines of research. We used a miniature language paradigm to test how these biases interact in language change. Specifically, we asked whether pressures to mark social meaning can lead linguistic systems to become less efficient at communicating semantic meaning. We exposed participants to a miniature language with uninformative constituent order and two dialects, one that employed case and one that did not. In the instructions, we socially biased participants toward users of the case dialect, users of the no-case dialect, or neither. Learners biased toward the no-case dialect dropped informative case, thus creating a linguistic system with high message uncertainty. They failed to compensate for this increased message uncertainty even after additional exposure to the novel language. Case was retained in all other conditions. These findings suggest that social biases not only interact with biases for efficient communication in language change but also can lead to linguistic systems that are less efficient at communicating semantic meaning.
Uncontrolled generation in interior permanent-magnet Machines

The movement toward higher power automotive electrical systems has spurred research into low-cost alternators capable of operating over a wide constant-power speed range. A promising candidate for this application is a specially designed interior permanent-magnet (IPM) machine operating in uncontrolled generation (UCG). This paper investigates the modeling and performance of IPM machines in UCG. The concept of the voltage-current locus is introduced to explain the presence of hysteresis in the machine stator current and this effect is experimentally demonstrated. The effect of nonidealities such as magnetic saturation and stator resistance are also examined, to achieve a more accurate steady-state and dynamic modeling of the machine behavior. The predictions of these models are tested against experimental results.
Relationships Between Arterial Pressure-Volume Index and Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers in Patients With Hypertension

Background The arterial pressure-volume index (API), which is obtained by conventional blood pressure measurement, is a new marker for arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships between the API and various clinical parameters, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers, in patients with hypertension for the prevention of CVD. Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 288 patients with hypertension receiving pharmacological treatment, without a history of CVD (males/females: 115/173; age: 63 ± 11 years (mean ± standard deviation)). The API was automatically calculated using a commercial device. Results The API was significantly correlated with important CVD biomarkers, such as the concentration of urinary albumin (r = 0.42, P < 0.001), high-sensitivity troponin T (r = 0.39, P < 0.001), and skin autofluorescence (marker of advanced glycation end products in tissues) (r = 0.41, P < 0.001). Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that when the API was used as a subordinate factor, these biomarkers were independent variables. According to the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, an API of > 26 is the optimal cut-off point for determining albuminuria as ≥ 30 mg/g Cr, high high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T concentration as ≥ 0.014 ng/mL, or high skin autofluorescence as ≥ 3.0 arbitrary unit (area under the curve = 0.703, 0.702, and 0.704; and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion This investigation demonstrates that API had an independent relationship with relevant CVD biomarkers, such as urinary albumin, high-sensitivity troponin T, and skin autofluorescence. Additionally, the outcomes of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis are presented as values that an API > 26 defines for these biomarkers linked with the formation of CVD.
Isometric strength of upper limb muscles in youth using hand-held and hand-grip dynamometry

The present study aimed to determine the isometric strength profile of the upper limb muscles of children and adolescents between 7–15 years of age. Furthermore, to (a) identify the age at which differences in strength are observed between sexes; to (b) determine the age range at which significant progression of strength could be observed; and (c) identify the role of each muscle on the total upper limb strength. Cross-sectional study that evaluated the isometric strength of nine muscle groups of the upper limb of 243 Chilean children, split into 9 age groups, separated by 1-year intervals. For this, hand-held dynamometry and hand-grip dynamometry were used. A two-factor analysis of variance for the maximum isometric strength and a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis were performed. From 11 years of age, wrist flexors were the first muscle group that revealed a significant difference in isometric strength in favor of boys (P=0.0143). In boys, the narrowest and earliest age range in the progression of isometric strength was 10 to 12 years for wrist flexors (P=0.0392). Shoulder flexors was the main factor that explained the performance of the total upper limb strength (R2=0.742; P<0.001). The most progressive isometric strength development occurred from age 10 years in the ventral and distal muscles of the upper limb; and from this age the boys begin to present a greater isometric strength than girls. In addition, the isometric strength of shoulder flexors explained the higher total upper limb strength performance.
Antiparasitic Drugs against SARS-CoV-2: A Comprehensive Literature Survey

More than two years have passed since the viral outbreak that led to the novel infectious respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Since then, the urgency for effective treatments resulted in unprecedented efforts to develop new vaccines and to accelerate the drug discovery pipeline, mainly through the repurposing of well-known compounds with broad antiviral effects. In particular, antiparasitic drugs historically used against human infections due to protozoa or helminth parasites have entered the main stage as a miracle cure in the fight against SARS-CoV-2. Despite having demonstrated promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities in vitro, conflicting results have made their translation into clinical practice more difficult than expected. Since many studies involving antiparasitic drugs are currently under investigation, the window of opportunity might be not closed yet. Here, we will review the (controversial) journey of these old antiparasitic drugs to combat the human infection caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.
Diagnosis and Prognosis of COVID-19 Disease Using Routine Blood Values and LogNNet Neural Network

Since February 2020, the world has been engaged in an intense struggle with the COVID-19 disease, and health systems have come under tragic pressure as the disease turned into a pandemic. The aim of this study is to obtain the most effective routine blood values (RBV) in the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19 using a backward feature elimination algorithm for the LogNNet reservoir neural network. The first dataset in the study consists of a total of 5296 patients with the same number of negative and positive COVID-19 tests. The LogNNet-model achieved the accuracy rate of 99.5% in the diagnosis of the disease with 46 features and the accuracy of 99.17% with only mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and activated partial prothrombin time. The second dataset consists of a total of 3899 patients with a diagnosis of COVID-19 who were treated in hospital, of which 203 were severe patients and 3696 were mild patients. The model reached the accuracy rate of 94.4% in determining the prognosis of the disease with 48 features and the accuracy of 82.7% with only erythrocyte sedimentation rate, neutrophil count, and C reactive protein features. Our method will reduce the negative pressures on the health sector and help doctors to understand the pathogenesis of COVID-19 using the key features. The method is promising to create mobile health monitoring systems in the Internet of Things.
Health Behaviours among Nursing Students in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Background: An individual’s health status can be perceived as a consequence of their health behaviours. This research aimed to determine the intensity of health-promoting behaviours and to identify factors determining the health behaviours of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study included 894 nursing students from six universities in Poland, and it was conducted between 20 March and 15 December 2021. A diagnostic survey was applied as the research method, and the data were collected using the Health Behaviour Inventory and the Satisfaction With Life Scale. (3) Results: Nearly half of the students participating in the study (48.43%) declared that the intensity of their general health behaviours was low. A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.426) was found between general health behaviours and satisfaction with life. A regression model demonstrated general satisfaction with life to be a predictor of taking up health-related behaviours (18%; β = 0.34), as well as in terms of proper eating habits (4%; β = 0.15), prophylactic behaviours (6%; β = 0.21), positive mental attitudes (26%; β = 0.44) and applied pro-health practices (10%; β = 0.25). (4) Conclusions: Most nursing students showed low levels of health-promoting behaviours. More research is needed on health behaviours and their determinants among nursing students, as it may be important in explaining the mechanisms of health behaviour formation.
Assembly, characterization, and operation of large-scale TES detector arrays for ACTPol

The Polarization-sensitive Receiver for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACTPol) is designed to measure the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature and polarization anisotropies on small angular scales. Measurements of the CMB temperature and polarization anisotropies have produced arguably the most important cosmological data to date, establishing the ΛCDM model and providing the best constraints on most of its parameters. To detect the very small fluctuations in the CMB signal across the sky, ACTPol uses feedhorn-coupled Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) detectors. A TES is a superconducting thin film operated in the transition region between the superconducting and normal states, where it functions as a highly sensitive resistive thermometer. In this thesis, aspects of the assembly, characterization, and in-field operation of the ACTPol TES detector arrays are discussed. First, a novel microfabrication process for producing high-density superconducting aluminum/polyimide flexible circuitry (flex) designed to connect large-scale detector arrays to the first stage of readout is presented. The flex is used in parts of the third ACTPol array and is currently being produced for use in the AdvACT detector arrays, which will begin to replace the ACTPol arrays in 2016. Next, we describe methods and results for the in-lab and on-telescope characterization of the detectors in the third ACTPol array. Finally, we describe the ACTPol TES R(T,I) transition shapes and how they affect the detector calibration and operation. Methods for measuring the exact detector calibration and re-biasing functions, taking into account the R(T,I) transition shape, are presented.
Experimental Infections of Pigs with African Swine Fever Virus (Genotype II); Studies in Young Animals and Pregnant Sows

African swine fever is an important viral disease of wild and domestic pigs. To gain further knowledge of the properties of the currently circulating African swine fever virus (ASFV), experimental infections of young pigs (approximately 8 weeks of age) and pregnant sows (infected at about 100 days of gestation) with the genotype II ASFV Georgia/2007 were performed. The inoculated young pigs developed typical clinical signs of the disease and the infection was transmitted (usually within 3–4 days) to all of the “in contact” animals that shared the same pen. Furthermore, typical pathogical lesions for ASFV infection were found at necropsy. Inoculation of pregnant sows with the same virus also produced rapid onset of disease from post-infection day three; two of the three sows died suddenly on post-infection day five, while the third was euthanized on the same day for animal welfare reasons. Following necropsy, the presence of ASFV DNA was detected in tonsils, spleen and lymph nodes of some of the fetuses, but the levels of viral DNA were much lower than in these tissues from the sows. Thus, only limited transplacental transmission occurred during the course of this experiment. These studies contribute towards further understanding about the spread of this important viral disease in domestic pigs.
A Narrative Review of Toxic Heavy Metal Content of Infant and Toddler Foods and Evaluation of United States Policy

Excessive exposure to inorganic contaminants through ingestion of foods, such as those commonly referred to as heavy metals may cause cancer and other non-cancerous adverse effects. Infants and young children are especially vulnerable to these toxic effects due to their immature development and high ’food intake/ body weight' ratio. Concerns have been raised by multiple independent studies that heavy metals have been found to be present in many foods in the infant and child food sector. Most recently, reports from the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy suggest subpar testing practices, lenient or absent standards, and limited oversight of food manufacturers perpetuate the presence of these contaminants in infant and toddler foods. The aim of this narrative review is to evaluate the current state of policies in the United States designed to safe-guard against excessive heavy metal exposure and to discuss what is presently known about the presence of the so-called heavy metals; arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium found in infant and toddler foods. PubMed was used to search for studies published between 1999 and 2022 using a combination of search terms including: “heavy metal,” “contamination,” “infant,” “toddler,” and “complementary food”.