Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Improved Duplex Real-Time Quantitative RT-PCR Assay with a Canine Endogenous Internal Positive Control for More Sensitive and Reliable Detection of Canine Parainfluenza Virus 5

Simple Summary For reliable detection of canine parainfluenza virus 5, a duplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay using the viral L gene and canine 16S rRNA primers and probe sets was developed in this study. The assay has high analytical sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Clinical evaluation results showed that diagnostic sensitivity of the assay was higher than that of the previous HN gene-specific assay and comparable to that of the previous N gene-specific assay. Furthermore, canine 16S rRNA was stably amplified by the assay in clinical samples, allowing for the avoidance of false negative results. These results suggested that the L gene-specific assay will be a promising tool for the rapid diagnosis and control of canine parainfluenza virus 5 in dogs. Abstract A duplex real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (dqRT-PCR) assay was successfully developed to simultaneously detect canine parainfluenza virus 5 (CPIV5) and a canine endogenous internal positive control (EIPC) in canine clinical samples. Two sets of primers and probes for the CPIV5 L and canine 16S rRNA genes were included in the dqRT-PCR assay to detect CPIV and monitor invalid results throughout the qRT-PCR process. The developed dqRT-PCR assay specifically detected CPIV5 but no other canine pathogens. Furthermore, 16S rRNA was stably amplified by dqRT-PCR assay in all samples containing canine cellular materials. The assay’s sensitivity was determined as below ten RNA copies per reaction, with CPIV5 L gene standard RNA and 1 TCID50/mL with the CPIV5 D008 vaccine strain, which was 10-fold higher than that of the previous HN gene-specific qRT-PCR (HN-qRT-PCR) assays and was equivalent to that of the previous N gene-specific qRT-PCR (N-qRT-PCR) assays, respectively. Moreover, the Ct values of the CPIV5-positive samples obtained using the dqRT-PCR assay were lower than those obtained using the previous HN- and N-qRT-PCR assays, indicating that the diagnostic performance of the dqRT-PCR assay was superior to those of previous HN- and N-qRT-PCR assays. The calculated Cohen’s kappa coefficient values (95% confidence interval) between dqRT-PCR and the HN- or N-specific qRT-PCR assays were 0.97 (0.90–1.03) or 1.00 (1.00–1.00), respectively. In conclusion, the newly developed dqRT-PCR assay with high sensitivity, specificity, and reliability will be a promising diagnostic tool for the detection of CPIV5 in clinical samples and useful for etiological and epidemiological studies of CPIV5 infection in dogs.
Stress wave emission and cavitation bubble dynamics by nanosecond optical breakdown in a tissue phantom

Stress wave emission and cavitation bubble dynamics after optical breakdown in water and a tissue phantom with Nd: YAG laser pulses of 6 ns duration were investigated both experimentally and numerically to obtain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms involved in plasma-mediated laser surgery. Experimental tools were high-speed photography with 50000 frames s$^{-1}$, and acoustic measurements. The tissue phantom consisted of a transparent polyacrylamide (PAA) gel, the elastic properties of which can be controlled by modifying the water content. Breakdown in water produced a purely compressive stress wave. By contrast, in stiff PAA samples and for sufficiently large pulse energies, the compression wave was followed by an intense tensile wave, similar to the behaviour previously observed in cornea. The elastic/plastic response of the medium led to a significant decrease of the maximum size of the cavitation bubble and to a shortening of its oscillation period which was found to be related to the generation of the tensile stress wave upon breakdown. For increasing elastic modulus of the PAA, both the amplitudes of the bubble oscillation and of the stress wave emitted during bubble collapse decreased until the bubble oscillation was so strongly damped that no collapse stress wave was emitted. Numerical simulations were performed using a spherical model of bubble dynamics which includes the compressibility and elastic/plastic behaviour of the medium, viscosity, density and surface tension. The calculations revealed that consideration of the elastic/plastic behaviour of the medium surrounding the bubble is essential to describe the experimentally observed bipolar shape of the stress wave emitted upon optical breakdown. Water is a poor tissue model because the shape of the emitted stress waves and the bubble dynamics differ strongly for both materials. The mechanical properties of PAA were also found to be quite different from those of tissues. Experimental and numerical results provided evidence that the dynamic mechanical properties relevant for optical breakdown in PAA and tissue differ by as much as two orders of magnitude from the static values. The discovery of a tensile stress wave after optical breakdown in tissue-like media is of great importance for the assessment of collateral damage in laser surgery because biological tissues are much more susceptible to tensile stress than to compressive stress.
AC loss of Nb/sub 3/Sn-based Rutherford cables with internally and externally added Cu

Calorimetric measurements of AC loss and hence interstrand contact resistances (ICR) were measured on various stabilized (Cu-added) Nb/sub 3/Sn Rutherford cables. The cable variations formed two sets; externally added Cu and internally added Cu (mixed strand cables). In the first set, Cu strips were diffusion bonded onto a pre-existing cable. Two distinct variants were made, in the first a Cu strip was added to the "upper" and "lower" cable surfaces and then diffusion bonded during a reaction heat treatment (RHT) of 180 h/650/spl deg/C under a "cold-applied pressure" of 20 MPa. The second was formed by diffusion bonding a helically wrapped Cu strip along the cable. A control cable with no strip was included in this set. The second set consisted of a cable with approximately 1/3 of the strands replaced with pure Cu wires during the cable winding, and here also a control cable was fabricated for comparison. Calorimetric measurements of AC loss were made on all cables at 4.2 K in a transverse sinusoidal field of amplitude 400 mT, frequency 5 to 90 mHz, applied both parallel and perpendicular to the face of the cable. The loss data were interpreted in terms of an effective interstrand contact resistance, R/sub /spl perp/,eff/.
IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF TOURISM IN CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE (CESEE) COUNTRIES

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought numerous challenges and limitations globally. Countries around the world are facing the negative socio-economic consequences of the global health crisis. As the tourism sector is one of the most important sectors of the global economy and also one of the sectors hardest hit by the crisis, the consequences of the negative impact of this crisis in tourism are very wide. The subject of this paper is to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economic effects of tourism in Central, Eastern and Southern European (CESEE) countries. The aim of this paper is to analyse the homogeneity, i.e. heterogeneity of the analysed countries in terms of the negative impacts of the crisis on the economic effects of tourism through the analysis of the reduction of the contribution of tourism to key macroeconomic indicators under the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic. By applying cross-country comparison and cluster analysis, it was concluded that CESEE countries are not homogeneous in this sense, as well as that countries in which the importance of tourism for the national economy is greater are more severely affected by the crisis.
Measurement of the complex permittivity of metal nanoislands and the surface resistance of thin conducting films at microwave frequencies

Split-post and single-post dielectric-resonator techniques have been used for measurements of the complex permittivity of metal nanoislands and the surface resistance of thin conducting films. These two complementary techniques permit measurements of materials having the imaginary part of the relative permittivity in several decades range from the values characteristic for low loss dielectrics to that of well conducting metals. The complex permittivity measurements have been performed on thin film aluminum patterns in the form of concentric rings cut radially into different numbers of sectors. The measurements have shown that with decreasing length of the sectors the complex permittivity of such created meta-material undergoes a transition from that of a metallic state to that characteristic of a dielectric with a giant real permittivity (>2 × 105). The evolution of both the real and the imaginary parts of the permittivity with sector length depends on the film thickness.
Informal Institutions as Inhibitors of Rent-Seeking Entrepreneurship: Evidence From U.S. Legal History

Rent-seeking entrepreneurship occurs whenever an entrepreneur expends resources on activities that benefit their firm while reducing overall economic efficiency. Since rent-seeking ultimately makes nations poorer, we need to know more about how institutions can discourage rent-seeking entrepreneurship. Using historical data from the Unites States, we explore how changes in judicial thinking altered individuals’ incentives to engage in rent-seeking entrepreneurship. Traditionally, entrepreneurship researchers interested in policy issues have paid little attention to changes in judicial thinking. We argue that entrepreneurship researchers who are interested in why levels of entrepreneurial dynamism vary over time should pay more attention to how judges think.
EFFECT OF BASELINE RESTORATION ON SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO IN PULSE AMPLITUDE MEASUREMENTS.

The effect of baseline restoration on signal‐to‐noise ratio in pulse‐amplitude measurements is determined theoretically and experimentally. It is found that the signal‐to‐noise ratio with baseline restoration normalized to that without restoration is ηr/η=[1+α− 2α½kx(τ)]−½, where kx(τ) is the noise correlation factor at the output of the filter (amplifier), τ is the measurement interval, and α is the attenuation of noise power due to integration by the restorer capacitance and switch resistance (α=1 for fast restorer). Methods of calculation of correlation functions are outlined. A method for measurement of correlation functions by oscilloscope is described. The results are presented for the three commonly used filters: CR‐RC filter, quasi‐Gaussian filter, and delay‐line filter. Baseline restoration is found to degrade the signal‐to‐noise ratio. The amount of this degradation can be reduced to negligible proportions in filters with long memory (such as CR‐RC) by a small degree of integration in the restor.
X-RAY SCATTERING AND X-RAY FLUORESCENCE FROM MATERIALS WITH ROUGH INTERFACES

This paper discusses the influence of interface roughness on specular and nonspecular x-ray reflectivity and glancing-incidence x-ray fluorescence (GIXRF). Formulas are derived in the second-order distorted-wave Born approximation for samples consisting of an arbitrary number of layers. The results depend on the root-mean-square value of the interface roughness, its lateral correlation length and its degree of perpendicular correlation, as well as on the degree of jaggedness. Either flat interfaces or graded interfaces can be used as a starting point. It is shown that for GIXRF the latter approach is better. The consequences for diffuse scattering are discussed. Examples are given of calculations of specular reflectivity and GIXRF for layered materials. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Severe COVID-19 Illness and α1-Antitrypsin Deficiency: COVID-AATD Study

Background: Epidemiologic studies have reported that the geographical distribution of the prevalence of allelic variants of serine protein inhibitor-A1 (SERPINA1) and severe cases of COVID-19 were similar. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study to evaluate the frequency of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) in patients with COVID-19 and whether it was associated with having suffered severe COVID-19. Results: 2022 patients who had laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Mutations associated with AATD were more frequent in severe COVID versus non-severe (23% vs. 18.8%, p = 0.022). The frequency of Pi*Z was 37.8/1000 in severe COVID versus 17.5/1000 in non-severe, p = 0.001. Having an A1AT level below 116 was more frequent in severe COVID versus non-severe (29.5% vs. 23.1, p = 0.003). Factors associated with a higher likelihood of severe COVID-19 were being male, older, smoking, age-associated comorbidities, and having an A1AT level below 116 mg/dL [OR 1.398, p = 0.003], and a variant of the SERPINA1 gene that could affect A1AT protein [OR 1.294, p = 0.022]. Conclusions: These observations suggest that patients with AATD should be considered at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. Further studies are needed on the role of A1AT in the prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its possible therapeutic role.
Assessing Students' Misclassifications of Physics Concepts: An Ontological Basis for Conceptual Change

Physics novices and experts solved conceptual physics problems involving light, heat, and electric current and then explained their answers. Novices were ninth-grade students with no background in physics; experts were two postgraduates in physics and two advanced physics graduate students. Problems were multiple choice, with one correct response and three alternative responses representing possible misconceptions. For each conceptual physics problem, an isomorphic material-substance problem was constructed by imagining a materialistic conception of the physics topic and creating the resulting version of the problem. In each physics problem, one of the incorrect choices corresponded to the correct choice in the isomorphic material-substance problem. The empirical question was whether novices would reason about the physics problem as if it were conceptually similar to the substance isomorph. This question was addressed by comparing subjects' responses in the problem pairs, as well as by examining their exp.
A representation scheme for rapid 3D collision detection

A scheme is presented for the representation of objects for the rapid detection of collisions in a dynamic 3D environment, such as when a proposed path for a robot-carried object is tested for collisions with obstacles along the path. The successive spherical approximation (SSA) representation provides a representation scheme which allows rapid collision detection while still providing for the exact representation of dynamic objects. The hierarchy of representation levels is based on the subdivision of a sphere. The degree of approximation of the SSA representation decreases as the scheme traverses down the representation tree. The creation of the SSA representation is illustrated using an object database containing boundary representations. The use of the SSA hierarchical representation for rapid and exact collision detection between 3D objects and the environment is shown by considering the collision detection problem between stationary and moving objects. It is shown that there is little additional cost incurred by allowing changes in position and orientation of the objects. The contribution of the SSA representation is that it leads to a time-efficient, hybrid collision detection scheme. <<ETX>>
Effect of Grazing Flow on the Acoustic Impedance of an Orifice

A linearized potential flow model is developed to study the effect of grazing flow on the acoustic behavior of an orifice. In accordance with the previous flow visualization and measurements, this model uses the particle velocity continuity boundary condition rather than the widely used displacement to match the flow-fields separated by the shear layer over the orifice. An experiment is also carried out to validate the present theory in the case of circular or rectangular orifices. The theory agrees well with the experiment. In addition, further comparison is made between the present and two existing impedance models. One major objective of the present investigation is to make a tentative judgement on the two boundary conditions for a sound wave transmitting through a turbulent boundary layer over an orifice. It is found that, compared to the particle displacement continuity boundary condition, the use of the particle velocity continuity boundary condition results in a much better agreement between the theoretical predictions and the experimental data. Finally, there is a discussion on the influence of plate thickness on orifice impedance in the presence of grazing flow.
Inertial Sensor Location for Ground Reaction Force and Gait Event Detection Using Reservoir Computing in Gait

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have shown promising outcomes for estimating gait event detection (GED) and ground reaction force (GRF). This study aims to determine the best sensor location for GED and GRF prediction in gait using data from IMUs for healthy and medial knee osteoarthritis (MKOA) individuals. In this study, 27 healthy and 18 MKOA individuals participated. Participants walked at different speeds on an instrumented treadmill. Five synchronized IMUs (Physilog®, 200 Hz) were placed on the lower limb (top of the shoe, heel, above medial malleolus, middle and front of tibia, and on medial of shank close to knee joint). To predict GRF and GED, an artificial neural network known as reservoir computing was trained using combinations of acceleration signals retrieved from each IMU. For GRF prediction, the best sensor location was top of the shoe for 72.2% and 41.7% of individuals in the healthy and MKOA populations, respectively, based on the minimum value of the mean absolute error (MAE). For GED, the minimum MAE value for both groups was for middle and front of tibia, then top of the shoe. This study demonstrates that top of the shoe is the best sensor location for GED and GRF prediction.
Large magnetoresistance in single-crystalline Ni50Mn50−xInx alloys (x=14–16) upon martensitic transformation

Variation of electrical resistance in single-crystalline Ni50Mn50−xInx alloys (x=14–16) upon martensitic transformation was investigated. In Ni50Mn35In15 with Tm∼295K, a negative magnetoresistance (MR) over 60% is attainable at moderate field strengths; in Ni50Mn34In16 with Tm∼190K, the MR can exceed 70% over a temperature of approximately 100K. The significant change in electric resistance upon martensitic transformation originates primarily from the altered electronic structure, while the large effect of a magnetic field follows its ability to manipulate the transformation in materials of low Tm and large ΔM∕ΔS. The extremely large MR promises more innovative applications for these important alloys.
Stability Analysis with Game Theory in Virtual Enterprise Alliances

The emergence of virtual enterprise alliances enables enterprises to quickly seize opportunities and gain an advantage in the face of unpredictable and changeful market competition. However, the existence of opportunism poses a great threat to the successful implementation and stable development of the alliance. To address this issue, this paper analyzes the mechanisms of cooperation norms of enterprises in alliances based on the study of cooperation dilemmas. The game model of the choice of the integrity strategy with penalty constraint, reputation discounting factor and cold strategy are constructed by different divisions of the number of enterprise cooperation. The study concludes that the inclusion of three types of governance facilitates the active participation of enterprises in cooperation and ensures the stable operation of virtual business alliances under the influence of opportunism.
THE IMPACT OF DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES ON EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION WITH BENEFITS AND PERKS: EVIDENCE FROM SERBIAN FINANCIAL SECTOR

After the downfall of socialist regimes, human resource management systems in transition countries like Serbia were transformed, establishing entirely new employee compensation system. In this paper, the most common benefits and perks in the Serbian financial sector, as well as their significance for the employee satisfaction are explored, with the focus on the effectiveness of its structure. The investigation of differences in impact of benefits and perks on employee satisfaction is performed with respect to gender, education, age, and job position of the respondents. The empirical research is conducted by a survey questionnaire. Results suggest that there are no differences in employee satisfaction between respondents of different genders, and education, while partial differences in employee satisfaction are confirmed with respect to age, and job position. The results indicate that benefits and perks in Serbian financial sector should be better structured, and provide guidelines for the investigation of more favorable total compensation package.
Efficiency improvements of silicon solar cells by the impurity photovoltaic effect

This paper presents a theoretical investigation of the impurity photovoltaic (IPV) effect for improving silicon solar cell efficiency. The authors' approach is better than previous analyses because of the improved treatment of generation and recombination via impurities, and because it includes the effects of optical competition and light trapping. The approach is applied to indium as the IPV effect impurity incorporated into an idealised silicon solar cell. The analysis is based on experimentally determined parameters for indium. Improvements of cell current, subgap spectral response and energy conversion efficiency are quantified. Their analysis reveals the importance of light trapping and proper selection of indium and dopant concentrations. For the first time, the IPV effect is shown to lead to improved solar cell efficiency. <<ETX>>
The Impact of the Angular Head Movement’s Velocity during Diagnostic Maneuvers on Proper Benign Positional Paroxysmal Vertigo Diagnosis and Therapy

Based on the current state of the BPPV field, there are no guidelines that specify an angular head movement’s velocity (AHMV) during diagnostic maneuvers of BPPV. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of AHMV during diagnostic maneuvers on proper BPPV diagnosis and therapy. The analysis covered the results obtained in 91 patients with a positive result of the Dix-Hallpike (D-H) maneuver or the roll test. The patients were divided into four groups based on values of AHMV (high 100–200°/s and low 40–70°/s) and the BPPV type (posterior: PC-BPPV or horizontal: HC-BPPV). The parameters of the obtained nystagmuses were analyzed and compared to AHMV. There was a significant negative correlation between AHMV and latency of nystagmus in all study groups. Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between AHMV and both maximum slow phase velocity and average frequency of nystagmus in the PC-BPPV groups, whereas it was not observed in the HC-BPPV patients. Complete relief of symptoms was reported after 2 weeks and was better in patients diagnosed with maneuvers performed with high AHMV. High AHMV during the D-H maneuver allows the nystagmus to be more visible, increasing the sensitivity of diagnostic tests and is crucial for a proper diagnosis and therapy.
Quantum SU(3) Invariant of 3-Manifolds via Linear Skein Theory

The linear skein theory for the Kauffman bracket was introduced by Lickorish [11,12]. It gives an elementary construction of quantum SU(2) invariant of 3-manifolds. In this paper we prove basic properties of the linear skein theory for quantum SU(3) invariant. By using them we give an elementary construction of quantum SU(3) invariant of 3-manifolds and prove topological invariance of the invariant along the construction.