Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) Producing Multidrug Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria from Various Clinical Specimens of Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess multidrug resistance and Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) production in Gram negative bacterial pathogens.Methods: The study included clinical specimens sent for routine culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing. A total of 469 different clinical specimens were processed according to the standard methodology. The isolates were identified by standard microbiological procedures and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by modified Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Production of ESBL was determined by combined disk method.Results: Of the total sample processed, 80 (17.0%) Gram negative bacteria were isolated and 82.5% of them were multidrug resistant (MDR). From the total MDR isolates, 47% were ESBL positive. The higher rate of growth among Intensive Care Units (ICUs) patients was found statistically significant. Higher prevalence of MDR isolates was observed in blood and pus specimens. The majority of the ESBL producers were Escherichia coli (38.7%). Higher rate of ESBL producers was detected from blood (55.6%). Polymyxin B, imipenem and amikacin were the most effective antibiotics against Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa whereas imipenem, amikacin, meropenem were the most effective antibiotics against Enterobacteriaceae.Conclusion: Higher prevalence of ESBL producing MDR Gram negative pathogens in hospitalized patients indicates these bacteria are important health care associated pathogens and requires proper infection control measures that check the transfer of MDR and β-lactamase producing bacterial pathogens among the hospitalized patients.
Students’ mathematical connection ability in the learning employing contextual teaching and learning

Mathematics consists of a variety of topics requiring students to have the mathematical connection ability to link the concepts learned for a better understanding. This study aimed to identify students’ mathematical connection ability in the mathematics learning employing Contextual Teaching and Learning (CTL). It employed a mathematical connection ability test as instrument to achieve the objective. This study was conducted in a junior high school in Aceh Besar regency, Indonesia. The participant of this study were 23 Year 9 students. Students test results were then scored and compared to the indicators of the mathematical connection ability. The results showed that 17 students have poor mathematical connection ability, while the other six students have fair ability.
Assessment of sampling methods to estimate horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus L.) egg density in Delaware Bay

Each spring horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus L.) emerge from Delaware Bay to spawn and deposit their eggs on the foreshore of sandy beaches (Shuster and Botton, 1985; Smith et al., 2002a). From mid-May to early June, migratory shorebirds stopover in Delaware Bay and forage heavily on horseshoe crab eggs that have been transported up onto the beach (Botton et al., 1994; Burger et al., 1997; Tsipoura and Burger, 1999). Thus, estimating the quantity of horseshoe crab eggs in Delaware Bay beaches can be useful for monitoring spawning activity and assessing the amount of forage available to migratory shorebirds.
Site of Measurement and Subject Position Affect Chest Excursion Measurements

&NA; Chest excursion measurements are commonly used to assess the effect of disease on chest wall motion. The purpose of this study was to determine if site of tape measure placement and subject position affect chest excursion measurements. Data were collected on sixty healthy participants between the ages of 19‐34. Chest girth measurements were obtained during two slow vital capacity maneuvers (VCMs) in three positions (supine, sitting, standing) and at two measurement site (xiphoid, axilla). Chest excursion differed with measurement site, but no main effects of gender or position on chest excursion were found. A significant interaction between measurement site and subject position was found. Chest excursion measurements taken in the standing position at the xiphoid site (x = 7.9 cm) were greater than those at the axillary site (x = 6.8 cm). Chest excursion measurements taken at the xiphoid site in standing (x = 7.9 cm) were greater than in supine (x= 7.2 cm). This study demonstrates that measurement site and subject position influence chest excursion values. Clinical recommendations based on these results include the use of two measurement sites for a thorough evaluation of pulmonary status, the establishment and use of a consistent measurement site and subject position for each patient, and proper documentation of these variables throughout the treatment process.
Reaction time, seminal fructose, fructolytic index and blood testosterone profile in Holstein-Friesian and crossbred bulls*

This study was carried out at a central sperm station Over a period of 10 months on 11 sexually mature (4-6 year-old) healthy breeding bulls of 3 genetic groups (4 HE; 4 K HF and 3 K J) under weekly twice semen collection schedule. The overall means of reaction time, seminal fructose and fructolytic index recorded at monthly intervals were 88.25 ± 14.19 sec, 546.38 ± 29.02 mg% and 1.08 ± 0.06 respectively. The serum testosterone profile studied once on each bull at 10 min, 6 hr and 24 hr post-semen collection averaged 7.11 ± 1.05, 3.66 ± 0.44 and 5.44 ± 0.62 ng/ml, respectively. The influence of breed was significant only for testosterone levels, which also varietl significantly between breeds and between sampling intervals. The values were higher in K J bulls and also at 10 min and 24 hr post-semen collection in all the 3 breeds. The results suggest that semen collection time or actual collection evokes stimulatory response through hypothalamus on Leydig cells to secrete greater amount of testosterone, although the correlations of above traits with seminal attributes and fertility rates of bulls were very low and nonsignificant.
The Association Between Female Students’ Computer Science Education and STEM Major Selection: Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract Concerning the underrepresentation of female students in computer science (CS) classes at the K-12 level and math-intensive STEM fields, this study investigated the relationship between female students earning less credits in CS courses during high school and their STEM major choices. Data were drawn from a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school graduates from the restricted data of the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 which were collected by the National Center for Educational Statistics. The multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that (a) female students’ lower frequency of taking CS courses was associated significantly with their underrepresentation in STEM fields, (b) earning less credits in CS courses was a stronger factor for female students’ underrepresentation in STEM fields compared to the well-documented predictors for STEM major choice—math self-efficacy and math scores on the ACT, and (c) no significant difference in ACT math scores emerged between male and female students, which challenges the dominant view that male students’ greater math aptitude causes the persistent gender gap that leads to women’s underrepresentation in STEM fields. The study suggests that integrating CS in traditional classrooms as well as promoting a rigorous CS curriculum at the secondary level would be an effective strategy to increase female participation in math-intensive STEM fields.
Extending legacy climate models by adaptive mesh refinement for single-component tracer transport: a case study with ECHAM6-HAMMOZ (ECHAM6.3-HAM2.3-MOZ1.0)

Abstract. The model error in climate models depends on mesh resolution, among other factors. While global refinement of the computational mesh is often not feasible computationally, adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) can be an option for spatially localized features. Creating a climate model with AMR has been prohibitive so far. We use AMR in one single-model component, namely the tracer transport scheme. Particularly, we integrate AMR into the tracer transport module of the atmospheric model ECHAM6 and test our implementation in several idealized scenarios and in a realistic application scenario (dust transport). To achieve this goal, we modify the flux-form semi-Lagrangian (FFSL) transport scheme in ECHAM6 such that we can use it on adaptive meshes while retaining all important properties (such as mass conservation) of the original FFSL implementation. Our proposed AMR scheme is dimensionally split and ensures that high-resolution information is always propagated on (locally) highly resolved meshes. We utilize a data structure that can accommodate an adaptive Gaussian grid. We demonstrate that our AMR scheme improves both accuracy and efficiency compared to the original FFSL scheme. More importantly, our approach improves the representation of transport processes in ECHAM6 for coarse-resolution simulations. Hence, this paper suggests that we can overcome the overhead of developing a fully adaptive Earth system model by integrating AMR into single components while leaving data structures of the dynamical core untouched. This enables studies to retain well-tested and complex legacy code of existing models while still improving the accuracy of specific components without sacrificing efficiency.
Inoculation with plant growth promoting bacteria on tomato under greenhouse conditions

El incremento en la población mundial ha aumentado la demanda de alimentos y así mismo la demanda de fertilizantes químicos los cuales no sólo son costosos sino también contaminantes. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la aplicación de varias cepas candidatas a promotoras del crecimiento vegetal sobre el crecimiento y producción del cultivo del tomate. El estudio se realizó en 2010, en el Centro de Investigación Tibaitatá (Corpoica) ubicado en Mosquera (CundinamarcaColombia). Se emplearon las cepas TVL-1 y TVL-2 que se encuentran identificadas como Enterobacter sp. , además las cepas Pseudomonas sp. PSO13, PSO14, y Bacillus sp. BEOO2 y BEOO3. Los resultados demostraron la capacidad intrínseca de las cepas para solubilizar una fuente de fósforo poco soluble donde la utilización de las cepas TVL-1, TVL-2 y PSO14 evidenciaron los mejores resultados. Las cepas TVL-1, TVL-2 y PSO13 presentaron actividad fosfatasa. Adicionalmente, las bacterias fueron capaces de producir índoles y sideróforos bajo las condiciones evaluadas. El experimento en invernadero evidenció que las cepas TVL-2 y PSO14 incrementaron de manera significativa la biomasa y desarrollo de la planta (p≤ 0.05) así como el rendimiento en la producción de frutos lo que se puede asociar a las capacidades bioquímicas asociadas a promoción de crecimiento vegetal evaluadas en el laboratorio. Abstract
Malaysian road fatalities prediction for year 2020

Fatality reduction is crucial in road safety management. This paper illustrates fatality models developed in Malaysia in predicting the number of fatalities since the early 1990's to the current figures. All models were based on statistical models, utilising linear models, log linear and time series. The objective of this paper is to highlight the recent road fatalities model, using ARIMA models that have been developed and used by government agencies in planning for road fatality reduction. Language: en
Adolescent Adjustment and Maternal Breast Cancer

Abstract This study investigated the effects of parental functioning on adolescent adjustment during the acute phase of treatment for mothers diagnosed with breast cancer. Data from self-and parent-report questionnaires were obtained in the homes of 87 adolescents and 174 parents within six months of the mother's diagnosis. Associations between adolescent adjustment (self-esteem, behavioral problems, anxiety) and parental functioning (depressed mood, parenting quality, and marital adjustment) were examined when neither, one, or both parents were functioning at compromised levels. When both parents had depressed mood, adolescents tended to show increased behavioral problems; maternal depressed mood was the main source of influence. When the quality of the parenting relationship between the adolescent and both parents was poor, adolescents showed significantly lowered self-esteem and increased anxiety. Marital adjustment did not affect adolescent functioning significantly. Maternal depressed mood and the quality of the parent-child relationship significantly influenced adolescent adjustment during the acute phase of the mother's breast cancer.
Seaweed resources in Europe: uses and potential

A geographical and taxonomic guide to European seaweeds of economic importance, M.D.Guiry and D.J.Garbery animal and human nutrition, M.Indergaard and J.Minsaas agricultural uses of seaweeds and seaweed extracts, G.Blunden uses of seaweeds in cosmetics, Y.de Roeck-Holtzhauer bioconversion of seaweeds, P.Morand et al seaweeds for waste water treatment and recycling of nutrients, W.Schramm polysaccharides for food and pharmaceutical uses, K.Ostgaard and M.Indergaard molecular structure and physical behaviour of seaweed colloids as compared to microbial polysaccharides, O.Smidsrod and B.E. Christensen applications of some algal polysaccharides in biotechnology, G.Skjak-Braek and A.Martinsen seaweed harvesting, X.Briand cultivation of attached seaweeds, J.M. Kain-Jones cultivation of unattached seaweeds, J.M. Kain-Jones cultivation of unattached seaweeds - biomass production and critical variables, W.Schramm conclusions and outlooks, M.D.Guiry and G.Blunden.
Latency Minimization for D2D-Enabled Partial Computation Offloading in Mobile Edge Computing

We consider Device-to-Device (D2D)-enabled mobile edge computing offloading scenario, where a device can partially offload its computation task to the edge server or exploit the computation resources of proximal devices. Keeping in view the millisecond-scale latency requirement in 5G service scenarios and the spectrum scarcity, we focus on minimizing the sum of task execution latency of all the devices in a shared spectrum with interference. In particular, we provide an integrated framework for partial offloading and interference management using orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) scheme. Accordingly, we formulate total latency minimization as a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem by considering desired energy consumption, partial offloading, and resource allocation constraints. We use decomposition approach to solve our problem and propose a novel scheme named Joint Partial Offloading and Resource Allocation (JPORA). With aim to reduce the task execution latency, JPORA iteratively adjusts data segmentation and solves the underlying problem of quality of service (QoS)-aware communication resource allocation to the cellular links, and interference-aware communication resource allocation to D2D links. Extensive evaluation results demonstrate that JPORA achieves the lowest latency as compared to the other baseline schemes, meanwhile limiting the local energy consumption of user devices.
Generalized Degrees Freedom of Noncoherent MIMO Channels With Asymmetric Link Strengths

We study the generalized degrees of freedom (gDoF) of block-fading noncoherent multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channels with asymmetric distributions of link strengths and a coherence time of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> symbol durations. We derive the optimal signaling structure for communication for the asymmetric MIMO channel, which is distinct from that for the MIMO channel with independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) links. We extend the existing results for the single input multiple output (SIMO) channel with i.i. d. links to the asymmetric case, proving that selecting the statistically best antenna is gDoF-optimal. Using the gDoF result for the SIMO channel, we prove that for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${T}=1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the gDoF is zero for MIMO channels with arbitrary link strengths. We show that selecting the statistically best antenna is gDoF-optimal for the multiple input single output (MISO) channel. We also derive the gDoF for the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MIMO channel with different exponents in the direct and cross links. In this setting, we show that it is always necessary to use both the antennas to achieve the gDoF, in contrast to the results for the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MIMO channel with i.i. d. links. We show that having weaker crosslinks, gives gDoF gain compared to the case with i.i. d. links. For the noncoherent MIMO channel with i.i. d. links, the traditional method of training each transmit antenna independently is degrees of freedom (DoF) optimal, whereas we observe that for the asymmetric <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$2\times 2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MIMO channel, the traditional training is not gDoF-optimal. We extend this observation to a larger <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${M}\times {M}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MIMO channel by demonstrating a strategy that can achieve larger gDoF than a traditional training-based method.
Regulation of NKCC2 trafficking by vesicle fusion proteins VAMP2 and VAMP3 in the thick ascending limb

REGULATION OF NKCC2 TRAFFICKING BY VESICLE FUSION PROTEINS VAMP2 AND VAMP3 IN THE THICK ASCENDING LIMB by PAULO SEBASTIAN CACERES PUZZELLA May 2014 Advisor: Dr. Pablo A. Ortiz Major: Physiology Degree: Doctor of Philosophy The thick ascending limb (TAL) in the kidney regulates extracellular fluid volume and blood pressure. The Na/K/2Cl cotransporter NKCC2 plays a central role in NaCl absorption by the TAL and blood pressure. NKCC2 trafficking to the apical membrane is a major mechanism to control NKCC2 activity. However, little is known about the proteins that mediate NKCC2 trafficking. Inhibition of the vesicle fusion proteins VAMP2 and VAMP3 blunts the increase in surface NKCC2 expression and NaCl absorption in response to stimulation by cAMP. In other cells, VAMPs mediate fusion of exocytic vesicles with the plasma membrane. Whether VAMP2 and VAMP3 mediate different pathways for NKCC2 exocytic delivery to the plasma membrane is not known. We hypothesized that VAMP2 and VAMP3 interact with NKCC2 in the TAL and differentially mediate constitutive and cAMP-stimulated exocytic delivery of NKCC2 to the plasma membrane. We silenced VAMP2 and VAMP3 in vivo via shRNAs in rat TALs and measured NKCC2 exocytic delivery and steady-state surface NKCC2 by surface biotinylation before and after cAMP stimulation. We observed that silencing VAMP2 decreased cAMP-stimulated exocytic delivery of NKCC2 and steady-state surface NKCC2 expression, whereas it did not affect
Weed flora of Gladiolus fields in Lahore, Pakistan.

Gladiolus is one of the most popular cut flowers being cultivated in Pakistan. The present studies report the weed flora associated with Gladiolus. A total of 31 angiospermic species belonging to 17 families were found growing in association with Gladiolus. Maximum number of species (6) belonged to family Asteraceae followed by Papillionaceae (4) and Poaceae. Rumex dentatus was found to be the most frequently occurring and densely populated weed with absolute frequency (AF) of 74 and absolute density (AD) of 1.33. The other frequently occurring and densely populated weeds were Poa annua, Coronopus didymus, Convolvulus arvensis, Euphorbia prostrate, Melilotus parviflora, Cynodon dactylon, Mazus goodenifolia and Verbena agrestis with AF ranging from 51–69%% and AD from 0.75– 1.05. Less frequently occurring weeds with AF between 21 to 49% were Amaranthus viridis, Cirsium arvense, Eclipta alba, Stellaria media, Chenopodium murale, C. album, Medicago denticulata, Fumaria indica, Malva parviflora, Oxalis corniculata, Imperata cylindrica, Ranunculus muricatus, R. scleratus, Solanum nigrum. Parthenium hysterophorus, Sonchus asper, Xanthium stramonium, Euphorbia heleoscopia, Lathyrus aphca, and Solanum nigrum were found least frequently occurring species with AF 20% and below and AD of 0.10–0.38.
Walking as an intervention during chemotherapy: integrative review

Background: Walking has been used as a health promotion and symptom relief intervention in patients with cancer during chemotherapy. Objective: To map the existing literature on the use of walking as an intervention in patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methodology: Integrative review of articles found in MEDLINE ® and CINAHL ® databases. The review protocol was designed and the thematic categorization was performed. Results: Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 primary studies published between 2010 and 2017 were considered for analysis. Five relevant thematic areas were identified: duration, frequency, and monitoring of walking during chemotherapy; adherence to the walking intervention; effects on psychological and physical symptoms; target population; and assessment tools. Conclusion: Despite the advantages of the walking intervention during chemotherapy, evidence on its use as a nursing intervention is still scarce, with further research being required in this area.
Acquired brain injury: Psychological sequelae and holistic approaches to intervention

This thesis aims to explore the role which psychological and neuropsychological processes play in the sequelae of acquired brain injury (ABI), and holistic intervention possibilities. The first chapter consists of a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, examining the efficacy of using a physical exercise intervention to reduce reported symptoms of depression for people with an ABI. In total, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria and consisted of randomised controlled trials, non-randomised controlled trials and uncontrolled trials. In line with research in non-ABI populations, the current meta-analysis found a small to medium main effect of physical exercise on reducing reported symptoms of depression in people with an ABI. Data was not available to fully investigate the maintenance of this effect over time. The second chapter examines the empirical research investigating the relationship of self-awareness with executive function and depression in people with an ABI. 25 prospectively recruited participants with confirmed ABI more than 12 months prior to the beginning of the study completed questionnaires and neuropsychological tests, pertaining to self-awareness, depression and elements of executive function. Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that depression and set shifting were significant predictors of level of self-awareness following ABI. This suggests that both psychological and specific neuropsychological factors (set shifting) contribute to impaired self-awareness following ABI. The clinical implications and the limitations of both research papers are discussed. The third chapter discusses the papers referred to above in regard to theories of self-efficacy, which provides a potential psychological explanation as to why exercise appears to have a small to medium anti-depressant effect. It also explores how altered levels of self-awareness could influence the efficacy and delivery of physical exercise interventions. A reflective commentary is provided at the close of the thesis.