Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QsvR and OpaR coordinately repress biofilm formation by Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Mature biofilm formation by Vibrio parahaemolyticus requires exopolysaccharide (EPS), type IV pili, and capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Production of each is strictly regulated by various control pathways including quorum sensing (QS) and bis-(3′–5′)-cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP). QsvR, an AraC-type regulator, integrates into the QS regulatory cascade via direct control of the transcription of the master QS regulators, AphA and OpaR. Deletion of qsvR in wild-type or opaR mutant backgrounds altered the biofilm formation by V. parahaemolyticus, suggesting that QsvR may coordinate with OpaR to control biofilm formation. Herein, we demonstrated both QsvR and OpaR repressed biofilm-associated phenotypes, c-di-GMP metabolism, and the formation of V. parahaemolyticus translucent (TR) colonies. QsvR restored the biofilm-associated phenotypic changes caused by opaR mutation, and vice versa. In addition, QsvR and OpaR worked coordinately to regulate the transcription of EPS-associated genes, type IV pili genes, CPS genes and c-di-GMP metabolism-related genes. These results demonstrated how QsvR works with the QS system to regulate biofilm formation by precisely controlling the transcription of multiple biofilm formation-associated genes in V. parahaemolyticus.
Investigation into high-performance tire characteristics at the limits of handling

This paper presents an investigation into high-performance tire characteristics at handling limits. Analysis of the tire characteristics has been conducted using the data obtained from indoor test rigs and vehicle tests. The test rig utilised a flat track test platform to obtain tire forces with precise controllability and measurability. As for the vehicle tests, driving data of a professional driver was obtained for repeatability through a high-performance test vehicle equipped with a wheel force transducer (WFT) at each wheel and a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). This study is primarily focused on obtaining a deeper insight into vehicle control through an analysis of tire force characteristics at handling limits. The analysis of indoor test data utilised the Magic Formula to obtain an appropriate model capable of describing real-world tire characteristics. An optimisation-based friction ellipse has been proposed to describe the tire force limits in particular. The solution of the proposed optimisation problem allows for an envelope to be generated that accurately reflects the tire force limits. Additionally, a normalised friction circle model has been proposed to quantify tire friction usage based on the proposed friction ellipse, providing a methodology to monitor the friction use of each wheel.
Comparing L2 Teachers’ Practices With Learners’ Perceptions of English Pronunciation Teaching

The present study compares the pronunciation practices of three English instructors (two teaching in Australia and one in Japan) with the perceptions of their learners (n = 49). A student questionnaire, semi-structured teacher interviews, and classroom observations were used to collect data. The findings show that the learners strongly desire to be taught and improve their pronunciation, and the teachers’ provision of oral corrective feedback meets the students’ preferences. However, the use of primarily controlled (teacher-centred) techniques and subsequent lack of opportunities for communicative pronunciation practice suggest some incongruity between teachers’ practices and students’ perceptions. Factors such as the curriculum, instructors’ beliefs about second language learning, and their confidence play a role in this discrepancy.
Equilibrium distribution of block-structured Markov chains with repeating rows

In this paper we consider two-dimensional Markov chains with the property that, except for some boundary conditions, when the transition matrix is written in block form, the rows are identical except for a shift to the right. We provide a general theory for finding the equilibrium distribution for this class of chains. We illustrate theory by showing how our results unify the analysis of the M/G/1 and GI/M/1 paradigms introduced by M. F. Neuts.
Neighborhood Correlation Enhancement Network for PCB Defect Classification

In recent years, deep-learning has been gradually applied to the detection and classification of true and pseudo defects in printed circuit boards (PCBs). To judge the authenticity of PCB defects, it is necessary not only to combine the shape characteristics of the defects themselves, but also to add the relationship information between the surrounding environment and defects. However, it is difficult for general classification methods to extract such features. In this article, we propose the neighborhood correlation enhancement network (NCE-Net), which effectively uses defect and surrounding relationship information to accurately distinguish defect authenticity. This network has a relevance residual block (RRB), which is used to establish the correlation between defects and their surroundings, including the location enhancement and locate (LEL) module and relevance convolution (RC), which are respectively used to enhance the effective geographical information and extract the relationship between features of different positions. It also utilizes a small squeeze residual block (SRB) to classify pseudo defects more quickly and efficiently in industrial applications. In addition, to achieve the lowest pseudo-defect detection error rate, we created a unique multi-network specific integration (SI) method for use with NCE-Net. The experimental results show that our proposed network can be trained on a PCB defect classification dataset (PCB-2-DET) for higher efficiency and more significant PCB defect detection. Additionally, the model’s identification accuracy can be further improved through our unique SI method.
The effect of truncation reduction in fan beam transmission for attenuation correction of cardiac SPECT

A limitation of fan beam transmission imaging using a 40 cm field-of-view scintillation camera is the data truncation that occurs when imaging medium-sized to large patients. With filtered backprojection, truncation may cause bright rings in the reconstructed image. In this study data extrapolation is used on the truncated projection set. The method involves obtaining the patient contour by processing the scatter and photopeak emission data, filling the contour with the attenuation coefficient for soft tissue, reprojecting the contour image, and finally, patching the truncated projection set with the contour projections. A long focal length (114 cm) fan beam collimator is used on one head of a triple camera SPECT system to acquire transmission data. A large thorax phantom (38 cm/spl times/26 cm) and patient data are used to evaluate the method. For SPECT image reconstruction, non-uniform attenuation correction is performed with a truncated attenuation map, an extrapolated attenuation map and the untruncated attenuation map. The SPECT results indicate that image uniformity changes very little using any of the three different attenuation maps when a long focal length fan beam collimator is used for transmission data acquisition. Truncation artifacts that are apparent in the transmission image can be substantially reduced for objects up to 40 cm wide.
Trauma and loss in the Adult Attachment Interview: Situating the unresolved state of mind classification in disciplinary and social context

This article examines how ‘trauma’ has been conceptualised in the unresolved state of mind classification in the Adult Attachment Interview, introduced by Main and Hesse in 1990. The unresolved state of mind construct has been influential for three decades of research in developmental psychology. However, not much is known about how this measure of unresolved trauma was developed, and how it relates to other conceptualisations of trauma. We draw on previously unavailable manuscripts from Main and Hesse's personal archive, including various editions of unpublished coding manuals, and on Main–Bowlby correspondence from the John Bowlby Archive at the Wellcome Trust in London. This article traces the emergence of the unresolved state of mind classification, and examines the assumptions about trauma embedded in the construct. These assumptions are situated both in the immediate context of the work of Main and Hesse and in terms of wider discourses about trauma in the period. Our analysis considers how a particular form of trauma discourse entered into attachment research, and in doing so partly lost contact with wider disciplinary study of trauma.
Identification and distribution of leafrollers (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) associated with berries (Rosaceae) cultivated in Mexico

﻿Abstract Berries are agricultural products of great economic interest for Mexico, and their production has increased in recent years; however, crops are affected by tortricid leafrollers. From August 2019 to April 2021 in Michoacán and Guanajuato, Mexico, a study was conducted to determine the species of tortricids associated with blackberries (Rubus spp. L.), raspberries (Rubusidaeus L.) and strawberries (Fragaria×ananassa Duch.), as well as their altitudinal distribution. In 12 orchards located in these states, shoots, leaves and flowers infested by larvae were collected. The species were identified by male genitalia and were determined taxonomically as Amorbiacuneana (Walsingham, 1879), Argyrotaeniamontezumae (Walsingham, 1914) and Platynota sp. Walker, 1859, found at elevations from 1290 to 2372 m. The most abundant species were A.cuneana and A.montezumae. Generally, these tortricids prefer to feed on tender vegetative parts of the plant, but the economic impact they have is not known. It is worth mentioning that the number of species found is lower than those reported in other countries, but it is necessary to broaden the study area to other berry-producing regions to determine whether their distribution is wider.
Dietary supplementation of solubles from shredded, steam-exploded pine particles modulates cecal microbiome composition in broiler chickens

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of supplementing solubles from shredded, steam-exploded pine particles (SSPP) on growth performances, plasma biochemicals, and microbial composition in broilers. The birds were reared for 28 days and fed basal diets with or without the inclusion of SSPP from 8 days old. There were a total of three dietary treatments supplemented with 0% (0% SSPP), 0.1% (0.1% SSPP) and 0.4% (0.4% SSPP) SSPP in basal diets. Supplementation of SSPP did not significantly affect growth or plasma biochemicals, but there was a clear indication of diet-induced microbial shifts. Beta-diversity analysis revealed SSPP supplementation-related clustering (ANOSIM: r = 0.31, p < 0.01), with an overall lower (PERMDISP: p < 0.05) individual dispersion in comparison to the control group. In addition, the proportions of the Bacteroides were increased, and the relative abundances of the families Vallitaleaceae, Defluviitaleaceae, Clostridiaceae, and the genera Butyricicoccus and Anaerofilum (p < 0.05) were significantly higher in the 0.4% SSPP group than in the control group. Furthermore, the linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) also showed that beneficial bacteria such as Ruminococcus albus and Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum were identified as microbial biomarkers of dietary SSPP inclusion (p < 0.05; | LDA effect size | > 2.0). Finally, network analysis showed that strong positive correlations were established among microbial species belonging to the class Clostridia, whereas Erysipelotrichia and Bacteroidia were mostly negatively correlated with Clostridia. Taken together, the results suggested that SSPP supplementation modulates the cecal microbial composition of broilers toward a “healthier” profile.
Throughput-Aware Dynamic Task Offloading Under Resource Constant for MEC With Energy Harvesting Devices

With the explosive increase of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, an increasing number of computation-intensive applications are emerging in IoT system. However, most IoT devices are limited by size and location, equipped with low-performance CPUs and low-capacity batteries, which cannot go well with computation-intensive applications. Mobile edge computing (MEC) is considered as a promising solution to provide computation-intensive and latency-sensitive services in IoT system, but it is still challenging to improve the throughput and extend the battery life of IoT devices under communication constraints. This paper focuses on the task offloading problem for an MEC system with multiple energy harvesting (EH) devices. To accommodate the system dynamics and ensure the system stability in terms of task queue and battery level, we apply Lyapunov optimization theory, and design a computation tasks maximum offloading algorithm to maximize the system throughput. The algorithm can determine the offloading decision in real-time without knowing any statistical information about the system. We first give a series of mathematical analysis to verify the system stability and discuss the performance of the algorithm. In addition, a number of simulation experiments are conducted to present the efficiency of the algorithm.
Impact of Chronic Diseases on Labour Force Participation among South African Women: Further Analysis of Population-Based Data

The impact of chronic diseases on labour force participation is not frequently examined or considered as part of cost-of-illness studies. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of chronic diseases on labour force participation among South African women. This study included 6126 women from the 2016 South African Demographic and Health Survey. Labour force participation/employment was the outcome variable. Data were analyzed in percentage and multivariable binary logistic regression. Results showed that approximately 28.7% of women participated in the labour force and about 5.0% had diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes among women who are not in the labour force was 5.5%, whereas those in the labour force reported 3.8% prevalence of diabetes. The diabetic women had 35% reduction in labour force participation when compared with non-diabetic women (aOR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.89). Geographical region was associated with labour force participation. Rural women and those currently in union/living with a man had 35% (aOR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.56 to 0.76) and 27% (aOR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.64 to 0.85) reduction in labour force participation, respectively, when compared with their urban and single counterparts. The findings of this study revealed that diabetes was significantly associated with reduction in labour force participation among women.
Female directors and corporate cash holdings in the presence of internal dealings

Purpose Internal dealings might shape female directors’ incentives to affect corporate financial policies. This study aims to explore what impact female directors have on corporate cash holdings in the presence of internal dealings. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply panel data regressions that allow them to address endogeneity concerns. The initial sample includes all non-financial Spanish listed firms from 2005 to 2019. Findings Conditional on the existence of internal dealings, the authors show that the presence of two or more female directors decreases corporate cash holdings. Results seem consistent, with independent female directors becoming an effective monitoring mechanism for corporate financial policies in the presence of internal dealings. Furthermore, the findings could be explained by independent female directors providing valuable resources and external linkages, which, in the presence of internal dealings, help to reduce the firm’s need to hold cash to cope with external uncertainties. Practical implications The results provide practical implications by suggesting that in the presence of internal dealings, regulators and policy makers should pay greater attention to board gender diversity so as to reduce agency problems associated with free cash flows. The authors also contribute to prior academic debate regarding the importance of female directors in providing critical resources and external linkages to cope with uncertainty and to the importance of considering not only the presence of women on boards but also their number and specific roles. Originality/value The authors' work meets the increasing demand for more research on gender diversity to better capture the potential benefits that may result from appointing women on boards. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the influence of female directors on corporate cash holdings in the presence of internal dealings.
Preclinical Trial of Ocotea puberula (Rich.) Nees (“Canela-Guaicá”) in Wound Healing: Validation of a Traditional Medicine Practice Used by Indigenous Groups in Southern Brazil

Background “Canela-guaicá,” “guaicá,” or “canela-sebo” [Ocotea puberula (Rich.) Nees] is a native species that is traditionally used by Kaingang indigenous groups for wound healing in southern Brazil. The aim of this study was to extract the mucilage from O. puberula barks, perform its phytochemical and physicochemical characterization, and investigate its healing potential. Methods A murine wound model was used as a preclinical trial for authentication of the traditional knowledge from Kaingang indigenous communities. Results Alkaloids and polysaccharides were identified by usual qualitative reactions and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. This natural product showed thermal stability and pseudoplastic properties that were considered suitable for the intended use. A higher initial exacerbation of inflammatory response after 7 days, an improved angiogenesis after 14 days, and an increased wound shrinkage after 21 days were statistically significant for the “canela-guaicá” bark extract in the preclinical trial when compared to the silver calcium alginate dressing (positive control). Conclusion The healing potential of the “canela-guaicá” bark extract, traditionally used by the Kaingang indigenous community from southern Brazil, was preclinically validated. This study paves the way for designing novel wound dressings containing this natural product in order to treat acute and chronic wounds.
Stability in headwater chemical signatures across a dynamic flow regime in a highly urbanized Piedmont catchment

Urbanization has substantially altered low‐order streams, which show systematic degradation in water quality. Studying the spatiotemporal character of catchment scale solute dynamics is a crucial part of understanding the hydrology of urban catchments. The objectives of our study were to characterize spatial and temporal variability of solutes in headwater streams of the Upper South River, Atlanta, GA, and to examine relationships between solute concentrations and stream discharge during storm events across the watershed. Synoptic sampling was performed at 18 nested sites in the watershed during summer and fall 2020. Storm samples were also collected at three of these sites, all collocated with USGS stream gages. Samples were analysed for major ions including Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl−, SO42−, and NO3−. Synoptic sampling showed an unexpectedly high level of spatial stability over time at all first‐order sites, meaning that the relative ranks of concentrations among headwater sites remain consistent over time. This is even more unexpected considering the extremely flashy and dynamic nature of the highly urbanized watershed. Contrary to stormflow studies in other settings, examination of concentration‐discharge relationships showed a homogeneous response among storms, sites, and solutes, with most hysteresis loops exhibiting a dilutive response with clockwise rotation. This indicates source‐limited behaviour for solutes in this system, where groundwater represents the highest‐concentration component of stormflow. Taken together, baseflow and stormflow solute data show that this system retains consistent headwater signals across a highly dynamic flow regime. Furthermore, such stability drives a consistent solute signature at the watershed outlet. This type of information may prove useful for understanding sources and flow paths that drive urban stream geochemistry, particularly where budget constraints limit the number of locations where instrumentation may be installed.
Stability and transitions of hetonic quartets and baroclinic modons

A new concept, a hetonic quartet, is presented. A hetonic quartet is a two-layer ensemble of four synchronously translating quasigeostrophic discrete vortices aligned perpendicularly to the axis of their translation. On the f-plane, a hetonic quartet is made up of conventional point vortices (confined to either the upper or the lower layer) with specially fitted circulations and distances between each other, the upper- and lower-layer vortices being opposite in sign and located symmetrically about the translation axis. On the β-plane, a two-layer version of the modulated point vortex model [Phys. Fluids 25, 2175 (1982)] is applied. A necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of f-plane hetonic quartets to perturbations that do not violate the above-mentioned symmetry is established using the analytical methods of Hamiltonian dynamics, whereas on the β-plane, a necessary (linear) stability condition is determined. As distinct from hetons, a stable hetonic quartet is not rigid: when slightly move.
New SAW Velocity Measurements on Y-Cut LiNbO3

Recent measiirements on SAW velocities are reported. The results are based on scanning of a laser probe across the propagation beam at certain intervals. Previously reported measurements on YZ LiNb03 have been extended to include the complete Y surface. For t.his orientation, results for both a free surface and a metallized surface are reported. A noticeable digference has been found between the beam steering properties of free and met.alized surface around Z propagation direction. Effects from va r i a t ion (I) f me t a 1 1 i z a t i on t h i c kne s s have been studied also and are presented. Many SAW devices use parallel metal strips on the substrate surface. Measurements on the angular variation of SAW velocities in such st.ructiires are reported.
Research on the impact of underground excavation metro on surface traffic safety and assessment method

ABSTRACT This study focuses on a problem that has been seriously troubled urban traffic managers: the impact of underground excavation metros on surface traffic safety during construction. In underground construction, surface subsidence and road collapse due to concealed underground construction constantly occur, resulting in casualties property damage and seriously impairing normal urban road traffic. Urban road managers urgently need a quick, objective, and easy-to-use method for the early warning and prevention of such risks. Therefore, this study collates relevant accident cases that have occurred in China over the last 20 years and summarises the impact mechanisms of concealed underground works affecting surface road traffic capacity through a detailed study of natural factors, engineering geology, types of structures, and types of workmanship. Two indices, Rank( ) and , are proposed to describe the impact of concealed underground works on surface traffic capacity, while an early warning method based on data on the impact of urban road capacity by concealed underground works is established using integrated learning methods and is well applied in practical projects. The results of this study are important for helping city managers quickly assess urban road traffic risks.