Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Natural Mouse Model for Neisseria Colonization

ABSTRACT Commensals are important for the proper functioning of multicellular organisms. How a commensal establishes persistent colonization of its host is little understood. Studies of this aspect of microbe-host interactions are impeded by the absence of an animal model. We have developed a natural small animal model for identifying host and commensal determinants of colonization and of the elusive process of persistence. Our system couples a commensal bacterium of wild mice, Neisseria musculi, with the laboratory mouse. The pairing of a mouse commensal with its natural host circumvents issues of host restriction. Studies are performed in the absence of antibiotics, hormones, invasive procedures, or genetic manipulation of the host. A single dose of N. musculi, administered orally, leads to long-term colonization of the oral cavity and gut. All mice are healthy. Susceptibility to colonization is determined by host genetics and innate immunity. For N. musculi, colonization requires the type IV pilus. Reagents and powerful tools are readily available for manipulating the laboratory mouse, allowing easy dissection of host determinants controlling colonization resistance. N. musculi is genetically related to human-dwelling commensal and pathogenic Neisseria and encodes host interaction factors and vaccine antigens of pathogenic Neisseria. Our system provides a natural approach for studying Neisseria-host interactions and is potentially useful for vaccine efficacy studies.
On Measuring Existence Value

The prevailing consensus that existence value can only be measured by contingent valuation is questioned. The concern is over "pure" existence value, a change in welfare when a public good changes that leaves no trace in behavior. Pure existence value may well be more a consequence of the simple models used to characterize nonuse value than a reflection of how people value public goods. If so, nonuse value can in principle be obtained from observing behavior as well as from asking questions, which offers a prospect for cross-checks and corroboration using both approaches. Some possibilities for empirical measurement are suggested.
Mechanistic study of inhibition of levofloxacin absorption by aluminum hydroxide

The mechanisms of reduction in absorption of levofloxacin (LVFX) by coadministration of aluminum hydroxide were studied. The partition coefficient of LVFX (0.1 mM) between chloroform and phosphate buffer (pH 5.0) was reduced by 60 to 70% with the addition of metal ions such as Cu2+, Al3+, and Fe2+ (0.8 mM), which indicated the formation of LVFX-metal ion chelates. However, there was no significant difference in absorption from rat intestine between the synthetic LVFX-Al3+ (1:1) chelate (6.75 mM) and LVFX (6.75 mM) in an in situ recirculation experiment. On the other hand, Al(NO3)3 (1.5 mM) significantly inhibited the absorption of LVFX (1.5 mM) by 20% of the control in the in situ ligated loop experiment, in which partial precipitation of aluminum hydroxide was observed in the dosing solution. Data for adsorption of LVFX and ofloxacin (OFLX) from aqueous solution by aluminum hydroxide were shown to fit Langmuir plots, and the adsorptive capacities (rmax) and the K values were 7.0 mg/g and 1.77 x 10(4) M-1 for LVFX and 7.4 mg/g and 1.42 x 10(4) M-1 for OFLX, respectively. The rate of adsorption of several quinolones (50 microM) onto aluminum hydroxide (2.5 mg/ml) followed the order norfloxacin (NFLX) (72.0%) > enoxacin (ENX) (61.0%) > OFLX (47.2%) approximately LVFX (48.1%). The elution rate of adsorbed quinolones with water followed the rank order LVFX (17.9%) approximately OFLX (20.9%) approximately ENX (18.3%) > NFLX (11.9%). These results strongly suggest that adsorption of quinolones by aluminum hydroxide reprecipitated in the small intestine would play an important role in the reduced bioavailability of quinolones after coadministration with aluminum-containing antacids.
Transparency, Information Content and Order Placement Strategy

This study examines the impact of increasing pre-trade transparency using intraday data from the Taiwanese stock market, which has experienced a gradual increase in transparency. Specifically, we analyze the influence of transparency on information content of the limit order book, and its effect on order placement strategies. According to limit order book information, we evidence four major results. The bid disclosures of institutional investors are more informative than the ask disclosures. The disclosed quotes are more informative than the accompanied depth, and the orders of institutional traders are more informative than those of individual traders. Interestingly, the best quotes of unexecuted orders for individual traders always contain more information than the average quotes from steps 2 to 5, whereas this does not apply for institutional investors, especially for domestic institutional traders. With regard to order strategies, though most of the explanatory power of the limit order book concentrates on the best quotes, however, the book beyond the best quotes also matters in explaining the order aggressiveness of investors. Key words: Pre-trade transparency, limit order book, information content, order strategy
EU Reforms for Tomorrow's Europe

This Paper contributes ideas and analysis to the ongoing EU reform debate. It consists of three distinct parts: voting in the Council of Ministers, restructuring the ECB's Governing Council, and the setting of enlargement “examination” dates. The IGC currently focuses on Council voting, Commission composition, closer co-operation and the range of issues to be covered by qualified majority voting. Part 1 of our paper evaluates Council voting reform proposals with quantitative tools from voting game theory. We find that only the ‘dual simple majority’ plan maintains decision-making efficiency and democratic legitimacy in an EU 27. We believe, however, that the impact of enlargement on the ECB's Governing Council merits also discussion in Nice. We demonstrate that an expanded Governing Council with its current structure would be unwieldy and plagued by decision-making difficulties that would prevent it from making hard choices at the right time. Financial markets could react negatively to the possibility of a dysfunctional ECB; the Nice summit should request the ECB to propose some solutions. Finally, we argue that undertaking these reforms before enlargement should be a priority, not a precondition. Specifically, the EU should now commit to firm accession “exam” dates and signing dates (for those who pass); this should be done both for the earliest enlargement and for subsequent waves since this would stimulate incumbents and candidates to undertake the necessary reforms while ensuring that the first enlargement does not delay the second.
Islamic Political Communication Online: An Analysis of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Official English Websites

The important role of the Internet in the context of the Arab Spring uprisings has reinvigorated scholarly interest in the potential of ICTs to shape and intervene in political transition processes. The bulk of political communications literature produced in the aftermath of the Arab Spring focuses on the function of the Internet as catalyst of the popular protests that toppled the authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Tunisia. By contrast, little attention has been paid so far on how the Muslim social movements and the faith-based political parties that emerged as winners in the post-revolution elections are using the Internet for political communication. To close this gap, this paper provides a content analysis of the official English websites of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), over the week leading up to the Egyptian constitutional referendum of 15th December 2012.
Learning With Incomplete Labels

For many real-world tagging problems, training labels are usually obtained through social tagging and are notoriously incomplete. Consequently, handling data with incomplete labels has become a difficult challenge, which usually leads to a degenerated performance on label prediction. To improve the generalization performance, in this paper, we first propose the Improved Cross-View learning (referred as ICVL) model, which considers both global and local patterns of label relationship to enrich the original label set. Further, by extending the ICVL model with an outlier detection mechanism, we introduce the Improved Cross-View learning with Outlier Detection (referred as ICVL-OD) model to remove the abnormal tags resulting from label enrichment. Extensive evaluations on three benchmark datasets demonstrate that ICVL and ICVL-OD outstand with superior performances in comparison with the competing methods.
Peran Sosial Politik Kyai di Indonesia

The social and political behavior differences among the Kyais (Islamic religious leaders) have been very much influenced by two main factors: their social position and personal capability. The former factor relates with their social position with which they drive the social changes. They function as a’cultural broker’ becouse they can communicate with various social groups and accommodate each social group’s interest. The latter factor deals with their capability, based on their understanding about Islamic teachings, in guiding their local Islamic believers to make their political decisions.
Promoting entrepreneurship – changing attitudes or behaviour?

The objective of this article is to analyse the Danish policies used to promote entrepreneurship during the last 30 years. The initiatives to promote entrepreneurship have been implemented as part of the Danish industrial policy. The initiatives are presented and ordered according to a model of planned social change, examining whether they are trying to create a change in attitudes or in behaviour or in both? This analysis has implications beyond the Danish case, as general reflections on entrepreneurship policy are induced from the analysis. It is argued that policy makers should reflect whether the target groups towards which policy initiatives are directed: first, have a positive or negative attitude towards entrepreneurship, and second, are engaged or not engaged in entrepreneurial action.
Discounting of quantity surveying fees in South Africa : research article

The discounting of professional fees has become a cause for concern among South African Quantity Surveying practitioners. These discounts are often 30% to 40% and, in some cases, substantially below the Tariff of Professional Fees published by the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession (SACQSP). The firms which offer these excessively high discounts may be pricing their services well below their in-house operational costs which, with the quality of their professional services, eventually become unsustainable. A quantitative approach was used to conduct a research study to determine the effect of discounting of fees on the Quantity Surveying profession. The data was obtained by circulating a structured web-based questionnaire to registered professional Quantity Surveying firms in all nine provinces in South Africa. Results indicated that when Quantity Surveyors discount their fees, this impacts negatively on the quality of their professional services. Respondents further recommended that there should be some form of regulation regarding the discounting of fees, while others suggested that the current SACQSP recommended fee scale be replaced by the re-introduction of a statutory minimum fee scale which was applied prior to 1988. The findings arising from this research could support potential efforts by the SACQSP to resolve issues regarding this practice and serve to raise awareness among Quantity Surveying practitioners of the dangers inherent in, and resulting negative consequences of discounting their fees. Afslag op professionele fooie het 'n bron van kommer geraak onder die geledere van die Suid-Afrikaanse Bourekenkunde praktisyns. Hierdie afslag is soms tussen 30% en 40% en in sommige gevalle ver minder as die Tarief vir Professionele Fooie soos gepubliseer deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir die Bourekenaars Professie (SARBRP). Firmas wat hierdie buitensporige hoe afslag aanbied, mag moontlik hul direkte operasionele kostes onderprys, wat met die kwaliteit van hul dienste, uiteindelik onvolhoubaar raak. 'n Kwantitatiewe benadering is gebruik vir hierdie navorsingstudie om die effek van afslag op fooie, op die Bourekenaars Professie te bepaal. Die data is verkry deur 'n gestruktureerde web-gebaseerde vraelys aan geregistreerde professionele Bourekenaars in die nege provinsies van Suid Afrika te sirkuleer. Resultate het aangedui dat waar Bourekenaars afslag op fooie toestaan, dit 'n negatiewe effek het op die kwaliteit van hul profesionele dienste. Respondente het verder aanbeveel dat daar 'n vorm van regulering moet wees betreffende die toestaan van afslag op fooie en sommige het voorgestel dat die huidige SARBR-fooieskaal vervang moet word met die her-instelling van die statutere minimum fooieskaal wat vantoepassing was voor 1988. Die uitslae van die studie kan van hulp wees vir die SARBRP om oplossings te vind rakende kwelpunte rondom hierdie aspek asook om Bourekaars te waarsku van die gevare en die negatiewe uitwerkings, waar afslag op fooie toegestaan word.
EMERGING WITH ALLIES: THE ROLE OF TOP MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC CONGRUENCE IN THE CREATION OF INTER-FIRM RELATIONSHIPS

As new and enabling technologies allow for the opening of market and resource opportunities in many industries, the importance of building and developing inter-firm alliances has become a business necessity. Entrepreneurial firms that are able to define their internal core competencies and strategies as well as work side-by-side with complementary partners may be able to exploit many of the opportunities existing in the marketplace. Moreover, those firms able to continuously improve their businesses and competencies as well as their alliance structure will also be at an advantage in meeting the next new opportunity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the value realized from strategic alliances in terms of product/service innovations, future strategic planning, and technology infrastructure advantages. By utilizing strategic alliances, entrepreneurial growth in terms of external capabilities as well as operational effectiveness may be realized.
Oil palm and rural livelihoods in the Asia–Pacific region: An overview

The expansion of oil palm cultivation in the Asia-Pacific region in the past half century has engendered a major agro-environmental transformation with significant implications for rural livelihoods. The transformation has taken different forms within and between countries, depending on local contexts, as well as involving an important transnational dimension in terms of regional flows of labour and capital, transboundary and global environmental impacts, and efforts to build international governance structures. This special issue is devoted to seven comparative case studies from across the region to highlight the complexity and diversity of the processes underway. In this introductory paper, we provide an overview of the major economic, social and environmental issues, the different modes of production that have been employed and the varying ways in which land, labour and capital have been mobilised in the region. This overview contextualises the specific studies that follow and emphasises the insights that arise from comparative analysis.
Do Achievement systems undermine intrinsic player motivation?

Achievement Systems are inextricably tied to the largest gaming service platforms in the world currently. The current literature suggests that Achievements act as extrinsic motivators and grant players new challenges and goals in games. However, prevalent models of motivation report that extrinsic motivation undermines intrinsic interest in a task. This paper seeks to explore this problem space and offers a proposed method of measuring this phenomenon.
Incidence of Grapevine Leafroll Disease: Effects of Grape Mealybug (Pseudococcus maritimus) Abundance and Pathogen Supply

Abstract Studies of spatiotemporal dynamics are central to efforts to characterize the epidemiology of infectious disease, such as mechanism of pathogen spread and pathogen or vector sources in the landscape, and are critical to the development of effective disease management programs. To that end, we conducted a multi-year study of 20 vineyard blocks in coastal northern California to relate the dynamics of a mealybug vector, Pseudococcus maritimus (Ehrhorn) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), to incidence of grapevine leafroll disease (GLD). In each vineyard block, a subset of vines were scored visually for relative mealybug abundance, disease was quantified by visual assessment, and virus presence was verified using standard laboratory molecular assays. GLD incidence was analyzed with a classification and regression tree, and with a hierarchical model that also captured variability among blocks and heterogeneity within blocks. Both analyses found strong interannual variability in incidence, with the hierarchical model also capturing substantial between- and within-block heterogeneity, but with significant contributions of vector abundance and pathogen supply (prior disease incidence) to the frequency of newly diseased vines. These results strengthen further the conclusion that mealybug vectors are causally related to pathogen spread in this system and are therefore an important target for management. Moreover, they are consistent with relatively efficient secondary spread of the pathogen, suggesting an important role for the removal of diseased vines as a tool to mitigate further damage.
Political marketing in untraditional campaigns: the case of David Cameron's Conservative Party leadership victory

This study investigates the concept of political market orientation (PMO) in an untraditional setting, namely the 2005 contest for the leadership of the British Conservative Party. Based on a collective case-study method, a content analysis of candidates' speeches and manifestos is provided. We operationalize four attitudinal constructs of a conceptual PMO model and adapt them to suit the novel campaign context. Our findings show further evidence for the existance of a 'gravitational centre' effect hypothesized in earlier studies. Furthermore, we qualify the concept of PMO through a long-term focus and a contextspecific evaluation of the merits of alternative PMO profiles. Thus, the generic conceptual model of political market orientatation, which previously has only been used in the content of parties contesting a general election campaign, can be adapted to alternative campaign situations without a reduction in its explanatory power.
Aqua(2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)(formato-κ2 O,O′)(formato-κO)cobalt(II) monohydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Co(HCO2)2(C14H12N2)(H2O)]·H2O, contains a mononuclear complex molecule hydrogen bonded to a lattice water molecule. The CoII cation is in a distorted octahedral coordination environment defined by the two N atoms of the 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline ligand and four O atoms. Two of these are from a chelating formate anion, one from a monodentate formate and the last from an aqua ligand. In the crystal, molecules are connected by O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming double chains along [100] with the 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline ligands pointing outwards from each chain. These chains are further linked into layers parallel to (011) by inter-chain π–π stacking interactions with centroid–centroid distances of 3.61 (1) Å.
Frequent nut intake and risk of death from coronary heart disease and all causes in postmenopausal women: the Iowa Women's Health Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Recent epidemiological studies suggest that there is an inverse association between the frequent consumption of nuts and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), and clinical investigations suggest that diets high in nuts may reduce serum cholesterol levels. This study assessed whether the risk of death due to CHD and all causes is reduced in postmenopausal women who frequently consume nuts. METHODS AND RESULTS In 1986, 34,111 postmenopausal women with no known cardiovascular disease reported the frequency of their consumption of nuts and other foods, as well as other CHD risk factors. During approximately 12 years of follow-up, 3726 women died, 657 from CHD. After adjustment for multiple risk factors for CHD and dietary variables, there was an inverse but not statistically significant association between frequent nut consumption (two or more 28.5 g servings per week compared with less than one serving per month) and death from CHD (relative risk 0.81; 95% confidence interval: 0.60-1.11). There was also a weak inverse association between frequent nut intake and all-cause mortality (relative risk 0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.77-0.99, p for trend = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS Frequent nut consumption may offer postmenopausal women modest protection against the risk of death from all causes and CHD.
A Global Strategy for Human Development: An Example of Second Order Science

In the 1960s the Institute of Cultural Affairs, based in Chicago, Illinois, started working with poor communities, helping people work together to achieve positive change. They developed some very useful methods for facilitating group conversations. They then used these methods in poor communities around the world. They returned each summer to Chicago to discuss what worked and what did not. They would modify their methods, plan the next year's activities, implement the activities, then come together the following summer to discuss successes and learnings. Academics do something similar with annual conferences, but they focus on publishing academic articles rather than on improving the lives of real people in real communities. Part of the motivation for defining and creating second order science is to increase attention to innovative, problem-solving social actions, often conducted by NonGovernmental Organizations. Currently universities have large numbers of students and faculty members seeking to advance knowledge in the social sciences, using a conception of science taken from the physical sciences. But social systems are composed of thinking participants, not inanimate objects. In addition to searching for reliable cause and effect relationships, part of social science research could be devoted to developing conversational methods that aid joint action toward shared goals. If this goal were accepted within the social sciences in universities, there would be a large increase in the number of people working to improve social systems and developing more effective conversational methods.
A New Synergistic Approach for Monitoring Wetlands Using 1 Sentinels-1 and 2 data With Object-based Machine Learning 2 Algorithms 3

5 1Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Aberystwyth, SY23 2DB, Wales, 6 UK. ; petropoulos.george@gmail.com; george.petropoulos@aber.ac. uk 7 2Department of Agricultural Engineering, Institute of Soil & Water Resources, Hellenic Agricultural Organization 8 “Demeter”, 61 Dimokratias Av. , 13561, Athens, Greece; kpf3@cornell.edu 9 3Department of Mineral Resources Engineering, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Greece; 10 11 *Correspondence: petropoulos.george@gmail.com; Tel: +44-01970 621861 12 13