Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Model-based analysis of anaerobic acetate uptake by a mixed culture of polyphosphate-accumulating and glycogen-accumulating organisms.

An increasing number of studies shows that the glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) can survive and may indeed proliferate under the alternating anaerobic/aerobic conditions found in EBPR systems, thus forming a strong competitor of the polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs). Understanding their behaviors in a mixed PAO and GAO culture under various operational conditions is essential for developing operating strategies that disadvantage the growth of this group of unwanted organisms. A model-based data analysis method is developed in this paper for the study of the anaerobic PAO and GAO activities in a mixed PAO and GAO culture. The method primarily makes use of the hydrogen ion production rate and the carbon dioxide transfer rate resulting from the acetate uptake processes by PAOs and GAOs, measured with a recently developed titration and off-gas analysis (TOGA) sensor. The method is demonstrated using the data from a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated under alternating anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The data analysis using the proposed method strongly indicates a coexistence of PAOs and GAOs in the system, which was independently confirmed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) measurement. The model-based analysis also allowed the identification of the respective acetate uptake rates by PAOs and GAOs, along with a number of kinetic and stoichiometric parameters involved in the PAO and GAO models. The excellent fit between the model predictions and the experimental data not involved in parameter identification shows that the parameter values found are reliable and accurate. It also demonstrates that the current anaerobic PAO and GAO models are able to accurately characterize the PAO/GAO mixed culture obtained in this study. This is of major importance as no pure culture of either PAOs or GAOs has been reported to date, and hence the current PAO and GAO models were developed for the interpretation of experimental results of mixed cultures. The proposed method is readily applicable for detailed investigations of the competition between PAOs and GAOs in enriched cultures. However, the fermentation of organic substrates carried out by ordinary heterotrophs needs to be accounted for when the method is applied to the study of PAO and GAO competition in full-scale sludges.
Evaluating the Ergonomic Benefit of a Wrist Brace on Wrist Posture, Muscle Activity, Rotational Stiffness, and Peak Shovel-Ground Impact Force During a Simulated Tree-Planting Task

Background Tree planters are at a high risk for wrist injury due to awkward postures and high wrist loads experienced during each planting cycle, specifically at shovel-ground impact. Wrist joint stiffness provides a measure that integrates postural and loading information. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate wrist joint stiffness requirements at the instant of shovel-ground impact during tree planting and determine if a wrist brace could alter muscular contributions to wrist joint stiffness. Method Planters simulated tree planting with and without wearing a brace on their planting arm. Surface electromyography (sEMG) from six forearm muscles and wrist kinematics were collected and used to calculate muscular contributions to joint rotational stiffness about the wrist. Results Wrist joint stiffness increased with brace use, an unanticipated and negative consequence of wearing a brace. As a potential benefit, planters achieved a more neutrally oriented wrist angle about the flexion/extension axis, although a less neutral wrist angle about the ulnar/radial axis was observed. Muscle activity did not change between conditions. Conclusion The joint stiffness analysis, combining kinematic and sEMG information in a biologically relevant manner, revealed clear limitations with the interface between the brace grip and shovel handle that jeopardized the prophylactic benefits of the current brace design. This limitation was not as evident when considering kinematics and sEMG data independently. Application A neuromechanical model (joint rotational stiffness) enhanced our ability to evaluate the brace design relative to kinematic and sEMG parameter-based metrics alone.
A “learn 2D, apply 3D” method for 3D deconvolution microscopy

This paper presents a 3D deconvolution method for fluorescence microscopy that reached the first place at the “the 3D Deconvolution Microscopy Challenge” held during ISBI 2013. It uses sparse coding algorithm to learn 2D “high resolution” features that will be used as a prior to enhance the resolution along depth axis. This is a three steps method: (i) deconvolution step with total variation regularization, (ii) denoising of the deconvolved image using learned sparse coding, (iii) deconvolution using denoised image as quadratic prior. Its effectiveness is illustrated on both synthetic and real data.
A Rationale for Schistosomiasis Control in Elementary Schools of the Rainforest Zone of Pernambuco, Brazil

Background Since its beginning in 1999, the Schistosomiasis Control Program within the Unified Health System (PCE-SUS) has registered a cumulative coverage of just 20% of the population from the Rainforest Zone of Pernambuco (ZMP), northeast Brazil. This jeopardizes the accomplishment of the minimum goal of the Fifty-Fourth World Health Assembly, resolution WHA54.19, of providing treatment for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases (STH) to 75% of school-aged children at risk, which requires attending at least 166,000 residents in the 7–14 age range by year 2010 in that important endemic area. In the present study, secondary demographic and parasitological data from a representative municipality of the ZMP are analyzed to provide evidence that the current, community-based approach to control schistosomiasis and STH is unlikely to attain the WHA-54.19 minimum goal and to suggest that school-based control actions are also needed. Methodology/Principal Findings Data available on the PCE-SUS activities related to diagnosis and treatment of the population from the study municipality were obtained from the State Secretary of Health of Pernambuco (SES/PE) for 2002–2006, complemented by the Municipal Secretary of Health (SMS) for 2003–2004. Data from a school-based stool survey carried out by the Schistosomiasis Reference Service of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (SRE/Fiocruz) in 2004 were used to provide information on infection status variation among school-aged children (7–14 years). According to the SES, from 2004 to 2006, only 2,977 (19.5%) of the estimated 15,288 residents of all ages were examined, of which 396 (13.3%) were positive for Schistosoma mansoni. Among these, only 180 (45.5%) were treated. According to the SMS, of the 1,766 examined in the 2003–2004 population stool survey 570 (32.3%) were children aged 7–14 years. One year later, the SRE/Fiocruz school survey revealed that the infection status among those children remained unchanged at 14%–15% prevalence. By 2006, the school-aged population was estimated at 2,981, of which 2,007 (67.3%) were enrolled as pupils. Conclusions It is suggested that in the most troubled municipalities individual diagnosis and treatment should be concentrated in school-aged children rather than the whole population. School-based actions involving teachers and children's families may help the health teams to scale up control actions in order to attain the WHA-54.19 minimum goal. This strategy should involve health and education organs and include both enrolled and non-enrolled children.
Learning Matrix Spa e Image Representations

Abstra t. When we seek to dire tly learn basis fun tions from natural s enes, we are onfronted with the problem of simultaneous estimation of these basis fun tions and the oeÆ ients of ea h image (when proje ted onto that basis). In this work, we are mainly interested in learning matrix spa e basis fun tions and the proje tion oeÆ ients from a set of natural images. We ast this problem in a joint optimization framework. The Frobenius norm is used to express the distan e between a natural image and its matrix spa e re onstru tion. An alternating algorithm is derived to simultaneously solve for the basis ve tors and the proje tion oeÆ ients. Sin e our fundamental goal is lassi(cid:12) ation and indexing, we develop a matrix spa e distan e measure between images in the training set. Results are shown on fa e images and natural s enes.
Easy fault injection and stress testing with FAIL-FCI

In a network consisting of several thousands computers, the occurrence of faults is unavoid- able. Being able to test the behavior of a distributed program in an environment where we can control the faults (such as the crash of a process) is an important feature that matters in the deployment of reliable programs. In this paper, we extend FAIL-FCI (for Fault Injection Language, and FAIL Cluster Im- plementation, respectively), a software tool that permits to elaborate complex fault scenarios in a simple way, while relieving the user from writing low level code. In particular, we show that not only we are able to fault-load existing distributed applications (as used in most cur- rent papers that address fault-tolerance issues), we are also able to inject qualitative faults, i.e. inject speci¯c faults at very speci¯c moments in the program code of the application under test. Finally, and although this was not the primary purpose of the tool, we are also able to inject speci¯c patterns of workload, in order to stress test the application under test. Interestingly enough, the whole process is driven by a simple uni¯ed description language, that is totally independent from the language of the application, so that no code changes or recompilation are needed on the application side.
Analysis of protein phosphorylation by monolithic extraction columns based on poly(divinylbenzene) containing embedded titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide nano‐powders

The potential of an organic monolith with incorporated titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) nanoparticles was evaluated for the selective enrichment of phosphorylated peptides from tryptic digests. A pipette tip was fitted with a monolith based on divinylbenzene (DVB) of highly porous structure, which allows sample to pass through the monolithic bed. The enrichment of phosphopeptides was enhanced by increasing the pipetting cycles during the sample preparation and a higher recovery could be achieved with adequate buffer systems. A complete automated process was developed for enrichment of phosphopeptides leading to high reproducibility and resulting in a robust method designed to minimize analytical variance while providing high sensitivity at high sample throughput. The effect of particle size on the selectivity of phosphopeptides was investigated by comparative studies with nano‐ and microscale TiO2 and ZrO2 powders. Eleven phosphopeptides from α‐casein digest could be recovered by an optimized mixture of microscale TiO2/ZrO2 particles, whereas nine additional phosphopeptides could be retained by the same mixture of nano‐structured material. When compared to conventional immobilized metal‐ion affinity chromatography and commercial phosphorylation‐enrichment kits, higher selectivity was observed in case of self fabricated tips. About 20 phosphopeptides could be retained from α‐casein and five from β‐casein digests by using TiO2 and ZrO2 based extraction tips. Further selectivity for phosphopeptides was demonstrated by enriching a digest of in vitro phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase 1 (ERK1). Two phosphorylated peptides of ERK1 could be identified by MALDI‐MS/MS measurements and a following MASCOT database search.
EFL Learners’ Beliefs about Language Learning along Gender, Further Education in Language Institutes & Different Proficiency Levels

The aim of the present study was to understand the beliefs of Iranian EFL learners’ about language learning. This study was an attempt to understand if there was any relationship between gender, proficiency level and further education in language institutes on beliefs about language learning. Accordingly, 369 EFL engineering students studying in Azad University of Tabriz, Iran were selected based on random sampling. Data were collected using two questionnaires: a demographical questionnaire, and the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI). Data were analyzed using ANOVA, LSD & t-test. The results of the study showed that the highest mean average among the five components of beliefs about language learning was nature of language learning (M=3.91), followed by Foreign Language Aptitude (M=3.85), Difficulty of Language Learning (M=3.42), Learning and Communication Strategies (M=3.35) and Motivation and Expectations (M=3.25). The findings showed that there was a significant difference between learners’ beliefs, gender and further education in language institutes. However, there was not any significant difference between learners’ beliefs and their proficiency level. The study concluded with some pedagogical implications.
Coming to America: Historical Ontologies and United States Soccer

In January 2007, English international soccer star David Beckham announced to a global media that he would be leaving the Spanish giants Real Madrid to join Major League Soccer's (MLS) Los Angeles Galaxy. MLS Commissioner Don Garber feted Beckham as a global sporting icon whose presence attested to America's gradual transformation into a ‘Soccer Nation. ’ However, following LA Galaxy's acquisition, a debate surrounding soccer's previous failure to compete at the highest echelons of American professional sport reappeared. Academic and journalistic commentators identified a number of obstacles—historical, socioeconomic and ideological—that have prevented soccer from gaining a foothold in the United States sporting market and therein becoming a credible adversary to the holy trinity of Gridiron Football, Baseball, and Basketball. This article, drawing upon Ian Hacking's prescriptions for Historical Ontology (2002) and thereby foregrounding issues of identity and power, seeks to analyse the impediments that have marked soccer's development in the United States and that led to the recruitment of Beckham as the sporting celebrity-cum-commercial juggernaut intended to bring MLS to the attention of a mass audience—variegated in terms of class, ‘race,’ and gender—so coveted by leaders of the organisation.
Privacy Protection for Telecare Medicine Information Systems Using a Chaotic Map-Based Three-Factor Authenticated Key Agreement Scheme

Telecare medicine information systems (TMIS) provide flexible and convenient e-health care. However, the medical records transmitted in TMIS are exposed to unsecured public networks, so TMIS are more vulnerable to various types of security threats and attacks. To provide privacy protection for TMIS, a secure and efficient authenticated key agreement scheme is urgently needed to protect the sensitive medical data. Recently, Mishra et al. proposed a biometrics-based authenticated key agreement scheme for TMIS by using hash function and nonce, they claimed that their scheme could eliminate the security weaknesses of Yan et al.'s scheme and provide dynamic identity protection and user anonymity. In this paper, however, we demonstrate that Mishra et al.'s scheme suffers from replay attacks, man-in-the-middle attacks and fails to provide perfect forward secrecy. To overcome the weaknesses of Mishra et al.'s scheme, we then propose a three-factor authenticated key agreement scheme to enable the patient to enjoy the remote healthcare services via TMIS with privacy protection. The chaotic map-based cryptography is employed in the proposed scheme to achieve a delicate balance of security and performance. Security analysis demonstrates that the proposed scheme resists various attacks and provides several attractive security properties. Performance evaluation shows that the proposed scheme increases efficiency in comparison with other related schemes.
Deans in German Universities: Goal acceptance and task characteristics

This paper presents an empirical study which explored how deans at German universities accept their new role as manager, and which factors influence the acceptance of this role. Within a framework referring to Locke and Latham’s goal setting theory, the acceptance of operative goals implemented in the faculties served as an indicator of how well management as a new role is accepted by the deans. Results show that goal acceptance is influenced by the individual dean’s acceptance of limited autonomy, the interpretation that one is able to shape things in the departments and by accepting limitations in the support through colleagues and faculty. Another influence lies in the perceived acceptance of the goal within the faculty.
Consumption and Emotion: The Romantic Ethic Revisited

This article revisits Campbell's (1987) The Romantic Ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism thesis in the light of new intersections with sociological issues of embodiment and emotions. A variety of themes and issues are raised: the persistence of mind/body, reason/emotion dualities in the consumption literature, the importance of `disappointment' in consumer culture, external factors which mediate the consumption experience, and finally the interpretation of both Romanticism and romantic, interpersonal relationships. A largely disembodied and socially disembedded account of consumption and emotion is on offer here, the implications of which extend far beyond the limits of Campbell's thesis to debates on consumer culture and the sociological enterprise in general. In making these claims, we highlight the need for a `passionate' sociology which would in turn integrate embodiment and emotions more fully into the consumption agenda. These key themes are discussed, with some sociological pointers for the future, in consumption and beyond.
Obesity in Botswana: time for new cut-off points for abdominal girth?

Summary Introduction: Country-specific cut-off points for defining central obesity in black Africans are long overdue. Methods: Anthropometric data from 215 (51.4%) male and 203 (48.6%) female patients seen in Gaborone between 2005 and 2015 were analysed to establish appropriate cut-off points for waist circumference (WC) corresponding to a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2. Relative risks for cardiometabolic disorders were calculated for different BMI and WC categories using MedCalc®. The subjects’ mean age was 50.0 ± 10.8 years and 80.6% were Batswana. Results: Only 7.2% of patients had a BMI < 25 kg/m2, 27.3% were overweight and 65.5% were obese; mean BMI was 34.9 ± 6.5 kg/m2 in the women versus 31.0 ± 4.9 kg/m2 in the men (p < 0.0001). New cut-off points of 98 cm in men and 85 cm in women emerged. Different weight and WC categories appeared not to confer increased relative risk of hypertension, dysglycaemia or dyslipidaemia. Conclusion: The proposed WC cut-off values, if validated, should set the pace for larger studies across sub-Saharan Africa.
Copper Transport Activity of Yeast Ctr1 Is Down-regulated via Its C Terminus in Response to Excess Copper*

Copper is an essential yet toxic trace element. The Ctr1 family of proteins plays a critical role for copper uptake in eukaryotes. However, the mechanisms of action of Ctr1 are largely unknown. Our previous data demonstrated that copper transport induces conformational changes in the cytosolic C terminus of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ctr1. To define the physiological significance of this molecular event and gain better insights into the mechanism of Ctr1-mediated copper uptake, we have characterized the functional roles of the Ctr1 C terminus. A Ctr1 mutant lacking the entire C-terminal cytosolic tail is functional in high affinity copper uptake; however, yeast cells expressing this mutant are extremely sensitive to excess copper. Toxic copper uptake is not attributed to elevated expression or distinct subcellular localization of this mutant as compared with wild type Ctr1. Further characterization of the function of Ctr1 containing deletions or site-directed mutations at the C terminus indicates a structural role for the C terminus in controlling Ctr1 activities. In response to excess copper, Ctr1-mediated copper transport is rapidly blocked in a C terminus-dependent mechanism associated with direct binding of copper. We propose that conformational changes in the cytosolic tail of yeast Ctr1 by copper sensing within this domain lead to the inhibition of Ctr1-mediated copper transport. These data suggest a new regulatory mechanism by which yeast cells maintain homeostatic copper acquisition.
QuP: Graceful Degradation in State Propagation for DVEs

Large Distributed Virtual Environments (DVEs) combine the interactions of many users, constituting a highly complex distributed system that encompasses of a multitude of heterogeneous computers and communication over varying networks. The size of a DVE is not only measured in the spatial reach of its virtual world, but also the number of concurrent users it can provide a sufficient quality service for. The existence of hardware or software failure of these many parts must be considered the normal state of operations for any sufficiently large DVE. We propose QuP, an approach to provide high fault tolerance when compared to many P2P approaches. QuP is also able provide the service of a large DVE service to clients connected via asymmetric or lower bandwidth networks.
Balance training programs for soccer injuries prevention

The purpose of the study was to compare 2 different balance training programs, based on distinct exercise frequencies, with the aim of improving proprioceptive ability. Thirty eight professional soccer players, were randomly assigned into 3 groups: the A group, exercised with a frequency of 6 times per week, for 3 weeks, the B group exercised with a frequency of 3 times per week, for 6 weeks and the C group (control) did not follow a highly specific balance training, but only a standard soccer training. All participants were evaluated with the use of an electronic stability system (indices-deviations) and of a wooden balance board (time on balance) before (pre test) and after the training period (post test). Analyses of variance (ANOVAs), with repeated measures on the last factor, were conducted to determine effect of training programs and measures (pre-test, post-test) on balance test indices (SI, API, and MLI) and time on balance board. The results showed that both training groups improved their balance ability similarly (p<0.05) despite the different frequency of the balance training program. The authors proposed that balance training program can be applied in soccer players on a daily basis or at least 3 times per week, according to the demands of the training period.
Unconscious Personnel Selection

Based on Unconscious Thought Theory, our study shows that unconscious information processing can improve the quality of personnel selection. Unconscious information processing led to objectively better decisions than conscious processing, even though two cues that often bias personnel selection were present. Whereas many studies show that attractive and male job applicants are preferred, we found no gender or attractiveness bias under unconscious decision making. In contrast, conscious decision making reflected a gender bias and some evidence also points to an attractiveness bias.