Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synergistic antibacterial effect of apigenin with β-lactam antibiotics and modulation of bacterial resistance by a possible membrane effect against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are easily spread among infected patients, where resistance has dramatically increased resulted in serious health issues. Therefore, there is a need to develop alternative natural or combination drug therapies. Apigenin (AP) is a natural poly phenolic flavonoid has been found to possess many beneficial biological actions. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-MRSA efficacy and synergistic effect of apigenin (AP) and in combination with ampicillin (AM) and ceftriaxone (CEF). The antibacterial activity of apigenin was assessed by the broth macro dilution, checkerboard micro dilution method and time-kill assay. The mode of action was studied by outer and inner membrane permeabilisation assays, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of apigenin against gram positive and gram negative strain ranged from 32.5 to 62. 5µg/ml. In checkerboard method apigenin markedly reduced the MIC of the antibiotics ampicillin 800 µg/ml shifted to 107 µg/ml (AM+AP) and ceftriaxone 58 µg/ml shifted to 2.6 µg/ml (CEF+AP) against MRSA. The synergistic activity of ampicillin and ceftriaxone plus apigenin combinations with FIC indices (CI) between 0.18-0.47. The modulation of methicillin-resistance by apigenin significantly enhanced the activities of ampicillin and ceftriaxone. The result of time-kill assays of the two drug combinations AM +AP and CEF+AP against MRSA showed significant inhibitory effect and reduced the colony count by approximately 99% after 8 h The results for outer membrane (OM) and inner membrane (IM) permeabilization showed that ampicillin and ceftriaxone in combination with apigenin damaged MRSA cytoplasmic membrane and caused subsequent leakage of intracellular constituents. Electron microscopy clearly showed that the above said combination also caused marked morphological damage of cell wall, cell shape and plasma membrane of this strain. From these results, it can be concluded that apigenin has the synergistic effect with ampicillin and ceftriaxone to reverse bacterial resistance against MRSA.
The Role of Client-internal Social Linkages for Outsourcing Success - An SNA Approach

What is the role of a firm’s internal social relations between business departments and IT unit for the success of its IT outsourcing relationship? In this paper, we propose that the relationship between business and IT of a firm is crucial for achieving effective outsourcing management and for enabling the vendor to deliver the services as demanded. Since the business side of the client firm represents the users of the information systems but the IT unit represents the interface to the outsourcing vendor firm, interaction between both units is proposed to be required for maintaining a good outsourcing relationship. Based on a survey in the German Banking Industry and by adopting a Social Network Analysis Approach which captures the interaction structure within the client firm and thus represents an innovative scale to outsourcing research, we show that tight social linkages within the client firm lead to higher service quality achieved by the vendor firm.
Monte Carlo based water/medium stopping-power ratios for various ICRP and ICRU tissues

Water/medium stopping-power ratios, sw,m, have been calculated for several ICRP and ICRU tissues, namely adipose tissue, brain, cortical bone, liver, lung (deflated and inflated) and spongiosa. The considered clinical beams were 6 and 18 MV x-rays and the field size was 10 × 10 cm2. Fluence distributions were scored at a depth of 10 cm using the Monte Carlo code PENELOPE. The collision stopping powers for the studied tissues were evaluated employing the formalism of ICRU Report 37 (1984 Stopping Powers for Electrons and Positrons (Bethesda, MD: ICRU)). The Bragg–Gray values of sw,m calculated with these ingredients range from about 0.98 (adipose tissue) to nearly 1.14 (cortical bone), displaying a rather small variation with beam quality. Excellent agreement, to within 0.1%, is found with stopping-power ratios reported by Siebers et al (2000a Phys. Med. Biol. 45 983–95) for cortical bone, inflated lung and spongiosa. In the case of cortical bone, sw,m changes approximately 2% when either ICRP or ICRU compositions are adopted, whereas the stopping-power ratios of lung, brain and adipose tissue are less sensitive to the selected composition. The mass density of lung also influences the calculated values of sw,m, reducing them by around 1% (6 MV) and 2% (18 MV) when going from deflated to inflated lung.
Nematode infection among ruminants in monsoon climate (Ban-Lahanam, Lao PDR) and its role as food-borne zoonosis.

Trichostrongylids infection has gained significant public health importance since Trichostrongylus spp. infections have been reported in humans in Lao PDR. In this study, gastrointestinal nematodes were identified and the intensity of infections was determined in goats and cattle, which are animals greatly used for meat production in Lahanam Village, Lao PDR. The total number of goats and bovines was 23 and 29, respectively, pertaining to 32 households surveyed in the area. Feacal samples were randomly collected from 14 goats and 11 bovines. Ninety three percent (13/14) of goats and 36% (3/11) of cattle were infected, with an average of 1,728 and 86 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG), respectively. Coproculture showed Trichostrongylus spp. (goats 16%; bovines 48%), Haemonchus spp. (goats 69%; bovines 37%), Cooperia spp. (bovines 8%) and Oesophagostomum spp. (goats 15%; bovines 6%). After performing the necropsy on an adult goat, Trichuris spp. was also found. We confirmed the presence of Oesophagostomum spp. , H. contortus and T. colubriformis by morphology and DNA sequencing analysis of the ITS region of rDNA. Due to interactions between humans and goats in Lahanam Village and high EPG results, the diagnosis of species and the intensity of gastrointestinal nematode infection in these animals are important public-health issues. Other ruminant parasites, such as Oesophagostomum and Haemonchus, found in caprines and bovines, are reported to be causes of zoonosis and their presence in humans should be investigated in future field surveys in this area.
Classifying behavior to elucidate elegant problem solving in an educational game

Educational games have become hugely popular, and educational data mining has been used to predict student performance in the context of these games. However, models built on student behavior in educational games rarely differentiate between the types of problem solving that students employ and fail to address how efficacious student problem solutions are in game environments. Furthermore, few papers assess how the features selected for classification models inform an understanding of how student behaviors predict student performance. In this paper, we discuss the creation and consideration of two models that predict if a student will develop an elegant problem solution (the Gold model), or a non-optimal but workable solution (the Silver model), in the context of an educational game. A pre-determined set of features were systematically tested and fit into one or both of these models. The two models were then examined to understand how the selected features elucidate our understanding of student problem solving at varying levels of sophistication. Results suggest that while gaming the system and lack of persistence indicate non-optimal completion of a problem, gaining experience with a problem predicts more elegant problem solving. Results also suggest that general student behaviors are better predictors of student performance than level-specific behaviors.
A Community-based Study of the Willingness to Pay Associated with Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy among Type 2 Diabetes in Kinmen, Taiwan

BACKGROUND In Taiwan, there were few population-based studies of WTP values related to DR screening among persons with type 2 diabetes. This community-based study was to explore the willingness-to-pay (WTP) values for screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) associated with varying degrees of DR among persons with type 2 diabetes in Kinmen, Taiwan. METHODS A total of 725 eligible community-dwelling adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes received DR screening during 1999-2002 and then evaluated WTP values in 2003. Diagnosis of DR was performed by a panel of ophthalmologists using ophthalmoscopy and a 45-degree color retinal photographs to examine fundus after dilating pupils. WTP values were measured by discrete-choice method. RESULTS The 406 adults with type 2 diabetes participating in the WTP survey had a 56% response rate. Of 406 subjects, 265 (65.3%) said they would be willing to pay for DR screening to reduce blindness. The overall mean WTP value was New Taiwan Dollars 468.9±327.7 (US dollars 14.3±10.0). Age was borderline significant (p=0.07) related to WTP values. Those with severe stage DR had higher WTP values for screening than subjects with mild stage. CONCLUSIONS Degree of DR was the independent factor affecting WTP values in DR screening among community-dwelling adults with type 2 diabetes.
What can “Lies” Tell Us about Life? Notes towards a Framework of Narrative Criminology

In criminology even studies that involve extensive fieldworks rely a great deal on research participants own accounts. The main question raised in the paper is: how do we know if research participants are telling the truth, and does it matter? It argues that criminological ethnographers have been too preoccupied with a positivist notion of truth, and the related question of whether research participants are telling the truth. For narrative analyses, this is not really important. The paper will present interview data from offenders to illustrate the fruitfulness of a narrative approach in criminology. Whether true or false, the multitude of stories people tell reflect, and help us understand, the complex nature of values, identities, cultures, and communities. The emphasis will be on offenders’ shifts between subcultural and more conventional narratives. The argument expands upon Presser’s notion of narrative criminology. The result is a framework that further challenges positivism and individualism in contemporary criminology.
Is Experiential Learning Authentic

This interpretivist qualitative study used a life history method to analyze the foundational tenets of experiential learning in agricultural education and determine if the tenets are common to the components of authentic learning. The four tenets of experiential learning in agricultural education were: learning through real-life contexts (Dewey, 1938), learning by doing (Knapp, cited in Lever, 1952), learning through projects (Stimson, 1919), and learning through solving problems (Lancelot, 1944). The four tenets of experiential learning were conceptually aligned with the three criteria of authentic learning (Wehlage, Newmann, & Secada, 1996) because experiential learning engages students to solve problems inductively, actively use and explain knowledge through solving problems, and make connections and apply knowledge beyond the classroom and school, based on real-life problems. Teacher educators, preservice teachers, and in-service teachers of agriculture should base their instruction on an experiential learning model that is grounded on the philosophies of Dewey, Knapp, Stimson, and Lancelot, and aligned with Newmann and Associates (1996) authentic learning standards because it is likely to provide a sound psychological framework for learning.
WBSDF for simulating wave effects of light and audio

Diffraction is a common phenomenon in nature when dealing with small scale occluders. It can be observed on biological surfaces, such as feathers and butterfly wings, and man--made objects like rainbow holograms. In acoustics, the effect of diffraction is even more significant due to the much longer wavelength of sound waves. In order to simulate effects such as interference and diffraction within a ray--based framework, the phase of light or sound waves needs to be integrated.
Left-handed polyproline-II helix revisited: proteins causing proteopathies

Left-handed polyproline-II type helix is a regular conformation of polypeptide chain not only of fibrous, but also of folded and natively unfolded proteins and peptides. It is the only class of regular secondary structure substantially represented in non-fibrous proteins and peptides on a par with right-handed alpha-helix and beta-structure. In this study, we have shown that polyproline-II helix is abundant in several peptides and proteins involved in proteopathies, the amyloid-beta peptides, protein tau and prion protein. Polyproline-II helices form two interaction sites in the amyloid-beta peptides, which are pivotal for pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). It also with high probability is the structure of the majority of tau phosphorylation sites, important for tau hyperphosphorylation and formation of neurofibrillary tangles, a hallmark of AD. Polyproline-II helices form large parts of the structure of the folded domain of prion protein. They can undergo conversion to beta-structure as a result of relatively small change of one torsional angle of polypeptide chain. We hypothesize that in prions and amyloids, in general polyproline-II helices can serve as structural elements of the normal structure as well as dormant nuclei of structure conversion, and thus play important role in structure changes leading to the formation of fibrils.
High-level Design Environments for FPGA-based Content Processing

Content processing of network packets requires real-time rates and high throughput, which a platform field programmable gate array (FPGA) can provide. It also requires a high-level design approach that allows time-to-market deadlines to be met. The paper introduces a two-step development process that allows the enhanced memory and I/O facilities of a content processor to be utilized but also avail of the more complete simulation and debug facilities on a compatible development board. This can be achieved by providing a complimentary or shadow design environment. High-level design is available for FPGAs in terms of hardware compilation and the provision of an on-chip runtime environment (RTE). The Tarari content processor supports both of these but investigation has shown that the RC200 development board assists in reducing design turn-around time.
Coming to a Theater Near You! Sentiment Classification Techniques Using SAS ® Text Miner

Many Web sites, including blogs, online stores, and some database Web sites, give users the ability to state their opinions about the products they buy and use. This is a serious concern for many companies because of the potential damage of reputation. Companies want to monitor and gauge customers’ opinions, but they do not have the time or resources to manually gather statistics on this ever-expanding content source. Can companies reliably predict whether a customer comment is positive or negative without actually reading each posted comment? In this paper, we demonstrate how different techniques for classifying movie reviews can be implemented in SAS ® Enterprise Miner™ and SAS ® Text Miner. Movie reviews are classified not by category, but by sentiment.
The Linear Process Deferment Algorithm: A new technique for solving population balance equations

In this paper a new stochastic algorithm for the solution of population balance equations is presented. The population balance equations have the form of extended Smoluchowski equations which include linear and source terms. The new algorithm, called the linear process deferment algorithm (LPDA), is used for solving a detailed model describing the formation of soot in premixed laminar flames. A measure theoretic formulation of a stochastic jump process is developed and the corresponding generator presented. The numerical properties of the algorithm are studied in detail and compared to the direct simulation algorithm and various splitting techniques. LPDA is designed for all kinds of population balance problems where nonlinear processes cannot be neglected but are dominated in rate by linear ones. In those cases the LPDA is seen to reduce run times for a population balance simulation by a factor of up to 1000 with a negligible loss of accuracy.
Pet Ownership, but Not ACE Inhibitor Therapy, Blunts Home Blood Pressure Responses to Mental Stress

In the present study, we evaluated the effect of a nonevaluative social support intervention (pet ownership) on blood pressure response to mental stress before and during ACE inhibitor therapy. Forty-eight hypertensive individuals participated in an experiment at home and in the physician’s office. Participants were randomized to an experimental group with assignment of pet ownership in addition to lisinopril (20 mg/d) or to a control group with only lisinopril (20 mg/d). On each study day, blood pressure, heart rate, and plasma renin activity were recorded at baseline and after each mental stressor (serial subtraction and speech). Before drug therapy, mean responses to mental stress did not differ significantly between experimental and control groups in heart rate (94 [SD 6.8] versus 93 [6.8] bpm), systolic blood pressure (182 [8.0] versus 181 [8.3] mm Hg), diastolic blood pressure (120 [6.6] versus 119 [7.9] mm Hg), or plasma renin activity (9.4 [0.59] versus 9.3 [0.57] ng · mL−1 · h−1). Lisinopril therapy lowered resting blood pressure by ≈35/20 mm Hg in both groups, but responses to mental stress were significantly lower among pet owners relative to those who only received lisinopril (P <0.0001; heart rate 81 [6.3] versus 91 [6.5] bpm, systolic blood pressure 131 [6.8] versus 141 [7.8] mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure 92 [6.3] versus 100 [6.8] mm Hg, and plasma renin activity 13.9 [0.92] versus 16.1 [0.58] ng · mL−1 · h−1). We conclude that ACE inhibitor therapy alone lowers resting blood pressure, whereas increased social support through pet ownership lowers blood pressure response to mental stress.
Hybrid Compressed Sensing

We consider the problem of recovering a k-sparse signal (x) from hybrid (complex and real), noiseless compressive samples (y) using a mixture of complex-valued sparse and realvalued dense projections within a single matrix. The proposed Hybrid Compressed Sensing (HCS) employs the complex-sparse part of the projection matrix to divide the n-dimensional signal (x) into subsets. In turn, each subset of the signal (coefficients) is mapped onto a complex sample of the measurement vector (y). Under a worst-case scenario of such sparsity-induced mapping, when the number of complex sparse measurements is sufficiently large then this mapping leads to the isolation of a significant fraction of the k non-zero coefficients into different complex measurement samples from y. Using a simple property of complex numbers (namely complex phases) one can identify the isolated non-zeros of x. After reducing the effect of the identified non-zero coefficients from the compressive samples, we utilize the realvalued dense submatrix to form a full rank system of equations to recover the signal values in the remaining indices (that are not recovered by the sparse complex projection part). We show that the proposed hybrid approach can recover a k-sparse signal (with high probability) while requiring only m ≈ 3k 3 √ n/2k real measurements (where each complex sample is counted as two real measurements). We also derive expressions for the optimal mix of complex-sparse and real-dense rows within an HCS projection matrix. Further, in a practical range of sparsity ratio (k/n), the hybrid approach outperforms even the most complex compressed sensing frameworks (namely basis pursuit with dense Gaussian matrices). The theoretical complexity of HCS is less than the complexity of solving a full-rank system of m linear equations. In practice, the complexity can be lower than this bound.
A Simple Semipublic Hiding Scheme Applied for IP Trace Back in Noisy Channel

Defending against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks is one of the hardest security problems on the Internet. In this paper, we propose a simple semipublic hiding algorithm applied for the IP trace back over a noisy networking channel. This approach is capable of tracking back the attacks as quickly as possible. Our techniques feature low network and router overhead, and support incremental deployment
Molecular cloning of the yeast mitochondrial aconitase gene (ACO1) and evidence of a synergistic regulation of expression by glucose plus glutamate

We have isolated genomic clones complementing the aconitase-deficient strain (glu1-1) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Identification of the aconitase gene was established by enzymatic assays and molecular analyses. The corresponding mRNA has been characterized, and its direction of transcription has been determined. The complete nucleotide sequence revealed strong amino acid homologies with the sequences of some peptides isolated from the mammalian protein. Disruption of the gene by deletion-insertion led to glutamate auxotrophy. Expression of the aconitase gene was sensitive to glucose repression and was synergistically down regulated by glucose and glutamate.
Balance control strategy for legged robots with compliant contacts

This paper proposes a momentum-based balancing controller for robots which have non-rigid contacts with their environments. This controller regulates both linear momentum and angular momentum about the center of mass of the robot by controlling the contact forces. Compliant contact models are used to determine the contact forces at the contact points. Simulation results show the performance of the controller on a four-link planar robot standing on various compliant surfaces while unknown external forces in different directions are acting on the center of mass of the robot.
Discovering Web Services with Reliable Quality: System Architecture and Algorithms

This paper studies the problem of designing practical web service recommender systems that make quality predictions based on web service invocation histories. We formalize a generic architecture for such systems, that include both an online training module and an off-line training module. In addition, we develop a general online and off-line training algorithms to demonstrate the advantages of such an architecture and the natural fit of stochastic gradient descent algorithms for the architecture. The advantages of our proposed architecture has been confirmed by the comparisons with existing web service recommendation algorithms on a real-life dataset.
Crop yield prediction using Agro Algorithm in Hadoop

- Agriculture is one of the important sources of survival and one of the most important factors in the economic growth of the country. Researchers in the field of the agriculture have studied and implemented different well-organized mechanisms which would predict and increase the crop yieldsand make agriculture highly profitable.In this paper we have tried to predict the crop yield, suggest the best crop thereby improve the quality and profitability of the agriculture sector by processing huge volume of data often called as Big Data using Hadoop platform. The paper also focuses on the soil type and helps to find which particular crop would be suitable for a particular type of soil. In case of crop yield soil plays an important role andsoil information is predicted by considering the weather details of the previous years. Hence the study will predictthe suitability of a crop for a particular climatic condition and the possibilities of improving the crops quality by using weather and disease related data sets. Predicting the quality of cropsis quite complexand we need to take care of multiple approaches. This research paper help to identify mechanisms to get good quality and improved crop yields using a new algorithm named as“Agro algorithm” implemented in Hadoop platform and uses Hadoop framework to handle large amount of data sets.