Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Analysis of Community-Acquired Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections in Romania

The aim of this study was to characterise S. aureus strains from community onset Skin and Soft Tissues Infections (SSTIs) in two locations: Cantacuzino Institute (A strains) and Elias University Emergency Hospital (B strains), in the January 2014 – August 2015 interval. All strains from the A location, and three strains from the B location have been isolated from recurrent staphylococcal infections. Materials: Seventyone S. aureus strains (A 42; B 29) have been collected from different types of SSTIs. Methods: PCR was used to identify virulence factors and AMR genes, disc diffusion and broth microdilution for AST, SCCmec and spa typing. Results and discussions. MRSA rate of 59.52% and 17.24% among A and B strains, respectively. Twenty of A strains and one of B strains were positive for lukS/F-PV genes; two A strains and four B strains were positive for tst1 gene. Panton-Valentine Leukocidin was present in all t008 and t044 strains. Four strains from A location and seven strains from B location were positive for Staphylococcal Enterotoxins. Three new spa-types were discovered. Conclusions. The most prevalent S. aureus clone in community onset SSTIs was spa type t127, followed by spa types t044, t008. Molecular characterisation of S. aureus strains may predict the tendency to recurrence of stapylococcal SSTIs.
Proximate, Crude Fiber and Starch Content of Maize Hybrids Developed in Indonesia in Natural Climatic Condition

Corn is one of strategic commodities becoming the main priorities to be developed in Indonesia. Aside from being a strategic foodstuffs, corn contains starch which is used for an excipient in pharmaceutical raw materials of "filler" or filler material for tablets. However, until now local starch production cannot meet the needs of the pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia, and still relies on imported starch. The purpose of this research was to develop maize hybrids from Universitas Padjadjaran which has high of starch and meet the quality for an excipient of pharmaceutical preparations. This research was conducted to determine a formation of a single cross hybrid based on the diallel crosses. Evaluation of fused power was determined by proximate analysis and starch analysis. The selection of hybrid high yield power was done in monocropping and agroforestry systems. The results retrieved 28 types of hybrid corn that comes from 7 different types of strains of mutant reproduction results. The lowest moisture content was the corn M7DR 7.4. 1 (9.45%), whereas the highest moisture content of corn was DR. 8 (16.03%). Low starch content was obtained from maize hybrid code 4.8. 8 while the highest was obtained from maize hybrid code 18.5. 1 ranging from 30-40%. Therefore, corn hybrid 18.5. 1 has a potential to be developed as an excipient of various raw materials in the field of pharmacy. Keywords: corn, a hybrid, starch, excipient pharmacy
Visually-and motor-based knowledge of letters : evidence from a pure alexic patient

We describe a patient, VSB, whose reading was impaired as a consequence of a left temporalparietal lesion, whereas writing was relatively preserved. At variance with other pure alexic patients described in the literature, VSB claimed to have become unable to mentally visualise letters and words. Indeed, his performance on a series of tests tapping visual mental imagery for orthographic material was severely impaired. However, performance on the same tests was dramatically ameliorated by allowing VSB to trace each item with his finger. Visual mental imagery for non-orthographic items was comparatively spared. The pattern of dissociation shown by VSB between impaired visual mental imagery and relatively preserved motor-based knowledge for orthographic material lends support to the view that separate codes, respectively based on visual appearance and on motor engrams, may be used to access knowledge of the visual form of letters and words.
Tools for co-existence: fladry corrals efficiently repel wild wolves (Canis lupus) from experimental baiting sites

Context. Mitigating wolf–livestock conflict is crucial for both wolf (Canis lupus) conservation and livestock farming. Wolf attacks at livestock gathering areas often result in surplus killing, severe economic losses and emotional distress for the farmers, and financial claims from compensation funds. They may also trigger retaliatory killing of wolves. One method for reducing attacks on gathered livestock is the fladry fence, a primary repellent based on wolf neophobia. Fladry, used mainly in North America, remains largely untested in southern Europe. Aims. To test the effectiveness of fladry corrals at excluding wild wolves from experimental feeding sites and discuss their potential for protecting livestock in human-dominated landscapes. Methods. We tested the repelling efficiency of fladry corrals at six stations baited with livestock remains close to the homesites of three wild-wolf packs in central-northern Greece. Using infrared cameras, we recorded approaching and feeding rates of wolves, brown bears and wild boars attracted to the baits, before and during fladry use. Key results. The feeding rate of all wolf packs reduced to zero during fladry use. Effective repelling lasted from 23 to 157 days and ended with the removal of fladry. Wolf approaches also reduced by 75%. Modelling of wolf-approach levels showed fladry effect to be stronger when using a less attractive bait and weaker as pre-baiting duration or wolves’ pre-exposure time to fladry increased. Fladry also significantly reduced the overall feeding rates of wild boars, whereas repellence of brown bears was poor. Key conclusions. Fladry can be a cost-effective tool to exclude wolves from small-sized corrals, for weeks or months. It may also be useful for repelling wild boar. We recommend further testing with live-prey at the regional scale with standardised protocols. Implications. Fladry installation at farms should take into account livestock attractiveness and wolf habituation. Fladry efficiency and deterrence duration can be improved when it is combined with other livestock protection methods. Wolf habituation to fladry can be reduced by deploying it primarily in high-risk depredation areas. Moreover, deployment soon after an attack could prevent wolves from associating specific farms with being sources of prey.
Combined Effects of Natural Enemies and Competition for Resources on a Forest Defoliator: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis

Explanations for the dynamics of insect outbreaks often focus on natural enemies, on the grounds that parasitoid and pathogen attack rates are high during outbreaks. While natural enemy models can successfully reproduce outbreak cycles, experiments have repeatedly demonstrated the importance of resource quality and abundance. Experiments, however, are rarely invoked in modeling studies. Here we combine mechanistic models, observational data, and field experiments to quantify the roles of parasitoid attacks and resource competition on the jack pine budworm, Choristoneura pinus. By fitting models to a combination of observational and experimental data, we show that parasitoid attacks are the main source of larval budworm mortality at low and intermediate budworm densities but that resource competition is the main source of mortality at high densities. Our results further show that the effects of resource competition become more severe with increasing host tree age and that the effects of parasitoids are moderated by strong competition between parasitoids for hosts. Allowing for these effects in a model of insect outbreaks leads to realistic outbreak cycles, while a host-parasitoid model without resource competition produces an unrealistic stable equilibrium. The effects of resource competition are modulated by tree age, which in turn depends on fire regimes. Our model therefore suggests that increases in fire frequency due to climate change may interact in complex ways with budworm outbreaks. Our work shows that resource competition can be as important as natural enemies in modulating insect outbreaks, while demonstrating the usefulness of high-performance computing in experimental field ecology.
ETSG Annual Conference 2012, Leuven

Consequences of the euro adoption by Central and Eastern European countries for their trade flows Abstract: In this paper we estimate the trade effects of the euro adoption in Central European countries using a modified gravity model. In particular, we analyze the ex post implications of accession of Slovenia and Slovakia to the Eurozone. We employ a gravity model that controls for an extended set of trade theory and policy variables. Trade theory variables include both the country size and factor proportion variables. Trade policy variables include the membership in GATT/WTO, CEFTA, OECD, EU and Europe Agreements. The gravity model is estimated using the panel data approach on a sample of CEE countries trading with the rest of the world during the period 1992-2010 using the fixed effects, random effects and Hausman-Taylor estimators. It seems that elimination of exchange rate volatility resulted in trade expansion for the CEE countries but the accession to the Eurozone did not have any significant effects on exports of Slovakia and Slovenia.
non-ionizing radiation that results in molecular movement by migration of ions and rotation of molecules with permanent dipoles in liquids, without altering their molecular structures

Chinese bayberry, Myrica rubra Sieb. & Zucc. , is one of the six Myrica species native to China (Chen et al., 2004), and is noted for the attractive red colour of its fruits. Many pigments were extracted, identified, and characterized from different natural sources, especially red fruit extracts, for their safe use as colorants. Anthocyanins are among the most broadly distributed pigment groups in plants, and are present at high concentration in Chinese bayberry. The major anthocyanin present in bayberry fruits was identified as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C-3-G), which represents more than 95% of the total pigment content (Bao et al., 2005). Anthocyanins from Chinese bayberry can protect β-cells from oxidative-stress mediated injury (Zhang et al., 2011) and contribute to promoting good health and reducing the risk of chronic disease (Philpott et al., 2004).
Fall 11-18-2017 Teaching for Epidemiological Literacy : Description , Prescription , and Critical Thinking

This working paper describes contrasting ideas for a sequence of topics as presented to students in a graduate course on epidemiological literacy. The premise of the pedagogical approach is that researchers develop their epidemiological thinking and practice over time through interactions with other researchers who have a variety of inpractice commitments, such as to kinds of cases and methods of analysis, and not simply to a philosophical framework for explanation. In descriptively teasing out what epidemiologists do in practice through a topic-by-topic presentation, I am prescriptively encouraging discussants to draw purposefully from across the range of topics and contrasting positions, and thereby pursue critical thinking in the sense of understanding ideas and practices better when we examine them in relation to alternatives. The initial topic concerns ways to learn in a community; after that, a number of conceptual steps follow—the characterization of the very phenomena we might be concerned with, the scope and challenges of the field of epidemiology, the formulation of categories—before linking associations, predictions, causes and interventions and examining the confounding of purported links. Building on that basis, the remaining topics consist of issues or angles of analysis related to the complexities of inequalities within and between populations, context, and changes over the life course. In the course of the description, some assertions about explanation and intervention emerge, notably, that epidemiological-philosophical discussion about causality often leaves unclear or unexamined whether a modifiable factor shown to have been associated with a difference in the data from past observations should be thought of as factor that, when
The Relationship of Grade Span in 9th Grade to Math Achievement in High School.

Purpose, Scope, and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to determine if a correlation exists between grade span for ninth grade and gains in math achievement test scores in 10 th grade and 12 th grade. A quantitative, longitudinal, correlational research design was employed to investigate the research questions. The population was high school students in the United States from public and private schools who were in the ninth grade for the first time during the 1989-1990 school year. The data collection instrument was the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Further sampling and data analysis was conducted through SPSS and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) software programs. A three-level, repeated-observations, HLM model was employed. The first level included scores and data collected over time nested within students. The second level included within schools data. Data were compared between schools for the third level of the full model. Findings and Conclusion: This study confirmed the significance of race, socioeconomic status, math courses taken, math credits earned, different rates of growth in mathematics, and school level factors that affect individual student math performance. School level factors also contributed to student learning at a significant level. Although this study did not identify a correlation between grade span and math achievement, it may have provided other researchers and practitioners’ recommendations that will guide practice and further research. This study also indicated the need, based on the unexplained variance, to identify additional factors that may contribute to improvement in learning for students.
DISTINCT AND SHARED CONTRIBUTIONS OF DIAGNOSIS AND SYMPTOM DOMAINS TO COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

Objective Neurocognitive impairment is prominent in severe mental illness (SMI). We assessed relationships among diagnosis, symptom domains and neurocognitive performance in EMR-ascertained, diagnosis-naïve recruited SMI cases, investigated with healthy controls, from the genetically and culturally homogenous “Paisa” population of Colombia. Methods 1,772 participants (1,220 cases, 552 controls; mean age 42 years, 59% female) were assessed for speed and accuracy across nine tests of the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (CNB). Cases carried diagnoses of schizophrenia (SCZ, n=141), bipolar-I (BP-I, n=453), bipolar-II (BP-II, n=137) and major depressive disorder (MDD, n=489) based on structured diagnostic interviews. Exploratory factor analysis applied to symptom data produced factor scores. Residualized z-scores were modeled as a function of diagnosis, sex, and all interactions using linear mixed models, with CNB tests as repeated measures. Analyses were repeated in cases, additionally modeling symptom factor scores as main effects. Results BP-I and SCZ displayed nearly identical impairment patterns on CNB tasks for both accuracy and speed. BP-II or MDD, however, performed similarly to controls with more subtle deficits in specific domains. A four-factor model (psychosis, mania, depression, and suicidality) represented symptom data. Controlling for diagnosis, high psychosis factor scores associated with reduced accuracy and slower speeds. Conclusions Severity of neurocognitive impairment separates SMI into two profiles (BP-I/SCZ and BP-II/MDD), and associates with lifetime psychotic symptoms across diagnoses. These findings suggest partially independent contributions of psychiatric diagnosis and lifetime symptomatology to cognitive functioning. Genetic investigations may help identify common risk factors predisposing to both psychosis and impaired cognition across SMI categories.
Relativistic ontological realism

The paper introduces the concept of relativistic ontological realism, and the corresponding notion of relativistic realization of objects. The conditions that allow for the relativistic realization of objects are determined. In particular, the paper indicates the way the imposition of organizational structures on already existent objects supports the relativistic realization of new, more complex ones. A type-theoretic presentation of the principles of relativistic ontological realism is given in the language of predicate calculus, making use of the notion of typed world and the condition of effectiveness in the determination of the existence of objects. Two case studies illustrating the way the notion of relativistic ontological realism supports ontological analysis are presented, both concerning the ontology of computations, more specifically, the relativistic realization of computational levels in computational systems. The first case study deals with the realization of logical circuits through structural arrangements of electrical circuits. The second, with the realization of software systems through computer programming. A conception of the mechanics of the relativistic realization of objects, taking the imposition of organizational structures on previously extant objects as its basis, is proposed and briefly analyzed.
1 Particle Filter-Based Object Tracking Using Joint Features of Color and Local Binary Pattern Histogram Fourier

Object tracking is defined as the problem of estimating object location in image sequences. In general, the problems of object tracking in real time and complex environtment are affected by many uncertainty. In this research we use a sequensial Monte Carlo method, known as particle filter, to build an object tracking algorithm. Particle filter, due to its multiple hypotheses, is known to be a robust method in object tracking task. The performances of particle filter is defined by how the particles distributed. The role of distribution is regulated by the system model being used. In this research, a modified system model is proposed to manage particles distribution to achieve better performance. Object representation also plays important role in object tracking. In this research, we combine color histogram and texture from Local Binary Pattern Histogram Fourier (LBPHF) operator as feature in object tracking. Our experiments show that the proposed system model delivers a more robust tracking task, especially for objects with sudden changes in speed and direction. The proposed joint feature is able to capture object with changing shape and has better accuracy than single feature of color or joint color texture from other LBP variants.
Impact of Candida auris Infection in a Neutropenic Murine Model

Candida auris has become a global public health threat due to its multidrug resistance and persistence. Currently, there are limited murine models to study C. auris infection. Those models use a combination of cyclophosphamide and cortisone acetate, suppressing both innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we compare C. auris infection in two neutrophil-depleted murine models in which innate immunity is targeted using the monoclonal antibodies 1A8 and RB6-8C5. ABSTRACT Candida auris has become a global public health threat due to its multidrug resistance and persistence. Currently, there are limited murine models to study C. auris infection. Those models use a combination of cyclophosphamide and cortisone acetate, suppressing both innate and adaptive immunity. Here, we compare C. auris infection in two neutrophil-depleted murine models in which innate immunity is targeted using the monoclonal antibodies 1A8 and RB6-8C5.
Improved resolution of mixed STR profiles using a fully automated differential cell lysis/DNA extraction method

Abstract Sexual assault evidence often contains sperm cells, which are typically separated from nonsperm cells using manual differential lysis procedures. The goal of this study was to evaluate the automated QIAGEN QIAcube for this purpose and to compare it to manual QIAGEN and manual organic differential methods using DNA yields and STR profile data for assessment. DNA yields were determined by qPCR, followed by multiplex STR amplification, CE analysis, and mixture interpretation. The automated method was capable of effective cell separation, producing DNA yields sufficient for STR amplification. Further, sperm fraction human:male DNA ratios from the QIAcube samples were consistently closer to the desired 1:1 and STR profiles were less likely to result in mixtures, with 6–8× fewer female alleles detected (median 1.5 alleles). Ultimately, using the QIAcube for automated differential processing of semen-containing mixtures reduces the need for downstream mixture interpretation and improves STR profile quality with substantially less hands-on time.
Prediction of gas holdup in a combined loop air lift fluidized bed reactor using Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids

Many experiments have been conducted to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of column reactors and loop reactors. In this present work, a novel combined loop airlift fluidized bed reactor was developed to study the effect of superficial gas and liquid velocities, particle diameter, fluid properties on gas holdup by using Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. Compressed air was used as gas phase. Water, 5% n-butanol, various concentrations of glycerol (60 and 80%) were used as Newtonian liquids, and different concentrations of carboxy methyl cellulose aqueous solutions (0.25, 0.6 and 1.0%) were used as non-Newtonian liquids. Different sizes of spheres, Bearl saddles and Raschig rings were used as solid phases. From the experimental results, it was found that the increase in superficial gas velocity increases the gas holdup, but it decreases with increase in superficial liquid velocity and viscosity of liquids. Based on the experimental results a correlation was developed to predict the gas hold-up for Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids for a wide range of operating conditions at a homogeneous flow regime where the superficial gas velocity is approximately less than 5 cm/s.
IMPROVED MOCK GALAXY CATALOGS FOR THE DEEP2 GALAXY REDSHIFT SURVEY FROM SUBHALO ABUNDANCE AND ENVIRONMENT MATCHING

We develop empirical methods for modeling the galaxy population and populating cosmological N-body simulations with mock galaxies according to the observed properties of galaxies in survey data. We use these techniques to produce a new set of mock catalogs for the DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey based on the output of the high-resolution Bolshoi simulation, as well as two other simulations with different cosmological parameters, all of which we release for public use. The mock-catalog creation technique uses subhalo abundance matching to assign galaxy luminosities to simulated dark-matter halos. It then adds color information to the resulting mock galaxies in a manner that depends on the local galaxy density, in order to reproduce the measured color–environment relation in the data. In the course of constructing the catalogs, we test various models for including scatter in the relation between halo mass and galaxy luminosity, within the abundance-matching framework. We find that there is no constant-scatter model that can simultaneously reproduce both the luminosity function and the autocorrelation function of DEEP2. This result has implications for galaxy-formation theory, and it restricts the range of contexts in which the mock catalogs can be usefully applied. Nevertheless, careful comparisons show that our new mock catalogs accurately reproduce a wide range of the other properties of the DEEP2 catalog, suggesting that they can be used to gain a detailed understanding of various selection effects in DEEP2.