Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Usability of IoT and Open Data Repositories for Analyzing Water Pollution. A Case Study in the Czech Republic

Recently, the process of data opening has intensified, especially thanks to the involvement of many institutions that have not yet shared their data. Some entities provided data to the public long before the trend of open data was pushed to a wider level, but many institutions have only engaged in this process recently thanks to a systemic state-level effort to make data repositories available to the public. Therefore, there are many new potential sources of data available for research, including the area of water management. This article analyses the current state of available data in the Czech Republic—their content, structure, format, availability, costs and other indicators that affect the usability of these data for independent researchers in the area of water management. The case study was conducted to ascertain the levels of accessibility and usability of data in open data repositories and the possibilities of obtaining data from IoT (Internet of Things) devices such as networked sensors where required data is either not available from existing sources, too costly, or otherwise unsuitable for the research. The goal of the underlying research was to assess the impact/ratio of various watershed factors based on monitored indicators of water pollution in a model watershed. Such information would help propose measures for reducing the volume of pollution resulting in increased security in terms of available drinking water for the capital city Prague.
Pengelompokan Kabupaten/Kota di Jawa Barat Tahun 2018 Berdasarkan Indikator Kemiskinan dengan Polythetic Divisive Method

Masalah kemiskinan merupakan salah satu masalah yang bersifat multidimensi. Faktor kemiskinan pada setiap wilayah berbeda, dan hal tersebut dipengaruhi oleh banyak indikator kemiskinan. Pengukuran dan penentuan indikator kemiskinan akan memudahkan pemerintah membedakan tingkat kemiskinan pada suatu wilayah, sehingga pemerintah dapat membuat kebijakan yang lebih tepat untuk menanggulangi kemiskinan di wilayah tersebut. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengelompokkan karakteristik suatu wilayah ke dalam beberapa tingkat kemiskinan berdasarkan variabel penjelas kemiskinan. Penelitian ini menggunakan data kemiskinan kabupaten/kota se-Jawa Barat pada tahun 2018 yang diperoleh dari BPS. Terkait dengan pengelompokan wilayah kemiskinan ke beberapa kategori, metode yang digunakan adalah metode hierarki pada analisis cluster yaitu polythetic divisive method . Banyaknya cluster optimal dipilih dengan menggunakan Dunn Index. Hasil yang diperoleh adalah polythetic divisive method menghasilkan tiga kelompok wilayah kemiskinan dengan Dunn Index sebesar 0,4490613. Karakteristik wilayah masing-masing cluster diharapkan dapat membantu pemerintah menentukan kebijakan yang sesuai untuk menanggulangi tingkat kemiskinan di Jawa Barat.
Trusted Decision-Making: Data Governance for Creating Trust in Data Science Decision Outcomes

Organizations are increasingly introducing data science initiatives to support decision-making. However, the decision outcomes of data science initiatives are not always used or adopted by decision-makers, often due to uncertainty about the quality of data input. It is, therefore, not surprising that organizations are increasingly turning to data governance as a means to improve the acceptance of data science decision outcomes. In this paper, propositions will be developed to understand the role of data governance in creating trust in data science decision outcomes. Two explanatory case studies in the asset management domain are analyzed to derive boundary conditions. The first case study is a data science project designed to improve the efficiency of road management through predictive maintenance, and the second case study is a data science project designed to detect fraudulent usage of electricity in medium and low voltage electrical grids without infringing privacy regulations. The duality of technology is used as our theoretical lens to understand the interactions between the organization, decision-makers, and technology. The results show that data science decision outcomes are more likely to be accepted if the organization has an established data governance capability. Data governance is also needed to ensure that organizational conditions of data science are met, and that incurred organizational changes are managed efficiently. These results imply that a mature data governance capability is required before sufficient trust can be placed in data science decision outcomes for decision-making.
Human Cytomegalovirus Transmission in Early Childhood and Impact of Maternal HIV in Zambia:A Molecular Study

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading infectious cause of birth defects and neurodevelopmental delay, with worst outcomes in congenital infection. HCMV exacerbates neurological disease and progression to AIDS in HIV co-infected infants. In Zambia HCMV has adverse effects on growth and development even in maternally HIV-exposed uninfected infants, affecting a third. Transmission to infants can be congenital or postnatal primarily through breast milk, similar to HIV. However, the route affecting infant development is not established, but critical to understand for deployment of appropriate interventions and hospital diagnostics. In this thesis, congenital HCMV infection was investigated in newborns using PCR and nucleotide sequencing of saliva and umbilical cord DNA, and showed 1% prevalence, which was too low to account for the widespread adverse growth effects. Therefore, maternal HCMV secretion via breast milk and the effects of maternal HIV were investigated. HCMV viral loads were measured by qPCR in 461 breast milk samples from both HIV-infected and uninfected mothers at postpartum day 3 and weeks 2, 4, 9, 12, and 16. Results showed higher HCMV viral loads and longer secretion in HIV-positive compared to negative mothers, peaking at week 4 (p=.026) and remaining elevated at week 16 (p<.001). HCMV strains were investigated using the hypervariable glycoprotein gO, with all eight genotypes detected, but no relationship to viral load. Next, Illumina NGS was used to further analyse strains and mixed infections in order to assess the burden of infection. A script was developed to identify linked gO and gN 'Molecular tags' via analyses of FASTQ reads. In 21 samples, mixed infections were identified, showing 1-7 genotypes and a dominant genotype constituting 45-100%. ZMB240, a full-length HCMV genome - the first reference strain from a healthy donor representing a transmission population, and also first from Africa - was derived directly from breast milk DNA and found similar to elsewhere, including the reference Merlin. Overall, the thesis provided evidence that breast milk is the principal route for early HCMV infection in breastfed Zambian infants, and that maternal HIV increases HCMV load, burden of infection, and duration of secretion in breast milk, thereby escalating and prolonging risk of early infant HCMV infection.
Identifying and quantifying environmental thresholds for ecological shifts in a large semi-regulated river

ABSTRACT Ecological shifts, between a clear macrophyte-dominated state and a turbid state dominated by phytoplankton and high inorganic suspended solids, have been well described in shallow lake ecosystems. While few documented examples exist in rivers, models predict regime shifts, especially in regulated rivers with high water retention time. Here I quantified ecological shifts in a large, semi-regulated floodplain river during a transition from a turbid- to a clear-water state using water quality, aquatic vegetation and fisheries data from a rigorous, standardized long-term data set. My findings indicate that significant changes occurred in total suspended solids concentration, aquatic macrophyte abundance, native and non-native fish biomass, fish functional feeding guild patterns, fish habitat guild assemblages and fish spawning guild assemblage patterns over a nearly 20-year period in Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River. Transitions in physical and biological indicators were examined to identify mechanisms underlying the ecological shifts. Environmental variables driving fish assemblage changes were identified (total suspended solids and aquatic vegetation) and management-relevant thresholds are presented. Awareness of management thresholds is critical for resource managers to implement measures to prevent the river from moving to a degraded state characterized by high non-native fish abundance and low predatory fish species abundance.
Thrombolytic Refusal Over Telestroke

Background Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) refusal is 4%–6% for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in the emergency department. Telestroke (TS) has increased the use of tPA for AIS but is accompanied by barriers in communication that can affect tPA consent. We characterized the incidence of tPA refusal in our TS network and its associated reasons. Methods Patients with AIS who were offered tPA within 4.5 hours from symptom onset according to American Heart Association guidelines were identified within our Lone Star Stroke Consortium Telestroke Registry from September 2015 to December 2018. We compared baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes between patients who refused tPA and patients who accepted tPA. Results Among the 1,242 patients who qualified for tPA and were offered treatment, 8% refused tPA. Female and non-Hispanic Black patients and patients with a prior history of stroke were more likely to decline tPA. Patients who refused tPA presented with a lower NIHSS and were associated with a final diagnosis of stroke mimic (odds ratio [OR] 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15–0.36). Good outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale 0–2) was the same among patients who received tPA and those who refused (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.42–1.54). The most common reasons for refusal were rapidly improving and mild/nondisabling symptoms and concern for potential side effects. Conclusion tPA refusal over TS is comparable to previously reported rates; there was no difference in outcomes among patients who received tPA compared with those who refused. Sex and racial differences associated with an increased tPA refusal warrant further investigation in efforts to achieve equity/parity in tPA decisions.
First Case of Psychrobacter sanguinis Bacteremia in a Korean Patient

Psychrobacter sanguinis has been described as a Gram-negative, aerobic coccobacilli originally isolated from environments and seaweed samples. To date, 6 cases of P. sanguinis infection have been reported. A 53-year-old male was admitted with a generalized tonic seizure lasting for 1 minute with loss of consciousness and a mild fever of 37.8C. A Gram stain revealed Gram-negative, small, and coccobacillishaped bacteria on blood culture. Automated microbiology analyzer identification using the BD BACTEC FX (BD Diagnostics, Germany) and VITEK2 (bioMérieux, France) systems indicated the presence of Methylobacterium spp. , Aeromonas salmonicida, and the Moraxella group with low discrimination. The GenBank Basic Local Alignment Search Tool and an Ez-Taxon database search revealed that the 16S rRNA gene sequence of the isolate showed 99.30% and 99.88% homology to 859 base-pairs of the corresponding sequences of P. sanguinis, respectively (GenBank accession numbers JX501674.1 and HM212667.1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first human case of P. sanguinis bacteremia in Korea. It is notable that we identified a case based on blood specimens that previously had been misidentified by a commercially automated identification analyzer. We utilized 16S rRNA gene sequencing as a secondary method for correctly identifying this microorganism. (Ann Clin Microbiol 2017;20:74-79)
Influence of sucker pruning and old leaves removal on growth and yield of cherry tomato

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of different pruning techniques viz. P0= control, P1= sucker pruning, P2= old leaf pruning on growth and yield characteristics of cherry tomato. JP-13 cherry tomato line, collected from ASRBC, ACI Ltd was used in this experiment. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Completely Blocked Design (RCBD) with three replications. Highest plant height (195.4 cm), fruit length (17.0 mm), fruit diameter (37.6 mm), single fruit weight (25.1 gm) and chlorophyll percentage (55.7) was obtained from treatment P1 whereas highest no. of fruit (22.7), yield/plant (381.6 gm) and yield/ha (20.3 ton) was found in treatment P2. Both the pruning treatments showed superiority in yield contributing characters compared to control. Thus integration of these techniques can be a viable way to increase production of cherry tomato.
Encapsulation of anticancer drug cisplatin in vaterite polymorph of calcium carbonate nanoparticles for targeted delivery and slow release

Cisplatin is a commonly used anticancer drug which belonging to the first generation of platinum-based anticancer drugs developed. The cis configuration enables the binding of the coordination complex to one or two DNA strand(s) and thereby crosslinking the DNA strands triggering the cells to die in a programmed manner. It is used to treat various types of cancers such as small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and germ cell tumours. When administered into blood, cisplatin reacts with thiol containing proteins present in blood plasma thus reducing its bioavailability and increasing cytotoxicity. It is, therefore, associated with numerous side effects including nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nausea, vomiting and ototoxicity. This paper describes a novel method to overcome these drawbacks and to improve bioavailability and the efficacy of the drug and to decrease dosage by encapsulating the drug in porous nanoparticles of vaterite and allowing to release slowly only at the vicinity of cancer cells by taking the advantage of the low solubility of vaterite at slightly acidic pH of cancer cells and the insolubility of vaterite in neutral and slightly basic pH conditions of blood and healthy cells.
Projection-based model reduction with dynamically transformed modes

We propose a new model reduction framework for problems that exhibit transport phenomena. As in the moving finite element method (MFEM), our method employs time-dependent transformation operators and, especially, generalizes MFEM to arbitrary basis functions. The new framework is suitable to obtain a low-dimensional approximation with small errors even in situations where classical model order reduction techniques require much higher dimensions for a similar approximation quality. Analogously to the MFEM framework, the reduced model is designed to minimize the residual, which is also the basis for an a posteriori error bound. Moreover, since the dependence of the transformation operators on the reduced state is nonlinear, the resulting reduced order model is obtained by projecting the original evolution equation onto a nonlinear manifold. Furthermore, for a special case, we show a connection between our approach and the method of freezing, which is also known as symmetry reduction. Besides the construction of the reduced order model, we also analyze the problem of finding optimal basis functions based on given data of the full order solution. Especially, we show that the corresponding minimization problem has a solution and reduces to the proper orthogonal decomposition of transformed data in a special case. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our method with several analytical and numerical examples.
Infection with cerebral metacercariae of microphallid trematode parasites reduces reproductive output in the gammarid amphipod Gammarus insensibilis (Stock 1966) in UK saline lagoons

Saline lagoons are priority habitats in the United Kingdom supporting several protected specialist species. One specialist, the amphipod Gammarus insensibilis, is infected with behaviour-altering microphallid trematodes such as Microphallus papillorobustus. In saline lagoons around the coast of England (Gilkicker and Lymington–Keyhaven on the Hampshire coast and Moulton Marsh in Lincolnshire) there is variation in the prevalence of this parasite in the gammarid populations (0 at Salterns in the Lymington–Keyhaven lagoon system to 98% at Gilkicker). Infection intensity ranged from 0 to 20 metacercariae in individual amphipods. Higher infection intensity can alter the shape of the amphipod's head. Under experimental conditions respiration rate is significantly reduced in infected animals and reproductive output (expressed as early stage embryos mg g dry weight−1) is significantly lower in infected females. It is important to consider the role of host–parasite interactions in order to understand the ecology of specialist lagoon species such as G. insensibilis and their lagoon habitats.
A closer look at the functions behind ecosystem multifunctionality: A review

In recent years there has been an upsurge of studies on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF), or the ability of ecosystems to simultaneously provide multiple functions and/or services. The concept of EMF itself, the analytical approaches used to calculate it, and its implications depending on the spatial scale and field of study have been discussed in detail. However, to date there has been little dialogue concerning the basis of EMF studies: what should or should not be considered appropriate measures for ecosystem functions. To begin this discussion, we performed an in‐depth review of EMF studies across four major terrestrial ecosystems (agroecosystems, drylands, forests and grasslands) by analysing 82 studies, which together have assessed 775 ecosystem functions from a variety of field and greenhouse experiments across the globe. The number of ecosystem functions analysed varied from two to 82 per study and we found large differences in the distribution of functions across ecosystem types and ecosystem service categories. Furthermore, there was little explanation of why certain variables were included in the EMF calculation or how they relate to ecosystem functioning. Synthesis. Based on the literature analysis, it is clear that there is no general agreement regarding which measurements should or should not be considered functions in the field of ecology. To address this issue, we propose a general guideline for determining and measuring appropriate functions.
Development and Application of a Multi-Objective-Optimization and Multi-Criteria-Based Decision Support Tool for Selecting Optimal Water Treatment Technologies in India

Despite considerable efforts to improve water management, India is becoming increasingly water stressed due to multiple factors, including climate change, increasing population, and urbanization. We address one of the most challenging problems in the design of water treatment plants: how to select a suitable technology for a specific scenario or context. The process of decision making first requires the identification of feasible treatment configurations based on various objectives and criteria. In addition, the multiplicity of water quality parameters and design variables adds further complexity to the process. In this study, we propose a novel Decision Support Tool (DST), designed to address and support the above challenges. In this user-friendly tool, both Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) methods are employed. The integration of MCDA with MOO facilitates the generation of feasible drinking water treatment solutions, identifies optimal options, and ultimately, improves the process of decision making. This implemented approach has been tested for different contexts, including for different types of raw water sources and system implementation scales. The results show that this tool can enhance the process of decision making, supporting the user (e.g., stakeholders and decision makers) to implement the most suitable water treatment systems, keeping in view the trade-offs.
Inhibition ofHydrogenase Synthesis byDNA Gyrase Inhibitors in Bradyrhizobium japonicumt

Derepression ofan uptake hydrogenase inBradyrhizobium japonicum isdependent on a microaerophilic environment. Addition ofDNA gyraseinhibitors during derepression of hydrogenase specifcally prevented expression ofthehydrogenase enzyme.Antibodies toindividual hydrogenase subunits failed todetect the protein after derepression inthepresenceofinhibitors, although there was no general inhibition ofprotein syntbesis. Thegeneral pattern ofproteins synthesized from14C-labeled aminoacids during derepression was notsignificantly different whether proteins werelabeled inthepresenceorintheabsence ofgyrapeinhibitors. Incontrast, iftranscriptiop ortranslation wasinhibited byaddition ofinhibitors ofthowe functions, virtually no proteins were labeled during derepression. Thisindicated thatmostofthe14C-labeled proteins were synthesized denovoduring derepression, synthesis ofmostproteins wasunaffected bygyraseinhibitors, and thedependence ofhydrogenase synthesis on gyraseactivity was aspecific one.
Decomposition of fractional quantum Hall states: New symmetries and approximations

We provide a detailed description of a product rule structure of the monomial (Slater) expansion coefficients of bosonic (fermionic) fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states derived recently, which we now extend to spin-singlet states. We show that the Haldane-Rezayi spin-singlet state can be obtained without exact diagonalization through a differential equation method that we conjecture to be generic to other FQH model states. The product rule symmetries allow us to build approximations of FQH states that exhibit increasing overlap with the exact state (as a function of system size) even though our approximation omits more than half of the Hilbert space. We show that the product rule is valid for any FQH state that can be written as an expectation value of parafermionic operators.
Optimisation of feedstock utilisation by Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius

Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius (GT) is a thermophilic, ethanol-producing bacterium capable of utilising both hexose and pentose sugars for fermentation. One strategy to improve fermentation yields would be to engineer GT strains to secrete hydrolases to increase the amount of available sugars from various feedstocks. Therefore, optimised protein secretion would be vital to improve feedstock utilisation. Secretion in the related mesophile Bacillus subtilis (BS) has been well studied, and several strategies have been developed to improve secretion of heterologous proteins in BS, one such strategy being the manipulation or changing of the signal peptide. One aim is to identify any differences in the secretion machinery and signal sequences between GT and BS. Another aim is to analyse any effects of overproduction of hydrolases and to identify any bottlenecks in protein secretion in GT. Using bio-informatics tools we find that although GT is a thermophile, the signal peptides in this organism do not differ significantly from those in BS. From a shotgun mass spectrometry approach it was also observed that unlike BS, GT undergoes significant cell lysis during growth releasing cytoplasmic proteins into the extracellular milieu, which could have implications on the levels of secreted hydrolases. A model enzyme was selected and over-produced at high levels in order to stress the secretion system in GT so as to identify any bottlenecks in secretion. The results thus far indicate that the rate limiting step in secretion could be post-translocation where the enzyme is degraded by proteases in the cell wall and extracellular milieu. The addition of protease inhibitor to growth media, increases the activity and abundance of the enzyme, suggesting that proteolysis may be a major factor when over-producing secreted enzymes at high levels.