Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification untuk Mendeteksi Gen blaTEM sebagai Penyandi Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase pada Isolat Enterobacteriaceae

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) adalah suatu jenis enzim beta-laktamase yang mampu menghidrolisis penisilin, sefalosprin, dan monobaktam yang dapat dihambat oleh asam klavulanat. Enzim ini disandi oleh banyak gen, salah satunya adalah blaTEM. Untuk mengamplifikasi gen blaTEM selain digunakan metode polymerase chain reaction (PCR) dapat pula dilakukan metode loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) yang membutuhkan peralatan lebih sederhana dengan prosedur yang cepat dan pembacaan hasil yang lebih mudah. Penelitian ini merupakan uji diagnostik yang bertujuan menilai sensitivitas dan spesifisitas metode LAMP serta melihat kesesuaian hasil antara metode LAMP dan metode PCR dalam mendeteksi gen blaTEM. Sebanyak 92 isolat Enterobacteriaceae diperiksa dengan metode PCR yang kemudian dibandingkan dengan metode LAMP. Didapatkan bahwa metode LAMP memiliki sensitivitas 91,4% dan spesifisitas 91,2%, serta nilai kesesuaian (kappa) sebesar 85,4%. Sebagai simpulan, metode LAMP memiliki validitas yang baik dan kesesuaian yang sangat baik dibanding dengan metode PCR. Oleh karena itu, metode LAMP dapat dijadikan pemeriksaan alternatif dalam mendeteksi gen blaTEM terutama di daerah dengan infrastruktur laboratorium terbatas. Kata kunci: blaTEM, Enterobacteriaceae, ESBL, LAMP, PCR Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Detecting blaTEM Gene that Encodes Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase in Enterobacteriaceae Isolates Abstract Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) is a beta-lactamase enzyme that is capable of hydrolyzing penicillin, cephalosporin, and monobactam, and can be inhibited by clavulanic acid. This enzyme is encoded by multiple genes, one of them is blaTEM. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the DNA amplification methods that are frequently used; however, there are other methods that can be used including, among others, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). LAMP requires simple equipment with quicker and easy-to-read results compared to PCR. This study was a diagnostic test to explore the sensitivity and specificity of LAMP method compared to PCR in detecting blaTEM gene. Furthermore, the concordance between LAMP and PCR methods was assessed. A total of 92 Enterobacteriaceae isolates were examined by PCR and LAMP methods and compared. The result showed that the LAMP method had a sensitivity of 91.4% and a specificity of 91.2% with a concordance value (kappa) of 85.4%. In conclusion, LAMP method has a good validity and a very good conformity compared to the PCR method. Therefore, LAMP method can be used as an alternative diagnostic test, especially in limited settings. [MKB. 2015;47(4):242–9] Key words: blaTEM, Enterobacteriaceae, ESBL, LAMP, PCR DOI : 10.15395/mkb.v47n4. 618
Contexts of Communication Apprehension and Their Relation to Self-Esteem

With extensive research having illustrated the lack of self-esteem nourishing attributes that individuals with communication apprehension exhibit, the present investigation evaluated the strength of correlations between general and context-specific forms of communication apprehension and self-esteem. College students (N = 40; Mage = 19.48) completed measures that assessed their general and context-specific communication apprehension as well as their self-esteem. General and context-specific forms of communication apprehension were all predicted to be strongly and negatively correlated with self-esteem, and the correlation between interpersonal communication apprehension and self-esteem was predicted to be the strongest out of all contexts of communication apprehension. A linear regression showed a significant relation between general communication apprehension and self-esteem (R = .61, Radj = .36, p < .001). Multicollinearity in the multiple regression prevented the intended test for differences in strength of correlations between contexts of communication apprehension and self-esteem. Bivariate correlations signaled that all contexts of communication apprehension are considerably correlated with self-esteem, with the small group context as the most closely related to self-esteem (r = -.59, r2 = .35, p < .001), and the meeting context as the least closely related (r = -.42, r2 = .18, p = .007). The present findings illustrate the strong relation between general communication apprehension and self-esteem even among individuals with higher-than-normative levels of communication apprehension and suggest that those with acute communication apprehension might experience similar effects on self-esteem across context-specific forms of communication apprehension.
The Rothamsted insect survey 12-metrë suction trap

Suction traps sampling at a height of 12·2 m have been operated by the Rothamsted Insect Survey since 1964 to monitor the aerial movement of aphids and other insects. Many variants of the trap have evolved in other countries due to the lack of a detailed published description. A standard for a low maintenance structure of the ‘12-metre' suction trap now being adopted by the Rothamsted Insect Survey and some other users is described. This should lead to better uniformity and comparability of data from such traps.
How Many People Can the Earth Support

This article offers an overview of global human population economy environment and culture in order to explain why some people are interested in the question "How many people can the Earth support? " The article reviews some answers to the question and suggests ways that could alleviate some of the problems of population economics environment and culture. The author reiterates that population problems are not purely demographic but also involve economics the environment and culture. The real issue with population is not just numbers of people although numbers matter and statistics give quantitative insights. The real essence of the population question is the quality of peoples lives.
Multilayer Dual-Band Bandpass Filter With Multiple Transmission Zeros Using Discriminating Coupling

A multilayer dual-band bandpass filter with two independent paths combined between common input and output ports is proposed in this letter. Slot-coupled resonators and hairpin-line resonators form the two passbands centered at 2.4 and 5 GHz with 3-dB fraction bandwidth of 8% and 8.8%. Discriminating coupling is used in this letter to introduce a transmission zero (TZ) at third harmonic, validated by synthesis equations. And more TZs located at sideband of both passbands are obtained by source–load coupling. All these TZs contribute to high selectivity and extended stopband. The proposed filter is fabricated through a multilayer substrate to validate the design. Both simulated and measured results are in good agreement.
Thermal Biology of Anolis Lizards in a Complex Fauna: The Christatellus Group on Puerto Rico

To describe the thermal biology of the three trunk-ground species of the Anolis cristatellus group on Puerto Rico, an island with 10 species of Anolis, we obtained samples of air and body temperatures of A. gundlachli (shady perches, montane forests), A. cristatellus (shady or sunny perches in open or closed forests, lowlands to mid-elevations), and A. cooki (sunny perches in open, xeric lowlands). Average body temperatures parallel altitudinal and habitat association (lowest for A. gundlachi, highest for A. cooki). Within a species, body temperatures are strongly correlated with air temperatures and thus vary with altitude, time of day, habitat, and weather. Observed differences between sympatric species in body tempera- tures and habitats probably reflect physiological requirements, but may be magnified by competition. Relative thermal niche breadth of individuals of these species is approximated and compared with data on species from simple anole faunas to evaluate hypotheses on the evolution of thermal niche breadth. Extent of basking behavior is inversely related to associated costs for these species. In closed forests where costs of raising body temperatures are high, A. gundlachi and A. crista- tellus rarely bask and seemingly are routinely passive to ambient conditions. In open habitats where costs are low, A. cristatellus and A. cooki frequently bask.
RECANS: Low-Latency Network Function Chains with Hierarchical State Sharing

In this paper, we present RECANS, a low-latency NFV state management framework that supports elastic scaling of NF chains while meeting the increasingly stringent NFV performance requirements. Its design builds on the insight that an instance may be scaled to a local server or a remote server, and we thus adopt a hierarchical state-sharing approach that exploits shared memory and low-latency network (RDMA) features to realize state sharing in a server and across servers. Globally, all state data are divided into partitions spread across NF servers, and we reorganize the partitions dynamically through state migration implemented with carefully chosen RDMA primitives. Locally, each partition is maintained by a node store, which uses shared memory to share state with NFs in the same server and thus avoids remote accesses. Being aware of NF chaining, RECANS also adopts specially designed flow tables that support chain-wide batch operations. Our evaluation shows that RECANS has a submillisecond peak latency during scaling events, and outperforms traditional hash tables by 4.78 times for normal state access throughput in NF chains.
A lattice-Boltzmann free surface model for injection moulding of a non-Newtonian fluid

The aim of this work is to present a lattice Boltzmann (LB) model devoted to dealing with non-Newtonian free surface flow. The combination of LB solver with a free-surface model allows dealing with multiphase flows where the density ratio in between the two considered phases is so high that the lighter phase can be neglected. For this particular set of multiphase models, the interface between the two phases is numerically reconstructed and transported via a diffusion equation. Moreover, the application of a Carreau approach for viscosity modelling allows the introduction of effects related to shear stress on fluid flow evolution. Two different non-Newtonian silicon-like materials have been considered here, namely the polystyrene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Here, the author, after the mandatory model validation with a reference configuration, presents some applications of injection moulding for two different test-cases: the former is the injection in a labyrinth-like gasket, whereas the latter is the injection in a porous media. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fluid dynamics, soft matter and complex systems: recent results and new methods’.
Space-Efficient k-d Tree-Based Storage Format for Sparse Tensors

Computations with tensors are widespread in many scientific areas. Usually, the used tensors are very large but sparse, i.e., the vast majority of their elements are zero. The space complexity of sparse tensor storage formats varies significantly. For overall efficiency, it is important to reduce the execution time and additional space requirements of the initial preprocessing (i.e., converting tensors from common storage formats to the given internal format). The main contributions of this paper are threefold. Firstly, we present a new storage format for sparse tensors, which we call the succinct k-d tree-based tensor (SKTB) format. We compare the space complexity of common tensor storage formats and of the SKTB format and demonstrate the viability of using a tree as a data structurefor sparse tensors. Secondly, we present a parallel space-efficient algorithm for converting tensors to the SKTB format. Thirdly, we demonstrate the computational efficiency of the proposed format in sparse tensor-vector multiplication.
Potential impacts of future ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and fisheries: current knowledge and recommendations for future research

As CO2 from fossil fuel emissions enters the ocean, it is becoming acidified. Global surface pH has already decreased by more than 0.1 units since preindustrial times and might decrease by 0.10 – 0.35 additional units by 2100. The level of supersaturation of calcium carbonate has decreased and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide PCO2 has increased over much of the upper ocean. We present predicted changes in ocean surface pH from the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM-1). Results presented at a 2010 workshop in Sendai, Japan, of experiments on marine animals under elevated CO2 conditions indicate that few general conclusions across species can as yet be made. Recommendations include protocols that mimic natural diel and seasonal fluctuations in PCO2 and that extend over multiple generations. Projections from CanESM-1 suggest that other changes associated with climate change have little influence on acidification relative to the addition of CO2 and that freshwater dilution at high northern latitudes exacerbates acidification and results in undersaturation with respect to carbonate minerals at higher pH than in undiluted seawater. Finally, we recommend a framework that considers the effects of multiple stressors associated with a changing climate on the “thermal window” of activity of marine animals.
Native Colonizing Species and Degraded Land Restoration in La Gran Sabana, Venezuela

We evaluated the ecological and reproductive characteristics of plant species occurring in severely disturbed areas that were revegetated with exotic grasses. We identified those species with the best combination of attributes that increase their probability of success in degraded lands. Fifteen degraded areas were studied in two different bioclimatic regions, a high premontane humid bioclimate and a low premontane humid bioclimate. The frequency of native colonizing species and the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization in their roots were evaluated. The sexual and breeding system, pollination mode, fruit set, and dispersal syndrome of ten of the most frequent colonizing species were also studied. The floristic survey of the colonizing species revealed a similarity to the reported flora of the treeless savannas that are dominant in the region. Bioclimatic conditions prevailing in the degraded lands seem to be an important factor for the presence of colonizing species and for species richness. All colonizing species studied were mycorrhizal, and for this reason the restoration program in these degraded areas should take mycorrhizae into account, reintroducing them or manipulating the soils to increase the mycorrhizal inoculum. We suggest Scleria cyperina and Trachypogon plumosus to start or promote the natural succession in the degraded areas from La Gran Sabana. Because their frequency is high and their reproductive system is less dependent on biotic factors, these species stand out in the studied areas.
BIANNUAL REPRODUCTIVE CYCLE IN THE KERGUELEN FERAL SHEEP POPULATION

Abstract Temporal distributions of matings and births were studied in a feral population of Bizet sheep (Ovis aries) introduced to Ile Longue in the subantarctic Kerguelen Archipelago. Two rutting peaks occurred each year, in summer and winter. Most births occurred in winter, a period that was not favorable for the survival of young. Lambs born in midsummer also were born too late with regard to the most favorable period in spring. Individual ewes did not consistently breed in 1 season but switched from summer to winter breeding. Regardless of whether they were lactating or nonlactating in summer, almost 70% of females gave birth the subsequent winter. Only 25% of females observed in winter (lactating or nonlactating) also lactated in summer. Differential fertility and reproductive success may be due to seasonal variation in body mass. Females were heavier in summer than winter. The biannual reproductive cycle also may result from the early reproductive history of ewes. Sexual maturity occurred earlier for the winter compared with the summer cohort. Therefore, most females of both cohorts gave birth for the first time in winter. Our results reveal that feral domestic animals will not always quickly adapt to different environmental conditions.
Effects of logging on carbon dynamics of a jack pine forest in Saskatchewan, Canada

We calculated carbon budgets for a chronosequence of harvested jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) stands (0‐, 5‐, 10‐, and∼29‐year‐old) and a∼79‐year‐old stand that originated after wildfire. We measured total ecosystem C content (TEC), above‐, and belowground net primary productivity (NPP) for each stand. All values are reported in order for the 0‐, 5‐, 10‐, 29‐, and 79‐year‐old stands, respectively, for May 1999 through April 2000. Total annual NPP (NPPT) for the stands (Mg C ha−1 yr−1±1 SD) was 0.9±0.3, 1.3±0.1, 2.7±0.6, 3.5±0.3, and 1.7±0.4. We correlated periodic soil surface CO2 fluxes (RS) with soil temperature to model annual RS for the stands (Mg C ha−1 yr−1±1 SD) as 4.4±0.1, 2.4±0.0, 3.3±0.1, 5.7±0.3, and 3.2±0.2. We estimated net ecosystem productivity (NEP) as NPPT minus RH (where RH was calculated using a Monte Carlo approach as coarse woody debris respiration plus 30–70% of total annual RS). Excluding C losses during wood processing, NEP (Mg C ha−1 yr−1±1 SD) for the stands was estimated to be −1.9±0.7, −0.4±0.6, 0.4±0.9, 0.4±1.0, and −0.2±0.7 (negative values indicate net sources to the atmosphere.) We also calculated NEP values from the changes in TEC among stands. Only the 0‐year‐old stand showed significantly different NEP between the two methods, suggesting a possible mismatch for the chronosequence. The spatial and methodological uncertainties allow us to say little for certain except that the stand becomes a source of C to the atmosphere following logging.
Diatom Genus Diversity and Assemblage Structure in Relation to Salinity at the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Alfalfa County, Oklahoma

Abstract Despite the common geographic occurrence of inland (athalassic) saline habitats, their biota has not been extensively studied. Diatoms have been estimated to contribute as much as 25% to the earth's primary production (Werner, 1977). However, in hypersaline systems the proportion of in situ carbon fixation by diatoms is likely to be higher. We used substrate samples taken from the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, an athalassic hypersaline ecosystem, to investigate the relationship between diatom genus diversity, composition and salinity. These samples range in salinity from 14 to 306 ppt and contain 21 genera. Six genera (Cymbella, Mastogloia, Psammodictyon, Amphora, Navicula and Nitzschia) comprise 97% of the diatoms counted in all samples. Diatom genus diversity shows an inverse relationship with salinity, while genus richness shows no clear relationship with salinity. Hence, loss in diversity is the result of dominance by fewer taxa at higher salinities. The relative abundance of the genus Navicula is positively correlated with salinity, with it dominating the highest salinity sites. We used a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to explore the relationship between salinity and relative abundance of diatom genera. The primary variables influencing diatom genus composition at the Salt Plains were found to be the variability of salinity within a site and the overall magnitude of salinity.
EVALUATION OF ZN DISTRIBUTION AMONG GRAIN AND STRAW OF TWELVE INDIGENOUS WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) GENOTYPES

Zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread in wheat grown on alkaline calcareous soils. A large population of the world as result of this also lacks adequate Zn nutrition. A pot study was conducted on Pindorian series (Udic Haplustalf) to evaluate the distribution of Zn in grain and straw of 12 indigenous wheat genotypes. Zinc was applied @ 6mg Zn kg -1 soil as ZnSO4.7H2O. Various fertilizer doses were imposed in triplicate according to complete randomized design. All 72 pots received uniform dose of 60 mg N kg -1 soil as urea, 60 mg P kg -1 as monoammonium phosphate and 30 mg K kg -1 soil as K2SO4. Plant tops were harvested 30 days after sowing. There was a significant (P<0.05) main and interactive effect of wheat genotypes and zinc application on grain and straw yield, Zn concentration and total uptake of Zn by wheat plants. Sehar-06 produced maximum grain and straw yield whereas Iqbal-2000 produced minimum grain and straw yield. The genotypes Sehar-06, Shafaq-06 and SARC-1 were able to retain more Zn in grain compared to straw. However, further verification of the results is warranted under field conditions.
Shell development, growth and sexual dimorphism in the Recent thecideide brachiopod Thecidellina meyeri sp. nov. from the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean

A new thecideide brachiopod species, Thecidellina meyeri, is described from the southern Lesser Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), Caribbean Sea, with unique morphological characters which clearly separate it from all other described species of Thecidellina in the region. A virtually complete series of ontogenetic stages is recorded, providing insight into the plasticity of shell development during growth in thecideide brachiopods and offering a well-defined standard for comparison with fossil material. Study of the soft tissue suggests that T. meyeri is dioecious, which contradicts the idea of Thecidellina to be hermaphroditic. The limited distribution and the unexpectedly high species diversity within the genus Thecidellina in the Caribbean region support the idea of allopatric speciation due to limited dispersal ability.
Structure of the phytoplankton communities in two lagoons of different salinity in the Sfax saltern (Tunisia)

The structure and ecophysiological characteristics of phytoplankton assemblages were studied for 10 months in two lagoons of different salinity (40 and 90) in the saltern of Sfax (Tunisia), in relation to environmental factors. These assemblages were largely dominated by diatoms and dinoflagellates, which accounted for >90% of total abundance. A principal components analysis clearly differentiated the observations made in the two lagoons, the dominant correlate being the salinity. Euryhaline species and particularly diatoms developed preferentially in the less saline lagoon, and were largely replaced by stenohaline species represented by dinoflagellates, which were dominant in the more saline lagoon. Calculation of the pigment diversity index and the species diversity index showed that the phytoplankton assemblages studied were permanently in a juvenile stage, as the species restructuring related to environmental constraints did not allow them to reach the climax stage at any given time in their development. Despite the heavy constraint imposed by the salinity, it is evident that other environmental factors, e.g. temperature, play a role in the regulation of the planktonic communities. Finally, the difference in the size distribution of the total microbial biomass, estimated by the assay of particulate proteins, showed that there was a significant change in the community structure and the planktonic trophic networks, in parallel with the increase in salinity.
The rise of curated crisis content

In a networked world, we are increasingly inundated with information from online data streams especially from the social web. Curation has increasingly become the buzzword for managing this problem of information overload in the digital age. However, the applications and interpretations of curation by social web users are varied and often stray away from traditional curator roles. I present seven curatorial activities (i