Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of antibacterial activity and acute toxicity of the hydroethanolic extract of Stachytarpheta angustifolia (Mill) Vahl.

The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity, acute toxicity in mice and phytochemical profiles of hydroethanolic extract of Stachytarpheta angustifolia plant. The plant S. angustifolia has attracted the attention of the researchers because of its use as an anti-infection agent. The aqueous ethanol (80%) extract of the powdered dried whole plant was obtained by maceration. The bacteria organisms tested include Shigella dysentriae (ATCC 32412), Salmonella typhi (ATCC 213415), and the following clinical isolates: coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella species and Escherichia coli. Susceptibility test, acute toxicity test and phytochemical screening of the plant extract were performed using standard procedures. The results showed that the extract had a good antibacterial activity against S. aureus, S. dysentriae, coagulasenegative Staphylococcus and Proteus mirabilis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was found to be between 11.6 and 14.0 mg/ml for the susceptible organisms. The extract exhibited minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 150 mg/ml against S. dysentriae only while other susceptible tested bacteria strains required higher concentrations. The median acute toxicity value (LD50) of the extract was determined to be 8.721 g/kg body weight indicating the extract as being slightly toxic. The extract contained triterpenoid saponins as the major bioactive constituent.
APPENDIX for the paper Consistency and Trust in Peer Data Exchange Systems published in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming

In this section, unless stated otherwise, we refer to the special semantics introduced in Section 4. We have assumed that G(P) is acyclic. However, the peers, not being aware of being in a cycle in G(P), could attempt to do data exchange as described above. In order to detect an infinite loop, for a query Q posed by a peer P, a unique identifier id(P,Q) can be created and kept in all the queries that have origin in Q. If an identifier comes back to a peer, it will realize that it is in a cycle and act accordingly. The assumption of acyclicity of the accessibility graph is quite cautious, in the sense that it excludes cases where a reasonable semantics could still be given and the logic programs would work correctly. This is because the cycles in G(P) are not necessarily relevant.
Detailed Protocols for the Selection of Antiviral Human Antibodies from Combinatorial Immune Phage Display Libraries

Broadly, neutralizing antiviral antibodies holds great promise for improving treatment opportunities for patients suffering from viral infections (e.g., human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], hepatitis B virus [HBV], cytomegalovirus [CMV], Rabies, Ebola, Zika) lead - ing to serious health disorders or even to death without effective antiviral treatment. The potential of antibodies in host protection against lethal viral infections has been dem - onstrated in numerous animal models and is best exemplified by the protection con ferred to neonates by maternal antibodies. Over the past few decades, virus-neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies (nAbs) have been isolated from humans successfully cured of disease using a wide range of recently developed antibody isolation technolo - gies. In this chapter, we present an approach for isolating recombinant human nAbs from combinatorial gene libraries being cloned from individuals who have recovered from viral infections. The presented protocols describe the selection and screening of antiviral single-chain antibody fragments (scFvs) from phage display immune libraries. This tech - nology represents a well-established, high-throughput approach allowing fast selection of broadly neutralizing, antiviral antibodies. The protocols for generating and selecting antigen-specific scFvs can be applied for the selection of scFvs against any target.
Dynamical Properties of Scaled Atomic Wehrl Entropy of Multiphoton JCM in the Presence of Atomic Damping

We study the dynamics of the atomic inversion, scaled atomic Wehrl entropy, and marginal atomic Q-function for a single two-level atom interacting with a one-mode cavity field taking in the presence of atomic damping. We obtain the exact solution of the master equation in the interaction picture using specific initial conditions. We examine the effects of atomic damping parameter and number of multiphoton transition on the scaled atomic Wehrl entropy, atomic Q-function, and their marginal distribution. We observe an interesting monotonic relation between the different physical quantities in the case of different values of the number of photon transition during the time evolution.
Low genetic variability in the endangered Colombian endemic freshwater turtle Podocnemis lewyana (Testudines, Podocnemididae)

The Magdalena River Turtle (Podocnemis lewyana) is a Colombian endemic species, endangered due to human exploitation and habitat destruction. To date, this species is poorly known ecologically and data on its genetic diversity are lacking. Here we report on the fi rst genetic survey of the species across its distribution range. We obtained mitochondrial DNA sequences (488 bp) of the cytochrome b gene from 109 individuals. Samples belong to populations located at several different localities, grouped in fi ve regions, along the four main river basins: Magdalena, Cauca, San Jorge, and Sinu drainages. We found two haplotypes, which differ in only one nucleotide substitution and which are represented with different frequencies in the fi ve geographic regions. These results suggest that P. lewyana harbors little genetic variation and is a genetically uniform species, but more variable markers (i.e., microsatellites) should be used to unravel fi ne-scale phylogeographic structures in this species.
Digital Processing of Medical Images Obtained by a Si Microstrips Detector

We studied the capability of Matlab in digital processing of breast tissues images with microcalcifications. We obtained digital images of different byopsies through a Bede X‐ray tube, fixed at 20 kV and 1 mA. Radiation exposition time was varied. The byopsies were placed between a 120μm collimator and a 128 strips detector, which was used to measure the absorption of X rays in the tissue. Matlab allowed the manipulation of digital images, and this software was intended to improve the identification of microcalcifications in breast tissues.
Bacillus Subtilits and Trichoderma Harzianum as Wheat Inoculants for Biocontrol of Rhizoctonia Solani

This study evaluated the effectiveness of applying the fungal isolate Trichoderma harzianum and Bacillus subtilis either alone or in combination to control wheat root rot pathogen Rhizoctonia solani in vitro and in greenhouse. T. harzianum and B. subtilis were selected for their strong antagonists to R. solani in in vitro experiments.B. subtilis and T. harzianum were applied to wheat grains and sown in soil infested with R. solani and tested in greenhouse experiments. The treatments were compared with a synthetic fungicide such as carbomar. Parameters observed were seed germination, plant height, fresh and dry weight of seedlings. Photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, total amino acids and total soluble sugars decreased due to infection. Application of T. harzianum , B. subtilis either alone or in combination or the application of carbomar, improved the biochemical parameters in the treated seedlings.A combination of B. subtilis and T. harzianum was most effective than using each alone in controlling the pathogen in greenhouse. Conclusion and application of findings: Chemical and biological control were efficient against root rot pathogen in vitro and in greenhouse. Application of T. harzianum with the coating of wheat grains with B. subtilis is a promising approach.
Hydrological Decision Support Framework (HDSF) – Initial design #

A Hydrological Decision Support Framework (HDSF) is being developed within a Water Research Commission (WRC) -funded project. The HDSF is intended as an integrated modelling tool for use by water resource managers and catchment management agencies (CMAs) in assessing and managing water resources. The HDSF will facilitate linking and running models within a common graphical user interface containing appropriate geographic information system and data analysis tools linked to a common database designed to store spatial and temporal data. Selected hydrological modelling framework applications and modelling framework development tools were reviewed. A framework for linking models was also reviewed. As a consequence of these reviews, it was apparent that no single currently available system could provide all the requirements for the HDSF. One of the modelling framework applications reviewed which met many of the requirements was selected and will be further developed. The initial design of the HDSF is presented in this document.
Hydrogeochemical and Biophysical Characterization of Groundwater in Eastern Nigeria: A Case Study of Onitsha and Environs

Hydro-geological studies revealed that Onitsha and environs tapped their groundwater from the middle aquifer (> 40 m Zn > Mn > Ba > Cu. The results for the major cations analyzed shows a mean value of Na + (3.32 mg l -1 ), K + (0.8mg l- 1 ) Ca 2+ (8.62 mg l -1 ), Mg 2+ (2.57mg l -1 ), Temperature, pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) where measured in situ, major anions where also analyzed and the results shows that the mean value for HCO 3 - (61mg l -1 ), PO 4 3- (61.5 mg l -l ), NO 3 - (21.6 mg l -1 ) , SO 4 2- (99 mg l -1 ), while Cl - (450 mg l -1 ), Correlation at P < 0.05 using micro soft excel 2007shows that metals assessed were from similar source. The ultimate result when compared with World Health Organization shows that the groundwater of the middle aquiferous horizon in Onitsha and environ in Eastern Nigeria is polluted in some areas covered in this research and not fit for consumption except when treated appropriately. http://dx.doi. org/10.4314/njt.v34i4. 29
Allee’s dynamics and bifurcation structures in von Bertalanffy’s population size functions

The interest and the relevance of the study of the population dynamics and the extinction phenomenon are our main motivation to investigate the induction of Allee Effect in von Bertalanffy’s population size functions. The adjustment or correction factor of rational type introduced allows us to analyze simultaneously strong and weak Allee’s functions and functions with no Allee effect, whose classification is dependent on the stability of the fixed point x = 0. This classification is founded on the concepts of strong and weak Allee’s effects to the population growth rates associated. The transition from strong Allee effect to no Allee effect, passing through the weak Allee effect, is verified with the evolution of the rarefaction critical density or Allee’s limit. The existence of cusp points on a fold bifurcation curve is related to this phenomenon of transition on Allee’s dynamics. Moreover, the “foliated” structure of the parameter plane considered is also explained, with respect to the evolution of the Allee limit. The bifurcation analysis is based on the configurations of fold and flip bifurcation curves. The chaotic semistability and the nonadmissibility bifurcation curves are proposed to this family of 1D maps, which allow us to define and characterize the corresponding Allee effect region.
PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING , ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY AND MASS SPECTRUM ANALYSIS OF CEROPEGIA BULBOSA ROXB . ( ASCLEPIADACEAE )

Objective: An attempt was made to screening of phytochemicals, GC-MS analysis and antibacterial activity of aerial and tuber parts of Ceropegia bulbosa (Asclepiadaceae). Materials and Methods: 50g of fine powder of each part was extract with methanol using soxhlet apparatus and the different extracts were filtered by whatman No. 1. The crude extract was dried at room temperature and yield was calculated. Further, the plant extracts were subjected to phytochemical screening, antibacterial and GC-MS analysis. Results: Preliminary phytochemical analysis of these extracts showed that the presence of alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids and saponin. The methanol extract of both plant parts were found to be exhibit antibacterial activity Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia and E. coli. GC-MS analysis of the extracts revealed that nine components from the aerial part and seventy compounds from tuber part of C. bulbosa were identified. Conclusion: This study helps to explore the potential compounds responsible for the biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer activities which are insisted to emerge from plant derived new drugs in pharmaceutical fields.
ISUAL Imager and far-ultraviolet spectrophotometer degradation

The Imager of Sprites and Upper Atmospheric Lightning (ISUAL) has been operated for more than ten years. The onboard spectrophotometer channel-1 (SP1) was designed to detect the far-ultraviolet (FUV) emissions (N2 Lyman-Birge-Hopfield band) from space. It was found that most of the transient luminous events (TLEs), such as sprites, halos, elves, and gigantic jets, are usually accompanied by FUV emissions. The FUV emission could be utilized as an indicator for searching TLEs because the FUV emission of lightning is severely attenuated in the atmosphere during propagation, although the TLE FUV emissions are still detectable. Furthermore, the elves FUV emission photon flux can also be used to estimate the parent lightning peak current. Therefore, SP1 sensitivity degradation assessment, which affects the observed intensity of FUV emissions, is important. Although ISUAL has a lightemitting diode (LED) which is preset as a standard light source, the emission wavelength range of the LED does not cover the FUV band. We established a method in this study to determine the ISUAL Imager and SP1 sensitivity degradation. We found that the annual degradation rates of the ISUAL Imager and the SP1 are 8.4 and 9.7%, respectively. Article history: Received 29 February 2016 Revised 19 August 2016 Accepted 26 August 2016
Kairomone involvement in the host specificity of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

This paper reports the results of a comparative laboratory analysis of the behavioural responses of the egg parasitoid Tris- solcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) to semiochemical cues from four species of pentatomid bugs, Nezara viridula (L.), Eurydema ventrale Klt. , Murgantia histrionica Hahn. and Graphosoma semipunctatum F. (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). In a Y-tube olfactometer, T. basalis was attracted by volatile chemicals from N. viridula, but not from other pentatomid species. In an open arena, the parasitoid reacted to chemical trails left on filter paper by all the species but most intensely to those left by N. viridula. However, upon encountering pentatomid eggs, T. basalis examined more intensely and probed more frequently the eggs of G. semipunctatum than those of the other species. The parasitoid only parasitized and emerged from eggs of G. semipunctatum and N. viridula; those of the other species were unsuitable. Therefore N. viridula is semiochemically confirmed to be a coevolved host (old association) of T. basalis, whereas G. semipunctatum may be a potential non-coevolved host (new association). The utility of these tests for defining a parasitoids' host specificity and in assessing the risk of non-target effects in biological control is discussed.
Active vibration control of a slewing spacecraft’s panel using H∞ control

Application of H∞ control for multimodal vibration suppression of a slewing spacecraft using piezoelectric actuators is presented in this paper. For treating vibration suppression independent of attitude control law while taking into account relative modal responses; a method for modeling effect of attitude maneuver excitations as modal disturbances is proposed. Commercial finite element software ANSYS is used for obtaining system model. Modifications of system model and selection of weights required for control synthesis are explained in detail. The method is applied for suppressing vibration of first two modes of a flexible spacecraft. Results showed effectiveness of the proposed method.
RACE, CRIME, AND THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS, 1999–2013

Abstract For over a century, scholars have traced higher levels of serious crime in minority compared to White neighborhoods to stark socioeconomic inequality. Yet, this research is largely cross-sectional and does not assess how ethnoracial differences in crime patterns evolve over time in response to shifting structural conditions. The new century witnessed substantial changes to the circumstances that undergird the ethnoracial divide in neighborhood crime as well as a national crime decline. How are the changing dynamics of urban inequality reinforcing or diminishing racial and ethnic disparities in neighborhood crime in the context of the “Great American Crime Decline”? We address this question by first identifying distinct paths of violent and property crime change between 1999 and 2013 for almost 2700 neighborhoods across eighteen cities. We then assess how initial and changing levels of disadvantage, housing instability, and demographics explain divergent crime trajectories within neighborhoods. We find that most neighborhoods have lower levels of homicide and burglary than fifteen years ago. However, homicide and burglary increased in some neighborhoods, and this trend is largely limited to Black neighborhoods. Disadvantage and the housing crisis are critical in accounting for the heightened risk of neighborhoods having increasing rather than decreasing crime trends. In contrast, immigration is linked with declining and stable trends in violent and property crime. Overall, results indicate a widening of the racial-spatial divide for the most marginalized communities in the United States.
Upgrade of the IMD software tool for the simulation of laser-matter interaction

The simulation of the laser ablation processes can be a valuable tool for studying coupling parameters and developing questions for future experiments. The theory behind the ablation process and the mathematical model to describe laser beam absorption are discussed. Further, the simulation tools IMD and Polly-2T, used at the Institute of Technical Physics, DLR Stuttgart, are introduced and a road map for the upgrade of IMD is proposed. This upgrade is aimed towards including a more advanced physics model present in Polly-2T into IMD, to enhance the validity of the laser absorption process for laser pulses beyond the femtosecond regime. This is achieved by implementing the target reflectivity according to the Fresnel formulas and dynamic calculation of the permittivity following a wide-range approximation of the permittivity for different material states. The wide-range approximation is also implemented for the electron thermal conductivity and the electron-phonon coupling. The implementation of critical upgrade steps in IMD is presented and the results are compared to Polly-2T. Persistent issues and bugs of the upgrade are discussed and possible solutions for future improvements and further upgrades are outlined.
Untangling spatial and temporal variation in abundances of estuarine fish sampled with multi-mesh gillnets

Variability at small temporal scales can confound comparisons over longer periods of time but has often been ignored in studies of marine organisms. To determine appropriate methods for sampling fish at multiple temporal scales, we used hierarchical sampling to test hypotheses about temporal and spatial variation of individual species and assemblages of fish sampled with multi-mesh gillnets in shallow and deep habitats of a coastal lake in New South Wales, Australia. The design included temporal scales of 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo and spatial scales of sites (separated by 1 km) and zones (separated by several km). Patterns of temporal variation in univariate and multivariate analyses were complex and inconsistent across the different spatial scales and between habitats. The only general pattern was that spatial variance among replicate gillnet samples in each site was larger than variance at any of the temporal scales examined. Potential mechanisms explaining the observed pat- terns are likely to be complex and these are considered along with the implications for sampling assemblages of fish. A lack of generality in patterns of temporal variance reinforces the need for pilot studies to identify relevant scales of variation before commencing large-scale, long-term studies of any organism.
In-line color digital holographic microscope for water quality measurements

We introduce a color digital holographic microscope for measuring the biological content of water samples. Our approach uses single shot RGB exposure in an in-line holographic setup to obtain color images. With the application of appropriate numerical algorithms we can fulfill color crosstalk compensation, segmentation, and twin image removal tasks, and we obtain good quality color image reconstructions with 1μm resolution from a 1mm3 volume. We briefly compare the conventional color CCD/CMOS and the Foveon X3 sensor for color digital holographic applications. The in-line holographic setup and reconstruction algorithms are presented with demonstrative simulations, experimentally captured and numerically reconstructed images.
On the Influence of Coupling AMC Resonances for RCS Reduction in the SHF Band

A novel approach to Radar Cross-Section reduction using a thin Artiflcial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) structure is presented. The novel AMC structure combines two unit-cell metallization sizes and so it presents two resonant frequencies. RCS reduction is based on destructive interference of two partial re∞ections. Taking as starting point a previous work showing signiflcant RCS reduction based on the combination of two AMC surfaces with overlapped AMC operation bandwidths (so that they have similar re∞ection coe-cient amplitude) without a 180 - -phaseshift, the key point of this contribution is to analyze the in∞uence of the degree of the aforementioned overlapping on RCS reduction and to show that this achievement is based on coupling phenomena. A comparison of the achieved RCS reduction when combining two AMCs whose AMC operation bandwidth overlaps, two AMCs with non-overlapped AMC operation bandwidths, and PEC-AMC is presented. Prototypes of these three combinations have been manufactured (having them the same size) and their RCS has been measured in an anechoic chamber.
Lossless fault-tolerant data structures with additive overhead Citation

We develop the first dynamic data structures that tolerate δ memory faults, lose no data, and incur only an Õ(δ) additive overhead in overall space and time per operation. We obtain such data structures for arrays, linked lists, binary search trees, interval trees, predecessor search, and suffix trees. Like previous data structures, δ must be known in advance, but we show how to restore pristine state in linear time, in parallel with queries, making δ just a bound on the rate of memory faults. Our data structures require Θ(δ) words of safe memory during an operation, which may not be theoretically necessary but seems a practical assumption.