Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A multiplex assay of Trichomonas vaginalis, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections in genital specimens.

INTRODUCTION A significant proportion of patients with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are coinfected with multiple pathogens. We report here development of a multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Chlamydia trachomatis (C.trachomatis), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N.gonorrhoeae) and Trichomonas vaginalis (T.vaginalis) in genital specimens from women. METHODOLOGY After detection of the organisms by routine techniques including PCR, culture and direct smear, multiplex-PCR was optimized to detect ompI gene of CT, parC of NG, ITS ribosomal RNA of TV as target genes. The limit of detection (LOD) was determined using serially diluted genomic DNA from known number of each pathogen. RESULTS Totally 300 volunteers with mean age of 36.5 ±7.03 years were included and 266 (88.7%) had genitourinary clinical manifestations. Of 300 women, 150 (50.0%) were infected. Of them, 17 (5.7%) had N. gonorrhoeae, 98 (32.7%) T. vaginalis and 35 (11.7%) C. trachomatis. Multiplex-PCR revealed a total of 10 coinfections (3.3%) including 2 specimens of C. trachomatis/ N. gonorrhoeae, 3 specimens of C . trachomatis/ T. vaginalis and 5 specimens of N. gonorrhoeae/T. vaginalis coinfections. The sensitivity and specificity of multiplex-PCR for detecting N. gonorrhoeae were 100% and 98.59% (279 of 283) respectively and, for C. trachomatis and T. vaginalis were 100%. The LOD was 0.1 pg of DNA for C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae, and 1.5 pg for T. vaginalis. CONCLUSIONS The performance of this multiplex-PCR makes it a sensitive, rapid and affordable technique in clinical laboratory for simultaneous detection of STIs.
Hybrid Intrusion Detection System Based on the Stacking Ensemble of C5 Decision Tree Classifier and One Class Support Vector Machine

Cyberttacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, necessitating the efficient intrusion detection mechanisms to monitor computer resources and generate reports on anomalous or suspicious activities. Many Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) use a single classifier for identifying intrusions. Single classifier IDSs are unable to achieve high accuracy and low false alarm rates due to polymorphic, metamorphic, and zero-day behaviors of malware. In this paper, a Hybrid IDS (HIDS) is proposed by combining the C5 decision tree classifier and One Class Support Vector Machine (OC-SVM). HIDS combines the strengths of SIDS) and Anomaly-based Intrusion Detection System (AIDS). The SIDS was developed based on the C5.0 Decision tree classifier and AIDS was developed based on the one-class Support Vector Machine (SVM). This framework aims to identify both the well-known intrusions and zero-day attacks with high detection accuracy and low false-alarm rates. The proposed HIDS is evaluated using the benchmark datasets, namely, Network Security Laboratory-Knowledge Discovery in Databases (NSL-KDD) and Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) datasets. Studies show that the performance of HIDS is enhanced, compared to SIDS and AIDS in terms of detection rate and low false-alarm rates.
Model predictive control for stabilisation of vehicle nonlinear dynamics to avoid the second collision accident

ABSTRACT This paper presents an automatic collision avoidance method based on model predictive control (MPC) for nonlinear vehicle dynamics. MPC is a type of optimal feedback control in which the control performance over a finite future is optimised. The C/GMRES algorithm is used for solving the nonlinear model predictive control problem within a short sampling period. A nonlinear tire model is employed to represent the realistic behaviour of a vehicle. The objective of this paper is to propose a nonlinear model predictive control method with a fast numerical solution algorithm called C/GMRES for designing an automatic collision avoidance control system. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by numerical simulation.
Impact of assimilating sea ice concentration, sea ice thickness and snow depth in a coupled ocean–sea ice modelling system

Abstract. The accuracy of the initial state is very important for the quality of a forecast, and data assimilation is crucial for obtaining the best-possible initial state. For many years, sea-ice concentration was the only parameter used for assimilation into numerical sea-ice models. Sea-ice concentration can easily be observed by satellites, and satellite observations provide a full Arctic coverage. During the last decade, an increasing number of sea-ice related variables have become available, which include sea-ice thickness and snow depth, which are both important parameters in the numerical sea-ice models. In the present study, a coupled ocean–sea-ice model is used to assess the assimilation impact of sea-ice thickness and snow depth on the model. The model system with the assimilation of these parameters is verified by comparison with a system assimilating only ice concentration and a system having no assimilation. The observations assimilated are sea ice concentration from the Ocean and Sea Ice Satellite Application Facility, thin sea ice from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission, thick sea ice from ESA's CryoSat-2 satellite, and a new snow-depth product derived from the National Space Agency's Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E/AMSR-2) satellites. The model results are verified by comparing assimilated observations and independent observations of ice concentration from AMSR-E/AMSR-2, and ice thickness and snow depth from the IceBridge campaign. It is found that the assimilation of ice thickness strongly improves ice concentration, ice thickness and snow depth, while the snow observations have a smaller but still positive short-term effect on snow depth and sea-ice concentration. In our study, the seasonal forecast showed that assimilating snow depth led to a less accurate long-term estimation of sea-ice extent compared to the other assimilation systems. The other three gave similar results. The improvements due to assimilation were found to last for at least 3–4 months, but possibly even longer.
Feature selection for airborne LiDAR data filtering: a mutual information method with Parzon window optimization

ABSTRACT Filtering is one of the key steps for Digital Elevation Model (DEM) generation from airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. Machine-learning-based filters have emerged as a class of filtering algorithms in recent years. Most existing studies mainly focus on feature generation due to limited available features a point cloud possesses. More than 30 features have been described in the existing literature. But most generated features are based on geometric information of points. Several redundant and irrelevant features may not necessarily improve the filtering accuracy. Hence, this paper proposes a feature-selection method using minimal-Redundancy-Maximal-Relevance (mRMR) combined with Parzen window optimization to deal with both discrete and continuous features. An optimal/suboptimal feature subset is constructed for machine-learning filters in various landscapes. Experimental results based on AdaBoost show that height-related features, particularly height itself, are of the greatest significance in both urban and rural scenes. Moreover, different subsets can be selected from the datasets of the two landscapes by our feature-selection strategy, which increases the data relevance for describing each geographical landscape. This study provides guidelines for the selection of optimal/suboptimal features for point cloud filtering based on machine-learning algorithms.
Psychological Capital and Academic Burnout in Students of Clinical Majors in Iran

Summary The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap) and academic burnout in medical students in Iran. The relationship between PsyCap and academic burnout is not, however, clearly investigated in the clinical education. This analytical study was conducted on 172 medical students of a major medical university in Iran, selected through randomized stratified sampling. A demographic section together with PCQ-24 and Academic Burnout Inventory were used for data collection. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS software. Mean academic burnout and PsyCap values were 45.79 and 95.70, respectively. A negative significant correlation were observed between them (r = 0.963, p < 0.001). Stepwise linear regression suggested the predictability of PsyCap by the components of academic burnout (p < 0.001). The results suggested a relationship between students’ academic burnout and their PsyCap; in other words, their academic burnout can be controlled by enhancing their PsyCap. This will bear implications for educationists.
Evaluation of polyelectrolyte and emulsion covalent crosslink of chitosan for producing mesalasine loaded submicron particles

This study evaluates various techniques for producing mesalamine (5ASA)-loaded particles employing chitosan as a biopolymer: (1) the polyelectrolyte complexation of chitosan with phthalate hypromelose (HP), (2) the chemical crosslinking of chitosan with genipin and (3) the water-in-oil emulsion method associated with chemical crosslinking with genipin. Systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering, zeta potential (ζ), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and a drug release profile. Method (1) was efficiently produced unloaded nanoparticles (491 nm, PdI=0.26 and ζ = 23.2), but the conditions for chitosan and HP cross-linking enhanced the precipitation of 5ASA. Method (2) caused the degradation of the drug. Method 3 produced sub-micron and microparticles, thereby varying the agitation method; 3 h magnetic agitation resulted in 2692 nm, Pdi = 0.6 and ζ = 46, while Ultra-Turrax, 5 min produced submicron particles (537 nm, PdI = 0.6). The percentage yield was approximately 50%, which is very satisfactory considering the impossibility of encapsulating 5ASA using other methods. FTIR showed the covalent interaction of chitosan and genipin. The drug release was rapid in acidic fluid, but in neutral pH a slower release was obtained in the initial stage, followed by rapid release, which may ensure the controlled release of 5ASA in the colon.
Schisandrin B for the treatment of male infertility

The decline of male fertility and its consequences on human populations are important public-health issues. However, there are limited choices for treatment of male infertility. In an attempt to identify a compound that could promote male fertility, we identified and characterized a library of small molecules from an ancient formulation Wuzi Yanzong-Pill, which was used as a folk medicine since the Tang dynasty of China. We found that SB enabled evident repairs in oligoasthenospermia-associated testicular tissue abnormality and in spermatogenesis disruption, resulting in significant improvements of sperm count, mobility, and reproductive ability in oligoasthenospermia mice. Furthermore, SB could alter substantial testicular genes (2033), among which, upregulation of Fst while downregulation of Inhba involved in reproductive signaling pathway could explain its role in enhancing spermatogenesis. The encouraging preclinical data with pharmacokinetics warranted a rapid development of this new class of therapeutic agent. Our finding provides a strong potent drug for treatment of male infertility.
Evaluating the accuracy of satellite-derived sugarcane canopy cover estimates for two diverse production regions in South Africa for potential use in crop estimation.

Accurate sugarcane yield and production estimates are needed to optimise operational and resource use efficiencies along the supply chain. The South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI) uses the Canesim crop forecasting system (CCFS) to simulate sugarcane production as affected by the climatic potential and, where applicable, irrigation water supply (Bezuidenhout and Singels, 2007). Practical considerations require that assumptions be made regarding important input factors such as local weather conditions, soil properties, agronomic management and crop and soil health. A possible solution to fill these information gaps is to incorporate remotely sensed (RS) indicators of crop status into weather-based simulations (Morel et al., 2014; Moulin et al., 1998). This has become more feasible as the resolution of these data improve and costs decline over time. Jarmain et al. (2014) improved the accuracy of CCFS yield estimates by up to 8.5% by using RS surface energy balance and crop canopy information. Other studies (e.g. Bappel et al., 2005, Morel et al., 2014) have also shown that correcting sugarcane canopy simulations with SPOT information can significantly improve yield predictions. These examples made use of the strong relationship between fractional interception of photosynthetically active radiation (FIPAR) by green leaves and RS vegetation indices (VIs) such as the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI). However, these relationships can be influenced by atmospheric factors, canopy and soil conditions (Rahman and Lamb, 2017). The source of the satellite imagery from which VI is derived also affects the relationship. This may restrict the application of a single generic FIPAR-VI relationship to large areas where crops are grown under diverse conditions as is the case with sugarcane production in South Africa, hence the need to derive and test FIPAR-VI relationships in different regions.
Performance measurement of community education services: A case study of public service delivery in Forth Ward, Edinburgh

Performance measurement within public services is a key feature of the literature but at ward level it has been an under-studied concept. This thesis presents research within a ward with deprived and affluent areas, focusing on community education service provision and the part performance measurement plays in it. The literature shows the importance of community education services in deprived areas to empower residents. They have the potential to impact positively on the lives of individuals and communities. Performance measurement is meant to ensure the delivery of value for money, quality services but it can instead be a barrier. In subjective areas like community education, measurement is difficult. The primary research was conducted in a qualitative case study. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews with ward stakeholders. The key findings identify constraints surrounding performance measurement in subjective services. While there was increased emphasis on measuring performance the value of such procedures was questioned. Performance measurement practices did not necessarily lead to improved service outcomes. The findings uncovered many specifics concerning both the process and the context. As community education was credited with reducing public service dependence by supporting self-reliance, dedication to such services was seen as necessary. Changes were needed, in performance measurement and more broadly, as there was a risk that the sector would not be able to operate soon. Despite the various representative bodies, effective local input, which was needed, had yet to be achieved. The findings draw out real issues with potentially serious implications. They highlight how the public service provision might be improved at the most micro level of democracy, the ward, where citizens experience first-hand public services. The research could therefore be of value to policy-makers and those responsible for service provision.
Use of UAV's and geophysical prospection as a way to promote prehistorical archaeological heritage

Luís GONÇALVES, Institute of Earth Sciences, Pole of the University of Minho, Earth Sciences Department, Portugal Renato HENRIQUES, Institute of Earth Sciences, Pole of the University of Minho, Earth Sciences Department, Portugal Luciano VILAS BOAS, Independent Researcher, Portugal Ana MS BETTENCOURT, Landscapes, Heritage and Territory Laboratory (LAB2PT), Department of History, University of Minho, Portugal,
Readiness of Agriculture Undergraduates Towards English Workplace Communication: An Evaluation

According to the CareerEDGE Development Profile, employability skills and graduate readiness refer to the subject knowledge, generic skills, employment experience, and also emotional intelligence. Many higher education institutions are aware of the importance of preparing their students for employment. The employment rate reflects the institutions’ credibility since logically education increases productivity and this relates to job performance. This present research was conducted to evaluate undergraduates’ knowledge and readiness towards workplace communication. It focuses on generic writing skills as well as language skills in general and also workplace documents. A survey using questionnaire was conducted among second year agriculture students taking English for Employment module at a public university in Malaysia. The results indicated that graduates are aware of most of the generic and language skills required but some are not confident of their abilities. The result from this research will benefit academics who are teaching finishing schools or courses related to preparing undergraduates for the workplace.
Türkiye'nin Bilimsel Yayınlarının Sosyal Ağ Analizi Yöntemiyle Değerlendirilmesi

Bilim insanlari yaptiklari calismalarin sonuclarini genis kesimlere duyurabilmek icin arastirma sonuclarini yayimlamaktadir. Yayimlanan calismalarin etkinligi bibliyometrik arastirmalarla olculmekte ve niteliksel olarak sorgulanmaktadir. Arastirma degerlendirme calismalari ile disiplinlere ozgu yayin yapma egilimleri ortaya cikmakta, kisiler, kurumlar ya da ulkeler arasinda karsilastirmalar yapilmakta, ulkelerin veya kurumlarin bilimsel yayin politikalari sekillenmektedir. Ayni zamanda arastirma degerlendirme calismalari neyin arastirma yapmaya deger oldugunu ve bilim camiasinin nelere deger verdigini gostermektedir.Bu projenin amaci Turkiye’nin atif dizinleri kapsamindaki bilimsel yayinlarini bibliyometrik ozellikleri acisindan incelemek, sosyal ag analizi araciligiyla yazarlar, kurumlar ve ulkeler arasindaki iliskileri ortaya cikarmaktir. Sosyal ag analizi bircok disiplin tarafindan siklikla kullanilan bir yontem olup, topluluklarin yapisini incelemek, ag yapilarini betimlemek ve topluluklar arasinda kolayca gozlemlenemeyen iliskileri gorsellestirerek var olan baglantilari modellemek icin kullanilmaktadir. Proje kapsaminda ayrica, Turkiye’nin ortak yayin faaliyetinde bulundugu ulkeler, kurumlararasi isbirlikleri, ortak atif yapilan dergiler de incelenmistir. Arastirmayi gerceklestirmek amaciyla ilk olarak Web of Knowledgeicerisinde yer alan Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Indexve Arts & Humanities Citation Indexveri tabanlarindaki Turkiye adresli yayinlar elde edilmistir. Soz konusu yayinlar elde edildikten sonra degerlendirmelerin saglikli bir sekilde yapilabilmesi icin kapsamli bir veri temizleme islemi gerceklestirilmistir. Veri temizleme isleminde yaklasik 200.000 kayda ait adres, yayin yili, yayin turugibi bilgilerinfarkli tekniklerle dogrulamasi yapilmistir. Bu tip projelerdedogru sonuclar elde edebilmek icinyapilmasi zorunlu olan veri temizleme islemi oldukca fazla zaman almaktadir.Calismamizda da veri temizleme sureci boyunca farkli yazilimlardan yararlanilmis, cesitli makrolar yazilarakveri tabani kaynakli hatalar duzeltilmistir. Olasi hatalarin saptanip veri setinin tam ve dogru sekilde olusturulmasinda bilgisayar yardiminin yani sira gozle yapilan kontrollerin onemi buyuktur. Bu nedenle proje calisanlari projeye ayirdiklari zamanlarinin onemli bir kismini soz konusu verileri kontrol etmekle gecirmislerdir.Bu proje Turkiye’nin uluslararasi literaturdekiyayinlarina iliskin simdiye kadar yapilmis en kapsamli analiz sonuclarini icermektedir. Veri kaynagi olarak atif dizinlerinin kullanildigi calismalarda genellikle yuzeysel degerlendirmeler on plana cikmaktadir. Bu calisma ile Turkiye’nin bilimsel yayin yapma surecindeki egilimi ve farkli disiplinlerdeki bilimsel iletisimin ne sekilde gerceklestirildigi konulari uzunlamasina arastirilmistir. Proje sonucunda elde edilen bulgular ile kisi ve ve kurumlarin bilimsel yayin politikasina yonelik saglikli kararlar alabilmesi icin gerekli olan arka plan bilgiler elde edilmistir.
Self‐Propelled Tags for Protein Detection

Protein detection is of tremendous significance for biological and biomedical sciences. Because there is no equivalent of polymerase chain reaction available as a tool for protein detection, researchers must rely on tags to enhance the limits of detection. One of the crucial steps is the actual labeling of proteins, which relies on diffusion of the label, which is very slow, or external mixing of the label and protein is needed. Here, a conceptually new approach is demonstrated: self‐propelled tags that autonomously move in the solution and enhance protein detection. The tags used here are based on IrO2/Pt bilayer microtubules, which can self‐propel and act as moving tags for enhanced protein electrochemical detection. This completely new label‐based protein detection concept using self‐propelled tag will find a wide spectrum of applications.
Sarcopenia, Relative Sarcopenia and Excess Adiposity in Chronic Kidney Disease

Conventional definitions of sarcopenia based on lean mass fail to capture low lean mass relative to fat mass, i.e., relative sarcopenia. Unlike percent body fat (%BF) and Quételet's (body mass) index (BMI, kg/m2), definitions of obesity based on fat mass index (FMI, kg/m2) are not confounded by lean mass. The objective is to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia, relative sarcopenia, and obesity in CKD, and determine if CKD is associated with relative sarcopenia and obesity, independent of demographics and comorbidities.
A Two-Stage Buck–Boost Integrated LLC Converter With Extended ZVS Range and Reduced Conduction Loss for High-Frequency and High-Efficiency Applications

Two-stage cascade architecture is widely used in the modular power supply applications. In order to reduce the additional component number caused by the cascading structure, the power switch integration technique is proposed in numerous literature studies. However, the power switch integration leads to both the efficiency degradation and the abnormal gain of the stage employed. In this article, the four-switch noninverting buck–boost converter is merged with the LLC resonant converter. The proposed integration method has no awful influence on the efficiency and the gain of the LLC stage. Meanwhile, the soft switch capability of the integrated bridge can be enhanced due to the accumulation of the two currents of the buck–boost stage and the LLC stage during dead time. Moreover, the current of the two-stage will commutate to cancel out with each other during the conduction period, reducing the conduction loss and improving the overall efficiency. The benefits of the integrated bridge make the proposed converter appropriate for the high-frequency and high-efficiency application. Finally, a 720-W 1-MHz prototype is built to prove the performance of the proposed converter. The prototype achieves a peak efficiency of 96.4% and the input voltage range of 250–420 V.