Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Construction, validation and reliability of an instrument for evaluation and evolution of chronic wounds

construct and validate an instrument for evaluation and evolution of chronic wounds. The content and apparent validities were appreciated by experts, the reliability by the analysis of concordance between evaluators using the interclass correlation coefficient and to verify the construct validity was used the instrument Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing. the analysis of the scores of the instrument by the ICC showed an excellent and significant correlation (K = 0.914) and to verify the construct validity of the instrument, the Pearson correlation coefficient, whose result was 0.573, showed a statistically significant and strong correlation between the scores instrument and the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing. Most of the concordances of the items were classified as moderate or substantial. The instrument is valid and reliable. It is suggest longitudinal studies in larger populations, semantic validation in a sample of nurses, and an illustrative guide to standardize concepts in order to improve the evaluation of metric properties.
Distinguishing interacting dark energy from wCDM with CMB, lensing, and baryon acoustic oscillation data

We employ the Planck 2013 CMB temperature anisotropy and lensing data, and baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) data to constrain a phenomenological wCDM model, where dark matter and dark energy interact. We assume time-dependent equation of state parameter for dark energy, and treat dark matter and dark energy as fluids whose energy-exchange rate is proportional to the dark-matter density. The CMB data alone leave a strong degeneracy between the interaction rate and the physical CDM density parameter today, ωc, allowing a large interaction rate |Γ| ∼ H0. However, as has been known for a while, the BAO data break this degeneracy. Moreover, we exploit the CMB lensing potential likelihood, which probes the matter perturbations at redshift z ∼ 2 and is very sensitive to the growth of structure, and hence one of the tools for discerning between the ΛCDM model and its alternatives. However, we find that in the non-phantom models (wde>−1), the constraints remain unchanged by the inclusion of the lensing data and consistent with zero interaction, −0.14 < Γ/H0 < 0.02 at 95% CL. On the contrary, in the phantom models (wde<−1), energy transfer from dark energy to dark matter is moderately favoured over the non-interacting model; 0−0.57 < Γ/H0 < −0.1 at 95% CL with CMB+BAO, while addition of the lensing data shifts this to −0.46 < Γ/H0 < −0.01.
og walkers ’ vs . other park visitors ’ perceptions : The importance of planning ustainable urban parks in Bucharest , Romania ristian

Society consumption models have changed significantly and are now oriented towards fulfilling stronger sustainability requirements and following the demand for better living standards. In this respect, companion animals are a common presence in households in large urban areas. The number of companion animals is increasing in Bucharest (38.7 animals per 100 households). This tendency has caused notable changes in urban parks. To evaluate the way urban parks had to be adapted to this tendency, 5240 questionnaires were addressed to the visitors of 28 parks in Bucharest. Out of the total respondents, 7.5% were frequenting the parks to walk their pet dogs. The differences between the dog walkers and the other visitor’s profiles were evaluated through compositional analysis. Two well-defined groups of visitors were observed when considering motivation, length and frequency of the visit. In most of Bucharest’s urban
Bisimulation-based Structural Summaries of Large Graphs by Shahan Khatchadourian

Bisimulation-based Structural Summaries of Large Graphs Shahan Khatchadourian Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Computer Science University of Toronto 2016 With an increasing number of heterogeneous entity descriptions available as large graphs that grow to millions of nodes and billions of edges, it is a challenge to understand, explore, and query these large graphs. Bisimulation-based structural summaries have often been used as a compact representation of the dataset that can improve query performance. However, current bisimulation summary construction techniques for large graphs do not scale and do not facilitate the use of summaries within existing systems. We address these challenges with three contributions. First, we describe bisimulation summary construction techniques for large graphs that leverage a novel singleton optimization which drastically reduces construction time. Second, we show how structural summaries can be used to improve query performance within existing RDF systems. Third, we give an ontology for describing structural summaries as RDF that enables their use and verification with existing RDF tools. Our work also demonstrates that the S+EPPs system, built on top of existing RDF processors, is an efficient, scalable, and flexible approach to exploring and querying large graphs using bisimulation-based structural summaries.
Morphological and molecular characterization of Stigonema jureiensis sp. nov. (Nostocales, Cyanobacteria) from the Atlantic Rainforest, São Paulo, Brazil

Tropical regions are considered hotspots of biodiversity, and the genus Stigonema has been underexplored in all world, mainly due to the difficulties of culturing. In this study, we sequenced the 16S rRNA gene of a natural Stigonema population from the tropical Atlantic Rainforest (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and describe S. jureiensis sp. nov. based on phylogenetic and morphological data. For the molecular analysis, the genomic DNA was isolated from aliquots of the population, which were previously manually cleaned under a microscope, using a point-tapered Pasteur pipette to remove other organisms and debris. For morphological analysis, 30 individuals were analyzed and photographed using microscope. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies support S. jureiensis as a new species, and morphological analysis revealed the presence of a special type of mosaic ornate sheaths.
Preparation of Unidirectional Carbon Fiber Preform for Aluminium Matrix Composites

The unidirectional carbon fiber (CF) preform for carbon fiber reinforced aluminium (CF/Al) composites has been investigated in terms of the fabrication condition and the strength property. The CF preform which consists of CFs and Cu particles was fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process with different fabrication temperatures. In order to determine the infiltration pressure of molten Al to the CF preform, the compression test was performed to the CF preform. The unidirectional CF preform by SPS process was well formed with the fabrication temperature condition at 1123 K in accordance with the formation of Cu particle bridging between fibers and Cu deposition on fibers. The compression strength of the CF preform increased with increasing fabrication temperature. Besides, the CF preform was deformed such as fiber micro-buckling or fiber kinking phenomena over the maximum compression strength. The infiltration pressure of the molten Al can be decided under the maximum compression strength. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.L-MZ201110]
Changes in Conflict Resolution Style over Time: The Risk for Persons with Alzheimer's Dementia

Background: Elder mistreatment is a serious issue affecting between 300,000 and 800,000 older adults. Elder mistreatment has serious consequences for older adults and can include immunological dysfunction, increased mortality and emotional difficulties such as depression, feelings of inadequacy and self-contempt. Sub-groups such as persons with Alzheimer’s disease have heightened risk for elder mistreatment, but it is not clear whether this heightened risk represents life-long patterns of abuse between persons or whether they represent a change in conflict style over time as a result of changes associated with dementia. Methods: Data analyzed in this study were collected as part of the Aggression and Violence in Community Based Alzheimer’s Study [AV-CAD] and represents patient caregiver/dyads who received care at one of five state funded medical clinics or who belonged to one of three local chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association. Data were collected via in-person interview and mailed survey, and changes in conflict resolution style (reasoning, verbal aggression and violence) pre and post dementia were measured using the Conflict Tactic Scale (CTS) and analyzed using McNemar’s Test. Results: Reasoning was used as a conflict resolution style in 91.4% of caregivers and 89.3% of elders prior to the onset of dementia and in 66.3% of caregivers and 45.3% of elders in the past year (post dementia diagnosis). Reasoning in the post dementia period was significantly related to use of reasoning in the pre dementia period for caregivers (X2=7.47, p=.0032) and approached significance for elders (X2=6.00; p=.057). Use of verbal aggression (VA) and violence (V) as a conflict resolution style post dementia was higher for both caregivers (VA: 59.3%; V: 16.8%) and elders (VA: 68.7%; V: 24%), but was not significantly related to behaviors in the pre-dementia period for caregivers (V: X2=1.55, p=.536; VA: X2=0.67, p=.528) or elders (V: X2=0.54, p=.628; VA: X2=0.43, p=.621) Conclusions: This study lends support to the idea that elder abuse in a large number of persons with Alzheimer’s disease may be in part a result of the etiology of the disease and is susceptible over time. Implications for policy, practice and future research are discussed.
Livelihood Strategies, Shocks and Coping Mechanisms among Rural Households in Southern Zambia

The main objectives of this study were to document the level of access to assets; the livelihood strategies utilized; the shocks or risks faced and the coping mechanisms utilized by rural households in southern Zambia. Data was collected from 350 randomly chosen households in Monze and Kalomo districts. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from the survey was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that distribution of livelihood assets in the study area are skewed by wealth showing that the majority of the production resources are owned by a few (27%) of the well-endowed households who owned more key assets like livestock and had greater access to land as compared to the poor. The results also showed that the households are diversifying their livelihood strategies among different asset combinations and activities. Crop farming, livestock rearing and petty trading are some of the major livelihood strategies being employed. Rainfall variability as manifested in droughts and erratic rainfall patterns was identified as a major shock and the most critical source of risk and vulnerability which has been causing frequent production losses and seasonal food shortages among the households. The households are engaging in various activities to cope with the various stresses and shocks. Livestock selling was one of the most effective strategies to ameliorate hunger. However the livestock herds have been dwindling in the past two decades due to disease outbreaks. Households are also depending more on food aid than in any other activity for survival.
Optimal Velocity Profile Generation for Semi-Autonomous Vehicles

This work describes the optimization of velocity profiles for the usage in (semi-) autonomous driving. The focus of the optimization lies on the trade-off between time and energy optimal velocity profiles. This trade-off can be directly chosen by the driver. With help of a dynamic programming framework the global optimum of the complex optimization with nonlinear constraints based on the vehicles physical limits is found. The velocity profile generation together with an online path planner serves as an input to the vehicle’s path following control, allowing for automated driving. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown via numerical simulations.
An exact consumption rule with stochastic income and liquidity constraints

This model provides a closed form solution to the problem of liquidity constrained consumption with stochastic income. To keep the model tractable we employ a quadratic utility function. Income follows a geometric Brownian motion. The analytical solution exhibits a smooth, non linear, relation between consumption and income along the optimizing path even when the constraint binds. This outcome confirms the assertions in the literature that even liquidity constrained consumers may satisfy the standard Euler equation. But, in our model this result emerges from the analytical solution. I thank Enrico Saltari and Martin Forster for useful comments and suggestions. I wish also to thank an anonymous referee. I thank MIUR (Italy) for financial support (Prin 2005). All errors and omissions remain my own. Citation: Giuseppe, Travaglini, (2008) "An exact consumption rule with liquidity constraints and stochastic income. " Economics Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 5 pp. 1-9 Submitted: January 23, 2008. Accepted: February 14, 2008. URL: http://economicsbulletin.vanderbilt. edu/2008/volume5/EB-08E20001A.pdf
Large-Scale Features of the Radio Sky and a Model for Loop I

The large-scale radio/microwave sky has been mapped over a range of frequencies from tens of MHz to tens of GHz, in intensity and polarization. The emission is primarily synchrotron radiation from cosmic ray electrons spiralling in the Galactic magnetic field, in addition to free–free radiation from warm ionized gas. Away from the Galactic plane, the radio sky is dominated by very large (tens of degrees) loops, arcs, spurs and filaments, including the well-known North Polar Spur (NPS), which forms part of Loop I with a diameter of ∼ 120 ∘ . In polarization data, such features are often more discernible due to their high polarization fractions suggesting ordered magnetic fields, while the polarization angles suggest fields that are parallel to the filament. The exact nature of these features are poorly understood. We give a brief review of these features, focussing on the NPS/Loop I, whose polarization directions can be explained using a simple expanding shell model, placing the centre of the shell at a distance of ∼100–200 pc. However, there is significant evidence for a larger distance in the range ∼500–1000 pc, while larger distances including the Galactic Centre are unlikely. We also briefly discuss other large-scale curiosities in the radio sky such as the microwave haze and anti-correlation of H α filaments and synchrotron polarized intensity.
Effects on Plant Growth and Reproduction of a Peach R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor Overexpressed in Tobacco

In plants, anthocyanin production is controlled by MYB and bHLH transcription factors. In peach, among the members of these families, MYB10.1 and bHLH3 have been shown to be the most important genes for production of these pigments during fruit ripening. Anthocyanins are valuable molecules, and the overexpression of regulatory genes in annual fast-growing plants has been explored for their biotechnological production. The overexpression of peach MYB10.1 in tobacco plants induced anthocyanin pigmentation, which was particularly strong in the reproductive parts. Pigment production was the result of an up-regulation of the expression level of key genes of the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, such as NtCHS, NtCHI, NtF3H, NtDFR, NtANS, and NtUFGT, as well as of the proanthocyanidin biosynthetic pathway such as NtLAR. Nevertheless, phenotypic alterations in transgenic tobacco lines were not only limited to anthocyanin production. Lines showing a strong phenotype (type I) exhibited irregular leaf shape and size and reduced plant height. Moreover, flowers had reduced length of anther’s filament, nondehiscent anthers, reduced pistil length, aborted nectary glands, and impaired capsule development, but the reproductive parts including androecium, gynoecium, and petals were more pigmented that in wild type. Surprisingly, overexpression of peach MYB10.1 led to suppression of NtMYB305, which is required for floral development and, of one of its target genes, NECTARIN1 (NtNCE1), involved in the nectary gland formation. MYB10.1 overexpression up-regulated JA biosynthetic (NtAOS) and signaling (NtJAZd) genes, as well as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase (NtACO) in flowers. The alteration of these hormonal pathways might be among the causes of the observed floral abnormalities with defects in both male and female gametophyte development. In particular, approximately only 30% of pollen grains of type I lines were viable, while during megaspore formation, there was a block during FG1 (St3-II). This block seemed to be associated to an excessive accumulation of callose. It can be concluded that the overexpression of peach MYB10.1 in tobacco not only regulates flavonoid biosynthesis (anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin) in the reproductive parts but also plays a role in other processes such as vegetative and reproductive development.
Assessment the Effect of Free Trade Agreements on Exports of Lao PDR

This research paper focuses on estimating the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) between Lao PDR and 32 trading partners. The panel gravity model has been applied over the period of 1996-2011. The overall findings indicate that the preferential utilization is relatively low and is highly concentrated in natural resource products. Since most exporters have difficulty complying with the various local content requirements, the information of preferential utilization is limited, lack of export diversification and the quality of goods cannot meet the standard requirements. The results of the gravity model suggest that a reduction of import tariffs based on World Trade Organization commitment has strongly supported trade creation, while several FTAs made with major trading partners are a vital factor to support export growth. The findings suggest Lao’s exports under preferences and generalized system of preferences (GSP) treatment would increase trade volume on average by 50% more than those partners who neither have FTAs nor GSP.
Melt electrowritten scaffolds with bone-inspired fibrous and mineral architectures to enhance BMP2 delivery and human MSC osteogenesis

Material micro-architecture and chemistry play pivotal roles in driving cell behaviour. Bone at a cellular level consists of arranged fibres with a cross-fibrillar mineral phase made up of curved nano-sized needle shaped crystals. This nano-structured mineral architecture can bind and stabilise proteins within bone for centuries and thus holds promise as a strategy for therapeutic delivery in regenerative medicine. Herein, we use melt electrowriting (MEW) technology to create fibrous 3D PCL micro-architectures. These scaffolds were further modified with an extrafibrillar coating of plate shaped micron-sized calcium phosphate crystals (pHA), or with a novel extrafibrillar coating of needle shaped nano-sized crystals (nnHA). A third scaffold was developed whereby nano-sized crystals were placed intrafibrillarly during the MEW process (iHA). X-ray diffraction revealed altered crystal structure and crystallinity between groups, with hydroxyapatite (HA) being the primary phase in all modifications. Water contact angle was investigated revealing increased hydrophilicity with extrafibrillar coatings, while tensile testing revealed enhanced stiffness in scaffolds fabricated with intrafibrillar HA. Biological characterisation demonstrated significantly enhanced human stem/stromal cell mineralisation with extrafibrillar coatings, with a 5-fold increase in mineral deposition with plate like structures and a 14-fold increase with a needle topography, demonstrating the importance of bone mimetic architectures. Given the protein stabilising properties of mineral, these materials were further functionalised with BMP2. Extrafibrillar coatings of nano-needles facilitated a controlled release of BMP2 from the scaffold which further enhanced mineral deposition by osteoprogenitors. This study thus outlines a method for fabricating scaffolds with precise fibrous micro-architectures and bone mimetic nano-needle HA extrafibrillar coatings which significantly enhance mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) osteogenesis and therapeutic delivery and thus hold great promise for bone tissue regeneration.
Sheep market integration in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

This study examines the existence of the spatial market integration of the different pairs of sheep markets in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Using modern time series econometric technique, uncovered compelling pieces of evidence of strong steady state linkages of the various pair-wise combinations of the sampled CRV markets, with only an insignificant few segregated routes. The main conclusion of the study is that despite the geographic segregation of the sheep markets and the presence of fragmented and often inefficient distribution system, price signals and other market information are transmitted efficiently across the markets, thus negating the potential occurrences of unexploited arbitrage opportunities.
Patterns of differentiation in the life history and demography of four recently described species of the
 Brachionus calyciflorus
 cryptic species complex

Brachionus calyciflorus is arguably the most studied freshwater monogonont rotifer. Although it has been recognised as a cryptic species complex for more than a decade, a formal (re‐)description of the four species known so far (B. calyciflorus, Brachionus dorcas, Brachionus elevatus, and Brachionus fernandoi) has only recently been made. Information on the ecology of these species is very scant and fragmented. The aim of this study was to test for ecological divergence between these four species, specifically their life history strategy and population demography. We conducted a life history experiment using 12–16 genotypes per species. For each species, genotypes were extracted from at least three different natural populations. In addition, we performed population‐level culture experiments with the aim to compare population growth rates and demographic structure of experimental populations among species. Finally, we searched the literature for life history studies with molecular data allowing retrospective species identification. We found pronounced differences in life history traits between B. fernandoi and the other three species. B. fernandoi had higher egg and juvenile development times and a lower egg production rate and mictic ratio. We detected no significant life history differences among B. calyciflorus, B. elevatus, and B. dorcas. Population growth rates of B. fernandoi and B. calyciflorus were higher than those of B. elevatus and B. dorcas. Life history divergence resulted in marked differences in the demographic structure of populations. Populations of B. fernandoi contained larger fractions of pre‐reproductive females and lower fractions of adult females with sexual eggs than populations of B. calyciflorus, B. elevatus, and B. dorcas. Mortality was found to be highest in B. elevatus and lowest in B. calyciflorus populations. Our results show that a reverse taxonomy approach is powerful in revealing sources of variation in ecologically relevant traits of cryptic species, such as life history and demographic structure. Explicit consideration of this variation is crucial for future studies of their dynamics in natural communities.