Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A case of multiple cutaneous lesions due to Serratia marcescens in an immunocompromised patient

Introduction: Serratia marcescens is an opportunistic Gram-negative bacillus capable of causing serious nosocomial infection. Skin infections due to S. marcescens, although not frequently encountered, can have a variety of manifestations and may progress to become serious debilitating lesions if not diagnosed early and treated promptly. We report here a case of multiple skin lesions due to S. marcescens in an immunocompromised patient. Case presentation: A 60-year-old patient on adjuvant chemotherapy for breast carcinoma developed a high fever followed by multiple painful nodular and ulcerated lesions over all four limbs. Multidrug-resistant S. marcescens was isolated from the blood as well as from several skin lesions. Removal of the infective source (a chemoport in this case) and administration of tigecycline resulted in resolution of the infection. Conclusion: S. marcescens is a nosocomial pathogen capable of causing extensive cutaneous lesions. Multiple samples for culture from the lesions are recommended to identify the aetiological agent and institute appropriate antibiotics. The emergence of multidrug-resistant strains has compromised treatment options for this bacterium, which is intrinsically resistant to several groups of antibiotics.
The role of the rhizosphere microbial community in plant chemistry and aphid herbivory in Brassica oleracea

Soil microbial communities can influence plant productivity, chemistry and even diversity. Intensive farming practices have caused widespread soil degradation, raising concerns regarding soil health and need for sustainable agriculture. Although soil microbe-plant interactions have been extensively studied, the relationships between soil microbial communities and higher trophic levels, such as herbivorous insects, are poorly understood. This thesis reports the findings of a series of mesocosm experiments which used a model system of Derby Day cabbages (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata), peach-potato aphids (Myzus persicae), and soil sourced from an agricultural field site. Firstly, I conducted an exploratory study of the soil microbial community response to different fertiliser regimes and cabbage growth using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) of the 16S rRNA gene. This was complemented by concomitant measurements of the plant and aphid performance in order to identify potential soil-plant-insect relationships. The results revealed that the diversity and composition of bacterial communities were more strongly influenced by the cabbage age and fertiliser treatment than aphid herbivory. Several bacteria exhibited enhanced abundance in rhizosphere of older cabbages, including sulphur-oxidising bacteria (SOB) of the Thiobacillus genus. A member of this genus was then selected as an inoculant in the subsequent experiment to test its plant growth promoting potential for B. oleracea. Brassica plants produce a class of secondary metabolites called glucosinolates, which have multiple beneficial properties including anti-herbivory and anti-carcinogenic attributes. As this compound is rich in sulphur (S), it was hypothesised that soil inoculation with the SOB Thiobacillus thioparus may enhance glucosinolate production in B. oleracea, thereby improving its defence against aphid feeding. Analysis revealed a promotional effect of enhanced SOB populations on glucosinolate content of leaves. Although an accompanying significant effect on aphid populations was not detected, this experiment shows the potential for the modulation of plant chemical defences by the soil microbial community.
Security and Privacy in RFID Applications

RFID technology raises a number of security and privacy concerns, which may substantially limit its deployment and reduce potential benefits. Public consultations led by the European Commission with citizens, RFID manufacturers, system integrators, academic institutions and public bodies confirm that privacy and security is a major concern (www.rfidconsultation.eu). Features which make RFID especially vulnerable among information systems are: 1. Wireless transmission between tag and reader: Most of the attacks on RFID systems described in the next part of this chapter exploit the air interface. 2. The limited resources of the tag: The low power supply and small memory of low-cost passive tags limit the extent to which security measures can be applied. 3. The small size of tags: RFID tags can be almost invisible,1 which allows them to be attached to items carried by people without their consent or even their knowledge. The most common threat is unauthorised access to the data stored on the tag or sent via the air interface. Attackers can achieve this either by reading the tag with an unauthorized reader (rogue scanning) or by eavesdropping on a legitimate communication. Access to the data on the tag is a threat in itself, but it can also be the first step to other types of attack. For example, in a replay attack, the attacker repeats the authentication sequence captured when it was emitted by an authorized tag, and in this way he may usurp the identity of another person. The attacker can also make a duplicate of the tag, with has the same functionality. Another threat is the malicious modification of the memory content of the RFID tag, with a view to changing attributes reported by the tag or using the tag as a carrier of malware. Denial of service can be avoided by blocking (putting the anti-collision protocol in a practically infinite loop) and frequency jamming. By reverse engineering and side channel attack, the attacker may discover algorithms and data on the tag (including the cryptographic key). Moreover,
The Autoimmune Diseases Pathogenesis and Prophylaxis

Epidemics of infectious diseases, such as the great plague of London, partly erased by the great fire, were of mysterious origin until Louis Pasteur (Figure 1) introduced the correct Germ Theory of Disease [1], in opposition to the prevailing theory that life was generated spontaneously in decaying organic matter. Lionel Whitby [2] initiated brilliant study of medical bacteriology, which was carried on by others as described by Baron [3], producing amazingly detailed knowledge of Microbiology.
Bilateral Market Structures and Regulatory Policies in International Telephone Markets

We develop models of bilateral oligopoly with traffic exchanges to study the competition and regulatory policies in the international telephone markets. Under the requirement of uniform settlement rates, the proportional return rule (PRR) inflates the rates and hence neutralizes PRR's effect on calling prices. Retail competition and PRR increase net settlement payments. Market efficiency is improved when there are multiple channels for traffic exchanges. Using a panel of 47 countries that exchanged traffic with the United States between 1992 and 2004, we test the effects of bilateral market structures and the U.S. policies. The empirical results support our theoretical findings.
Seasonal Variability of Northern Hemisphere Snow Extent Using Visible Satellite Data

In this paper we use a satellite-derived data set to explore spatial and temporal variations of snow extent across Northern Hemisphere continents during the last three decades. These weekly visible-wavelength satellite maps of Northern Hemisphere snow extent produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration constitute the longest consistently-derived satellite record of any environmental variable. We document the considerable intra-annual variability of snow extent, and show that during each month, fluctuations over relatively small areas are responsible for the majority of the year-to-year variability. Regions that cover less than 6% of Northern Hemisphere lands north of 20°N explain 62%–92% of the interannual variance across the continents. On average, snow was more extensive across both Eurasia and North America from the 1970s to middle 1980s than during the late 1980s to late 1990s. During late winter, spring and summer, snow extent has decreased since the middle 1980s, while during fall to middle winter, snow extent has remained relatively constant. Accurate information on continental snow extent is critical for weather and hydrologic forecasting; for understanding hemispheric-scale atmospheric circulation, thermal variations, and regional snow extent; and for using snow as a credible indicator of climate variability and change.
Structural GARCH: The Volatility-Leverage Connection

We propose a new model of volatility where financial leverage amplifies equity volatility by what we call the "leverage multiplier. " The exact specification is motivated by standard structural models of credit; however, our parametrization departs from the classic Merton (1974) model and can accommodate environments where the firm's asset volatility is stochastic, asset returns can jump, and asset shocks are nonnormal. In addition, our specification nests both a standard GARCH and the Merton model, which allows for a statistical test of how leverage interacts with equity volatility. Empirically, the Structural GARCH model outperforms a standard asymmetric GARCH model for approximately 74 percent of the financial firms we analyze. We then apply the Structural GARCH model to two empirical applications: the leverage effect and systemic risk measurement. As a part of our systemic risk analysis, we define a new measure called "precautionary capital" that uses our model to quantify the advantages of regulation aimed at reducing financial firm leverage.
ES Cell Differentiation as a Model to Study Cell Biological Regulation of Vascular Development

The organized vascular system is established through three successive steps, vasculogenesis, angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Vasculogenesis is the initiation of nascent embryonic vessel formation by the differentiation of mesoderm-derived angioblasts into endothelial cells. The nascent primitive vascular plexus then expands and reorganizes into hierarchical vascular structures by the process of angiogenesis, which involves sprouting, bridging, and intussusceptive division of preexisting vessels. Vascular smooth muscle cells are then recruited to the vessels and the highly organized mature vascular system is established after vascular remodeling. By using gene disruption strategies, a number of molecules have been identified as being involved in the development of the vascular system. These identified molecules include transcription factors, cell adhesion molecules, secretory molecules and their receptors, of which deprivation lead to failure of angiogenesis and/ or vascular remodeling in most cases. Despite the substantial expansion of the list of molecules that are essential for angiogenesis, we do not yet understand sufficiently how these molecules regulate the discrete processes of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling. Indeed, we know very little how normal endothelial cells behave in response to various angiogenic stimuli and cooperate to generate blood vessels during embryogenesis. It is critically important to establish an experimental model to study the functions of key molecules at the cellular level by monitoring the behavior of normal endothelial cells involving in angiogenesis. In vitro differentiation systems of embryonic stem (ES) cells have been serving as an excellent experimental maneuver of developmental biology since Doetschman et al. reported that hematopoietic cells were generated in vitro from ES cells (Doetschman et al., 1985). The ES cell differentiation systems have three important features. First, as differentiation of cells and tissues takes place in a culture dish instead of uterus, the process of differentiation can be directly monitored. Second, intermediate stages of differentiation can be identified and isolated as a cell population. Third, cell differentiation and proliferation can be controlled by either adding exogenous signaling molecules, introducing exogenous genes or modifying endogenous genes. Following the pioneering report of angiogenic differentiation from mouse ES cells engrafted onto quail chorioallantoic membrane (Risau et al., 1988), in vitro derivation of vascular endothelial cells from ES cells has a history of almost two decades (Bloch et al., 1997; Feraud et al., 2001; Vittet et al., 1996; Wang et al., 1992). These earlier studies relied upon formation of cell aggregates termed cystic embryoid bodies from ES cells, whereby real-time monitoring of cell differentiation with a high resolution was
Local structure of TiNiCu(Hf) shape memory alloys: XAFS data analysis

Abstract The extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) was applied to investigate the local structure peculiarities of TiNi-based shape memory alloys Ti50Ni25Cu25 and Ti39.2Ni24. 8Cu25Hf11. Our experimental results demonstrate that the most significant changes in local crystalline structure under martensitic transformation arise in the Ni–Cu sublattice. The static disordering of the Ti coordination shell is more significant for Ni than for Cu environment. Such a conclusion is consistent with the refined values of atomic ν-shifts from the planar center of symmetry in (010) layers which are greater for Ni atoms than for Cu.
Reliable sample sizes for estimating similarity among macroinvertebrate assemblages in tropical streams

Studies in tropical streams are relatively few, and one of the still-unresolved methodological is- sues is sample size. Adequate sample size for temperate streams cannot be extrapolated for tropical sites, be- cause of the differences in species richness and the proportions of rare species. We evaluated reliable sample size for estimation of resemblance among samples of macroinvertebrate assemblages inhabiting riffles of tropi- cal streams, using the autosimilarity approach. Sample sizes were much larger than those currently employed in tropical studies. Sampling units consisted of individuals associated with single stones (15-20 cm). Evaluations employed the Bray-Curtis index for abundance data and the equivalent Sorensen index for pre- sence-absence data. Autosimilarity curves were constructed using both sampling units and individuals. The estimation of resemblance among samples was strongly dependent upon sample size at reduced sampling ef- fort, particularly for the Bray-Curtis index. For the same sampling effort, fixed counts of individuals obtained randomly from sampling units gave better estimations of resemblance, and their similarity curves tended to stabilize earlier than those using sampling units. A minimum of 9-15 sampling units (stones) or 150-850 in- dividuals is necessary for adequate estimations of resemblance using presence-absence data, and 13-18 sam- pling units or 750-1550 individuals are required for relative abundance data in tropical streams.
Do Microloan Officers Want to Lend to the Less Advantaged? Evidence from a Choice Experiment

The mission of microfinance is generally perceived as compensation for the failure of the mainstream financial institutions to deliver access to finance to the poor. Microloan officers have significant influence on microloans allocation as they contact loan applicants and process information inside microfinance institutions (MFIs). We conduct a choice experiment with microloan officers in Burundi to determine which clients are preferred for microloan allocation and whether the less advantaged are indeed targeted. The results suggest that the allocation of microloans is slightly in favor of the less advantaged, whereas the main determinant is the quality of the applicants' business projects. Somewhat surprisingly, we find only small differences in the determinants of the targeted groups between non-profit and profit-seeking MFIs.
Web Quality Assessment Model ( Technical Report 02 / 11 )

The unprecedented volume of information presented on the Web as Linked Data and the wide variety of web users with distinct situations at their hands pose the practical difficulties when designing a quality assessment (QA) process assessing the quality of information on the Web. To that end, we propose the Web Quality Assessment (WQA) model formalizing such a QA process, which is customizable according to the information consumer’s needs – every consumer can define a set of policies, which are then, as part of the QA process, applied to the set of resources requested by him to deduce the score and, hence, the suitability of these resources. To improve the results of such QA process, the QA policies are shared among entities connected with each other in the QA social network to reinforce the number of QA policies applied during the QA process. Since the information consumer cannot use QA policies of an arbitrary entity in the QA social network, we need to define a trust model enabling to express that an entity trusts another entity (there is a trust relation between them) and propose a trust algorithm ReWA capable of deriving trust between two entities not connected with a trust relation. Since the social networks on the Web (1) can be quite huge and (2) full of intentionally or unintentionally malicious entities, the paper compares the accuracy, robustness, complexity, and scalability of the algorithm ReWA with other trust algorithms. As a result, we provide developers a solid social trust networkbased model for assessing the quality of information on the Web.
The Effect of Self-Monitoring on Organizational Citizenship Behavior-Based on the Adjustment of Leadership Style

From the staff self-monitoring, analysis of its impact on the organization Citizenship behavior, and joined the boss leadership style. The empirical results show that there is a positive correlation between self-monitoring, organization citizenship behavior and leadership style, that is, the higher the level of self-monitoring of employees, the higher the level of organizational citizenship behavior and Leadership style.
Detection of macrosegregation in a large metallic specimen using XRF

Abstract The characterisation of macroscopic chemical segregation in engineering components over length scales of many metres can be an arduous task. This report investigates the implementation of a technique that is capable of mapping long range variations in the chemical composition of metal components, without the need for extensive sample preparation. The capability of the method is optimised for large production components in a setting where process parameters such as measurement time and minimal surface preparation are of importance. Hence, a readily available hand held X-ray fluorescence instrument and analysis software are used to map macrosegregation in a low alloy steel slab.
Compressor Blade Forced Response due to Downstream Vane-Strut Potential Interaction

A blade forced response prediction system has been developed using an implicit 2D CFD solver to model the rotor blade forced response due to the static pressure distortion (potential disturbance) from the downstream stator vanes and struts. The CFD solver predicts the static pressure distortion upstream of the stator vanes and struts, which is used to calculate the induced velocity perturbation at the rotor inlet. Using the velocity perturbation and the blade’s natural frequencies and mode shapes from a finite element model, the unsteady aerodynamic modal forces and the aerodynamic damping are calculated. A modal response solution is then performed. The results show that the stator vanes cause a significant amplification of the potential disturbances due to the struts. Effects of strut and vane modifications are examined using the analysis. A vane modification with an “optimized” flow angle distribution shows that the disturbance can be greatly reduced. Recent testing of the strut modification shows exceptional correlation with the prediction.Copyright © 1993 by ASME
QR Code Based Indoor Navigation with Voice Response

: Smart phone based navigation applications are very useful in the day-to-day life. Efficient and user friendly navigation can be provided to the user by many applications available in market. Using GPS unit of the Smart phone these navigation applications provide accurate navigation for outdoor locations. But providing an accurate navigation inside a closed building is still a challenge. It has become very difficult for the day-to-day visitors to remember the interior map of each of the places accurately with the rising number of buildings. Indoor guidance is becoming a significant issue with the increasing number of buildings. It is hence more convenient and appropriate if the visitors could simply view the interior map of the building on their mobile phone, wherever and whenever it is needed. The system describes an Android based indoor map guidance system that assists and guides visitors inside buildings. Indoor navigation with the help of QR codes is a cost effective smart phone solution to provide location information to the user optically. QR codes will be used all across the building to carry the information required for the navigation system. The user needs to scan the nearest QR code inside the building. Then he can download the map of the indoor location. The navigation application decodes the geo location details from QR code and points the location in the Map. The user can find the current location and navigate to a targeted destination. The mobile application will use the QR codes to provide accurate indoor navigation for the user. The indoor navigation system uses QR codes for two purposes: to provide the user link to the map of the indoor location and to provide the current location details to the user. The system also provides a voice response module which allows blind people to determine their current position inside the building. In the implementation phase, the Android SDK is used to develop the client interface and the Apache Tomcat server is used for the web server. For the web based client interface JSP is used as the front end and MySQL is used as the database server.
PositNN: Tapered Precision Deep Learning Inference for the Edge

The performance of neural networks, especially the currently popular form of deep 1 neural networks, is often limited by the underlying hardware. Computations in 2 deep neural networks are expensive, have large memory footprint, and are power 3 hungry. Conventional reduced-precision numerical formats, such as fixed-point 4 and floating point, cannot accurately represent deep neural network parameters 5 with a nonlinear distribution and small dynamic range. Recently proposed posit 6 numerical format with tapered precision represents small values more accurately 7 than the other formats. In this work, we propose an ultra-low precision deep neural 8 network, PositNN, that uses posits during inference. The efficacy of PositNN is 9 demonstrated on a deep neural network architecture with three datasets (MNIST, 10 Fashion MNIST and Cifar-10), where an 8-bit PositNN outperforms other {5-8}-bit 11 low-precision neural networks and a 32-bit floating point baseline network. 12
Evaluation of the ALIZE / LIA_RAL Speaker Verification Toolkit on an Embedded System

La verificacion de locutor independiente del texto es la accion de validar la identidad de un usuario usando unicamente caracteristicas extraidas de su voz, sin tener en cuenta el texto pronunciado. Hoy en dia, multitud de software de verificacion de locutor ha sido implementado para funcionar en ordenadores personales, pero usar estas aplicaciones en sistemas embedidos (Smartphones, telefonos, ordenadores integrados) multiplica su potencial en campos como la seguridad, el sector del automovil u otras aplicaciones de entretenimiento. La comprension teorica de los sistemas d