Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exposure to and Circulation of Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease Viruses in Peridomestic Wild Birds in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract: Avian influenza and Newcastle disease viruses (AIV, NDV) are major pathogens of captive and wild birds worldwide. Wetlands and their associated bird communities, especially waterfowl and shorebirds, are known to play a central role in the epidemiology of these diseases as maintenance hosts. However, these viruses also circulate in places where these ecosystems and communities are uncommon, suggesting the involvement of other taxa in their epidemiological cycles. In the arid region of Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both viruses are regularly detected, and represent a threat for local poultry and for the Houbara Bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) conservation breeding programs. To assess the presence, transmission, and maintenance of these viruses in such environments, 4,521 individuals from six resident and peridomestic wild bird species were sampled in the vicinity of two Houbara Bustard conservation breeding centers, and tested for AIV and NDV using real-time reverse transcriptase PCR and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A limited exposure to AIV was reflected in a virus prevalence below 0.4% and a serologic prevalence of 0.6%, and a moderate circulation of NDV was indicated by a virus prevalence of 0.9% and a serologic prevalence of 18.9% in the targeted peridomestic wild birds, suggesting different epidemiological roles for each taxa. Thus, some peridomestic species could actively participate in the epidemiological cycle of NDV in arid environments such as the UAE, challenging the conceptual epidemiologic framework centered on the involvement of waterfowl and shorebirds.
Genomic, proteomic, and immunologic associations with a durable complete remission of measurable metastatic melanoma induced by a patient-specific dendritic cell vaccine

ABSTRACT This report describes efforts to understand the immune mechanism of action that led to a complete response in a patient with progressive, refractory, metastatic melanoma after treatment with a therapeutic vaccine consisting of autologous dendritic cells (DC) loaded with autologous tumor antigens (ATA) derived from cells that were self-renewing in cell culture. Her histocompatibility type proved to be HLA B27 with extensive mutations in the HLA-A locus. Exomic analysis of proliferating tumor cells revealed more than 2800 non-synonymous mutations compared to her leukocytes. Histology of resected tumor lesions showed no evidence of an existing or suppressed immune response. In in vitro mixed cell cultures, DC loaded with ATA induced increased IL-22 expression, and a four-fold increase in CD8 + T lymphocytes. Cryopreserved blood samples obtained at week-0, 1 week before the first of three-weekly vaccine injections, and at week-4, 1 week after the third dose, were analyzed by protein array and compared for 110 different serum markers. At baseline, she had marked elevations of amyloid A, IL-12p40, IL21, IL-22, IL-10, IL-16, GROa, TNF-alpha, IL-3, and IL-2, and a lesser elevation of IL-15. One week after 3 weekly vaccinations she had a further 80% increase in amyloid A, a further 66% increase in IL-22, a 92% decrease in IL12p40, a 45% decrease in TGF-β and 26% decrease in IL-10. The data suggested that by 3 weeks after the first DCV injection, vaccine-induced changes in this particular patient were most consistent with enhanced innate and Th1 immune responses rather than Th2 or Th17.
Genome Sequence of an Unknown Subtype of Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 6: Another Piece for the Taxonomic Puzzle

The surveillance and correct subtyping of hepatitis C virus strains require available and up-to-date publicly available reference genomes. Here, we present the complete open reading frame sequence of a hepatitis C virus genotype 6 strain of an unknown subtype that was discovered during routine subtyping of patients in the clinic. ABSTRACT The surveillance and correct subtyping of hepatitis C virus strains require available and up-to-date publicly available reference genomes. Here, we present the complete open reading frame sequence of a hepatitis C virus genotype 6 strain of an unknown subtype that was discovered during routine subtyping of patients in the clinic.
Co-Extraction and Co-Purification Coupled with HPLC-DAD for Simultaneous Detection of Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural in Thermally Processed Foods

Acrylamide and 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF) are two of the most abundant compounds generated during thermal processing. A simple method for the simultaneous quantitation of acrylamide and 5-HMF was developed and successfully applied in thermally processed foods. Acrylamide and 5-HMF were co-extracted with methanol and then purified and enriched by an Oasis HLB solid-phase extraction cartridge, simultaneously analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and detected with a diode array detector, respectively, at their optimal wavelength. The linear concentration range was found to be 25–5000 μg/L with high linear correlation coefficients (R > 0.999). The limit of detection and the limit of quantitation for acrylamide and 5-HMF were 6.90 μg/L and 4.66 μg/L, and 20.90 μg/L and 14.12 μg/L, respectively. The recovery of acrylamide and 5-HMF in biscuits, bread, Chinese doughnuts, breakfast cereals, and milk-based baby foods was achieved at 87.72–96.70% and 85.68–96.17% with RSD at 0.78–3.35% and 0.55–2.81%, respectively. The established method presents simplicity, accuracy and good repeatability, and can be used for the rapid simultaneous quantitation of acrylamide and 5-HMF in thermally processed foods.
The Influence of the Schoolbag on Standing Posture of First-Year Elementary School Students

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the mass of a schoolbag on standing posture in first-year elementary school children. First-year elementary school students (n = 76) participated in this study. The data was digitized and analyzed using SkillSpector and Kinovea. Results have shown a change of Center of Gravity (COG) position in all three anatomical planes (p < 0.01), as well as a change in two out of three measured postural angles—craniovertebral (p < 0.01) and craniocervical (p < 0.01) angle. The most important aspect of changed posture, anterior shift of COG, was measured to be 2.4 cm and was in moderate negative correlation with student body mass (−0.4, p < 0.01) and height (−0.4, p < 0.01) when students were encumbered with a schoolbag weighing 16.11% of their body mass, on the average. Also, this study confirms that when encumbered, students’ head posture shifts to a more protracted position.
An Immortalized Hepatocyte-Like Cell Line (imHC) Accommodated Complete Viral Lifecycle, Viral Persistence Form, cccDNA and Eventual Spreading of a Clinically-Isolated HBV

More than 350 million people worldwide have been persistently infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Chronic HBV infection could advance toward liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The intervention with prophylactic vaccine and conventional treatment could suppress HBV, but could not completely eradicate it. The major obstacle for investigating curative antiviral drugs are the incompetence of hepatocyte models that should have closely imitated natural human infection. Here, we demonstrated that an immortalized hepatocyte-like cell line (imHC) could accommodate for over 30 days the entire life cycle of HBV prepared from either established cultured cells or clinically-derived fresh isolates. Normally, imHCs had intact interferon signaling with anti-viral action. Infected imHCs responded to treatments with direct-acting antiviral drugs (DAAs) and interferons (IFNs) by diminishing HBV DNA, the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) surface antigen of HBV (HBsAg, aka the Australia antigen) and the hepatitis B viral protein (HBeAg). Notably, we could observe and quantify HBV spreading from infected cells to naïve cells using an imHC co-culture model. In summary, this study constructed a convenient HBV culture model that allows the screening for novel anti-HBV agents with versatile targets, either HBV entry, replication or cccDNA formation. Combinations of agents aiming at different targets should achieve a complete HBV eradication.
Effects of focal impulse and rotor modulation‐guided ablation on atrial arrhythmia termination and inducibility: Impact on outcomes after treatment of persistent atrial fibrillation

The role of focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM)‐guided ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unclear. Previous studies on the FIRM‐guided ablation outcomes have been limited by a focus on AF termination as an endpoint and by patient population heterogeneity. We sought to determine differences in rates of AF termination, inducibility, and recurrence in patients with persistent AF undergoing first‐time ablation with a FIRM‐guided approach compared with patients undergoing conventional ablation.
Whole-Genome Sequence of a Pantoea sp. Strain Isolated from an Olive (Olea europaea L.) Knot

Here, we present the total genome sequence of Pantoea sp. strain paga, a plant-associated bacterium isolated from knots present on olive trees grown on the Adriatic Coast. The genome size of Pantoea sp. paga is 5.08 Mb, with a G+C content of 54%. The genome contains 4,776 predicted coding DNA sequences (CDSs), including 70 tRNA genes and 1 ribosomal operon. Obtained genome sequence data will provide insight on the physiology, ecology, and evolution of Pantoea spp. ABSTRACT Here, we present the total genome sequence of Pantoea sp. strain paga, a plant-associated bacterium isolated from knots present on olive trees grown on the Adriatic Coast. The genome size of Pantoea sp. paga is 5.08 Mb, with a G+C content of 54%. The genome contains 4,776 predicted coding DNA sequences (CDSs), including 70 tRNA genes and 1 ribosomal operon. Obtained genome sequence data will provide insight on the physiology, ecology, and evolution of Pantoea spp.
Towards a realistic Approach of Sound Propagation in EIAs : How to represent moving Sources and moving Receivers

Recent guidelines for marine mammal protection like those in the US or in Denmark impose dose-based criteria that require to accumulate the noise received by a marine mammal over time. Compared to a static receiver, fleeing animals receive a significantly lower noise dose because they move away from the zone of noise impacts. Animal movement models can therefore be useful to predict more realistic noise impacts on marine mammals. In addition, noise sources are not always static. During seismic exploration for example, air guns are towed behind a vessel and the locations of the air gun sounds are changing with the forward movement of the vessel. Here we present a feasible solution for noise impact assessments that compromises between realistic representations of mammal behavior and sound field on the one hand and computational resources on the other hand to provide the best possible accuracy in a realistic time frame. The approach consists of two steps: First, the sound field is derived from a number of detailed propagation simulations. Then, an Agent-Based Model (ABM) simulates animal movement and noise dose accumulation. Our study shows that noise impact assessments benefit from using a more dynamic approach.
4254 – 4265 Effectiveness of normalized difference water index in modelling Aedes aegypti house index ELIZABET

Effectiveness of normalized difference water index in modelling Aedes aegypti house index Elizabet Lilia Estallo a , Francisco Felipe Ludueña-Almeida a , Andrés Mario Visintin a , Carlos Marcelo Scavuzzo b , Mario Alberto Lamfri b , María Virginia Introini c , Mario Zaidenberg c & Walter Ricardo Almirón a a Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, X5016GCA, Argentina b Instituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales Mario Gulich, Centro Espacial Teófilo Tabanera, Córdoba, CP, 5187, Argentina c Ministerio de Salud de la Nación, Buenos Aires, C1073ABA, Argentina
Hardware Assertion Checkers in On-line Detection of Faults in a Hierarchical-Ring Network-On-Chip

In this paper, we present a methodology to use assertions in network-based designs to facilitate debugging and monitoring of SoCs. We rely on our assertion-checker generator (MBAC) to produce efficient RTL-level checkers from high-level temporal assertions, with optional debugging features. We further have built tools to encapsulate the source design with assertion checkers generated by MBAC and to coordinate the sending of management flits. Further details of the debug infrastructure are presented as well.
The Potential Profitability of Spams Traditional spamming is a lucrative business : in 2008 , Kanich

In the past year, a new spamming scheme has emerged: sexual extortion messages requiring payments in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, also known as sextortion. This scheme represents a first integration of the use of cryptocurrencies by members of the spamming industry. Using a dataset of 4,340,736 sextortion spams, this research aims at understanding such new amalgamation by uncovering spammers’ operations. To do so, a simple, yet effective method for projecting Bitcoin addresses mentioned in sextortion spams onto transaction graph abstractions is computed over the entire Bitcoin blockchain. This allows us to track and investigate monetary flows between involved actors and gain insights into the financial structure of sextortion campaigns. We find that sextortion spammers are somewhat sophisticated, following pricing strategies and benefiting from cost reductions as their operations cut the upper-tail of the spamming supply chain. We discover that one single entity is likely controlling the financial backbone of the majority of the sextortion campaigns and that the 11-month operation studied yielded a lower-bound revenue between $1,300,620 and $1,352,266. We conclude that sextortion spamming is a lucrative business and spammers will likely continue to send bulk emails that try to extort money through cryptocurrencies.
A modelling package for air quality management in

The development of effective air quality management strategies at regional and urban level requires the preparation of several actions belonging to different scientific areas and analysis of its complex interactions. A well structured management system must be based on efficient tools that integrate a diverse set of informations emissions, traffic, meteorological variables and air quality data. Ideally such a system should include appropriate modelling tools that could be used to perform spatial interpolation and air quality forecasts. The present work describes the modelling system developed for the air quality management of the city of Lisbon. This system is incorporated in a visual environment and coupled with the modelling package allowing a fast analysis of the air quality situation over the city and the consequent development of on-line control measures. Transactions on Ecology and the Environment vol 15, © 1997 WIT Press, www.witpress. com, ISSN 1743-3541
EXPLORING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PERCEIVED WEB SITE QUALITY

The aim of the present study is to identify web site quality dimensions perceived by the consumers and determine whether these dimensions differ in terms of gender variable. In this sense, in this study conducted on students who were the primary users of the internet, initially, the web site quality dimensions perceived by the consumers were identified by factor analysis. The perceived website quality dimensions identified as a result of analysis were; design and visual appeal, system quality and ease, interactivity and business process, security and confidence, links, customer-oriented information / content, innovation and image, providing useful information. After that, the differences in the quality dimensions of the web site that the consumers perceived by gender were investigated by t-test analysis. As a result of the analysis, it was found that the web site quality dimension of "providing useful information" was significantly different by gender.
Modification of Portland cement mortars with cactus gum

Показано, що стандартні розчини на основі портланд-цементу, які використовуються у сучасному будівництві, модифіковані ліофільною кактусовою смолою, одержаною з місцевого мексиканського кактуса. Одержані результати свідчать про зростання міцності при стисканні на 65 %, порівняно із стандартними розчинами. Portland cement-based mortars of the standard type used for modern constructions, were modified by adding liophilized cactus gum, extracted froman indigenous Mexican cactus. The results show an increase in compressive strength as high as 65 % with respect to standard mortars.
Update on the Royal Perth Hospital Anogenital Wart Database

McCloskey J.C. 1, Phillips M.2, French M.A.H.3, Flexman J.4, McCallum D.5 and Metcalf C.5 1Sexual Health Service, Royal Perth Hospital, School of Biomolecular Sciences and Chemistry, and School of Pharmacology and Medicine, University of Western Australia 2Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australian Institute for Medical research, University of Western Australia 3School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Australia and Department of Clinical Immunology, Royal Perth Hospital and PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Perth 4Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Perth Hospital; PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Microbiology & Immunology, University of Western Australia 5Department of Anatomical Pathology, Royal Perth Hospital, Australia
Diglossia Reconsidered : Language Choice and Code-Switching in Guadeloupean Voluntary Organizations

A central concern of the literature on Caribbean creoles has been the development of models to explain the distribution of linguistic codes. Most linguists have argued that it is most accurate to describe cases where French-lexified creoles are spoken along with their lexifier as stable diglossic situations, in contrast to those where English-lexified creoles are spoken along with their lexifier, which are described as creole continua marked by decreolization. Still, these categorizations remain a topic of discussion (e.g., Lefebvre, 1974; Meyjes, 1995; Prudent, 1981). In this paper I consider the applicability of the diglossia model (Ferguson, 1959) for describing patterns of language use in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. Guadeloupeans, all French citizens, are generally bilingual in French, the official language, and Kréyòl, a French-lexicon creole. For the present paper, I draw on 100 hours of audioand videotaped data to explore how people in Guadeloupe use French and Kréyòl in their daily interactions and which model best describes their language use. As a further point, I consider whether or not Guadeloupe’s linguistic situation is best described as a stable one. In doing so, I will counter the argument of Meyjes (1995) that language shift is occurring in favor of French monolingualism.
Success or Failure of Big Data : Insights of Managerial Challenges from a Technology Assimilation Perspective

The popularity of big data analytics (BDA) as one of the leading digital technologies in organizations has increased tremendously. However, organizations, currently encounter various barriers to the successful adoption of BDA. Grounded in technology assimilation theory, this study goes beyond a binary view of BDA adoption and describes crucial managerial challenges along the more complex process of assimilation by conducting an exploratory and international Delphi study in collaboration with 21 experts. To exploit the full potential of BDA our results reveal that the assimilation process requires 1) appropriate organizational structures and 2) well defined business cases and business value from the very beginning (initiation phase) and on a continuous basis. From an academic perspective, the study sheds light on crucial challenges that influence the assimilation of BDA on its pathway to maturity. In addition, this study contributes to assimilation theory by providing a new perspective for BDA.
Evaluating Potential Areas for Mountain Wellness Tourism: A Case Study of Ili, Xinjiang Province

Evaluation of land-use suitability can prevent problems, such as environmental disruption, wastage of resources, and ecological disruption, when unsuitable tourism-based exploration is undertaken in an area. This study summarizes a novel concept and proposes the idea of wellness tourism, which constitutes health preservation, sports and recovery, medical healing, and aged nursing, integrated with Chinese culture. A spatial suitability evaluation system for wellness tourism was developed in a mountain area via the integration of the analytic network process-Delphi. As wellness tourism activities diversified, land suitability was assigned to four kinds of wellness tourism activities, while considering their unique requirements. Comparative analysis and five-degree suitable maps of four kinds of activities revealed that Yining City and its peripheral localities have the potential of functioning as a comprehensive and national wellness tourist destination. The counties of Horgos, Huocheng, Qapqal, Zhaosu, Tekes, Tokkuztara, and Narat should make full use of their strengths, as they have the advantage of catering to different wellness tourism activities. This paper discusses some conceptual aspects of wellness tourism, provides an example for the selection of potential areas for wellness tourism in the mountainous regions of China, and provides baseline information that can support the development of wellness tourism.
Non-pharmacological interventions for patients with dementia

Abstract Background: This protocol for a systematic review describes the methods that will be used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological interventions for patients with dementia. Methods: We will search ALOIS, the specialized register of the Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group (CDCIG), without language or publication status restrictions. Additional separate searches will be run in many of the above six databases to ensure the most up-to-date results are retrieved. The study selection and data extraction will be performed independently by two authors and only randomized controlled trials will be included. The risk of bias will be assessed independently by two authors following the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We will use RevMan software and random-effects models to assess the heterogeneity and data synthesis. If any plan for documenting important protocol amendments changes, the researchers will make a revision agreement and then register the modification on PROSPERO. Conclusion: Through this systematic review, a comprehensive understanding of current non-pharmacological interventions on dementia will be available. Meanwhile, it will provide basic evidence for further clinical research. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval is not required because no individual patient's data are included in this paper. This study will be disseminated through conference presentation. Prospero registration number: CRD42019136435