Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid detection of urinary tract infection--evaluation of flow cytometry.

AIMS Urogenital tract infection (UTI) due to bacteria is not only a common infection but also a complication during hospitalization. Therefore, the identification and quantification of bacteria in urine samples are routinely performed methods in microbiological laboratories. To differentiate between infection and contamination it is also important to quantify the leukocyte count. In this study, we suggest a screening procedure using the flow cytometer analyzer BACSYS-40i as tool for the diagnosis of UTI. MATERIAL AND METHODS Each urine sample was inoculated onto agar plates (MacConkey agar, sheep blood agar and enterococcosel agar (Bio Merieux, Nütingen, Germany)) within 4 hours after collection. After 24 up to 48 hours incubation at 37 degrees C, bacteria were quantified by evaluation of colony-forming units (CFU) according to the criteria given by the German recommendation [MIQ 1997]. Additionally, each sample was submitted to the BACSYS-40i analyzer. The technological principle is a fluorescence flow cytometer with a laser and a fluorescent dye to identify bacteria and leukocytes with high analytical sensitivity. RESULTS Coefficients of variation (CV) for examination of within-run reproducibility ranged from 1.7 - 9.0% for leukocytes and from 6.2 - 24.6% for bacteria. Linearity was found to be very good, with coefficients of determination of r = 0.9998 for leukocytes, and r = 0.9994 for bacteria. Carry-over was calculated and found to be extremely low, ranging up to 0.03% for leukocytes and up to 0.002% for bacteria. The correlation coefficient for leukocyte counting is 0.979, regression y = 1.0 x + 1.0. The number of bacteria determined with the BACSYS-40i (total cell count) is higher than the number determined by culture (viable cell count). If the cut-offs of the analyzer were fixed at > or = 10(6) and < 10(5) bacteria/microl for positive, respectively negative results, 39 out of 42 patients (93%) showing unambiguous predominant clinical signs of UTI and in addition growth of bacteria involved in UTI were recognized. Six samples were questionable. CONCLUSIONS Results obtained by the BACSYS-40i can be reported after a few minutes. Urine samples from all 57 patients with predominant clinical signs and in addition growth of bacteria isolated from urine and known as pathogens of UTI had positive results with the analyzer (100%) for elevated bacteria and leukocyte counts. Furthermore, all patients without symptoms for UTI were negative after analysis with the BACSYS-40i (44/44; 100%).
Remarks on codes from Hermitian curves

Parameters and generator matrices are given for the codes obtained by applying Goppa's algebraic-geometric construction method to Hermitian curves in PG (2,q) , where q = 2^{2s} for some s\in {\bf N} . Automorphisms of these codes are also discussed, and some results on self-duality and weak self-duality are given.
A Hierarchical Service Discovery Framework for Ubiquitous Computing

This paper presents a novel service discovery framework for ubiquitous computing called hierarchical ubiquitous computing service discovery framework (HUCSDF). HUCSDF offers a more flexible and scalable architecture which can combine the local services with remote services. Based on the novel architecture, HUCSDF possesses some useful characteristics such as supporting migration of user's personal computing environment, group collaboration, interoperation with other kind of services and integration of context-aware information. These characteristics make HUCSDF different from many other service discovery frameworks and more adaptive to ubiquitous computing environments.
Law Text Clustering Based on Referential Relations

This paper proposes a new method to cluster law texts based on referential relation of laws. We extract law entities (an entity represents a law) and their referential relation from law texts. Then SimRank algorithm is applied to calculate law entity’s similarity through referential relation and law clustering is carried out based on the SimRank similarity. This is the first time to apply SimRank algorithm in the domain of Law and use it to carry out text clustering. Prototype and experiments show that our solution is feasible. We also publish the extracted data as Linked Law Data with RDF data model, which forms the first open semantic web database in Law domain. Linked Law Data enables user to access law data with rich data links and query web data by application interface of Semantic Web.
A Novel Method for Blood Glucose Measurement by Noninvasive Technique Using Laser

A method and apparatus for noninvasive measurement of blood glucose concentration based on transilluminated laser beam via the Index Finger has been reported in this paper. This method depends on atomic gas (He-Ne) laser operating at 632.8nm wavelength. During measurement, the index finger is inserted into the glucose sensing unit, the transilluminated optical signal is converted into an electrical signal, compared with the reference electrical signal, and the obtained difference signal is processed by signal processing unit which presents the results in the form of blood glucose concentration. This method would enable the monitoring blood glucose level of the diabetic patient continuously, safely and
Transcriptional Profiling of Resistant and Susceptible Buffalograsses in Response to Blissus occiduus (Hemiptera: Blissidae) Feeding

ABSTRACT Understanding plant resistance mechanisms at a molecular level would provide valuable insights into the biological pathways impacted by insect feeding, and help explain specific plant tolerance mechanisms. As a first step in this process, we conducted next-generation sequencing using RNA extracted from chinch bug-tolerant and -susceptible buffalograss genotypes at 7 and 14 d after chinch bug feeding. Sequence descriptions and gene ontology terms were assigned to 1,701 differentially expressed genes. Defense-related transcripts were differentially expressed within the chinch bug-tolerant buffalograss, Prestige, and susceptible buffalograss, 378. Interestingly, four peroxidase transcripts had higher basal expression in tolerant control plants compared with susceptible control plants. Defense-related transcripts, including two peroxidase genes, two catalase genes, several cytochrome P450 transcripts, a glutathione s-transferase, and a WRKY gene were upregulated within the Prestige transcriptome in response to chinch bug feeding. The majority of observed transcripts with oxidoreductase activity, including nine peroxidase genes and a catalase gene, were downregulated in 378 in response to initial chinch bug feeding. The observed difference in transcript expression between these two buffalograss genotypes provides insight into the mechanism(s) of resistance, specifically buffalograss tolerance to chinch bug feeding.
The retinoid receptors.

The retinoid receptors belong to a large superfamily of ligand-inducible transcription factors that include the steroid, vitamin D and thyroid hormone receptors, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, the insect edysteroid receptor, and a number of orphan receptors whose ligands are unknown. All nuclear receptors have several well-characterized structural domains, including a conserved DNA-binding domain, and a ligand binding domain at the carboxyl terminus of the receptor. The RAR and RXR classes of nuclear retinoic acid receptors are each composed of alpha, beta and gamma subtypes with more than one isoform for each receptor subtype. Data from many investigators suggest there are RAR- and RXR-dependent gene pathways, and that the individual receptor subtypes may control distinct gene expression patterns. In addition, RXR has been found to heterodimerize with other nuclear receptors to form active transcriptional complexes, which influence the activity of a variety of gene pathways important in growth and differentiation. As a result, retinoids have been useful clinical agents in Dermatology and Oncology. However, upon prolonged exposure to retinoic acid, resistance to retinoids has often been encountered both in the clinical setting and in long-term cell culture (HL60R and RAC65 cells). In the latter case, retinoid resistance has been associated with a mutation in the RAR gene which transcribes a RAR receptor truncated at the C-terminal end. These mutated RAR receptors exhibit a reduced affinity for retinoic acid while retaining the ability to bind to a retinoic acid response element on DNA. As a result, these mutant receptors exhibit dominant-negative activity by binding to the DNA without activating transcription and by competing with other receptors for sites on the response element. In fact, dominant-negative activity may be very important in the development of many neoplastic diseases, including acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), where a t(15;17) chromosomal translocation fuses the PML gene to the RAR gene, to produce a PML-RAR fusion protein in large excess in the cell. However, retinoid resistance in the patient is most probably the result of pharmacokinetic problems, whereby, with continuous retinoid treatment, the plasma levels of retinoic acid gradually decrease to below that required to maintain differentiation of leukemic cells in vivo. A major challenge for drug discovery is to design a drug which circumvents these pharmacokinetic problems either by designing novel drug delivery systems or by employing retinoids which do not bind to CRABP, such as 9-c-RA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Research of networked control based on improved protocol model for coal mine safety supervision

The networked control system based on redundancy switched industrial Ethernet has been the developing trend of industrial control system. Considering the characteristics of data and information in coal mine safety supervision system, novel network hierarchy architecture based on improved protocol model for coal mine safety supervision is presented, which is compatible with IEEE802.3 standard. Having the redundancy ring network as one connected by hierarchy, the end-to-end communication delay was calculated and analyzed. Time delay, packet loss and priority policy were examined in experimental scenario. Testing result shows that the architecture of network protocol presented can provide the deterministic end-to-end delay and effective priority support.
Anisotropy of Earth ’ s D ” layer and stacking faults in MgSiO 3 post-perovskite

The post-perovskite phase of (Mg,Fe)SiO 3 (PPv) is believed to be the main mineral phase of the Earth's D " layer (2700-2890 km depths). Its properties explain 1-6 numerous geophysical anomalies associated with this layer: e.g., the D " discontinuity 7 , its topography 8 and seismic anisotropy 9. Here, using a novel simulation technique, first-principles metadynamics, we identify a family of low-energy polytypic stacking-fault structures intermediate between perovskite (Pv) and PPv. Metadynamics trajectories identify plane sliding involving the formation of stacking faults as the most favourable pathway for the Pv-PPv phase transition, and as a likely mechanism for plastic deformation of Pv and PPv. In particular, the predicted slip planes are {010} for Pv (consistent with experiment 10,11) and {110} for PPv (in contrast to the previously expected {010} slip planes 1-4). Dominant slip planes define the lattice preferred orientation and elastic anisotropy of the texture. With {110} slip planes in PPv, we obtain a new interpretation of the shear-wave anisotropy in the D " layer, requiring a much smaller degree of lattice preferred orientation and more consistent with geophysical observations.
Pattern of peripapillary capillary density loss in ischemic optic neuropathy compared to that in primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose Both non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) damage retinal ganglion cell axons, which are perfused by the radial peripapillary capillaries. To evaluate the pattern of ischemia, we compared peripapillary capillary density (PCD) in NAION eyes to POAG eyes matched for visual field mean deviation and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness. Methods 31 chronic NAION (>6 months after the acute event) and unaffected fellow eyes (31 subjects), 42 moderate and severe POAG eyes (27 subjects), and 77 control eyes (46 healthy subjects) were imaged with a commercial optical coherence tomography angiography system (AngioVue, Avanti RTVue-XR, Optovue, CA) at two academic institutions. Two concentric circles of diameters 1.95mm (inner) and 3.45mm (outer) were manually placed on images centered on the optic nerve head, producing an annular region-of-interest. Image analysis with major vessel removal was performed using a custom program. Whole-image, whole-annulus, and sectoral PCDs were measured. Results Whole-image and whole-annulus PCDs in NAION and moderate and severe POAG eyes were significantly decreased compared to unaffected fellow eyes and control eyes (all P<0.001). Superior and temporal PCD values were affected more than other sectors in both NAION and POAG groups compared to control group. Whole-image and whole-annulus PCDs were not statistically different between NAION and POAG eyes (both P = 0.99). However, of all peripapillary sectors, the inferior sector PCD value was less affected in POAG eyes compared to NAION eyes (P = 0.001). Univariate analysis results also revealed a significant positive correlation between superior and inferior PCDs and corresponding RNFL thicknesses. The inferior sector correlation was greater in POAG than NAION eyes. Conclusion While the whole PCD values were not different in chronic NAION and POAG, the greater correlation of inferior PCD with corresponding RNFL sectors in POAG compared to NAION suggests greater susceptibility of the inferior radial peripapillary capillary in the pathogenesis of POAG.
A Report Card on the State of Research in the Field of Gifted Education

Although our field has thus far restricted itself predominantly to studies relating to the education of gifted students, we can take considerable pride, I believe, in some bodies of research that we have created and are continuing to refine. Leading the list are curriculum development models and effective approaches to differentiation of instruction, with spillover into general education, as well as research assessing several accelerative options, ability grouping, cluster grouping, and modified cooperative learning groups. Educational investigations clearly have been given highest priority in our community, even though about half the people identified as most influential in gifted education in a recent survey (Karnes & Nugent, 2002) are or were not primarily educators but psychologists. Probably the most impressive body of work since that of Lewis Terman has been that following to adulthood the educational trajectory of students who have participated in the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) established by the late Julian Stanley, demonstrating the virtues of acceleration, the predictive power of tests administered to young adolescents, and the value of investment in talent development (e.g., Webb, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2002). Per capita, we probably know more about exceedingly gifted children than any other subgroup (Gross, 2003), although there are significant questions about the shape of the distribution of talent at the highest levels (Are there more such profoundly gifted individuals than one would predict from the normal curve? ). There is also an increasing body of work on talent development in young people (e.g., Bloom, 1985; Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde, & Whalen, 1993) and a substantial body of work on eminence and the factors that contribute to it (e.g., Simonton, 1994). In addition, we are making inroads into the multiple social/emotional issues facing gifted students, although there is still much to be done. The beachhead we have established suggests that gifted students are no more vulnerable than any other group, but that when we fail to meet their needs for advanced and challenging work and for true mental peers, they are at risk for underachievement, depression, and loneliness. Furthermore, gifted students are immune to none of life’s disabilities except mental retardation, and twice-exceptional students have their own issues that intersect with their high abilities (Neihart, Reis, Robinson, & Moon, 2002). Nonetheless, I think we will all have to admit that our imaginations exceed our empiricism. We take a good deal on faith. We really have very few well-controlled investigations pitting one approach against another or even one approach against business as usual, very few substantial data bases, practically no studies with random assignment of children to one condition or another, often not even very detailed descriptions of the “gifted children” who are the subjects. We have very few theories to guide and organize our efforts. We can do better.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Polydroxyalkanoate-Synthesizing Bacterium, Bacillus sp. Strain PJC48, Isolated from Activated Sludge

ABSTRACT The genome sequence of a Bacillus strain is capable of synthesizing polyhydroxyalkanoates, and Bacillus sp. is considered a platform strain for the production of many biodegradable materials. Here, we present the sequence of the PJC48 strain genome, which is composed of three chromatin structures, an extracellular structure, and a cytoskeleton.
A Failure of Communication on the Cross-Cultural Campus

This article reports findings from an ethnographic study into the adjustment experience of a group of postgraduate international students at a university in the South of England. Friendship emerged as a major theme in this study; of particular importance to students was the desire and failure to achieve contact with host nationals. An absence of host contact was a source of deep disillusionment for students who understood the positive impact of host friends on linguistic and cultural knowledge. A lack of host contact was attributed by students to indifference on the part of the host community, and in the extreme to racial and Islamophobic prejudice. Such suspicion was provoked by students’ encounter with verbal and physical abuse, which also served to entrench the move to form monoethnic friendship groups. Research into the host perspective of international education is called for to inform the internationalization strategies adopted by HEI.
Response of Rice Genotypes to Weed Competition in Dry Direct-Seeded Rice in India

The differential weed-competitive abilities of eight rice genotypes and the traits that may confer such attributes were investigated under partial weedy and weed-free conditions in naturally occurring weed flora in dry direct-seeded rice during the rainy seasons of 2011 and 2012 at Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The results showed genotypic differences in competitiveness against weeds. In weed-free plots, grain yield varied from 6.6 to 8.9 t ha−1 across different genotypes; it was lowest for PR-115 and highest for the hybrid H-97158. In partial weedy plots, grain yield and weed biomass at flowering varied from 3.6 to 6.7 t ha−1 and from 174 to 419 g m−2, respectively. In partial weedy plots, grain yield was lowest for PR-115 and highest for PR-120. Average yield loss due to weed competition ranged from 21 to 46% in different rice genotypes. The study showed that early canopy closure, high leaf area index at early stage, and high root biomass and volume correlated positively with competitiveness. This study suggests that some traits (root biomass, leaf area index, and shoot biomass at the early stage) could play an important role in conferring weed competitiveness and these traits can be explored for dry-seeded rice.
The Ascent of the Concrete: Grammatical Reification in Science Teaching Exchanges and Episodes

Foreign language learning and science teaching can both be seen as examples of Davydov's ‘ascent to the concrete’, because they begin from abstract definitions and proceed in the direction of concrete use. The microgenetic lessons that enable these ontogenetic processes can also be seen as examples of ‘ascent of the concrete’ because they involve, in the case of foreign language teaching, first definition and then concrete use of language, and in the case of science teaching, first formulation of science concepts and then their concrete demonstration. The formulation of science concepts often involves what Halliday refers to as grammatical metaphor, a lexical condensation we shall refer to as grammatical reification. In our data, which involves teaching science through a foreign language, we find episodes of language teaching embedded in episodes concerned with science. We also observe that grammatical reification is denser early in the exchange, but late in the lesson. We claim that these differences in distribution are the result of deliberate decisions by the teacher, whose goal is not simply maintaining power but helping children to convert purely verbal knowledge into knowledge for use.
Trajectory of risky decision making for potential gains and losses from ages 5 to 85.

The ability to make advantageous decisions in the face of uncertainty is an essential human skill, yet the development of such abilities over the lifespan is still not well understood. In the current study, from childhood through older adulthood, we tracked the developmental trajectory of risk taking for gains and losses, and expected value (EV) sensitivity in risky choices. In the gain domain, risk-taking decreased consistently across the lifespan. In the loss domain, risk-taking was relatively constant across ages, a result we attribute to the pervasiveness of loss aversion. EV sensitivity showed an inverted-U-shaped function, increasing from childhood to adulthood but then decreasing for the elderly, which occurred for both risky gains and risky losses. This finding is consistent with neuropsychological and neuroanatomical evidence concerning the role of the frontal lobe in decision making, which is relatively late to develop during childhood but may degrade earlier in the later years. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Building trust between citizens and their governments

Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) constantly seek new technological recording, retrieving and monitoring solutions that would facilitate their combat against organized crime. For example, GPS sensors and systems benefit LEAs when tracking non-cooperative targets. However, the management of numerous electronic tracking devices within many simultaneous crime investigations has proven to be a demanding task for LEAs. Complications have spawned many lawsuits and negative publicity. These episodes have diminished citizens' trust in a constitutional state. It has been verified by means of participative observations that LEAs have a tendency to create two-level systems: some that work on the streets and others that are valid in the courts of justice, which create tensions between authorities. The importance of transparency is emphasized at all EU administrative levels. However, LEAs concentrate only on data acquisition rather than on making their operations transparent throughout. To protect the privacy of suspects, investigations and data acquisition cannot be made public. However, these operations could be so transparent that they enable criticism and control by citizens. To improve the processes of LEAs, the three main functions (crime investigation, chain-of-custody and monitoring-of-legality) should be considered together. Combining their now separate information systems will avoid the triple workload. It will also lead to additional benefits, such as transparency of surveillance and a new tool for achieving a balance between surveillance and privacy. The guidelines for this combining cannot be drawn from criminal justice and organizational imperatives alone, but from ever advancing technical imperative, too.