Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A qualitative study evaluating barriers and enablers to improving antimicrobial use for the management of bacteriuria in hospitalized adults

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore barriers and enablers to improving the management of bacteriuria in hospitalized adults. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Nova Scotia, Canada. Participants: Nurses, physicians, and pharmacists involved in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of bacteriuria in hospitalized patients. Methods: Focus groups (FGs) were completed between May and July 2019. FG discussions were facilitated using an interview guide that consisted of open-ended questions coded to the theoretical domains framework (TDF) v2. Discussions were transcribed verbatim then independently coded to the TDFv2 by two members of the research team and compared. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Results: Thirty-three healthcare providers from five hospitals participated (15 pharmacists, 11 nurses, and 7 physicians). The use of antibiotics for the treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) was the main issue identified. Subthemes that related to management of ASB included: “diagnostic uncertainty,” difficulty “ignoring positive urine cultures,” “organizational challenges,” and “how people learn. ” Barriers and/or enablers to improving the management of bacteriuria were mapped to 12 theoretical domains within these subthemes. Barriers and enablers identified by participants that were most extensively discussed related to the domains of environmental context and resources, belief about capabilities, social/professional role and identity, and social influences. Conclusions: Healthcare providers highlighted barriers and recognized enablers that may improve delivery of care to patients with bacteriuria. A wide range of barriers at the individual and organization level to address diagnostic challenges and improve workload should be considered to improve management of bacteriuria.
PREVALENCE OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT V. parahaemolyticus AND V. cholerae IN FISH AND HUMANS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VIRULOTYPING AND GENOTYPING OF V. parahaemolyticus

This study aimed to investigate prevalence, virulence determinants, antibiogram and genotyping of Vibrio isolates from retail shrimp and tilapia fish as well as stool samples from gastroenteritis patients in Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Vibrio spp were molecularly confirmed in 25.5% and 3% of fish and human stool samples, respectively. V. parahaemolyticus was isolated from 8.9%, 5% and 3% of shrimp, tilapia and stool samples, respectively. However, 0.7% of shrimp and 1.7% of tilapia were found to harbor V. cholera . trh and tdh virulence related genes were assessed in 34 V. parahaemolyticus isolates (25 from shrimp, 6 from tilapia and 3 from human stool). The tdh gene alone was recorded in 4 (16%) isolates from shrimp and 2 (66.7%) isolates from human stool. However, trh gene was detected alone in one (4%) isolate from shrimp. Moreover, both genes were detected simultaneously in one shrimp (4%) and one human stool (33.3%). Tilapia fish isolates were negative for both virulence genes. The resistance of the examined isolates were 100% (each of nalidixic acid and erythromycin), 81.6% (sulphamethoxazol), 73.7% (chloramphenicol), However, susceptibilities to gentamicin (81.6%), ciprofloxacin (73.7%) and 71.1% for each ampicillin/sulbactam and amikacin were observed. Multiple drug resistance was recorded in V. parahaemolyticus and V. cholerae isolates. Out of 38 isolates, 6 (15.8%) were resistant to all 14 antibiotics with MAR index of 1. Twenty of the isolates (52.6%) were resistant to 5-13 drugs with MAR index higher than 0.286. ERIC-PCR fingerprinting revealed five distinct profiles namely E1-E5 and the discriminatory index of the reaction was 0.5107, indicating low discrimination of the technique. In conclusion, this study revealed the contamination of tilapia and shrimp in fish markets with potentially virulent V. parahaemolyticus strains in the study area. Moreover, the presence of human and fish isolates in the cluster indicated the potential of the environmental isolates to cause human infection. Key words: Vibrio spp. ; prevalence; antimicrobial resistance; genotyping; ERIC-PCR
Catchment scale hydrology of an irrigated cropping system under soil conservation practices

Soil erosion by water is a pressing environmental problem caused and suffered by agriculture in Mediterranean environments. Soil conservation practices can contribute to alleviating this problem. The aim of this study is to gain more profound knowledge of the effects of conservation practices on soil losses by linking crop management and soil status to runoff and sediment losses measured at the outlet of a catchment during seven years. The catchment has 27.42 ha and is located in a commercial farm in southern Spain, where a package of soil conservation practices is an essential component of the farming system. The catchment is devoted to irrigated annual crops with maize–cotton–wheat as the primary rotation. Mean annual rainfall‐induced runoff coefficient was 0.14 and mean annual soil loss was 2.4 Mg ha−1 y−1. Irrigation contributed to 40% of the crop water supply, but the amount of runoff and sediment yield that it generated was negligible. A Principal Components Analysis showed that total soil loss is determined by the magnitude of the event (rainfall and runoff depths, duration) and by factors related to the aggressiveness of the events (rainfall intensity and preceding soil moisture). A third component showed the importance of crop coverage to reduce sediment losses. Cover crops grown during autumn and early winter and crop residues protecting the soil surface enhanced soil conservation notably. The role of irrigation to facilitate growing cover crops in Mediterranean environments is discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spontaneous neural activity in the three principal networks underlying delay discounting: a resting-state fMRI study

Delay discounting, the decline in the subjective value of future rewards over time, has traditionally been understood through a tripartite neural network model, comprising the valuation, cognitive control, and prospection networks. To investigate the applicability of this model in a resting-state context, we employed a monetary choice questionnaire to quantify delay discounting and utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to explore the role of spontaneous brain activity, specifically regional homogeneity (ReHo), in influencing individual differences in delay discounting across a large cohort (N = 257). Preliminary analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between delay discounting tendencies and the ReHo in both the left insula and the right hippocampus, respectively. Subsequent resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses, using these regions as seed ROIs, disclosed that all implicated brain regions conform to the three principal networks traditionally associated with delay discounting. Our findings offer novel insights into the role of spontaneous neural activity in shaping individual variations in delay discounting at both regional and network levels, providing the first empirical evidence supporting the applicability of the tripartite network model in a resting-state context.
A Method of Estimating the Block-Like Body Under the Ground from the Polarization Ellipse of the Magnetic Field

The feasibility of using the broad-band Magnetotelluric (MT) me­ thod for locating a two-dimensional (2-D) block-like body is studied by means of numerical models. An example of its applicability for locating a block-like anomalous body indicates that the sign reversal frequency of the tilt angle, or the ellipticity responses of magnetic polarization relates to the depth of the center of the anomalous body, and also to the resistivity contrast of the anomalous body to the host rock, based on the relationship of the few nomograms are developed, that provide a new approach to the interpretation of the magnetic polarization data.
Effect of cyanide by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) application on germination, antioxidative system and lipid peroxidation of Senna macranthera seeds under saline stress

Abstract: The effects of NO donors on germination under saline stress have been much investigated for many species, however, there are reports that the effect caused by donors are effects of cyanide present. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on germination, antioxidative system and lipid peroxidation of Senna macranthera seeds under saline stress. The osmotic potentials of -0.4 and -0.5 MPa of NaCl were used, as well as the concentration of 100 μM of sodium nitroprusside, inactive sodium nitroprusside. Germination rate, imbibition curves, antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation, and protein content were evaluated. Similar effects were observed for sodium nitroprusside and inactive sodium nitroprusside, indicating that these effects were related to the release of the cyanide present in sodium nitroprusside. The sodium nitroprusside (SNP) improves the germination of Senna macranthera seeds under salt stress conditions, through release of cyanide. The cyanide favored germination, reducing lipid peroxidation and increasing the activity of the antioxidant enzymes.
Drifting snow and its sublimation in turbulent boundary layer

Drifting snow is a special process of mass-energy transport in hydrological cycle especially in alpine region. It can not only change the snow distribution, but also result in phase change of ice crystal into water vapour, which is so called drifting snow sublimation. Thus drifting snow is of glaciological and hydrological importance in cold regions. In this paper, recent research on drifting snow and its sublimation is reviewed, and some new progresses by our research team in Lanzhou University are also introduced.
Comparative Analysis of Packet Delivery in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

In recent years, vehicular networks have gained much attention in industry as well as academia. Most of the research in this area is simulation based. The determination of the performance of protocols in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) is achieved by mobility models, or the movement patterns of nodes communicating wirelessly which play a vital role in simulation. It is essential to study and analyze various mobility models and its performance in VANET protocols. In this paper, we propose a Dynamic Transition Mobility Model (DTMM) and it is compared, analyzed and thoroughly examined with various mobility models. Also, evaluate its effect on packet delivery in VANETs carried out in NCTUns5.0 simulations. This paper gives an opportunity to understand and develop mobility models for VANETs.
Disruptions in Cancer Care Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Fear of Cancer Recurrence in Women with Breast Cancer: A Mixed-Methods Study

Objective. This study investigated if fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) levels and the proportion of women having a clinical level of FCR differed by whether women had or had not experienced disruptions in their cancer tests and treatments due to the pandemic. Methods. We conducted a mixed-methods study between November 2020 and March 2021 among women diagnosed with breast cancer in the previous five years at the time of their entry in the study. Women completed a questionnaire online assessing disruptions in breast cancer tests and treatments due to the pandemic and the severity subscale of the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a subsample of 24 participants and were thematically analyzed. Results. The proportion of patients with a clinical level of FCR was significantly higher among those who experienced the postponement or cancellation of diagnostic and disease progression tests (e.g., blood tests, X-rays, or magnetic resonance imaging; adjusted PR = 1.27 95% CI = 1.13–1.43). Qualitative findings suggest that FCR was exacerbated by the pandemic context. In particular, perceived or actual barriers to care access due to the pandemic were identified as significant FCR-enhancing factors. Conclusions. These results highlight the need to keep diagnostic and progression tests as timely as possible to prevent increases in FCR levels and offer counselling about FCR when postponing or cancellation are inevitable.
Improved estimate of the effective diameter for use in the Kozeny–Carman equation for permeability prediction

The Kozeny–Carman equation is widely used to predict the hydraulic conductivity or intrinsic permeability of granular porous media. This paper combines discrete-element modelling and finite-volume flow simulation to examine the Kozeny–Carman equation for permeability prediction of spherical grains with different grain size distributions. A comparison of the modelled permeability with the permeability predicted by the Kozeny–Carman equation shows that the existing equation predicts up to 20% smaller permeability for particle assemblies with non-uniform sizes, especially for gap-graded size distributions. An improved equation is proposed to calculate the effective diameter for use in the empirical Kozeny–Carman equation.
Response to environmental perturbations in microbial nutrient-cycling ecosystems

The habitability of Earth is dependent upon the global recycling of elements essential for life, such as nitrogen, sulfur and carbon. Nutrient-cycling by microorganisms is vital to these biogeochemical cycles because many key steps are mediated primarily, or exclusively, by microbial life. The dynamics of these cycles are highly complex, and environmental perturbations (such as changes in the oceanic oxygen concentration) can have unexpected or catastrophic effects; often causing abrupt switches between chemical states. Despite the importance of these environmental perturbations however, few theoretical models have addressed how they affect the dynamical behaviour of nutrient-cycling microbial ecosystems. In this work, we investigate the effect of environmental perturbations on microbially-mediated nutrient cycles and assess the likelihood of “sudden transitions” between chemical states of the ecosystem occurring in a variety of ecological contexts. To do this, we first use computational modelling of microbial nutrientcycling, using a “box model” approach. We then move on to an experimental study using the microbial sulfur cycle as a model ecosystem, with freshwater pond sediment/water microcosms. These microcosms have the advantage of retaining many of the features of the real ecosystem (such as microbial diversity, spatial structure, and abiotic interactions) while allowing the controlled manipulation of environmental perturbations. We study these microcosms using a combination of chemical measurements and high-throughput sequencing of the microbial community. Finally, we return to the computational side, and attempt to reproduce chemical data from our experiments in a mathematical model containing realistic abiotic chemical interactions.
A Global Positioning System Used to Monitor the Physical Performance of Elite Beach Handball Referees in a Spanish Championship

Beach handball is a fully developed sporting discipline on all five continents which has attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade, resulting in a proliferation of different studies focusing on players but not on referees. The main objective of this cross-sectional research was to determine the physical demands on elite male beach handball referees in four different competitions: U18 male; U18 female; senior male; and senior female. Twelve elite federated male referees (age: 30.86 ± 8 years; body height: 175.72 ± 4.51 cm; body weight: 80.18 ± 17.99 kg; fat percentage: 20.1 ± 4.41%; national or international experience) belonging to the Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation were recruited for this the study. The physical demands required of referees in official matches were measured by installing a GPS device. The sampling frequency used to record their speed and distance was 15 Hz. A triaxial accelerometer (100 Hz) was used to determine their acceleration. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between competitions with post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni adjustment was used to compare among categories. A higher distance covered in zone 1 and speeds of 0 to 6 km-h−1 were recorded. Most accelerations and decelerations occurred in zones 0 and 1 (zone 0: 0 to 1 m·s−2; zone 1: 1 to 2 m·s−2). The lack of differences (p > 0.05) between most analysed variables suggest quite similar physical demands of the four analysed competitions. These results provide relevant information to design optimal training plans oriented to the real physical demands on referees in an official competition.
Recurrent changes in cichlid dentition linked to climate‐driven lake‐level fluctuations

Climate-induced habitat change has often been invoked as an important driver of speciation and evolutionary radiation in cichlid ﬁ shes, yet studies linking morphological change directly to long-term environmental ﬂ uctuations are scarce. Here, we track changes through time in the oral dentition of Oreochromis hunteri , the endemic and only indigenous ﬁ sh species inhabiting the East African crater Lake Chala (Kenya/ Tanzania), in relation to climate-driven lake-level ﬂ uctuations during the last 25,000 yr. Fossil teeth were recovered from six periods representing alternating high and low lake-level stands associated with late-Pleistocene and Holocene trends in rainfall and drought. To construct a reference framework for morphological variation in fossil assemblages, we ﬁ rst analyzed the variability in oral tooth morphology within the modern-day ﬁ sh population. These analyses established that, like other cichlids, O. hunteri gradually replace their bicuspid/tricuspid oral dentition with more unicuspid teeth as they grow. In the fossil assemblages, we found systematic and recurrent changes in the relative abundance of these oral tooth types, with a higher proportion of unicuspids during low-stands. Moreover, O. hunteri living during low-stands systematically developed unicuspid dentition at a smaller body size, compared with conspeci ﬁ cs living during high-stands. Considering that low-stand conditions created a sizable area of oxygenated soft-bottom habitat that is lacking during high-stands, we propose that the associated change in oral dentition re ﬂ ects the ﬁ shes ’ exploitation of this new habitat either for feeding or for reproduction. The recurrent nature of the observed shifts provides evidence for the ability of O. hunteri to systematically adapt to local habitat change, and strongly suggests that morphological change in oral dentition promoted its long-term population persistence in an aquatic ecosystem presenting the dual challenge of being both sensitive to climate change (creating constantly shifting selective pressures) and isolated from surrounding populations (limiting gene ﬂ ow). In Lake Chala, ancient climate-driven lake-level ﬂ uctuations did not directly promote speciation in O. hunteri , but the population bottlenecks they may have caused potentially contributed to its divergence from sister species Oreochromis jipe .
Camelliazijinica (Theaceae), a new species endemic to Danxia landscape from Guangdong Province, China

﻿Abstract A new species of the genus Camellia (Theaceae), Camelliazijinica, discovered in the Danxia landscape from Guangdong Province, China, is characterized and illustrated. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes suggested its affinity with C.drupifera, C.oleifera and C.fluviatilis, however, it morphologically differs from all of the latter by leaf shape and size. Phonologically, it most closely resembles C.microphylla, but can be distinguished from the latter by its young branchlets glabrous (vs. densely pubescent), fewer bracteoles and sepals, diverse leaf shape, midvein raised slightly with sparsely pubescent or glabrous (vs. prominently with densely pubescent) and leaf adaxially matt (vs. vernicose) when dried. By morphological and molecular analyses, Camelliazijinica represented a distinct new species of C.sect. Paracamellia.
Electric Field Dropping Effect Enhanced Extraordinary Sensitivity of THz Electromagnetically Induced Transparency Metamaterial

Metamaterial sensors have unique advantages, including nonlabeling and nondestructive capabilities in the terahertz (THz) regions. However, the low sensitivity, limited by the poor light-matter interaction, still restricts the implementation of the metamaterial sensors for practical applications. In this article, we construct a novel THz electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT)-like metamaterial using two resonators with different metal thicknesses (undulated metamaterial), resulting in a coupled mode with electric field dropping distribution. This electric field dropping distribution leads to a remarkable enhancement of the electric field in the space, where the analyte is present. The transmission amplitude of the transparency window shows obvious growth with the undulated surface design because of the enhanced coupling between the two resonant modes. The simulation results are also investigated through coupled harmonic oscillator model. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the metamaterial sensor with undulated characteristics is 550 GHz/RIU, surpassing that of the metamaterial sensor with uniform metal thickness by a factor of 1.57 due to the strengthened light–matter interaction. In addition, an experimental demonstration of the enhanced sensing performance and transmission amplitude growth of the undulated metamaterial is conducted, which shows good consistency with the simulations. The THz metamaterial, consisting of different resonators with varying metal thickness, can provide an efficient approach for designing biosensors with ultrasensitivity and the designing method offers an opportunity for the realization of further enhanced sensitivity without changing the pattern of metamaterial.
Ca2Lib: Simple and Accurate LiDAR-RGB Calibration Using Small Common Markers

Modern visual perception techniques often rely on multiple heterogeneous sensors to achieve accurate and robust estimates. Knowledge of their relative positions is a mandatory prerequisite to accomplish sensor fusion. Typically, this result is obtained through a calibration procedure that correlates the sensors’ measurements. In this context, we focus on LiDAR and RGB sensors that exhibit complementary capabilities. Given the sparsity of LiDAR measurements, current state-of-the-art calibration techniques often rely on complex or large calibration targets to resolve the relative pose estimation. As such, the geometric properties of the targets may hinder the calibration procedure in those cases where an ad hoc environment cannot be guaranteed. This paper addresses the problem of LiDAR-RGB calibration using common calibration patterns (i.e., A3 chessboard) with minimal human intervention. Our approach exploits the flatness of the target to find associations between the sensors’ measurements, leading to robust features and retrieval of the solution through nonlinear optimization. The results of quantitative and comparative experiments with other state-of-the-art approaches show that our simple schema performs on par or better than existing methods that rely on complex calibration targets.