Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular dynamics simulations of the cytochrome c3–rubredoxin complex from Desulfovibrio vulgaris

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out on the complex formed between the tetraheme cytochrome c3 and the iron protein rubredoxin from the sulfate‐reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris. These simulations were performed both with explicit solvent water molecules included, and without solvent molecules using a distance‐dependent dielectric constant to approximate the screening effects of solvent. The results of both simulations are strikingly different, indicating that the representation of environmental effects is important in such simulations. For example, a striking adaptation of the two proteins seen in the nonsolvated simulation is not seen when explicit solvent water is included; in fact, the complex appears to become weaker in the solvated simulation. Nonetheless, the iron–iron distance decreases more significantly in the solvated simulation than in the nonsolvated simulation. It was found that in both cases molecular dynamics optimized the structures further than energy minimization alone.
An approach to neck pain for the family physician.

BACKGROUND Neck pain is a common presentation in general practice. Nevertheless, recommendations for the investigation and management of neck pain lack a strong evidence base and are predominantly extrapolated from low back pain studies. OBJECTIVE This review provides an investigation and treatment paradigm to help primary care physicians assess and manage cervical spine pain. DISCUSSION Although sinister causes of neck pain are rare, clinicians must be mindful of red flags that may indicate serious pathology. The medical interview, rather than the physical examination, remains the most critical step in determining the likely cause of cervical spine pain, whereas biochemical tests and imaging are not part of routine assessment. The classification of neck pain into acute or chronic patterns, extrapolated from the low back pain literature, may help stratify the need for intervention and the likely prognosis of neck pain. A more concerted research effort is needed to help better understand and develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of neck pain.
T-Patterns in Business

Sequence of events that occur over time may have recurrent patterns. In this paper we develop a scalable methodology to uncover such time patterns and demonstrate their value in business applications. We build upon prior work by Magnusson (2000) and identify four limitations of the existing T-pattern algorithm that preclude it from being useful for typical business problems. The four categories of limitations are: (i) scalability, (ii) supervised learning, (iii) heterogeneous individuals, (iv) distributional assumptions, and propose a solution for each limitation. We use simulations to exhibit the properties of our proposed algorithm and its ability to uncover true T-patterns. The simulations demonstrate the gains accrued from our proposed algorithm when compared to the original T-pattern algorithm. We use insurance claims data from a well-known insurance company to test the algorithm. We show that the algorithm successfully detects T-patterns that routinely occur in the context of insurance claims. Using each T-pattern as a binary feature in machine learning models we classify the claims into the two groups of satisfied and dissatisfied customers. This reveals T-patterns that separate dissatisfied customers from satisfied ones and identifies ouch-points that could minimize customer dissatisfaction with the claims process.
A GPR-PSO incremental regression framework on GPS/INS integration for vehicle localization under urban environment

Land vehicle localization and navigation mainly relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) integration. In this paper, we propose a unified incremental regression framework that enables vehicle localization with high accuracy in urban environment. Within the framework, we propose a nonlinear Gauss Process Regression (GPR) approach to perform vehicle position prediction during GPS outages. By mapping nonlinear data into high-dimensional space by kernel function, the proposed GPR based approach is able to deal with the nonlinearity issue in GPS denied environment. We design a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based algorithm to optimize GPR hyper-parameters, which are tuned with high time efficiency for vehicular position prediction. By real-world road experiments, the proposed method is evaluated against Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine Regression (SVR) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR). The results reveal that the proposed outperforms the others by 22.8%-65.2% improvement in the positional accuracy.
Point mutations in the major outer membrane protein drive hypervirulence of a rapidly expanding clone of Campylobacter jejuni

Significance Identification of specific genetic changes responsible for pathogen emergence and evolution is critical for disease prevention and control. By using a powerful and high throughput approach (directed genome evolution), we identified the specific point mutations in the major outer membrane protein that drive the hypervirulence of an emergent Campylobacter jejuni clone, which causes abortion in ruminants and foodborne disease outbreaks in humans. This finding reveals a critical virulence factor and a potential target for the control of Campylobacter, an important zoonotic pathogen affecting both animal and human health. The experimental and computational approaches developed in this study are generally applicable to other bacterial organisms for identifying specific virulence factors responsible for a disease phenotype. Infections due to clonal expansion of highly virulent bacterial strains are clear and present threats to human and animal health. Association of genetic changes with disease is now a routine, but identification of causative mutations that enable disease remains difficult. Campylobacter jejuni is an important zoonotic pathogen transmitted to humans mainly via the foodborne route. C. jejuni typically colonizes the gut, but a hypervirulent and rapidly expanding clone of C. jejuni recently emerged, which is able to translocate across the intestinal tract, causing systemic infection and abortion in pregnant animals. The genetic basis responsible for this hypervirulence is unknown. Here, we developed a strategy, termed “directed genome evolution,” by using hybridization between abortifacient and nonabortifacient strains followed by selection in an animal disease model and whole-genome sequence analysis. This strategy successfully identified SNPs in porA, encoding the major outer membrane protein, are responsible for the hypervirulence. Defined mutagenesis verified that these mutations were both necessary and sufficient for causing abortion. Furthermore, sequence analysis identified porA as the gene with the top genome-wide signal of adaptive evolution using Fu’s Fs, a population genetic metric for recent population size changes, which is consistent with the recent expansion of clone “sheep abortion. ” These results identify a key virulence factor in Campylobacter and a potential target for the control of this zoonotic pathogen. Furthermore, this study provides general, unbiased experimental and computational approaches that are broadly applicable for efficient elucidation of disease-causing mutations in bacterial pathogens.
Interference aware inter-cell rank coordination for 5G wide area networks

Multiple receive and transmit antennas can be used to improve the spectral efficiency by transmitting over multiple independent streams. In addition, multiple receive antennas facilitate interference suppression through the use of interference rejection combining receivers. Rank adaptation algorithms are aimed at balancing the trade-off between increasing the spatial gain, and improving the interference resilience property. In this paper, we propose an inter-cell rank coordination scheme whereby a serving base station coordinates the preferred maximum interference rank with the dominant interfering BS through exchange of coordination messages over the Xn interface. The proposed scheme is computationally efficient and requires minimum control overhead. Matlab based system-level simulation results indicate around 65% gain in terms of the outage throughput with little impact on the peak user throughput.
Reduction of waterborne microorganisms in treated domestic wastewater for reuse in agriculture: Comparison between floating media filter and sand filter

ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate the use of a floating media filter (FMF) to eliminate waterborne microorganism in treated domestic wastewater for reuse in agriculture. A conventional sand filter (SF) was used concurrently to compare treated water quality. The total/fecal coliforms and somatic coliphage were employed as fecal indicators. The result showed that the FMF was fed with 3 times higher infiltration rate (15 m 3 /m 2 .h) than that in the SF (5 m 3 /m 2 .h), in which both filters gave similar coliform removal at 6 hours operation. The somatic coliphage elimination tended to increase with operational time for the FMF while that of the SF showed decreasing trend. When a 24 hour continuous operation was applied for the FMF, it showed better removal of somatic coliphage (78%), fecal coliforms (60%) and total coliforms (56%) than that of 6 hour operation. In conclusion, the FMF gave better performance than the SF did by producing a good quality of treated water for agriculture in terms of waterborne microorganisms including turbidity and suspended solids.
High economic inequality leads higher-income individuals to be less generous

Significance Recent research finds that higher-income individuals are less generous than lower-income individuals. This work has received widespread academic and media attention, but the formulation is likely oversimplistic because it neglects the role of economic inequality. We test a new, multilevel perspective on the relationship between income and generosity that incorporates economic inequality. In a nationally representative survey study and an experiment, we find that higher-income individuals are only less generous if they reside in a highly unequal area or when inequality is experimentally portrayed as relatively high. Our findings offer a more complete understanding of the association between income and generosity and have implications for contemporary debates about the social impact of unequal resource distributions. Research on social class and generosity suggests that higher-income individuals are less generous than poorer individuals. We propose that this pattern emerges only under conditions of high economic inequality, contexts that can foster a sense of entitlement among higher-income individuals that, in turn, reduces their generosity. Analyzing results of a unique nationally representative survey that included a real-stakes giving opportunity (n = 1,498), we found that in the most unequal US states, higher-income respondents were less generous than lower-income respondents. In the least unequal states, however, higher-income individuals were more generous. To better establish causality, we next conducted an experiment (n = 704) in which apparent levels of economic inequality in participants’ home states were portrayed as either relatively high or low. Participants were then presented with a giving opportunity. Higher-income participants were less generous than lower-income participants when inequality was portrayed as relatively high, but there was no association between income and generosity when inequality was portrayed as relatively low. This research finds that the tendency for higher-income individuals to be less generous pertains only when inequality is high, challenging the view that higher-income individuals are necessarily more selfish, and suggesting a previously undocumented way in which inequitable resource distributions undermine collective welfare.
A normative study of the Nine Hole Peg Test in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND The Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT) is a simple, quick assessment often used by occupational therapists to assess finger dexterity. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to standardize the NHPT in Bangladesh so Bangladeshi therapists can administer and interpret this test with relevant cultural norms. METHOD This study includes an inter-rater reliability (IRR) study and a normative study with Bangladeshi participants. RESULTS In the IRR study, four raters were placed into 6 teams of two to establish reliability between individuals in each team. Intra-Class Correlation (ICC) results showed a high inter-rater reliability with ICC average ratings of 0.882-0.998 between individual raters of each team. Culturally relevant norms were developed for the NHPT using a sample of 180 participants (females, n=90 and males, n=90) ranging in age from 18 to 60 years. The data from the 1st trials were analyzed between age categories of both 5 and 10-year increments. Normative data was found to be clinically significant across collapsed age groups: 18-39, 40-49, and 50-60 years of age for each gender. CONCLUSION These age categories were used to standardize the NHPT in Bangladesh, making it a culturally relevant finger dexterity test for the Bangladeshi population.
Development of three axes rubber testing machine using electromagnetic linear actuator

In general, rubber testing machine is used for rubber strip or product test. Rubber testing machine having technological improvement in the previous three axes rubber testing machine is developed for rubber product test. Rubber product such as vehicle engine mount required to have performance test data over 200 Hz. But, previous hydraulic three axes rubber testing machine can be generate actuating signal of 80 Hz by property of hydraulic actuator. In this work, three axes rubber testing machine having actuating signal of 1000 Hz is developed by adoption of electromagnetic linear actuator in steady of hydraulic actuator. Developed rubber testing machine is verified by performance test.
Collaborative networks and export intensity in family firms: a quantile regression approach

This paper examines if collaborative networks affect the export status and intensity in family firms. We suggest that the network effect is more relevant when the firm has low export intensity because when the firm is in the first stages of internationalization, networks are very useful to provide export resources and to solve common problems. However, this role becomes less relevant when firms show higher export intensity. For the empirical analysis, we use a dynamic Heckman-Probit model, using in the second stage a quantile regression model.
Decycling Cartesian Products of Two Cycles

The decycling number $\nabla(G)$ of a graph $G$ is the smallest number of vertices which can be removed from $G$ so that the resultant graph contains no cycles. In this paper, we study the decycling number for the family of graphs consisting of the Cartesian product of two cycles. We completely solve the problem of determining the decycling number of $C_m \square C_n$ for all $m$ and $n$. Moreover, we find a vertex set $T$ that yields a maximum induced tree in $C_m\square C_n$.
Live Blogging about Terrorist Attacks

This article investigates how competition among news outlets and editorial strategies of news outlets affect both their decisions to publish a live blog in the event of a terrorist attack and whether to implement 10 quality dimensions in the live blogs. We draw on theories related to herd behavior and strategy formation. We use quantitative content analysis data covering 22 terrorist attacks in Western Europe and 29 corresponding live blogs during a time period of 14 years. We investigate live blogs of three major Swiss news websites: nzz.ch, tagesanzeiger.ch and blick.ch. We control for professionalization, a key event and newsroom convergence, as well as the news factors damage, impact and centrality. Linear and logistic regressions are applied. The results show that competition plays a significant role in decisions regarding whether or not to publish a live blog. Moreover, competition speeds up the provision of information and expands its scope. The editorial strategies, in turn, generate different approaches as to how this information is conveyed to news consumers.
Does It Pay to Be Innovation and Imitation Oriented? An Examination of the Antecedents and Consequences of Innovation and Imitation Orientations

Although innovation orientation has been documented as the primary strategy to support a firm's growth, imitation orientation, which represents an alternative strategic and cultural focus, has begun to receive attention. However, empirical evidence as to how each orientation is shaped by environmental turbulence and whether it is fruitful to adopt both orientations simultaneously is lacking. This study attempts to close such an important research gap by surveying 294 managers at 147 firms in China. Results indicate that dysfunctional competition and technological turbulence, two critical environmental forces in emerging economies, influence the extent to which a firm adopts these two strategic orientations. The results also suggest that firms should stay focused on one strategic orientation rather than both to optimize their performance outcomes.
Investigation of Pertussis Cases in a Texas County, 2008–2012

Objectives Within the past 25 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of pertussis cases in the United States. As such, this investigation reports on the high-risk groups and describes risk factors of pertussis cases in a large Texas county. Methods This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected by health department employees using the Texas Department of State Health Service’s Pertussis Case Track Record, which is the standard investigation form for collecting vital information on pertussis cases. We extracted and analyzed county-level data for a 5-year period (2008–2012). The study population at risk included all current residents in this county, and cases included all who were clinically diagnosed as having confirmed or probable pertussis cases that were reported to the health department according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition. The vaccination status of a case was defined as fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or not vaccinated. Results A total of 198 probable and confirmed pertussis cases were included in this analysis. Most of the cases were infants younger than 1 year old (n = 107). The largest category of cases was not vaccinated and of the rest, 32.8% were partially vaccinated, 17.2% had unknown vaccination status, and 13.1% were fully vaccinated. Only 48 (24.2%) sources of exposure were identified and they included fathers (14.6%), sisters (14.6%), brothers (14.6%), other children (14.6%), and mothers (12.5%). Many sources of exposure (n = 26, 54.1%) were unaware of their vaccination history. Hispanics accounted for 84.5% of cases in the younger than 1 year old group and 88.9% of cases were in the 1 to 2 years old group. With respect to race/ethnicity and vaccination status of the cases, 39.46% of Hispanics, 32% of whites, and 50% of blacks were reported to be unvaccinated. Conclusions Increasing pertussis vaccination coverage among children, as well as providing booster shots to adults with special attention on the Hispanic population, may prove to be an effective strategy for health departments.
Study on Employee Engagement Among Workers at RUBCO in Enhancing an Innovative Organisational Culture.

Employee engagement is a barometer that determines the association of a person with the organization. Engagement is most closely associated with the existing construction of job involvement and flow. Job involvement is defined as the degree to which the job situation is central to the person and his or her identify. Job involvement is thought to depend on both need saliency and the potential of a job to satisfy these needs. HR practitioners believe that the engagement challenge has a lot to do with how Employee feels about the work experience and how he/she is treated in the organization. It has a lot to do with emotions which are fundamentally related to drive bottom line success in a company. There will always be people who never give their best efforts no matter how hard HR and line managers try to engage them. But for the most part employees want to commit to companies because doing so satisfies a powerful and a need in connect with and contribute to something significant and creative. A descriptive study consisting of 50 sample workers is conducted using a questionnaire at RUBCO. The study found that majority of the workers had an emotional attachment to the organization which led to a innovative organizational culture.
Effect of Clustering in Designing a fuzzy based Hybrid Intrusion Detection System for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Intrusion Detection System (IDS) provides additional security for the most vulnerable Mobile Adhoc Networks (MANET). Use of Fuzzy Inference System (FIS) in the design of IDS is proven to be efficient in detecting routing attacks in MANETs. Clustering is a vital means in the detection process of FIS based hybrid IDS. This study describes the design of such a system to detect black hole attack in MANET that uses Adhoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol. It analyses the effect of two clustering algorithms and also prescribes the suitable clustering algorithm for the above-mentioned IDS. MANETs with various traffic scenarios were simulated and the data set required for the IDS is extracted. A hybrid IDS is designed using Sugeno type-2 FIS to detect black hole attack. From the experimental results, it is derived that the subtractive clustering algorithm produces 97% efficient detection while FCM offers 91%. It has been found that the subtractive clustering algorithm is more fit and efficient than the Fuzzy C-Means clustering (FCM) for the FIS based detection system.
Cortical intraoperative stimulation in brain tumors as a tool to evaluate spatial data from motor functional MRI.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE The purpose of this prospective, double-blind study was to correlate motor functional MRI (fMRI) with cortical brain mapping by intraoperative stimulation using 3D reconstructed images of the surface of the brain, and to validate the spatial data of fMRI in patients with brain tumors. METHODS Fourteen patients with tumors of the rolandic region underwent functional MR mapping of the hand region and subsequently cortical mapping before tumor resection. Data obtained with fMRI and brain mapping were not known previously by the neurosurgeon and by the neuroradiologist, respectively (double-blind study). RESULTS In each case, the results of direct cortical mapping matched those obtained with fMRI, both positively and negatively, although the extent of the functional activations was larger than the area required to elicit the corresponding movement during intraoperative brain mapping. CONCLUSION fMRI can be used before surgery to assess motor functional area in patients with rolandic tumors. More studies are needed to validate during surgery the real extent of fMRI activations.