Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Host Genotype Affects the Bacterial Community in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the most complex ecosystems consisting of microbial and host cells. It is suggested that the host genotype, the physiology of the host and environmental factors affect the composition and function of the bacterial community in the intestine. However, the relative impact of these factors is unknown. In this study, we used a culture-independent approach to analyze the bacterial composition in the GI tract. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of fecal bacterial 16S rDNA amplicons from adult humans with varying degrees of genetic relatedness were compared by determining the similarity indices of the profiles compared. The similarity between fecal DGGE profiles of monozygotic twins were significantly higher than those for unrelated individuals (t s =2.73, p 1-tail =0.0063, df=21). In addition, a positive relationship (F 1,30 =8.63, p=0.0063) between the similarity indices and the genetic relatedness of the hosts was observed. In contrast, fecal DGGE profiles of marital partners, which are living in the same environment and which have comparable feeding habits, showed low similarity which was not significantly different from that of unrelated individuals (t s =1.03, p 1-tail =0.1561, df=27). Our data indicate that factors related to the host genotype have an important effect on determining the bacterial composition in the GI tract. Keywords: denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, host genotytpe, human GI tract, 16S rDNA.
Characterization of humic acids extracted from biosolid amended soils

The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes produced in the chemical, acid-base and structural properties of soil amended (biosolids) and humic acids HAs incubated at different times. In the current work the amendments were conducted with biosolids at different doses (30, 90 and 180 t ha -1 ) on
Detection of moldy core in apples and its symptom types using transmittance spectroscopy

Abstract: A detection method based on transmittance spectroscopy and support vector machine (SVM) was proposed to achieve rapid nondestructive detection of moldy core in apples. A visible to near-infrared (Vis/NIR) spectroradiometer was used for scanning transmittance spectra of 215 apple samples in the wavelength range of 200-1025 nm. Wavelet transform was used to reduce the dimensionality of the spectra and extract wavelet coefficients. Two classification algorithms including artificial neural network (ANN) and SVM were used to develop models whose parameters were optimized by genetic algorithms (GA) for determination of the presence and types of moldy core in apples. Comparisons results of the models showed that the GA-SVM model obtained the optimal result with an accuracy of 96.92% for detecting the presence of moldy core and 81.48% for distinguishing symptom types of the disease. These results indicate that it is feasible to detect moldy core in apples nondestructively and rapidly based on transmittance spectroscopy and that wavelet transform is an effective method for extraction of characteristics from spectra. Moreover, the GA-SVM algorithm in conjunction with Vis/NIR transmittance spectroscopy can accurately achieve fast and nondestructive detection of the presence and types of moldy core in apples. Keywords: moldy core of apples, transmittance spectrum, wavelet transform, support vector machine, genetic algorithm, symptom types DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe. 20160906.2235 Citation: Zhou Z Y, Lei Y, Su D, Zhang H H, He D J, Yang C H. Detection of moldy core in apples and its symptom types using transmittance spectroscopy. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2016; 9(6): 148－155.
The correct method of calculating energy savings to justify adjustable frequency drives on pumps

It is easy to make a bad business decision when using electrical energy savings as a justification to install adjustable frequency drives (AFDs) on pumps. The simple hydraulic formulae and "rules-of-thumb" are easily misapplied and the errors will generally always economically favor the AFD installation. To use energy savings as a justification for an AFD installation, it is necessary to accurately determine these savings over the life of the equipment. These savings are not dependent upon the AFD or motor characteristics but depend upon the characteristics of the process system. This paper is tutorial in nature and shows why AFDs save electricity, gives examples of the common errors that are made in performing the savings calculations, shows how to do these calculations correctly, shows how to mathematically model the process to assist in performing the analysis and shows how to perform the economic calculations to arrive at a rate-of-return on the AFD investment.
Complementarity in the Innovation Strategy: Internal R&D, External Technology Acquisition, and Cooperation in R&D

Successful innovation depends on the development and integration of new knowledge in the innovation process. In order to innovate successfully, the firm will combine different innovation activities. In addition to doing own research and development, firms typically are engaged in the acquisition of knowledge on the technology market and cooperate actively in R&D with other firms and research organizations. In this Paper we provide evidence on complementarity between different innovation activities. Using data from the Community Innovation Survey on Belgian manufacturing firms, we show that firms that are only engaged in a single innovation strategy, either internal R&D activities or sourcing technology externally, introduced fewer new or substantially improved products compared to firms which combine internal and external sourcing. This result is consistent with complementarity between own R&D and external technology sourcing activities. Furthermore, we show that the different innovation activities are strongly positively correlated and identify common drivers, resulting in the perceived complementarity between these innovation activities. An important finding is that a capacity to strategically protect intellectual property and a more basic R&D base which may serve as an absorptive capacity, are important common drivers for the different innovation activities.
Author's personal copy Atmospheric contaminants on graphitic surfaces

Kelvin probe force microscopy images show that the surface potential of graphite changes with time as the contamination covers its surface. Using mass spectrometry we identify the molecular mass of the contaminants to be compatible with that of tetracene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), and its isomers. A combination of desorption and Kelvin probe force microscopy experiments plus theoretical calculations confirms that these molecules are the main contaminant for graphitic surfaces in air ambient conditions. Interestingly, when the sample temperature is increased above 50 C the molecules are desorbed and the surface potential becomes fairly homogeneous, suggesting that graphitic surfaces should be almost atomically clean above this temperature. PAHs are potent atmospheric pollutants, potentially carcinogenic, that consist of fused aromatic rings. Incomplete combustion of organic materials can increase the concentration of PAHs in the atmosphere, which in urban regions is enough to totally cover the surface of graphite in a time period that varies from minutes to a few hours. One of the consequences of the adsorption of molecules on graphene is the doping of its surface and the variation of the charge neutrality point originated by the charge transfer between graphene and the contamination layer. 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Historical Application Of The Export-Base Model: Economic Impacts Of An Indian Reservation

This study addresses the problem of backcasting an export-base multiplier where data for earlier time periods do not exist. A procedure is outlined to backcast an export-base multiplier when the calculated export-base multiplier, using existing data, is found to be statistically unstable. An application is developed to estimate cumulative employment impacts in Churchill County, Nevada, as a result of nonperformance of a contract for delivered water between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Fallon Indians. Employment export-base multipliers were backcasted to 1910.
Unemployment and Economic Growth in Nigeria

The rate of unemployment has risen in the last decade in most of the sub-Saharan African countries. The situation in Nigeria is rapid population growth with low level of employment rate. The theoretical proposition of the Okun’s law is that a negative relationship exists between unemployment rate and economic growth. This study intends to test the validity of Okun’s law in Nigeria. In order to examine the relationship between unemployment rate and economic growth, Error Correction Model (ECM) and Johasen cointegration test were employed to determine both the short run and long run relationships among the variables employed in the study. Empirical findings show that there is both the short and the long run relationship between unemployment rate and output growth in Nigeria. Hence, there is need to incorporate fiscal measures and increase the attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI) to reduce the high rate of unemployment in the country. Keywords : Unemployment, economic growth, Okun’s law, cointegration, error correction model. JEL Classification: B22, E24, F43, J64
Can Child-Care Support Policies Halt Decreasing Fertility?

Some earlier papers examine whether child allowances can raise fertility or not in an endogenous fertility model with a defined contribution pension system. They derive that a child allowance can raise fertility. This paper is aimed at deriving the level of child allowances or education subsidies to make the pension system sustainable. A child allowance can raise fertility instantaneously. However, in the long run, fertility might continue decreasing and the pension system might not be sustainable if less child allowance is provided. In a defined benefit system, tax burdens for pension benefits are heavy in an aging society with fewer children. A heavy tax burden reduces the household income and then decreases fertility. Therefore, child allowances must be provided to halt decreasing fertility in the long run. Nevertheless, given parametric conditions, education subsidy of more than a certain level can not halt the decrease of fertility in the long run.
Construct validity and internal consistency of a Malay version of the FAMCARE scale for measures of informal caregivers satisfaction

Evaluating the satisfaction of caregivers is a highly subjective procedure and there is a need for a culturally appropriate, validated and sufficiently tested measurement tool to identify their needs in a clinical setting in order to improve the quality of care. FAMCARE is a self-report scale assessing patient/ caregivers’ satisfaction with outpatient care. This study evaluated the validity and internal consistency of a Malay-language version of the FAMCARE scale amongst Malaysian informal caregivers. A total of 45 Malaysian informal caregivers in the outpatient oncology clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia completed the questionnaire. Responses were checked for construct validity (including exploratory factor analysis to check the factor structure of the scale) and internal reliability. The 20 items of the FAMCARE scale were subjected to principal axis factoring (PAF) using SPSS, starting with assessing suitability of the data for factor analysis. Correlation matrix showed the presence of many coefficients of 0.3 and above. The Kaiser–Mayer-Olkin value was 0.79 and the Barlett’s Test of sphericity was highly significant (p<.001). PAF showed the presence of four components with eigenvalues exceeding 1, explaining 60.8% of the cumulative variance. The items were loaded in four domains with satisfactory inter-factor correlations. The general FAMCARE questionnaire as a whole was found to have high internal reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0.93). The Malay-language version of the FAMCARE scale appeared as a valid and reliable tool for assessing informal caregiver’s satisfaction in outpatient settings, although it would be preferable to eliminate weak items which have low factor loading.
Compliance to treatment and reaching of metabolic goals are better in OAD-treated diabetics than insulin-treated diabetics in the Turkish population

Materials and methods: This was a single-centre, retrospective study including 2995 patients. The proportion of patients reaching their HbA1c goals, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), and American Diabetes Association (ADA), were determined. Results: There were 4 different treatment groups: 1) diet group (n = 140), 2) oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) group (n = 1238), 3) insulin group (n = 765), and 4) insulin + OAD group (n = 812). According to the IDF and AACE criteria, the proportion of patients reaching HbA1c levels of ≤6.5% was 92% in group 1, and 1 year later it was 100%. In the OAD group the proportions were 61% and 69%, respectively. In the insulin group, the rate was 15% and 1 year later 33% of patients had reached their goals. In the insulin + OAD group, the rates were 10% and 21%, respectively (P < 0.05 for all). According to the ADA criteria, the rate of patients reaching HbA1c levels of ≤7% was 40% in the total group and, at the end of 1 year, 59%. In the diet group, the rates were 95% and 100%, respectively. In the OAD group, the rates were 75% and 83%, respectively. In the insulin group, the rates were 23% and 52%, respectively. In the insulin + OAD group, the rates were 16% and 32%, respectively. Conclusion: A large number of patients seemed to reach their HbA1c goals. The success rate was especially higher in the OAD group than in the insulin group.
Techno-Economic Analysis of Biogas Powered Cogeneration

Climate change, mainly caused by increased greenhouse gases, and reduced fossil fuel reserves, has launched a more intensive use of renewable energy on a global scale. One example of application of the renewable energy is the use of biogas which is produced from livestock manure at the farmyards. The most important goal of building a biogas plant is the environment protection. In addition, it is possible to realize the positive socio-economic effects, promote rural development and make better use of human and material resources at the local level. However, the construction of cogeneration heat and power plant is a complex technical, organizational and investment venture. The objective of this paper is to present a feasibility analysis of biogas power plants for combined heat and power generation including different aspects such as available biomass resources, heat and electricity producing, verification of the requirements for connecting power plant to the grid, as well as analysis of the economic viability.
Flexible NO 2 gas sensor using multilayer graphene films by chemical vapor deposition

We report a highly sensitive NO2 gas sensor based on multi-layer graphene (MLG) films synthesized by a chemical vapor deposition method on a microheater-embedded flexible substrate. The MLG could detect low-concentration NO2 even at sub-ppm (<200 ppb) levels. It also exhibited a high resistance change of ~6% when it was exposed to 1 ppm NO2 gas at room temperature for 1 min. The exceptionally high sensitivity could be attributed to the large number of NO2 molecule adsorption sites on the MLG due to its a large surface area and various defect-sites, and to the high mobility of carriers transferred between the MLG films and the adsorbed gas molecules. Although desorption of the NO 2 molecules was slow, it could be enhanced by an additional annealing process using an embedded Au microheater. The outstanding mechanical flexibility of the graphene film ensures the stable sensing re sponse of the device under extreme bending stress. Our large-scale and easily reproducible MLG films can provide a proof-of-concept for future flexible NO 2 gas sensor devices.
Direct numerical simulation of complex multi-fluid flows using a combined volume of fluid and immersed boundary method

In this paper a simulation model is presented for the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of complex multi-fluid flows in which simultaneously (moving) deformable (drops or bubbles) and non-deformable (moving) elements (particles) are present, possibly with the additional presence of free surfaces. Our model combines the VOF model developed by van Sint Annaland et al. (2005) and the Immersed Boundary (IB) model developed by van der Hoef et al. (2006). The Volume of Fluid (VOF) part features i) an interface reconstruction technique based on piecewise linear interface representation ii) a three-dimensional version of the CSF model of Brackbill et al. (1992). The Immersed Boundary (IB) part incorporates both particle-fluid and particle-particle interaction via a Direct Forcing Method (DFM) and a hard sphere Discrete Particle (DP) approach. In our model a fixed (Eulerian) grid is utilized to solve the Navier-Stokes equations for the entire computational domain. The no-slip condition at the surface of the moving particles is enforced via a momentum source term which only acts in the vicinity of the particle surface. For the enforcement of the no-slip condition Lagrangian force points are used which are distributed evenly over the surface of the particle. Dissipative particle-particle and/or particle-wall collisions are accounted via a hard sphere DP approach (Hoomans et al., 1996) using a three-parameter particle-particle interaction model accounting for normal and tangential restitution and tangential friction. The capabilities of the hybrid VOF-IB model are demonstrated with a number of examples in which complex topological changes in the interface are encountered.
Microbial ecology of marinated meat products

Marinated meat products are consumed increasingly because they are convenient in meal preparing. In addition to sensory effects, marinating has been considered to increase product safety and shelf life quality. There are variations in meat marinating technologies around the world. In Finland, marinades are complex sauces which have a great effect on product appearance and taste. They are water-oil emulsions typically containing salt, sugar and acids (acetic, citric), rheology-improving additives (like xanthan gum and guar gum), antimicrobial agents (like sorbate and benzoate) spices and aroma strengtheners. The pH of these marinades is usually acidic, less than 5, so sugar is used to cut the edge of the acidic taste. Marinated meat products are usually packaged under modified atmospheres to prevent the growth of aerobic spoilage organisms. This results in the growth of psychrotrophic, anaerobic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are the dominating spoilage organisms in these products. Marinating did not increase the shelf life of Finnish poultry products and it strongly selects certain spoilage-associated novel LAB species. Surprisingly, it did not have a strong inhibitory effect on Campylobacter. This may be due to the buffering capability of meat quickly neutralizing the pH of the acidic marinade. The change in the acidic pH towards neutrality also results in dissociation of the lipophilic acids making their antimicrobial effect nonexistent.
Effect of the ethylene inhibitors silver nitrate, silver sulfate, and cobalt chloride on micropropagation and biochemical parameters in the cherryrootstocks CAB-6P and Gisela 6

In the present study, the effects of three ethylene inhibitors, silver nitrate (AgNO3), silver sulfate (Ag2SO4), and cobalt chloride (CoCl2), on the morphogenic and biochemical responses in CAB-6P and Gisela 6 cherry rootstocks were investigated. In both rootstocks, AgNO3 and Ag2SO4 promoted shoot regeneration while CoCl2 had such an effect only in Gisela 6. The rooting percentage of CAB-6P and Gisela 6 explants was diminished with AgNO3, Ag2SO4, and CoCl2. AgNO3 increased root number (40 μM) and root length (50 μM) in the CAB-6P rootstock while it had an inhibitory effect in Gisela 6. Ag2SO4 and CoCl2 enhanced root length of Gisela 6 explants whereas Ag2SO4 decreased root number and root length of CAB-6P explants. CoCl2 at 10 μM in both rootstocks augmented root number whereas 20 μM CoCl2 increased root length of CAB-6P microshoots. AgNO3, Ag2SO4, and CoCl2 decreased leaf chlorophyll and carbohydrate content in CAB-6P rootstock. On the other hand, in Gisela 6, 10 μM AgNO3 gave elevated chlorophyll levels and 20 μM AgNO3 or 10-50 μM CoCl2 raised leaf carbohydrate content. The three ethylene inhibitors led to elevated leaf proline levels in the CAB-6P rootstock, whereas in Gisela 6 the increase or decrease in leaf proline content was dependent on both type and concentration of ethylene inhibitor. An efficient micropropagation protocol was established for the CAB-6P and Gisela 6 cherry rootstocks using ethylene inhibitors.
The sensation of pleasantness during tactile exploration

In everyday life, we frequently explore surfaces with our fingertips to capture aspects of their physics, such as texture or toughness. Furthermore, such explorations are often accompanied by a perception of (un)pleasantness. It is therefore of interest to investigate the relationship that could exist between the sensation of pleasantness and the physical attributes of explored surfaces. Typically, the sensation of pleasantness in touch is indirectly assessed, generating ordinal data. Such data lack fundamental psychometric properties that are essential to carry out objective and quantitative analyses. To address this problem, probabilistic measurement models (e.g. Rasch model) can be used to establish linear, unidimensional and invariant scales from ordinal scores by locating subjects and items along a single underlying scale. In this thesis, the Rasch Model has been used to establish a basis for future investigations on pleasantness perception at fingertip level. Indeed, a unidimensional, linear and invariant Pleasant Touch Scale has been developed, which classifies 37 different everyday life materials according to their pleasantness levels. The pleasantness levels suggested that the pleasantness perception, occurring during active surface exploration, had a certain correlation with aspects of the microgeometry of the surfaces as well as with the frictional properties arising when sliding fingers on them. These indications were thoroughly investigated during active and passive tactile surface exploration experiments. Moreover, the effect of surface temperature on the perception of pleasant touch was studied. In conclusion, all studies indicated that surface topography and frictional forces resulting from surface exploration are important factors for pleasantness sensation during touch with a fingertip.
Effect of Dietary Vitamin E on Growth, Gonad Weight and Embryo Development in Female Red Swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri (Poeciliidae)

The effects of different levels of dietary vitamin E (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1000 mg/kg diet) on growth, gonad weight, embryo development, and number of embryos produced were studied for 50 days in female red swordtail, Xiphophorus helleri. Food utilization, gonad weight, and gonadosomatic index increased with the increase in vitamin E levels up to 500 mg/kg and thereafter significantly (p<0.05) declined. The impact of vitamin E on gonad weight and gonadosomatic index directly reflected embryo development and production. Early embryo stages (immature ova, mature ova, primitive streak) dominated in fish fed diets containing 250 and 1000 mg vitamin E while late embryo stages (early and middle-eyed) were most frequent in fish fed the diet containing 500 mg vitamin E. Late-eyed embryos occurred only in fish fed the 500 mg diet. Thus, 500 mg vitamin E per kg diet is the optimum level for triggering gonad development and production of late embryo stages in female X. helleri.