nils-herrmann/clean_scirepeval huggingface dataset:
Women's experience of HIV as a chronic illness in South Africa: hard earned lives, biographical disruption and moral career.
Venue: Sociology of health illness

This article presents findings from a longitudinal qualitative study (48 in depth interviews with 12 women on antiretroviral treatment (ART) exploring the experience of living with HIV as a chronic illness in South Africa by applying the structural and interactionist perspectives on chronic illness. The structural perspective indicates that the illness experience needs to be contextualised within the wider framework of the women's hard earned lives: throughout the interviews, the women tended to refuse singularising HIV/AIDS and continuously framed the illness within the context of general hardship and adversity. Employing an interactionist perspective, the repeated interviews demonstrated the partial applicability of the concept of biographical disruption to the illness experience: most women experienced feelings of denial and disbelief upon diagnosis, but the availability of ART clearly mitigated the impact of HIV on their biographies. In addition, our findings demonstrate that the interaction between structural aspects, (stigmatising) social relations, and the illness (and its treatment) determines the never ending cycle of identity appraisals, revisions and improvements, rendering the moral career of the HIV positive women on ART a continuous work in progress.
Between disruption and continuity: challenges in maintaining the 'biographical we' when caring for a partner with a severe, chronic illness.
Venue: Sociology of health illness

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive illness that changes the lives of patients and their spouses dramatically. The aim of this paper is to show how spouses of COPD patients integrate their tasks as informal carers with their role as spouses and the tensions and challenges involved in this. The study draws on qualitative interviews with spouses of COPD patients, recruited from the patient pool of ambulatory pulmonary services of two hospitals in Oslo, Norway. The spouses described their great efforts to re establish normality and continuity in their everyday lives. Accomplishing this was a delicate process because they faced several dilemmas in this work. They balanced the need to sustain the independence and integrity of both parties against the need to ensure safety and deal with the progression of the illness. We propose 'biographical we' as a concept that can highlight the great effort spouses put into establishing a sense of continuity in their lives. In times when healthcare policy involves mobilising informal caregiving resources, an awareness of the complexity of caregiving relationships is crucial when developing appropriate support for informal carers.
Biocontrol of Tomato Fusarium wilt by Trichoderma Species under in vitro and in vivo Conditions

Trichoderma spp. have long been used as biological control agents against plant fungal diseases, but the mechanisms by which the fungi confer protection are not well understood. Our goal in this study was to isolate species of Trichoderma, that exhibit high levels of biocontrol efficacy from natural environments and to investigate the mechanisms by which these strains confer plant protection. In this study, efficacy of the native isolates of Trichoderma species to promote the growth and yield parameters of tomato and to manage Fusarium wilt disease under in vitro and in vivo conditions were investigated. The dominant pathogen, which causes Fusarium wilt of tomato, was isolated and identified as Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (FOL) Twenty eight native Trichoderma antagonists were isolated from healthy tomato rhizosphere soil in different geographical regions of Mazandaran province, Iran. Under in vitro conditions, the results revealed that Trichoderma harzianum, isolate N 8, was found to inhibit effectively the radial mycelial growth of the pathogen (by 68.22% Under greenhouse conditions, the application of T. harzianum (N 8) exhibited the least disease incidence (by 14.75% Also, tomato plants treated with T. harzianum (N 8) isolate showed a significant stimulatory effect on plant height (by 70.13 cm) and the dry weight (by 265.42 g) of tomato plants, in comparison to untreated control (54.6 cm and 195.5 g) Therefore, the antagonist T. harzianum (N 8) is chosen to be the most promising bio control agent for F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. On the base of present study, the biocontrol agents of plant diseases might be exploited for sustainable disease management programs to save environmental risk.
A study of spur gear pitting under EHL conditions: Theoretical analysis and experiments

Based on the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) theory, the roughness of surface topography, the stress of surface and subsurface under pure rolling contact and sliding contact of spur gear are studied. The formation of micropitting, pitting and their sequence is studied with numerical results based on stress field, especially shear stress, by taking into account the high shear tractions caused by local asperity friction. The morphology of micro pitting and macro pitting under different stress levels and the distributions of stress are contrast analyzed. The experiments are carry out to investigate the pitting under EHL conditions by using cylindrical roller test machine. The results show that the shear stress of subsurface is a crucial mechanical factor leading to pitting. And pitting is a gradual fatigue phenomenon under the action of the shear stress.
NeemAzal T/S toxicity to early life stages of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.

In the European Union, the use of the insecticide NeemAzal T/S (standardised variant 1% of the active ingredient azadirachtin) is authorised in organic agriculture. The objective of this study was to determine the toxic effects of NeemAzal T/S at concentrations of 3, 10, 30, and 60 mg/l on the morphometric and condition characteristics, mortality, hatching, and histopathology of early life stages of common carp Cyprinus carpio L. as a non target aquatic organism, as well as related effects of NeemAzal T/S on selected indices of oxidative stress in the same organism. The embryo larval toxicity test was performed according to OECD Guidelines 210 (Fish, Early life Stage Toxicity Test) NeemAzal T/S exposure induced slow hatching on the first day and increased cumu lative mortality in groups exposed to the insecticide. No effect on morphometric or condition characteristics was observed after 31 days of exposure. Histopathological changes of the gills were found at the highest concentration of 60 mg/l of NeemAzal T/S. Exposure at 30 mg/l was associated with significantly 0.01) increased glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S transferase P 0.05) activities compared to the control group. The content of oxi dised lipids was significantly higher P 0.05) in the 3, 10, and 30 mg/l experimental groups than in the controls.  T/S exerted a significant negative influence on histopathological parameters in the embryo and larvae of common carp, as well as on the indices of oxidative stress in the same organism
Non equispaced B spline wavelets
Venue: Int. J. Wavelets Multiresolution Inf. Process.

This paper has three main contributions. The first is the construction of wavelet transforms from B spline scaling functions defined on a grid of non equispaced knots. The new construction extends the equispaced, biorthogonal, compactly supported Cohen Daubechies Feauveau wavelets. The new construction is based on the factorisation of wavelet transforms into lifting steps. The second and third contributions are new insights on how to use these and other wavelets in statistical applications. The second contribution is related to the bias of a wavelet representation. It is investigated how the fine scaling coefficients should be derived from the observations. In the context of equispaced data, it is common practice to simply take the observations as fine scale coefficients. It is argued in this paper that this is not acceptable for non interpolating wavelets on non equidistant data. Finally, the third contribution is the study of the variance in a non orthogonal wavelet transform in a new framework, replacing the numerical condition as a measure for non orthogonality. By controlling the variances of the reconstruction from the wavelet coefficients, the new framework allows us to design wavelet transforms on irregular point sets with a focus on their use for smoothing or other applications in statistics.
Pharmaceuticals in soils of lower income countries: Physico chemical fate and risks from wastewater irrigation.
Venue: Environment international

Population growth, increasing affluence, and greater access to medicines have led to an increase in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) entering sewerage networks. In areas with high wastewater reuse, residual quantities of APIs may enter soils via irrigation with treated, partially treated, or untreated wastewater and sludge. Wastewater used for irrigation is currently not included in chemical environmental risk assessments and requires further consideration in areas with high water reuse. This study critically assesses the contemporary understanding of the occurrence and fate of APIs in soils of low and lower middle income countries (LLMIC) in order to contribute to the development of risk assessments for APIs in LLMIC. The physico chemical properties of APIs and soils vary greatly globally, impacting on API fate, bioaccumulation and toxicity. The impact of pH, clay and organic matter on the fate of organic ionisable compounds is discussed in detail. This study highlights the occurrence and the partitioning and degradation coefficients for APIs in soil:porewater systems, API usage data in LLMICS and removal rates (where used) within sewage treatment plants as key areas where data are required in order to inform robust environmental risk assessment methodologies.
Anabolic action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) does not compromise bone matrix mineral composition or maturation.
Venue: Bone

Intermittent administration of parathyroid hormone (PTH) is used to stimulate bone formation in patients with osteoporosis. A reduction in the degree of matrix mineralisation has been reported during treatment, which may reflect either production of undermineralised matrix or a greater proportion of new matrix within the bone samples assessed. To explore these alternatives, high resolution synchrotron based Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy (sFTIRM) coupled with calcein labelling was used in a region of non remodelling cortical bone to determine bone composition during anabolic PTH treatment compared with region matched samples from controls. 8week old male C57BL/6 mice were treated with vehicle or 50mg/kg PTH, 5 times/week for 4weeks (n=7 9/group) Histomorphometry confirmed greater trabecular and periosteal bone formation and 3 point bending tests confirmed greater femoral strength in PTH treated mice. Dual calcein labels were used to match bone regions by time since mineralisation (bone age) and composition was measured by sFTIRM in six 15mm2 regions at increasing depth perpendicular to the most immature bone on the medial periosteal edge; this allowed in situ measurement of progressive changes in bone matrix during its maturation. The sFTIRM method was validated in vehicle treated bones where the expected progressive increases in mineral:matrix ratio and collagen crosslink type ratio were detected with increasing bone maturity. We also observed a gradual increase in carbonate content that strongly correlated with an increase in longitudinal stretch of the collagen triple helix (amide I:amide II ratio) PTH treatment did not alter the progressive changes in any of these parameters from the periosteal edge through to the more mature bone. These data provide new information about how the bone matrix matures in situ and confirm that bone deposited during PTH treatment undergoes normal collagen maturation and normal mineral accrual.
BMP signaling is required for adult skeletal homeostasis and mediates bone anabolic action of parathyroid hormone.
Venue: Bone

Bmp2 and Bmp4 genes were ablated in adult mice (KO) using a conditional gene knockout technology. Bones were evaluated by microcomputed tomography (mCT) bone strength tester, histomorphometry and serum biochemical markers of bone turnover. Drill hole was made at femur metaphysis and bone regeneration in the hole site was measured by calcein binding and mCT. Mice were either sham operated (ovary intact) or ovariectomized (OVX) and treated with human parathyroid hormone (PTH) 17b estradiol (E2) or vehicle. KO mice displayed trabecular bone loss, diminished osteoid formation and reduced biomechanical strength compared with control (expressing Bmp2 and Bmp4) Both osteoblast and osteoclast functions were impaired in KO mice. Bone histomorphomtery and serum parameters established a low turnover bone loss in KO mice. Bone regeneration at the drill hole site in KO mice was lower than control. However, deletion of Bmp2 gene alone had no effect on skeleton, an outcome similar to that reported previously for deletion of Bmp4 gene. Both PTH and E2 resulted in skeletal preservation in control OVX, whereas in KO OVX, E2 but not PTH was effective which suggested that the skeletal action of PTH required Bmp ligands but E2 did not. To determine cellular effects of Bmp2 and Bmp4, we used bone marrow stromal cells in which PTH but not E2 stimulated both Bmp2 and Bmp4 synthesis leading to increased Smad1/5 phosphorylation. Taken together, we conclude that Bmp2 and Bmp4 are essential for maintaining adult skeletal homeostasis and mediating the anabolic action of PTH.
Adopting results based management in the non profit sector: Trocaire's experience

The increasing emphasis on aid effectiveness, accountability and impact measurement in international development and humanitarian work has generated a requirement for high quality internal systems for the management of programmes. To help to address this requirement, Trocaire adopted Results Based Management in the 20 countries in which it works. This paper provides an overview of Trocaire's RBM journey, including the process of embedding the new approach in the organisation, lessons learnt from this process, the subsequent benefits that are emerging at field programme level and the challenges going forward.
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PRACTICE OF RESULTS BASED MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR: THE CASE OF KENYA

The main purpose of the study was to assess the practice of resource based management in the public sector, a case of Kenya. The research adopted an exploratory survey design. Results revealed that leaders in public service adopted directive style of management. Results also found that majority of the employees are disempowered by management and to say the least, they are mentally disengaged from the organization. The survey identified ten most common practices seen to be inhibiting the practice of result based management which included organization culture, management paralysis, accountability practice, leader's insatiable desire to take all credit, failure to confront underperforming members of the management team, organizational politics, boss barrier syndrome, indecisiveness and fear of failure by managers, resistance to change and organizational structures and systems and developmental level of employees. Further, results revealed that the strategies for promoting result based management included leadership development for the top management, valuing employees, creation of cultural capital, removing empowerment barriers, promoting accountability, developing high performance teams and participative management.Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This research looks at RBM in public sector which has become a key area of focus in the twenty first century public management practice. It has looked at the causes of failure to practice RBM in public sector and proposed several strategies to remedy the situation. If successfully adopted, RBM practice will avoid creation of busy but ineffective public sector organizations. There are several ways to address this phenomenon and managers should adopt strategies that best suit their organizational situation and context. In order for an organization to survive and achieve success, it must have a sound set of beliefs on which it premises all its policies and actions. Beliefs must always come before policies, practices and goals. Faithfully adhering to those beliefs is critical to successful leadership and management practice.
Unequal error protection for impulsive noise channels in power line communications
Venue: 2016 International Symposium on Power Line Communications and its Applications (ISPLC)

Communication over power lines has many application areas including smart grids, where data with different QoS may be transmitted. Power lines suffer from impulsive noise. In this paper, we present a study of power line communications with two and four priority levels of data using hierarchical QAM modulation and space time block coding in impulsive noise with Bernoulli and Poisson arrivals. Hence, we achieve UEP on both of bit and symbol levels. Approximate closed form expressions for the error probability are obtained for each priority level for both single carrier and OFDM in SISO and MIMO systems. The simplified expressions are used in a bit loading algorithm to provide UEP for the frequency selective PLC channel. We conclude that single carrier modulation is preferable in the low SNR regime and OFDM is preferable at the high SNR regime. Finally, we describe three different MIMO architectures for use in PLC systems to allow more control on UEP levels.
Dynamic feature generation and selection on heterogeneous graph for music recommendation
Venue: 2016 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (Big Data)

In the past decade, online music streaming services (MSS) e.g. Pandora and Spotify, revolutionized the way people access, consume and share music. MSS serve users with a huge digital music library, various kinds of music discovery channels, and a number of tools for music sharing and management (e.g. bookmark, playlist, comment, etc. As a result, metadata and user generated data hosted on MSS demonstrate great heterogeneity, which provides important potential to enhance music recommendation performance. In this study, we propose a novel music recommendation approach by leveraging heterogeneous graph schema mining and ranking feature selection. Unlike existing heterogeneous graph based recommendation techniques, the new method can automatically generate and select the optimized meta path based features for the learning to rank model. To make feature selection more efficient, we propose the Dynamic Feature Generation Tree algorithm (DFGT) which can activate and eliminate the short sub meta paths for feature evolution at a low cost. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm can efficiently generate optimized ranking feature set for meta path based music recommendation, which significantly enhances the state of the art collaborative filtering algorithms.
Rapid Classification of Crisis Related Data on Social Networks using Convolutional Neural Networks
Venue: ICWSM 2016

The role of social media, in particular microblogging platforms such as Twitter, as a conduit for actionable and tactical information during disasters is increasingly acknowledged. However, time critical analysis of big crisis data on social media streams brings challenges to machine learning techniques, especially the ones that use supervised learning. The Scarcity of labeled data, particularly in the early hours of a crisis, delays the machine learning process. The current state of the art classification methods require a significant amount of labeled data specific to a particular event for training plus a lot of feature engineering to achieve best results. In this work, we introduce neural network based classification methods for binary and multi class tweet classification task. We show that neural network based models do not require any feature engineering and perform better than state of the art methods. In the early hours of a disaster when no labeled data is available, our proposed method makes the best use of the out of event data and achieves good results.
Record Linkage for Event Identification in XML Feeds Stream Using ELM

Most of the news portals and social media networks are utilizing RSS feeds for information distribution and content sharing. Event identification improves the service quality of feeds providers in the aspect of content distribution and event browsing. However, thriving challenges arise due to representation of structural information and real time requirement in feeds streams mining. In this paper, we focus on the record linkage problem which classifies stream content into known categories. To realize fast and efficient record linkage over XML feeds stream, we design two classification strategies: a classifier based on ensemble ELMs and an incremental classifier based on OS ELM. Experimental results show that our solutions provide effective and efficient record linkage for event identification applications.
Mitochondrial ROS regulate thermogenic energy expenditure and sulfenylation of UCP1
Venue: Nature

Brown and beige adipose tissues can dissipate chemical energy as heat through thermogenic respiration, which requires uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) Thermogenesis from these adipocytes can combat obesity and diabetes, encouraging investigation of factors that control UCP1 dependent respiration in vivo. Here we show that acutely activated thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue is defined by a substantial increase in levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) Remarkably, this process supports in vivo thermogenesis, as pharmacological depletion of mitochondrial ROS results in hypothermia upon cold exposure, and inhibits UCP1 dependent increases in whole body energy expenditure. We further establish that thermogenic ROS alter the redox status of cysteine thiols in brown adipose tissue to drive increased respiration, and that Cys253 of UCP1 is a key target. UCP1 Cys253 is sulfenylated during thermogenesis, while mutation of this site desensitizes the purine nucleotide inhibited state of the carrier to adrenergic activation and uncoupling. These studies identify mitochondrial ROS induction in brown adipose tissue as a mechanism that supports UCP1 dependent thermogenesis and whole body energy expenditure, which opens the way to improved therapeutic strategies for combating metabolic disorders.