Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caring for Terminally Ill Persons with Cancer: Experiences of Thai Buddhist Family Caregivers

Previous studies about family caregivers of terminally ill persons with cancer in Thailand focused on primary caregivers individually. In order to promote family well-being, it is essential to explore how individuals’ construct the perspective of the family as a unit in caregiving. This study aimed to gain an understanding of the experiences of family members in caring for terminally ill persons with cancer in the Thai cultural context. The design was a qualitative focused ethnography. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 30 individuals from 13 families. Data were generated through participant observation and in-depth interviews and were analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants discussed how family values and shared expectations were reflected in their caregiving practices as a family. Experiences of Thai families in caring were reflected in two major themes: 1) promoting comfort and preparing for a peaceful death by respecting the patient’s wishes, valuing patients as dearly loved, understanding death is a natural law in life, performing religious activities to compensate bad karma, and arranging a calm environment, and 2) mutually managing care by providing care wholeheartedly, reprioritizing life plans, sharing responsibilities for caring, and managing family finances. These findings provide essential information to understand how individual family members work as a unit in caregiving practices. Understanding the experiences of family members in caring for terminally ill persons with cancer can contribute to the further development of health care services for promoting family well-being.
Changes in Stimulant Drug Use Over Time in the MACS: Evidence for Resilience Against Stimulant Drug Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men

Stimulant drug use is associated with numerous health problems among men who have sex with men (MSM). This paper describes how stimulant drug use changes over a four and one-half year period from 2003 until 2008. Participants were 2,389 men (17,222 person-visits) from The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)—an ongoing, prospective study of HIV infection among MSM. Group-based trajectory analyses of data from these men over the study period yielded a four groups solution: consistent users (9.8%), men whose use increased (5.4%), men whose use © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Correspondence to: Ron Stall, rstall@pitt.edu. NIH Public Access Author Manuscript AIDS Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 12. Published in final edited form as: AIDS Behav. 2012 January ; 16(1): 151–158. doi:10.1007/s10461-010-9866-x. N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript N IH PA Athor M anscript declined (6.9%), and abstinent or rarely-using men (77.9%). There were significant differences between groups in terms of demographic, behavioral risk and HIV serostatus. Men who increased or decreased stimulant drug use over time reported congruent changes in sexual risk taking. The fact that sexual risk levels parallel stimulant drug use over time suggests that finding ways to lower rates of stimulant drug use among MSM could be a tool in HIV prevention.
A Novel Plug N Play MEMS-Based DNA Microarray

Microarrays are extensively used in modern biology as tools of multiplexed, high throughput analysis to study thousands of genes and their expression inside cells at once. The basic principle of a microarray is quantitative detection of fluorophore tagged DNA. Use of this method results in microarray experiments being expensive and complex due to fragile and costly fluorophores and instrumentation required to analyze them. Previously, MEMS based DNA sensors have been implemented, though at a small scale, sensing less than 10 DNA sequences. These sensors suffer from poor signal to noise ratio, cantilever to cantilever variation and impractical scaling of sensing techniques. In this report, we analyze and propose solutions to such problems and also propose a novel DNA chip of scale comparable to microarrays that does fluorophore free detection and also design circuitry to directly interface it to a computer, bypassing need of additional analysis instruments.
Key Scientific Observations and Conclusions: Comments on the Epidemiological Conclusions Reached in the Revised Chapter 9 of the Draft PM CD

1. Key Observations and Conclusions 1.1 Historical Concerns About the Statistical Methodology In Chapter 9, the EPA has presented its assessment of the epidemiologic literature relating monitored PM concentrations to health effects. Although the Agency has expressed concern about the uncertainties associated with the extensive body of epidemiologic evidence of associations between health effects and PM (see Section 8.4), it concludes that there is a convincing case for a causative association even though as new information became available and new modeling approaches were tried, inconsistencies in PM effect estimates continued to accumulate. The CD examines a number of statistical issues relevant to connections between ambient PM variations and corresponding variations in health and mortality indicators. In Chapters 8 and 9, the EPA has carefully discussed the assessment of confounding by copollutants and adjustments for meteorological variables, statistical issues in the use of multipollutant models, adjustments for meteorological variables, the question of lags, measurement error, concentration-response relationships for ambient PM, and the question of
Genetic diversity estimation in Kerala wild population of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) using SNP markers

Global aquaculture has expanded rapidly to address increasing demand for aquatic protein needs and an uncertain future for wild fisheries. To date, however, most farmed aquatic stocks are mostly wild and little is known about their genomes or the genes that affect important economic traits in culture. Many factors can influence individual disease resistance in target species but of particular importance in agriculture and aquaculture will be identification and characterization of the specific gene loci that contribute essential phenotypic variation to immunity because the information can be applied to speed up genetic improvement programs and increase productivity via marker-assisted selection (MAS). Genetic variation in a species improves the capability of organisms to adapt to changing environment and is vital for the survival of the species. The genetic diversity data have varied application in research on evolution, conservation, and management of natural resources and genetic improvement programs, etc. In our current study, we sequenced the different types of lectin genes using Sanger sequencing method to discover genetic diversity in Kerala wild population of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. We collected 23 individuals from Vembanad lake Kerala, and after sequencing the 23 gDNA, we found that a total of eleven SNPs in the three immune genes (Lectin3, lectin4, and tachylectin). We also reported three and two haplotypes from the LEC3 and LEC4 gene respectively, which shows the genetic diversity within the Kerala shock. The SNPs have considered as validated because all of them is detected through Sanger sequencing method. These SNPs could be used as a molecular marker in marker-assisted selection in the development of the QLTs for this species.
Competitiveness Among Employees In The Workplace: The Influence of Conflict Handling Styles And Organisational Types

Life generally is all about survival of the fittest, since we are in a competitive world. The present study investigated competitiveness among employees in the workplace: the influence of conflict handling styles and organisational types. Participants were 308, comprising 189 male and 119 female, employees sampled using purposive sampling technique. Two instruments; Hypercompetitive Attitude Scale by Ryckman, Hammer and Gold (1990) and Dutch Test for Conflict Handling by De Dreu, Evers, Beersma, Kluwer and Nauta (2001) were used for data collection. It was hypothesized that conflict handling styles and organizational types will not significantly influence employees‘ competitiveness. The results indicated that conflict handling styles and organizational types significantly influenced employees‘ competiveness. It was concluded that the unhealthy hyper-competitive behaviour of employees will threaten the peace and harmony among employees and the organisation in general.
Growth and dissolution of anodic antimony oxide in oxalic acid electrolytes

The kinetics of anodic oxide growth on antimony in oxalic acid electrolytes was studied. The shapes of the voltage/time curves proved strongly to depend on the concentration of the electrolyte. Based on the different shapes, three electrolytes were chosen for investigations of the oxide film dissolution by means of impedance and open-circuit potential measurements. The rate of dissolution increases with increasing oxalic acid concentration. A relation is found between the shapes of the voltage/time curves and the proposed competitive process of film growth and dissolution, which includes the formation of an outer adherent layer of dissolution products. The proposed mechanism agrees well with some characteristics of the induction periods and explains adequately their appearance. The impedance studies indicate that the final thickness of the anodic oxide decreases with increasing concentration of the oxalic acid electrolyte. It is concluded that concentrations equal to or lower than 0.01 M (COOH)2 have to be used in order to produce thick barrier-type anodic films.
What is the Impact of Climate on Local Communities in the Isfara River Catchment?

This research provides an insight into historical development of runoff of the Isfara River with evaluation of influence climatic factors have on it. It further analyzes modern data on vegetation, runoff, precipitation and temperature to quantify their interrelation. Then it analyzes the perception local communities have about natural resources and their dynamics. The research was conducted between February and November 2019 in Batken province of Kyrgyzstan within the framework of the project “Reducing conflict over water and pastures in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan”. This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK Government; however the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK Government’s official policies. Acknowledgements The author would like to thank the respondents as well as Roy Sidle, Asel Murzakulova and Katherine Hall for their valuable comments and ideas. We would also like to thank Small Basin Council of the Isfara River, NASA, U.S. Geological Survey, Deutsche Wetterdienst, Kyrgyz Hydromet, GRDC, NSIDC for providing the LANDSAT images, runoff and climatic data. We also thank the development teams of R, Python, Pandas, GDAL, SAGA GIS and QGIS for all their hard and very important work.
ASL/NSL: A Multi-level Computational Model for Neural Simulation 1

Extended Abstract In this paper we present an overview of the ASL/NSL computational model for the simulation of neural systems. This work is motivated by the quest to simulate animal-like behavior as faithfully as possible based on existing ethological, physiological and anatomical neural data. At the higher level these models are described in terms of schema [1] modules corresponding to behavior agents (ethology) simulated with ASL ( Abstract Schema Language ) [4]. At the lower level, neural networks are described in terms of neural modules (physiology and anatomy) simulated with NSL (Neural Simulation Language) [5]. Many models have been developed and simulated with ASL/NSL (see [6] for examples of models involving perception, visuomotor coordination, motor control as well as technological neural applications). For example, in Figure 1 we show a simplified diagram of the toad's prey acquisitions and prey avoidance model [2], (schema level 1) involving perceptual and motor schemas. The external visual input is processed to generate appropriate motor actions: forward, orient, snap and duck. Schemas at this level are decomposed and delegated to the next level down (schema level 2) where schemas perform more specific tasks. Prey approach and predator avoid schemas delegate their tasks to a schema assemblage composed of a prey/predator recognizer, a prey/predator selector, depth and heading translators and maps. Next level down, different neural modules: Retina , Tectum , Maximum Selector and Cue Interaction , if available, implement the actual neural network processing.
Towards Understanding Desiderata for Large-Scale Civic Input Analysis

Advancement in digital civics and the emergence of online platforms have enabled vast amounts of community members to share their input on various civic proposals. The intricacy of the community input analysis process, coupled with the increased scale of community engagement, makes community input analysis particularly challenging. Civic leaders, who gather, analyze, and make critical decisions based on community input, struggle to make sense of large-scale unstructured community input due to lack of time, analytical skills, and specialized technologies. In this qualitative study, we investigated civic leaders' requirements that can accelerate the community input analysis process and help them to gain actionable insights to make better decisions. Our interviews conducted with 14 civic leaders revealed a dichotomous nature of requirements based on their roles and analysis practices. The interviews also revealed the civic leaders' desire to understand the community's opinions beyond sentiments and how text analysis and visualization can bring structure and enable sensemaking of community input. This study is our first step towards exploring the design of community input analysis technologies for civic leaders that can contribute to democratic decision-making in digital civics.
297-303 Cheng TY.pmd

The cattle tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (formerly Boophilus microplus), is the most important blood-feeding ectoparasite of cattle in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In this study, we examined sequence variability in three mitochondrial (mt) DNA (cox1, nad1, nad4) among cattle tick R. microplus originating from four provinces of China. A portion of cox1 (pcox1), nad1 (pnad1) and nad4 (pnad4) genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) separately from adult R. microplus individuals and the amplicons were subjected to sequence from both directions. The sequence of mt cox1, nad1, nad4 genes was 817 bp, 350 bp, and 794 bp in size, respectively. The intraspecific sequence variations within R. microplus were 0-8.6% for cox1, 0-4.9% for nad1 and 0-10.3% for nad4. However, the interspecific sequence differences among the members of the Rhipicephalus [R. sanguineus (JX416325) and R. turanicus (NC035946)] were significantly higher, being 16.9–20.5%, 18– 22.8%, 22.8–25.3% for pcox1, pnad1 and pnad4, respectively. In addition, genetic differences were 7.9–8.6% for cox1, 4.3–4.9% for nad1 and 10–10.3% for nad4 between the two detected lineages (R. microplus clade A and clade B). Phylogenetic analyses indicated that all the Rhipicephalus isolates from the present study represents R. microplus, supporting that R. microplus represents species complex. Our result provided an additional genetic evidence for the existence of species complex within R. microplus in China.
Using field data collected by local people to expand the knowledge of a large chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) population in the Boé region of Guinea Bissau

An animal ecological study on the population and distribution of the West African Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Boé region in Guinea Bissau was conducted to analyze possible seasonal distribution patterns and preferred nest choices. Based on field data collected by local investigators, It could be concluded that the Chimpanzee habitat comprises the entire Boé region, whereas also no seasonal distribution patterns were observed. The nest data were collected in a small area of the region, a typical mosaic landscape bordering a river. The located nests were mostly found in big trees, showing a higher density near the river. The majority of the possible nest sites are actually used and often even re-used, so the chimpanzees seize every opportunity for building a nest in high trees. Probably, there is a preference during the dry-season for nests in food trees especially of Parkia biglobosa. Management should focus in the entire Boé region to protect forests with big trees for nesting en foraging.
Measurement Of Student Learner’s Attribute In Online Collaborative Problem Solving Using Social Network Analysis

: Social network analysis offers a unique way for teacher to visualize collaboration and communication within a course and see relationships between individuals, groups or teams. The researcher used social network analysis to the growth of collaboration in class which focuses on the structure properties of network such as degree of centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, sociogram and how it related to performance of the students. In general, the SNA enable the researcher to understand how the individual students are connected within a network. In the class, teamwork plays an important role in education, aiming for developing a set of skills only achievable through social interaction. Data showed that there is a significant difference between the student collaborative problem solving in pre-test score and post-test using social network analysis. The students performed better in the post test after a week of collaboration which were administered. This means that the proposed study is beneficial to elevate the scores of students in the teamwork and exchanging of information and ideas in chatroom. The research measured the acceptability of the proposed study to help the student to elevate their proficiency level in communication and interesting in contribution of knowledge in the group, and to see their relationship to other students. Therefore, the ability of problem solving in this research study using measurement of student learner’s attribute in online collaborative problem solving using social network analysis depicts the ability of students to use teamwork or collaboration and to use connection of ideas or knowledge across networks. The Increasing ability of problem solving of students as a whole was seen from the average score of pretest and posttest results.
18th International Conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes

In this paper, a wind-tunnel study on dispersion of a tracer gas emitted from a ground-level line source positioned within complex obstacle arrays is presented. The models consisted of courtyard buildings blocks with pitched roofs and of uniform and non-uniform heights. Tracer exchange between the street canyon cavities and surrounding flow was studied by simultaneous point measurement of flow and tracer concentration. While there was found a significant impact of the roof-height variability on the tracer exchange rate from the canyon in the case of wind approaching perpendicularly to the along-canyon axis, in the case of the oblique wind the impact was insignificant.
A Novel Touch Panel Design for High Optical Transmittance for Interactive Displays

In traditional touch panels, electrodes are settled on or above the surface of displays, weakening the optical transmittance, hence resulting in high power consumption of the display for providing customers satisfied visual experience, giving rise to reduced battery’s lifetime which brings users inconvenience. To address this issue, in this article, we propose a new sensor architecture, in which electrodes are settled only at the edge of the touch panel, ensuring a very high optical transmittance. The touch event detection relies on electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) technique, through which 2-dimensional location recognition is achieved, indicating the presented technique provides a feasible means to boost the optical transmittance of the touch panel layer.
Roads Funding Priority Index for Developing Countries using Multivariate Analysis

This article presents a new Road Funding Priority Index (RFPI) that simultaneously considers the technical, economic, social and environmental dimensions in order to assist decision makers in their selective processes of high-priority road construction and preservation projects. The RFPI is a decision support tool that was tested on 50 road projects, including 25 unpaved road construction projects and 25 existing paved road preservation projects. The stages of development of the RFPI are: the establishment of a theoretical framework (1), the selection of the relevant indicators (2), the transformation of indicators (3), the normalization of indicators (4), the correlation and significance test (5), the weighting using the principal component analysis (PCA) (6), the aggregation and calculation of the RFPI (7). Ten (10) highpriority road projects were selected based on their RFPI values. Among these high-priority road projects, 60% are preservation projects and 40% are construction projects, which depicts evidence of the importance of maintaining existing roads, but also of the construction of new ones as long as they have an RFPI close to 100. These conclusions demonstrate that the RFPI is a useful tool for improving, in a rigorous scientific method, the process of prioritizing road infrastructure in developing countries.
Variational method for multi-parameter identification in elliptic partial differential equations

In the present paper we investigate the problem of identifying simultaneously the diffusion matrix, source term and boundary condition as well as the state in the Neumann boundary value problem for an elliptic partial differential equation (PDE) from a measurement data, which is weaker than required of the exact state. A variational method based on energy functions with Tikhonov regularization is here proposed to treat the identification problem. We discretize the PDE with piecewise linear, continuous finite elements and prove the convergence as well as analyse error bounds of this approach.
Investigating User-Created Gamification in an Image Tagging Task

Commonly, gamification is designed by developers and not by end-users. In this paper we investigate an approach where users take control of this process. Firstly, users were asked to describe their own gamification concepts which would motivate them to put more effort into an image tagging task. We selected this task as gamification has already been shown to be effective here in previous work. Based on these descriptions, an implementation was made for each concept and given to the creator. In a between-subjects study (n=71), our approach was compared to a no-gamification condition and two conditions with fixed gamification settings. We found that providing participants with an implementation of their own concept significantly increased the amount of generated tags compared to the other conditions. Although the quality of tags was lower, the number of usable tags remained significantly higher in comparison, suggesting the usefulness of this approach.