Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Loneliness and social behaviours in a virtual social environment

Feeling lonely motivates people to reconnect with others, but it can also trigger a vicious cycle of cognitions and behaviours that reinforces their loneliness. In this study, we examined the behavioural consequences of loneliness in a virtual social environment. A total of 176 participants navigated a character (protagonist) through a two-dimensional browser game and rated the character's loneliness multiple times during the game. In the first part of the game, another character is introduced as the protagonist's spouse. At one point, the spouse leaves for an undetermined period of time but later returns. Immediately before this separation, higher ascribed loneliness of the protagonist was associated with more frequent interactions with the spouse. After the reunion, however, higher ascribed loneliness was associated with less frequent interactions with the spouse. Ascribed loneliness was not significantly related to the frequency of interactions with others nor to the frequency of solitary activities. These patterns held after controlling for ascribed positive affect. Participants' levels of loneliness were related to the level of ascribed loneliness only when the spouse was present but not when the spouse was absent. In sum, these findings suggest that the conditions that trigger the vicious cycle of loneliness are person- and situation-specific.
Sensitive transmit receive architecture for body wearable RF plethysmography sensor

A new wearable RF plethysmography (RPG) sensor is developed to monitor wrist pulse rate and variability. System design, numerical simulations, fabrication and measurements were carried out to demonstrate the performance of the plethysmography sensor. The RF sensor detects not only pulse rate but also modulations within each pulse. Clear detection of three modulations indicate that the RF plethysmography signals can be used for diagnosing different health conditions. A cavity based H-slot antenna is designed as a near field sensor. Two transmit and receive architectures based on conventional coupler/power combiner and innovative differential LNA approaches are designed in order to improve sensitivity of pulse detection. Both these architectures are based on the principle of isolation of the reflected signal from the transmitted signal. It is observed that the present RPG sensors perform better than the commercially available PPG sensor.
Health laboratories in the Tanga region of Tanzania: the quality of diagnostic services for malaria and other communicable diseases

Abstract Although critical for good case management and the monitoring of health interventions, the health-laboratory services in sub-Saharan Africa are grossly compromised by poor infrastructures and a lack of trained personnel, essential reagents and other supplies. The availability and quality of diagnostic services in 37 health laboratories in three districts of the Tanga region of Tanzania have recently been assessed. The results of the survey, which involved interviews with health workers, observations and a documentary review, revealed that malaria accounted for >50% of admissions and out-patient visits. Most (92%) of the laboratories were carrying out malaria diagnosis and 89% were measuring haemoglobin concentrations but only one (3%) was conducting culture and sensitivity tests, and those only on urine and pus samples. Only 14 (17%) of the 84 people found working in the visited laboratories were laboratory technologists with a diploma certificate or higher qualification. Sixteen (43%) of the study laboratories each had five or fewer types of equipment and only seven (19%) had more than 11 types each. Although 11 (30%) of the laboratories reported that they conducted internal quality control, none had standard operating procedures (SOP) on display or evidence of such quality assurance. Although malaria was the main health problem, diagnostic services for malaria and other diseases were inadequate and of poor quality because of the limited human resources, poor equipment and shortage of supplies. If the health services in Tanga are not to be overwhelmed by the progressively increasing burden of HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other emerging and re-emerging diseases, more funding and appropriate policies to improve the availability and quality of the area's diagnostic services will clearly be required.
Aging and the Intrusion Superiority Effect in Visuo-Spatial Working Memory

ABSTRACT This study investigated the active component of visuo-spatial working memory (VSWM) in younger and older adults testing the hypotheses that elderly individuals have a poorer performance than younger ones and that errors in active VSWM tasks depend, at least partially, on difficulties in avoiding intrusions (i.e., avoiding already activated information). In two experiments, participants were presented with sequences of matrices on which three positions were pointed out sequentially: their task was to process all the positions but indicate only the final position of each sequence. Results showed a poorer performance in the elderly compared to the younger group and a higher number of intrusion (errors due to activated but irrelevant positions) rather than invention (errors consisting of pointing out a position never indicated by the experiementer) errors. The number of errors increased when a concurrent task was introduced (Experiment 1) and it was affected by different patterns of matrices (Experiment 2). In general, results show that elderly people have an impaired VSWM and produce a large number of errors due to inhibition failures. However, both the younger and the older adults' visuo-spatial working memory was affected by the presence of activated irrelevant information, the reduction of the available resources, and task constraints.
Lack of an initiator element is responsible for multiple transcriptional initiation sites of the TATA-less mouse thymidylate synthase promoter

The mouse thymidylate synthase promoter lacks a TATA box and initiates transcription at many sites across a 90-nucleotide initiation window. We showed previously that wild-type promoter activity is maintained with a promoter that extends only 13 nucleotides upstream of the first start site. G/A-rich and G/C-rich promoter elements were identified in the vicinity of the first transcriptional start site. The goals of the present study were to determine whether there are additional promoter elements in the initiation window and to determine why transcription initiates across such a broad region. Minigenes containing a variety of substitution, deletion, and insertion mutations in the promoter region were transfected into cultured cells, and the effects on expression and the pattern of start sites were determined. The results indicate that there are no additional promoter elements downstream of the G/C box. The boundaries of the transcription window are established by elements near the 5' end of the window, whereas the pattern of start sites is determined by sequences within the window. The promoter lacks an initiator element. When an initiator element was inserted, transcription initiated predominantly at the position directed by the initiator when it was inserted within the initiation window but not when it was inserted immediately upstream of the window.
Genetic Organization of the citCDEFLocus and Identification of mae and clyR Genes from Leuconostoc mesenteroides

ABSTRACT In this paper, we describe two open reading frames coding for a NAD-dependent malic enzyme (mae) and a putative regulatory protein (clyR) found in the upstream region ofcitCDEFG of Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp.cremoris 195. The transcriptional analysis of the citrate lyase locus revealed one polycistronic mRNA covering themae and citCDEF genes. This transcript was detected only on RNA prepared from cells grown in the presence of citrate. Primer extension experiments suggest that clyR and the citrate lyase operon are expressed from a bidirectional A-T-rich promoter region located between mae and clyR.
Board level thermal analysis via Large Eddy Simulation (LES) tool

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is a step beyond widely used Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes formulation (RANS) with turbulence model. LES is unsteady, therefore, predicts evolution of turbulent eddies in time. The only physic that is not resolved is the evolution of so-called sub-grid eddies, these are turbulent eddies smaller then local grid resolution. These eddies are modeled mainly by increasing local dissipation via so-called sub-grid model. LES has widely used as research tool rather then design tool due to its computational intensity. There are two factors that make LES appealing as design tool in air-cooling thermal management. First, those flow problems that occur in this industry are considered to be low Reynolds number because of board size and air speed when compared to problems in aerospace or power-generation industries. This is a solid advantage since required mesh resolution, cost of LES, is directly proportional to Reynolds number. Second, with new high-speed (2-3 GHz) work stations in the market, the phrase, "intensive computation", has been redefined. Other factors include employing non-conformal grid that allows local mesh refinement inside regions of interest and existence of faster solvers. This work is an attempt to introduce LES to electronics cooling industry. First portion of this paper is devoted to explore/invent building blocks for reasonable simulation. They include mesh requirement study, implementing periodic boundary conditions, finding ways to filter pre-heated flow entering periodic condition, and examine an effective way to induce flow instability to create turbulence. Second portion of this paper is devoted to employ LES for better understanding of flow/thermal physics that occur in board level analysis and heat sink modeling.
The Procoagulant State of the VX-2 Tumor in Rabbit Lung In Vivo

Summary During their growth, many malignant solid tumors elicit a hemostatic response in the host. In this report, the fluxes of various rabbit plasma hemostatic proteins into pulmonary VX-2 tumors have been measured in vivo. VX-2 cells were contained within a small rabbit plasma clot which was injected intravenously into rabbits. At 28 d, each rabbit was injected intravenously with two radiolabeled (131I, 125I) proteins selected from fibrinogen, prothrombin, antithrombin-α, heparin cofactor II, or plasminogen-I or -II. After allowing the labeled proteins to circulate for 10-200 min, each rabbit was perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution and the lungs excised. Solid tumors were isolated, weighed and measured for radioactivity content. A mean of 14 tumors/pair of lungs with a mean tumor weight of 0.3 g was obtained. Radioactivity per g of tumor was related to radioactivity/ml of blood at exsanguination for each protein at each time interval. Maximum flux rates were calculated (as pmol/g of tumor/min): Fibrinogen, 65.0; prothrombin, 53.0; antithrombin-α, 24.1; HCII, 17.2; plasminogen-II, 5.0; and plasminogen-I, 3.2. Using immunocytochemical staining, fibrin(ogen) was distributed heterogeneously within the VX-2 tumor, appearing largely in the perinodular region and in the necrotic core. From the net fluxes of these proteins, the profile of chronic hemostasis associated with the VX-2 tumor was shown to differ markedly from the hemostatic response that occurs after an acute vascular injury.
A Review on Software Fault Detection and Prevention Mechanism in Software Development Activities

The need of distributed and complex commercial applications in enterprise demands error free and quality application systems. This makes it extremely important in software development to develop quality and fault free software. It is also very important to design reliable and easy to maintain as it involves a lot of human efforts, cost and time during software life cycle. A software development process performs various activities to minimize the faults such as fault prediction, detection, prevention and correction. This paper presents a survey on current practices for software fault detection and prevention mechanisms in the software development. It also discusses the advantages and limitations of these mechanisms which relates to the quality product development and maintenance.
When sexual meets apomict: genome size, ploidy level and reproductive mode variation of Sorbus aria s.l. and S. austriaca (Rosaceae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Allopolyploidy and intraspecific heteroploid crosses are associated, in certain groups, with changes in the mating system. The genus Sorbus represents an appropriate model to study the relationships between ploidy and reproductive mode variations. Diploid S. aria and tetraploid apomictic S. austriaca were screened for ploidy and mating system variations within pure and sympatric populations in order to gain insights into their putative causalities. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to assess genome size and ploidy level among 380 S. aria s.l. and S. austriaca individuals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 303 single-seed flow cytometric seed screenings being performed to identify their mating system. Pollen viability and seed set were also determined. KEY RESULTS Flow cytometry confirmed the presence of di-, tri- and tetraploid cytotype mixtures in mixed-ploidy populations of S. aria and S. austriaca. No ploidy variation was detected in single-species populations. Diploid S. aria mother plants always produced sexually originated seeds, whereas tetraploid S. austriaca as well as triploid S. aria were obligate apomicts. Tetraploid S. aria preserved sexuality in a low portion of plants. A tendency towards a balanced 2m : 1p parental genome contribution to the endosperm was shared by diploids and tetraploids, regardless of their sexual or asexual origin. In contrast, most triploids apparently tolerated endosperm imbalance. CONCLUSIONS Coexistence of apomictic tetraploids and sexual diploids drives the production of novel polyploid cytotypes with predominantly apomictic reproductive modes. The data suggest that processes governing cytotype diversity and mating system variation in Sorbus from Bosnia and Herzegovina are probably parallel to those in other diversity hotspots of this genus. The results represent a solid contribution to knowledge of the reproduction of Sorbus and will inform future investigations of the molecular and genetic mechanisms involved in triggering and regulating cytotype diversity and alteration of reproductive modes.
Experimental investigations and power quality analysis of controlled rectifier based systems

This paper presents the uncovered facts about control rectifiers based AC-DC systems using experimental investigation under various dynamic and steady state practical loading conditions at different nature of loads. The facts presented in this paper are very useful for the industries which are using controlled rectifiers based systems, battery charging systems, induction motor drive systems and heating systems.
Changing workplace demands: what job ads tell us

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse job ads as relatively accessible indicators of the knowledge, skills and competencies required of librarians by employers. It then uses a framework provided by the literature on professional jurisdiction to examine what may be trends and shaping factors for the Library and Information Studies (LIS) profession with regard to jurisdiction in a changing information landscape.Design/methodology/approach – Job ads were examined in two separate studies; one comparing job ads in Australia and the USA over eight weeks in 2004, and the other looking at one month snapshots of Australian job ads in 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004. The text from the job ads was analysed using a content analysis software package. The literature on professional jurisdiction provided an interpretive framework.Findings – The Australian snapshots over time showed that there is an increasing lack of clarity about the skills and competencies required of librarians. The American job ads seemed to r.
Phase II Study of Gemcitabine in Combination with Docetaxel in Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Carcinoma (E1298)

Background: Responses have been observed in several studies of docetaxel as treatment for advanced pancreatic carcinoma. This trial was designed to determine if the addition of docetaxel to gemcitabine therapy produced responses in ≧25% of patients with chemonaive advanced pancreatic cancer. Patients and Methods: This trial involved patients with biopsy-proven, advanced carcinoma of the pancreas not amenable to surgical resection. Patients received docetaxel 75 mg/m2 i.v. over 1 h followed by gemcitabine 2,000 mg/m2 biweekly until progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint of the trial was to determine the objective response rate with secondary endpoints of progression-free survival and overall survival. Results: Out of the 32 eligible patients, 2 patients had a complete response and 2 patients had a partial response for an observed objective response rate of 12.5% (90% CI: 4.4, 26.4%). Median survival was 4.7 months. Most toxicities were hematologic, with 48% of patients experiencing grade 4 toxicity. Conclusions: The confirmed complete response rate of 6% and partial response rate of 6% is encouraging, but the toxicity of this regimen appears significant. Based upon these results, this combination of gemcitabine and docetaxel is not worthy of further study. Different schedules and dosages may be more promising.
Somatic Embryogenesis of Tylophora indica (Burm.f.) Merril., an Important Medicinal Plant

An efficient procedure has been developed for inducing somatic embryogenesis from mature leaves of Tylophora indica (Burm.f.) Merrill, an important medicinal plant. Leaf sections were initially cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with thidiazuron (TDZ) in addition with 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), particularly 0.5 μm TDZ along with 1.5 μm 2,4-D was very effective in inducing somatic embryos. Plants were regenerated from in vitro somatic embryos plated on semisolid medium devoid of growth regulators. Plantlets were obtained in 65% of the cultures with 2% Sodium alginate coated embryos and control embryos showed 90 % germination. The percent of survival during hardening was 65 to 70. Regenerated plantlets continued to grow after transfer to a greenhouse environment and were similar phenotypically to zygotic seedlings. This simple regeneration system through somatic embryogenesis may be beneficial for mass propagation of Tylophora indica.
Staphylococcal Interspersed Repeat Unit Typing of Staphylococcus aureus: Evaluation of a New Multilocus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeat Analysis Typing Method

ABSTRACT The present study evaluates the performance of the staphylococcal interspersed repeat unit (SIRU) method applied to a diverse collection of 104 Staphylococcus aureus isolates previously characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), spa typing, multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing for methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The SIRU method distributed the 104 strains into 81 SIRU profiles that could be clustered into 12 groups and 29 singletons. The discriminatory power of the method at the profile level, translated by Simpson's index of diversity (SID), was similar to that of PFGE subtyping (SID = 99.23% versus 99.85%) and slightly higher than that of spa typing (SID = 97.61%). At the group level, the SIRU SID (93.24%) was lower than that of PFGE typing (95.41%) but higher than that of MLST (SID = 91.77%). The adjusted Rand (AR) coefficient showed that SIRU typing at the group level had the highest congruence with MLST (AR = 0.5736) and with clonal complex (CC) (AR = 0.4963) but the lowest congruence with PFGE subtype (AR = 0.0242). The Wallace coefficient indicated that in the present collection, two strains with the same SIRU profile have a 100% probability of belonging to the same CC, a 90% probability of sharing the same spa type, and an 83% probability of being classified in the same sequence type. The high discriminatory power of the SIRU method, along with its apparent concordance with MLST results, makes it potentially valuable for S. aureus short-term epidemiological investigations and population dynamics as well.
Collective Intelligence - How Collaborative Contents and Social Media Changing the Face of Digital Library

The growth of digital libraries has provided useful resources for users. However most digital libraries are not effectively to promote themself and engage audience. Limited resources also postponed the growth of the materials collection and expansion of related research and discussion. Our study shows how digital library can use social networking system to promote new material and engage user, allow user to share information and thoughts. It facilitates a collective intelligence system where user can interact and contribute in a knowledge sharing environment. In a platform for user-generated content, user can submit material and join discussion, and admin will learn the inputs and filter the content. This paper proposes the use of social networking system in digital library, delivers some case studies and explains how we can use social media to expand user base with recommender method. In this paper we also provide recommendations for further development.
Dealing with project complexity by matrix-based propagation modelling for project risk analysis

Engineering projects are facing a growing complexity and are thus exposed to numerous and interdependent risks. In this paper, we present a quantitative method for modelling propagation behaviour in the project risk network. The construction of the network requires the involvement of the project manager and related experts using the design structure matrix method. A matrix-based risk propagation model is introduced to calculate risk propagation and thus to re-evaluate risk characteristics such as probability and criticality. An eigenstructure analysis is also used based on the risk network, with the goal of measuring and prioritising risks with respect to their importance in terms of influence in the network. These supplemental project risk analyses provide project managers with improved insights into risks considering complexity and help them to design more effective response actions. An example of an application to a real urban transportation system implementation project is presented to illustrate the utility of the proposed approach.
Perinatal loss in low-income African American parents.

OBJECTIVE To examine the experience of low-income, African American parents surrounding perinatal loss and to describe how other life stressors influenced the parents' responses and caring needs. DESIGN Descriptive, using a phenomenologic approach. SETTING All data were collected in person. Interviews were held in parents' homes or, at the request of three parents, in an office in the university between 5 and 21 weeks after the loss. PARTICIPANTS A total of 23 parents (17 mothers and 6 of their partners) were interviewed after a perinatal loss (16 weeks gestation or later) or a neonatal death (first 28 days of life). Follow-up interviews were held with 21 of these parents. RESULTS Four themes were revealed: (a) recognizing problems and responding to the loss, (b) dealing with stressful life events, (c) creating and cherishing memories of the baby, and (d) living with the loss. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study reveal experiences not previously reported and provide initial insight on the loss experience in this group of parents. Health care professionals should be aware of the presence of additional stressful events that parents may be experiencing and intervene appropriately to provide culturally competent care in a sensitive manner.