Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wisdom at the end of life: Hospice patients’ reflections on the meaning of life and death

The processes of aging and confronting mortality are often accompanied by unique psychological challenges. From the perspective of positive psychology, such challenges can yield opportunities for growth, including increased wisdom. This qualitative study explored 15 terminally ill hospice patients’ perspectives on wisdom, the dying process, and the meaning of life using consensual qualitative research methods. Most participants cited humility as a key component of wisdom, emphasizing that “Wisdom is when we realize ‘I don’t really know much’. ” Other components of wisdom included self-knowledge, rationality, experiential learning, listening to and learning from others, and sharing knowledge with others. Participants also suggested that the process of facing illness and death presents opportunities for positive growth, including changing priorities and learning to appreciate life more fully in the present moment. In considering the sources of meaning in their lives, participants emphasized relational connections, personal growth, spirituality, vocational fulfilment, and living a full life. Participants also shared their reflections on important past experiences and regrets. Lastly, participants offered advice to others based on their experiences facing illness and mortality. Implications for psychological care of the dying and future research are discussed.
Dependence on membrane components of methanogenesis from methyl-CoM with formaldehyde or molecular hydrogen as electron donors.

Methane formation from 2-(methylthio)-ethanesulfonate (methyl-CoM) and H2 by the soluble fraction from the methanogenic bacterium strain Gö1 was stimulated up to tenfold by the addition of the membrane fraction. This stimulation was observed with membranes from various methanogenic species belonging to different phylogenetic families, but not with membranes from Escherichia coli or Acetobacterium woodii. Treatment of the membranes with strong oxidants, i.e. O2 and K3[Fe(CN)6], or with SH reagents, i.e. Ag+, p-chloromercuribenzoate or iodoacetamide, caused an irreversible decrease or loss in stimulatory activity, as did heat treatment at temperatures above 78 degrees C. Methanogenesis from methyl-CoM with formaldehyde instead of H2 as electron donor depended similarly on the membrane fraction. With membranes, 1 mol HCHO was oxidized to 1 mol CO2 and allowed the formation of 2 mol CH4 from 2 mol CH3-CoM. Without membranes, per mol of HCHO oxidized 1 mol H2 was formed and 1 mol CH4 was produced from CH3-CoM; the rate was 10-20% of that in the presence of membranes. When methyl-CoM was replaced by an artificial electron acceptor system consisting of methylviologen and metronidazole, the formaldehyde-oxidizing activity was no longer stimulated by the membrane fraction. These results demonstrate for the first time an essential function of membrane components in methanogenic electron transfer.
Statistical tuning of Walfisch-Ikegami model for the untypical environment

The Walfisch-Ikegami model has been investigated in terms of mobile radio systems designing in the untypical environment such as the maritime container terminal. The measurement equipment and procedures have been described as well as characteristics of investigated environment. Results of the statistical tuning in terms of path loss estimation in such environment have been analysed. The analysis has proved improvement of the path loss estimation accuracy by use of the well-tuned model.
Nutrition and chemotaxis in the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum: the effect of carbohydrates on the plasmodium.

SUMMARY: The ability of a range of carbohydrates to support the growth of plasmodia of the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum was investigated and a method for the objective study of the chemotaxis of plasmodia was developed. Plasmodia showed positive chemotaxis to solutions of glucose, maltose, mannose and peptone, and to galactose after a delay. They did not respond to sucrose, fructose or ribose. The chemotactic effectiveness of sugars paralleled their ability to support growth.
Acquisition of serum antibodies to specific viral glycoproteins of parainfluenza virus 3 in children

A radioimmunoprecipitation assay was used to study antibody responses to parainfluenza virus 3 glycoproteins in human sera. The method was not only more sensitive than the neutralization test for the detection of antibody but also provided semiquantitative assessments of the antibody response to both glycoproteins in a single assay system. Anti-hemagglutinin-neuraminidase titers were consistently higher than anti-fusion levels in the same serum specimen. Thirteen children were monitored serologically and virologically from birth until 12 months or more after their primary infection with parainfluenza virus 3. At 1 to 3 months after infection, a significant increase in the level of antibody to the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein developed in 12 children; of these, 9 showed rises in the level of fusion protein. In 11 of the children, antibody titers continued to rise and the geometric mean titers to the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein was highest in sera collected 8 to 10 months after primary infection. Reinfection as the reason for these progressive increases in antibody levels could only be confirmed for four of the children. Three other children had reinfections after the 10-month sera were obtained; in each instance the only antibody responses were to the fusion protein.
Optimal Techniques For Sensing Error Minimization With Improved Energy Detection In Cognitive Radios

Abstract Spectrum sensing, the problem of detecting the presence of licensed user in the channel is considered in this paper. Energy detection is best suited for the spectrum sensing when prior knowledge about the primary users is unavailable. Existing works report improved versions of energy detection which primarily focuses on maximizing the detection performance. Sensing error minimization is an important aspect of spectrum sensing that needs attention. This paper focuses on the sensing error minimization of the improved energy detection algorithm in which the decision statistic is computed using an arbitrary positive index instead of squaring operation. First, an optimum decision threshold satisfying Minimum Error Bound (MEB) is derived. Next, an optimum value of the arbitrary positive index with minimum number of samples satisfying a Target Error Bound (TEB) is derived. A thorough numerical analysis and simulations are performed and the results confirm the accuracy of the analysis.
A Persistent, Productive, and Seasonally Dynamic Vibriophage Population within Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

ABSTRACT In an effort to understand the relationship between Vibrio and vibriophage populations, abundances of Vibrio spp. and viruses infecting Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VpVs) were monitored for a year in Pacific oysters and water collected from Ladysmith Harbor, British Columbia, Canada. Bacterial abundances were highly seasonal, whereas high titers of VpVs (0.5 × 104 to 11 × 104 viruses cm−3) occurred year round in oysters, even when V. parahaemolyticus was undetectable (<3 cells cm−3). Viruses were not detected (<10 ml−1) in the water column. Host-range studies demonstrated that 13 VpV strains could infect 62% of the V. parahaemolyticus strains from oysters (91 pairings) and 74% of the strains from sediments (65 pairings) but only 30% of the water-column strains (91 pairings). Ten viruses also infected more than one species among V. alginolyticus, V. natriegens, and V. vulnificus. As winter approached and potential hosts disappeared, the proportion of host strains that the viruses could infect decreased by ∼50% and, in the middle of winter, only 14% of the VpV community could be plated on summer host strains. Estimates of virus-induced mortality on V. parahaemolyticus indicated that other host species were required to sustain viral production during winter when the putative host species was undetectable. The present study shows that oysters are likely one of the major sources of viruses infecting V. parahaemolyticus in oysters and in the water column. Furthermore, seasonal shifts in patterns of host range provide strong evidence that the composition of the virus community changes during winter.
Elevated expression of activation induced cytidine deaminase in peripheral blood mononuclear cells precedes AIDS-NHL diagnosis

Non-Hodgkin's B cell lymphoma (NHL) is a common cancer in HIV infection. Many NHL are thought to result from errors in class switch recombination and/or somatic hypermutation, processes that occur in germinal center B cells, and require the activity of activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID). Since NHL is a common cancer in HIV infection, and expression of AID could contribute to the development of NHL, we hypothesized that AID expression would be elevated in those who went on to develop AIDS-associated NHL (AIDS-NHL). AID mRNA levels were measured by TaqMan RT–PCR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, obtained prior to AIDS-NHL diagnosis, from 16 HIV-infected subjects who developed AIDS-NHL, and from control subjects (AIDS but no NHL, and HIV-negative subjects). PBMC AID expression was markedly elevated in those who developed AIDS-NHL, when compared to AIDS and HIV-negative controls. Additionally, AID expression was seen to differ depending on NHL subtype, with the highest levels of expression seen in those who developed Burkitt's lymphoma.
Recovery of total microbial RNA from lactic acid fermented foods with a high starch content

An optimized procedure for the recovery of RNA from micro‐organisms involved in the fermentation of starchy foods (mainly hard‐to‐lyse lactic acid bacteria) is reported. Critical steps for the extraction were: cell recovery by differential centrifugation; cell wall digestion with both mutanolysin and lysozyme; and CTAB treatment for the elimination of starch. Digestion of starch with α‐amylase did not improve extraction yields. The method yielded high amounts of RNA from pozol, a Mexican maize‐based fermented food, and was found to extract total RNA efficiently from all the micro‐organisms potentially present in these ecosystems. Both rRNA and mRNA recovered were of high quality and suitable for hybridization studies.
In vitro and in vivo morphological response of Klebsiella pneumoniae to cefotiam and cefazolin

The effect of cefotiam and cefazolin on the ultrastructure of Klebsiella pneumoniae DT-S in vitro and in experimental pneumonia in mice was examined by electron microscopy. The action of both cephalosporins against K. pneumoniae DT-S was bactericidal, and a dose response in the action was definite. At the minimal inhibitory concentration of each cephalosporin, filamentation of the cells was induced and the cytoplasm became sparse during the course of incubation. With elevation of the concentration of the cephalosporins, spheroplasts were formed; they subsequently collapsed. In the lungs of mice, the infecting organisms localized in the alveolar space, and each cell was connected by a threadlike material. A fibrous matrix, located on the cell surface of the infecting organisms, was observed in ultrathin sections. By administration of each cephalosporin to mice, several morphological changes, similar to those noted in vitro, were observed in the infecting organisms.
Transcriptional Profiling of the Bacillus anthracis Life Cycle In Vitro and an Implied Model for Regulation of Spore Formation

ABSTRACT The life cycle of Bacillus anthracis includes both vegetative and endospore morphologies which alternate based on nutrient availability, and there is considerable evidence indicating that the ability of this organism to cause anthrax depends on its ability to progress through this life cycle in a regulated manner. Here we report the use of a custom B. anthracis GeneChip in defining the gene expression patterns that occur throughout the entire life cycle in vitro. Nearly 5,000 genes were expressed in five distinct waves of transcription as the bacteria progressed from germination through sporulation, and we identified a specific set of functions represented within each wave. We also used these data to define the temporal expression of the spore proteome, and in doing so we have demonstrated that much of the spore's protein content is not synthesized de novo during sporulation but rather is packaged from preexisting stocks. We explored several potential mechanisms by which the cell could control which proteins are packaged into the developing spore, and our analyses were most consistent with a model in which B. anthracis regulates the composition of the spore proteome based on protein stability. This study is by far the most comprehensive survey yet of the B. anthracis life cycle and serves as a useful resource in defining the growth-phase-dependent expression patterns of each gene. Additionally, the data and accompanying bioinformatics analyses suggest a model for sporulation that has broad implications for B. anthracis biology and offer new possibilities for microbial forensics and detection.
A maximal multistage 20-m shuttle run test to predict VO2 max.

In order to validate a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle run test for the prediction of VO2 max, 91 adults (32 females and 59 males, aged 27.3 +/- 9.2 and 24.8 +/- 5.5 year respectively and with mean VO2 max (+/- SD) of 39.3 +/- 8.3 and 51.6 +/- 7.8 ml . kg-1 . min-1 respectively) performed the test and had VO2 max estimated by the retroextrapolation method (extrapolation to time zero of recovery of the exponential least squares regression of the first four 20-s recovery VO2 values). Starting at 8 km . h-1 and increasing by 0.5 km . h-1 every 2 min, the 20-m shuttle run test enabled prediction of the VO2 max (y, ml . kg-1 . min-1) from the maximal speed (x, km . h-1) by means of the following regression equation: y = 5.857x - 19.458; r = 0.84 and SEE = 5.4. Later, the multistage protocol was slightly modified to its final version, in which the test started at stage 7 Met and continued with a 1 Met (3.5 ml O2 . kg-1 . min-1) increment every 2 min. Twenty-five of the 91 subjects performed the 20-m shuttle test twice, once on a hard, low-friction surface (vinyl-asbestos tiles) and another time on a rubber floor, as well as a walking maximal multistage test on an inclined treadmill. There was no difference between the means of these tests or between the slopes of the VO2max - maximal speed regressions for the two types of surfaces. The 20-m shuttle run test and another maximal multistage field test involving continuous track running gave comparable results (r = 0.92, SEE = 2.6 ml O2 . kg-1 . min-1, n = 70). Finally, test and retest of the 20-m shuttle run test also yielded comparable results (r = 0.975, SEE = 2.0 ml O2 . kg-1 . min-1, n = 50). It is concluded that the 20-m shuttle run test is valid and reliable test for the prediction of the VO2 max of male and female adults, individually or in groups, on most gymnasium surfaces.
Multi-tenancy in Cloud Computing

As Cloud Computing becomes the trend of information technology computational model, the Cloud security is becoming a major issue in adopting the Cloud where security is considered one of the most critical concerns for the large customers of Cloud (i.e. governments and enterprises). Such valid concern is mainly driven by the Multi-Tenancy situation which refers to resource sharing in Cloud Computing and its associated risks where confidentiality and/or integrity could be violated. As a result, security concerns may harness the advancement of Cloud Computing in the market. So, in order to propose effective security solutions and strategies a good knowledge of the current Cloud implementations and practices, especially the public Clouds, must be understood by professionals. Such understanding is needed in order to recognize attack vectors and attack surfaces. In this paper we will propose an attack model based on a threat model designed to take advantage of Multi-Tenancy situation only. Before that, a clear understanding of Multi-Tenancy, its origin and its benefits will be demonstrated. Also, a novel way on how to approach Multi-Tenancy will be illustrated. Finally, we will try to sense any suspicious behavior that may indicate to a possible attack where we will try to recognize the proposed attack model empirically from Google trace logs. Google trace logs are a 29-day worth of data released by Google. The data set was utilized in reliability and power consumption studies, but not been utilized in any security study to the extent of our knowledge.
How Large is Congressional Dependence in Agriculture? Bayesian Inference about ‘Scale’ and ‘Scope’ in Measuring a Spatial Externality

type="main" xml:id="jage12054-abs-0001"> The political economy literature on agriculture emphasises influence over political outcomes via lobbying conduits in general, political action committee contributions in particular, and the pervasive view that political preferences with respect to agricultural issues are inherently geographic. In this context, ‘interdependence’ in Congressional vote behaviour manifests itself in two dimensions. One dimension is the intensity by which neighbouring vote propensities influence one another, and the second is the geographic extent of voter influence. We estimate these facets of dependence using data on a Congressional vote on the 2001 Farm Bill using routine Markov chain Monte-Carlo procedures and Bayesian model averaging, in particular. In so doing, we develop a novel procedure to examine both the reliability and the consequences of different model representations for measuring both the ‘scale’ and the ‘scope’ of spatial (geographic) co-relations in voting behaviour.
Hyperspectral Imagery Restoration Using Nonlocal Spectral-Spatial Structured Sparse Representation With Noise Estimation

Noise reduction is an active research area in image processing due to its importance in improving the quality of image for object detection and classification. In this paper, we develop a sparse representation based noise reduction method for hyperspectral imagery, which is dependent on the assumption that the non-noise component in an observed signal can be sparsely decomposed over a redundant dictionary while the noise component does not have this property. The main contribution of the paper is in the introduction of nonlocal similarity and spectral-spatial structure of hyperspectral imagery into sparse representation. Non-locality means the self-similarity of image, by which a whole image can be partitioned into some groups containing similar patches. The similar patches in each group are sparsely represented with a shared subset of atoms in a dictionary making true signal and noise more easily separated. Sparse representation with spectral-spatial structure can exploit spectral and spatial joint correlations of hyperspectral imagery by using 3-D blocks instead of 2-D patches for sparse coding, which also makes true signal and noise more distinguished. Moreover, hyperspectral imagery has both signal-independent and signal-dependent noises, so a mixed Poisson and Gaussian noise model is used. In order to make sparse representation be insensitive to the various noise distribution in different blocks, a variance-stabilizing transformation (VST) is used to make their variance comparable. The advantages of the proposed methods are validated on both synthetic and real hyperspectral remote sensing data sets.
Coding categorical and coordinate spatial relations in visual–spatial short-term memory

Four experiments explored the coding of categorical and coordinate spatial relations in visual–spatial short-term memory (VSSTM). Participants judged whether two stimuli presented successively on a computer screen were the same or different. On positional change trials the two stimuli differed in the position of one element. Positional changes were of two types, coordinate and categorical. On coordinate trials the position of one element changed by a small amount, but retained the categorical relationships (above, below, left of, right of) to all other elements. On categorical trials one element moved by the same amount but additionally changed its categorical relationship to one of the other elements (e.g., changed from below to above). Participants detected categorical changes more accurately than coordinate changes when the elements were independent locations marked by squares, indicating that the categorical relationships amongst the squares were encoded in memory. Furthermore, this categorical advantage was unmodulated by either the suppression of articulation (Experiment 2) or by the requirement to retain either colour–position associations or positions only (Experiment 3). When the elements to be remembered were the vertices of simple outline polygons (Experiment 4) there was no categorical advantage, establishing the effect as spatial in nature. Contrary to predictions derived from Postma and De Haan (1996), the employment of categorical relations appears not to be specifically linked to either verbal coding or to the requirement to associate objects with positions. The results suggest that the categorical relations are an intrinsic property of the representation of spatial configurations.
Sexual dimorphism in susceptibility to parasites and cell-mediated immunity in great tit nestlings

Summary 1. Parasites can affect host fitness, provoke host responses, and thereby mediate host life history evolution. As life history strategies are often sex-specific, immunological or behavioural responses of the host aiming to reduce the impact of parasites may be sexually dimorphic, e.g. as a consequence of sex differences in the resource allocation tradeoff between parasite defence, morphological traits and body functions. Parasites may therefore affect males and females differently leading to sex specific patterns of parasite susceptibility. 2. In an experimental field study, we manipulated the ectoparasite load of great tit nests ( Parus major ) and investigated its effects on male and female nestlings. As susceptibility to parasites may be linked to the ability of the nestlings to fight off parasites immunologically, we further investigated sex differences in cell-mediated immunity using a phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) assay. 3. Body mass, metatarsus length and overall body size, but not feather length, showed a sexual dimorphism at the end of the nestling period. A significant interaction between the effects of sex and parasite treatment on the sexually dimorphic traits indicates that the parasite effect is sex-specific. While no differences in morphological traits were found in females raised in infested and uninfested nests, parasitized males were significantly smaller and lighter than males raised in uninfested nests. Further, we found a pronounced sexual dimorphism in the response to the PHA assay with males showing a reduced cellular immunity. The parasite treatment had a non-significant effect on the PHA response and the PHA response of males and females were not influenced differently by parasites. 4. Our study shows that sexual dimorphism in susceptibility to parasites and immunocompetence develops early in life, and suggests sex-specific strategies in the allocation of limited resources. Possible mechanisms of sex differences in susceptibility to parasites and immunocompetence during postnatal growth and the consequences for optimal sex allocation strategies of the parents are discussed.