Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Race Guides Attention in Visual Search

It is known that faces are rapidly and even unconsciously categorized into social groups (black vs. white, male vs. female). Here, I test whether preferences for specific social groups guide attention, using a visual search paradigm. In Experiment 1 participants searched displays of neutral faces for an angry or frightened target face. Black target faces were detected more efficiently than white targets, indicating that black faces attracted more attention. Experiment 2 showed that attention differences between black and white faces were correlated with individual differences in automatic race preference. In Experiment 3, using happy target faces, the attentional preference for black over white faces was eliminated. Taken together, these results suggest that automatic preferences for social groups guide attention to individuals from negatively valenced groups, when people are searching for a negative emotion such as anger or fear.
Consistency of performance indicators for cardiovascular risk management across procedures and panels

Introduction Delphi procedures are frequently used to develop performance indicators, but little is known about the validity of this method. We aimed to examine the consistency of indicator selection across different procedures and across different panels. Methods Analysis of three indicator set development procedures: the EPA Cardio project, which used international GP panels; the UniRap project, a Dutch GP indicator project; and the Vitale Vaten project, which used a national multidisciplinary health professional panel and a stakeholder panel. Results With respect to clinical indicators, consistency between procedures varied according to the origin of the indicators. In Vitale Vaten the multidisciplinary panel of health professionals validated 63% from the international EPA Cardio indicators again. From the UniRap GP set only 13% was rated valid again. Considering organisational indicators, 27 indicators were rated in both EPA Cardio and Vitale Vaten. In the Vitale Vaten project 17 indicators (63%) were validated, including eight of the nine indicators validated in EPA Cardio. Consistency between panels was moderate, giving a decisive role to the health professional panel, being the most critical. Conclusion The consistency of selected performance indicators varied across procedures and panels. Further research is needed to identify underlying determinants of this variation.
Chemical Analysis of Materials Exposed to Venus Temperature and Surface Atmosphere

Planetary exploration in the harsh Venus surface environment faces a myriad of technical challenges related to material survivability, durability, and overall reliable systems operation. An understanding of material reactions in Venus relevant atmospheric conditions is core to enabling future successful Venus science missions. This work investigated various candidate materials used in fabricating electronics, sensors, and packaging after exposure to simulated Venus surface atmosphere. The NASA Glenn Extreme Environments Rig is capable of reproducing Venusian temperature, pressure, and atmospheric composition of the Venus surface consisting mostly of CO2 and N2 as well as traces of SO2, H2O, CO, OCS, HCl, HF, and H2S. The exposed materials were characterized using Auger electron spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and optical imaging. The reactivity of the sulfur gas constituents with several of the exposed materials were found to have adverse effects on the materials, particularly those composed of transition metals. Alloys, brazes, and cladded materials all exhibited extensive reactions. In contrast, compounds of SiC, SiO2, Al2O3, and elemental Au and Ir were found to be chemically inert. The fundamental experimental understanding of material interactions with the simulated Venusian environment gained in this study enables improved selection of materials and hardware designs that would increase the success margin of future long duration science mission on Venus.
The Trouble with Troubled Projects: Keeping Mum during Times of Crisis

This study is a near exact replication of an experiment by Smith et al. (2001) that explores how individuals respond to the need to share bad news about an IT project. The replication results reinforce the crux of the original findings, which identify that when individuals think that negative information should be reported, they feel a greater responsibility to do so, but only to internal sources. In contrast with the original study, this replication study finds that a greater responsibility to report leads to more (rather than less) reluctance to report to an individual within the chain of command. Further, this study finds that an increased risk perception of a project does not necessarily result in a person being more likely to claim that the project’s status ought to be reported, and perceived wrongdoing does not have a significant impact on responsibility to report. The results imply that whistle-blowing theories may vary greatly with internal versus external sources for reporting, and individuals may be sensitized by several notable company scandals and subsequent legislation to curtail wrongdoing. Further, researchers are encouraged to continue examining other factors impacting one’s need and responsibility to report bad news.
Mass Airflow Sensor and Flame Temperature Sensor for Efficiency Control of Combustion Systems

A premixed mixture for a combustion process is said to be stoichiometric when the amount of air provided is just enough to burn the fuel completely. A parameter called the equivalence ratio gives a measure of the closeness of the combustion system to stoichiometric combustion. In practice, excess air is provided in a combustion system to avoid production of harmful flue gases. The amount of fuel and air intake in a combustion process along with their degree of mixing affects its efficiency. This thesis describes the design of a mass airflow sensor and a flame temperature sensor that can be used to estimate mass airflow rate and equivalence ratio respectively, thereby enabling control of the efficiency of combustion systems. The mass airflow sensor designed for this thesis is an inline airflow sensor that can be used to measure combustion intake air in the temperature range between -40◦F to 140◦F and mass airflow rate between 0 kg/hr to 120 kg/hr. The mass airflow sensor is based on the principle of constant temperature difference thermal mass airflow meter. Thermistors are used as resistive elements for the mass airflow meter discussed in this thesis. The sensor was calibrated considering the wide range of operation of temperature; and mechanical and electrical tolerance of thermistors used in the sensor. The performance of the sensor with disturbances in combustion air intake
School absenteeism in a rural area in Tamil Nadu.

This study was conducted to estimate the magnitude of school absenteeism and determine its causes in a village in Tamilnadu.The sumple included a cohort (n=143) followed for one year and a cross sectional sample (n = 278). The mean number of episodes of school absenteeism was 1.6 ± 0.6/ child/year and the mean number of days lost was 1.5 ± 1.4 days/child/year. It is estimated that on a working day of the school, about 0.85% of the student population will be absent. Common causes of absenteeism were adverse weather conditions, work, illness and social customs. School absenteeism was found to be higher during rainy season and local groundnut picking season (October-December) than during other months. If possible, school based programs may be avoided during months with maximal absenteeism.
Open reduction and internal fixation of clavicular nonunions with allograft bone substitute

Background: Biologic augmentation with allograft has shown equivalent healing rates to autograft in several nonunion models. No literature exists clearly demonstrating this in the clavicle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the healing and complication rates of clavicle nonunions treated solely with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and allograft. Materials and Methods: Nineteen clavicle nonunions treated with ORIF and allograft were evaluated retrospectively to assess healing rates and complications based on clinical symptoms and radiographic findings. Results: For the 19 patients included and treated with ORIF and allograft, clinical follow-up averaged 15 months. Seven patients were smokers. Although complete radiographic healing was achieved in only 68% of patients, clinical success occurred in 16 (84%) patients who demonstrated full range of motion and strength without pain. The three patients who did not demonstrate full radiographic healing were completely pain free. Five patients experienced complications (26%). Two underwent hardware removal due to persistent irritation after union. Three had a persistent painful nonunion. Each of these three patients was a smoker (P=0.08). Two proceeded to union after revision fixation. The other had hardware failure, which was removed, with a persistent nonunion and did not wish any further treatment. Conclusion: ORIF with allograft bone substitute is an acceptable treatment alternative to iliac crest bone graft for clavicle nonunions. However, we did not demonstrate equivalent healing rates to published results utilizing autograft. Smokers were identified to have a trend toward higher failure rates with ORIF augmented with allograft and therefore these patients may be better served by augmenting fixation with autograft. Level of Evidence: IV; retrospective comparative study.
Etiological causes of pancytopenia: A report of 137 cases

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the etiological causes of pancytopenia in patients who were admitted to the hematology ward due to pancytopenia. Materials and Methods: All patients who were admitted to the hematology ward of Ministry of Health Istanbul Training and Research Hospital due to pancytopenia between 2013 and 2015 were retrospectively evaluated regarding etiological causes. Results: A total of 137 patients was evaluated. The etiological causes of pancytopenia were recorded as Vitamin B12 deficiency (n: 24; 17%), chronic liver disease (n: 21; 15%), malignancy (n: 19; 13%), myelodysplastic syndrome (n: 18; 13%), aplastic anemia (n: 11; 8%), rheumatic diseases (n: 7; 5%), and endocrine causes (n: 3; 2%). Conclusion: The etiological causes of pancytopenia vary depends on patients′ age, gender, country, and other conditions. Vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common treatable cause of pancytopenia. Most of the etiological causes could be diagnosed with laboratory analysis and radiological imagings, without the need of a bone marrow examination.
Attribution of Importance to Life Roles and Their Implications for Mental Health Among Filipino American Working Women

Our purpose was to determine levels of role commitment, role conflict, depression, self-esteem, and life satisfaction among a community-based sample of working Filipino women. The convenience sample consisted of 87 Filipino working women, ranging in age from 18 to 59 years. Participants completed instruments assessing self-esteem, depression, life satisfaction, and role conflict. Our analyses revealed that participants who were equally or more committed to work than relationships had significantly higher depression scores, self-esteem scores, and levels of education than participants who were committed primarily to relationships. There were no significant differences among role commitment type on role conflict and life satisfaction. We found significant interactions between experiences of depression, self-esteem, and the perceptions of self. From our study findings our knowledge of working Filipina American's psychological well-being has increased and provided a foundation for future research.
Repeatability and Reproducibility of Macular Thickness Measurements Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

Aim: To evaluate repeatability and reproducibility of macular thickness measurements in visually normal eyes using the Topcon 3D OCT-1000. Methods: Phase 1 investigated scan repeatability, the effect of age and pupil dilation. Two groups (6 younger and 6 older participants) had one eye scanned 5 times pre and post- dilation by 1 operator. Phase 2 investigated between-operator, within and between-visit reproducibility. 10 participants had 1 un-dilated eye scanned 3 times on 2 separate visits by 2 operators. Results: Phase 1: No significant difference existed between repeat scans (p=0.75) and no significant difference was found pre- and post-dilation (p=0.54). In the younger group variation was low (95% limits ± 3.62µm) and comparable across all retinal regions. The older group demonstrated greater variation (95% limits ± 7.6µm). Phase 2: For a given retinal location, 95% confidence limits for within-operator, within-visit reproducibility was 5. 16µm. This value increased to 5. 56µm for the same operator over two visits and to 6. 18µm for two operators over two visits. Conclusion: A high level repeatability, close to 6µm, of macular thickness measurement is possible using the 3D OCT- 1000. Measured differences in macular thickness between successive visits that exceed 6µm in pre-presbyopic individuals are therefore likely to reflect actual structural change. OCT measures are more variable in older individuals and it is advisable to take a series of scans so that outliers can be more easily identified.
The mechanism of long non‐coding RNA MEG3 for hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion: Mediated by miR‐34a/Nrf2 signaling pathway

To investigate the function of MEG3 in hepatic ischemia‐reperfusion (HIR) progress, involving its association with the level of miR‐34a during hypoxia‐induced hypoxia re‐oxygenation (H/R) in vitro. HIR mice model in vivo was established. MEG3, miR‐34a expression, along with Nrf2 mRNA and protein level were detected in tissues and cells. Serum biochemical parameters (ALT and AST) were assessed in vivo. A potential binding region between MEG3 and miR34a was confirmed by luciferase assays. Hepatic cells HL7702 were subjected to hypoxia treatment in vitro for functional studies, including TUNEL‐positive cells detection and ROS analysis. MEG3, Nrf2 expression was significantly down‐regulated in infarction lesion from HIR mice, as opposed to increased miR‐34a production, while similar results were also observed in H/R HL7702 cells, while the above effects were reversed by MEG3 over‐expression. By using bioinformatics study and RNA pull down combined with luciferase assays, we demonstrated that MEG3 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR‐34a, and there was reciprocal repression between MEG3 and miR‐34a in an Argonaute 2‐dependent manner. Functional studies demonstrated that MEG3 showed positive regulation on TUNEL‐positive cells and ROS level. Further in vivo study confirmed that MEG3 over‐expression could improve hepatic function of HIR mice, and markedly decreased the expression of serum ALT and AST. MEG3 protected hepatocytes from HIR injury through down‐regulating miR‐34a expression, which could add our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in HIR injury.
[Does methylphenidate cause liver damage? An analysis of ad hoc reports to the "Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM)"].

Does methylphenidate cause liver damage? An analysis of ad hoc reports to the "Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte (BfArM)" Abstract. Ad hoc reports to the "Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte" (BfArM, the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices) were analyzed concerning liver injuring stemming from therapy with methylphenidate (MPH). Clinical criteria were used to assess suspected cases of causal association. The BfArM database on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) recorded suspected cases from Germany over the period from 1 January 2006 to 23 May 2016. Using the Standardized MedDRA Queries (SMQ) search strategy, we searched the database for "MPH" and its potential ADRs "Hepatic Disorder. " The ad hoc reports were checked for completeness and assessed clinically according to the Uppsala Monitoring Centre criteria. 60 suspected cases of liver damages by MPH were recorded in the database. In 15 thereof, an assessment was not possible because of insufficient documentation; in 25 cases, a link between the intake of MPH and the occurrence of liver injury was considered "unlikely. " A "possible" causality was assessed in 11 cases, a "probable/likely" causality in 9 cases: 1 patient with fulminant hepatitis, 1 with increased size of benign liver tumor, and 18 cases of (reversible) hepatic enzyme elevation. According to our evaluation, MPH is well-tolerated with regard to liver and gall bladder diseases. For patients with hepatic impairment or other risk factors, regular monitoring of liver values is recommended.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Community Active Case Finding and Household Contact Investigation for Tuberculosis Case Detection in Urban Africa

Introduction Case detection by passive case finding (PCF) strategy alone is inadequate for detecting all tuberculosis (TB) cases in high burden settings especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Alternative case detection strategies such as community Active Case Finding (ACF) and Household Contact Investigations (HCI) are effective but empirical evidence of their cost-effectiveness is sparse. The objective of this study was to determine whether adding ACF or HCI compared with standard PCF alone represent cost-effective alternative TB case detection strategies in urban Africa. Methods A static decision modeling framework was used to examine the costs and effectiveness of three TB case detection strategies: PCF alone, PCF+ACF, and PCF+HCI. Probability and cost estimates were obtained from National TB program data, primary studies conducted in Uganda, published literature and expert opinions. The analysis was performed from the societal and provider perspectives over a 1.5 year time-frame. The main effectiveness measure was the number of true TB cases detected and the outcome was incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) expressed as cost in 2013 US$ per additional true TB case detected. Results Compared to PCF alone, the PCF+HCI strategy was cost-effective at US$443.62 per additional TB case detected. However, PCF+ACF was not cost-effective at US$1492.95 per additional TB case detected. Sensitivity analyses showed that PCF+ACF would be cost-effective if the prevalence of chronic cough in the population screened by ACF increased 10-fold from 4% to 40% and if the program costs for ACF were reduced by 50%. Conclusions Under our baseline assumptions, the addition of HCI to an existing PCF program presented a more cost-effective strategy than the addition of ACF in the context of an African city. Therefore, implementation of household contact investigations as a part of the recommended TB control strategy should be prioritized.
Assessment of MODIS, MERIS, GEOV1 FPAR Products over Northern China with Ground Measured Data and by Analyzing Residential Effect in Mixed Pixel

Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FPAR) is a critical parameter in land surface energy balance and climate modeling. Several global FPAR products are available, but these still require considerable assessment and validation due to low spatial resolution. Three major FPAR products that have covered China and provided continuous time series data—MODIS, MERIS and GEOV1—were assessed from 2006–2010. Based on the ground measurement data, the accuracies of these three FPAR products were directly validated for maize and winter wheat over northern China. This investigation also assessed the consistencies among the three FPAR products, and analyzed the residential area in mixed pixels effect on the FPAR products accuracy, at each of the main growth stages of maize and winter wheat. The GEOV1 FPAR product was found to be the most accurate with regression R2 values of 0.818 and 0.655 for ground measured maize and winter wheat FPAR. The maize FPAR data were generally more accurate than the winter wheat FPAR data. The MODIS, MERIS and GEOV1 products all indicated that FPAR variations among the growth stages differed from year to year. The scattered residential areas in mixed pixels were found to significantly affect the FPAR data uncertainties, and these were also analyzed in detail. The effect of residential area percentage in mixed pixels on FPAR values differed for different crops, and this was not necessarily in accordance with the FPAR product accuracy. For the mixed pixels, a quadratic polynomial was able to fit the residential area and FPAR data reasonably well with R2 values higher than 0.9 for most relationships. Quadratic polynomial fitting may provide a simple and convenient method to assess and reduce the residential area effect on FPAR in the mixed pixels.
Protein simple sequence conservation

Protein simple sequences, a subset of low‐complexity sequences, are regions of sequence highly enriched in one or a few residue types. Simple sequences are exceedingly common, the average being more than one per protein sequence. Despite being so common, such sequences are not well‐studied. The simple sequences that have been subjected to detailed study are often found to possess important functions. Here we present a survey of protein simple sequences, generally enriched in a single residue type, with the aim of studying their conservation. We find that the majority of such simple sequences are not conserved. However, conserved protein simple sequences are relatively common, with ∼11% of the surveyed protein families possessing a conserved simple sequence. The data obtained in this study support the idea that simple sequences are conserved for functional reasons. Such functions can range from substrate binding, to mediating protein‐protein interactions, to structural integrity. A perhaps surprising finding is that the residue enriching a conserved simple sequence is itself not necessarily conserved. Neither is the length of many of the highly conserved simple sequences. In the few cases where structural and functional data is available it is found that the conserved simple sequences are consistent with both local structure and function. The data presented support the idea that protein simple sequences can be conserved and have important roles in protein structure and function. Proteins 2004;54:000–000. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Completeness and Consistency Analysis of State-Based Requirements

This paper describes methods for automatically analyzing formal, state-based requirements specifications for completeness and consistency. The approach uses a low-level functional formalism, simplifying the analysis process. State space exploslon problems are eliminated by applying the analysis at a high level of abstraction; i.e, instead of generating a reachability graph for analysis, the analysis is performed directly on the model. The method scales up to large systems by decomposing the specification into smaller, analyzable parts and then using functional composition rules to ensure that verified properties hold for the entire specification. The analysis algorithms and tools have been validated on TCAS II, a complex, airborne, collision-avoidance system reqmred on all commercial aircraft with more than 30 passengers that fly in U.S. airspace.