Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microsatellite DNA markers reveal genetic differentiation among populations of Glossina palpalis gambiensis collected in the agro‐pastoral zone of Sideradougou, Burkina Faso

Intraspecific genetic variability of Glossina palpalis gambiensis in the area of Sideradougou, Burkina Faso, was studied using polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers. This genetic study was combined with other epidemiological information on the same tsetse: bloodmeal identification, dissection of tsetse and molecular characterization of the trypanosomes detected. There was significant genetic differentiation among flies caught only a few kilometers apart, within the same riverine habitat. These distinct subpopulations were also differentially infected by trypanosomes. In part of the study area, a Factorial Correspondence Analysis undertaken on the genotypes allowed us to detect a Wahlund effect, suggesting the presence of tsetse originating from different source populations coming from two distinct drainage systems. The apparent structuring of populations of G. palpalis gambiensis is discussed relative to appropriate strategies to control African Trypanosomosis.
Deconstructing College Students’ Perceptions of Thin-Idealized Versus Nonidealized Media Images on Body Dissatisfaction and Advertising Effectiveness

Previous studies focused on revealing the negative effects of media exposure to thin-ideals on body image, such as body dissatisfaction, but overlooked investigating a possible influence of deflated body image after thin-idealized media exposure on advertising effectiveness. Therefore, this study investigated how the exposure of thin- versus non-idealized model images in fashion ads influence body dissatisfaction and advertising effectiveness. A conceptual model was developed, based on social comparison theory. A total of 380 female college students responded to a web-based survey. Results indicate participants exposed to thin-idealized model images showed greater body dissatisfaction and lower advertising effectiveness than those participants exposed to non-idealized model images. However, inflated body dissatisfaction after exposure to thin-idealized model images did not significantly or negatively influence advertising effectiveness. For more positive body image development and managerial implications of fashion advertising strategies, the potential use of non-idealized model images is suggested.
Think twice: Impulsivity and decision making in obsessive–compulsive disorder

Background and Aims Recent studies have challenged the anxiety-avoidance model of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), linking OCD to impulsivity, risky-decision-making and reward-system dysfunction, which can also be found in addiction and might support the conceptualization of OCD as a behavioral addiction. Here, we conducted an exploratory investigation of the behavioral addiction model of OCD by assessing whether OCD patients are more impulsive, have impaired decision-making, and biased probabilistic reasoning, three core dimensions of addiction, in a sample of OCD patients and healthy controls. Methods We assessed these dimensions on 38 OCD patients and 39 healthy controls with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Beads Task. Results OCD patients had significantly higher BIS-11 scores than controls, in particular on the cognitive subscales. They performed significantly worse than controls on the IGT preferring immediate reward despite negative future consequences, and did not learn from losses. Finally, OCD patients demonstrated biased probabilistic reasoning as reflected by significantly fewer draws to decision than controls on the Beads Task. Conclusions OCD patients are more impulsive than controls and demonstrate risky decision-making and biased probabilistic reasoning. These results might suggest that other conceptualizations of OCD, such as the behavioral addiction model, may be more suitable than the anxiety-avoidance one. However, further studies directly comparing OCD and behavioral addiction patients are needed in order to scrutinize this model.
Termination of Cardiac Ca2+ Sparks: Role of Intra-SR [Ca2+], Release Flux, and Intra-SR Ca2+ Diffusion

Ca2+ release from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) via ryanodine receptors (RyRs) is regulated by dyadic cleft [Ca2+] and intra-SR free [Ca2+] ([Ca2+]SR). Robust SR Ca2+ release termination is important for stable excitation–contraction coupling, and partial [Ca2+]SR depletion may contribute to release termination. Here, we investigated the regulation of SR Ca2+ release termination of spontaneous local SR Ca2+ release events (Ca2+ sparks) by [Ca2+]SR, release flux, and intra-SR Ca2+ diffusion. We simultaneously measured Ca2+ sparks and Ca2+ blinks (localized elementary [Ca2+]SR depletions) in permeabilized ventricular cardiomyocytes over a wide range of SR Ca2+ loads and release fluxes. Sparks terminated via a [Ca2+]SR-dependent mechanism at a fixed [Ca2+]SR depletion threshold independent of the initial [Ca2+]SR and release flux. Ca2+ blink recovery depended mainly on intra-SR Ca2+ diffusion rather than SR Ca2+ uptake. Therefore, the large variation in Ca2+ blink recovery rates at different release sites occurred because of differences in the degree of release site interconnection within the SR network. When SR release flux was greatly reduced, long-lasting release events occurred from well-connected junctions. These junctions could sustain release because local SR Ca2+ release and [Ca2+]SR refilling reached a balance, preventing [Ca2+]SR from depleting to the termination threshold. Prolonged release events eventually terminated at a steady [Ca2+]SR, indicative of a slower, [Ca2+]SR-independent termination mechanism. These results demonstrate that there is high variability in local SR connectivity but that SR Ca2+ release terminates at a fixed [Ca2+]SR termination threshold. Thus, reliable SR Ca2+ release termination depends on tight RyR regulation by [Ca2+]SR.
Investigating the factor structure and measurement invariance of phonological abilities in a sufficiently transparent language.

Theory-driven conceptualizations of phonological abilities in a sufficiently transparent language (Greek) were examined in children ages 5 years 8 months to 7 years 7 months, by comparing a set of a priori models. Specifically, the fit of 9 different models was evaluated, as defined by the Number of Factors (1 to 3; represented by rhymes, syllables, and phonemes) × Relationships Between the Latent Variables (orthogonal vs. oblique) × Level (first vs. second order). In addition, the invariant sequence of phonological abilities was examined through longitudinal factorial invariance. We administered a set of 10 phonological tasks that differed in linguistic complexity to 280 Greek-Cypriot children. Reading fluency was also assessed to externally validate the conceptualization of phonological sensitivity. The results provided evidence for the model that depicts phonological sensitivity as a unified construct that develops in an invariant structure across time and significantly predicts a child's reading performance.
Acoustic analysis of European Portuguese uvular [χ, ] and voiceless tapped alveolar [] fricatives

In a study of European Portuguese fricatives it was noted that /R, / were often realized as [χ, ], which are, respectively, unvoiced and voiced uvular fricative, and voiceless tapped alveolar fricative. Although these phones have not previously been recognized as occurring in European Portuguese, they occurred in 115 words out of a corpus of 1304 words, out of which 107 words could be analysed, in recordings made by four native speakers (two men, two women). Time- and frequency-averaged power spectral characteristics are presented, together with a detailed temporal analysis. The frequencies of high-amplitude peaks in the [χ] and [] spectra clearly indicate a back place of articulation, with median duration across subjects and words of 69 ms and 35 ms. The short (approximately 20 ms), noisy acoustic signal in [] suggests a stop-like manner of articulation, but the turbulence noise characteristics, similar to fricatives, differ from the transient burst noise of plosives.
IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION: New Issues, New Directions

The study of identity forms a critical cornerstone within modern sociological thought. Introduced by the works of Cooley and Mead, identity studies have evolved and grown central to current sociological discourse. Microsociological perspectives dominated work published through the 1970s. Sociologists focused primarily on the formation of the “me,” exploring the ways in which interpersonal interactions mold an individual's sense of self. Recent literature constitutes an antithesis to such concerns. Many works refocus attention from the individual to the collective; others prioritize discourse over the systematic scrutiny of behavior; some researchers approach identity as a source of mobilization rather than a product of it; and the analysis of virtual identities now competes with research on identities established in the copresent world. This essay explores all such agenda as raised in key works published since 1980. I close with a look toward the future, suggesting trajectories aimed at synthesizing tradi.
Reliability and validity of a scale to measure interest in music among clients in mental health care

Contextual and relational models of music therapy suggest the relevance of music-related outcomes in clients’ everyday life, but no standardized instruments exist for that purpose. We aimed to develop and test the reliability and validity of a self-report questionnaire to measure interest in music (IiM). Twelve Likert-scaled items reflecting pro-social and socially avoidant aspects of interest in music were developed and translated into three languages (English, Norwegian, German). A total of 144 adults with a mental disorder and low therapy motivation completed the IiM questionnaire and adjacent self-report measures (self-esteem, social relationships). Interest in music was also rated by a mental health professional. Completion of the IiM was repeated after one and three months. Dimensionality, internal consistency, test–retest reliability and concurrent validity were examined. Analyses indicated two dimensions, Musical Activity and Emotional Engagement with Music (10 items) and Social Avoidance through Music (2 items). Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha 0.89 and 0.77), test–retest reliability (1- and 3-month intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.61 to 0.85), and concurrent validity were demonstrated. The IiM scale fills an important gap in the tools available for music therapy assessment and outcome research in mental health.
Visual mapping for natural gas pipe inspection

Validating the integrity of pipes is an important task for safe natural gas production and many other operations (e.g. refineries, sewers, etc.). Indeed, there is a growing industry of actuated, actively driven mobile robots that are used to inspect pipes. Many rely on a remote operator to inspect data from a fisheye camera to perform manual inspection and provide no localization or mapping capability. In this work, we introduce a visual odometry-based system using calibrated fisheye imagery and sparse structured lighting to produce high-resolution 3D textured surface models of the inner pipe wall. Our work extends state-of-the-art visual odometry and mapping for fisheye systems to incorporate weak geometric constraints based on prior knowledge of the pipe components into a sparse bundle adjustment framework. These constraints prove essential for obtaining high-accuracy solutions given the limited spatial resolution of the fisheye system and challenging raw imagery. We show that sub-millimeter resolution modeling is viable even in pipes which are 400 mm (16”) in diameter, and that sparse range measurements from a structured lighting solution can be used to avoid the inevitable monocular scale drift. Our results show that practical, high-accuracy pipe mapping from a single fisheye camera is within reach.
Hippocampus-like corticoneurogenesis induced by two isoforms of the BTB-zinc finger gene Zbtb20 in mice

Hippocampus-associated genes that orchestrate the formation of the compact stratum pyramidale are largely unknown. The BTB (broad complex, tramtrack, bric-a-brac)-zinc finger gene Zbtb20 (also known as HOF, Znf288, Zfp288) encodes two protein isoforms, designated Zbtb20S and Zbtb20L, which are expressed in newborn pyramidal neurons of the presumptive hippocampus in mice. Here, we have generated transgenic mice with ectopic expression of Zbtb20S and Zbtb20L in immature pyramidal neurons differentiated from multipotent non-hippocampal precursors. The subiculum and posterior retrosplenial areas in these mice were transformed into a three-layered hippocampus-like cortex with a compact homogenous pyramidal cell layer. Severe malformations of lamination occur in neocortical areas, which coincide with a deficiency in expression of cortical lamination markers. The alterations in cortical cytoarchitecture result in behavioral abnormalities suggestive of a deficient processing of visual and spatial memory cues in the cerebral cortex of adult Zbtb20 transgenic mice. Overall, our in vivo data suggest that Zbtb20 functions as a molecular switch for a pathway that induces invariant pyramidal neuron morphogenesis and suppression of cell fate transitions in newborn neurons.
OPTING INTO MOTHERHOOD

This article focuses on the experiences of becoming and being mothers for lesbian co-parents who have children via donor insemination. Rather than the presence of children incorporating lesbians into the mainstream as “honorary heterosexuals,” the author argues that lesbian parenting represents a radical and radicalizing challenge to heterosexual norms that govern parenting roles and identities. It undermines traditional notions of the family and the heterosexual monopoly of reproduction. The same-sex context together with successful collaboration with donors supports the refashioning of kinship relationships. An attentiveness to the gender dynamics of sexuality illuminates further contestations. The author argues that their structural similarities as women place them in contradiction with dominant gender practices enacted in heterosexual relationships. This facilitates the evaluation and negotiation of more egalitarian approaches to work and parenting, and through their operationalization, much of the logic supporting conventional divisions of labor is undermined.
Object-Based Multiple Foreground Segmentation in RGBD Video

We present an RGB and Depth (RGBD) video segmentation method that takes advantage of depth data and can extract multiple foregrounds in the scene. This video segmentation is addressed as an object proposal selection problem formulated in a fully-connected graph, where a flexible number of foregrounds may be chosen. In our graph, each node represents a proposal, and the edges model intra-frame and inter-frame constraints on the solution. The proposals are selected based on an RGBD video saliency map in which depth-based features are utilized to enhance the identification of foregrounds. Experiments show that the proposed multiple foreground segmentation method outperforms related techniques, and the depth cue serves as a helpful complement to RGB features. Moreover, our method provides performance comparable to the state-of-the-art RGB video segmentation techniques on regular RGB videos with estimated depth maps.
Stability of Cognitive Style in Adults and Some Implications, a Longitudinal Study of the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory

This study (N = 69) confirms the longer term stability (test-retest over 3.5 years) of Kirton's Adaption-Innovation Cognitive Style concept. Earlier test-retest studies were limited to periods of up to 1.5 years, although longer term stability (implied by, for example, consistent item-factor loadings across samples from different countries and organisations) was expected. The longer term stability was supported in this study by a test-retest coefficient of 0.82. This finding indicates clearly that studies and organisational interventions which have the objective of modifying this individual style preference will, by implication, fail. If any training intervention is to be regarded as successful, then overt behaviour rather than personal preference must be addressed. More attention must now be paid to Kirton's notion of “coping behaviour” and the ways available for reducing the psychological expense to the individual when overt behaviour needs to be different from personal preference.
What Really Matters When Working with Struggling Readers.

We now have an evidence base that documents that we could teach every child by the end of first grade. However, most schools have almost none of the key aspects of instruction that have been available in the research to ensure we achieve this goal. In this paper I argue that this failure is not the result of inadequate funding but rather primarily results from an aged system of beliefs about the inevitability that some students will always fail to learn to read. That belief system along with a lack of familiarity with what researchers have demonstrated in the past decade perpetuate schooling where far too many children fail to thrive as readers. In the end, it is up to us, the adults in the school system, to alter our efforts such that every child becomes a reader.
Human papillomavirus genotypes distribution in cervical samples from Uruguayan women

Persistent infection with high‐risk human papillomavirus (HPV) causes cervical preneoplasic lesions and invasive cervical cancer. This study evaluated the prevalence and distribution of HPV genotypes in cervical exfoliated cells from Uruguayan women. Five hundred sixty‐eight cervical specimens were examined by PCR using MY09/11 primer set, and were genotyped by restriction enzyme digestion (RFLP). Some of the samples which remained undetermined were reanalyzed by PGMY PCR combined with reverse line blot hybridization. Overall, about 42% of samples were positive for HPV; 96% in high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 66% in low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, 15% in atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, and 19% in samples negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy. HPV 16 was the most commonly found genotype, followed by HPV 68 and 58. Within low risk—HPV genotypes 6, 61, and 11 were the most frequent. This is the first cross‐sectional study, accounting for prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV in Uruguayan women. J. Med. Virol. 85:845–851, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Native High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) Interfere with Platelet Activation Induced by Oxidized Low Density Lipoproteins (OxLDL)

Platelets and lipoproteins play a crucial role in atherogenesis, in part by their ability to modulate inflammation and oxidative stress. While oxidized low density lipoproteins (OxLDL) play a central role in the development of this disease, high density lipoproteins (HDL) represent an atheroprotective factor of utmost importance. As platelet function is remarkably sensitive to the influence of plasma lipoproteins, it was the aim of this study to clarify if HDL are able to counteract the stimulating effects of OxLDL with special emphasis on aspects of platelet function that are relevant to inflammation. Therefore, HDL were tested for their ability to interfere with pro-thrombotic and pro-inflammatory aspects of platelet function. We are able to show that HDL significantly impaired OxLDL-induced platelet aggregation and adhesion. In gel-filtered platelets, HDL decreased both the formation of reactive oxygen species and CD40L expression. Furthermore, HDL strongly interfered with OxLDL-induced formation of platelet-neutrophil aggregates in whole blood, suggesting that platelets represent a relevant and sensitive target for HDL. The finding that HDL effectively competed with the binding of OxLDL to the platelet surface might contribute to their atheroprotective and antithrombotic properties.
Gender, Religion, and Ethnicity: Intersections and Boundaries in Immigrant Integration Policy Making

In this paper, we analyze Dutch policy debates that focused on the development of a distinct program to advance the social and economic participation of ethnic minority women (where this label captures immigrant women from non-Western countries). Drawing on intersectional analysis and theories of ethnic boundary formation, we argue that the parliamentary debates surrounding this policy program framed the social problems of these women to effectively reduce a diverse range of ethnic minority women into a narrowly defined group of Muslim women. Referencing multiple axes of difference, the adopted policies encouraged women to overcome ethnic distinctions and gender inequality by abandoning their (imputed) religious practices. Parliamentary debates on these policies generated bright boundaries and assimilationist approaches to the integration of ethnic minority women. In our conclusion, we suggest how our framework might be applied to inform analyses of integration policy making and boundary construction in other countries.
We never plan to return home: voices of pre-migrant Ghanaian youth

This qualitative study aimed to explore return migration intentions among pre-migrant youth in Ghana. The study applied the neoclassical economics, new economics of labor migration, and structuralist theories. Thirty-four students (16 females and 18 males) were purposively recruited as participants for the study. Each student participated in one out of four digitally recorded focus group discussions. The data were analyzed to identify emerging themes that addressed objectives of the study. Participants were final year undergraduate and graduate university students and their ages ranged from 22 to 34 years. Analysis of the data revealed that participants had plans to migrate to the diaspora to seek income-generating and educational opportunities. Furthermore, evidence showed that the youth included in this study had no intentions of returning to their country of origin due to three major reasons (economic, family pressure, and stigma). For many pre-migrants, returning to their country of origin is not an option, especially if they are able achieve their goals in the diaspora. Given that return migration usually involves labor migrants who did not reap the benefits of higher earnings abroad and were therefore regarded as failed migrants, there is the need for government and other stakeholders to initiate policies that address the socioeconomic and psychological challenges faced by return migrants.
Randomized, Controlled Evaluation of a Prototype Informed Consent Process for HIV Vaccine Efficacy Trials

Procedures must be developed to ensure that valid informed consent is obtained from participants in HIV vaccine efficacy trials. A prototype informed consent process was evaluated among 4,892 persons at high risk for HIV infection in the HIV Network for Prevention Trials Vaccine Preparedness Study (VPS), a prospective cohort study of HIV seroincidence in eight U.S. metropolitan areas. Twenty percent of VPS participants were selected at random to undergo the prototype informed consent process at VPS month 3. Participants' knowledge of 10 key HIV vaccine trial concepts and willingness to participate in HIV vaccine efficacy trials were assessed and compared at baseline and semiannually thereafter for 18 months. Knowledge of HIV vaccine trial concepts was low at baseline. Participation in the prototype process was associated with substantial and sustained increases in knowledge (relative risks for the 10 items, 1.04–2.26), which were of similar magnitude across HIV risk groups, race/ethnicity, and educational levels. It is recommended that the prototype informed consent process be adopted for future HIV vaccine efficacy trials as well as for clinical trials in other research areas.