Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological study of rugae palatinae in Sudanese Nubians.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to identify and compare the various morphological characteristics of rugae palatinae in males and females of adult Sudanese Nubians and to assess the existence of side asymmetry. Furthermore, the possibility of assigning sex utilising dimensions, shapes, and orientations was explored using logistic regression. MATERIALS AND METHODS In all, 100 maxillary casts were equally distributed between the sexes. All subjects belonged to a similar age group, ranging from 18 to 23 years of age, and were examined for rugae palatinae dimensions, shapes, and orientations for the purpose of assessing sexual dimorphism and side symmetry. RESULTS The most dominant were the primary rugae, and the most prevalent shapes were the wavy, curved, and straight in both sexes. The dominant direction of rugae was the forward-directed. Furthermore, while there was no sexual dimorphism in rugae orientation, primary rugae and converging unified rugae exhibited significant differences between the sexes. Significant asymmetry was observed in females' primary and wavy shaped rugae, a diverging unified shaped was found in males, and forward- and backward-directed rugae were found in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS This study provided reference data regarding the rugae palatinae morphology among Sudanese population. A predictive value of 60% was obtained when assigning sex using dimensions and orientations, and a predictive value of 65% was determined when using only shapes. Accordingly, using the rugae palatinae to accurately estimate sex among Sudanese Nubians is not recommended unless it is the only means available.
Virtual Criticism: Negative Advertising on the Internet in the 1996 Senate Races

This article assesses the nature and extent of negative advertising on the Internet in the 1996 U.S. Senate races. As a benchmark for comparison, the use of negative campaigning in other media is outlined. In the aggregate, the Internet is a medium disproportionately characterized by positive campaigning. On the other hand, the candidates with negative campaigning used it a lot. In exploring the rhetoric of negative campaigning, a theoretical distinction between superficially comparative and engagingly comparative is offered and applied to 1996 campaign sites. T he negative campaigning that does occur on the Internet is largely comparative but still falls short of engaged campaign rhetoric.
The Influence of Methylphenidate on Hyperactivity and Attention Deficits in Children With ADHD: A Virtual Classroom Test

Objective: This study compares the performance in a continuous performance test within a virtual reality classroom (CPT-VRC) between medicated children with ADHD, unmedicated children with ADHD, and healthy children. Method: N = 94 children with ADHD (n = 26 of them received methylphenidate and n = 68 were unmedicated) and n = 34 healthy children performed the CPT-VRC. Omission errors, reaction time/variability, commission errors, and body movements were assessed. Furthermore, ADHD questionnaires were administered and compared with the CPT-VRC measures. Results: The unmedicated ADHD group exhibited more omission errors and showed slower reaction times than the healthy group. Reaction time variability was higher in the unmedicated ADHD group compared with both the healthy and the medicated ADHD group. Omission errors and reaction time variability were associated with inattentiveness ratings of experimenters. Head movements were correlated with hyperactivity ratings of parents and experimenters. Conclusion: Virtual reality is a promising technology to assess ADHD symptoms in an ecologically valid environment.
A Model for the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation

Abstract The tropical intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) exhibits pronounced seasonality. The boreal summer ISO is more complex than its winter counterpart due to the coexistence of equatorial eastward, off-equatorial westward, and northward propagating, low-frequency modes and their interactions. Based on observational evidence and results obtained from numerical experiments, a mechanism is proposed for the boreal summer ISO in which the Northern Hemisphere summer monsoon (NHSM) circulation and moist static energy distribution play essential roles. With a climatological July mean basic state, the life cycle of model low-frequency waves consists of four processes: an equatorial eastward propagation of a coupled Kelvin–Rossby wave packet, an emanation of moist Rossby waves in the western Pacific, a westward propagation and amplification of the Rossby waves in South Asian monsoon regions, and a reinitiation of the equatorial disturbances over the central Indian Ocean. The life cycle spans about one month and p.
BPTF transduces MITF-driven prosurvival signals in melanoma cells

Significance Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of survival of the melanocyte lineage, exerting its effects through a cascade of transcriptional activation by interacting with a consensus DNA-binding sequence on the promoters of target genes. This study found that MITF regulates expression of bromodomain plant homeodomain finger transcription factor (BPTF), which has been recently shown to promote melanoma cell growth and metastasis, and serves as a prognostic marker of survival associated with melanoma. These results suggest that MITF directs its prosurvival program in melanoma cells, at least in part by activating BPTF expression, providing additional insight into the MITF signaling cascade. The participation of BPTF in the MITF pathway suggests a critical role for BPTF in maintaining melanoma cell survival, further supporting its role in melanoma progression. Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) plays a critical and complex role in melanocyte transformation. Although several downstream targets of MITF action have been identified, the precise mechanisms by which MITF promotes melanocytic tumor progression are incompletely understood. Recent studies identified an oncogenic role for the bromodomain plant homeodomain finger transcription factor (BPTF) gene in melanoma progression, in part through activation of BCL2, a canonical target of MITF signaling. Analysis of the BPTF promoter identified a putative MITF-binding site, suggesting that MITF may regulate BPTF expression. Overexpression of MITF resulted in up-regulation of BPTF in a panel of melanoma and melanocyte cell lines. shRNA-mediated down-regulation of MITF in melanoma cells was accompanied by down-regulation of BPTF and BPTF-regulated genes (including BCL2) and resulted in reduced proliferative capacity of melanoma cells. The suppression of cell growth mediated by MITF silencing was rescued by overexpression of BPTF cDNA. Binding of MITF to the BPTF promoter was demonstrated using ChIP analysis. MITF overexpression resulted in direct transcriptional activation of BPTF, as evidenced by increased luciferase activity driven by the BPTF promoter. These results indicate that BPTF transduces key prosurvival signals driven by MITF, further supporting its important role in promoting melanoma cell survival and progression.
Farmer and Farmland Owner Views on Spatial Targeting for Soil Conservation and Water Quality

The U.S. Corn Belt is highly productive with respect to grain and livestock commodities but often neglects to deliver other benefits such as soil stability, nutrient retention, and clean water. New precision technologies and conservation planning frameworks offer opportunities to adapt the current agricultural system to meet environmental goals along with production by strategically placing best management practices (BMPs) to target and address specific in‐field resource concerns. To understand farmers' and farmland owners' willingness to participate in such targeting schemes, we conducted in‐depth interviews with 18 farmers and farmland owners whose fields were targeted for soil and nutrient loss in two watersheds in central Iowa. We examined their current application of BMPs and opportunities and constraints to further adoption. We found that farmers and farmland owners often recognized the importance of producing a diverse suite of on‐ and off‐farm environmental benefits but lacked the context, information, certainty, and strong incentives to manage for them. Interviewees were generally receptive to using technologies to target BMPs to areas with resource concerns but expressed concerns about applications on their own land. They specifically perceived challenges related to cost, management complexity, coordination with government programs, and loss of autonomy. For broad acceptance, a spatially targeted conservation approach would need to be paired with expanded partnerships, trusted technical service, and adaptation incentives to reduce farm‐level economic trade‐offs.
Evaluation of Nucleic Acid Preservation Cards for West Nile Virus Testing in Dead Birds

The California West Nile virus (WNV) Dead Bird Surveillance Program (DBSP) is an important component of WNV surveillance in the state. We evaluated FTA™ and RNASound™ cards as an alternative method for sampling dead birds for WNV molecular testing as these cards allow for more cost effective, rapid, and safer diagnostic sampling than the shipment of bird carcasses. To evaluate accuracy of results among avian sampling regimes, Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) results from FTA™ and RNASound™ cards were compared with results from kidney tissue, brain tissue, or oral swabs in lysis buffer in 2012–2013. In addition, RT-PCR results were compared with results from oral swabs tested by rapid antigen tests (RAMP™ and VecTOR™). While test results from the cards were not as sensitive as kidney tissue testing, they were more likely to provide accurate results than rapid antigen tests, and detected WNV in corvids as well as in other passerines, raptors, and waterfowl. Overall, WNV RT-PCR cycle threshold (Ct) scores from the cards were higher than those from tissue testing, but both card products displayed high sensitivity and specificity. American Crow samples provided the highest sensitivity. The cards also proved to be easier and more convenient vehicles for collecting and shipping samples, and in 2014 our program launched use of RNASound™ cards in the DBSP. Both FTA™ and RNASound™ products displayed 96% agreement with tissue results and are an adequate alternative sampling method for WNV dead bird testing.
Dual Shift Invariant TOA Estimation Algorithm for Multi-Band Signals

This letter proposes a dual shift invariant TOA estimation method for multi-band signals. Although conventional shift invariant TOA estimation methods have been proposed to exploit a single shift invariant structure of the transformed signals, the proposed method is developed to make use of the dual shift invariant structure of the transformed multi-band signals. The performance of the proposed method is compared with that of the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and conventional algorithms such as MUSIC, matrix pencil, TLS-ESPRIT in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and multipath channel.
The Effects of Xylanase or an Algal Sourced Zinc Polysaccharide Complex on the Performance of Laying Hens Fed a Corn and Soybean Diet

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of two different feed additives on the performance of laying hens. Study 1 examined the effects of non-starch polysaccharide degrading enzyme inclusion in a low energy diet. Study 2 examined the effects of supplementing a paramylon zinc polysaccharide complex at increasing concentrations. Both studies utilized a randomized complete block design for treatment assignment, and data were analyzed using the Glimmix procedure in SAS 9.4 for windows. Each phase tested a positive control, negative control with lower ME and nutrient density, and two different xylanases as supplements to the negative control diet. There were 72 cages with 3 Bovan White Leghorns per cage used for this study. Data for percent egg production, feed intake, bodyweight, egg mass, and feed conversion were collected. Significant differences were seen for all parameters (p≤0.05) except egg production (phase 1: p=0.47; phase 2: p=0.54) and baseline bodyweight (p=0.63). The enzymes did not improve the performance of the birds fed the low ME negative control diet up to the level of those fed the positive control. Hy-Line Brown Leghorn hens per cage. There were 4 treatments tested, including a control and three diets with increasing dosage of Algamune TM ZPC (at 100, 200, and 300 g/ton), a paramylon zinc polysaccharide complex. Recorded parameters included percent were no significant differences among treatments (p≤0.05), however egg omega-3 fatty acid content was approaching significance comparing the low and high levels of paramylon supplementation (p=0.0688). The Algamune TM ZPC did not negatively affect performance and may be considered safe to supplement as a source of omega-3 and Zn to poultry at the levels tested in this study. Hanford for reviewing and editing my thesis. They have provided great insight and helped me to learn how to be a better scientist and writer. Of course I still have much to learn! I also need to thank my fellow students and past graduates in the poultry program, as well as my mom, dad, sister, and brother. Everyone has been so supportive throughout my masters program and I look forward to working on my PhD!
Research Article Phishing Susceptibility: An Investigation Into the Processing of a Targeted Spear Phishing Email

Research problem: Phishing is an email-based scam where a perpetrator camouflages emails to appear as a legitimate request for personal and sensitive information. Research question: How do individuals process a phishing email, and determine whether to respond to it? Specifically, this study examines how users' attention to “visual triggers” and “phishing deception indicators” influence their decision-making processes and consequently their decisions. Literature review: This paper draws upon the theory of deception and the literature on mediated cognition and learning, including the critical role of attention and elaboration in deception detection. From this literature, we developed a research model to suggest that overall cognitive effort expended in email processing decreases with attention to visual triggers and phishing deception indicators. The likelihood to respond to phishing emails increases with attention to visceral cues, but decreases with attention to phishing deception indicators and cognitive effort. Knowledge of email-based scams increases attention to phishing deception indicators, and directly decreases response likelihood. It also moderates the impact of attention to visceral triggers and that of phishing deception indicators on likelihood to respond. Methodology: Using a real phishing email as a stimulus, a survey of 321 members of a public university community in the Northeast US, who were intended victims of a spear phishing attack that took place, was conducted. The survey used validated measures developed in prior literature for the most part and tested results using the partial least-squares regression. Results and discussion: Our research model and hypotheses were supported by the data except that we did not find that cognitive effort significantly affects response likelihood. The implication of the study is that attention to visceral triggers, attention to phishing deception indicators, and phishing knowledge play critical roles in phishing detection. The limitations of the study were that the data were drawn from students, and the study explored one phishing attack, relied on some single-item measures, cognitive effort measure, and a one-round survey. Future research would examine the impact of a varying degree of urgency and a varying level of phishing deception indicators, and actual victims of phishing attacks.
Relationship between duration of pain and secondary signs of obstruction of the urinary tract on unenhanced helical CT.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between duration of flank pain and the frequency of secondary signs of ureteral obstruction on unenhanced helical CT. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The duration of flank pain was prospectively determined in 227 consecutive patients diagnosed with acute ureterolithiasis on unenhanced helical CT. These CT studies were evaluated for the presence or absence of perinephric stranding, ureteral dilatation, perinephric fluid, collecting system dilatation, periureteral stranding, and nephromegaly. The frequency of each sign was determined as a function of the duration of pain. RESULTS The frequency of moderate or severe perinephric stranding increased from 5% at 1--2 hr to 51% at 7--8 hr (p < 0.001); ureteral dilatation increased from 84% at 1--2 hr to 97% at more than 8 hr (p < 0.03); moderate or severe perinephric fluid increased from 0% at 1--2 hr to 22% at 3--4 hr (p < 0.03); collecting system dilatation increased from 68% at 1--2 hr to 89% at 7-8 hr (p < 0.03); periureteral stranding increased from 35% at 1--2 hr to 76% at 7--8 hr (p < 0.004); and nephromegaly increased from 40% at 1--2 hr to 54% at 7--8 hr (p < 0.36). CONCLUSION All CT secondary signs of ureteral obstruction except nephromegaly showed a significant increase in frequency as duration of flank pain increased. This observation may explain why the CT studies of some patients with acute ureterolithiasis show negative findings for some or all CT secondary signs of obstruction. Therefore, knowledge of the duration of pain is important when interpreting unenhanced CT studies in patients with acute ureterolithiasis.
Systemic effects of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in young-old adults’ life-space mobility

Purpose The objective was to assess whether dyspnea, peripheral muscle strength and the level of physical activity are correlated with life-space mobility of older adults with COPD. Patients and methods Sixty patients over 60 years of age (40 in the COPD group and 20 in the control group) were included. All patients were evaluated for lung function (spirometry), life-space mobility (University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging Life-Space Assessment), dyspnea severity (Modified Dyspnea Index), peripheral muscle strength (handgrip dynamometer), level of physical activity and number of daily steps (accelerometry). Groups were compared using unpaired t-test. Pearson’s correlation was used to test the association between variables. Results Life-space mobility (60.41±16.93 vs 71.07±16.28 points), dyspnea (8 [7–9] vs 11 [10–11] points), peripheral muscle strength (75.16±14.89 vs 75.50±15.13 mmHg), number of daily steps (4,865.4±2,193.3 vs 6,146.8±2,376.4 steps), and time spent in moderate to vigorous activity (197.27±146.47 vs 280.05±168.95 minutes) were lower among COPD group compared to control group (p<0.05). The difference was associated with the lower mobility of COPD group in the neighborhood. Conclusion Life-space mobility is decreased in young-old adults with COPD, especially at the neighborhood level. This impairment is associated to higher dyspnea, peripheral muscle weakness and the reduced level of physical activity.
The Relationship Between Team Sex Composition and Team Performance in the Context of Training Complex, Psychomotor, Team–based Tasks

The Relationship Between Team Sex Composition and Team Performance in the Context of Training Complex, Psychomotor, Team–based Tasks. (December 2010) Steven Jarrett, B.A., Purdue University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Winfred Arthur The objective of this study was to investigate the role of team sex composition in team training performance and team processes in the context of a complex, psychomotor, information–processing task. With the growing number of women in the workplace, the role of, and implications for, team sex composition is an important research question because there are performance domains, such as psychomotor tasks, where replicable sex differences have been documented. We used 92 four–person teams to investigate the relationship between team sex composition, team declarative knowledge, team–efficacy, team communication, team cohesion, and team performance on a complex, psychomotor, information–processing task. The results indicate that team sex composition was significantly related to team performance and team declarative knowledge. Furthermore, team performance and team declarative knowledge showed significant mean differences across the levels of team sex composition, such that teams with a larger proportion of males had higher scores on each of the variables. As hypothesized, team communication showed an opposite effect where teams with higher proportions of females reported larger amounts of communication, but
Oncogenic mechanisms of HOXB13 missense mutations in prostate carcinogenesis

The recurrent germline mutation HOXB13 p.(Gly84Glu) (G84E) has recently been identified as a risk factor for prostate cancer. In a recent study, we have performed full sequencing of the HOXB13 gene in 462 Portuguese prostate cancer patients with early-onset and/or familial/hereditary disease, and identified two novel missense mutations, p.(Ala128Asp) (A128D) and p.(Phe240Leu) (F240L), that were predicted to be damaging to protein function. In the present work we aimed to investigate the potential oncogenic role of these mutations, comparing to that of the recurrent G84E mutation and wild-type HOXB13. We induced site-directed mutagenesis in a HOXB13 expression vector and established in vitro cell models of prostate carcinogenesis with stable overexpression of either the wild-type or the mutated HOXB13 variants. By performing in vitro assays we observed that, while the wild-type promotes proliferation, also observed with the F240L variant along with a decrease in apoptosis, the A128D mutation decreases apoptosis and promotes anchorage independent growth. No phenotypic impact was observed for the G84E mutation in the cell line model used. Our data show that specific HOXB13 mutations are involved in the acquisition of different cancer-associated capabilities and further support an oncogenic role for HOXB13 in prostate carcinogenesis.
Blind Motion Deblurring Using Image Statistics

We address the problem of blind motion deblurring from a single image, caused by a few moving objects. In such situations only part of the image may be blurred, and the scene consists of layers blurred in different degrees. Most of of existing blind deconvolution research concentrates at recovering a single blurring kernel for the entire image. However, in the case of different motions, the blur cannot be modeled with a single kernel, and trying to deconvolve the entire image with the same kernel will cause serious artifacts. Thus, the task of deblurring needs to involve segmentation of the image into regions with different blurs. Our approach relies on the observation that the statistics of derivative filters in images are significantly changed by blur. Assuming the blur results from a constant velocity motion, we can limit the search to one dimensional box filter blurs. This enables us to model the expected derivatives distributions as a function of the width of the blur kernel. Those distributions are surprisingly powerful in discriminating regions with different blurs. The approach produces convincing deconvolution results on real world images with rich texture.
The Effect of Photoperiod Length on Performance Parameters, Carcass Characteristics and Heterophil/Lymphocyte-Ratio in Broilers

nd week till the end of the trial, the live weights of the animals included in the 24L:0D and self-photoperiod groups were higher than those included in the 16L:8D group (P 0.05). No difference was detected between the groups for mortality rates or carcass percentages (P>0.05). The heterophil/lymphocyte ratios (H/L) were similar in the self-photoperiod and 16L:8D groups and were lower than those of the 24L:0D group. In conclusion; when the broilers allowed to regulate their own photoperiod, they had similar body weights but lower stress level than those kept under commercial lighting system.