Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Geospatial Analysis of Care and Mortality in the 2014 Liberia Ebola Outbreak

Geospatial Analysis of Care and Mortality in the 2014 Liberia Ebola Outbreak by Marion Kinkade MCRP, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2000 BSAS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1993 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health Walden University February 2019 Abstract The Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016—the largest Ebola outbreak in history--had more than 28,000 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases. This study examined the relationship between distance from villages to Ebola treatment units (ETUs) and mortality. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) and statistics framedThe Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016—the largest Ebola outbreak in history--had more than 28,000 suspected, probable, and confirmed cases. This study examined the relationship between distance from villages to Ebola treatment units (ETUs) and mortality. Using Geographic Information System (GIS) and statistics framed within the Social Ecological Model and the GIS Framework, this study geolocated the Ebola cases by village, mapped the travel routes, and calculated the distance to the ETUs. A logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between distance and mortality, with and without controlling for age and gender, and to calculate the odds ratio. Results showed there was an association between distance and mortality, and that Ebola patients living within 12 kilometers of the ETU were 1.8 times less at risk of mortality (OR = 1.778, 95% CI [1.171 – 2.7]) than those living more than 12 kilometers from the ETU. Males had a 1.4 times lower risk of death due to the Ebola virus disease. These findings can inform responses to future outbreaks and placement of treatment units, and lead to social change with respect to individual understanding of access to care, community expectations, and national health care planning. Geospatial Analysis of Care and Mortality in the 2014 Liberia Ebola Outbreak by Marion Kinkade MCRP, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2000 BSAS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1993 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Public Health
On Botnets That Use DNS for Command and Control

We discovered and reverse engineered Feederbot, a botnet that uses DNS as carrier for its command and control. Using k-Means clustering and a Euclidean Distance based classifier, we correctly classified more than 14m DNS transactions of 42,143 malware samples concerning DNS-C&C usage, revealing another bot family with DNS C&C. In addition, we correctly detected DNS C&C in mixed office workstation network traffic.
A short synthetic peptide fragment of human C2ORF40 has therapeutic potential in breast cancer

C2ORF40 encodes a secreted protein which is cleaved to generate soluble peptides by proteolytic processing and this process is believed to be necessary for C2ORF40 to exert cell type specific biological activity. Here, we reported a short mimic peptide of human C2ORF40 acts potential therapeutic efficacy in human cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We synthesized a short peptide of human C2ORF40, named C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment and assessed its biological function on cancer cell growth, migration and tumorigenesis. Cell growth assay showed that C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly suppressed cell proliferation of breast and lung cancer cells. Moreover, C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that this peptide suppressed tumorigenesis in breast tumor xenograft model. Cell cycle assay indicated that the C2ORF40 mimic peptide fragment suppressed the growth of tumor cells through inducing mitotic phase arrest. In conclusion, our results firstly suggested that this short synthetic peptide of human C2ORF40 may be a candidate tumor therapeutic agent.
Survival of the Enveloped Virus Phi6 in Droplets as a Function of Relative Humidity, Absolute Humidity, and Temperature

ABSTRACT Infectious diseases caused by enveloped viruses, such as influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of economic losses per year. Studies have found a relationship among temperature, humidity, and influenza virus incidence, transmission, or survival; however, there are contradictory claims about whether absolute humidity (AH) or relative humidity (RH) is most important in mediating virus infectivity. Using the enveloped bacteriophage Phi6, which has been suggested as a surrogate for influenza viruses and coronaviruses, we designed a study to discern whether AH, RH, or temperature is a better predictor of virus survival in droplets. Our results show that Phi6 survived best at high (>85%) and low (<60%) RHs, with a significant decrease in infectivity at mid-range RHs (∼60 to 85%). At an AH of less than 22 g · m−3, the loss in infectivity was less than 2 orders of magnitude; however, when the AH was greater than 22 g · m−3, the loss in infectivity was typically greater than 6 orders of magnitude. At a fixed RH of 75%, infectivity was very sensitive to temperature, decreasing two orders of magnitude between 19°C and 25°C. We used random forest modeling to identify the best environmental predictors for modulating virus infectivity. The model explained 83% of variation in Phi6 infectivity and suggested that RH is the most important factor in controlling virus infectivity in droplets. This research provides novel information about the complex interplay between temperature, humidity, and the survival of viruses in droplets. IMPORTANCE Enveloped viruses are responsible for a number of infectious diseases resulting in thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of economic losses per year in the United States. There has been a lively debate in the literature over whether absolute humidity (AH) or relative humidity (RH) modulates virus infectivity. We designed a controlled study and used advanced statistical modeling techniques specifically to address this question. By providing an improved understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions and virus infectivity, our work will ultimately lead to improved strategies for predicting and controlling disease transmission.
The Conflict between Cheetahs and Humans on Namibian Farmland Elucidated by Stable Isotope Diet Analysis

Large areas of Namibia are covered by farmland, which is also used by game and predator species. Because it can cause conflicts with farmers when predators, such as cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), hunt livestock, we assessed whether livestock constitutes a significant part of the cheetah diet by analysing the stable isotope composition of blood and tissue samples of cheetahs and their potential prey species. According to isotopic similarities, we defined three isotopic categories of potential prey: members of a C4 food web with high δ15N values (gemsbok, cattle, springhare and guinea fowl) and those with low δ15N values (hartebeest, warthog), and members of a C3 food web, namely browsers (eland, kudu, springbok, steenbok and scrub hare). We quantified the trophic discrimination of heavy isotopes in cheetah muscle in 9 captive individuals and measured an enrichment for 15N (3.2‰) but not for 13C in relation to food. We captured 53 free-ranging cheetahs of which 23 were members of groups. Cheetahs of the same group were isotopically distinct from members of other groups, indicating that group members shared their prey. Solitary males (n = 21) and males in a bachelor groups (n = 11) fed mostly on hartebeest and warthogs, followed by browsers in case of solitary males, and by grazers with high δ15N values in case of bachelor groups. Female cheetahs (n = 9) predominantly fed on browsers and used also hartebeest and warthogs. Mixing models suggested that the isotopic prey category that included cattle was only important, if at all, for males living in bachelor groups. Stable isotope analysis of fur, muscle, red blood cells and blood plasma in 9 free-ranging cheetahs identified most individuals as isotopic specialists, focussing on isotopically distinct prey categories as their food.
Chlorogenic Acid Inhibits Human Platelet Activation and Thrombus Formation

Background Chlorogenic acid is a potent phenolic antioxidant. However, its effect on platelet aggregation, a critical factor in arterial thrombosis, remains unclear. Consequently, chlorogenic acid-action mechanisms in preventing platelet activation and thrombus formation were examined. Methods and Results Chlorogenic acid in a dose-dependent manner (0.1 to 1 mmol/L) inhibited platelet secretion and aggregation induced by ADP, collagen, arachidonic acid and TRAP-6, and diminished platelet firm adhesion/aggregation and platelet-leukocyte interactions under flow conditions. At these concentrations chlorogenic acid significantly decreased platelet inflammatory mediators (sP-selectin, sCD40L, CCL5 and IL-1β) and increased intraplatelet cAMP levels/PKA activation. Interestingly, SQ22536 (an adenylate cyclase inhibitor) and ZM241385 (a potent A2A receptor antagonist) attenuated the antiplatelet effect of chlorogenic acid. Chlorogenic acid is compatible to the active site of the adenosine A2A receptor as revealed through molecular modeling. In addition, chlorogenic acid had a significantly lower effect on mouse bleeding time when compared to the same dose of aspirin. Conclusions Antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects of chlorogenic acid are associated with the A2A receptor/adenylate cyclase/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway.
Development and validation of a questionnaire evaluating patient anxiety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging: the Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Anxiety Questionnaire (MRI-AQ).

AIM To develop and validate a new instrument measuring patient anxiety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging examinations, Magnetic Resonance Imaging- Anxiety Questionnaire. BACKGROUND Questionnaires measuring patients' anxiety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging examinations have been the same as used in a wide range of conditions. To learn about patients' experience during examination and to evaluate interventions, a specific questionnaire measuring patient anxiety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging is needed. DESIGN Psychometric cross-sectional study with test-retest design. METHODS A new questionnaire, Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Anxiety Questionnaire, was designed from patient expressions of anxiety in Magnetic Resonance Imaging-scanners. The sample was recruited between October 2012-October 2014. Factor structure was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha. Criterion-related validity, known-group validity and test-retest was calculated. RESULTS Patients referred for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of either the spine or the heart, were invited to participate. The development and validation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Anxiety Questionnaire resulted in 15 items consisting of two factors. Cronbach's alpha was found to be high. Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Anxiety Questionnaire correlated higher with instruments measuring anxiety than with depression scales. Known-group validity demonstrated a higher level of anxiety for patients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan of the heart than for those examining the spine. Test-retest reliability demonstrated acceptable level for the scale. CONCLUSION Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Anxiety Questionnaire bridges a gap among existing questionnaires, making it a simple and useful tool for measuring patient anxiety during Magnetic Resonance Imaging examinations.
Nonlinear collapse analysis of composite cylindrical panels with small cutouts or notches

An analytical study using the STAGSC-1 computer code was conducted to determine the effects of notches on the load bearing capability and radial displacements of axially loaded composite cylindrical panels. The panel was manufactured with eight symmetrically placed graphic/epoxy plies. A finite element mesh refinement in the vicinity of the cutout was conducted in order to study the non-linear collapse analysis. In addition, the effect of different size cutouts with aspect ratios (axial dimension of cutout divided by circumferential dimension) of 2.0 or 0.5 was studied. it was found that as the surface area of the cutout increased, the buckling load decreased. Cutouts with aspect ratios of 2.0 appeared to be capable of carrying higher loads than notches with an aspect ratio of 0.5.
Genetic Variability and Structuring of Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) Populations in Northern Fennoscandia

Variation in presumably neutral genetic markers can inform us about evolvability, historical effective population sizes and phylogeographic history of contemporary populations. We studied genetic variability in 15 microsatellite loci in six native landlocked Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) populations in northern Fennoscandia, where this species is considered near threatened. We discovered that all populations were genetically highly (mean F ST ≈ 0.26) differentiated and isolated from each other. Evidence was found for historical, but not for recent population size bottlenecks. Estimates of contemporary effective population size (N e) ranged from seven to 228 and were significantly correlated with those of historical N e but not with lake size. A census size (N C) was estimated to be approximately 300 individuals in a pond (0.14 ha), which exhibited the smallest N e (i.e. N e/N C = 0.02). Genetic variability in this pond and a connected lake is severely reduced, and both genetic and empirical estimates of migration rates indicate a lack of gene flow between them. Hence, albeit currently thriving, some northern Fennoscandian populations appear to be vulnerable to further loss of genetic variability and are likely to have limited capacity to adapt if selection pressures change.
Combining thioridazine and loratadine for the treatment of gastrointestinal tumor

In 2015, the American Society of Clinical Oncology announced that strategies of using combination therapies have been indicated to be effective against many types of cancer. In the present study, thioridazine (THZ) was used in a combination therapy with loratadine (LOR) to target gastrointestinal tumor, with the aim of investigating whether combined therapy was superior to monotherapy in its antitumor effects. The antiproliferative effects on CT26.WT and MFC cells were analyzed using cell-counting kit-8 assay, and synergistic effect was assessed by combination index (Fig. 1). Annexin V and propidium iodide staining indicated the combination therapy was able to induce apoptosis and that this may be mediated via caspase-3, −9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) (Fig. 2). Antitumor activity was also evaluated in CT26.WT xenografts in BALB/c mice (Fig. 3). Furthermore, as expected, combination therapy was able to successfully inhibit the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway (Fig. 4). These findings suggest that the combination therapy with THZ and LOR may provide a promising therapy for gastrointestinal cancer.
Association between Obesity and Puberty Timing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the associations between obesity and puberty timing based on scientific evidence. Eight electronic databases were searched up to February 2017 for eligible studies, and two reviewers screened the articles and extracted the data independently. A total of 11 cohort studies with 4841 subjects met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the group of normal-weight girls, the obese group had more girls with menarche (RR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.59–2.19, 2 studies). The number of girls with early puberty was significantly higher in the obese group than the normal weight group (RR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.32–4.52, 5 studies). However, no differences were detected between girls who were obese or normal weight at age of menarche (WMD: −0.53 years, 95% CI: −1.24–0.19, 2 studies). There is no consistent result in the relationship between obesity and timing of pubertal onset in boys. Obesity may contribute to early onset of puberty in girls, while in boys, there is insufficient data. Given the limited number of cohort studies included in this meta-analysis, high-quality studies with strong markers of puberty onset, as well as standardized criteria for defining obesity are needed.
Characterization of Electrostatic Discharge Properties of Woven Fabrics

In this research work, the woven fabric samples of cotton, polyester PC blend, glass and silk materials have been selected to analyze the electrostatic discharge behavior of various woven fabrics using electrostatic discharge tester. The electrostatic discharge is mainly depends upon various controlled factors of electrostatic discharge tester hence, the controlled factors of number of rubbing cycle (20, 30 and 40 strokes), pressure (100,150 and 200 gms), speed (10, 20 and 30 mpm) were considered and analyzed the electrostatic discharge behaviors of various woven fabrics under various temperature and relative humidity using Box Behnken design and regression analysis. It was found that the glass and silk woven fabric have greatest tendency to give up electrons and gain a positive electrical charge but in case of polyester woven fabric have the greatest tendency to attract electrons and gain a negative electrical charge. It was observed that glass woven fabrics have more electrostatic discharge value than the polyester, PC blend, silk and cotton woven fabrics and it was also found that higher number of rubbing cycle, pressure and speed have significant effects on the electrostatic discharge properties of various types of woven fabrics.
University of Huddersfield Repository Successes and challenges in developing a hybrid approach to sentiment analysis

This article covers some success and learning experiences attained during the developing of a hybrid approach to Sentiment Analysis (SA) based on a Sentiment Lexicon, Semantic Rules, Negation Handling, Ambiguity Management and Linguistic Variables. The proposed hybrid method is presented and applied to two selected datasets: Movie Review and Sentiment Twitter datasets. The achieved results are compared against those obtained when Na¨ıve Bayes (NB) and Maximum Entropy (ME) supervised machine learning classiﬁcation methods are used for the same datasets. The proposed hybrid system attained higher accuracy and precision scores than NB and ME, which shows its superiority when applied to the SA problem at the sentence level. Finally, an alternative strategy to calculating the orientation polarity and polarity intensity in one step instead of the two steps method used in the hybrid approach is explored. The analysis of the yielded mixed results achieved with this alternative approach shows its potential as an aid in the computation of semantic orientations and produced some lessons learnt in developing a more eﬀective mechanism to calculating the orientation polarity and polarity intensity.
Marshes as “Mountain Tops”: Genetic Analyses of the Critically Endangered São Paulo Marsh Antwren (Aves: Thamnophilidae)

Small populations of endangered species can be impacted by genetic processes such as drift and inbreeding that reduce population viability. As such, conservation genetic analyses that assess population levels of genetic variation and levels of gene flow can provide important information for managing threatened species. The São Paulo Marsh Antwren (Formicivora paludicola) is a recently-described and critically endangered bird from São Paulo State (Brazil) whose total estimated population is around 250–300 individuals, distributed in only 15 isolated marshes around São Paulo metropolitan region. We used microsatellite DNA markers to estimate the population genetic characteristics of the three largest remaining populations of this species all within 60 km of each other. We detected a high and significant genetic structure between all populations (overall F ST = 0.103) which is comparable to the highest levels of differentiation ever documented for birds, (e.g., endangered birds found in isolated populations on the tops of African mountains), but also evidence for first-generation immigrants, likely from small local unsampled populations. Effective population sizes were small (between 28.8–99.9 individuals) yet there are high levels of genetic variability within populations and no evidence for inbreeding. Conservation implications of this work are that the high levels of genetic structure suggests that translocations between populations need to be carefully considered in light of possible local adaptation and that remaining populations of these birds should be managed as conservation units that contain both main populations studied here but also small outlying populations which may be a source of immigrants.
Full Band MIMO Monopole Antenna for LTE Systems

─ A novel printed planar monopole antenna for LTE multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) application is proposed. By adding six ellipticals on top of the antenna, we enhance the lower frequency bandwidth. The idea for this is gotten from [1, 2]. These papers designed by using log periodic technique with the number of rectangle and flare elements . Also, by cutting Eshaped slots in the ground plane, additional resonance is excited, and hence much wider impedance bandwidth can be produced. The proposed antenna provides all of the LTE bands between 0.65 GHz to 4 GHz. In order to provide low mutual coupling and envelope correlation, two of the antennas are combined with orthogonal polarizations. The mutual coupling and envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of the antenna are lower than -21 dB and 0.002 across the operation bands, and total active reflection coefficient (TARC) is less than 0.35. The designed antenna has small size area of 55 × 94 mm 2 , which has a small size with respect to recently reported antennas. Index Terms Long term evolution (LTE), multiinput and multi-output (MIMO), monopole antenna, and mutual coupling.
Oncogenic STAT5 signaling promotes oxidative stress in chronic myeloid leukemia cells by repressing antioxidant defenses

STAT5 transcription factors are frequently activated in hematopoietic neoplasms and are targets of various tyrosine kinase oncogenes. Evidences for a crosstalk between STAT5 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism have recently emerged but mechanisms involved in STAT5-mediated regulation of ROS still remain elusive. We demonstrate that sustained activation of STAT5 induced by Bcr-Abl in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells promotes ROS production by repressing expression of two antioxidant enzymes, catalase and glutaredoxin-1(Glrx1). Downregulation of catalase and Glrx1 expression was also observed in primary cells from CML patients. Catalase was shown not only to reduce ROS levels but also, to induce quiescence in Bcr-Abl-positive leukemia cells. Furthermore, reduction of STAT5 phosphorylation and upregulation of catalase and Glrx1 were also evidenced in leukemia cells co-cultured with bone marrow stromal cells to mimic a leukemic niche. This caused downregulation of ROS levels and enhancement of leukemic cell quiescence. These data support a role of persistent STAT5 signaling in the regulation of ROS production in myeloid leukemias and highlight the repression of antioxidant defenses as an important regulatory mechanism.