Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Malaria control in Bungoma District, Kenya: a survey of home treatment of children with fever, bednet use and attendance at antenatal clinics.

OBJECTIVE To lay the basis for planning an improved malaria control programme in Bungoma District, Kenya. METHODS By means of a cluster sample household survey an investigation was conducted into the home management of febrile children, the use of bednets, and attendance at antenatal clinics. FINDINGS Female carers provided information on 314 recently febrile children under 5 years of age, of whom 43% received care at a health facility, 47% received an antimalarial drug at home, and 25% received neither. Of the antimalarial treatments given at home, 91% were started by the second day of fever and 92% were with chloroquine, the nationally recommended antimalarial at the time. The recommended dosage of chloroquine to be administered over three days was 25 mg/kg but the median chloroquine tablet or syrup dosage given over the first three days of treatment was 15 mg/kg. The total dosages ranged from 2.5 mg/kg to 82 mg/kg, administered over one to five days. The dosages were lower when syrup was administered than when tablets were used. Only 5% of children under 5 years of age slept under a bednet. No bednets had been treated with insecticide since purchase. At least two antenatal visits were made by 91% of pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS Carers are major and prompt providers of antimalarial treatment. Home treatment practices should be strengthened and endorsed when prompt treatment at a health facility is impossible. The administration of incorrect dosages, which proved common with chloroquine, may occur less frequently with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, as its dosage regimen is simpler. High levels of utilization of antenatal clinics afford the opportunity to achieve good coverage with presumptive intermittent malaria treatments during pregnancy, and to reach the goal of widespread bednet use by pregnant women and children by distributing nets during antenatal clinic visits.
Evolvability of an avian life history trait declines with father’s age

Studies of laboratory organisms have suggested that parental age affects the genetic variance of offspring traits. This effect can engender age‐specific variance in genetic contributions to evolutionary change in heritable traits under directional selection, particularly in age‐structured populations. Using long‐term population data of the blue‐footed booby (Sula nebouxii), we tested whether genetic variance of recruiting age varies with parental age. Using robust quantitative genetic models fitted to pedigree, we found a significant genotype‐by‐paternal age interaction for recruiting age. Genetic potential for adaptive change in recruiting age was greater in progeny of young (age 1–6 years) fathers (males: CVA = 6.68; females: CVA = 7.59) than those of middle age (7–9 years) fathers (males: CVA = 4.64; females: CVA = 5.08) and old (10–14 years) fathers (CVA = 0 for both sexes). Therefore, parental age dependence of heritable variance, in addition to age‐related variation in survival and fecundity, should affect the strength of natural selection for evolutionary changes. Our results provide rare evidence for the influence of parental age on the evolutionary potential of a life history trait in a wild population.
Effects of interleavers on BER fairness and Peak to Average Power Ratio in OFDMA system

In OFDMA, the subcarrier allocation process amongst the users has a significant role in governing the performance of the system. In this paper, we study the application of interleaver based subcarrier allocation schemes for ensuring uniform BER across all the active users. We show that for a slowly changing multipath channel, individual user's BER performance can vary from each other to a great extent, which implies that the propagation channel effect is unfairly distributed on the users. Applying different types of frequency interleaving mechanisms, we show that the choice of interleaving can ensure better BER fairness on an individual user basis. In particular, by introducing the application of cyclically shifted random interleaver, we demonstrate its effectiveness in achieving BER fairness (dispersion in individual users BER reduced by 94% compared to no interleaving at 20dB SNR) with reduced system complexity and manageable PAPR.
General solution of linear differential equations by using differential transfer matrix method

A new analytical method for finding the general solution of the nth-order linear differential equation with variable coefficients is given based on generalizing the idea of differential transfer matrix method already proposed for solving the second order Helmholtz equation. Our generalization has two aspects. First, the given formulation copes with the nth-order linear differential equations, rather than the special case of second order wave equations. Second, the proposed approach is generalized in several different ways each yielding different types of differential transfer matrices with correspondingly different numerical accuracies. The presented methods can be applied to problems such as analysis of linear time varying systems like linear circuits with time varying elements, in homogeneous transmission lines, etc.
Bayesian Performance Comparison of Text Classifiers

How can we know whether one classifier is really better than the other? In the area of text classification, since the publication of Yang and Liu's seminal SIGIR-1999 paper, it has become a standard practice for researchers to apply null-hypothesis significance testing (NHST) on their experimental results in order to establish the superiority of a classifier. However, such a frequentist approach has a number of inherent deficiencies and limitations, e.g., the inability to accept the null hypothesis (that the two classifiers perform equally well), the difficulty to compare commonly-used multivariate performance measures like F1 scores instead of accuracy, and so on. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian approach to the performance comparison of text classifiers, and argue its advantages over the traditional frequentist approach based on t-test etc. In contrast to the existing probabilistic model for F1 scores which is unpaired, our proposed model takes the correlation between classifiers into account and thus achieves greater statistical power. Using several typical text classification algorithms and a benchmark dataset, we demonstrate that the our approach provides rich information about the difference between two classifiers' performances.
Protocol of a cluster randomised stepped-wedge trial of behavioural interventions targeting amphetamine-type stimulant use and sexual risk among female entertainment and sex workers in Cambodia

Introduction HIV risk among female entertainment and sex workers (FESW) remains high and use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) significantly increases this risk. We designed a cluster randomised stepped wedge trial (The Cambodia Integrated HIV and Drug Prevention Implementation (CIPI) study) to test sequentially delivered behavioural interventions targeting ATS use. Methods and analysis The trial combines a 12-week Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) intervention with 4 weeks of cognitive-behavioural group aftercare (AC) among FESW who use ATS. The primary goal is to reduce ATS use and unprotected sex among FESW. The CCT+AC intervention is being implemented in 10 provinces where order of delivery was randomised. Outcome assessments (OEs) including biomarkers and self-reported measures of recent sexual and drug use behaviours are conducted prior to implementation, and at three 6-month intervals after completion. Consultation with multiple groups and stakeholders on implementation factors facilitated acceptance and operationalisation of the trial. Statistical power and sample size calculations were based on expected changes in ATS use and unprotected sex at the population level as well as within subjects. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approvals were granted by the Cambodia National Ethics Committee; University of New Mexico; University of California, San Francisco; and FHI360. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov. Dissemination of process indicators during the multiyear trial is carried out through annual in-country Stakeholder Meetings. Provincial ‘Close-Out’ forums are held at the conclusion of data collection in each province. When analysis is completed, dissemination meetings will be held in Cambodia with stakeholders, including community-based discussion sessions, policy briefs and results published and presented in the HIV prevention scientific journals and conferences. Conclusions CIPI is the first trial of an intervention to reduce ATS use and HIV risk among FESW in Cambodia. Results Will inform both CCT+AC implementation in low and middle-income countries and programmes designed to reach FESW. Trial registration number NCT01835574; Pre-results.
Practical knowledge and occupational competence

The work-oriented change in the didactics of vocational education (VET) identifies ‘significant’ vocational work situations and the associated work process knowledge as the pivotal factor in the design of vocational curricula and processes. What is dramatic about this change of perspective is not merely the departure from academic, discipline-based teaching methods, but also the formulation of vocational teaching methods for VET practice and VET design that are predicated on development theory. As concerns the structurally oriented method of imparting VET, which underwent this change early on, it is necessary to differentiate the category of knowledge, above all with respect to practical knowledge and practical concepts, and also as a basis for domain-specific VET research.
Calgranulin C Has Filariacidal and Filariastatic Activity

ABSTRACT The calgranulins are a family of calcium- and zinc-binding proteins produced by neutrophils, monocytes, and other cells. Calgranulins are released during inflammatory responses and have antimicrobial activity. Recently, one of the calgranulins, human calgranulin C (CaGC), has been implicated as an important component of the host responses that limit the parasite burden during filarial nematode infections. The goal of this work was to test the hypothesis that human CaGC has biologic activity against filarial parasites. Brugia malayi microfilariae and adults were exposed in vitro to 0.75 to 100 nM recombinant human CaGC. Recombinant CaGC affected adult and larval parasites in a dose-dependent fashion. Microfilariae were more sensitive to the action of CaGC than were adult parasites. At high levels, CaGC was both macrofilariacidal and microfilariacidal. At lower levels, the percentage of parasites killed was dependent on the level of CaGC in the culture system. The larvae not killed had limited motility. The filariastatic effect of low-level CaGC was reversed when the CaGC was removed from the culture system. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that human CaGC accumulated in the cells of the hypodermis-lateral chord of adult and larval parasites. The antifilarial activity of CaGC was not due to the sequestration of zinc. Thus, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that result in the production and release of CaGC in humans may play a key role in the regulation of filarial parasite numbers.
Superantigen-Induced Regulatory T Cells Display Different Suppressive Functions in the Presence or Absence of Natural CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T Cells In Vivo1

Repeated exposures to both microbial and innocuous Ags in vivo have been reported to both eliminate and tolerize T cells after their initial activation and expansion. The remaining tolerant T cells have been shown to suppress the response of naive T cells in vitro. This feature is reminiscent of natural CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. However, it is not known whether the regulatory function of in vivo-tolerized T cells is similar to the function of natural CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells. In this study, we demonstrate that CD4+CD25+ as well as CD4+CD25− T cells isolated from mice treated with superantigen three consecutive times to induce tolerance were functionally comparable to natural CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells, albeit more potent. The different subpopulations of in vivo-tolerized CD4+ T cells efficiently down-modulated costimulatory molecules on dendritic cells, and their suppressive functions were strictly cell contact dependent. Importantly, we demonstrate that conventional CD4+CD25− T cells could also be induced to acquire regulatory functions by the same regimen in the absence of natural regulatory T cells in vivo, but that such regulatory cells were functionally different.
Cadmium Exposure and Potential Health Risk from Foods in Contaminated Area, Thailand

Man-made cadmium (Cd) emissions can be transported between environmental matrices and the food chain. Food is the primary source of Cd exposure among general population as a consequence of the bioconcentration of Cd from soil. Chronic Cd exposure has been reported to be associated with chronic kidney disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established the safe level of Cd intake as provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) of 25 µg/kg bw in 2010. The major food groups that contribute to the most Cd exposure are rice and grains, shellfish and sea food, meat including edible offal, and vegetables. A number of studies reported the high Cd contaminated levels in foods from polluted areas in Thailand. The results are of high concern since the contaminations occur in foods that are major Cd contributors. Thus, in this review, the current situations of Cd contaminated foods in polluted areas of Thailand are summarized. In addition, the Cd intakes from selected scenarios are estimated to assess the potential health risk to consumers and the suggestions are also included.
Genetic variation among Mediterranean populations of Sesamia nonagrioides (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as revealed by RFLP mtDNA analysis

Abstract Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of two segments of mitochondrial DNA (COI and 16S rRNA) was used to examine genetic variation in Sesamia nonagrioides (Lefèbvre) populations from the Mediterranean basin. Four populations were collected from central and southern Greece, and five from northern latitudes: Greece, Italy, France and Spain. No variation was observed in COI, while 16S rRNA segment proved highly polymorphic and 28 different haplotypes were found. Lower intra-population polymorphism was found in the northern populations than in southern ones. Although no significant isolation by distance was found, the UPGMA tree based on Nei's raw number of nucleotide differences separated the populations into two major groups, i.e. one with the northern (40.6°N–43.4°N) and the other with the southern populations (37.3°N–39.2°N). Analysis of molecular variance revealed that most of the variation was between the two major groups (ΦCT=0.559), and all pairwise comparisons between the northern and southern populations resulted in high and significant FST values (overall FST=0.604). The high FST values and the strong spatial genetic structure indicate that long-distance migration may be a rare event. The populations do not seem to have experienced a strong historical bottleneck. The occurrence of a few widespread haplotypes and the genetic similarity of the northern populations could be attributed to a historical expansion of certain haplotypes from the south towards to the northern borders of the species' distribution area.
Comparison of corporate governance, strategy, control and performance e valuation systems before and after privatization

The aim of this paper is compare corporate governance and firm strategy before and after privatization. The design of control and performance evaluation systems in the pre and post-privatization periods is compared so that it can be understood in relation to the changes observed at a high corporate level (corporate governance and firm strategy). We carry out various case studies on five privatized Spanish companies. The results support several conclusions. First, the variables that are traditionally related to greater board independence in monitoring do not undergo variation after privatization. Second, the interests of the firms’ new ownership have an impact on firm strategy after privatization. Finally, control and performance evaluation system designs clearly align with firm strategy after privatization.
List formats improve medication instructions for older adults

Do older adults better understand and remember medication instructions when they are presented in more explicit formats? List instructions should help patients understand how to take their medication and serve as a guide for pharmacists’ consultations with their patients. In three experiments, analyses of variance were performed with medication instruction format—categorized list, simple list, or paragraph—as a repeated measure. Analyses in Experiments 2 and 3 also included age and education level as between‐groups variables. Medication instructions were more effective when formatted as a list than when formatted as a paragraph. Subjects preferred the categorized list to the simple list and preferred both list formats to the paragraph (Experiment 1). They answered questions about both list instructions more quickly than they answered questions about the paragraph (Experiment 2), and they recalled more information from the simple list than from the other instructions because they were able to read more of .
THE POTENTIAL OF CULTURAL EVENTS IN THE PERIPHERAL RURAL JESENICKO REGION

Peripheral rural regions are looking for new development strategies in the face of interregional competition for qualified labour, tourists and better image. Rural areas usually suffer from a number of socio-economic problems such as depopulation, ageing and negative educational structure. This article deals with the analysis of selected soft factor, cultural offer and its institutional arrangements and a possible impact on the socio-economic development of the peripheral rural Jesenicko Region. It is argued that culture economy approach to rural development is in line with the emerging theory that development activity of peripheral rural regions consists of both endogenous and exogenous forces using new forms of governance. The description of the types of actors and their interrelationships is the starting point for understanding and evaluating the actors’ role in regional development. Realization of semi-structured in-depth interviews, literature review and observation were the main methods of data collection. Many cultural and sports events of local character are held in the Jesenicko Region. Cultural offer, however, does not reflect the requirements of local residents and visitors. The participation of local inhabitants on the production of cultural activities is also very low, which can hinder further development of the region. The desired strategic connection of culture and tourism remains, with few exceptions, underused. This article suggests some possible directions of culture economy approach for further development of the Jesenicko Region.
Ventral Striatum and the Evaluation of Memory Retrieval Strategies

Adaptive memory retrieval requires mechanisms of cognitive control that facilitate the recovery of goal-relevant information. Frontoparietal systems are known to support control of memory retrieval. However, the mechanisms by which the brain acquires, evaluates, and adapts retrieval strategies remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence that ventral striatal activation tracks the success of a retrieval strategy and correlates with subsequent reliance on that strategy. Human participants were scanned with fMRI while performing a lexical decision task. A rule was provided that indicated the likely semantic category of a target word given the category of a preceding prime. Reliance on the rule improved decision-making, as estimated within a drift diffusion framework. Ventral striatal activation tracked the benefit that relying on the rule had on decision-making. Moreover, activation in ventral striatum correlated with a participant's subsequent reliance on the rule. Taken together, these results support a role for ventral striatum in learning and evaluating declarative retrieval strategies.
Validación de las escalas de bienestar, de florecimiento y afectividad

Escopo . O presente estudo analisa as propriedades psicometricas das escalas de ﬂ orescimento e afeto positivo e negativo, propostas por Diener et. al. (2010), para a avaliacao do bem-estar. Metodologia . Foram feitos dois estudos. O primeiro empregou 656 estudantes universitarios para analisar a conﬁ abilidade e a estrutura fatorial das escalas. No segundo, com 201 estudantes universitarios, foi calculada a validez convergente e divergente das escalas com outras medidas de bem-estar e foi efetuada uma analise fatorial conﬁ rmatoria. Resultados . Os dois estudos mostraram adequadas propriedades psicometricas nas escalas. Os coeﬁ cientes de conﬁ abilidade foram de 0.89 para a escala de ﬂ orescimento, e 0.91 e 0.87 para as escalas de afeto positivo e negativo, respetivamente. A variacao explicada na analise fatorial exploratoria para cada uma das escalas mencionadas foi, nesta ordem, de 52.82%, 69.49% e 61.56%. As escalas de ﬂ orescimento e afeto positivo correlacionaram com a escala de otimismo (LOT-R), as escalas de afeto positivo PANAS, Satisfacao com a Vida (SWLS) e Bem-estar (Bieps-A). As duas primeiras escalas correlacionaram negativamente com a escala de Afeto negativo. Conclusao . A analise fatorial conﬁ rmatoria mostrou indices de ajuste adequados tanto para a escala de ﬂ orescimento como para a de afetividade. Estes resultados permitem conﬁ rmar a validez e utilidade das escalas para a avaliacao do bem-estar em populacao hispana.
Tunable Balanced Bandpass Filter With Constant Bandwidth and High Common-Mode Suppression

This paper presents tunable balanced bandpass filters with constant fractional bandwidth (FBW) and constant absolute bandwidth (ABW), respectively. The equivalent differential- and common-mode circuits of the proposed filters are analyzed. The differential-mode bandwidths can be maintained constant when the frequency is tuned by selecting proper coupling regions and controlling the external quality factor Qe. To suppress the common-mode response, different elements are loaded in the middle of the resonators to misalign common-mode resonant frequencies. The common-mode response can be suppressed without degrading the differential-mode performance. For demonstration, two tunable balanced filters with constant FBW and ABW are implemented, respectively. Comparisons of the calculated, simulated, and measured results are presented to verify the theoretical predications.