Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of a Mass Media Campaign on HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Behavior Change in North India: Results from a Longitudinal Study

India has had a sharp increase in the estimated number of HIV infections, from a few thousand cases in the early 1990s to about 5.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS today. With a population of over one billion, the HIV epidemic in India will have a major impact on the overall spread of HIV in Asia and the Pacific, and worldwide. This article discusses the impact of a mass media entertainment-education campaign on HIV/AIDS in three low-HIV-prevalence north Indian states, New Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. We used three waves of data from an evaluation study to measure the effects of a mass media, entertainment-education campaign designed to improve knowledge about and prompt interpersonal communication on HIV/AIDS. Results showed that individuals who were exposed to the campaign were more likely (1) to be aware of sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and condoms, (2) to know about the sexual routes of HIV transmission, (3) to have fewer misconceptions about HIV transmission, and (4) to talk to others about STIs, HIV/AIDS, and condoms than those who were not exposed to campaign messages. The impact of the campaign was limited with regard to changing condom-use behaviors.
The Diversity and Complexity of the Everyday Lives of Mixed Racial and Ethnic Families

Recent research on mixed racial and ethnic couples and lone parents in Britain indicates that not only are they a diverse group, but they also have a diversity of ways of understanding their difference and creating a sense of belonging for their children (Caballero et al, 2008; Caballero, 2010, 2011). Such research strongly challenges the idea that there is - or should be - a single benchmark of how to raise children from mixed racial and ethnic backgrounds. Nevertheless, placement decisions for this broad group of children are often still rooted in longstanding and politicised assumptions about their identities and how best to instil a positive and healthy sense of self (Phoenix, 1999; Okitikpi, 2005; Goodyer and Okitikpi, 2007; Patel, 2008). Drawing on three recent studies exploring the everyday experiences of lone and couple parents of mixed racial and ethnic children, Chamion Caballero, Rosalind Edwards, Annabel Goodyer and Toyin Okitikpi discuss the ways in which mixed racial and ethnic children who are not in the care system experience difference and belonging within their families, and how they negotiate and manage these factors. In particular, this article illustrates the types of strategies and supports that parents draw on to give their children a positive sense of identity and belonging, as well as the ways in which other issues can be more significant for mixed racial and ethnic children and their parents than what they often see as ‘ordinary’ internal family difference. Arguing that the demographics and experiences of mixed racial and ethnic families are much more diverse and complex than is commonly imagined, the authors ask to what extent policies and practice around the placement of mixed racial and ethnic children reflect the lives of those families outside the care system. Moreover, in what ways can or should the experiences of these families inform policy and practice for those within it? Implications for adoption and fostering practice and policies emerging from this more multifaceted understanding of the everyday lives of racially and ethnically mixed families are also discussed.
Anti-VEGF Agents for the Treatment of Choroidal Neovascularization in Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum

Introduction: Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is an inherited disease that affects multiple organs, including the skin, eyes, and cardiovascular system. Visual loss occurs at an early age secondary to choroidal neovascularization (CNV) resulting from angioid streaks (AS). Bevacizumab and ranibizumab, are anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies, that have been shown to be successful treatment options for CNV secondary to neovascular age-related macular degeneration and other diseases, such as PXE. The current literature regarding the use of Anti-VEGF agents to treat CNV secondary to AS in PXE is limited. Herein, we report a small case series to show the efficacy of intravitreal bevacizumab and ranibizumab for treatment of CNV secondary to AS in PXE. Clinical Description: Two patients presented at 48 and 51 years old, respectively complaining of blurry vision. The baseline visual acuity ranged from 20/25-20/400 in each of the four affected eyes. Both patients were found to have CNV secondary to AS due to PXE. Each eye was followed for a mean of 36.8 months and required a mean of 9 bevacizumab and 0.75 ranibizumab injections. Resolution of pathologic edema was demonstrated on OCT in each eye. The mean visual acuity deviation was 0.66 below baseline. No significant adverse events were noted. Discussion: Intravitreal anti-VEGF agents are effective long term treatment options for CNV secondary to AS in PXE patients. Our small case series supports the current findings in the literature and is the only case series, to our knowledge, that has documented follow up exceeding 3 years.
Is Test Anxiety a Problem Among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study on Outcome of Test Anxiety among Medical Students?

Pathological anxiety towards an exam intensifies psychological distress and reduces academic motivation. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of test anxiety and psychological distress. Additionally, the present study examined the extent to which test anxiety predicts psychological distress and academic motivation. Westside Text Anxiety Scale (WTAS), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) were administered among 154 first year undergraduate medical students attending a private university in Malaysia. The results showed that 18.2 (n = 28) percent of medical students experienced test anxiety and 53.9 (n = 83) percent of them were psychological distressed. Further, results showed that test anxiety positively correlated with psychological distress and amotivation. Test anxiety is a significant predictor of psychological distress and amotivation. Over all, medical students who experience test anxiety tend to experience high psychological distress and amotivation in their studies.
Patterns of Peace

Different strategies are used to conceptualise peace in the literature on International Relations, peace and conflict studies. These have included strategies based upon the notion that peace is geographically contained, and constructed by race, identity, ideology, or power, and has universal qualities, although it is also utopian and unlikely to be fully achieved. What has developed more recently in the relevant literature is a hybrid version of peace—the liberal peace. This is universal, attainable, and dependent upon a specific methodology. The following essay outlines the main discursive characteristics associated with peace, and with the emergence of the concept of the liberal peace. It outlines the patterns of thought prevalent in the conceptualisation of peace, and their ontological and epistemological implications in the context of the liberal peace framework. This essay is partially based upon a section of my new book, The Transformation of Peace (London: Palgrave, 2005). I take responsibility for any errors in this essay.
Dysexecutive Syndrome: A Specific Pattern of Cognitive Impairment in Systemic Sclerosis

Background and Purpose:Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective-tissue disorder characterized by microvascular damage and tissue fibrosis. Although overt nervous system involvement is unusual in SSc, imaging studies have shown cerebral hypoperfusion. We evaluated cognitive functions in patients with SSc who had no history of neurological involvement, to seek cognitive impairment caused by the suggested cerebral hypoperfusion. Methods:We performed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery on 31 patients with SSc and on 2 groups of age-adjusted, sex-adjusted, and education-adjusted controls: 15 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 20 healthy volunteers. Results:The patients with SSc scored significantly worse on most of the measures of executive function than the 2 control groups (P<0.05). However, both patient groups did worse than the healthy controls on measures of attention and memory (P<0.005). Conclusions:Our results suggest that patients with SSc have a specific pattern of cognitive impairment: the dysexecutive syndrome. Attentional and memory problems, however, may arise from other confounders such as disease duration and chronic medication use. SSc may be a rare cause of vascular cognitive impairment.
Total Knee Replacement Outcome and Coexisting Physical and Emotional Illness

Despite widespread acceptance of total knee replacement surgery’s clinical effectiveness, variation persists in long-term functional outcome. Our aim was to quantify the relative contributions of physical and emotional coexisting conditions to the variation in improvement in 12-month post-total knee replacement physical function. Data from 165 patients who had primary total knee replacement (62% women; mean age 68 years) were evaluated. Eighty-four percent had at least one comorbid illness, with cardiovascular conditions the most prevalent (61%). Mean improvement in 12-month general function (Short Form-36 Physical Component Score) and knee-specific function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) was similar for patients with and without comorbid medical diagnoses. Adding coexisting conditions to age, gender, and baseline physical function did not improve the model’s ability to explain variation in 12-month physical function as measured by either Short Form-36 Physical Component Score or Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Although coexisting medical conditions did not predict the degree of 12 month post-total knee replacement functional improvement, poorer pre-total knee replacement emotional health (Short Form-36 Mental Component Score) was associated with smaller improvements in Short Form-36 Physical Component Score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. The lack of a relationship between the presence of coexisting medical diagnoses and 12-month physical function in this study is important for patients and orthopedic surgeons. Level of Evidence: Prognostic study, Level 1 (prospective study). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Performance of Air Gap Membrane Distillation for Desalination of Ground Water and Seawater

Membrane distillation (MD) is a rising technology for seawater or brine desalination process. In this work, an air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) performance was investigated for aqueous NaCl solution along with natural ground water and seawater. In order to enhance the performance of the AGMD process in desalination, that is, to get more flux, it is necessary to study the effect of operating parameters on the yield of distillate water. The influence of operational parameters such as feed flow rate, feed temperature, feed salt concentration, coolant temperature and air gap thickness on the membrane distillation (MD) permeation flux have been investigated for low and high salt solution. the natural application of ground water and seawater over 90 h continuous operation, scale deposits observed on the membrane surface and reduction in flux represents 23% for ground water and 60% for seawater, in 90 h. This reduction was eliminated (less than 14 %) by acidification of feed water. Hence, promote the research attention in apply of AGMD for the ground water as well as seawater desalination over today’s conventional RO operation. Keywords— MD, ground water, seawater, AGMD.
Rater judgment and English language speaking proficiency

: The paper investigates whether there is a shared perception of speaking proficiency among raters from different English speaking countries. More specifically, this study examines whether there is a significant difference among English language learning (ELL) teachers, residing in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA when rating speech samples of international English language students. Teachers were asked to rate samples from international students who took the test of spoken English (TSE), the oral component of TOEFL. Building on previous research which has demonstrated that different tasks and rater groups affect results obtained from learner performance on oral tests, this project investigated both rating variation as a result of country of origin and variations due to TSE task effects. Multivariate analyses were used to analyze the ratings. Also effect sizes are reported.
Design of a 24-GHz CMOS VCO With an Asymmetric-Width Transformer

A K-band CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is implemented with a 0.18- ¿m radio frequency CMOS process. For low supply voltage operation, a transformer-feedback topology using a transformer is proposed. The analysis of the transformer-feedback VCO is presented. This shows that the inductance ratio of the transformer must be optimized, and asymmetric-width transformers allow the easy optimization and the high Q-factor. Based on this analysis, the transformer design consideration of the transformer feedback VCO is presented. The VCO operates at 24.27 GHz with the phase noise of -100.33 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset, and it consumes 7.8 mW from a 0.65-V supply voltage.
Mobilizing Tourism: A Post-disciplinary Critique

Tourism has been the subject of considerable academic attention over the last three decades. Recently, there have been notable criticisms over the nature of tourism research and an alleged lack of theorization. Published exchanges have also focused on the contested disciplinary status of tourism. In this paper, we revisit these debates and consider them in light of increasing calls for post-disciplinary modes of investigation. In particular, we emphasize the need to understand tourism as just one form of human movement in a wider spectrum of mobilities. The consequences of pursuing a post-disciplinary approach are discussed. If studies of tourism are determined to reflect contemporary conditions, they should move away from traditional inter- and multi-disciplinary approaches to more flexible forms of knowledge production.
Elevated Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Associated With Stroke or Cardiovascular Death in Patients With Carotid Stenosis

Background— Matrix metalloproteinase-9 could exhibit an important role in the destabilization of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. We hypothesized that in patients with carotid stenosis, elevated levels of plasma matrix metalloproteinase-9 are associated with ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death. Methods and Results— We followed up 207 patients with ≥50% carotid stenosis initially for a mean of 4.4 years, during which time 53 patients developed ipsilateral stroke or died of cardiovascular causes. The cumulative incidence of ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death was higher in those with matrix metalloproteinase-9 above versus below the median of 41.9 ng/mL (log-rank P=0.002). Matrix metalloproteinase-9 above versus below the median had a hazard ratio for ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death of 1.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 3.5); during extended follow-up, this remained significant until 10 years. The absolute risk of ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death at 4.4 years was 34% and 17% in those with matrix metalloproteinase-9 above and below the median, respectively. Elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 and an echolucent plaque on B-mode ultrasound versus a low matrix metalloproteinase-9 and an echorich plaque had a hazard ratio for ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death of 4.4 (95% CI, 1.8 to 11.1) and for ipsilateral stroke of 3.3 (95% CI, 1.1 to 9.7). Conclusions— Elevated levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in patients with ≥50% carotid stenosis were associated with a 2-fold risk of ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death. Combining elevated matrix metalloproteinase-9 and plaque echolucency was associated with a 4-fold risk for ipsilateral stroke or cardiovascular death and a 3-fold risk for ipsilateral stroke.
Do statins reduce risk of incident dementia and Alzheimer disease? The Cache County Study.

BACKGROUND Prior reports suggest reduced occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD) in statin users, but, to our knowledge, no prospective studies relate statin use and dementia incidence. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of statin use with both prevalence and incidence of dementia and AD. DESIGN Cross-sectional studies of prevalence and incidence and a prospective study of incidence of dementia and AD among 5092 elderly residents (aged 65 years or older) of a single county. Participants were assessed at home in 1995-1997 and again in 1998-2000. A detailed visual inventory of medicines, including statins and other lipid-lowering agents, was collected at both assessments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Diagnosis of dementia and of AD. RESULTS From 4895 participants with data sufficient to determine cognitive status, we identified 355 cases of prevalent dementia (200 with AD) at initial assessment. Statin use was inversely associated with prevalence of dementia (adjusted odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.94). Three years later, we identified 185 cases of incident dementia (104 with AD) among 3308 survivors at risk. Statin use at baseline did not predict incidence of dementia or AD (adjusted hazard ratio for dementia, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-2.34; adjusted hazard ratio for AD, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-2.96), nor did statin use at follow-up (adjusted odds ratio for dementia, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-1.81; adjusted odds ratio for AD, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-1.88). CONCLUSIONS Although statin use might be less frequent in those with prevalent dementia, we found no association between statin use and subsequent onset of dementia or AD. Further research is warranted before costly dementia prevention trials with statins are undertaken.
Archaeological Evidence on the Westward Expansion of Farming Communities from Eastern Anatolia to the Aegean and the Balkans

The beginnings of the Neolithic way of life in Europe and the role played by the Anatolian Peninsula in this process are much-debated issues that involve a number of distinct topics. In this debate, it should not be overlooked that distinct from Europe, at least a portion of the Anatolian plateau had been part of the “Neolithic world” for at least 4,000 years before the appearance of the earliest claimed Neolithic culture in Europe. Accordingly, in viewing the interaction between southeastern Europe and the Aegean with the Anatolian Peninsula, the core area of primary Neolithization has to be considered.
Chemical, physical, microbiological and quality attributes studies on River Nile crayfish

In Egypt, red crayfish has become an important new food source, a cheap and popular source of aquatic food, replacing the expensive marine crustaceans. Chemical, physical, microbiological and quality attributes of red crayfish samples were determined. Results show that total weight of inedible parts was 84.64% of the live weight. Value of raw fresh crayfish yield was higher than that boiled. Cooking loss tail meat for boiled crayfish was 33.88% of meat. Moisture, protein and ash contents of raw fresh red crayfish (%) were slightly higher than those of boiled, while fat, fiber and carbohydrates contents (%) were higher than those of raw fresh. Crayfish is considered as a good source for minerals. Amino acids content for raw fresh crayfish was relatively high and the reverse was recorded for boiled crayfish. In conclusion, the boiled red crayfish had better quality attributes than that of raw fresh. Keywords: Red swamp crayfish, chemical composition, physical properties, microbiological aspects and quality attributes
Trends: Racial Differences in Attitudes Toward the Police

Although there is an abundant literature on citizen attitudes toward the police, most of it is based on survey data from a single year rather than on time-series data that permit the tracking of attitudes over time. No previous study has compared the immediate and long-term effects of controversial policing incidents on citizen attitudes (Flanagan and Vaughn 1996; Weitzer 1995). We present trend data from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), Gallup, one other national survey, and a series of Los Angeles Times polls taken before and after three well-publicized brutality incidents in the Los Angeles area: the 1979 killing of Eulia Love; the 1991 beating of Rodney King; and the 1996 beatings of two Mexican immigrants.1 The data speaks to three questions. First, what happens to attitudes toward the police following incidents of brutality, both locally in the city where the incident occurred and nationally? Second, do African Americans, Latinos, and whites differ in their reactions to such incidents? And third, do incidents of brutality have "staying power" in the public psyche or do police manage to weather the storm of public outrage without lasting effects on public perceptions? Public opinion in general is sensitive to the influence of major events, and race has long been a strong predictor of attitudes toward the police, with African Americans more likely than whites to express unfavorable attitudes toward various aspects of policing (Decker 1981; Smith, Graham, and Adams 1991). With one exception, however, the magnitude of
Vertical and Torsional Correction in Congenital Superior Oblique Palsy by Inferior Oblique Recession

Purpose Inferior oblique recession (Fink's technique) is one of various surgical procedures to manage congenital superior oblique muscle palsy. The authors aimed to determine the effectiveness of this operation in reducing vertical deviation and torsional deviation, and to assess the dose-effect relationship. Methods Fifty-eight patients presenting with unilateral congenital superior oblique palsy had an inferior oblique recession of 6 mm, 8 mm, or 10 mm (16, 35, and 7 patients, respectively). Vertical deviation and torsional deviation were measured before and after surgery by means of the dark red glass dissociation in front of Harms’ tangent screen and the data were analyzed retrospectively. Results A cure rate of 88% was achieved, with no complications, and no overcorrections. For the 34 patients for whom long-term follow-up was possible (mean 2.8 years), final median postoperative vertical deviations and torsional deviations were 0.5° and 0°, respectively both in primary position and in adduction upgaze. Conclusions Inferior oblique weakening by recession proves to be an efficient and safe procedure for congenital superior oblique palsy, and its effect on vertical deviation can be predicted on the extent of recession. The operation can therefore be adapted to the patient, depending on the degree of the preoperative deviation.