Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“We have to try and have this child before it is too late”: missed opportunities in client–provider communication on reproductive intentions of people living with HIV

Men and women living with HIV with access to ARVs are living longer, healthier lives that can and often do include bearing children. Children occupy a key space in men and women's personal and social lives and often play a fundamental role in maintaining these relationships, irrespective of illness concerns. Couples living with HIV need to balance prevention needs and ill-health while trying to maintain healthy relationships. Health-care providers serving the reproductive needs of HIV-affected couples need to consider the social and relational factors shaping reproductive decisions associated with periconception risk behaviors. This paper based on qualitative research at three hospital sites in eThekwini District, South Africa, investigates the childbearing intentions and needs of people living with HIV (PLHIV), and the attitudes and experiences of health-care providers serving the reproductive needs of PLHIV, and client and provider views and knowledge of safer conception. This research revealed that personal, social, and relationship dynamics shape the reproductive decisions of PLHIV, and “unplanned” pregnancies are not always unintended. Additionally, conception desires are not driven by the number of living children; rather clients are motivated by whether or not they have had any children with their current partner/spouse. Providers should consider the relationship status of clients in discussions about childbearing desires and intentions. Although many providers recognize the complex social realities shaping their clients' reproductive decisions, they have outdated information on serving their reproductive needs. Appropriate training to enable providers to better understand the relationship and social realities surrounding their clients' childbearing intentions is required and should be used as a platform for couples to work together with providers toward safer conception. The adoption of a more participatory approach should be employed to equalize client–provider power dynamics and to ensure clients are more involved in decision-making about reproduction and conception.
Stability and Change in Subjective Well-Being: The Role of Performance-Based and Self-Rated Cognition

The primary goal of this study was to address the stability-despite-loss paradox of subjective well-being. Performance-based and self-evaluative measures of cognitive functioning were examined as predictors of subjective well-being in middle-aged and older adults using data from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE). Consistent with past work, subjective well-being remained relatively stable over a period of 12 years in both age groups, although performance-based and self-rated cognition declined over time. Cognitive status, as determined by standard psychometric tests of fluid cognitive abilities, was unrelated to longitudinal change in subjective well-being. A symmetrical measure of self-rated cognitive performance predicted intraindividual change in subjective well-being in middle-aged but not older adults. This pattern of findings helps clarify why many older people may be able to maintain their subjective well-being, while their cognitive abilities decline.
A dual‐beamwidth radar method for measuring atmospheric turbulent kinetic energy

This paper introduces a new dual‐beamwidth (2BW) radar method for inferring the velocity variance σturb2 due to the turbulent kinetic energy density per unit mass. The 2BW method has the advantage of being much less sensitive than the standard single‐beamwidth (1BW) method to the necessary instrumental corrections of the observed velocity variance σobs2. We test and compare the 2BW and 1BW methods using σobs2 between 5.0 and 7.5 km MSL measured by the MU VHF radar near Shigaraki, Japan, with beams directed toward 10° zenith angle. We find that during periods of light winds the σturb2 profiles from the two methods agree well. But with wind speeds >30 m/s the 1BW values of σturb2 are about 25% larger than the 2BW values. With the 2BW method, typical values of σturb2 between 6.0 and 7.5 km MSL increased from ∼0.07 m2/s2 with winds of ∼2 m/s to ∼0.2 m2/s2 with winds between 30 and 60 m/s.
Test Management Framework for Managing IT Projects in Industry

Testing is an essential phase of project management as it ensures the quality of a product. However, testing does not get the required attention in industrial projects from project managers. Due to this, the maintenance cost of projects takes more than one-third part of the project budget. One of the major reasons is that test management frameworks are overly complex and time consuming. In this paper, we propose a test management framework which is easy to follow by project managers and test team. The framework addresses the requirements of testing from the strategic level to the operational level. It also guides the organization to cope the challenges of test management. In this paper, we also discuss the application of the framework and its implication in an industrial case study. The framework is generic in nature and can be applied in any domain by project managers.
Concentration-Dependent Flow Stratification In Experimental High-Density Turbidity Currents and Their Relevance To Turbidite Facies Models

Basal divisions of turbidite deposits often show characteristics that are interpreted as expression of high-density layers forming at the bases of turbidity currents; however, this link between deposit characteristics and the flow process occurring in these basal high-density layers is still poorly constrained. Here we present the results of a set of experiments were the flow dynamics of high-density layers within turbidity currents were studied, and linked to their depositional behavior. The experiments showed the formation of three types of flow layers depending on the initial sediment concentration and slope. As the sediment concentration increases, the layers show different rheological properties with characteristics expressions in the velocity and turbulence profiles of the flows. Internal flow instabilities, arising from the different density interfaces within the stratified flows, are shown to be increasingly suppressed as sediment concentrations step up over the different flow layers. Suppression of these internal instabilities in the basal layers is shown to have a distinct effect on variations in the aggradation rate, which at lower sediment concentrations can be directly linked to these instabilities. Suppression of these fluctuations in aggradation rate is here used to link the different type of high-density flow stratification to different turbidite facies.
MODELING DESICCATING BEHAVIOR OF MINE TAILINGS

A one‐dimensional model of the sedimentation and desiccation of high‐clay‐content, subaerially deposited tailings is described. The approach is semi‐empirical and predicts average density and water content of a layer of tailings during sedimentation, first‐stage evaporation, and second‐stage evaporation, during which desiccation occurs. The method employs both geomechanical and soil physics principles and allows for varying evaporation, varying rainfall, and variation of initial height and solids content. Five tailings are analyzed, and model parameters are determined for each. Comparisons of recent experimental field data and the predictive model show good agreement. The laboratory equipment developed to provide parameters for analysis and methods used to obtain model parameters for other tailings are described. The model allows the effects of different initial layer depths, different initial water contents, and different available evaporation potentials to be compared with total drying time and resultin.
Tooth Retention, Tooth Loss and Use of Dental Care among Long-Term Narcotics Abusers

This study examined tooth retention, tooth loss and use of dental care among aging male narcotics abusers being followed-up for more than 33 years. The cohort of 581 male narcotics addicts admitted to California Civil Addict Program in 1962-1964 was tracked until 1996-1997. As of 1997, 284 (48.9%) were confirmed to be dead. A total of 108 surviving participants completed the oral examination and survey of use of dental services. African American addicts showed the least number of remaining teeth; and African Americans and Hispanics were less likely to utilize dental services compare to Whites. Factors significantly related to tooth retention were abusers’ age (p = 0.0006), ethnicity (p = 0.01), income (p < 0.0001), smoking status (p = 0.03), and dental visits during the 12 months prior to the survey (p < 0.0001). These findings suggest that settings such as prisons and drug treatment programs that include dental care referral and follow-up would be expected to enhance oral and general health among narcotics-addicted individuals.
Field guide for forest mapping with high resolution satellite data

This manual is targeted at guiding the collection of adequate field information in a relatively short time, for calibrating and validating classifications and biophysical parameters derived from satellite images of high spatial resolution for forest monitoring. It aims to support of monitoring deforestation and forest degradation in the context of the UN-REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) programme. Experience gained from field surveys carried out in conjunction with the Tanzania Forest Service in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in the Pugu Hills Forest Reserve is used to demonstrate the methods of data collection and analysis. The field data collected in this work were used to produce maps of forest cover, basal area and biomass. These maps were transferred to the Tanzania Forest Service to support their forest inventory
Axeldb: a Xenopus laevis database focusing on gene expression

Axeldb is a database storing and integrating gene expression patterns and DNA sequences identified in a large-scale in situ hybridization study in Xenopus laevis embryos. The data are organised in a format appropriate for comprehensive analysis, and enable comparison of images of expression pattern for any given set of genes. Information on literature, cDNA clones and their availability, nucleotide sequences, expression pattern and accompanying pictures are available. Current developments are aimed toward the interconnection with other databases and the integration of data from the literature. Axeldb is implemented using an ACEDB database system, and available through the web at http://www.dkfz-heidelberg.de/abt0135/axeldb.htm
Patient Perspectives of Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) and Methods for Improving Pain Control and Patient Satisfaction

Background and Objectives This study aimed to (1) identify patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) attributes that negatively impact patient satisfaction and ability to control pain while using PCA and (2) obtain data on patient perceptions of new PCA design features. Methods We conducted a prospective survey study of postoperative pain control among patients using a PCA device. The survey was designed to evaluate patient satisfaction with pain control, understanding of PCA, difficulties using PCA, lockout-period management, and evaluation of new PCA design features. Results A total of 350 eligible patients completed the survey (91%). Patients who had difficulties using PCA were less satisfied (P < 0.001) and were more likely to feel unable to control their pain (P < 0.001). Satisfaction and self-reported ability to control pain were not affected by patient education about the PCA. Forty-nine percent of patients reported not knowing if they would receive medicine when they pushed the PCA button, and of these, 22% believed that this uncertainty made their pain worse. The majority of patients preferred the proposed PCA design features for easier use, including a light on the button, making it easier to find (57%), and a PCA button that vibrates (55%) or lights up (70%), alerting the patient that the PCA pump is able to deliver more medicine. Conclusions A majority of patients, irrespective of their satisfaction with PCA, preferred a new PCA design. Certain attributes of current PCA technology may negatively impact patient experience, and modifications could potentially address these concerns and improve patient outcomes.
In vitro antifungal activities of Actinomyces species isolated from soil samples against Trichophyton mentagrophytes

Background and Purpose: Cutaneous infections arise from a homogeneous group of keratinophilic fungi, known as dermatophytes. Since these pathogenic dermatophytes are eukaryotes in nature, use of chemical antifungal agents for treatment may affect the host tissue cells. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of Actinomyces species against Trichophyton mentagrophytes (abbreviated as T. mentagrophytes). The isolates were obtained from soil samples and identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Material and Methods: In total, 100 strains of Actinomyces species were isolated from soil samples in order to determine their antagonistic activities against T. mentagrophytes in Kerman, Iran. The electron microscopic study of these isolates was performed, based on the physiological properties of these antagonists (e.g., lipase, amylase, protease and chitinase), using relevant protocols. The isolates were identified using gene 16S rDNA via PCR technique. Results: Streptomyces flavogriseus, Streptomyces zaomyceticus strain xsd08149 and Streptomyces rochei were isolated and exhibited the most significant antagonistic activities against T. mentagrophytes. Images were obtained by an electron microscope and some spores, mycelia and morphology of spore chains were identified. Molecular, morphological and biochemical characteristics of these isolates were studied, using the internal 16S rDNA gene. Active isolates of Streptomyces sequence were compared to GenBank sequences. According to nucleotide analysis, isolate D5 had maximum similarity to Streptomyces flavogriseus (99%). Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that Streptomyces isolates from soil samples could exert antifungal effects on T. mentagrophytes.
Invasive Lesions Containing Filamentous Forms Produced by a Candida albicans Mutant That Is Defective in Filamentous Growth in Culture

ABSTRACT A Candida albicans efg1 cph1 double mutant is nonfilamentous under standard laboratory conditions and avirulent in mice. However, this mutant produced filaments in the tongues of immunosuppressed gnotobiotic piglets and when embedded in agar, demonstrating that an Efg1p- and Cph1p-independent pathway for promotion of filamentous growth exists.
Text/Non-text Classification in Online Handwritten Documents with Recurrent Neural Networks

In this paper, we propose a novel method for text/non-text classification in online handwritten document based on Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) and its improved version, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network. The task of classifying strokes in a digital ink document into two classes (text and non-text) can be seen as a sequence labelling task. The bidirectional architecture is used in these networks to access to the complete global context of the sequence being classified. Moreover, a simple but effective model is adopted for the temporal local context of adjacent strokes. By integrating local context and global context, the classification accuracy is improved. In our experiments on the Japanese ink documents (Kondate database), the proposed method achieves a classification rate of 98.75%, which is significantly higher than the 96.61% in the previous work. Similarly, on the English ink documents (IAMonDo database), it produces a classification rate of 97.68%, which is also higher than other results reported in the literature.
Substance use and HIV risk among people with severe mental illness.

People with severe mental illness are often overlooked in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. For a long time it was assumed that those with schizophrenia, the most common diagnosis in public treatment settings, were too disorganized or withdrawn to engage in the drug use and sexual behaviors related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exposure (Carmen and Brady 1990). The extent of these risk behaviors was unknown and uninvestigated. Unfortunately, this inattention may have facilitated the spread of HIV infection among people with the most severe psychiatric disorders.
Radiocarbon Dating of Late Quaternary Deposits, South Louisiana

The late Quaternary deposits of southern and offshore Louisiana record a complete cycle of sea-level fluctuation which is associated with major changes in the volume of ice on the continents since the beginning of the last glacial stage. In order to date the major events of this cycle, 122 samples from both the surface and subsurface have been analyzed by the radiocarbon method. A eustatic curve based on the age determinations of these samples supports previous estimates from geological data that the sea during the early part of the cycle fell to a position at least 450 feet below its present level. The lowest sample on this curve, which was deposited when sea level stood at −440 feet, shows that this fall took place more than 35,000 years ago. The rise of the sea during the middle part of the cycle occurred in two successive stages. The first stage is marked by a rise from more than −440 to −250 feet, about 200 feet, before 35,000 years ago, followed by a long stillstand. This period of stillstand terminated about 18,500 years ago with the beginning of the second-stage rise which brought the sea to its present position about 5000 years ago. Sea level during the last part of the cycle has remained unchanged to the present. The eustatic curve implies that the ice sheets of the last major glacial stage not only reached their maximum extension but had begun to retreat before 35,000 years ago. Furthermore, it indicates that the final stage of retreat began about 18,500 years ago and ended about 5000 years ago. This latter estimate corresponds closely to dates obtained from glaciated areas and deep-ocean sediments for the final stage of ice withdrawal. No general agreement exists between the eustatic data and other estimates on the age of the maximum glaciation and the beginning of ice retreat.
Recurrent Neural Network Training with the Extended Kalman Filter

Recurrent neural networks, in contrast to the classical feedforward neural networks, better handle inputs that have space- time structure, e.g. symbolic time series. Since the classic gradient methods for recurrent neural network training on longer input sequences converge very poorly and slowly, the alternative approaches are needed. We describe the principles of the training method with the Extended Kalman Filter and with its modifications Unscented Kalman Filter, nprKF and with their joint versions. The Joint Unscented Kalman Filter was not used for this purpose before. We compare the performance of these filters and of the classic Truncated Backpropagation Through Time in an experiment for next- symbol prediction - word sequence generated by Reber automaton. All the new filters achieved significantly better results.
Strain heating as a mechanism for partial melting and ultrahigh temperature metamorphism in convergent orogens: Implications of temperature‐dependent thermal diffusivity and rheology

[1] We explore the importance of strain heating in ductile shear zones for production of leucogranites and high-temperature metamorphism in collisional orogens with temperature-dependent thermal diffusivity (D) and rock rheology. New measurements on metamorphic rocks from the Bohemian Massif show that D is ∼1.3 mm2/s at 25°C and decreases exponentially to as low as 0.4 mm2/s at >600°C. This temperature dependence causes model lithospheric geotherms to be straighter compared to geotherms calculated with a constant D. Using power law parameters for rheology, we show that deformation of quartzite at strain rate of 3 × 10−13 s−1 produces >100 μW/m3 at 550°C and ∼7 μW/m3 at 800°C. Deformation of stronger clinopyroxenite at this strain rate produces ∼8 μW/m3 even at 1050°C. When strain heating is introduced by a 3 km thick ductile shear zone with quartz rheology at the depth of 35 km in a lithosphere that has 70 km thick crust and 60 km thick lithospheric mantle, the schist solidus is reached by ∼8 Myr in the vicinity of the shear zone deforming at the strain rate of 3 × 10−13 s−1. For clinopyroxenite rheology, ultrahigh temperature (UHT) metamorphic conditions are reached in ∼40 Myr after initiation of strain heating. Two-dimensional models that replicate the exhumation of the Greater Himalaya crystalline rocks above the Main Central thrust produce extensive partial melting and an inverted metamorphic field gradient. Occurrences of leucogranites within crustal shear zone systems may be evidence of the coupling between deformation and heat production in the crust.
Controversies in cardiovascular medicine Low-dose aspirin in primary prevention : cardioprotection , chemoprevention , both , or neither ?

Low-dose aspirin has been shown to be effective in preventing about one-fifth of atherothrombotic vascular complications (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or vascular death) in a meta-analysis of 16 secondary prevention trials in patients with previous myocardial infarction, stroke, or transient cerebral ischaemia. This corresponds to an absolute reduction of about 10–20 per 1000 patients in the yearly incidence of non-fatal events, and to a smaller, but still definite, reduction in vascular death. Against this benefit, the absolute increase in major extracranial bleeding complications [mostly, gastrointestinal (GI)] is 20to 50-fold smaller, depending on age and sex. Hence, for secondary prevention, the benefits of antiplatelet therapy substantially exceed the risks. For primary prevention, the balance between vascular events avoided and major bleeds caused by aspirin is substantially uncertain because the risks without aspirin, and hence the absolute benefits of antiplatelet prophylaxis, are at least an order of magnitude lower than in secondary prevention. The aim of this article is to review the updated evidence for the efficacy and safety of low-dose aspirin in primary prevention and to discuss additional health benefits resulting from prolonged antiplatelet therapy in apparently healthy people at low average risk of vascular events.
Relationship of Mesozoic graben development, stress, shortening magnitude, and structural style in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes

Abstract We use the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia as an example in early stages of inversion orogen showing still modest values of shortening. The style of deformation recorded in this orogenic chain seems to be strongly influenced by two main factors. The first is the pre-compression geometry of the rift basin, conditioning the strong heterogeneity imparted by a trough filled with Jurassic to Neocomian sediments limited by Precambrian and Palaeozoic high-angle walls. The second factor is the orientation of the stress regime with respect to the main normal faults during the inversion. If the stress field is of pure compression, the normal faults are not extensively inverted and the deformation is accommodated mainly in terms of footwall shortcuts. On the other hand, in transpressive regimes the inversion of the former normal faults is more common and the footwall shortcuts are not dominant structures. No significant lateral variations in tectonic shortening are found in the Eastern Cordillera. Finally we emphasize the role of buckle folds in the internal parts of the inversion orogens and give a cautionary note when interpreting these structures in terms of fault-related folding using the well-documented example of the Soapaga fault area.