Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Public readiness for HIV self-testing in Kenya

ABSTRACT High interest and a growing body of evidence suggest that HIV self-testing could help fill the HIV testing gap for populations who have been hesitant to access testing services through current mechanisms. Evidence from five of six studies funded by 3ie answers questions posed by the Kenyan government to understand the readiness of Kenyans for HIV self-testing. The findings suggest that Kenyans are generally ready for HIV self-testing. Most people would not only like to obtain self-test kits through public health facilities but also expect to be able to obtain them from pharmacies – easy access being a key factor for a distribution outlet. Respondents across the studies seem to understand the importance of counseling and confirmatory testing, although the decision to access services after an HIV self-test will certainly be influenced by the results of the test. Respondents do have some concerns about potential harms and abuses from HIV self-tests. These concerns are focused on what they expect others would do, rather than reflections of what they say they would do themselves. Additionally, most people believe that such concerns were mostly unwarranted and/or could be addressed.
The Serial Reaction Time Task: Implicit Motor Skill Learning?

Since its development 20 years ago, the serial reaction time task (SRTT) has gone from being a tool used by psychologists ([Nissen and Bullemer, 1987][1]) to one that, in the last few years, has been embraced by a wider community ([Fig. 1][2]). Embedded within this task is a sequence, a connected
Understanding Consumers' Relationships with Service Organizations through Psychological Contracts

By incorporating a psychological contract perspective into the relationship marketing literature, this study intends to capture the resource exchange process between consumers and their organizations and contribute to the theory construction of relationship marketing, especially in the business-to-consumer context. A model of consumers’ psychological contract in a consumer-service firm context was established. In this model, consumers’ perceptions of different marketing strategies offered by a firm as well as their individual characteristics were proposed to determine their formation of types of psychological contracts with the firm, which may then bind consumers to present certain relational behaviors. Data of this study were collected via a web-based self-administered survey. Three variations of a questionnaire were used to elicit consumers’ responses from various service categories. 775 general U.S. consumers in a well-maintained consumer panel completed the survey. Direct hypotheses were tested through simple structural equation modeling. Comparative hypotheses were tested through nested model comparisons. And moderating hypotheses were tested through moderated regression analysis and structural models of latent interactions. The results of this study provided general support to the model and found that marketing strategies, representing an organization’s resources and offerings to consumers in a market, can activate certain types of consumers’ psychological contracts. Furthermore, a certain type of psychological contract may only be activated when a certain marketing strategy offered by an organization falls into the same mental resource
Petrosal bones of placental mammals from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan

Petrosal bones representing “Zhelestidae” and Kulbeckia (“Zalambdalestidae”) were recovered from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan and are formally described. The “zhelestid” petrosal retains several characters ancestral to eutherians (if not more basally in the mammalian phylogeny), including a prootic canal, a lateral flange, and a less elliptical fenestra vestibuli. The only other eutherian taxon to retain these structures is the Early Cretaceous Prokennalestes. No characters unique to “zhelestids” and ungulates were found in the “zhelestid” petrosal. The petrosal of Kulbeckia shares several characters in common with other “zalambdalestids” (such as Zalambdalestes and Barunlestes), as well as Asioryctes and Kennalestes, including a curved ridge connecting the crista interfenestralis to the caudal tympanic process, and presence of a “tympanic process” at the posterior aspect of the petrosal.
Patterns in Abundance, Cell Size and Pigment Content of Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria along Environmental Gradients in Northern Lakes

There is now evidence that aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria are widespread across aquatic systems, yet the factors that determine their abundance and activity are still not well understood, particularly in freshwaters. Here we describe the patterns in AAP abundance, cell size and pigment content across wide environmental gradients in 43 temperate and boreal lakes of Québec. AAP bacterial abundance varied from 1.51 to 5.49 x 105 cells mL-1, representing <1 to 37% of total bacterial abundance. AAP bacteria were present year-round, including the ice-cover period, but their abundance relative to total bacterial abundance was significantly lower in winter than in summer (2.6% and 7.7%, respectively). AAP bacterial cells were on average two-fold larger than the average bacterial cell size, thus AAP cells made a greater relative contribution to biomass than to abundance. Bacteriochlorophyll a (BChla) concentration varied widely across lakes, and was not related to AAP bacterial abundance, suggesting a large intrinsic variability in the cellular pigment content. Absolute and relative AAP bacterial abundance increased with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), whereas cell-specific BChla content was negatively related to chlorophyll a (Chla). As a result, both the contribution of AAP bacteria to total prokaryotic abundance, and the cell-specific BChla pigment content were positively correlated with the DOC:Chla ratio, both peaking in highly colored, low-chlorophyll lakes. Our results suggest that photoheterotrophy might represent a significant ecological advantage in highly colored, low-chlorophyll lakes, where DOC pool is chemically and structurally more complex.
Original Papers

The article discusses the issue of the departure from examining real behaviours in a real environment, a trend in social psychology which has been observed going back several years, and the impact of this phenomenon for social psychology as a scientific discipline. The article presents two studies on the well-known and explored “bystander effect” (Darley, Latane, 1968). This phenomenon is examined in two ways – once by way of a “traditional” field experiment conducted in natural conditions, and once through a survey. As it turned out, the results generated by the two studies were diametrically opposite, and only in the field experiment were we able to achieve a pattern of results consistent with those in the original studies.
Age‐related decline in postextrasystolic potentiation in patients with aortic stenosis

In aortic stenosis (AS), postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP), a measure of contractile reserve, has been demonstrated by an increased aortic valve gradient (AVG) after a ventricular extrasystole (VE). We studied age‐related changes in PESP in 20 consecutive patients (age, 65–89 years) with significant AS (aortic area ≤ 1.0 cm2) on cardiac catheterization with VE on AVG pressure recording. Hemodynamics and LV systolic time intervals were averaged from three consecutive beats and from the post‐VE beat. Changes (Δ) in AVG, pre‐ejection period/LV ejection time ratio (PEP/LVET), aortic diastolic pressures (AoDP), and LV end‐diastolic pressures (LVEDP) were calculated. Age was inversely correlated with ΔAVG (r = −0.84, P = 0.0001), with ΔPEP/LVET (r = −0.87, P = 0.0001), and with ΔAoDP (r = −0.89, P = 0.0001), but not with ΔLVEDP (r = 0.23, P = 0.31). On multivariate analysis, only age was associated with ΔAVG (r2 = 0.72, P = 0.0001). There was an age‐related decline in PESP in patients with AS, which was accompanied by changes in contractile reserve and afterload reduction, but independent of preload reserve. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;55:23–27. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Spectral efficiency of MIMO multiaccess systems with single-user decoding

The use of multiple antennas at the transmitter and the receiver is considered for the uplink of cellular communication systems. The achievable spectral efficiency in bits/s/Hz is used as the criterion for comparing various design choices. The focus is on wideband code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems when the receiver uses the matched-filter or the minimum mean-squared error detector, followed by single-user decoders. The spreading sequences of the CDMA system are assumed to be random across the users, but could be dependent across the transmit antennas of each user. Using analytical results in the large system asymptote, guidelines are provided for the sequence design across the transmit antennas and for choosing the number of antennas. In addition, comparisons are made between (random) CDMA and orthogonal multiaccess with multiple antennas. It is shown that CDMA, even with single-user decoding, can outperform orthogonal multiaccess when the number of receive antennas is sufficiently large.
The Evolutionary Dynamics of the Lion Panthera leo Revealed by Host and Viral Population Genomics

The lion Panthera leo is one of the world's most charismatic carnivores and is one of Africa's key predators. Here, we used a large dataset from 357 lions comprehending 1.13 megabases of sequence data and genotypes from 22 microsatellite loci to characterize its recent evolutionary history. Patterns of molecular genetic variation in multiple maternal (mtDNA), paternal (Y-chromosome), and biparental nuclear (nDNA) genetic markers were compared with patterns of sequence and subtype variation of the lion feline immunodeficiency virus (FIVPle), a lentivirus analogous to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In spite of the ability of lions to disperse long distances, patterns of lion genetic diversity suggest substantial population subdivision (mtDNA ΦST = 0.92; nDNA F ST = 0.18), and reduced gene flow, which, along with large differences in sero-prevalence of six distinct FIVPle subtypes among lion populations, refute the hypothesis that African lions consist of a single panmictic population. Our results suggest that extant lion populations derive from several Pleistocene refugia in East and Southern Africa (∼324,000–169,000 years ago), which expanded during the Late Pleistocene (∼100,000 years ago) into Central and North Africa and into Asia. During the Pleistocene/Holocene transition (∼14,000–7,000 years), another expansion occurred from southern refugia northwards towards East Africa, causing population interbreeding. In particular, lion and FIVPle variation affirms that the large, well-studied lion population occupying the greater Serengeti Ecosystem is derived from three distinct populations that admixed recently.
Resting heart rate variability and exercise capacity in Type 1 diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have lower exercise capacity (V̇O2max) than their age‐matched nondiabetic counterparts (CON), which might be related to cardiac autonomic dysfunction. We examined whether Heart Rate Variability (HRV; indicator of cardiac autonomic modulation) was associated with exercise capacity in those with and without T1D. Twenty‐three participants with uncomplicated T1D and 17 matched CON were recruited. Heart rate (HR; ECG), blood pressure (BP; finger photo‐plethysmography), and respiratory rate (respiratory belt) were measured during baseline, paced‐breathing and clinical autonomic reflex tests (CARTs); deep breathing, lying‐to‐stand, and Valsalva maneuver. Baseline and paced‐breathing ECG were analyzed for HRV (frequency‐domain). Exercise capacity was determined during an incremental cycle ergometer test while V̇O2, 12‐lead ECG, and BP were measured. In uncomplicated T1D, resting HR was elevated and resting HRV metrics were reduced, indicative of altered cardiac parasympathetic modulation; this was generally undetected by the CARTs. However, BP and plasma catecholamines were not different between groups. In T1D, V̇O2max tended to be lower (P = 0.07) and HR reserve was lower (P < 0.01). Resting Total Power (TP) had stronger positive associations with V̇O2max (R2 ≥ 0.3) than all other traditional indicators such as age, resting HR, and self‐reported exercise (R2 = 0.042–0.3) in both T1D and CON. Alterations in cardiac autonomic modulation are an early manifestation of uncomplicated T1D. Total Power was associated with reduced exercise capacity regardless of group, and these associations were generally stronger than traditional indicators.
Use of an abbreviated neuroscience education approach in the treatment of chronic low back pain: A case report

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) remains prevalent in society, and conservative treatment strategies appear to have little effect. It is proposed that patients with CLBP may have altered cognition and increased fear, which impacts their ability to move, perform exercise, and partake in activities of daily living. Neuroscience education (NE) aims to change a patient's cognition regarding their pain state, which may result in decreased fear, ultimately resulting in confrontation of pain barriers and a resumption of normal activities. A 64-year-old female with history of CLBP was the patient for this case report. A physical examination, the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and Zung Depression Scale were assessed during her initial physical therapy visit, immediately after her first physical therapy session, and at 7-month follow-up. Treatment consisted of an abbreviated NE approach, exercises (range of motion, stretches, and cardiovascular), and aquatic therapy. She attended twice a week for 4 weeks, or 8 visits total. Pre-NE, the patient reported NPRS = 9/10; ODI = 54%; FABQ-W = 25/42,; FABQ-PA = 20/24, and Zung = 58. Immediately following the 75-minute evaluation and NE session, the patient reported improvement in all four outcome measures, most notably a reduction in the FABQ-W score to 2/42 and the FABQ-PA to 1/24. At a 7-month follow-up, all outcome measures continued to be improved. NE aimed at decreasing fear associated with movement may be a valuable adjunct to movement-based therapy, such as exercise, for patients with CLBP.
Nonlinear versus Ordinary Adaptive Control of Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactor

Unfortunately, the major group of the systems in industry has nonlinear behavior and control of such processes with conventional control approaches with fixed parameters causes problems and suboptimal or unstable control results. An adaptive control is one way to how we can cope with nonlinearity of the system. This contribution compares classic adaptive control and its modification with Wiener system. This configuration divides nonlinear controller into the dynamic linear part and the static nonlinear part. The dynamic linear part is constructed with the use of polynomial synthesis together with the pole-placement method and the spectral factorization. The static nonlinear part uses static analysis of the controlled plant for introducing the mathematical nonlinear description of the relation between the controlled output and the change of the control input. Proposed controller is tested by the simulations on the mathematical model of the continuous stirred-tank reactor with cooling in the jacket as a typical nonlinear system.
Tat-SF 1 Protein Associates with RAP 30 and Human SPT 5 Proteins

The potent transactivator Tat recognizes the transactivation response RNA element (TAR) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and stimulates the processivity of elongation of RNA polymerase (Pol) II complexes. The cellular proteins Tat-SF1 and human SPT5 (hSPT5) are required for Tat activation as shown by immunodepletion with specific sera and complementation with recombinant proteins. In nuclear extracts, small fractions of both hSPT5 and Pol II are associated with Tat-SF1 protein. Surprisingly, the RAP30 protein of the heterodimeric transcription TFIIF factor is associated with Tat-SF1, while the RAP74 subunit of TFIIF is not coimmunoprecipitated with Tat-SF1. Overexpression of Tat-SF1 and hSPT5 specifically stimulates the transcriptional activity of Tat in vivo. These results suggest that Tat-SF1 and hSPT5 are indispensable cellular factors supporting Tat-specific transcription activation and that they may interact with RAP30 in controlling elongation.
The Flip Side: An Investigation into the Depersonalization of Communication

The author investigated the depersonalization of student communication in grades six through twelve. The Flip Side Survey was run to focus in on whether or not the use of instant message programs and text messages via cellular telephones is depersonalizing communication between 6 through 12 grade students (N=213). Depersonalization was broken down in to five constructs: empathy, compassion, conversational cue usage, personal communication skills, and consequence recognition. Each construct was measured in relationship to face-to-face communication and each question was repeated in relationship to text message and instant message communication. The results showed little evidence to support the depersonalization of communication due to the use of text/instant messaging.
Comparative Theoretical Perspectives on a Social Problem

Abstract Shoplifting is a serious social problem in America, with adolescents representing 40–50% of all store-apprehended shoplifters. Middle-class shoplifting, regardless of age, has been found to be linked to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety disorders, substance abuse, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and, among adolescents, externalizing behavior disorders such as ADHD, oppositional-defiant disorder, and conduct disorder. Life span and Marxist-feminist theory can enhance our comprehension of these juvenile offenders and their associated clinical conditions, thereby contributing to appropriate sentencing and treatment, as well as prevention.
Autism screening questionnaire: Diagnostic validity

Background Good interview and diagnostic measures for autism and other pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) are available but there is a lack of a good screening questionnaire. Aims To develop and test a screening questionnaire based on items in the best available diagnostic interview – the Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised (ADI–R) Method A 40 -item scale, the Autism Screening Questionnaire (ASQ), was developed and tested on a sample of 160 individuals with PDD and 40 with non-PDD diagnoses. Results The ASQ has good discriminative validity with respect to the separation of PDD from non-PDD diagnoses at all IQ levels, with a cut-off of 15 proving most effective. The differentiation between autism and other varieties of PDD was weaker. Conclusions The ASQ is an effective screening questionnaire for PDD.
Time transfer over a White Rabbit network

We started experiments with White Rabbit at LNE-SYRTE for time and frequency dissemination to a large number of users over long haul telecommunication networks. We consider in this paper preliminary work performed on fiber spools, and comparing two situations, one link with one optical fiber and two colors, and a second link with two fibers and a single wavelength. We present preliminary results showing time deviation down to 1 ps at 1000 seconds and Allan deviation as low as 10-15 for about 10000 seconds, for both configurations. We discuss the effect of chromatic dispersion on long haul time transfer regarding stability and accuracy. Finally, we outline our plan for future work.
Playground injuries to children

Play value, safety, or both Play for children has never been more important, particularly as we now know how vital exercise is in promoting health and preventing obesity, both in childhood and also into adult life. Play is also important in establishing social patterns of behaviour that allow children to react to their peers. Public playgrounds form a significant part of the play opportunities for children. It is not surprising therefore that those involved in children’s play have been anxious that playgrounds are as popular and provide as many challenges as possible. Going along with the drive to make public playgrounds as interesting as possible, there was also a drive to make them as safe as possible. This started with concern regarding playground injuries and deaths in the 1970s, particularly following an analysis in Sheffield led by the late Cynthia Illingworth.1 This movement led to the introduction of safety features such as impact absorbing surfaces (IAS), changes in equipment entrapment avoidance, height restrictions and guardrails, and changes in materials used in construction of equipment, and design. These changes led to introduction of standards in Britain,2 Europe (EN 1176 and 1177),3 and Australia.4 In the United States, the drive towards safety has been led by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.5 It is not surprising however, that the drive for more children’s play, and the drive for more safety have been seen to be in conflict and perhaps incompatible. This debate has been heightened by a recent review by Ball,6 for the Health and Safety Executive in the UK, suggesting that expensive safety modifications have minimal effect and are not cost effective in terms of reducing injury episodes to children. This article will attempt to answer this dilemma: what evidence is there to suggest that playground …
Integration of Cell Line and Clinical Trial Genome-Wide Analyses Supports a Polygenic Architecture of Paclitaxel-Induced Sensory Peripheral Neuropathy

Purpose: We sought to show the relevance of a lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL) model in the discovery of clinically relevant genetic variants affecting chemotherapeutic response by comparing LCL genome-wide association study (GWAS) results to clinical GWAS results. Experimental Design: A GWAS of paclitaxel-induced cytotoxicity was conducted in 247 LCLs from the HapMap Project and compared with a GWAS of sensory peripheral neuropathy in patients with breast cancer (n = 855) treated with paclitaxel in the Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) 40101 trial. Significant enrichment was assessed by permutation resampling analysis. Results: We observed an enrichment of LCL cytotoxicity-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the sensory peripheral neuropathy-associated SNPs from the clinical trial with concordant allelic directions of effect (empirical P = 0.007). Of the 24 SNPs that overlap between the clinical trial (P < 0.05) and the preclinical cytotoxicity study (P < 0.001), 19 of them are expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), which is a significant enrichment of this functional class (empirical P = 0.0447). One of these eQTLs is located in RFX2, which encodes a member of the DNA-binding regulatory factor X family. Decreased expression of this gene by siRNA resulted in increased sensitivity of Neuroscreen-1(NS-1; rat pheochromocytoma) cells to paclitaxel as measured by reduced neurite outgrowth and increased cytotoxicity, functionally validating the involvement of RFX2 in nerve cell response to paclitaxel. Conclusions: The enrichment results and functional example imply that cellular models of chemotherapeutic toxicity may capture components of the underlying polygenic architecture of related traits in patients. Clin Cancer Res; 19(2); 491–9. ©2012 AACR.