Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contraception supply chain challenges: a review of evidence from low- and middle-income countries

Abstract Purpose: To identify and assess factors determining the functioning of supply chain systems for modern contraception in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and to identify challenges contributing to contraception stockouts that may lead to unmet need. Materials and methods: Scientific databases and grey literature were searched including Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), PubMed, MEDLINE, POPLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Complete, Science Direct, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, Google Scholar, WHO databases and websites of key international organisations. Results: Studies indicated that supply chain system inefficiencies significantly affect availability of modern FP and contraception commodities in LMICs, especially in rural public facilities where distribution barriers may be acute. Supply chain failures or bottlenecks may be attributed to: weak and poorly institutionalized logistic management information systems (LMIS), poor physical infrastructures in LMICs, lack of trained and dedicated staff for supply chain management, inadequate funding, and rigid government policies on task sharing. However, there is evidence that implementing effective LMISs and involving public and private providers will distribution channels resulted in reduction in medical commodities’ stockout rates. Conclusions: Supply chain bottlenecks contribute significantly to persistent high stockout rates for modern contraceptives in LMICs. Interventions aimed at enhancing uptake of contraceptives to reduce the problem of unmet need in LMICs should make strong commitments towards strengthening these countries’ health commodities supply chain management systems. Current evidence is limited and additional, and well-designed implementation research on contraception supply chain systems is warranted to gain further understanding and insights on the determinants of supply chain bottlenecks and their impact on stockouts of contraception commodities.
Person-Thing Orientation and Human Connection MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology Name: Malika Supervisor:

Individuals differ in the interest they express towards different aspects of the environment. Little (1972) suggested that some individuals are primarily interested in people, whereas others are interested in other things. Differences in Person-Thing Orientation are related to sex differences, with, men orienting towards things more than women and women generally orienting towards people more than men. Person-Thing Orientation is also related to occupational choices, psychopathology and social behaviours. This present research conducts two web-based studies (N=224 and 732 respectively) to explore the measurement properties and construct validity of person-thing orientation, using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and multi-trait and multi-method matrix (and comparing with Empathising and Systemising); and to assess how orientations and personality traits might explain volunteering behaviour and life satisfaction, using hierarchal multiple regression. Analyses suggests that 1) thing orientation and person orientation can be measured independently of one another; 2) males score higher on thing orientation and females score higher on person orientation; 3) these orientations are positively related to Empathising and Systemising Quotient; and 4) personality traits explain life satisfaction, whereas orientations evince altruistic volunteering.
Stabilization of global temperature at 1.5°C and 2.0°C: implications for coastal areas

The effectiveness of stringent climate stabilization scenarios for coastal areas in terms of reduction of impacts/adaptation needs and wider policy implications has received little attention. Here we use the Warming Acidification and Sea Level Projector Earth systems model to calculate large ensembles of global sea-level rise (SLR) and ocean pH projections to 2300 for 1.5°C and 2.0°C stabilization scenarios, and a reference unmitigated RCP8.5 scenario. The potential consequences of these projections are then considered for global coastal flooding, small islands, deltas, coastal cities and coastal ecology. Under both stabilization scenarios, global mean ocean pH (and temperature) stabilize within a century. This implies significant ecosystem impacts are avoided, but detailed quantification is lacking, reflecting scientific uncertainty. By contrast, SLR is only slowed and continues to 2300 (and beyond). Hence, while coastal impacts due to SLR are reduced significantly by climate stabilization, especially after 2100, potential impacts continue to grow for centuries. SLR in 2300 under both stabilization scenarios exceeds unmitigated SLR in 2100. Therefore, adaptation remains essential in densely populated and economically important coastal areas under climate stabilization. Given the multiple adaptation steps that this will require, an adaptation pathways approach has merits for coastal areas. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The Paris Agreement: understanding the physical and social challenges for a warming world of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels’.
Early onset of action and efficacy of a combination of calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate in the treatment of psoriasis.

BACKGROUND Calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate are topical treatments for psoriasis vulgaris. Their mode of action is different. Improved risk/benefit may result with concomitant use of the two compounds together. A new vehicle has been created with the objective of obtaining optimal stability of both calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate in the combination product. OBJECTIVE We compared the clinical efficacy of a fixed combination of calcipotriene and betamethasone dipropionate in a new vehicle to calcipotriene in the new vehicle, betamethasone in the new vehicle, and the new vehicle alone. METHODS This was an international, multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, 4-week study in patients with psoriasis vulgaris amenable to topical treatment. RESULTS The mean percentage reduction in PASI from baseline to end of treatment was 73.2% in the combination group (n = 301), 48.8% in the calcipotriene group (n = 308), 63.1% in the betamethasone dipropionate group (n = 312) and 28.8% in the new vehicle group (n = 107), (P < .001). The mean percentage reduction in PASI during the first week was 48.1%, 28.4%, 41.4%, and 21.5%, respectively (P < .001). CONCLUSION A combination product of calcipotriene 50 microg/g and betamethasone dipropionate 0.5 mg/g in the new vehicle shows superior efficacy with a more rapid onset of action than the new vehicle containing either constituent alone in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris.
Echo-acoustic scanning with noseleaf and ears in phyllostomid bats

ABSTRACT The mammalian visual system is highly directional and mammals typically employ rapid eye movements to scan their environment. Both sound emission and hearing in echolocating bats are directional but not much is known about how bats use ear movements and possibly movements of the sound-emitting structures to scan space. Here, we investigated in a tightly controlled behavioural experiment how Phyllostomus discolor bats employ their echolocation system while being moved through differently structured environments: we monitored and reconstructed both a close-up of the facial structures in 3D, including the motile noseleaf and outer ears, and the sonar-beam of the bat while it was moved along reflectors. Despite the simple linear movement of the bats in the setup, the bats pointed their beam quite variably in azimuth with a standard deviation of about ±20 deg. This variation arises from yaw-type head rotations. Video analyses show that the bat's noseleaf twitches with every echolocation call. Second, we show that the bat's ears are raised to a rather stereotypical head-centred position with every echolocation call. Surprisingly, P. discolor can adjust the timing and the magnitude of these ear movements to the distance of the reflectors with millisecond precision. Our findings reveal echolocation-specific specialisations as well as general principles of scanning and stabilisation of a directional remote sense. The call-correlated movements of the facial structures may lead to a higher directionality of the echolocation system and may enable the bats to adjust their echo-acoustic gaze to dynamic environments. Highlighted Article: Echolocating bats move their noseleaf (for sound emission) and their ears for fast and directed echo-acoustic exploration of their surroundings.
Reversible Data Hiding in Encrypted Images by Reserving Room Before Encryption

Recently, more and more attention is paid to reversible data hiding (RDH) in encrypted images, since it maintains the excellent property that the original cover can be losslessly recovered after embedded data is extracted while protecting the image content's confidentiality. All previous methods embed data by reversibly vacating room from the encrypted images, which may be subject to some errors on data extraction and/or image restoration. In this paper, we propose a novel method by reserving room before encryption with a traditional RDH algorithm, and thus it is easy for the data hider to reversibly embed data in the encrypted image. The proposed method can achieve real reversibility, that is, data extraction and image recovery are free of any error. Experiments show that this novel method can embed more than 10 times as large payloads for the same image quality as the previous methods, such as for PSNR=40 dB.
Effect of nursing intervention on the Quality of life of children undergoing hemodialysis

Renal failure is a major health problem all over the world that significantly lessens Children' s quality of life. Their care is a complex process requires multi disciplinary systems and urgent attention when it is diagnosed. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of nursing intervention on the Quality of life of children undergoing hemodialysis. The study was conducted at pediatrics heamodialysis units of Tanta and Benha University hospitals. A convenient sample of 70 children with chronic renal failure was included in the study (30 of them from Tanta University hospital and 40 from Benha University hospital). Their ages ranged from 8-18 years, with mean age 12.80years±3.43. Interviewing questionnaire sheet and quality of life inventory scales were used to collect the required data. Data were collected in four phases(Initial phase, developmental phase, implementation phase and evaluation phase). The results of the current study revealed that, most of children were males (56%). A significant improvement in psychological domain score was found post intervention, in comparison to that pre intervention with significant decrease in categories of very poor quality of life (P=0.0001), and the percentage increased with the average and high quality of life (P=0.008and 0.061 respectively). There was no significant improvement in physical , social and school attendance domain score of quality of life post intervention in comparison to that pre intervention . with significant improvement only in high quality of life score of physical domain (P=0.002). Regarding to total score of quality of life, significant improvement was found regarding very poor, average and high quality of life post intervention (p=0.0001.0.010 and 0.005) respectively. Conclusion: Nursing intervention had positive effect on all domains of quality of life, specially psychological domain, which showed significant improvement. So it was recommended that, health education sessions should be conducted in heamodialysis units to all nursing staff as care providers, mothers and children to improve the compliance to the prescribed treatment as well as to help them to adapt with their limitation of the disease and its management. [Ebtisam Elsayed, Wafaa El-Soreety, Thanaa Elawany and Faten Nasar Effect of nursing intervention on the Quality of life of children undergoing hemodialysis. Life Science Journal. 2012; 9(1):77-86] (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com.
Laser Atherectomy for Lower Extremity Revascularization: An Adjunctive Endovascular Treatment Option

Excimer laser atherectomy (LA) employs precision laser energy control (shallow tissue penetration) and safer wavelengths (ultraviolet as opposed to the infrared spectra in older laser technology), which decreases perforation and thermal injury to the treated vessels. Though extensively used by cardiologists for severe obstructive coronary artery disease, peripheral interventionalists have not accepted LA as a routine adjunctive technique for stenotic or occluded vessels. We report herein the technical and clinical outcomes with LA for complex peripheral vascular disease in patients deemed high-risk for conventional surgical revascularization. Over a 6-month period, 19 lesions in 15 high-risk patients (mean age 72 ±10 years) were treated with LA (308-nm spectral wavelength) followed by balloon angioplasty for limb-threatening ischemia (n=10) and severe disabling claudication (n=5). The lesions were located at the superficial femoral artery (n=8), popliteal artery (6), and/or tibial vessels (5). The mean occlusion length was 10.3 ±2.3 cm. Laser catheter choice ranged from 1.4 to 2.5 mm depending on the target vessel diameter. Clinical examination, duplex ultrasound, and ankle-brachial indices were performed in follow-up visits. Immediate technical success was achieved in 16 (84%) lesions. In the 3 technical failures, inability to cross the lesion with a wire (n=2) or vessel perforation (n=1) precluded successful LA. Overall, primary patency as assessed by duplex was 57% (superficial femoral artery 71%, popliteal 60%, tibial vessels 25%). Clinical improvement was seen in 10 lesions (77%) that were successfully treated initially. One patient required below-knee amputation. At an average of 2-year follow-up, 6 patients who were initially successfully treated were alive (46%), including 3 patients (50%) with stable symptoms without the need for major amputation. Laser atherectomy is a useful adjunctive revascularization technique for high-risk patients with limb-threatening ischemia. This technique is especially beneficial in the treatment of ostial lesions, which may be prone to distal embolization, as well as total occlusions that can be traversed by a guide wire but not a balloon. Vascular surgeons should add LA to their endovascular armamentarium for the treatment of complex peripheral vascular disease in the high surgical risk patients. Further study of clinical outcome measures and comparison to other interventional techniques are warranted.
Combination of pregabalin with duloxetine for fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain and associated with sleep disturbance, depression, fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction. Polypharmacy is commonly used, but supportive evidence is limited. Most fibromyalgia trials focus primarily on pain reduction with monotherapy. This trial compares a pregabalin–duloxetine combination to each monotherapy. Using a randomized, double-blind, 4-period crossover design, participants received maximally tolerated doses of placebo, pregabalin, duloxetine, and pregabalin–duloxetine combination—for 6 weeks. Primary outcome was daily pain (0-10); secondary outcomes included global pain relief, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, SF-36 survey, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), adverse events, and other measures. Of 41 participants randomized, 39 completed ≥2 treatments. Daily pain during placebo, pregabalin, duloxetine, and combination was 5.1, 5.0, 4.1, and 3.7, respectively (P < 0.05 only for combination vs placebo, and pregabalin). Participants (%) reporting ≥moderate global pain relief were 18%, 39%, 42%, and 68%, respectively (P < 0.05 for combination vs placebo, pregabalin, and duloxetine). Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scores were 42.9, 37.4, 36.0, and 29.8, respectively (P < 0.05 for combination vs placebo, pregabalin, and duloxetine). SF-36 scores were 50.2, 55.7, 56.0, and 61.2, respectively (P < 0.05 for combination vs placebo, pregabalin, and duloxetine). Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale scores were 48.9, 35.2, 46.1, and 32.1, respectively (P < 0.05 only for combination vs placebo, and duloxetine). BDI-II scores were 11.9, 9.9, 10.7, and 8.9, respectively (P < 0.05 only for combination vs placebo). Moderate–severe drowsiness was more frequent during combination vs placebo. Combining pregabalin and duloxetine for fibromyalgia improves multiple clinical outcomes vs monotherapy. Continued research should compare this and other combinations to monotherapy for fibromyalgia.
PERSONALITY AND SELF-FORGIVENESS: THE ROLES OF SHAME, GUILT, EMPATHY AND CONCILIATORY BEHAVIOR

The focus of this paper is on the somewhat neglected component of the forgiveness construct, self-forgiveness, and its relationship to shame, guilt, empathy, and conciliatory behavior. A section of a theoretical model of self-forgiveness, proposed by Hall and Fincham (2005), was compared with a new model, to ascertain the role these emotional and behavioral factors played in influencing self-forgiveness. Participants were 91 first-year undergraduate psychology students and a community sample of 59 who completed self-report measures of each variable. Structural equation modeling revealed that the Hall and Fincham model did not provide an adequate fit to the empirical data until the covariance between shame and guilt was incorporated into the model. Unlike their findings, shame-proneness and personal distress empathy, rather than guilt and other-oriented empathy, emerged as the key personality traits involved in inhibiting self-forgiveness. A new model emphasizing these findings is presented and implication.
Biofilm Formation in Nonmultidrug-resistant Escherichia coli Isolated from Patients with Urinary Tract Infection in Isfahan, Iran

Background: Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative, opportunistic human pathogen in which increasing antibiotic resistance is a great concern for continued human survival. Although biofilm formation is a mechanism that helps E. coli to survive in unfavorable conditions, according to the importance of biofilm formation in developing the antibiotic resistance here, we studied the relation between antibiotic resistance and in vitro qualitative rating method biofilm formation in E. coli isolated from patients with urinary tract infection (UTI). Materials and Methods: The clinical isolates of E. coli (n = 100) were collected from urine of patients with UTI attending Isfahan Alzahra hospital. The strains were confirmed as E. coli using biochemical tests and molecular method. The Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion tests were done according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocol, and the biofilm synthesis was performed by microplate method. The binary logistic test was applied and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Our results showed a high outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli strains (73%) and the highest resistance was observed toward ampicillin. The prevalence of biofilm producer isolates was 80% that 29% produced strong biofilm. The distribution of non-MDR isolates was high among strong biofilm producers, which shows a significant negative correlation between biofilm production and MDR pattern (P < 0.001). Conclusions: We found a negative correlation between MDR phenotype and biofilm formation capacity. This transmits the concept that more antibiotic susceptibility of strong biofilm producers may be due to the reduced exposure to multiple antibiotics.
Regulation of Polyhydroxybutyrate Synthesis in the Soil Bacterium Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens

ABSTRACT Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a carbon and energy reserve polymer in various prokaryotic species. We determined that, when grown with mannitol as the sole carbon source, Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens produces a homopolymer composed only of 3-hydroxybutyrate units (PHB). Conditions of oxygen limitation (such as microoxia, oxic stationary phase, and bacteroids inside legume nodules) were permissive for the synthesis of PHB, which was observed as cytoplasmic granules. To study the regulation of PHB synthesis, we generated mutations in the regulator gene phaR and the phasin genes phaP1 and phaP4. Under permissive conditions, mutation of phaR impaired PHB accumulation, and a phaP1 phaP4 double mutant produced more PHB than the wild type, which was accumulated in a single, large cytoplasmic granule. Moreover, PhaR negatively regulated the expression of phaP1 and phaP4 as well as the expression of phaA1 and phaA2 (encoding a 3-ketoacyl coenzyme A [CoA] thiolases), phaC1 and phaC2 (encoding PHB synthases), and fixK 2 (encoding a cyclic AMP receptor protein [CRP]/fumarate and nitrate reductase regulator [FNR]-type transcription factor of genes for microoxic lifestyle). In addition to the depressed PHB cycling, phaR mutants accumulated more extracellular polysaccharides and promoted higher plant shoot dry weight and competitiveness for nodulation than the wild type, in contrast to the phaC1 mutant strain, which is defective in PHB synthesis. These results suggest that phaR not only regulates PHB granule formation by controlling the expression of phasins and biosynthetic enzymes but also acts as a global regulator of excess carbon allocation and symbiosis by controlling fixK 2. IMPORTANCE In this work, we investigated the regulation of polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis in the soybean-nodulating bacterium Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens and its influence in bacterial free-living and symbiotic lifestyles. We uncovered a new interplay between the synthesis of this carbon reserve polymer and the network responsible for microoxic metabolism through the interaction between the gene regulators phaR and fixK 2. These results contribute to the understanding of the physiological conditions required for polyhydroxybutyrate biosynthesis. The interaction between these two main metabolic pathways is also reflected in the symbiotic phenotypes of soybeans inoculated with phaR mutants, which were more competitive for nodulation and enhanced dry matter production by the plants. Therefore, this knowledge may be applied to the development of superior strains to be used as improved inoculants for soybean crops.