Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-generational sexual relationship in Addis Ababa : A qualitative study

Background: Cross-generational sexual practices are considered unsafe sexual behaviors. The risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections including HIV is believed to be high among those involved in cross-generational sexual relationship. However, studies addressing why and how people are engaged in such practices are limited. This study attempted to fill this gap. This study therefore explored cross generational sexual relationships and their perceived effects in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: Qualitative research with a phenomenological study design was carried out in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2014. Individuals who had personal experience of cross-generational sexual relationship (CGSR), and/or who were familiar with the practice were selected using snow balling technique. Six focus group discussions, three key informants and five in-depth interviews and non-participatory observations were conducted to obtain data for the study. All the FGDs and in-depth interviews were audio-recorded. The recorded data were transcribed and analyzed using a thematic approach in which motives, customs, perceived risks were separately identified for young girls and older men. Results: The motives for engaging in CGSR were found to be not the same for young girls and older men. The motives for young girls to get engaged in CGSR were often related with acquiring money and material while older men reported sexual pleasure as their driving force. The findings also revealed that cross-generational sexual relationship between a young girl and an older man did not last long. The economic background of young girls involved in such a practice was found to be mixed. This means that there were girls from poor economic background while also there were girls in the group whose economic background was fairly better off. Similarly, the educational background of the girls involved in CGSR was not found to be uniform. This means that many had either high school or college level educational background. Some in the group claimed to have completed university education. There were also illiterate young girls in the group that participated in the study. In connection with marriage, regardless of their economic background, both married and unmarried older men had this relationship. The young girls may have control on whether or not to engage themselves in CGSR. It should however be stated they either have no or little control on what would happen within relationships including the use of condom during sex. Similarly, asking for proof of HIV test before sex was also found to be a point beyond the relationship. Conclusion: Cross generational sexual relationships in Addis Ababa are likely to be unsafe due to the absence of condom use, absence of proof of HIV test before sex, and presence of multiple sexual partners. Further studies are necessary to measure the extent and effects of CGSRs. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2017;31(4):228-235]
The Amyloid β‐Protein of Alzheimer's Disease Increases Acetylcholinesterase Expression by Increasing Intracellular Calcium in Embryonal Carcinoma P19 Cells

Abstract: One of the characteristic changes that occurs in Alzheimer's disease is the loss of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from both cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons of the brain. However, AChE activity is increased around amyloid plaques. This increase in AChE may be of significance for therapeutic strategies using AChE inhibitors. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of amyloid β‐protein (Aβ), the major component of amyloid plaques, on AChE expression. Aβ peptides spanning residues 1–40 or 25–35 increased AChE activity in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells. A peptide containing a scrambled Aβ25–35 sequence did not stimulate AChE expression. To examine the possibility that the increase in AChE expression was mediated by an influx of calcium through voltage‐dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), drugs acting on VDCCs were tested for their effects. Inhibitors of L‐type VDCCs (diltiazem, nifedipine, and verapamil), but not N‐ or P‐ or Q‐type VDCCs, resulted in a decrease in AChE expression. Agonists of L‐type VDCCs (maitotoxin and S(−)‐Bay K 8644) increased AChE expression. As L‐type VDCCs are known to be modulated by cyclic AMP‐dependent protein kinase, the effect of the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin was also examined. Forskolin stimulated AChE expression, an action that was blocked by the L‐type VDCC antagonist nifedipine. The Aβ25–35‐induced increase in AChE expression was mediated by an L‐type VDCC, as the effect was also blocked by nifedipine. The results suggest that the increase in AChE expression around amyloid plaques could be due to a disturbance in calcium homeostasis involving the opening of L‐type VDCCs.
AWE (ANIMATED WORK ENVIRONMENT): AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE IN WORKING LIFE

This paper introduces the “Animated Work Environment” [AWE], an articulated, programmable, interior environment and chassis, embedded with integrated digital technologies that facilitate productivity, connectedness and innovation across fluid assemblages of people working in a wide variety of locations and settings. Featuring a continuous, morphing surface controlled by a user-friendly interface, AWE is characterized as adaptive and robust when applied to a range of work activities and working populations currently not accommodated by robotics or architectural design alone.
Psychophysical Determinants of Stress in Sustained Attention

To date, research on the stress of sustained attention tasks has not explored the extent to which such stress is determined by the psychophysical aspects of the monitored display. In the present study, the effects of the sensory modality of signals (audition and vision) and the background event rate (5 and 40 events/min) on task-induced stress were examined in a vigilance situation. Critical signals for detection were slight changes in stimulus duration. Stress was indexed by motor restlessness and subjective reports of fatigue. Restlessness and subjective fatigue increased dramatically across a 50-min watch in all conditions. Stress effects were most notable in the case of visual monitoring but were unrelated to variations in event rate. Hence, from a psychophysical perspective, the stress of sustained attention seems to be identified more specifically with the sensory modality of signals than with the event rate context in which they appear.
Differences of Cytotoxicity of Orthodontic Bands Assessed by Survival Tests in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity induced by orthodontic bands through survival tests on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a microorganism that presents several genetic and biochemical characteristics similar to human cells. Three groups of bands were evaluated: silver soldered (SSB), laser soldered (LSB), and bands without any solder (WSB). Yeast cells were directly exposed to the bands and indirectly, when a previous elution of the metals in artificial saliva was performed. The negative control was composed of yeast cells or artificial saliva not exposed to any kind of metal. In the direct exposure experiments, all tested groups of bands induced a slight reduction in yeast viability compared to the control. This effect was more intense for the SSB, although not statistically significant. For the indirect exposure experiments, the SSB induced a statistically significant decrease in cell viability compared to the LSB. There were no significant differences between the survival rates of the negative control and the LSB group in both direct and saliva tests. SSBs were cytotoxic, whilst LSBs were not, confirming that laser soldering may be a more biocompatible alternative for use in connecting wires to orthodontic appliances.
Community Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices Associated with Urogenital Schistosomiasis among School-Aged Children in Zanzibar, United Republic of Tanzania

Background On the Zanzibar islands, United Republic of Tanzania, elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis is strived for in the coming years. This qualitative study aimed to better understand community knowledge, perceptions, and practices associated with schistosomiasis among school-aged children on Unguja and Pemba islands, in order to inform the development of behavior change interventions contributing to eliminate urogenital schistosomiasis. Methodology In 2011, we conducted 35 children’s discussion groups, 41 in-depth interviews with parents and teachers, and 5 focus group discussions with community members in Zanzibar. Using a modified-grounded theory approach, we transcribed and coded the narrative data followed by thematic analysis of the emergent themes. Principal Findings Urogenital schistosomiasis is a common experience among children in Zanzibar and typically considered a boys’ disease. Children engage in multiple high-risk behaviors for acquiring schistosomiasis because of poor knowledge on disease transmission, lack of understanding on severity of disease-associated consequences, and lack of alternative options for water related activities of daily living and recreational play. Local primary school teachers had little to no training about the disease and no teaching tools or materials for students. Conclusions/Significance Conducting activities in open natural freshwater contaminated by S. haematobium larvae compromises the health of school-aged children in Zanzibar. The perception of urogenital schistosomiasis as a minor illness rather than a serious threat to a child’s well-being contributes to the spread of disease. Understanding community perceptions of disease along with the barriers and facilitators to risk reduction behaviors among children can inform health promotion activities, campaigns, and programs for the prevention, control, and elimination of urogenital schistosomiasis in Zanzibar.
Seminal Plasma Plasminogen Activator and Fertility

Summary: Seminal plasma samples were tested for plasminogen activation and considerable activity was found. Tests were performed in samples from 42 men with an infertile marriage but no relationship was found between plasminogen activator and fertility. However none of our men had any obvious seminal plasma viscosity or coagulation disorder and further work would involve testing samples from men with these disorders.
A study on the implementation of large-scale home telemonitoring service

We present the early findings from a longitudinal study of a multi-site home telemonitoring program for chronic disease management. The study aims to find out how the telehealth service is integrated into existing models of care at each site and how it impacts on practices and care processes within each particular setting. We identified potential implementation barriers perceived by clinicians. We highlight differences in healthcare settings and various ways that structures and practices have been configured in these sites. Our study seeks to expend the focus of research longitudinally and across different local settings and contributes to recent research in large-scale and home care applications.
Effect of Environmental Factors from Birth to the Onset of Reproductive Function and Management in Indo-Brazilian Heifers

In order to evaluate factors that affect growth, age at first breeding (AFB) and age at conception (AC) 246 records of Indo-Brazilian heifers were used. An analysis of variance was performed with a model including the fixed effects of season of birth (SB), year of birth (YB), dam’s parity number (DPN) and breeding season (BS). Birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW) and weight at first breeding (WFB) were included as covariates. The following interactions were also included, SBxYB, YBxDPN and BSxYB. The association of WFB with AFB and AC was analyzed by regression. The growth was described from birth to first calving with the Gompertz equation. AFB and AC were affected by SBxYB and BSxYB (p<0.01). Differences in SBxYB for AFB of 16.56 and in BSxYB for AC of 17.24 months were detected. In average, heifers were bred at 32 months of age and became pregnant at 33, because some of them required two breedings. Variation in AFB and AC was due to SBxYB, BSrxYB and WFB (p<0.01). Indo-Brazilian heifers with a higher WFB which are born and bred in spring will be the first ones to get pregnant. The most important sources of variation for WFB and AC were the interactions SBxYB, YBxDPN and BSxYB. Sire and mating year had a significant effect on the three parameters of the growth curve (p<0.05). It is concluded that Gompertz equation is useful to describe the growth of Indo-Brazilian heifers because it allows adjustments during growth involving daily weight gain.
Seismic moment‐frequency relation for shallow earthquakes: Regional comparison

We determine the parameter values for the seismic moment-frequency relation using Flinn-Engdahl's regionalization of global seismicity and the Harvard centroid-moment tensor data. The earthquake size distribution is approximated by the gamma law: a version of the Gutenberg-Richter distribution with an exponential taper at the maximum moment. There is no statistically significant variation of the fJ value (the analog of the b value) for all seismic regions except for the midocean ridge systems. For the latter regions fJ = 0.93, whereas for all other zones fJ = 0.63. The maximum moment Mxg can be statistically evaluated only for subduction zones treated as a whole, Mxg = 10 21 - 2 X 10 22 Newton m, which corresponds to the worldwide Mxg value. For other regions, as well as for single subduction zones, Mxg is determined by comparing the number of events in each zone with the seismic moment rate calculated on the basis of the NUVEL-1 model of plate motion. For subduction zones, we obtain the estimate of Mxg which agrees with the statistical value, giving evidence that most tectonic deformation is released by earthquakes. We test the hypothesis that no statistically significant variation in Mxg occurs in subduction and continent collision zones; the hypothesis cannot be rejected with available data. For the midocean ridges, the Mxg estimate cannot be unambiguously determined; it is quite possible that the estimate is significantly biased because only a small part of tectonic deformation at the ridges is released by earthquakes. These results have importance in evaluating seismic risk and may also lead to developing a physical theory for earthquake generation.
Assessing nurses’ informatics competency and identifying its related factors

Background Due to the increasing use of informatics as an infrastructure in developing the quality of care and patient safety, informatics competency has become a crucial requirement for nurses. Aim This study was conducted to assess nursing informatics competency, and identify related factors in registered nurses. Method This research is an analytical descriptive study in which the research community included 205 nurses working at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences’ hospitals. The researcher-made questionnaire was developed as a data collection tool (α = 98%). The data was entered into SPSS16 software and correlation analysis and regression were carried out. Results The mean score percentage of total nursing informatics competency was 59.92%. The highest mean score was related to informatics skills (62.98), followed by the informatics knowledge subscale (59%). In addition, informatics competency was positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.27, p = 0.001), evidence-based practice (r = 0.55, p = 0.001) and time spent on hospital information systems (r = 0.16, p = 0.01). Conclusion Computer skills, self-efficacy, evidence-based practice and time spent on hospital information systems are determinant factors of nurses’ informatics competency. Developing nurses’ basic computer skills and incorporating informatics education programmes into the curriculum can enhance nurses’ informatics competency.
An empirical study on creating software product value in India - an analytic hierarchy process approach

India is growing strongly in the software industry and has a dynamic global market in software development. In today's competitive market it is necessary for the software companies to maximise the creation of software product value to remain a success in the market. The value of a software product is largely derived through the fulfilment of requirements. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully select the requirements to include in a specific software release. This paper presents an empirical study to understand how the value is created by finding the importance of different decision-making criteria and the perspectives that motivates them. The study is carried out among multinational software companies operating in India. The analytic hierarchy process is used to find the relative importance of the 13 criteria and to prioritise them by considering what creates business value in a software product. The results depict that for any product to be accepted in the market or by the potential customers business perspective is vital.
[Antibiotic prophylaxis in transrectal prostate biopsy].

INTRODUCTION Transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the prostate is a safe technique, but it is not complication-free, and its most serious complications are genitourinary infections (GUI) and the conditions they cause. The purpose of antibiotic prophylaxis is to reduce this GUI incidence rate. However, no established guidelines exist and there are significant differences among centres where this procedure is performed. The objective of the present report is to review antibiotic prophylaxis protocols described in the literature. MATERIAL AND METHODS We reviewed indexed articles published in English or Spanish and accessible through literature databases. RESULTS Five articles comparing antibiotic prophylaxis with a placebo observe lower bacteriuria and infectious complications percentage rates in the group receiving prophylaxis. In most cases, E. coli is the microorganism responsible for infection. Oral quinolones are the most commonly prescribed prophylactic antibiotics. Three studies of oral vs. parenteral prophylaxis found no differences between the two groups. Three other articles comparing short term and single-dose prophylaxis found no differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Administering prophylactic antibiotics is more advantageous than not doing so. The moment for beginning prophylaxis depends on the antibiotic's bioavailability and how it is administered. The chosen antibiotic will preferably be administered orally as a single dose or short term course, according to the sensitivities of prevalent microorganisms. More studies are needed to determine what role pre-biopsy enemas play in reducing infectious complications.
Preparation and characterization of solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with frankincense and myrrh oil

The aim of the present study was to prepare solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) for the oral delivery of frankincense and myrrh essential oils (FMO). Aqueous dispersions of SLNs were successfully prepared by a high-pressure homogenization method using Compritol 888 ATO as the solid lipid and soybean lecithin and Tween 80 as the surfactants. The properties of the SLNs such as particle size, zeta potential (ZP), and drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) were investigated. The morphology of SLNs was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The crystallinity of the formulation was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). In addition, drug evaporation release and antitumor activity were also studied. Round SLNs with a mean size of 113.3 ± 3.6 nm, a ZP of −16.8 ± 0.4 mV, and an EE of 80.60% ± 1.11% were obtained. DSC and XRD measurements revealed that less ordered structures were formed in the inner cores of the SLN particles. Evaporation loss of the active components in FMO could be reduced in the SLNs. Furthermore, the SLN formulation increased the antitumor efficacy of FMO in H22-bearing Kunming mice. Hence, the presented SLNs can be used as drug carriers for hydrophobic oil drugs extracted from traditional Chinese medicines.
Electrochemical sensing method for point-of-care cortisol detection in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

A novel electrochemical sensing method was devised for the first time to detect plasma cortisol, a potential psychological stress biomarker, in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive subjects. A miniaturized potentiostat (reconfigured LMP91000 chip) interfaced with a microfluidic manifold containing a cortisol immunosensor was employed to demonstrate electrochemical cortisol sensing. This fully integrated and optimized electrochemical sensing device exhibited a wide cortisol-detection range from 10 pg/mL to 500 ng/mL, a low detection limit of 10 pg/mL, and sensitivity of 5.8 μA (pg mL)−1, with a regression coefficient of 0.995. This cortisol-selective sensing system was employed to estimate plasma cortisol in ten samples from HIV patients. The electrochemical cortisol-sensing performance was validated using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. The results obtained using both methodologies were comparable within 2%–5% variation. The information related to psychological stress of HIV patients can be correlated with disease-progression parameters to optimize diagnosis, therapeutic, and personalized health monitoring.
Talking Points in Linguistic Creativity

Creative linguistic devices like metaphor, simile and analogy serve two important roles in language. The first of these is to make the unfamiliar and the strange seem more familiar and understandable (Indurkhya, 1992). For instance, one might describe a burqa (a full body covering for Muslim women) as a suit of armor, as a shield against prying eyes or, depending on one’s communication goal, as a wearable cage. The other role of these linguistic devices is most often associated with the poetic and fanciful use of language, but is no less important: to make the familiar and mundane seem strange and unfamiliar. In this latter guise, metaphors, analogies and similes allow us to view a commonplace idea from a new and revealing category perspective (Camac and Glucksberg, 1984). For instance, one might describe make-up as “the Western burqa”, to communicate not just the idea that each involves a covering of the female form, but that each reflects a society-imposed expectation on the public presentation of women. Each of these roles is a manifestation of the same underlying mechanism for combining concepts, for understanding how they interact (Black, 1962) and for determining how they are connected (Fauconnier and Turner, 1998), even if those connections are tenuous, hidden or not always obvious (Collins and Loftus, 1975). For example, Figure 1 shows the reframing that is needed to appreciate the above metaphors:
The Effects of Wealth and Income on Subjective Well-Being and Ill-Being

The accepted view among psychologists and, increasingly, economists is that household income has statistically significant but only small effects on measures of subjective well-being. Income, however, is clearly an imperfect measure of the economic circumstances of households. Using data drawn from the 2002 wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, this paper demonstrates that wealth, which can be viewed as providing a degree of economic security, is at least as important to well-being and ill-being as income.