Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contraceptive knowledge and practice among senior secondary schools students in military barracks in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Many adolescents lack adequate health education coupled with low contraceptive use. As a result of this, they may experience the negative health consequences of early, unprotected sexual activity as well as its social and economic implications. OBJECTIVE To determine the level of knowledge of contraceptives and its use among senior secondary schools students in Ojo military barracks, Lagos. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study of 400 senior secondary schools students in Ojo military barracks, Lagos, selected using the multistage sampling technique was done. Data were collected using pretested, self-administered structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17 (International Business Machine USA). Tests for statistical significance were carried out using Chi-square tests for proportions. P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS The response rate was 100%. Majority of them 391 (97.8%), were in the adolescent age group (10-19 years). The mean age was 15 ± 2.4 for males and 15 ± 2.2 for the females. Two hundred and seventy (67.5%) of them had correct knowledge of the use of condoms while 48 (31.1%) of the sexually active respondents have ever used any form of contraceptive with no statistically significant difference between the male and female respondents (P = 0.338). The most common barrier to contraceptive methods as reported by 131 (85.1%) of respondents was their being too embarrassed to source for the commodities. CONCLUSIONS There was a fairly high level of knowledge and relatively low use of contraceptives. We recommend that efforts should be intensified to promote the safe sexual practice and contraceptive use in this age group.
Improving Color Constancy in an Ambient Light Environment Using the Phong Reflection Model

We present a physics-based illumination estimation approach explicitly designed to handle natural images under ambient light. Existing physics-based color constancy methods are theoretically perfect but do not handle real-world images well because the majority of these methods assume a single illuminant. Therefore, specular pixels selected using existing methods produce estimated dichromatic lines that are thick or curvilinear in the presence of ambient light, thus generating significant errors. Based on the Phong reflection model, we show that a group of specular pixels on a uniformly colored object, although they are subject to intensity thresholding, produce a unique dichromatic line length depending on the geometry of each image path. Assuming that the longest dichromatic line is the most desirable when estimating the chromaticity of an illuminant, ambient-robust specular pixels are also found on the same path on which the longest dichromatic line segment is generated. Therefore, we propose a method to find the optimal image path in which the specular pixels produce the longest dichromatic line. Even though the number of collected specular pixels is reduced using the proposed method, they are proven to be more accurate when determining the illuminant chromaticity even in the existing methods. Experiments with an established benchmark data set and a self-produced image set find that the proposed method is better able to locate the illuminant chromaticity compared with the state-of-the-art color constancy methods.
Vitamin D prevents cognitive decline and enhances hippocampal synaptic function in aging rats

Significance Higher blood levels of vitamin D are associated with better health outcomes. Vitamin D deficiency, however, is common among the elderly. Despite targets in the brain, little is known about how vitamin D affects cognitive function. In aging rodents, we modeled human serum vitamin D levels ranging from deficient to sufficient and tested whether increasing dietary vitamin D could maintain or improve cognitive function. Treatment was initiated at middle age, when markers of aging emerge, and maintained for ∼6 mo. Compared with low- or normal-dietary vitamin D groups, only aging rats on higher vitamin D could perform a complex memory task and had blood levels considered in the optimal range. These results suggest that vitamin D may improve the likelihood of healthy cognitive aging. Vitamin D is an important calcium-regulating hormone with diverse functions in numerous tissues, including the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining cognitive function and that vitamin D deficiency may accelerate age-related cognitive decline. Using aging rodents, we attempted to model the range of human serum vitamin D levels, from deficient to sufficient, to test whether vitamin D could preserve or improve cognitive function with aging. For 5–6 mo, middle-aged F344 rats were fed diets containing low, medium (typical amount), or high (100, 1,000, or 10,000 international units/kg diet, respectively) vitamin D3, and hippocampal-dependent learning and memory were then tested in the Morris water maze. Rats on high vitamin D achieved the highest blood levels (in the sufficient range) and significantly outperformed low and medium groups on maze reversal, a particularly challenging task that detects more subtle changes in memory. In addition to calcium-related processes, hippocampal gene expression microarrays identified pathways pertaining to synaptic transmission, cell communication, and G protein function as being up-regulated with high vitamin D. Basal synaptic transmission also was enhanced, corroborating observed effects on gene expression and learning and memory. Our studies demonstrate a causal relationship between vitamin D status and cognitive function, and they suggest that vitamin D-mediated changes in hippocampal gene expression may improve the likelihood of successful brain aging.
Ecotope effect in Triatoma brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) suggests phenotypic plasticity rather than adaptation

Triatoma brasiliensis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) is an important vector of Chagas' disease in both sylvatic and peridomestic ecotopes. Discriminating between these populations of Triatominae has been proposed as a means of investigating re‐infestation rates of human dwellings. Geometric morphometrics have been widely applied in the study of Triatominae polymorphisms at species and population levels. This study characterizes morphometric differences between sylvatic and peridomestic populations, as well as between sexes in T. brasiliensis specimens from Jaguaruana, Ceará, in northeastern Brazil. No differences in either the shape or size of the cephalic capsule were apparent between sexes or ecotopes. However, the wings showed differentiation in shape and size. Sexual dimorphism was detected, with females presenting significantly higher values and conformations. Size differentiation was also evident, with sylvatic specimens being generally larger than peridomestic examples. These results indicate that differences in the wings of T. brasiliensis may be related to the existence of phenotypic plasticity, and variations in size and shape may be associated with different ecotopes, possibly as a result of conditions in each micro‐habitat, such as temperature, relative humidity, food supply and density.
Phasor Estimation Algorithm Based on Complex Frequency Filters for Digital Relaying

This paper presents a new filter-based algorithm to estimate the fundamental phasor of fault currents, using the proposed complex frequency filter. The presence of decaying dc component (ddc) in fault currents causes large error in discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based phasor estimation methods. The proposed filter discriminates the ddc from dc and sinusoidal signals. In this algorithm, first, the ddc is filtered out by the proposed filter. Then, the fundamental phasor can be precisely extracted by applying DFT. Second and fourth order of the complex frequency filter and their design method are presented. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, several test signals are used. The algorithm is also compared with recent DFT-based and mimic-DFT methods, using four performance indices. The simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the proposed algorithm against harmonics, noise, multiple ddc components, and off-nominal frequency. It also offers faster convergence speed. The proposed complex frequency filter can also be used for the phasor estimation of harmonic components in the presence of ddc with no need to readjust its parameters.
How Magnetic Disturbance Influences the Attitude and Heading in Magnetic and Inertial Sensor-Based Orientation Estimation

With the advancements in micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies, magnetic and inertial sensors are becoming more and more accurate, lightweight, smaller in size as well as low-cost, which in turn boosts their applications in human movement analysis. However, challenges still exist in the field of sensor orientation estimation, where magnetic disturbance represents one of the obstacles limiting their practical application. The objective of this paper is to systematically analyze exactly how magnetic disturbances affects the attitude and heading estimation for a magnetic and inertial sensor. First, we reviewed four major components dealing with magnetic disturbance, namely decoupling attitude estimation from magnetic reading, gyro bias estimation, adaptive strategies of compensating magnetic disturbance and sensor fusion algorithms. We review and analyze the features of existing methods of each component. Second, to understand each component in magnetic disturbance rejection, four representative sensor fusion methods were implemented, including gradient descent algorithms, improved explicit complementary filter, dual-linear Kalman filter and extended Kalman filter. Finally, a new standardized testing procedure has been developed to objectively assess the performance of each method against magnetic disturbance. Based upon the testing results, the strength and weakness of the existing sensor fusion methods were easily examined, and suggestions were presented for selecting a proper sensor fusion algorithm or developing new sensor fusion method.
Slow protein evolutionary rates are dictated by surface–core association

Why do certain proteins evolve much slower than others? We compared not only rates per protein, but also rates per position within individual proteins. For ∼90% of proteins, the distribution of positional rates exhibits three peaks: a peak of slow evolving residues, with average log2[normalized rate], log2μ, of ca. −2, corresponding primarily to core residues; a peak of fast evolving residues (log2μ ∼ 0.5) largely corresponding to surface residues; and a very fast peak (log2μ ∼ 2) associated with disordered segments. However, a unique fraction of proteins that evolve very slowly exhibit not only a negligible fast peak, but also a peak with a log2μ ∼ −4, rather than the standard core peak of −2. Thus, a “freeze” of a protein's surface seems to stop core evolution as well. We also observed a much higher fraction of substitutions in potentially interacting residues than expected by chance, including substitutions in pairs of contacting surface-core residues. Overall, the data suggest that accumulation of surface substitutions enables the acceptance of substitutions in core positions. The underlying reason for slow evolution might therefore be a highly constrained surface due to protein–protein interactions or the need to prevent misfolding or aggregation. If the surface is inaccessible to substitutions, so becomes the core, thus resulting in very slow overall rates.
Industrial effects associated with the columnar to equiaxed transition in remelt ingots

Abstract There have been many studies of the mechanisms involved in causing the solidification mode of an alloy to change from a columnar dendritic to an equiaxed structure, the columnar to equiaxed transition (CET). The parameters which cause the change are alloy segregation characteristics, freezing rate, undercooling and the presence or absence of nucleating sites for the equiaxial crystals. These parameters have been collected into theories which describe the CET and which generally satisfy the results found in laboratory or model systems. Although the effect has considerable scientific interest, the impact of a CET on the structure of an industrial ingot or casting is less widely recognised. In this report, we comment on the CET in relation to the structure of superalloy castings and ingots and on the formation of segregation defects in titanium alloy ingots. We conclude that one of the more important results of accurately modelling the solidification of these systems is that we may predict the casting conditions leading to the CET and also assess its impact on cast structure.
Pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an independent predictive factor irrespective of simplified breast cancer intrinsic subtypes: a landmark and two-step approach analyses from the EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 phase III trial.

BACKGROUND Pathological complete response (pCR) following chemotherapy is strongly associated with both breast cancer subtype and long-term survival. Within a phase III neoadjuvant chemotherapy trial, we sought to determine whether the prognostic implications of pCR, TP53 status and treatment arm (taxane versus non-taxane) differed between intrinsic subtypes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients were randomized to receive either six cycles of anthracycline-based chemotherapy or three cycles of docetaxel then three cycles of eprirubicin/docetaxel (T-ET). pCR was defined as no evidence of residual invasive cancer (or very few scattered tumour cells) in primary tumour and lymph nodes. We used a simplified intrinsic subtypes classification, as suggested by the 2011 St Gallen consensus. Interactions between pCR, TP53 status, treatment arm and intrinsic subtype on event-free survival (EFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) were studied using a landmark and a two-step approach multivariate analyses. RESULTS Sufficient data for pCR analyses were available in 1212 (65%) of 1856 patients randomized. pCR occurred in 222 of 1212 (18%) patients: 37 of 496 (7.5%) luminal A, 22 of 147 (15%) luminal B/HER2 negative, 51 of 230 (22%) luminal B/HER2 positive, 43 of 118 (36%) HER2 positive/non-luminal, 69 of 221(31%) triple negative (TN). The prognostic effect of pCR on EFS did not differ between subtypes and was an independent predictor for better EFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.40, P < 0.001 in favour of pCR], DMFS (HR = 0.32, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.32, P < 0.001). Chemotherapy arm was an independent predictor only for EFS (HR = 0.73, P = 0.004 in favour of T-ET). The interaction between TP53, intrinsic subtypes and survival outcomes only approached statistical significance for EFS (P = 0.1). CONCLUSIONS pCR is an independent predictor of favourable clinical outcomes in all molecular subtypes in a two-step multivariate analysis. CLINICALTRIALSGOV EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 Trial registration number NCT00017095.
Risk Factors for Seropositivity to Kaposi Sarcoma–Associated Herpesvirus Among Children in Uganda

Background:Determinants of Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV) seropositivity among children living in sub-Saharan African populations where infection is endemic are not well understood. Local environmental factors, including other infectious agents, may be key. Methods:Within the context of a well-characterized birth cohort, we examined associations between various factors and antibodies against KSHV, measured in stored plasma samples from 1823 mother–child pairs in Entebbe, Uganda. Results:Seroprevalence increased with increasing age of the child (P = 0.0003) and was higher among those with KSHV seropositive mothers than in those without (12% vs 9%; odds ratio: 1.4, 95% confidence interval: 1.1 to 2.0). It was also higher among children with HIV infection (29% vs 10%; odds ratio: 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 8.3) or malaria parasitemia (30% vs 10%; odds ratio: 4.1, 95% confidence interval: 2.4 to 7.0) than in children without. These associations were not explained by socioeconomic status. Conclusions:The finding that KSHV serostatus is associated with malaria parasitemia in children is novel. In a country endemic for KSHV, malaria may be a cofactor for KSHV infection or reactivation among children.
Preparing superhydrophobic surfaces with very low contact angle hysteresis

A low cost, large scale fabrication method of easily achieving superhydrophobic surfaces with very low contact angle hysteresis was reported in this paper. Microstructures were fabricated by the aggregation of the copolymer of styrene and methyl methacrylate using the phase separation method. Nanostructures were also achieved by the introduction of silica nanoparticles with hexamethyldisilazane modified surfaces into the copolymer. The presence of the nanoparticles significantly reduced the contact angle hysteresis of the superhydrophobic surface. The as prepared superhydrophobic surface had a large water contact angle of 162·3° and very low contact angle hysteresis of 1·7°. Hence, the method can enable the large scale fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with very low contact angle hysteresis on different substrates for practical applications.
Impact of a Telephone-Based Intervention on the Reduction of Health Risks

Purpose. Evaluate the long-term impact of telephone-based interventions that target high risk, ready-to-change individuals. Design. Quasi-experimental design with pre/post comparisons of lifestyle-related health risks between participants and nonparticipants. Setting. Six organizations from the private and public sectors. Subjects. Subjects were 607 intervention participants who were compared with a control group of 1134 eligible nonparticipants. Measures. Health risk assessment at baseline and at an average of 2 years later measured risk in 13 lifestyle areas. Intervention. Programs were offered in seven areas: back care, cholesterol control, eating habits, exercise and activities, stress management, tobacco use, and weight control. Each program was conducted by a trained health educator who provided information and counseling to facilitate change in the area selected by the participant. All counseling was done by telephone and included three to five contacts over a 1-year period. Results. Binary logistic regression models controlling for gender and age revealed both specific and general effects. Participants were 1.8 to 3.5 times as likely as nonparticipants to reduce the targeted risk in six of seven risk areas. In addition, participants were 1.7 to 3.5 times as likely as nonparticipants to reduce their risks in nine of 13 areas not targeted by the intervention (i.e., general effect). Overall, participants significantly reduced their number of risks, whereas nonparticipants significantly increased their risk (difference of .85 risks). Conclusions. Results show that at-risk participants make long-term improvements in health risks directly related to the intervention in which they participate. Results also suggest that this intervention may help individuals develop behavior-change skills they can apply to other lifestyle issues.
Disclosure Standards and the Sensitivity of Returns to Mood

We provide evidence that higher-quality disclosure standards are associated with stock returns that are less sensitive to noise driven by investors' moods. We identify return-mood sensitivity (RMS) based on the association between index returns and urban cloudiness, a source of short-term variation in mood. Based on a stylized model, we predict and find evidence consistent with higher-quality disclosure standards reducing RMS by tilting susceptible investors' trades toward information and by facilitating sophisticated investors' arbitrage. Our findings suggest that disclosure standards play an important role in enhancing price efficiency by reducing noise in returns, particularly noise related to investors' short-term moods. Received January 31, 2014; accepted August 5, 2015 by Editor David Hirshleifer.
NADA Ear Acupuncture: An Adjunctive Therapy to Improve and Maintain Positive Outcomes in Substance Abuse Treatment

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association protocol (NADA) is an adjunctive therapy using 1 to 5 invariant ear acupuncture/acupressure points. This is a randomized prospective study to determine if NADA plus traditional treatment enhance outcomes: quality of life, depression, anxiety and abstinence from substance abuse. There were 100 patients enrolled in the Keystone Substance Abuse Services-Winthrop University Department of Sociology and Anthropology NADA study. All patients completed Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES) prior to starting the program and at program completion. Patients self-reported alcohol, tobacco, and drug use prior to starting the program at program completion and at 3 and 6 month follow- up. Patient characteristics are predictive of completion versus non-completion when race, criminal history and initial drug test is considered. Those identified as nonwhite, (p < 0.05) and patients with positive initial drug test, (p < 0.01) were more likely to complete treatment in the NADA group. Also, among patients with criminal history a higher percentage failed to complete the program in the control group (p < 0.05). Participation in NADA positively associated with Q-LES score (p < 0.05), feeling better about oneself and improved energy (p < 0.05), likelihood of employment upon discharge (p < 0.05), and decreased alcohol use at 3 month follow up (p < 0.05) and 6-month follow-up (p < 0.01). NADA group reported less tobacco use at 6 months (p < 0.05).
Evolutionary Processes Acting on Candidate cis-Regulatory Regions in Humans Inferred from Patterns of Polymorphism and Divergence

Analysis of polymorphism and divergence in the non-coding portion of the human genome yields crucial information about factors driving the evolution of gene regulation. Candidate cis-regulatory regions spanning more than 15,000 genes in 15 African Americans and 20 European Americans were re-sequenced and aligned to the chimpanzee genome in order to identify potentially functional polymorphism and to characterize and quantify departures from neutral evolution. Distortions of the site frequency spectra suggest a general pattern of selective constraint on conserved non-coding sites in the flanking regions of genes (CNCs). Moreover, there is an excess of fixed differences that cannot be explained by a Gamma model of deleterious fitness effects, suggesting the presence of positive selection on CNCs. Extensions of the McDonald-Kreitman test identified candidate cis-regulatory regions with high probabilities of positive and negative selection near many known human genes, the biological characteristics of which exhibit genome-wide trends that differ from patterns observed in protein-coding regions. Notably, there is a higher probability of positive selection in candidate cis-regulatory regions near genes expressed in the fetal brain, suggesting that a larger portion of adaptive regulatory changes has occurred in genes expressed during brain development. Overall we find that natural selection has played an important role in the evolution of candidate cis-regulatory regions throughout hominid evolution.