Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination and Adolescent Girls' Knowledge and Sexuality in Western Uganda: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination on adolescent girls’ knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine, perception of sexual risk and intentions for sexual debut. This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in Ibanda and Mbarara districts. Data was collected using a standardized self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences computer software. Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were conducted with significance level set at p < . 05. Results showed that HPV vaccination was associated with being knowledgeable (Crude OR: 5.26, CI: 2.32–11.93; p = 0.000). Vaccination against HPV did not predict perception of sexual risk. Knowledge was low (only 87/385 or 22.6% of vaccinated girls were knowledgeable), but predicted perception of a high sexual risk (Adjusted OR: 3.12, CI: 1.37–3.63; p = 0.008). HPV vaccination, knowledge and perceived sexual risk did not predict sexual behaviour intentions. High parental communication was associated with adolescent attitudes that support postponement of sexual debut in both bivariate and multiple regression analyses. In conclusion, findings of this study suggest that HPV vaccination is not likely to encourage adolescent sexual activity. Influence of knowledge on sexual behaviour intentions was not definitively explained. Prospective cohort studies were proposed to address the emerging questions.
Sex Discrimination Lawsuits in Law Enforcement

Abstract This case study offers a detailed description of the experiences of 13 women who sued their law enforcement agencies for sexual harassment or another form of sex discrimination, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. These women experienced a wide range of negative workplace behaviors with deleterious impact on their psychological, physical, and professional well-being. Outcomes were worse for those experiencing more serious and/or frequent types of mistreatment. When the women reported the behaviors, they experienced myriad forms of retaliation. Only 5 of the 13 women stated that changes were implemented in their agencies as a result of their lawsuit. As a result, they exhibited considerable ambivalence when offering advice to women who are currently considering such a lawsuit. Nonetheless, most of the women (8 of 13) stated that they were personally glad that they had done so.
The v‐mos and H‐ras oncogene expression represses glucocorticoid hormone‐dependent transcription from the mouse mammary tumor virus LTR.

We have subjected the viral mos oncogene (v‐mos), the activated human H‐ras oncogene [H‐ras (A)] and the normal human H‐ras protooncogene [H‐ras (N)] to the transcriptional regulation of glucocorticoid hormones by in vitro recombination with the promoter region of the mouse mammary tumor virus long terminal repeat (MMTV LTR) and transfection into NIH 3T3 cells. Cell clones were selected which exhibit a transformed phenotype strictly dependent on the presence of hormone in the growth medium. The expression of the chimeric genes as a function of time after hormone stimulation was studied at the level of transcriptional rate, mRNA and protein accumulation. Oncogene expression was stimulated rapidly to high levels, after hormone addition, but declined in the continuous presence of hormone. Measurements of the transcriptional rates in nuclei from LTR v‐mos and LTR H‐ras (A) transfected cells showed a repression of LTR v‐mos and LTR H‐ras (A) transcription after the initial stimulation by hormone. LTR H‐ras (N) transcription was not affected. An independently transfected LTR H‐2Ld construct in LTR v‐mos or LTR H‐ras (A) containing cells is also transcriptionally repressed. These experiments demonstrated a transcriptional repression effect of the oncogene products on the glucocorticoid hormone‐dependent MMTV LTR transcription.
Shape Information in Repeated Glucose Curves during Pregnancy Provided Significant Physiological Information for Neonatal Outcomes

Objective To use multilevel functional principal component analysis to exploit the information inherent in the shape of longitudinally sampled glucose curves during pregnancy, and to analyse the impact of glucose curve characteristics on neonatal birth weight, percentage fat and cord blood C-peptide. Study Design and Setting A cohort study of healthy, pregnant women (n = 884). They underwent two oral glucose tolerance tests (gestational weeks 14–16 and 30–32), which gave two glucose curves per woman. Results Glucose values were higher, and peaked later in third trimester than in early pregnancy. The curve characteristic “general glucose level” accounted for 91% of the variation across visits, and 72% within visits. The curve characteristics “timing of postprandial peak”, and “oscillating glucose levels” accounted for a larger part of the variation within visits (15% and 8%), than across visits (7% and <2%). A late postprandial peak during pregnancy, and high general glucose levels in third trimester had significant, positive effects on birth weight (p<0.05). Generally high glucose levels during pregnancy had a significant, positive impact on neonatal percentage fat (p = 0.04). High general glucose level in third trimester had a significant, positive impact on cord blood C-peptide (p = 0.004). Conclusion Shape information in entire OGTT curves provides significant physiological information of importance for several outcomes, and may contribute to the understanding of the metabolic changes during pregnancy.
Genome-wide association study confirm major QTL for backfat fatty acid composition on SSC 14 in Duroc pigs

Background: Fatty acid composition contributes importantly to meat quality and is essential to the nutritional value of the meat. Identification of genetic factors underlying levels of fatty acids can be used to breed for pigs with healthier meat. The aim of this study was to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify QTL regions affecting fatty acid composition in backfat from the pig breeds Duroc and Landrace. Results: Using data from the Axiom porcine 660 K array, we performed GWAS on 454 Duroc and 659 Landrace boars for fatty acid phenotypes measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology (C16:0, C16:1n-7, C18:0, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, total saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids). Two QTL regions on SSC4 and SSC14 were identified in Duroc for the de novo synthesized fatty acids traits, whereas one QTL on SSC8 was detected in Landrace for C16:1n-7. The QTL region on SSC14 has been reported in previous studies and a putative causative mutation has been suggested in the promoter region of the SCD gene. Whole genome re-sequencing data was used for genotype imputation and to fine map the SSC14 QTL region in Norwegian Duroc. This effort confirms the location of the QTL on this chromosome as well as suggesting other putative candidate genes in the region. The most significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located on SSC14 explain between 55 and 76% of the genetic variance and between 27 and 54% of the phenotypic variance for the de novo synthesized fatty acid traits in Norwegian Duroc. For the QTL region on SSC8 in Landrace, the most significant SNP explained 19% of the genetic variance and 5% of the phenotypic variance for C16:1n-7. Conclusions: This study confirms a major QTL affecting fatty acid composition on SSC14 in Duroc, which can be used in genetic selection to increase the level of fatty acid desaturation. The SSC14 QTL was not segregating in the Landrace population, but another QTL on SSC8 affecting C16:1n-7 was identified and might be used to increase the level of desaturation in meat products from this breed.
The Internet and science communication: blurring the boundaries

Scientific research is heavily dependent on communication and collaboration. Research does not exist in a bubble; scientific work must be communicated in order to add it to the body of knowledge within a scientific community, so that its members may ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ and benefit from all that has come before. The effectiveness of scientific communication is crucial to the pace of scientific progress: in all its forms it enables ideas to be formulated, results to be compared, and replications and improvements to be made. The sharing of science is a foundational aspect of the scientific method. This paper, part of the policy research within the FP7 EUROCANCERCOMS project, discusses how the Internet has changed communication by cancer researchers and how it has the potential to change it still more in the future. It will detail two broad types of communication: formal and informal, and how these are changing with the use of new web tools and technologies.
Dual-to-kernel learning with ideals

In this paper, we propose a theory which unifies kernel learning and symbolic algebraic methods. We show that both worlds are inherently dual to each other, and we use this duality to combine the structure-awareness of algebraic methods with the efficiency and generality of kernels. The main idea lies in relating polynomial rings to feature space, and ideals to manifolds, then exploiting this generative-discriminative duality on kernel matrices. We illustrate this by proposing two algorithms, IPCA and AVICA, for simultaneous manifold and feature learning, and test their accuracy on synthetic and real world data.
A charge-coupled device study of high-latitude Galactic structure: testing the model parameters

We interpret published charge-coupled device (CCD) UBVI data to deduce the stellar density distribution and metallicity distribution function in the region of 2-8 kpc from the Galactic plane, and compare our results to several star-count models. A feature of extant star-count models is degeneracy between the adopted scaleheights of the thin and thick discs, and their local normalization. We illustrate the utility of this small data set, and future larger sets (e.g. Sloan Digital Sky Survey, SDSS), by explicitly considering consistency between the derived density laws, and the implied solar neighbourhood luminosity function. Our data set, from Hall et al.'s 1996 paper (I = 52°, b = -39°), contains 566 stars, selected to be consistent with stellar loci in colour-colour diagrams. The effective apparent V-magnitude interval is 15.5 ≤ V o ≤ 20.5. Our analysis supports the parametrization of the recent (SDSS) galaxy model of Chen et al., except in preferring the stellar halo axial ratio to be η = 0.84. Photometric metal abundances have been derived for 329 stars with (B - V) 0 ≤ 1.0 using a new calibration. This shows a multimodal distribution with peaks at [Fe/H] = -0.10, -0.70 and -1.50 and a tail down to -2.75 dex. The vertical distance-dependent metallicity distribution function, if parametrized by a single mean value, can be described by a metallicity gradient d[Fe/H]/dz ∼ -0.2 dex kpc - 1 for the thin disc and thick disc, and d[Fe/H]/dz ∼ -0.1 dex kpc - 1 for the inner halo, to z = 8 kpc. However, the data are better described as the sum of three discrete distribution functions, each of which has a small or zero internal gradient. The changing mix of thin disc, thick disc and halo populations with distance from the plane generates an illusion of a smooth gradient.
Relational Learning in Pigeons?

Two experiments investigated whether discrimination learning and transposition by pigeons were facilitated by the opportunity to compare rectangles differing in luminance or stars differing in number of vertices. In Experiment 1, one group was trained with stimuli from the same dimension appearing simultaneously on each trial, but for a second group such stimuli appeared on separate trials. The opportunity to compare stimuli from the same dimension on a single trial facilitated the learning of the luminance discrimination but not of the stars discrimination. Such comparison also resulted in greater luminance but not greater stars transposition. Using a different training procedure, Experiment 2 confirmed that the opportunity for comparison facilitated a luminance discrimination. The results for the star discrimination are entirely consistent with “absolute” theories of discrimination learning; but the results for the luminance discrimination suggest some kind of “relational” learning. Given the difference between the star and luminance discriminations, a low-level, sensory theory of relational learning seems most consistent with the data.
The cognitive neuroscience of human communication

This is a book about speech and language. It is primarily intended for those interested in speech and its neurophysiological bases: phoneticians, linguists, educators, speech therapists, psychologists and neuroscientists. Although speech and language are its central topic, it provides information about related topics as well (e.g. structure and functioning of the central nervous system, research methods in neuroscience, theories and models of speech production and perception, learning and memory). Data on clinical population are given in parallel to studies of healthy subjects, because such comparisons can give a better understanding of intact and disordered speech and language functions. It is a review of literature (more than 600 sources) and research results covering areas like neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, development of the nervous system, sex differences, history of neurolinguistics, behavioral, neuroimaging and other research methods in neuroscience, linguistics and psychology, theories and models of the nervous system functioning including speech and language processing, kinds of memory and learning and their neural substrates, critical periods, various aspects of normal speech and language processes (e.g. phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics, reading), bilingualism, speech and language disorders, and many others. Newcomers to the field of neurolinguistics will find it equally readable as the professionals, because it is organized in a way that enables the readers the flexibility and individual approach to the text. The language is simple but all the technical terms are provided, explained and illustrated. A comprehensive glossary provides additional information.
Characterization of Binding Sequences for Butyrolactone Autoregulator Receptors in Streptomycetes

ABSTRACT BarA of Streptomyces virginiae is a specific receptor protein for a member of butyrolactone autoregulators which binds to an upstream region of target genes to control transcription, leading to the production of the antibiotic virginiamycin M1 and S. BarA-binding DNA sequences (BarA-responsive elements [BAREs]), to which BarA binds for transcriptional control, were restricted to 26 to 29-nucleotide (nt) sequences on barA and barBupstream regions by the surface plasmon resonance technique, gel shift assay, and DNase I footprint analysis. Two BAREs (BARE-1 and BARE-2) on the barB upstream region were located 57 to 29 bp (BARE-1) and 268 to 241 bp (BARE-2) upstream from the barBtranslational start codon. The BARE located on the barAupstream region (BARE-3) was found 101 to 76 bp upstream of thebarA start codon. High-resolution S1 nuclease mapping analysis revealed that BARE-1 covered the barBtranscription start site and BARE-3 covered an autoregulator-dependent transcription start site of the barA gene. Deletion and mutation analysis of BARE-2 demonstrated that at least a 19-nt sequence was required for sufficient BarA binding, and A or T residues at the edge as well as internal conserved nucleotides were indispensable. The identified binding sequences for autoregulator receptor proteins were found to be highly conserved among Streptomyces species.
Acid sphingomyelinase activity is regulated by membrane lipids and facilitates cholesterol transfer by NPC2

During endocytosis, membrane components move to intraluminal vesicles of the endolysosomal compartment for digestion. At the late endosomes, cholesterol is sorted out mainly by two sterol-binding proteins, Niemann-Pick protein type C (NPC)1 and NPC2. To study the NPC2-mediated intervesicular cholesterol transfer, we developed a liposomal assay system. (Abdul-Hammed, M., B. Breiden, M. A. Adebayo, J. O. Babalola, G. Schwarzmann, and K. Sandhoff. 2010. Role of endosomal membrane lipids and NPC2 in cholesterol transfer and membrane fusion. J. Lipid Res. 51: 1747–1760.) Anionic lipids stimulate cholesterol transfer between liposomes while SM inhibits it, even in the presence of anionic bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP). Preincubation of vesicles containing SM with acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) (SM phosphodiesterase, EC 3.1.4.12) results in hydrolysis of SM to ceramide (Cer), which enhances cholesterol transfer. Besides SM, ASM also cleaves liposomal phosphatidylcholine. Anionic phospholipids derived from the plasma membrane (phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid) stimulate SM and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by ASM more effectively than BMP, which is generated during endocytosis. ASM-mediated hydrolysis of liposomal SM was also stimulated by incorporation of diacylglycerol (DAG), Cer, and free fatty acids into the liposomal membranes. Conversely, phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis was inhibited by incorporation of cholesterol, Cer, DAG, monoacylglycerol, and fatty acids. Our data suggest that SM degradation by ASM is required for physiological secretion of cholesterol from the late endosomal compartment, and is a key regulator of endolysosomal lipid digestion.
Temperament in childhood.

Partial table of contents: CONCEPTS AND MEASURES. Temperament as an Intervening Variable (R. Hinde). Temperament in Childhood: A Framework (M. Rothbart). TEMPERAMENT AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES. Behavior-Genetic Approaches to Temperament (H. Goldsmith). Issues in the Study of Temperament (J. Kagan, et al.). TEMPERAMENT AND DEVELOPMENT. Temperament and Personality (A. Thomas & S. Chess). Temperament and Cognition: Relations between Temperament and Mental Test Scores (A. Matheny). APPLICATIONS OF TEMPERAMENT CONCEPTS. Issues in the Clinical Application of Temperament (S. Chess & A. Thomas). Temperament in Developmentally Disabled Children (S. Goldberg & S. Marcovitch). CROSS-CULTURAL, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, SEX AND OTHER GROUP DIFFERENCES. Sociocultural Factors and Temperament (W. Fullard, et al.). The Australian Temperament Project (M. Prior, et al.). HISTORICAL AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. Temperament in Childhood: The German Contribution (H. Meyer). Temperament Research in Scandinavia (A. Torgerson). Indexes.
Impact of POR*28 on the Pharmacokinetics of Tacrolimus and Cyclosporine A in Renal Transplant Patients

Background: The P450 oxidoreductase (POR)*28 variant allele has been associated with altered cytochrome P450 3A enzyme activities. Both CYP3A5 and CYP3A4 are involved in the metabolism of calcineurin inhibitors and recent data show that POR*28 may explain part of the variability observed in tacrolimus (Tac) pharmacokinetics. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the POR*28 allele on Tac and cyclosporine A (CsA) immunosuppressive therapies. Methods: Kidney transplant recipients receiving either Tac (n = 184) or CsA (n = 174), participating in a prospective multicenter trial, were genotyped for POR*28, CYP3A4*22, and CYP3A5*3. Results: CYP3A5 expressers that were carriers of at least 1 POR*28 allele had a 16.9% decrease in dose-adjusted predose concentrations when compared CYP3A5 expressers that carried the POR*1/*1 genotype (P = 0.03), indicating an increased CYP3A5 activity for POR*28 carriers. In CYP3A5, nonexpressers carrying 2 POR*28 alleles, a 24.1% (confidence interval95% = −39.4% to −4.9%; P = 0.02) decrease in dose-adjusted predose concentrations was observed for Tac, suggesting higher CYP3A4 activity. For CsA, POR*28/*28 patients not expressing CYP3A5 and not carrying the CYP3A4*22 decrease-of-function allele showed 15% lower CsA dose-adjusted predose concentrations (P = 0.01), indicating also increased CYP3A4 activity. In both cohorts (ie, Tac and CsA), the POR*28 allele was neither associated with the incidence of delayed graft function nor with biopsy-proven acute rejection. These results were further confirmed in 2 independent cohorts. Conclusions: Our results show that the POR*28 allele is associated with increased in vivo CYP3A5 activity for Tac in CYP3A5 expressers, whereas POR*28 homozygosity was associated with a significant higher CYP3A4 activity in CYP3A5 nonexpressers for both Tac and CsA.
Age-related antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in heart muscles of broiler chickens fed with supplementary organic selenium

The effect of organic selenium feed supplements on the activities of antioxidant enzymes and on lipid peroxidation was investigated in the chicken heart muscle during growing. The experiment was carried out on Ross 308 broiler chickens of both sexes, either on standard diet (control) or receiving organic selenium supplementation in the standard diet (experimental). After two, four and six weeks of growing, ten chickens from each group were sacrificed by decapitation and heart muscles for analyses were collected. In the heart muscle the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), cooper zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxide (TBARS) were determined. During the experiments, age-related differences of antioxidant enzyme activities and GSH and TBARS concentrations were obtained in control and in experimental chicken. At the end of growing, after the 6th week of age, significant increase of GSH-Px, Cu, Zn-SOD, and CAT activities (P<0.001 ; P<0.001 ; P<0.05) with significant decrease of Mn-SOD activity and GSH concentration (P<0.01 ; P<0.01) were obtained in the heart muscle of experimental chickens. In the control chickens, significant increases of GSH-Px, Cu, Zn-SOD and TBARS (P<0.001 ; P<0.001 ; P<0.01) with significant decrease of GSH concentration (P<0.05) were obtained in the heart muscle after six weeks of age. After the fourth week of age, chickens with organic selenium supplementation had a significantly higher activity of GSH-Px, Cu, Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOD (P<0.001 ; P<0.05 ; P<0.05) than the control chickens of the same age. In conclusion, chickens with organic selenium supplementation in the diet maintained their antioxidant systems in the heart muscle more effective, with enhanced antioxidant defence.
Discharge Planning From Hospital to Home for Elderly Patients: A Meta-Analysis

In the present healthcare environment, budget cuts, staff shortages, and resource limitations are grave concerns. The elderly in particular consume a considerable proportion of hospital resources. Thus, the discharge planner's role, particularly with respect to elderly patients, is extremely important. In this systematic review recent (within the last 10 years) randomized, controlled or quasi-experimental trials of discharge planning (DP) from hospital to home of patients age 65 years or older were examined. The most important finding was the paucity of investigations by social work professionals. A second important finding was the lack of appropriate reporting of methods and results. Where data were provided, an effect size was computed for statistically significant results (overall mean d = 0.51, SD 0.35). Large effects were noted for patient satisfaction, while moderate effects were evident for patients' quality of life and readmission rates. The integration and evaluation of current knowledge in this field may inform further research and may lead to the advancement of clinical practice and new policy development, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of patient care and the quality of patient outcomes. The implications for social work clinicians and researchers are discussed.