Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Permanent Contraceptive Methods in India: Exploring the Inter-play of Ethics, Policy, and Cultural Influences

Author(s): Henderson, Courtney Elizabeth | Advisor(s): Potts, Malcolm | Abstract: Universal access to reproductive health and the promotion of reproductive rights were key goals articulated at the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994. The role of contraception in meeting these goals is critical. Access to contraception helps women avoid unintended pregnancies, improves maternal and infant health by spacing births, and reduces the need for abortions. The benefits of modern contraception also extend beyond the realm of health to economic and social gains for women. Women who delay pregnancy are more likely to remain in school and participate in the labor force. While the past decades have witnessed significant increases in the provision of modern contraceptive methods, there are still more than 200 million women around the globe who want to delay or stop pregnancy, but do not have access to contraception. Women in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa suffer disproportionately from poor health related to pregnancy and childbirth, and thus, stand to gain the greatest benefit from investments in contraception policies and programs. In India, state-sponsored family planning programs have been promoted since 1951. The predominant focus has been on permanent methods, and female sterilization currently accounts for nearly 60% of modern contraceptive use. The use of non-permanent contraceptive methods, including oral contraceptive pills, injectable contraceptives, and intra-uterine devices, remains low. This dissertation sought to explore women's experiences with making decisions about, and using, non-permanent contraceptive methods, taking into account individual, family, and community influences. Building upon those women's experiences and their reasons for using non-permanent methods, this research then explores key opinion leaders' attitudes towards, and the policy landscape of, injectable contraceptives within India, a method that has been controversial within that country. Finally, a new theoretical framework of autonomy is proposed for analyzing women's reproductive and contraceptive decision-making, and rights to self-determination.
Prognostic significance of plasma osteopontin level in breast cancer patients

Abstract Many studies have demonstrated that osteopontin (OPN) contributes functionally to aggressive behaviour in many tumours including breast cancer. This study aims to investigate its role as a simple biochemical marker easily measured in plasma of breast cancer patients to give an early signal for metastases and to detect its relationship to clinicopathological findings and survival. We measured plasma OPN, CA15.3 and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in 55 patients, 28 with early stage breast cancer and 27 with bone metastasis out of whom 20 had metastasis in other sites. The median age at diagnosis for non-metastatic cases was 60 years (range 35-85) and for metastatic cases was 45.5 years (range 32-59). In the non-metastatic group, 78.57% of the patients were histologically graded as grades I and II and 21.43% as grade III tumours. In the metastatic group, 81.48% of the patients had grades I and II and 18.52% had grade III tumours; 54% of patients in the non-metastatic group were at stage II and 46% were at stage III at presentation. All patients of group II had bone metastasis, 33% had liver metastases, 25.9% had lung metastasis and 14.8% had lymph node metastasis. Patients with non-metastatic disease had a median OPN level of 55 ng/ml (range 54-150 ng/l), while those in the metastatic group had a median of 148.0 ng/l (range 56.0-156.0 ng/l), a difference which was statistically significant (P = 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in the median levels of CA15.3 and ALP between both groups. The median OPN level was significantly higher with serum ALP level above 90, progesterone receptor (PR) status, bone and visceral metastasis. Median OPN was not affected significantly by menopausal status (P-value 0.3), tumour grade (P-value 0.3), estrogen receptor (ER) status (P-value 0.7), pathological type (P-value 0.42) or serum CA15.3 level (P-value 0.6). At the end of 12-year follow-up, 83% of the patients survived (92.3% in the non-metastatic versus 74.1% in the metastatic group). The estimated median survival for the whole study population at 12 years was 13 years (95% CI 8.144-17.856). The estimated median survival was 13 years (95% CI 0) and 12 years (95% CI 4.893-19.11) in patients with median OPN levels of <142 and ≥142, respectively, a difference which was not statistically significant (P = 0.343). No statistically significant difference in overall survival OS was noticed in relation to menopausal status (P = 0.7), pathological type (P = 0.4) and hormone receptor status (P = 0.3). At 6-year follow-up, it was found that OS was affected by the presence of visceral metastasis, tumour grade, serum plasma level of ALP and the serum level of CA15.3 (P = 0.0006, 0.007, 0.001 and 0.03, respectively). However, the presence of bone metastasis did not affect OS (P = 0.6). Osteopontin level can be a simple biochemical marker easily measured in plasma of breast cancer patients to give early signals for metastases, but not a prognostic factor for survival.
Competencia para cuidar en el hogar de personas con enfermedad crónica y sus cuidadores en Colombia

Antecedentes. La competencia para el cuidado en el hogar es parte de las caracteristicas fundamentales requeridas en la atencion de personas con enfermedad cronica y se describe como la capacidad, habilidad y preparacion que tiene el usuario o su cuidador familiar para ejercer la labor de cuidar. Objetivo. Describir y comparar la competencia para cuidar en el hogar de personas con enfermedad cronica, asi como la competencia de sus cuidadores familiares para atenderlas en el hogar. Materiales y metodos. Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo, comparativo y de corte transversal desarrollado entre 2012 y 2014 en las cinco regiones geograficas de Colombia. La muestra esta compuesta de 2231 personas con enfermedad cronica y cuidadores familiares. Se emplearon los instrumentos Encuesta de caracterizacion para el cuidado de una diada persona con enfermedad cronica-cuidador familiar y Competencia para cuidar en el hogar GCPC-UN-CPC, version paciente y cuidador familiar. Del mismo modo, se utilizo estadistica descriptiva para analizar la competencia para cuidar en el hogar y sus dimensiones a partir de los niveles de estratificacion alto, medio y bajo; para la comparacion se utilizaron pruebas no parametricas en muestras independientes. Resultados. Tanto las personas con enfermedad cronica como los cuidadores familiares tienen niveles heterogeneos de competencia para cuidar en el hogar en las diferentes regiones del pais. En ambos casos los niveles superiores se encuentran en la Region Amazonica y los mas bajos en la Pacifica. Estos niveles de competencia para cuidar en el hogar distan de ser adecuados para garantizar la calidad y seguridad que se requiere. Conclusion. Los indicadores de cuidado continuo deben tener en cuenta la diada receptor-cuidador familiar y abordar el talento humano, las instituciones y al mismo sistema general de seguridad social en salud para modificar una realidad que, de no ser atendida, resultara agobiante para el pais.
Antibody Tests in Streptococcal Pharyngitis

Antibody response to streptococcal antigens was measured by three conventional methods (ASO, AH, and ANADG) and by the new streptozyme test. Compared to the others, the streptozyme test showed a sensitivity of 73 per cent and a specificity of 90 per cent. It also detected additional cases missed by the other methods. In addition, the streptozyme test showed antibody rise earlier, after six to nine days in half of the cases. Thus, the streptozyme test is more sensitive and no less specific than any individual test and reveals antistreptococcal antibody rise earlier. These properties, together with its ease of performance and reproducibility, seem to make it the test of choice for estimation of antibody response to streptococcal infection in all circumstances where the performance of a battery of tests is impractical.
The role of granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor in the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica: A white or black knight?

Granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) not only induces the differentiation of hematopoietic cells into granulocytes and macrophages but also exerts immunomodulatory functions. GM‐CSF promotes experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Conversely, GM‐CSF ameliorates some type 2 helper T cell‐dominant diseases, including experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis, experimental autoimmune thyroiditis, Crohn's disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune neutropenia, and juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the contribution of GM‐CSF to the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica (NMO) has not been studied. In this article, we review GM‐CSF roles in the central nervous system and report evidence that GM‐CSF may positively affect the pathogenesis of NMO. We have previously reported (i) that patients with NMO expressing antinuclear antibodies (ANA‐positive) have less severe disease activity and a better prognosis than ANA‐negative patients and (ii) an analysis of the cytokine/chemokine profiles of 24 patients with NMO. We investigated associations between cytokine expression, ANA‐positivity, and disease severity. Among the 24 patients, the six who were ANA positive had significantly elevated serum GM‐CSF concentrations than the ANA‐negative patients (medians: 7.0 vs 0.27 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.001) and higher cerebrospinal fluid GM‐CSF concentrations (medians: 53.7 vs 47.0 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.068). Although no other cytokine/chemokine profiles were different based on ANA status, cerebrospinal fluid GM‐CSF concentrations at relapse were negatively correlated with Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale scores (R2 = 0.26, P = 0.009). Therefore, GM‐CSF may play a protective role in the pathogenesis of NMO.
Cost-effective hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks : Optimal beamforming with nonlinear PA and large-scale CSIT

This thesis explores a new form of urban public place—multifunctional venues called ‘pay-per-minute cafes’, ‘public living rooms’, or ‘anti-cafes’. Charged by the minute and provided with free wifi and access to kitchen facilities, visitors of such spaces are entitled to use them however they like, as they are designed to accommodate various social, cultural, home-from-home and work activities. The first venue of this kind, Ziferblat, opened in 2011 in Moscow as a social experiment seeking to build ‘social media in real life’, turn customers into participants and overcome the limitations of the functionalist urban planning separating home, work and leisure from each other. In the next couple of years, Ziferblat’s look-alikes have spread overseas to Europe, Asia and North America; meanwhile, Ziferblat itself has developed into an international franchise with 18 branches, five of which are located in the UK. Using this phenomenon as a lens on two emerging urban trends—the post-functionalist city and the post-digital city—this thesis investigates the ‘who’, ‘why’, and ‘how’ of placemaking in the context of current debates on sociability, diversity and social inclusion in the urban public space, participatory culture and sharing economy, and neoliberal urban policy. This critical case study, drawing on large-scale media analysis, 48 qualitative interviews and over 160 hours of ethnography conducted in four Ziferblat branches in Moscow, London and Manchester, employs an interdisciplinary theoretical framework, combining urban sociology, human geography, cultural anthropology, media studies, and consumer and service research to examine the intricate connections and contradictions between the social and the spatial, the global and the local, the social and the commercial, the public and the private, the physical and the digital. The research findings are of potential interest to academics, practitioners, social activists, urban planners and policymakers dealing with the issues of placemaking and community building in the city. In hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks (HSTNs), spectrum sharing is crucial to alleviate the “spectrum scarcity” problem. Therein, the transmit beams should be carefully designed to mitigate the inter-satellite-terrestrial interference. Different from previous studies, this work considers the impact of both nonlinear power amplifier (PA) and large-scale channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) on beamforming. These phenomena are usually inevitable in a cost-effective practical HSTN. Based on the Saleh model of PA nonlinearity and the large-scale multi-beam satellite channel parameters, we formulate a beamforming optimization problem to maximize the achievable rate of the satellite system while ensuring that the inter-satelliteterrestrial interference is below a given threshold. The optimal amplitude and phase of desired beams are derived in a decoupled manner. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed beamforming scheme.
Letter: Inorganic Nitrite Selectively Dilates Epicardial Coronary Arteries

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A Novel Sensing Matrix Design for Compressed Sensing via Mutual Coherence Minimization

In compressed sensing, sensing matrices with low mutual coherence should be employed to improve the signal recoverability. To this end, the problem of mutual coherence minimization has attracted attention recently and several methods have been proposed. However, the achievable mutual coherence by the existing methods, in general, is far from the known theoretical lower-bound. In this paper, we propose a novel sensing matrix design method based on mutual coherence minimization, where the original nonconvex problem is relaxed and divided into convex sub-problems, which are updated iteratively using an alternating optimization technique. Simulation results reveal that the proposed method achieves a mutual coherence close to the known lower-bound while outperforming other existing methods.
Intramolecular tautomerization of the quercetin molecule due to the proton transfer: QM computational study

Quercetin molecule (3, 3′, 4′, 5, 7-pentahydroxyflavone, C15H10O7) is an important flavonoid compound of natural origin, consisting of two aromatic A and B rings linked through the C ring with endocyclic oxygen atom and five hydroxyl groups attached to the 3, 3′, 4′, 5 and 7 positions. This molecule is found in many foods and plants, and is known to have a wide range of therapeutic properties, like an anti-oxidant, anti-toxic, anti-inflammatory etc. In this study for the first time we have revealed and investigated the pathways of the tautomeric transformations for the most stable conformers of the isolated quercetin molecule (Brovarets’ & Hovorun, 2019) via the intramolecular proton transfer. Energetic, structural, dynamical and polar characteristics of these transitions, in particular relative Gibbs free and electronic energies, characteristics of the intramolecular specific interactions–H-bonds and attractive van der Waals contacts, have been analysed in details. It was demonstrated that the most probable process among all investigated is the proton transfer from the O3H hydroxyl group of the C ring to the C2′ carbon atom of the C2′H group of the B ring along the intramolecular O3H…C2′ H-bond with the further formation of the C2′H2 group. It was established that the proton transfer from the hydroxyl groups to the carbon atoms of the neighboring CH groups is assisted at the transition states by the strong intramolecular HCH…O H-bond (~28.5 kcal∙mol-1). The least probable path of the proton transfer–from the C8H group to the endocyclic O1 oxygen atom–causes the decyclization of the C ring in some cases. It is shortly discussed the biological importance of the obtained results.
New murine models of aggressive lymphoma

Abstract Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of aggressive lymphoma and has traditionally been subdivided into germinal center B cell-like and activated B cell-like DLBCL, using transcriptome profiling. The recent characterization of the genomic landscape of DLBCL revealed the identity of at least five molecularly-defined subclusters of DLBCL. Intriguingly, these different clusters display a different response to frontline, anthracycline-based chemo-immune therapy. Moreover, multiple, potentially actionable genomic aberrations have been identified in these clusters, including EZH2, CREBBP/EP300, and KMT2D mutations, BCL2 overexpression, PTEN inactivation, CD274 rearrangements and others. With this genomic understanding, it is possible to develop autochthonous mouse models, which capture this genomic complexity. These models can serve as pre-clinical platforms to devise molecularly targeted therapeutic intervention strategies. Here, we review the available mouse models of aggressive lymphoma and indicate which compound-mutant mice may be desirable tools to further advance the field of translational lymphoma research.
Regional, racial, gender, and tumor biology disparities in breast cancer survival rates in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The survival rates from breast cancer in Africa are poor and yet the incidence rates are on the rise. In this study, we hypothesized that, in Africa, a continent with great disparities in socio-economic status, race, tumor biology, and cultural characteristics, the survival rates from breast cancer vary greatly based on region, tumor biology (hormone receptor), gender, and race. We aimed to conduct the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on region, gender, tumor-biology and race-specific 5-year breast cancer survival rates in Africa and compared them to 20-year survival trends in the United States. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library to identify studies on breast cancer survival in African published before October 17, 2018. Pooled 5-year survival rates of breast cancer were estimated by random-effects models. We explored sources of heterogeneity through subgroup meta-analyses and meta-regression. Results were reported as absolute difference (AD) in percentages. We compared the survival rates of breast cancer in Africa and the United States. Findings There were 54 studies included, consisting of 18,970 breast cancer cases. There was substantial heterogeneity in the survival rates (mean 52.9%, range 7–91%, I2 = 99.1%; p for heterogeneity <0.0001). Meta-regression analyses suggested that age and gender-adjusted 5-year survival rates were lower in sub-Saharan Africa compared to north Africa (AD: –25.4%; 95% CI: –34.9 - –15.82%), and in predominantly black populations compared to predominantly non-black populations (AD: –25.9%; 95% CI: 35.40 - –16.43%). Survival rates were 10 percentage points higher in the female population compared to male, but the difference was not significant. Progesterone and estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer subtypes were positively associated with survival (r = 0.39, p = 0.08 and r = 0.24, p = 0.29 respectively), but triple-negative breast cancer was negatively associated with survival. Survival rates are increasing over time more in non-black Africans (55% in 2000 versus 65% in 2018) compared to black Africans (33% in 2000 versus 40% in 2018); but, the survival rates for Africans are still significantly lower when compared to black (76% in 2015) and white (90% in 2015) populations in the United States. Conclusion Regional, sub-regional, gender, and racial disparities exist, influencing the survival rates of breast cancer in Africa. Therefore, region and race-specific public health interventions coupled with prospective genetic studies are urgently needed to improve breast cancer survival in this region.
Comparison of Two Different Doses of Fentanyl in Attenuation of Haemodynamic Responses during Laryngoscopy & Endotracheal Intubation.

Introduction: Pressor responses to laryngoscopy and intubation have been associated with sympathetic and parasympathetic responses like hypertension, tachycardia due to increased plasma catecholamine concentrations. Premedication with fentanyl attenuates pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate and compare effects of 2 different doses of fentanyl 1mcg/kg and 2mcg/kg in attenuating pressor response to laryngoscopy and intubation. Methods: 75 patients aged 18-60 years of either sex of ASA grade I and II scheduled for elective surgery under general anaesthesia were randomly divided into 3 groups. All patients were uniformly premedicated, 10 mins before induction . Group I received normal saline 5cc (control group), Group II received Inj. Fentanyl 1mcg/kg and Group III received Inj. Fentanyl 2mcg/kg IV. After induction with thiopentone and succinylcholine; laryngoscopy and intubation was done. HR, SBP , DBP were recorded for all three groups before premedication (baseline),during laryngoscopy & intubation and 30 seconds, 1 min, 2min, 5min and 10min after intubation. Data was analyzed and compared with paired ‘t’ test. Results: HR and BP levels were lower during and after laryngoscopy and intubation than baseline levels in Group II and III than Group I. But in Fentanyl 2 mcg/kg group amount of increase in HR, SBP, DBP were lower compared to 1 mcg/kg without any adverse effects. Conclusion: Fentanyl 2 mcg/kg is more effective than 1 mcg/kg in attenuating pressor response to intubation and provides more stable hemodynamic profile without any adverse effects.
Psychophysiological influences on personality trajectories in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment

Abstract Although child maltreatment is a major public health concern, which adversely affects psychological and physical development, we know relatively little concerning psychophysiological and personality factors that may modify risk in children exposed to maltreatment. Using a three-wave, short-term prospective design, we examined the influence of individual differences in two disparate psychophysiological measures of risk (i.e., resting frontal brain electrical activity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia) on the trajectories of extraversion and neuroticism in a sample of female adolescents (N = 55; M age = 14.02 years) exposed to child maltreatment. Adolescents exposed to child maltreatment with relatively higher left frontal absolute alpha power (i.e., lower brain activity) at rest exhibited increasing trajectories of extraversion, and adolescents exposed to child maltreatment with relatively lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia at rest displayed increasing trajectories of neuroticism over 1 year. Individual differences in psychophysiological measures indexing resting central and peripheral nervous system activity may therefore differentially influence personality characteristics in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment.