Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV; Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Determinants among Pregnant Women in Abia State, Nigeria

Aim: This was to ascertain the knowledge, attitude, practice and determinants of Prevention of Mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT) of HIV among pregnant women in Abia State, Nigeria. Study Design: Comparative cross sectional study was used. Place and Duration of Study: Selected Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state between January and June 2015. Methodology: Pregnant women attending antenatal care clinic eligible for voluntary participation were selected and studied using pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer administered questionnaire. Multistage sampling technique was used. Results: It was based on 350 pregnant women (175 each for urban and rural). Their mean ages were 32.46±10.12 for urban and 33.24±9.31 for rural. Majority had at least secondary education, Original Research Article Eze and Aniwada; ISRR, 4(2): 1-14, 2016; Article no.ISRR. 26615 2 95.5% for urban and 96.4% for rural. There were good knowledge, positive attitude and good practice of HIV and PMTCT services in both groups though higher in urban areas. Mean knowledge and attitude showed significant difference between the groups p < 0.001 but not significant for practice p=0.45. For knowledge; occupation (χ=8.044, p=0.045) and monthly income (χ =7.126, p= 0.008) were significant for urban, monthly income (χ =4.996, p= 0.025) was for rural. Occupation was significantly associated with practice for rural (χ=8.717, p=0.03). Civil/public servants (OR =9.6, 95% CI: 1.13-80.82) in urban (OR =1.1, 95% CI: 0.46-2.77) in rural group. Those earning >15000 (OR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.75-13.71) in urban (OR =5.4 95% CI: 1.28-22.63) in rural for knowledge. Equally Civil/public servants 2.1 times (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 0.99-4.59) in urban, (OR =2.1, 95% CI: 1.01-4.19) in rural group for practice. Conclusion: Knowledge attitude and practice on PMTCT were good among pregnant women. Occupation and monthly income influences knowledge and practice of PMTCT and as well were predictors of good knowledge and practice of PMTCT. This needs to be improved on and sustained to curb the scourging menace of HIV.
High risk gestational trophoblastic diseases: Diagnosis and primary management with EMACO chemotherapy

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) is characterized by abnormal proliferation of pregnancy associated trophoblastic tissue with malignant potential. GTD covers a spectrum of tumors and tumor-like conditions and may occur in a benign form as hydatiform mole or as malignancy in the form of invasive mole or choriocarcinoma. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasms are now some of the most curable of all solid tumors, with cure rates >90% even in the presence of widespread metastatic disease. An analytical prospective study of 25 patients with high risk GTN who were evaluated from a period of June 2012 to Nov 2014 at our institute and diagnosis has been described in the paper
A theoretical analysis of sea‐ice strength

For the first time an attempt is made to derive a theoretical relationship between sea-ice strength and the controlling factors of salinity, temperature, and density. A geometric model of the ice-brine relationship is constructed from photographs and used to calculate tensile strength of warm (above - 20°C) sea ice. The theoretical results compare well with experimental data. The model developed can be extended to colder temperatures by considering the effect of solid salts.
The Influence of Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and Subjective Norm on the Use of Computed Radiography Systems: A Pilot Study

Abstract Perhaps some of the most important decisions made in managing a radiology department are those relating to equipment purchasing. The main goal of upgrading with new equipment or technology is to increase the effectiveness of the radiology department. Thus, implementing a new technology that does not fulfill expectations can yield dramatic consequences. Technology or equipment invested in a radiology department can only prove successful if it is properly utilized by the staff radiographers. This is why it is important to understand the underlying factors that contribute to the degree to which a technology is used. In radiology, the advances in technology are rapid, and the objective of this study is to identify if a relationship exists between a user’s perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and subjective norm on the user’s intention to operate this technology. The correlation of these variables were measured using a well established questionnaire relating to a newly implemented computed radiography system and the strength of correlations were calculated using the Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation method. The survey was administered to a sample of 21 radiographers randomly selected from a health care facility utilizing a computed radiography system. Analysis of the collected data indicates that a statistically significant relationship exists between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness as well as perceived usefulness and intention to use the technology. A radiographer’s perceived ease of use of the computed radiography system influences his or her perceived usefulness of the technology; how useful he or she perceives the system to be in regard to their job also influences his or her intention to use the technology. The information that this study provides can prove to be a useful tool when making purchasing decisions if management whishes to delegate resources to measure the radiographers’ perceived thoughts about new equipment. While this is only a small pilot study, research on a larger scale could draw more promising results affecting the way that radiology departments make purchasing decisions. Further informed decisions could decrease the risk of poor technology choices.
Combination of fuzzy c-means clustering and texture pattern matrix for brain MRI segmentation

The process of image segmentation can be defined as splitting an image into different regions. It is an important step in medical image analysis. We introduce a hybrid tumor tracking and segmentation algorithm for Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI). This method is based on Fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm (FCM) and Texture Pattern Matrix (TPM). The key idea is to use texture features along with intensity while performing segmentation. The performance parameters can be improved by using Texture Pattern Matrix (TPM). FCM is capable of predicting tumor cells with high accuracy. In FCM homogeneous regions in an image are obtained based on intensity. Texture Pattern Matrix (TPM) provides details about spatial distribution of pixels in an image. Experimental results obtained by applying proposed segmentation method for tracking tumors are presented. Various performance parameters are evaluated by comparing the outputs of proposed method and Fuzzy C-means algorithm. The computational complexity and computation time can be reduced by using this hybrid segmentation method.
Owner–Manager Conflict and Financial Theories of Investment Instability: A Critical Assessment of Keynes, Tobin, and Minsky

Theories of the capitalist macroeconomy can be divided into those characterized by endogenously generated economic instability and those whose assumptions and structure guarantee the existence and attainment of equilibrium states or paths. We can again partition theories of endogenously generated instability into those in which the roots of instability are located exclusively in the “real” sector, those that root instability in the financial sector, and those models in which instability has dual roots-in which instability may be generated in either sector or simultaneously in both. It is an interesting fact that most theories of economic instability root unstable behavior almost exclusively in either the financial or the real sector. Marxian crisis theories generally focus on real-sector impediments to balanced growth, as do Keynesian multiplier-accelerator models; in these theories financial markets are either totally neglected or are of distinctly secondary importance. On the other hand, in several important Keynes-inspired theories there are no real-sector impediments to equilibrium; instability is exclusively grounded in ever-changing financial markets.
Chaos characteristics of peak elevator traffic flow

In this paper, nonlinear time series techniques are applied to analyze the peak elevator traffic flow data. The phase space, which describes the evolution of the behaviour of a nonlinear system, is reconstructed using the delay embedding theorem suggested by Takens. The embedding parameters, e.g. the delay time and the embedding dimension are estimated using the mutual information of the data and the false nearest neighbor algorithm, respectively. Numerically the attractor of the elevator traffic flow from reconstruction is not necessarily sufficient indication of chaos, therefore we then calculate the correlation dimension of the resulting attractor and the largest Lyapunov exponent. It is demonstrated that the traffic flows of the up-peak and down-peak all exhibit low-dimensional chaotic behaviour. The result will help to adjust the group control scheduling methods according to the chaotic behaviour of the peak flow so as to increase the performance index.
Factors Affecting the Profitability of Organic Farms

Whole farm data of 26 farms (1995/96 and 1996/97) and some enterprise gross margin data (including some 1997/98 data) for organic farms of six different types (arable, mixed, dairy, lowland sheep and cattle, upland sheep and cattle, horticulture) were analysed. Using Occupiers Net Income per hectare as a measure of profitability, the effects of a range of variables are described. Research recommendations for the MAFF R&D programme were identified
A Nearly Analytic Discrete Method for Acoustic and Elastic Wave Equations in Anisotropic Media

We transform the seismic wave equations in 2D inhomogeneous aniso- tropic media into a system of first-order partial differential equations with respect to time t. Based on the transformed equations, a new nearly analytic discrete method (NADM) is developed in this article. Our method enables wave propagation to be simulated in two dimensions through generally anisotropic and heterogeneous mod- els. The space derivatives are calculated by using an interpolation approximation, while the time derivatives are replaced by a truncated Taylor expansion. Our analyses show that the error of the NADM is less than that of the conventional finite-difference method (FDM) and is about 1/60 to 1/100 of that of the FDM. We also demonstrate numerically that the stability of the NADM is higher than that of the FDM. The three- component seismic wave fields in two layered isotropic and transversely isotropic media (TIM) are simulated and compared with the conventional FDM. Again, we show from the three-component seismic wave fields that the NADM has higher ac- curacy, stronger stability, and less numerical dispersion, effectively suppressing the source noises as compared with the FDM.
Validation and Evaluation of an OSCE in Undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Introduction and purpose: In schools not performing OSCE method, faculty members’ lack of time, human resources and managing the complexity of such exam are the most common obstacles. In this study, we utilized different methods to evaluate the the validity and reliability of a simple diversified OSCE as part of final exam for ambulatory care clerkship along with the theoretical exam. Methods: We analyzed the correlation and difference between students’ achievements in the written exam and their achievements in OSCE. We also compared between students’ achievements according to each OSCE station they enrolled in. As students’ feedback is an important indicator of the success of the learning process, students’ feedback about OSCE was also measured. Results: A moderate correlation was observed between students’ overall marks in OSCE and that in written exam (r2 = 0.36 p= 0.001). Prescription station showed a moderate correlation with the written exam (r2 = 0.30, p < 0.001) and the counseling station showed a weak correlation (r2= 0.125, p < 0.001). Whereas no significant correlation (p= 0.3) was observed on comparison of the written exam with the online station nor with the communication station. Highest students scores were observed in prescription-based station 16.7/20 (± 3.2) whereas the lowest scores were detected in online resourcesbased station 13.4/20 (± 5.8). The majority of students were satisfied about the validity and reliability of OSCE. Discussion: A carefully designed development process based on a well-structured blueprint is needed to implement a sophisticated OSCE. The validation and evaluation of an OSCE should performed both quantitatively and qualitatively. A simple diversified OSCE, can serve as a reliable, valid and economically feasible assessment tool of student performance. Together, the traditional written exam and OSCE provide a broad assessment of pharmacy student’s skills and knowledge.
Changes in depressive symptoms during widowhood among older Mexican Americans: the role of financial strain, social support, and church attendance

ABSTRACT Objectives: This study examines how depressive symptoms change during the widowhood process among older adults of Mexican descent. This research also investigates whether financial strain, social support, and church attendance moderate changes in depressive symptoms in the context of widowhood. Method: This study uses seven waves of data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly collected at approximately two-year intervals. This research applies multiphase growth models to examine changes in depressive symptomatology before, during, and after the transition to widowhood (the measurement wave at which spousal bereavement was first reported) among 385 older adults of Mexican descent who experienced the death of a spouse during the survey. Results: This study demonstrates that older adults of Mexican descent experienced a significant increase in depressive symptoms pre-widowhood and in particular, during the transition to widowhood. The levels and rates of changes in depressive symptoms post-widowhood did not differ from the pre-widowhood ones. Greater social support was related to more depressive symptoms during the transition to widowhood. More frequent church attendance was a protective factor against increases in depressive symptoms pre-widowhood. Conclusion: This study highlights the multiphase pattern in the effects of the widowhood process on depressive symptomatology among older adults of Mexican descent. The findings also suggest that social support and church attendance can have implications for the interplay between widowhood and depressive symptoms.
Calbindin D28k-Immunoreactivity in Human Enteric Neurons

Calbindin (CALB) is well established as immunohistochemical marker for intrinsic primary afferent neurons in the guinea pig gut. Its expression by numerous human enteric neurons has been demonstrated but little is known about particular types of neurons immunoreactive for CALB. Here we investigated small and large intestinal wholemount sets of 26 tumor patients in order to evaluate (1) the proportion of CALB+ neurons in the total neuron population, (2) the colocalization of CALB with calretinin (CALR), somatostatin (SOM) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and (3) the morphology of CALB+ neurons. CALB+ neurons represented a minority of myenteric neurons (small intestine: 31%; large intestine: 25%) and the majority of submucosal neurons (between 72 and 95%). In the submucosa, most CALB+ neurons co-stained for CALR and VIP (between 69 and 80%) or for SOM (between 20 and 3%). In the myenteric plexus, 85% of CALB+ neurons did not co-stain with the other markers investigated. An unequivocal correlation between CALB reactivity and neuronal morphology was found for myenteric type III neurons in the small intestine: uniaxonal neurons with long, slender and branched dendrites were generally positive for CALB. Since also other neurons displayed occasional CALB reactivity, this protein is not suited as an exclusive marker for type III neurons.
A CMOS 100 MHz to 6 GHz software defined radio analog front-end with integrated pre-power amplifier

A Software-Defined Radio (SDR) analog front-end is presented that provides extensive programmability of LO generator, LNA, mixers, baseband filters and PPA, supporting various wireless communication standards while guaranteeing a near-optimal power/performance trade-off at any time. The circuit is integrated in a 0.13 mum CMOS technology with 1.2 V supply voltage. This transceiver covers the frequency range from 100 MHz up to 6 GHz by exploiting a flexible zero-IF architecture. The receive path achieves a Noise Figure of 4.8 dB at 174 MHz and 6 dB at 2.4 GHz. For a WLAN OFDM 64 QAM output, the transmitter achieves an EVM better than -29 dB for -0.5 dBm output power at 2.4 GHz and -3.1 dBm output power at 4.9 GHz.
DETECTION OF BACTERIAL BIOFILM IN PATIENTS WITH INDWELLING URINARY CATHETERS

The microbial biofilms pose a public health problem for the persons who require indwelling medical devices, as the microorganisms in the biofilms are difficult to treat with antimicrobial agents. The present study included the isolation and the biofilm formation of the uropathogens in patients with catheter associated urinary tract infections. This prospective analysis which was carried out in the department of Microbiology, GMC, Amritsar, included 400 urine samples from catheterized patients and 100 urine samples from non catheterized patients. Following the bacterial isolation and identification, all the isolates were subjected to biofilm detection by tissue culture plate method, tube method and congo red agar method. Significant bacteriuria was observed among 79.00% of catheterized patients. E.coli (29.74%) was the most commonly isolated followed by K.pneumoniae (21.84%). In the current study 71.23% strains were positive in vitro for biofilm production. E.coli (28.19%) was the most common biofilm producer followed by P.aeruginosa (22.47%), K.pneumoniae (22.03%) and P.mirabilis (15.42%). As, Biofilm-disrupting strategies offer promise for the future but have little immediate applicability. Implementation of infection control measures to improve catheter function and remove unnecessary catheters can be done at the present time.
Back to the Future - A Monastic Perspective on Corporate Governance

The financial crisis is a crisis of governance as well. In search of answers and solutions many scholars and practitioners recommend improved output control, i.e. better external incentives or even stricter regulations. Monasteries demonstrate that alternative models may be more suitable to enhance sustainable governance quality and to reduce agency problems. In the long history of monasteries, some abbots and monks were known to line their own pockets and some monasteries were undisciplined. Monasteries developed special systems to combat these excesses thus ensuring their survival over centuries. We study these features from an economic perspective. Derived from an analysis of the Benedictine monastery of Engelberg we offer three improvements of applied governance designed to reduce agency problems. First, monastic governance emphasizes clan control rather than output control. Monasteries demonstrate that organizations can prevent agency problems by complementing external discipline with internal behavioral incentives, such as value systems and voice. Second, organization members making firm-specific investments are motivated by broad participation rights and co-determination. Third, the Benedictines are able to apply supportive external control mechanisms, which are not perceived as controlling.
Biogeography-Based Optimization for Different Economic Load Dispatch Problems

This paper presents a biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm to solve both convex and non-convex economic load dispatch (ELD) problems of thermal plants. The proposed methodology can take care of economic dispatch problems involving constraints such as transmission losses, ramp rate limits, valve point loading, multi-fuel options and prohibited operating zones. Biogeography deals with the geographical distribution of biological species. Mathematical models of biogeography describe how a species arises, migrates from one habitat to another and gets wiped out. BBO has some features that are in common with other biology-based optimization methods, like genetic algorithms (GAs) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). This algorithm searches for the global optimum mainly through two steps: migration and mutation. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been verified on four different test systems, both small and large, involving varying degree of complexity. Compared with the other existing techniques, the proposed algorithm has been found to perform better in a number of cases. Considering the quality of the solution obtained, this method seems to be a promising alternative approach for solving the ELD problems in practical power system.
Modeling of sheet-concentration and temperature-dependent resistivity of a suspended monolayer graphene

In this paper, we address a simplified physics-based analytical model for the temperature - as well as the sheet-concentration-dependent resistivity of the free-standing monolayer graphene sheet. The analytical solution is achieved through the formulation of the sheet-concentration as the function of the external current. To determine the temperature-and sheet-concentration-dependent resistivity of the suspended layer of graphene (SLG), we have utilized the Landauer formalism in the diffusive limit. Besides, the overall contribution of different scattering mechanisms has been calculated considering both the in-plane and the flexural phonons. The analytical model presented in this work is in good agreement with the available experimental data.
Employment Polarization and the Role of the Apprenticeship System

This paper studies the effect of apprenticeship training on technology adoption and labor market polarization. A stylized model with two key features is developed: (1) apprentices are more productive due to industry-specific training, but (2) from the firm׳s perspective, when training apprentices, technological innovation is costly since training becomes obsolete. Thus, apprentices correlate with slower adoption of skill-replacing technologies, but also less employment polarization. We test this hypothesis on German regions given local variation in apprenticeship systems until 1976. The results show little computer adoption and no employment polarization related to apprentices, but similar displacement of non-apprentices by computers as in the US.
Structural Equation Modelling on the Relationships between Teachers’ Trust in Manager, Commitment to Manager, Satisfaction with Manager and Intent to Leave

This study aims to determine the relationships among teachers’ trust in the manager, commitment to the manager, satisfaction with the manager and teachers’ intent to leave. The data was collected on the sample of 478 primary school teachers using selfreport scales. Two alternative structural models were examined: one proposed that satisfaction with the manager causes commitment, while the other one proposed that commitment causes satisfaction. Both alternative models yielded exactly the same good fit indices. According to the first model, the teachers’ trust in manager predicts their satisfaction with manager and commitment to manager positively, while trust in manager negatively predicts their intent to leave through the mediating effect of satisfaction with manager. According to the second model, teachers’ trust in manager positively predicts their satisfaction with manager and commitment to manager, while trust in manager negatively predicts the teachers’ intent to leave through the mediating effects of commitment to manager and satisfaction with manager.