Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“I Don’t Have a Problem With It, But Other Guys Do”: An Exploration of Condom Negotiation among Young Black Men Who Have Sex with Men in the South

<p>Condom negotiation among young Black men who have sex with men in the Southern United States was explored using the theory of reasoned action. Fifty-four (18-to 29-year-old) males participated in nine focus group interviews. Discussions elicited condom use and negotiation attitudes, beliefs and social norms. Positive personal attitudes (respect of self, personal health concerns) and high negotiation self-efficacy was emphasized. Conversely, social norms revealed non-prioritized condom use behavior. Divergence between individual and community indicates theoretical models targeting sexual communication must address external factors (social, economic, political context), which intersects with individual intentions, attitudes to influence <small class="caps" xmlns:m="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3. org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3. org/1999/xlink">hiv </small> prevalence in this community. </p>
Pneumolysin Localizes to the Cell Wall of Streptococcus pneumoniae

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae is the causative agent of multiple diseases, including otitis media, pneumonia, bacteremia, and meningitis. Pneumolysin (Ply), a member of the cholesterol-dependent cytolytic pore-forming toxins, is produced by virtually all clinical isolates of S. pneumoniae, and strains in which the Ply gene has been deleted are severely attenuated in mouse models of infection. In contrast to all other members of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin family, Ply lacks a signal peptide for export. Instead, Ply has been hypothesized to be released upon autolysis or, alternatively, via a nonautolytic mechanism that remains ill defined. We determined by use of cell fractionation and Western blotting that, during in vitro growth, exported Ply is localized primarily to the cell wall compartment in 18 different serotypes in the absence of detectable cell lysis. Hemolytic assays revealed that this cell wall-localized Ply is active. Additionally, cell wall-localized Ply is accessible to extracellular protease and is detergent releasable.
Optical Coherence Tomography Detection of Subclinical Traumatic Cartilage Injury

Objectives: Posttraumatic arthritis is a major cause of disability. Current clinical imaging modalities are unable to reliably evaluate articular cartilage damage before surface breakdown, when potentially reversible changes are occurring. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a nondestructive imaging technology that can detect degenerative changes in articular cartilage with an intact surface. This study tests the hypothesis that OCT detects acute articular cartilage injury after impact at energy levels resulting in chondrocyte death and microstructural changes, but insufficient to produce macroscopic surface damage. Methods: Bovine osteochondral cores underwent OCT imaging and were divided into a control with no impact or were subjected to low (0.175 J) or moderate (0.35 J) energy impact. Cores were reimaged with OCT after impact and the OCT signal intensity quantified. A ratio of the superficial to deep layer intensities was calculated and compared before and after impact. Chondrocyte viability was determined 1 day after impact followed by histology and polarized microscopy. Results: Macroscopic changes to the articular surface were not observed after low and moderate impact. The OCT signal intensity ratio demonstrated a 27% increase (P = 0.006) after low impact and a 38% increase (P = 0.001) after moderate impact. Cell death increased by 150% (P < 0.001) and 200% (P < 0.001) after low and moderate energy impacts, respectively. When compared with unimpacted controls, both Mankin histology and David-Vaudey polarized microscopy scores increased (P = 0.036 and P = 0.002, respectively) after moderate energy impact. Conclusions: This study shows that OCT detects acute cartilage changes after impact injury at levels insufficient to cause visible damage to the articular surface but sufficient to cause chondrocyte death and microscopic matrix damage. This finding supports the use of OCT to detect microstructural subsurface cartilage damage that is poorly visualized with conventional imaging.
Quantile Mediation Models: A Comparison of Methods for Assessing Mediation Across the Outcome Distribution

Recent introduction of quantile regression methods to analysis of epidemiologic data suggests that traditional mean regression approaches may not suffice for some health outcomes such as Body Mass Index (BMI). In the same vein, the traditional mean-based approach to mediation modeling may not be sufficient to capture the potentially different mediating effects of behavioral interventions across the outcome distribution. By combining methods for estimating conditional quantiles with traditional mediation modeling techniques, mediation effects can be estimated for any quantile of the outcome distribution (so-called quantile mediation effects). Estimation and inference techniques for quantile mediation effects are compared through simulation studies, and recommendations are given. The quantile mediation methods are further compared with the traditional mean-based regression approaches to mediation analysis through analysis of data from Healthy Places, a trial that is examining the effects of the community–built environment on resident obesity risk. We found the magnitudes of indirect (mediating) effects of walkability on BMI and waist circumference were substantially larger for the upper quantiles compared with the median or mean. Results suggest that restricting the examination of mediation to the mean of the outcome distribution provides an incomplete picture of proposed mediating mechanisms and in some cases may miss important mediational relationships to outcomes.
Au and NiO nanocrystals doped into porous sol–gel SiO2 films and the effect on optical CO detection

Thin-film composites comprised of NiO and NiO/Au nanoparticles in a porous SiO2 matrix have been prepared using the sol–gel technique. When at elevated temperatures (200 °C< T<350 °C) and exposed to carbon monoxide, the films undergo reversible changes in optical transmittance at wavelengths in the visible–near IR region. For NiO composite films heated at 330 °C and exposed to 1% CO in air, there is an increase in transmittance which approaches 2–4% over most of the visible range. For NiO/Au composite films the transmittance increase exhibits a wavelength dependence, with a maximum change which is close to 6% at λ≈630 nm and which is close to zero in the Au plasmon resonance range (λ≈550 nm).
Structure of a two‐domain fragment of HIV‐1 integrase: implications for domain organization in the intact protein

Retroviral integrase, an essential enzyme for replication of human immunodeficiency virus type‐1 (HIV‐1) and other retroviruses, contains three structurally distinct domains, an N‐terminal domain, the catalytic core and a C‐terminal domain. To elucidate their spatial arrangement, we have solved the structure of a fragment of HIV‐1 integrase comprising the N‐terminal and catalytic core domains. This structure reveals a dimer interface between the N‐terminal domains different from that observed for the isolated domain. It also complements the previously determined structure of the C‐terminal two domains of HIV‐1 integrase; superposition of the conserved catalytic core of the two structures results in a plausible full‐length integrase dimer. Furthermore, an integrase tetramer formed by crystal lattice contacts bears structural resemblance to a related bacterial transposase, Tn5, and exhibits positively charged channels suitable for DNA binding.
RRAM Crossbar Array With Cell Selection Device: A Device and Circuit Interaction Study

The resistive random access memory (RRAM) crossbar array has been extensively studied as one of the most promising candidates for future high-density nonvolatile memory technology. However, some problems caused by circuit and device interaction, such as sneak leakage paths, result in limited array size and large power consumption, which degrade the array performance significantly. Thus, the analysis on circuit and device interaction issue is imperative. In this paper, a simulation method is developed to investigate the critical issues correlated with the interaction between devices and the circuit. The simulations show that a large off/on ratio of resistance states of RRAM is beneficial for large readout margin (i.e., array size). The existence of the selector connected in series with an RRAM device can eliminate the need for high Ron resistance, which is critical for the array consisted of only RRAM cells. The readout margin is more sensitive to the variation of Ron and is determined by the nonlinearity of the I-V characteristics of RRAM, whereas the nonlinear characteristics of the selector device are beneficial for a larger readout margin. An optimal design scheme for turn-on voltage and conductance of the selector is proposed based on the simulation.
Risk Management and Value Creation: Empirical Findings From Government Linked Companies in Malaysia

This study is an attempt to assess the status of current level of value creation among the Government Linked Companies (GLCs) in Malaysia. This study collected primary data based on a set of questionnaire survey among 134 executives and managers of GLCs in Malaysia. The data were collected based on opinions of the ten factors of value creation practices by using the five-point Likert scale. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Further, the reliability of the data was tested using Cronbach’s alpha test, the validity of the data was tested by checking the normality test through skewness and kurtosis, and the consistency of the data was tested using factor analysis. On an average, 80.6% of the respondents agreed that they focus on these factors of value creation. Overall, the federal owned GLCs place more emphasis on certain elements of value creation than the state owned GLCs. Among the elements of value creation, the state owned GLCs emphasize the most on quality development and brand value creation, where the federal owned GLCs emphasized the most on reputation. The GLCs engaged in service sector emphasized the most on brand value and the GLCs engaged in manufacturing sector emphasized the most on customer satisfaction and quality development. This study suggest that GLCs in Malaysia improve the overall value creation by emphasizing on responsiveness, average return on investment, sales growth, profit growth and average return on sales.
Overexpression of CD39 in Mouse Airways Promotes Bacteria-Induced Inflammation

In airways, the ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase CD39 plays a central role in the regulation of physiological mucosal nucleotide concentrations and likely contributes to the control of inflammation because accelerated ATP metabolism occurs in chronic inflammatory lung diseases. We sought to determine whether constant elevated CD39 activity in lung epithelia is sufficient to cause inflammation and whether this affects the response to acute LPS or Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposure. We generated transgenic mice overexpressing human CD39 under the control of the airway-specific Clara cell 10-kDa protein gene promoter. Transgenic mice did not develop any spontaneous lung inflammation. However, intratracheal instillation of LPS resulted in accelerated recruitment of neutrophils to the airways of transgenic mice. Macrophage clearance was delayed, and the amounts of CD8+ T and B cells were augmented. Increased levels of keratinocyte chemoattractant, IL-6, and RANTES were produced in transgenic lungs. Similarly, higher numbers of neutrophils and macrophages were found in the lungs of transgenic mice infected with P. aeruginosa, which correlated with improved bacteria clearance. The transgenic phenotype was partially and differentially restored by coinstillation of P2X1 or P2X7 receptor antagonists or of caffeine with LPS. Thus, a chronic increase of epithelial CD39 expression and activity promotes airway inflammation in response to bacterial challenge by enhancing P1 and P2 receptor activation.
Nonresponse pattern and bias in a community-based cross-sectional study of cognitive functioning among the elderly.

The demographic, health, and mental functioning characteristics of nonresponders to a community-based cross-sectional study of cognitive functioning among the elderly in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (Amsterdam Study of the Elderly (AMSTEL), October 1990 to May 1991), were examined and compared with responders. The randomly selected age-stratified (65-74, 75-84 years) sample was drawn from nonresponders listed with a subsample (n = 8) of general practitioners whose lists served as the sampling frame for the main study. The general practitioners approached and interviewed the responding nonresponders using the same standardized questions that were used in the main study. Nonresponders (n = 115) and responders (n = 999) from the same medical practices were compared by means of chi-square and odds ratios. Compared with responders, these nonresponders more often reported a history of psychiatric illness, heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, and were more likely to be unmarried, to have a lower education, and to do poorly on the cognitive test (odds ratio = 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.0-2.6). Most significant physical and mental health differences by response status were seen among the persons aged < 75 years and not among those aged > or = 75 years. The odds for poor cognitive test performance associated with age and stroke were relatively more biased than those associated with other risk factors. These results suggest that the characteristics of young-old and old-old elderly nonresponders to cross-sectional studies of cognitive function may differ, and that there may be selective nonresponse that could bias, to a different degree, estimates of risk for poor cognitive functioning. Studies should investigate the possibilities for nonresponse in their own setting.
Do changes in oxygen metabolism in the unaffected cerebral hemisphere underlie early neurological recovery after stroke? A positron emission tomography study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Whether an initial depression of function in the unaffected hemisphere ("transcallosal diaschisis") plays a role in early neurological recovery after acute stroke remains controversial. Previous studies were confounded by lack of acute-stage assessment with follow-up and by the problem of defining a suitable control group, since preexisting stroke risk factors may influence prestroke cerebral metabolism. We evaluated with positron emission tomography (PET) the relationships between unaffected-hemisphere (ie, contralateral) oxygen consumption (cCMRO2) and quantitative neurological assessments (and their respective evolution over time) after ischemic stroke. METHODS Among 30 consecutive patients with first-ever middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke studied with the (15)O equilibrium method, we selected all survivors (n=19; mean age, 74.6 years) who were investigated both within the first 18 hours after stroke onset (PET1; mean, 11 +/- 4 hours) and 15 to 30 days later (PET2; mean, 24 +/- 10 days), with each patient serving as his/her own control. Neurological deficits were quantified using Orgogozo's middle cerebral artery scale (N score) at each PET session. Neurological changes were calculated as changes in the N score. A late CT scan coregistered with PET provided infarct topography and volume index. RESULTS At PET2, we observed the overall expected neurological recovery. There was a nearly significant trend for a decrease in cCMRO2 from PET1 to PET2, especially for the neocortex (P=.08, F test); in a subgroup of eight patients with large infarcts, this CMRO2 decline was significant (P<.05) in the mirror region to the infarct. There was no significant correlation (Spearman's tests) between acute-stage cCMRO2 and same-day N scores or between changes in cCMRO2 versus changes in N score from PET1 to PET2 (any region). There was a nearly significant trend for lower PET2 cCMRO2 in the subgroup of eight patients with large compared with small infarcts (P=.06). CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence for an influence of cCMRO2 on acute-stage neurological deficit or for a role of the unaffected hemisphere in early recovery after acute MCA ischemic stroke. The decline in unaffected-hemisphere metabolism from the acute to the subacute stage in the face of overall clinical recovery appears clinically irrelevant. The fact that the neocortical cCMRO2 at PET2 tended to be lower, and declined significantly from PET1 to PET2 in the mirror region in the subgroup of patients with large infarcts, suggests that this delayed effect represents transcallosal fiber degeneration.
Evaluation of the 2012/13 Farm Input Subsidy Programme, Malawi: Final Report

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer Different team members contributed to different sections of the report. The team would like to express their thanks to members of staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, members of the fertiliser and seed industry, staff of donor organisations, farmers and others who have generously given time and information for the compilation of this report. Any errors or omissions remain the responsibility of the authors. The views expressed in this report imply no endorsement by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, DFID, or any other party.
Frequency‐Specific Audiometry Using Steady‐State Responses

Objective: To evaluate the audiometric usefulness of steady‐state responses to multiple simultaneous tones, amplitude‐modulated at 75 to 110 Hz. Design: Steady‐state responses to multiple tones amplitude‐modulated at different rates between 75 and 110 Hz and presented simultaneously were recorded at different intensities in normal adults, well babies, normal adults with simulated hearing loss, and adolescents with known hearing losses. Response thresholds were compared with behavioral thresholds. Results: In normal adults the thresholds for steady‐state responses to tones of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz were 14 ± 11, 12 ± 11, 11 ± 8, and 13 ± 11 dB, respectively, above behavioral thresholds for air‐conducted stimuli, and 11 ± 5, 14 ± 8, 9 ± 8, and 10 ± 10 dB above behavioral thresholds for bone‐conducted stimuli. In well babies tested in a quiet environment, the thresholds were 45 ± 13, 29 ± 10, 26± 8, and 29 ± 10 dB SPL. In adolescents with known hearing losses, the steady‐state responses thresholds predict behavioral thresholds with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.72, 0.70, 0.76, and 0.91 at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, respectively. Conclusion: Steady‐state responses to tones amplitude‐modulated at 75 to 110 Hz can be used for frequency‐specific objective audiometry. The multiple‐stimulus technique allows thresholds to be estimated for eight different stimuli at the same time.
Effects of an acidic beverage (Coca-Cola) on absorption of ketoconazole

Absorption of ketoconazole is impaired in patients with achlorhydria. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a palatable acidic beverage (Coca-Cola Classic, pH 2.5) in improving the absorption of ketoconazole in the presence of drug-induced achlorhydria. A prospective, randomized, three-way crossover design with a 1-week wash-out period between each treatment was employed. Nine healthy nonsmoking, nonobese volunteers between 22 and 41 years old were studied. Each subject was randomized to receive three treatments: (A) ketoconazole 200-mg tablet with water (control), (B) omeprazole (60 mg) followed by ketoconazole (200 mg) taken with water, and (C) omeprazole (60 mg) followed by ketoconazole (200 mg) taken with 240 ml of Coca-Cola Classic. The pH values of gastric aspirates were checked after omeprazole was administered to confirm attainment of a pH of > 6. Multiple serum samples were obtained for measurements of ketoconazole concentrations by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The mean area under the ketoconazole concentration-time curve from zero to infinity for the control treatment (17.9 +/- 13.1 mg.h/liter) was significantly greater than that for treatment B (3.5 +/- 5.1 mg.h/liter; 16.6% +/- 15.0% of control). The mean peak concentration was highest for the control treatment (4.1 +/- 1.9 micrograms/ml), for which the mean peak concentration showed a significant increase over that for treatment B. The absorption of ketoconazole was reduced in the presence of omeprazole-induced achlorhydria. However, drug absorption was significantly increased, to approximately 65% of the mean for the control treatment, when the drug was taken with an acidic beverage, such as Coca-Cola.
Prolonged treatment with topical glucocorticoids results in an inhibition of the allergen‐induced weal‐and‐flare response and a reduction in skin mast cell numbers and histamine content

The inhibitory effects of topical glucocorticosteroid treatment on the immediate dermal allergic reaction were studied in 10 patients in a double, randomized, placebo‐controlled fashion. The aim was to study whether a prolongation of the treatment time would enhance the inhibitory effect beyond the 30–40% reduction previously reported after I week of treatment, and whether any changes in skin reactivity were accompanied by changes in the level of mast cells or histamine at the challenge site. Allergen and histamine skin‐prick tests were performed on both forearms before the start of the study and after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment with placebo cream on one forearm and with 0.05% clobetasot‐17‐propionate cream on the other. Punch biopsies from the skin treated actively and with placebo were taken after 4 weeks in eight of the patients. The specimens were used for the light‐microscopic evaluation of mast cell density and for the measurement of histamine and protein content. After 4 weeks of treatment we found a reduction in the allergen‐induced weal (72%; P<0.001) and flare (62%; P<0.05) response. There was also a minor reduction in the histamine‐induced weal (38%; P<0.05) but not the flare response, suggesting that the glucocorticoid treatment induced a reduced mediator release at allergen challenge. This could be partially explained by the finding of a reduction in the number of detectable skin mast cells (85%; from 0.78 to 0.11 mast cells per unit area) and in the histamine content of the skin as related to the tissue wet weight (36%; P<0.05). There was also an increase in the protein content of the skin in relation to tissue weight (37%; P<0.05), which was presumably partly caused by a reduction in the water content of the skin, further enhancing the reduction of histamine when related to tissue protein content to 56% (P<0.01). These findings of a glucocorticosteroid induced reduction in the mast cell density of the skin differ from the results of our previous study of airway mucosa, where the mast cell density was not reduced by topical glucocorticoid treatment in a dosage which effectively inhibits the immediate allergic response after allergen challenge. These differences can be interpreted as being due to differences in the steroid responsiveness of different mast cell populations, but may also depend on differences in the pharmacokinetics of the glucocorticosteroids when applied locally to the skin as opposed to the airway mucosa. The present results emphasize the role of the mast cell and histamine in the pathogenesis of the immediate dermal allergic reaction, but also stress that the effects of glucocorticosteroids are largely dependent not only on dosage but also on treatment times. Results from in‐vitro and other studies involving short‐term treatment with glucocorticosteroids should therefore be interpreted with caution.