Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PrEP: A Review for Mental Health Professionals

ABSTRACT Despite the significant advances in the knowledge and treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, it remains responsible for a worldwide epidemic. Research in macaques, using antiretrovirals as systemic pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) showed encouraging results in preventing HIV transmission and led to several clinical trials in humans. In this article, we review the results of eight key PrEP studies using either tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) alone or in combination with emtricitabine (FTC): iPrEX, FEM-PrEP, Partners PrEP, TDF-2, VOICE, Bangkok Tenofovir Study, IPERGAY and PROUD. The results revealed that PrEP is well tolerated and its efficacy is related to adherence of the recommended regimen. The highest overall efficacy, 86%, was found in the IPERGAY and PROUD studies. Only one study found a suggestion of risk compensation. None of the studies identified an increase in the incidence of other sexually transmitted infections. The use of PrEP in individuals not known to be HIV-infected can increase the risk of development of drug resistance. More studies are warranted to monitor the possible long term side effects of TDF, as well as strategies to increase adherence in real life settings. Mental health professionals should be aware of PrEP and of its use.
Mixed Hematologic Chimerism After Allogeneic Marrow Transplantation for Severe Aplastic Anemia Is Associated With a Higher Risk of Graft Rejection and a Lessened Incidence of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Ninety-six patients with severe aplastic anemia who received a sex- mismatched, HLA-identical allogeneic sibling marrow transplant had sequential cytogenetic analyses performed to determine the incidence and implications of posttransplant mixed hematologic chimerism. Of the 96 patients, 56 (58.3%) became mixed chimeras with coexisting host and donor cells detected in peripheral blood or marrow 14 days or later after transplant, and 40 patients (41.7%) were complete chimeras with 100% donor-type hematopoietic cells. The incidence of mixed chimerism was independent of prior blood production transfusions and infusion of donor buffy coat. The rejection rate was significantly increased in the mixed chimeric group, particularly in patients not receiving buffy coat (14 of 36 rejecting), although overall, the majority (69.7%) retained their first graft. Rejection was seen almost exclusively in patients exposed to multiple transfusions before transplantation. If patients who reject their first graft are censored, the overall incidence of grades II through IV acute graft-v-host disease (GVHD) was significantly reduced in those with mixed chimerism. Transfused patients with mixed chimerism in particular were less likely to develop grades II through IV acute GVHD. The incidence of chronic GVHD was similar in the two groups and did not significantly influence survival. In this study, mixed chimerism persisted for up to 395 days posttransplant, either the first graft being rejected or, more commonly, hematopoiesis reverting to 100% donor-type cells. Mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism may persist in patients with aplastic anemia who have received matched allogeneic marrow transplants for significant periods before hematopoiesis reverts to donor cell type.
The plight and failures of the academic staff in public universities.

The quality of a university institution is, largely, determined by the quality of its academic staff.For them to perform their roles, staff morale and conditions of work must be good. The morale of the academic staff is always depressed if they are underpaid, overworked, do not have attractive work packages, among others. The genesis of this paper is on the plight and failures of academic staff working in public (state owned) universities in Uganda. Using the term professoriate to refer to all branches of the academic profession and those who constitute it, the paper explores the functions and the problems the professoriate face globally. It narrates the difficult working conditions in public universities in Uganda that leads to brain drain. It throws some light on some of the failures of the academic staff and concludes by providing some useful suggestions.
The social pattern of heavy drinking in Russia

he impact on health of the political and economic transition in Russia has been profound. Between 1990 and 1994, female life expectancy at birth fell by 3.2 years and, for men, by 6.2 years. These changes are almost unprecedented in peacetime. The factors underlying these changes are now much better understood than in the past, with research highlighting the major role played by alcohol, not just as a cause of injuries' but also cardiovascular^ and respiratory disease. In Russia, unlike many parts of western Europe, alcohol is often drunk in binges, in which half a litre or more of vodka is drunk at a time. An effective policy response must address the question of why people drink in this way. Some recent research has shed light on this at a population level, indicating the important role played by labour force turnover in situations where there is a lack of social cohesion, but so far there has been relatively little information at an individual level. The paper by Carlson and Vagero goes some way to addressing this issue. They provide further evidence that a substantial number of Russian men drink what are, in international terms, very large quantities of alcohol but they also help us to understand who these men are and how they differ from those who drink less. They show how those with low levels of education and manual jobs are more likely to drink heavily. These are the people who have been most affected by the transition. At the time of writing this editorial comment the situation in Russia is once more deteriorating, after a period of relative improvement. There is still much about the determinants of health in Russia that is uncertain, but it is essential that the lessons that have been learnt from the events since 1991 are acted on so as to mitigate the worst health effects of the current economic turmoil.
Biochemical assessment of liver in sickle cell disease patients at a tertiary care hospital of north India

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is frequently associated with liver disease. The constant state of hemolysis due to reduced red cell survival; and multiple blood transfusions will lead to hepatic sinusoidal congestion, viral hepatitis, cholestasis, and haemosiderosis, all of these may contribute to the development of liver disease. The aim of the study was to assess the biochemical liver function tests in steady state adult SCD patients in a tertiary care hospital Methods: Fifty seven adult SCD patients in steady state and sixty hemoglobin AA controls were enrolled in the study. Liver function tests were carried out in all subjects. Results: The serum total bilirubin, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), direct and indirect bilirubin and total protein were significantly higher in SCD patients (P <0.001) than in controls. Serum iron and ferritin were higher in SCD patients with hepatic disease (p<0.01), which could be due to iron overload, whereas serum transferrin and total iron binding capacity were decreased in these patients. Conclusions: Steady state SCD patients had elevation of Transaminases and remaining liver function parameters compared to age matched controls. It is advisable that liver function tests be interpreted with caution in these patients.
Modulatory effect of Ficus carica on oxidative stress and hematological changes induced by gamma-radiation in male albino rats

The fig, Ficus carica L. (Moraceae), is a rich source of polysaccharides that possessed anti-tumour and anti-oxidant properties. The present study aimed to evaluate the ability of F. carica to protect against radiation-induced changes in certain biochemical and hematological parameters. This was achieved by measuring different hematological parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities, and lipid peroxidation; histological examination of liver and kidney was also performed. Rats used in this study were divided into four groups of 10 each- group 1: control, group 2: F. carica, group 3: irradiated rats, and group 4:F. carica pretreated irradiated rats. Ficus carica extract was prepared in water in a 1:3 w:v ratio and administered by gavage for three consecutive weeks before whole body gamma irradiation with 8 Gy (single dose). Five rats were sacrificed from each group at 24 and 72 h after radiation exposure. Irradiation resulted in marked reduction in white blood cell (WBC), platelets (PLT), lymphocyte, and neutrophil counts, whereas no significant changes were observed in red blood cells (RBCs) count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, mean corpuscular Hb (MCH), red cell distribution width (RDW), hematocrit (HCT) mean corpuscular Hb concentration (MCHC) and mean PLT volume (MPV). Radiation treatment increased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) levels, catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and caused hepatic and renal damage. Oral administration of F. carica before irradiation significantly increased WBC, PLT, lymphocytes and neutrophils counts, along with a decrease in TBARS levels, and catalase and SOD activities in serum, liver, and kidney. These results suggested that consumption of F. carica a natural product with antioxidant capacity and capability to quench singlet oxygen could help mitigate cellular damage caused by whole-body irradiation-induced free radicals.
Credit Supply and Capital Structure Adjustments

Using the staggered deregulation of the U.S. banking industry as a series of exogenous shocks, I study the effect of the credit supply on the speed of capital structure adjustment. I find robust evidence that interstate and intrastate banking deregulation are positively associated with leverage adjustments. Specifically, the speeds of adjustment to target leverage are faster in the post-deregulation periods. I also find that the positive effect is driven by firms that are financially constrained, are financially dependent on banks, and have less access to the public debt market and by deregulated banks’ ability to geographically diversify the credit risk.
Relationships between personality , cortisol , dreaming and memory

Two studies are presented investigating the combined relationship of personality dimensions and abnormal cortisol levels on dream recall and memory. The first study used a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled experiment using the NEO FFM to assess mediating effects of personality and acute effects of elevated cortisol levels on memory and dreaming. Biological stress was induced by means of administering prednisone to seven participants in the experimental group compared to five participants in the placebo group. The second study compares a control group to a chronic asthmatic group with each group consisting of five participants. Influences of the biological stress response system and the episodic memory system are explored within an ecosystemic framework of personality development. Furthermore, support for the theoretical concept of dream recall representing an episodic memory consolidation process while controlling for personality dimensions is investigated. Findings support previous research with the personality dimension neuroticism influencing dream recall. Extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism were found to have interaction effects when combined with gender. Dream recall correlated with memory consolidation after controlling for neuroticism , extraversion and cortisol parameters. No significant irregularities were found in the asthmatic group with regards to personality and cortisol circadian rhythms. Asthmatics were found to have diminished dream content when compared to the control group, however, after controlling for gender, these effects diminished. Keywords; personality; cortisol; memory consolidation; hippocampus; dream analysis; asthma; sleep
Gender Peer Effects in University: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment

Recent studies for primary and secondary education find positive effects of the share of females in the classroom on achievement of males and females. This study examines whether these results can be extrapolated to higher education. We conduct an experiment in which the shares of females in workgroups for first year students in economics and business are manipulated and students are randomly assigned to these groups. Males tend to postpone, but not abandon, their dropout decision when surrounded by more females and perform worse on courses with high math content. There is also a modest reduction in absenteeism early in the year. Overall, however, we find no substantial gender peer effects on achievement. This in spite of the fact that according to students’ perceptions, both their own, and their peers’ behavior are influenced by the share of females.
Sound symbolism and theoretical phonology

A received wisdom in modern linguistic theories is that the relationships between sounds and meanings are generally arbitrary. However, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that in some cases sounds and meanings have systematic relationships—patterns known as “sound symbolism. ” Yet most of these studies are conducted by psychologists, cognitive scientists or cognitive linguists, and currently, only a few theoretical phonologists pay serious attention to sound symbolism. This paper reviews major studies on sound symbolism and argues that sound symbolism can be an interesting topic of exploration for theoretical phonologists. This paper also demonstrates that insights gained by phonological research can shed light on some important issues in the studies of sound symbolism, and vice versa. Overall, I hope that this paper is informative for both theoretical phonologists and researchers who work on sound symbolism.
Brand equity and competitive advantage in alcoholic beverage products

In the face of growing competition in modern business environment as a result of globalisation and development in information and communication technology, firms are required to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This study therefore investigated the effect of brand awareness, brand association, brand loyalty, perceived quality, and other proprietary brand assets on competitive advantage in alcoholic beverage products and producers in Kabale District Uganda. The study employed descriptive and multiple regression analyses. The estimates from the multiple regression model indicated that brand equity has significant effect on competitive advantage among alcoholic beverages products and producers. This is evident in the statistical significance of the brand awareness, brand loyalty, and perceived quality variables at the 5% significant. We conclude therefore that brand equity has positive and significant predictive effect on competitive advantage. Hence, firms could enhance competitive advantage by paying attention to brand equity variables.
Intestinal immune activation in juvenile idiopathic arthritis

The etiology of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is still unknown but genetic and enviromental factors play role in the pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to detect endoscopic and immunohistological changes in the gut in JIA compared with the controls and potential correlation of mucosal immunological activation with clinical activity of JIA. JIA patients (n=26) and negative controls (n=71) suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms without significant gastrointestinal disease were recruited for the study. Positive controls were patients with cows milk protein sensitive enteropathy (n=24). The intraepithelial lymphocytes counts, cytotoxic (granzyme A, B) and gamma/delta T-cell count and HLA-DR antigens were evaluated by using immunohistochemistry and messenger RNA expression levels of important immune mediators were assessed with real time PCR (RT-PCR) from fresh frozen intestinal mucosal samples. In JIA compared with negative controls, there was increased presence of lymphonodular hyperplasia and expression of HLA-DR antigens in abnormal mucosal cites, in crypts of the ileum. These changes were correlating with activity of JIA. In JIA compared with negative controls, there were found elevated granzyme B but decreased cytoprotective heat shock protein expression. The mRNA expression levels of antiinflammatory mediators like TGFβ, IL10 and transcriptor factor of regulatory T-cells FOXP3, inversely correlated with activity of JIA. In conclusion, patients with JIA suffering from gastrointestinal symptoms display evidence of intestinal mucosal immune activation and there is an association between levels of mucosal immune alteration and clinical activity of JIA. These findings support the hypothesis that there is a link between the intestinal immune system and pathogenesis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In order to confirm these findings, more extensive series of JIA patients without gastrointestinal symptoms needs to be examined.
SUPPLEMENT TO “THE PRODUCTIVITY ADVANTAGES OF LARGE CITIES: DISTINGUISHING AGGLOMERATION FROM FIRM

This document contains a set of appendices with supplemental material. Appendix E extends the model to introduce worker mobility, consumption amenities, and urban crowding costs. Appendix F derives asymptotic properties of the estimator. Appendix G explains how we compute the minimization criterion to estimate the values of the parameters. Appendix H provides further details on the data. Appendix I explains how we implement alternative approaches to estimate TFP. Finally, Appendix J provides sector-level estimates using urban areas as spatial units.
Multimodal [18F]FDG PET/CT Is a Direct Readout for Inflammatory Bone Repair: A Longitudinal Study in TNFα Transgenic Mice

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), chronic joint inflammation leading to bone and cartilage damage is the major cause of functional impairment. Whereas reduction of synovitis and blockade of joint damage can be successfully achieved by disease modifying antirheumatic therapies, bone repair upon therapeutic interventions has only been rarely reported. The aim of this study was to use fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) and [18F]fluoride µPET/CT imaging to monitor systemic inflammatory and destructive bone remodeling processes as well as potential bone repair in an established mouse model of chronic inflammatory, erosive polyarthritis. Therefore, human tumor necrosis factor transgenic (hTNFtg) mice were treated with infliximab, an anti‐TNF antibody, for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment period, mice received either [18F]FDG, for detecting inflammatory processes, or [18F]fluoride, for monitoring bone remodeling processes, for PET scans followed by CT scans. Standardized uptake values (SUVmean) were analyzed in various joints and histopathological signs of arthritis, joint damage, and repair were assessed. Longitudinal PET/CT scans revealed a significant decrease in [18F]FDG SUVs in affected joints demonstrating complete remission of inflammatory processes due to TNF blockade. In contrast, [18F]fluoride SUVs could not discriminate between different severities of bone damage in hTNFtg mice. Repeated in vivo CT images proved a structural reversal of preexisting bone erosions after anti‐TNF therapy. Accordingly, histological analysis showed complete resolution of synovial inflammation and healing of bone at sites of former bone erosion. We conclude that in vivo multimodal [18F]FDG µPET/CT imaging allows to quantify and monitor inflammation‐mediated bone damage and reveals not only reversal of synovitis but also bone repair upon TNF blockade in experimental arthritis. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Online Appendix to: “An Informational Rationale for Action over Disclosure”

Appendix C considers four variations of the baseline model; two pertain to changes in the payoff structure, one to the information structure, and one to the shock structure. These are: (i) the introduction of direct strategic complementarity; (ii) the existence of inefficient disturbances; (iii) the presence of idiosyncratic noise in the policy maker’s instrument rule combined with a noisy signal of the policy instrument; and (iv) binary signals combined with a beta distributed fundamental. The analysis confirms that the superiority of instrument policy does not depend unduly on either of these extensions. Combined, they provide the necessary bridge between the results from our baseline model and those from the business cycle applications considered in the paper in addition to in this Online Appendix.
Worker Surveillance: Job Rationing and Wage Suppression

I present a search-and-matching model of unemployment with moral hazard and imperfect monitoring. Job rationing arises endogenously as the incentive compatibility constraints on wages prevent the market from reaching full employment even in the absence of matching frictions. We use the framework to investigate enhanced surveillance in the workplace; a trend in the modern labor market. Whether firms chose efficiency wages, deferred payment, or a combination of both, improvements in monitoring technology lower wages and limit wage growth. Using British workplace survey data, we find evidence that wages in firms that have increased their monitoring levels have experienced smaller wage growth, and that these firms have increased their presence in the labor market after the great recession. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the post recession puzzling disconnect between wage growth and other labor market indicators.
You miss 100% of the opportunities you do not exploit

The past decade's globalisation has become an increasingly important topic in international business. Firms, therefore, search for business opportunities in new markets, where the aim is to increase revenue. However, many of the world’s developed economies are becoming more saturated, which leads to firms looking for opportunities in emerging countries. Recent studies and statistics indicate that the West-African region is developing thus leading to increased buying power and population growth. The purpose of this thesis is to research how firms can exploit opportunities which derive from the development in the West-African market, and sub-sequentially how the risks are managed. This study is conducted with a qualitative research method with an abductive approach based on eight MNC’s with experience from Ghana and Nigeria. Due to the lack of previous research on especially how firms exploit opportunities, it was key for the authors to go back and forth between empirical findings and the literature review to achieve a holistic view of the topic and find gaps in the existing literature. The authors further have created a conceptual framework based on previous literature which provided themes combined with the operationalisation to answer the research questions. The analysis discusses the existing literature combined with the empirical findings and the authors’ thoughts in the context of West-Africa. Lastly, a concluding chapter with results, theoreticaland practical implications, limitations, societal contribution and suggestion for further research is presented. The result of the thesis has provided further knowledge of how firms exploit opportunities and manage risks as well as how important the network is for firms entering West-Africa. The most significant finding shows that a firm needs to access the correct network upon entering Ghana and Nigeria in order to exploit any opportunity. The authors suggest that managers need to access the correct network via an agent providing them with local specific knowledge to overcome a lack of knowledge and initial risks. Further building upon the initial agents’ network will enable them to explore further opportunities within the West-African region.