Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attention HIV: older African American women define sexual risk

Understanding sexual-risk behaviours as defined by a culture presents new challenges for human service professionals. Older African American women constitute the fastest growing group of new cases of HIV in the USA. With heterosexual sex as the primary mode of transmission among this group, there exist minimal programmes that are culture and age-specific in terms of primary and secondary prevention. In an attempt to address this gap in knowledge, this study examined how a group of older African American women defined sexual-risk behaviour. A focus group was conducted with seven women age 45 and older, who were recruited from a community centre. This paper examines the way that sexual-risk behaviour was defined through thematic analysis and conceptualises the locus of sexual risk behaviour as defined by the participants. The major theme of the study was social prescription, how to behave sexually as an ageing adult. Underlying ideas that arose were that unprotected sex occurred out of habit, that impulsivity was associated with risky sex and that older women needed to be aware of warning signs and behaviours of potential mates. Micro- and macro-level implications for human service professionals are discussed.
Modification of nitrate uptake pathway in plants affects the cadmium uptake by roots

NRT1.1 is a dual-affinity nitrate (NO3−) transporter involved in both high- and low-affinity NO3− uptake in Arabidopsis plants. In a recent study, we showed that, under cadmium (Cd) exposure, blocking the NRT1.1-mediated NO3− uptake reduces Cd entry into roots, thus lowing Cd levels in plants and improving plant growth. In addition, we also found that the Cd levels in edible parts of 11 Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) cultivars correlated well with the NO3− uptake rates of their roots. These results suggested that the NO3− uptake of roots negatively regulate Cd uptake. Modification of NO3− uptake in crops by modulating NO3− uptake pathway might provide a biological engineering approach to reducing Cd accumulation in edible organs, thus improving food safety.
Advanced bone age in a girl with Wiedemann–Steiner syndrome and an exonic deletion in KMT2A (MLL)

Recognition of the gene implicated in a Mendelian disorder subsequently leads to an expansion of potential phenotypes associated with mutations in that gene as patients with features beyond the core phenotype are identified by sequencing. Here, we present a young girl with developmental delay, short stature despite a markedly advanced bone age, hypertrichosis without elbow hair, renal anomalies, and dysmorphic facial features, found to have a heterozygous, de novo, intragenic deletion encompassing exons 2–10 of the KMT2A (MLL) gene detected by whole exome sequencing. Heterozygous mutations in this gene were recently demonstrated to cause Wiedemann–Steiner syndrome (OMIM 605130). Importantly, retrospective analysis of this patient's chromosomal microarray revealed decreased copy number of two probes corresponding to exons 2 and 9 of the KMT2A gene, though this result was not reported by the testing laboratory in keeping with standard protocols for reportable size cutoffs for array comparative genomic hybridization. This patient expands the clinical phenotype associated with mutations in KMT2A to include variable patterns of hypertrichosis and a significantly advanced bone age with premature eruption of the secondary dentition despite her growth retardation. This patient also represents the first report of Wiedemann–Steiner syndrome due to an exonic deletion, supporting haploinsufficiency as a causative mechanism. Our patient also illustrates the need for sensitive guidelines for the reporting of chromosomal microarray findings that are below traditional reporting size cutoffs, but that impact exons or other genomic regions of known function. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of irrigation systems using comparative performance indicators: a case study of two large scale irrigation systems in the upper Awash Basin

This research was conducted to introduce the concept of evaluating the countries large scale irrigation systems and using the IWMI\u2019s minimum set of indicators for the same purpose. This was done by selecting two irrigation systems in the Upper Awash Basin. NuraEra state and Wonji estate farm were selected for their relatively better organization and management, nearness to weather station and their representative nature of the large scale irrigation systems in the country. The necessary primary and secondary data to calculate the nine indicators were collected which are measurement of canal capacity and pump capacity, and total yields, farm gate prices of irrigated crops, area irrigated per crop per season or per year, crop types, production per season or per year, incomes generated from water fee and cropping pattern. The indicators used are output per cropped area, output per command area, output per irrigation diverted, output per water consumed, relative water supply, relative irrigation supply, water delivery capacity, financial self sufficiency and gross return on investment. The result of the analysis shows that the ratio of RWS, RIS and WDC for NuraEra are 4.8, 6.6 and 1.4, for Wonji estate 1.36, 1.4 and 0.77 respectively. The four agricultural indicators; output per cropped area, output per command, output per irrigation supply and output per water consumed are in the order of 21017.44, 23791.21, 0.74 and 2.3 for NuraEra and 20074.97, 13916.03, 1.4 and 1.2 for Wonji, respectively. NuraEra spent 0.36 percent of its income in the year of analysis and that of Wonji is 0.17 percent for operation and maintenance of the delivery system. FSS was 100% for both of the farms. And gross return on investment was 84.7% for NuraEra and 76.8% for Wonji.
Oxidative stress induced by chromium (VI) in bone of suckling rats

Exposure to hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) compounds is of concern in many Cr-related industries and their surrounding environments. K2Cr2O7 is widely recognized as an animal and human carcinogen, mutagen, and teratogen. The present study investigated the bone maturity of suckling rats whose mothers were treated with K2Cr2O7. Experiments were carried out on female Wistar rats given 700 ppm of K2Cr2O7 in their drinking water from the 14th day of pregnancy until day 14 after delivery. Exposing dams to K2Cr2O7 caused disorders in the bone of their progeny. As corollary to this, malondialdehyde levels increased, while glutathione, a non-protein thiol and vitamin C decreased. Alteration of the antioxidant system in the treated group was also confirmed by the significant decline of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities. Furthermore, K2Cr2O7 induced changes in bone mineralization, especially calcium and phosphorus levels, which decreased. Whereas, in plasma and urine, they increased and decreased inversely. These results suggest that K2Cr2O7 accelerated bone resorption activity. In fact, in treated pups, total tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, which reflected bone resorption, was enhanced while total alkaline phosphatase, which reflected bone formation, was reduced. The impairment of bone function was corresponded histologically.
The Impact of Announcing Future Punishment Opportunities in a Public Goods Game

We explore the effects of announcements of future punishment opportunities in public goods games. Announcements can influence subject behaviour, through changing expectations, before the institution is implemented (adjustment effect) or after implementation (adaptation effect). Our results indicate that announcements do not lead to significant adjustment effects, nor increased free-riding before implementation. Once punishment opportunities are implemented, those forewarned with announcements exhibit positive adaptation effects. The number of contributors to the public good increases relative to the no-announcement treatment; this is partly mediated by increased utilisation of punishment, but diminished anti-social use of the institution. Announcements can therefore increase the efficacy of institutional change.
INTERNATIONAL PORTFOLIO CHOICES UNDER UNCERTAINTY: A MONTE CARLO SIMULATION PROCESS

This paper examines the impact of estimation errors on the financial portfolios optimization processes and investigates the controversy problem of the international and domestic optimal diversification strategies choice from an American investor’s point of view. We introduce the concept of portfolio resampling method and we use the nonparametric stochastic dominance approach based simulated p-values to define an optimal diversification choice. Estimation errors visualization shows that changes in input parameters imply large changes in portfolio composition and reveals considerably modification of MV efficient frontiers shape. The findings show that there exists substantial evidence of the international global diversification benefits. Risk-adverse American investor with an increasing utility function prefers the global international resampled diversification strategy. We find that domestic diversification beats only international major and emerging markets diversification. Dominance relationships between the entirely diversification strategies change according to the risk-aversion coefficient.
Pinning down Character Education

Schools, families, and communities must work together to achieve character education goals. Looking to the past can provide insight on this everrecurring issue. haracter education continues C to be a significant issue in U S . schools, as it has been for generations. A recent national poll (Rose, Gallup, and Elam 1997) reflected a steady interest by the public in the formal teaching of values in schools. Nearly 70 percent of respondents thought public schools could agree on a set of values “to be taught,” while more than 90 percent listed traits like honesty, democracy, and acceptance of others as values that “should be taught directly” in public schools. However, the responsibility of developing a child’s character is not exclusive to public schools (Ryan 1993). Pinning down character education must include schools, families, and communities, including religious institutions. The challenging task for educators is to realize a working agreement among these groups. Although all parties realize that student characterwill only improve if they work cooperatively and cohesively, many believe that a working consensus is doubtful. Today’s political and social climates provide criticism toward even the slightest attempts to network the school to the home and community. This situation is reflected in the words of Secretary of Education Richard Riley (1994): “‘There are many Americans, and many of them are deeply religious, who are skeptical about any expert or federal official . having a role in informing them how they should mold their children’s characters. Yet they are deeply concerned about characters and ethics. We need to be aware of this skepticism, recognize why i t has developed, and work to find those connections that enable us to reach out to these Americans. ” Riley’s words ring true. Communities question if, in a pluralistic society such as ours, any group can “define a set of moral values that . serve as a basis for education” (Nucci 1991.21). Despite current criticism and doubt, character education interest has been spurred, in part , by a spate of national tragedies on public school campuses, and a general perception that character and civility in the U. S. are decreasing. For many people, looking to the character basics of the past is akin to a last gasp. Most advocates of character education approaches agree that pinning down a contemporary national character means agreeing to certain values first. Calls for direct teaching and lifestyle modeling of character traits and historical national values are popping up in communities across the United States (Ryan and Bohlin 1999b; Lickona 1W3; Massey 1993). This current wave actually has a lengthy and traceable history.
Assessing Measurement Invariance of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support (SPOS): Paper-and-Pencil vs. Online Administrations

Bu arastirmada, coklu grup dogrulayici faktor analizi kullanilarak Eisenberger, Huntington, Hutchison ve Sowa (1986) tarafindan gelistirilmis olan Algilanan Kurumsal Destek Olceginin sekiz maddeli kisa versiyonunun online/web tabanli ve kagit–kalem ile uygulamalari bakimindan olcum esdegerliligi/olcum degismezligi test edilmistir. Sonuclar bicim, metrik ve skalar degismezligini desteklemistir. Olcegin psikometrik ozelliklerinin iki anket uygulama bicimi bakimindan benzerlik gosterdigine dair bulgular elde edilmistir.
A cross-hazard analysis of terse message retransmission on Twitter

Significance Online social networks (OSNs) enable time-resolved measurement of communication behavior during disasters, making it possible to probe the mechanisms by which messages are amplified or suppressed with precision unattainable by traditional data sources. To our knowledge, this research provides the first systematic study of the factors predicting the social amplification of risk communication in OSNs by examining the retransmission of official messages across five hazards. Our findings demonstrate the respective impacts of sender characteristics, message content, and message style in determining whether an official message will be passed on during an emergency, as well whether these vary across hazards. These results contribute to the evidence base for policies guiding the delivery by emergency management organizations of lifesaving information to the public. For decades, public warning messages have been relayed via broadcast information channels, including radio and television; more recently, risk communication channels have expanded to include social media sites, where messages can be easily amplified by user retransmission. This research examines the factors that predict the extent of retransmission for official hazard communications disseminated via Twitter. Using data from events involving five different hazards, we identity three types of attributes—local network properties, message content, and message style—that jointly amplify and/or attenuate the retransmission of official communications under imminent threat. We find that the use of an agreed-upon hashtag and the number of users following an official account positively influence message retransmission, as does message content describing hazard impacts or emphasizing cohesion among users. By contrast, messages directed at individuals, expressing gratitude, or including a URL were less widely disseminated than similar messages without these features. Our findings suggest that some measures commonly taken to convey additional information to the public (e.g., URL inclusion) may come at a cost in terms of message amplification; on the other hand, some types of content not traditionally emphasized in guidance on hazard communication may enhance retransmission rates.
Antibiotic-resistant infections in primary care are symptomatic for longer and increase workload: outcomes for patients with E. coli UTIs.

BACKGROUND Antimicrobial resistance is considered to be one of the major threats to public health. However, the practical implications for patients and workload in primary care are largely unknown. AIM To determine outcomes for patients managed in primary care with an antibiotic resistant compared to an antibiotic sensitive Escherichia coli (E. coli) urinary tract infection (UTI). DESIGN Nested case control study with prospective measurement of outcomes. SETTING Ten general practices in South Wales. METHOD Patients consulting with symptoms suggestive of UTI identified through systematic sampling, and with a laboratory proven E. coli infection, were followed up by interview 1 month after their consultations and by searching of their medical records. RESULTS Nine hundred and thirty-two patients were interviewed and had their medical records reviewed. The risk of patients reporting 'feeling poorly', 'frequency or pain on urinating' and being 'out of action' for more than 5 days after consulting was significantly increased for patients with resistant compared to sensitive infections. After adjusting for risk factors, there was an increased risk of 'frequency or pain on urinating' and 'being out of action' for those infected with a resistant E. coli. The median number of maximum reported days with at least one symptom was 12 days for patients with E. coli infections resistant to trimethoprim, 7 days for infections resistant to ampicillin, 7 days for infections resistant to any antibiotic, and 5 days for infections sensitive to all tested antibiotics. Even if treated with an appropriate antibiotic, infections caused by a resistant strain were symptomatic for longer. For those infected with an organism resistant to at least one antibiotic, the odds ratio (OR) for re-visiting their GP within the next 30 days for the UTI was 1.47 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10 to 1.95). The OR was 1.49 (95% CI = 1.11 to 2.00) for ampicillin resistance and 2.48 (95% CI = 1.70 to 3.59) for trimethoprim resistance. CONCLUSIONS Resistant E. coli UTIs are symptomatic for longer and cause increased work load in general practice.
Explaining occupational injury rates between migrant and native workers in Taiwan, 1998–2011

This study explains trends in occupational injury rates among migrant and native workers in Taiwan and evaluates the results of related regulatory protection policies for migrants between 1998 and 2011. Results indicate that the relative occupational injury rate between migrant and native workers dropped from 2.1 times to 1.1 times during the whole period; on average, the injury rates for migrant workers were 1.45 times higher compared with non-migrants. Although policies protecting migrants’ rights may have resulted in lower injury rates, the minimum wage policy has otherwise given rise to an increase in injury rates. We argue that governmental regulations regarding the monitoring and management of migrant workers’ safety have been only loosely enforced under the guest-worker policy.
Organizational effects of maternal testosterone on reproductive behavior of adult house sparrows

Despite the well‐known, long‐term, organizational actions of sex steroids on phenotypic differences between the sexes, studies of maternal steroids in the vertebrate egg have mainly focused on effects seen in early life. Long‐term organizational effects of yolk hormones on adult behavior and the underlying mechanisms that generate them have been largely ignored. Using an experiment in which hand‐reared house sparrows (Passer domesticus) from testosterone‐ or control‐treated eggs were kept under identical conditions, we show that testosterone treatment in the egg increased the frequency of aggressive, dominance, and sexual behavior of 1‐year‐old, reproductively competent house sparrows. We also show that circulating plasma levels of progesterone, testosterone, 5α‐dihydrotestosterone, and 17β‐estradiol did not differ between treatment groups. Thus, a simple change in adult gonadal hormone secretion is not the primary physiological cause of long‐term effects of maternal steroids on adult behavior. Rather, differences in adult behavior caused by exposure to yolk testosterone during embryonic development are likely generated by organizational modifications of brain function. Furthermore, our data provide evidence that hormone‐mediated maternal effects are an epigenetic mechanism causing intra‐sexual variation in adult behavioral phenotype. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 2008
Impact of Community-Based Diabetes Education on Program Attenders and Nonattenders

This study reports on the differential impact of a moderately intensive diabetes education program on program attenders and dropouts. Sixty-one individuals with diabetes mellitus participated in a diabetes education program to increase knowledge, self-care, and metabolic control. Program attenders demonstrated a significant increase in diabetes knowledge and foot care irrespective of whether they attended the control or education groups. A discriminant analysis suggested that the nonattenders were more poorly educated, had less income, were younger, had had diabetes twice as long, reported more barriers to self-care, and were in poorer health than attenders. These results suggest that patients who attend interventions may be able to benefit from even minimal levels of intervention, while program dropouts may need special assistance to overcome obstacles to program participation.
Racial Politics of Juvenile Justice Policy Support

Since 1992 there has been a federal mandate to reduce “disproportionate minority contact” (DMC), that is, juvenile and criminal justice system contact of non-White youth at rates exceeding their representation in the population. There is little research on how juvenile court authorities interpret this problem and their responsibility to address it, yet existing studies suggest that racial attitudes of court workers, and the lack of diversity among these officials, may contribute to DMC. Using a survey of juvenile court workers, the authors consider how court authorities view the importance of addressing disproportionate minority confinement and the individual-level and contextual predictors of these orientations. The authors find significant variation in the extent to which local court workers view DMC as a problem and that racial politics condition these orientations. Their findings support prior work suggesting that courtroom workgroups be seen as collectives that filter and interpret external rules and regulations, such as the DMC Mandate and indicate the significance of race to the focal concerns of court workers. Within limitations of the study, findings suggest racial politics of probation officers and court contexts may impede or promote local responses to the DMC Mandate and that minority representation within the courtroom workforce is an important source of DMC Mandate support.
Borrelia burgdorferi strain-specific Osp C-mediated immunity in mice

Antibodies to the outer surface proteins (Osps) A, B, and C of the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi can prevent infection in animal models of Lyme borreliosis. We have previously demonstrated that immune serum from mice infected with B. burgdorferi N40 can also prevent challenge infection and induce disease regression in infected mice. The antigens targeted by protective and disease-modulating antibodies are presently unknown, but they do not include Osp A or Osp B. Because Osp C antibodies are present in immune mouse serum, we investigated the ability of hyperimmune serum to recombinant Osp C (N40) to protect mice against challenge infection with N40 spirochetes. In both active and passive immunization studies, Osp C (N40) antiserum failed to protect mice from challenge infection with cultured organisms. Mice actively immunized with recombinant Osp C (N40) were susceptible to tick-borne challenge infection, and nymphal ticks remained infected after feeding on Osp C-hyperimmunized mice. In contrast, similar immunization studies performed with Osp C (PKo) antiserum prevented challenge infection of mice with a clone of PKo spirochetes pathogenic for mice. Both Osp C (N40) and Osp C (PKo) antisera showed minimal in vitro borreliacidal activity, and immunofluorescence studies localized Osp C beneath the outer membrane of both N40 and PKo spirochetes. We conclude that Osp C antibody-mediated immunity is strain specific and propose that differences in Osp C surface expression by spirochetes in vivo may account for strain-specific immunity.