Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Making supervision supportive and sustainable: new approaches to old problems.

This paper distills lessons from recent efforts to improve the supervision of family planning and health programs in developing countries and identifies approaches that may be more effective and sustainable. It describes supportive supervision an approach to supervision that emphasizes joint problem-solving mentoring and two-way communication between supervisors and those being supervised. It also expands the concept of effective supervision by exploring how self-assessment and peer assessment as well as community input can be seen as vital components of results-oriented supportive supervision. The papers conclusions are based on a review of the literature of supervision; an informal qualitative survey conducted among USAID reproductive health and child survival cooperating agencies; and discussions with MAQ participants. The agencies include John Snow International Management Sciences for Health University Research Co. LLC EngenderHealth Pathfinder International the International Planned Parenthood Federation JHPIEGO the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs and INTRAH. The paper draws on responses summarizing the experiences of approximately 16 field programs. Based on review of these experiences in implementing such a style of supervision the paper provides a framework for what supportive supervision means in practice and identifies key lessons from recent efforts as well as gaps in our knowledge. (excerpt)
Caring About Racism: Early Career Nurses' Experiences With Aboriginal Cultural Safety

The Aboriginal population in Canada is the youngest and most rapidly growing demographic in the country, and more than half of the 1.4 million Aboriginal people in Canada live in urban centres (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, 2013). As a result, all nurses can expect to provide nursing care to Aboriginal peoples during the course of their work, regardless of the setting of their employment. Since the beginning of the new millennium, however, Canadian researchers have documented that Aboriginal people encounter racism and discrimination at the hands of health professionals when they access health care in this country. In an effort to address this racism and improve the experience of Aboriginal peoples in health care, the Canadian Association of Schools of Nursing (2013) now recommends that undergraduate nursing students receive cultural safety education during their nursing programs. This recommendation is significant because cultural safety differs in important ways from cultural competence, the dominant model of attending to cultural differences practiced by health professionals in North America. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of early career nurses translating knowledge of cultural safety into nursing practice.
The frequent exacerbator phenotype of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in pulmonary rehabilitation – assessment of clinical outcomes and inflammation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients who suffer recurrent exacerbations are a recognised clinical phenotype. Pulmonary rehabilitation is considered a cornerstone treatment in the management of COPD. The aim of this thesis was to investigate how frequent exacerbators respond to pulmonary rehabilitation in terms of clinical outcomes and inflammation. Study 1 suggested that frequent exacerbators were less likely to complete pulmonary rehabilitation (44% vs 69%; p=0.025), but those who completed experienced clinically important improvements in outcomes. Study 2 demonstrated that fibrinogen concentrations were significantly reduced in both frequent and infrequent exacerbators (p=0.033), and total leukocyte (p=0.018) and neutrophil (p=0.018) counts reduced in frequent exacerbators only upon completion of pulmonary rehabilitation. Study 3 suggested a tendency towards an increase in MKP-1 anti-inflammatory gene expression in response to corticosteroid treatment (2hr, p=0.060) in both frequent and infrequent exacerbators upon completion of pulmonary rehabilitation. Study 4 showed that an acute bout of exercise at the beginning of pulmonary rehabilitation induced increases in leukocyte counts (p=0.002) and immature neutrophils (p=0.002) in both groups. No differences in inflammatory responses to acute exercise were observed with an acute bout of exercise at the end of pulmonary rehabilitation in both groups. Study 5 suggested that frequent exacerbators recorded fewer daily steps (d=0.3) and spent less time in light (d=0.8) and moderate-to-vigorous activities (d=0.3). There were no definitive differences in inflammation between frequent and infrequent exacerbators. Overall, this thesis shows that pulmonary rehabilitation should be encouraged in frequent exacerbators as they stand to have significant improvements in clinical outcomes and resolution of inflammation.
Women's experiences of tests and procedures carried out at a preterm birth surveillance clinic

Background Preterm birth is a major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity, with practices varying between specialist services. Aim To explore the experiences and views of pregnant women at high-risk of preterm birth who were undergoing tests requiring a speculum examination and procedures at a preterm birth surveillance clinic. Methods Women attending for preterm surveillance at a specialist clinic were asked to complete a questionnaire. Findings A total of 102 participants completed the questionnaire. Overall, 97% (n=99) of women found the speculum examination acceptable and 88% (n=90) stated they would be happy to have the examination again if required. This was comparable to 95% (n=97) of women who stated they found the transvaginal ultrasound examination acceptable. Conclusions Our findings suggest that women at risk of preterm birth find speculum examinations and transvaginal ultrasound scans for cervical length measurement acceptable.
A Study of Clinical and CSF Characteristics in Cases of Acute Meningoencephalitis in Immunocompetent Adults in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Eastern India

Meningoencephalitis is a very critical illness that is widespread andit remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity with neurological disabilities. It usually presents with varying degrees of symptoms of meningeal inflammation, posing difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. Study was conducted to Evaluate clinical severity and CSF(cerebrospinal fluid) findings at presentation. Encompassing the clinical status, CSF assays, along with revelations of recent trends of infection responsible formeningoencephalitis, this study also shows that early confirmation of clinical suspicion with judgement of severity & CSF study, is of great significance. Prompt diagnosis providesphysicians with an opportunity to prevent undue mortality and morbidity. Here lies therelevance of this study.
Modelling digestion kinetics in pigs: Predicting nutrient absorption based on diet and ingredient properties

In pig production, production efficiency is effectuated by formulating diets that meet the pigs’ nutrient requirement for maintenance and production (i.e. growth, reproduction). The amount of nutrients available to the pig, depends on the nutrient content of the diet and on the ability of pigs to digest and absorb these nutrients from their gastrointestinal tract. The availability, but also the utilization of absorbed nutrients for metabolic processes (e.g. heat production, protein and fat synthesis), depends on the kinetics of nutrient digestion after ingestion of feed. Digestion is the aggregated process of passage, hydrolysis, and absorption of nutrients and endogenous secretions by organs and tissues involved. These processes determine at what rate and to what extent (i.e. kinetics) nutrients are digested and absorbed. Current feed evaluation systems, used to formulate pig diets, do not take into account the kinetics of nutrient digestion. To gain insight into the impact of nutrient digestion kinetics on absorption of nutrients in pigs, a computer model was developed as aim of the research described in this thesis. The work described in this thesis provides insight on the quantitative relations between the kinetics of digesta passage and diet viscosity (Chapter 2), diet solubility, and feed intake level (Chapter 3). In addition, the thesis presents further data on the variation in protein hydrolysis kinetics among feed ingredients used in practice for pigs diets (Chapter 4). The dynamic mechanistic computer model: ‘SNAPIG’, described and evaluated in this thesis (Chapter 5), simulates variation in the kinetics of nutrient digestion and absorption in growing pigs. It is a promising tool that can be used to predict the kinetics of nutrient absorption in pigs fed diets varying in feed ingredient and physicochemical properties.
Feasibility Study of Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization with Epirubicin Drug-eluting Beads for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Japanese Patients

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of drug-eluting bead (DEB)-transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with 75 mg epirubicin for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Japanese patients with unresectable HCC prior to conducting a planned randomized controlled trial. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a prospective multi-center feasibility study. Eligible patients had unresectable Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A or B HCC that was unsuitable for curative treatments, and all patients received TACE with 75 mg epirubicin-loaded DEB. Tumor response, as the primary endpoint, was assessed after 4 weeks by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, based on the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Adverse events after treatment were evaluated as the secondary endpoint, based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. Results: Between May and August 2014, 8 patients from two institutions were enrolled in this clinical study. There were no instances of complete response observed, partial response was obtained in 4 patients, and the overall response rate was 50%. No patients experienced grade 4 or higher adverse events. Grade 3 thrombocytopenia occurred in 1 patient. One patient experienced a grade 3 increase in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin levels. All adverse events were well managed with conservative medical care. There were no procedure-related deaths. Conclusions: DEB-TACE with 75 mg epirubicin was found to be feasible in Japanese patients, and it was deemed appropriate to proceed to a randomized controlled trial comparing DEB-TACE and conventional TACE.
Improvement and Testing of Models for Field Level Evaluation in Urban Environment

Through the advent of mobile cellular networks the number of radio base stations installed in urban environments has increased exponentially. As a consequence, the level of the electromagnetic (EM) field has increased at the same pace, sometimes approaching the limits set by the national rules. The first step of a compliance test campaign is the field estimation, mainly close to the base stations. In this article, the estimation of EM field generated by UHF base station is presented. A rephrasing of the COST 231 - Walfisch-Ikegami model is used to evaluate the path loss at distances greater than 20 m from the base station. Then, the knowledge of the full antenna pattern allows to estimate the field level. Since antenna manufacturers measure, and publish, only the patterns on the principal planes, an extrapolation procedure is also presented. A measurement campaign in the specific small urban and irregular environments of Dorgali (NU), Cala Gonone (NU) and Lunamatrona (CA), Italy, done in the context of Onde Chiare project, has been used to assess the approach presented here.
Factors Effecting The Incidence Of Anemia Among Adolescent Girls At Tatah Makmur South Kalimantan Public Health Center

Objective: Anemia is a condition of low blood concentrations of hemoglobin or a low hematocrit. Adolescent girls who experience anemia often occur when menstruating due to iron-containing blood loss. Based on the above background, this study examines what factors are related to the incidence of anemia of adolescent girls in Tatah Makmur South Kalimantan Public Health Center. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors related to the incidence of anemia for adolescent girls in Tatah Makmur South Kalimantan Public Health Center. Technology or Method: The type of research is an analytic observation with cross-sectional study design. Samples taken as many as 60 adolescent girls obtained by using random sampling. Method of processing and data analysis using univariate analysis, bivariate analysis, multivariate analysis. Result: Respondents were 60 adolescent girls with 63,3% suffering from anemia, 60% of respondents had enough knowledge, 53% of respondents had consumption level of deficit category, nutritious category (51,7%) and respondents were having menstruation (63,3%). From bivariate analysis, the association of anemia on the level of knowledge about anemia, the level of iron consumption and nutritional status is significantly related to menstruation. Multivariate analysis showed that the incidence of anemia did not have a significant relationship with nutritional status and menstruation. Conclusion: A Nutritional status that is directly related to the incidence of anemia is the need to consume foods containing vitamin A and C and contain iron (Fe) is high. Menstruation that affects the incidence of anemia seen from how long the adolescent girls experience menstruation that affects the incidence of anemia experienced by adolescent girls.
Biotic and abiotic factors predict the biogeography of soil microbes in the Serengeti

Field-based observational research is the first step in understanding the factors that predict the biogeography and community structure of soil microbes. The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is an ideal location for this type of research because active volcanoes generate strong environmental gradients due to ash deposition and a rain shadow. Also, as one of the last remaining naturally grazed ecosystems on Earth, the Serengeti provides insights about the influence of herbivory on microbial communities. We used 16S rRNA amplicons to characterize bacterial and archaeal communities in soils from a 13-year herbivore removal experiment to study the influence of environmental factors and grazing on the natural distribution of soil microbes. We collected soil samples from seven sites, each with three naturally grazed plots and three plots that were fenced to prevent grazing by large mammalian herbivores. Soil fertility (phosphorus, nitrogen, iron, calcium, organic matter), texture, and pH were measured at each plot. Beta diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities was most strongly correlated with soil texture (R2 = 32.4%). The abundance of many operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were correlated with soil texture, and the evenness of taxa within samples increased with fine-textured soil. Removal of grazing shifted community structure, with 31 OTUs that were significant indicator taxa of the ungrazed treatment and three OTUs that were significant indicators of the grazed treatment. Importance Our results show that in this regional scale study, soil texture was the best environmental predictor, and grazing by large mammals also structures bacterial and archaeal communities. When large mammals are removed, as humans have been doing for millenia, there are cascading effects into the microbial world that can influence ecosystem functions like carbon and nitrogen cycles. These empirical findings from a natural tropical savannah can help inform models of the global distribution and function of soil microbes.
Factors that determine deceased organ transplantation in India

Extension of life through organ transplantation is indeed a glorious tribute to the progress of science and the progressive mentality of the society at large. It is a sign of our changing times. Even though India has all the potential in becoming the leading nation in the transplantation process, the country lags behind due to multiple determinants. The present paper looks into those determinants that restrict deceased organ transplantation in India, through empirical evidences and literature review. The evidences suggest that the practice of deceased organ transplantation in India is still on the back foot due to various factors such as the lack of awareness among general public as well as medical professionals, sociocultural and religious factors, organizational issues, and legal and ethical aspects.
Gender and Willingness to Compete for High Stakes

We examine gender differences in competitiveness, using a TV game show where the winner of an elimination competition plays a game of chance worth hundreds of thousands of euros. At several stages of the competition, contestants face a choice between continuing to compete and opting out in exchange for a comparatively modest prize. When strategic considerations are absent, we observe the well-known pattern that women are less likely to compete than men, but this difference derives entirely from women avoiding competition against men. When the decision to compete is strategic and contestants should factor in the competitiveness of others, women again avoid competing against men. Men, in turn, seem to anticipate the lower competitiveness of female opponents, as evidenced by their greater tendency to compete against women. Ability differences are unlikely to explain these results. The findings underline the importance of the gender of competitors for the analysis of differences in willingness to compete, and shed new light on the persistent gender gap at the male-dominated higher rungs of the career ladder.
CAMA Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis Monetary Policy when Preferences are Quasi-Hyperbolic CAMA Working Paper 14 / 2020 February 2020

We study discretionary monetary policy in an economy where economic agents have quasi-hyperbolic discounting. We demonstrate that a benevolent central bank is able to keep inflation under control for a wide range of discount factors. If the central bank, however, does not adopt the household’s time preferences and tries to discourage earlyconsumption and delayed-saving, then a marginal increase in steady state output is achieved at the cost of a much higher average inflation rate. Indeed, we show that it is desirable from a welfare perspective for the central bank to quasi-hyperbolically discount by more than households do. Welfare is improved because this discount structure emphasizes the current-period cost of price changes and leads to lower average inflation. We contrast our results with those obtained when policy is conducted according to a Taylor-type rule. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3542054 | T H E A U S T R A L I A N N A T I O N A L U N I V E R S I T Y
Effect Of Daily And Alternate Day Iron & Folic Acid Supplementation To Pregnant Females On The Weight Of The Newborn

Research question: What is the effect of IFA supplementation when given daily and on alternate days? Objective: To study the effect of daily and alternate day IFA supplementation. Study design: Intervention study. Setting: Rural health center of Gazipur village in east Delhi under deptt, of PSM, University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. Participants: Pregnant females with period of gestation 20Â±4 weeks registering during Jan. to Dec. 94. Sample size: 120 pregnant females. Study variables: Birth weight. Results: Total 120 pregnant females were studied. 64 were put on daily (Group I) and 56 on alternate day (group II) IFA supplementation. In group I, 7 (10.9%) babies had birth weight less than 2.5 Kg as compared to 3 (5.3%) in Group II. However, the difference between the two groups regarding the birth weight was not statistically significant (p=0.489). Supplementation of IFA in Group II caused fewer adverse effects compared to Group I. Alternate day IFA supplementation may be an alternate to daily IFA in cases of non-compliance due to adverse effects without adversely affecting the outcome of pregnancy.
Coordination between Demand Response Programming and Learning-Based FOPID Controller for Alleviation of Frequency Excursion of Hybrid Microgrid

In recent years, residential rate consumptions have increased due to modern appliances which require a high level of electricity demands. Although mentioned appliances can improve the quality of consumers’ lives to a certain extent, they suffer from various shortcomings including raising the electricity bill as well as serious technical issues such as lack of balance between electricity generation and load disturbances. This imbalance can generally lead to the frequency excursion which is a significant concern, especially for low-inertia microgrids with unpredictable parameters. This research proposes an intelligent combination of two approaches in order to alleviate challenges related to the frequency control mechanism. Firstly, a learning-based fractional-order proportional-integral-derivative (FOPID) controller is trained by recurrent adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference (RANFIS) in the generation side during various operational conditions and climatic changes. In the following, a decentralized demand response (DR) programming in the load side is introduced to minimize consumption rate through controllable appliances and energy storage systems (ESSs). Furthermore, parameters uncertainties and time delay, which are generally known as two main concerns of isolated microgrids, are regarded in the frequency plan of a low-inertia microgrid including renewable energy sources (RESs), and energy storage systems (ESSs). Simulation results are illustrated in three different case studies in order to compare the performance of the proposed two methods during various operational conditions. It is obvious that the frequency deviation of microgrid can be improved by taking advantage of intelligent combination of both DR program and modern control mechanism.
Using smartwatches for fitness and health monitoring: the UTAUT2 combined with threat appraisal as moderators

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in smartwatch technology have led to several applications in continuous fitness and health monitoring. Considering the benefits of smartwatches, their low level of usage for fitness and health monitoring purposes, and the limited understanding of determinants of their usage, this study advances the body of knowledge by developing an innovative and comprehensive research model that integrates the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) with perceived vulnerability and perceived severity as moderators. The model was tested using partial least squares (PLS), in a quantitative study with data from 271 respondents from Malaysia. The results showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and hedonic motivation have positive impacts on behavioural intentions towards using smartwatches for health and fitness monitoring. Perceived vulnerability moderates positively the impacts of effort expectancy. Perceived abstract severity moderates positively the impacts of social influence and negatively the influence of hedonic motivation. The findings provide useful insights for smartwatch technology developers, marketers and managers in developing more effective devices and strategies and consequently promoting smartwatches as health monitoring devices. These outcomes extend the UTAUT2 and provide new insights into drivers of the use of smartwatches for fitness and health monitoring.