Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unmet need for contraception in developing countries: Examining womens reasons for not using a method.

Demographic and Health Surveys in 52 countries between 2005 and 2014 reveal the most common reasons that married women cite for not using contraception despite wanting to avoid a pregnancy. Twenty-six percent of these women cite concerns about contraceptive side effects and health risks; 24% say that they have sex infrequently or not at all; 23% say that they or others close to them oppose contraception; and 20% report that they are breastfeeding and/or haven’t resumed menstruation after a birth. In the majority of countries married women who cite concerns about contraceptive side effects and health risks are more likely to have used a method in the past than are women who cite other reasons for nonuse. Married women who cite infrequent sex as a reason for nonuse are less likely to have had sexual intercourse in the three months preceding the survey than peers who cite other reasons for nonuse. Married women who cite opposition to family planning are less likely to have ever used any method than women who cite other reasons for nonuse. Thus some but not all women might experience opposition that precludes trying a method at all. Among sexually active never-married women wanting to avoid pregnancy the most common reason cited for not using contraception is infrequent sex (49%) followed by not being married (29%) and concerns about contraceptive side effects (19%). Women with unmet need for contraception rarely say that they are unaware of contraception that they do not have access to a source of supply or that it costs too much. The countries where more than 10% of women cite any of these reasons are in West and Middle Africa. Compared with earlier studies on women’s reasons for not using contraception larger proportions of women now cite side effects and infrequent sex as reasons for nonuse. Contraceptive services should place priority on improving the information and counseling they provide and the range of methods they offer. All sexually active women whether married or not need information about their risk of becoming pregnant and about the choices of methods that could meet their needs.
Human head orientation and eye visibility as indicators of attention for goats ([i]Capra hircus[i])

Animals domesticated for working closely with humans (e.g. dogs) have been shown to be remarkable in adjusting their behaviour to human attentional stance. However, there is little evidence for this form of information perception in species domesticated for production rather than companionship. We tested domestic ungulates (goats) for their ability to differentiate attentional states of humans. In the first experiment, we investigated the effect of body and head orientation of one human experimenter on approach behaviour by goats. Test subjects (N = 24) significantly changed their behaviour when the experimenter turned its back to the subjects, but did not take into account head orientation alone. In the second experiment, goats (N = 24) could choose to approach one of two experimenters, while only one was paying attention to them. Goats preferred to approach humans that oriented their body and head towards the subject, whereas head orientation alone had no effect on choice behavior. In the third experiment, goats (N = 32) were transferred to a separate test arena and were rewarded for approaching two experimenters providing a food reward during training trials. In subsequent probe test trials, goats had to choose between the two experimenters differing in their attentional states. Like Experiment 1 and 2, goats did not show a preference for the attentive person when the inattentive person turned her head away from the subject. In this last experiment, goats preferred to approach the attentive person compared to a person who closed their eyes or covered the whole face with a blind. However, goats showed no preference when one person covered only the eyes. Our results show that animals bred for production rather than companionship show differences in their approach and choice behaviour depending on human attentive state. However, our results contrast with previous findings regarding the use of the head orientation to attribute attention and show the importance of cross-validating results.
To model or measure: Estimating gas exchange to measure metabolism in shallow, low-gradient stream habitats

Stream metabolism is an important metric of ecosystem function. Accurate estimates of gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (ER) are based on metabolism models that require estimates of gas transfer rates at the surface–water interface. When the gas exchange rate K (d−1) is measured directly from the environment, it can be used with dissolved O2 data to estimate GPP and ER. However, inverse modeling methods can also be used to solve for GPP, ER, and K simultaneously. Estimates of K from inverse models have rarely been compared to direct estimates of K. Additionally, the effects of the method used to estimate K on estimates of ecosystem metabolism are unknown. We compared these methods in shallow, low-gradient, open-canopy experimental streams under a range of hydrologic conditions with (vegetated) and without (unvegetated) instream vegetation. The different methods gave similar results for K estimates in vegetated streams. In unvegetated streams, however, inverse modeling methods that simultaneously estimated K with GPP and ER gave higher K estimates than did our direct measurements. When K was modeled rather than measured, metabolism estimates were higher in unvegetated streams, and model fits struggled to replicate dissolved O2 data. The different methods of estimating K resulted in similar metabolism estimates within vegetated streams. However, the linear relationships between ER and GPP were not significantly different among methods of estimating K for vegetated or unvegetated streams. This study demonstrates that in shallow, low-gradient, open-canopy streams, particularly those with high GPP and low K, practitioners can use inverse modeling approaches to estimate K. Estimates in unvegetated systems, which have lower GPP, may be hindered by uncertainty in measured K in low gas transfer environments or by process errors within existing models.
Moderating Effect of Employee Engagement on the Relationship between Personality Traits and Team Performance: A Study of Employees in Private Colleges in Oman

This study examines the impact of the five-factor model of personality on team performance of teaching and administration staff in private colleges in Oman. The five-factor model consists of extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness to experience and neuroticism. A field study had been conducted using a sample size of 130 employees in private colleges in Oman. Data was collected through a 36-item questionnaire through convenience sampling. As anticipated, the results are consistent with many previous searches presenting the relationship between agreeableness, conscientiousness, extroversion, and openness to experience on team performance is positive and significant while neuroticism has a negative relationship with team performance. Employee engagement does moderate the relationship between extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and team performance. Employee engagement has a minor moderating effect on the relationship between openness to experience and team performance. The study has enlightened the reality of the relationship between personality traits and team performance with a clear understanding of the academic administration of colleges in Oman. Therefore, organizations should consider the personality traits of employees to improve the overall performance of teams. The sampling from a similar type of organization and exclusion of some of the contextual variables are limitations of this study that hinder generalization to other industries and contexts. This research recommends to include other variables such as gender difference and organizational culture through a cluster of organizations with a large sample that may add more to the validity of results for generalization.
Costs of Sovereign Defaults: Restructuring Strategies, Bank Distress and the Credit-Investment Channel∗

Sovereign debt restructurings are associated with a decline in GDP, investment, and private sector credit. The transmission channels and associated output and banking sector costs depend on whether the restructuring takes place preemptively, without missing payments to creditors, or whether it takes place after a default has occurred. Post-default restructurings are associated with a more severe decline in bank credit, an increase in bank lending interest rates, and a higher likelihood of triggering a banking crisis than pre-emptive restructurings. Our local projection estimates show a large decline in GDP and investment amplified by credit crunches and transmitted through a “credit-investment channel”.
Backtesting Marginal Expected Shortfall and Related Systemic Risk Measures

This paper proposes an original approach for backtesting systemic risk measures. This backtesting approach makes it possible to assess the systemic risk measure forecasts used to identify the financial institutions that contribute the most to the overall risk in the financial system. Our procedure is based on simple tests similar to those generally used to backtest the standard market risk measures such as value-at-risk or expected shortfall. We introduce a concept of violation associated with the marginal expected shortfall (MES), and we define unconditional coverage and independence tests for these violations. We can generalize these tests to any MES-based systemic risk measures such as the systemic expected shortfall (SES), the systemic risk measure (SRISK), or the delta conditional value-at-risk ([Formula: see text]CoVaR). We study their asymptotic properties in the presence of estimation risk and investigate their finite sample performance via Monte Carlo simulations. An empirical application to a panel of U.S. financial institutions is conducted to assess the validity of MES, SRISK, and [Formula: see text]CoVaR forecasts issued from a bivariate GARCH model with a dynamic conditional correlation structure. Our results show that this model provides valid forecasts for MES and SRISK when considering a medium-term horizon. Finally, we propose an early warning system indicator for future systemic crises deduced from these backtests. Our indicator quantifies how much is the measurement error issued by a systemic risk forecast at a given point in time which can serve for the early detection of global market reversals. This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance.
Conceptual model for Kilwa geothermal site North East Kivu Lake , Rubavu , Rwanda

The Government of Rwanda (GoR)engaged, with the support of the European Union (EU), a surface study of the Gisenyi geothermal prospect in the Rubavu area, along the North-Eastern border of Lake Kivu. The area is located in an active volcanic and tectonic environment, dominated by the North-South trending Kivu Rift. Along the shore of the lake, hydrothermal manifestations (with temperature of 70 ± 2 °C) occur in the Kilwa peninsula, emerging from detrital sediments forming the tombolo that links the island to the coast at the foot of a major normal fault. Structural studies show that the Kivu Rift is asymmetric with a major fault affecting the Western margin of the Butare Horst facing East towards the lake, whereas the lake area is characterized by block faulting facing West. This allows for a link at depth between Kilwa and the Kivu Rift axis, as deeply fractured pegmatites provide the necessary permeability for the up-flow of geothermal fluids. Reservoir temperature is estimated to be 160°Cat circa 2,000m depth, with shallow aquifers hosting fluids of >100°C at depths of circa 1,000m. Deep-seated magmatic dykes identified along the Nyiragongo-Kivu rift tectonic axis are considered as providing the heat source of the system. Kilwa should allow for generation of electricity using the Organic Ranking Cycle (ORC) technology, as well as answering direct uses such as agro-industrial (e.g. heat and CO2 for the brewery), horticulture, aquaculture and a geothermal spa. Besides this prime target, for which slim-hole drilling are recommended as well as complementary off-shore surface exploration, further geo-scientific work is proposed in the Nyiragongo-Kivu active volcano-tectonic axis along the Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border, in Base area and east of Caldera Bianca in the Karisimbi massif to investigate further possible geothermal resource potential.
PHYSICAL MODELING IN SOUND SYNTHESIS: VIBRATING PLATES

Physical modeling leads to efficient and scalable simulation algorithms in the discrete time domain, which are used in real-time music applications. Many percussive instruments are physically described by Kirchhoff’s thin plate equation. Considering a complete system, e.g. the single plates of a xylophone, the oscillation behavior can be described by a partial differential equation and the connection to the suspension by a set of boundary conditions. Problems described like that are known as initialboundary value problems and can be modeled by an expansion into a suitable set of eigenfunctions. The solution is formulated in terms of a multi-dimensional state-space description in a spatio-temporal transform domain, which proves to be helpful for the incorporation of complex boundary conditions. The results of the model are validated by simulations of the plate deflection.
Physical, Chemical, Morphological and Mineralogical Characterization Surface and Subsurface in Hydromorphic and Non-hydromorphic Soil of the Central Amazon

Amazonian soils have some physical, chemical and mineralogical differences, understanding the differences is important to understand the behavior of nutrients in the soil, especially phosphorus. The study was carried out in two types of soils: a Hydromorphic soil profile and a Non-hydromorphic soil profile in the Central Amazon region of Brazil, located in the metropolitan area of Manaus. Five depths were sampled: 0.00-0.05; 0.05-0.1; 0.1-0.2; 0.2-0.4; and 0.4-0.6 m. Physical, chemical, mineralogical and morphological attributes of both soils were studied. With the exception of clay, the levels of sand and silt remained stable in depth. The levels of organic matter gradually decrease in depth. The pH in water and in KCl, ∆pH, point of zero load, were similar between the surface and subsurface soils. Al3+, H++Al3+, CECt, CECT and clay activity were similar in Non-hydromorphic soil and increase in surface ( 0.2 m). In both soils, the bases are reduced in subsurface (> 0.2 m). Aluminum and iron oxalate reduce with greater expressiveness in Non-hydromorphic soil. Aluminum and dithionite iron exhibit the same behavior. The levels of Goethite (Gt) and Hematite (Hm) are high in depth in the Non-hydromorphic soil and decrease in the Hydromorphic soil. There are sensitive distinctions between soils, due to the imposed edaphoclimatic conditions.
Evaluation of decreased haematocrit and haemoglobin levels in Plasmodium falciparum infected individuals from South-western Nigeria

Objective: Plasmodium parasite is responsible for the breakdown of red blood cells, resulting into life threatening situation. Thus, an observational study of the parasitaemic impact of P. falciparum on some haematological parameters in comparison to non-infected individuals was carried out in two endemic state of Nigeria (Edo and Lagos). Methodology and Results: Blood samples collected from individuals (from September 2016-March, 2017) aged 2 years and above, were subjected to rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy assay to determine the presence of P. falciparum. Further, auto-haematology analyser and/or microcentrifuge where available were employed to acquire information on the haematocrit and haemoglobin levels. Of the 2376 collected samples, three hundred (12.6%) were positive by RDT, out of which Plasmodium falciparum was detected microscopically in 137. The mean haematocrit (PCV) level (37.36±0.37) of the negative samples was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the positive samples (29.6± 0.6). Same relationship was observed when the mean haemoglobin of negative samples (12.08±0.12) was compared with those of positive samples (9.9± 0.2). Those with high parasite density had significantly (p<0.001) low haematocrit (PCV) as well as haemoglobin (p<0.001). Conclusion and application of findings: The findings from this study reveals serious impact of high P. falciparum burden on haemoglobin and haematocrit in infected individuals, the need to intensify efforts in delivering malaria control interventions especially to priority need areas such as in Edo State cannot be overemphasized. Thus, concerted efforts by all stakeholders in such areas is highly needed if malaria infection will ultimately be eliminated from the country.Keywords: malaria burden, Plasmodium falciparum, vulnerable, parasite density, haemoglobin, haematocrit, anaemia
Prospect & progress of venetoclax in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the overexpression of BCL2, a pro-survival protein responsible for impaired apoptosis, tumor initiation, disease progression, and drug resistance. Venetoclax is a potent, second generation, orally bioavailable, BCL2 inhibitor. Areas covered: In early phase clinical trials, venetoclax has demonstrated remarkable activity in heavily pre-treated patients and those with poor prognostic features. Furthermore, it has shown efficacy and safety when combined with immunotherapy and chemotherapy, which has prompted phase III investigation. The most common adverse events are related to myelosuppression, infection, and diarrhea. Tumor lysis syndrome is the most concerning adverse event associated with venetoclax, but can be mitigated with risk-adapted prophylaxis. Expert opinion: The treatment landscape for CLL is evolving from chemoimmunotherapy to involve targeted biologic therapies, based on a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. Venetoclax provides an effective alternative to BCR pathway antagonists, with a distinct mechanism of action and adverse event profile.
Contagion Along the Business Cycle

In this paper, I incorporate a complex network model into a state of the art stochastic general equilibrium framework with an active interbank market. On this market banks exchange funds one another giving rise to a complex network of interbanking relations. With the tools of network analysis it is possible to study how contagion spreads between banks and what is the probability and size of a cascade (a sequence of defaults) generated by a single initial episode. These two variables are a key component to understand systemic risk and to assess the stability of the banking system. In extreme scenarios, the system may experience a phase transition when the consequences of one single initial shock affect the entire population. I show that the size and probability of a cascade evolve along the business cycle and how they respond to exogenous shocks. Financial shocks have a larger impact on contagion probability than real shocks that, however, are long lasting. Additionally I find that monetary policy faces a trade off between financial stability and macroeconomic stabilization. In particular, responding to the contagion probability reduces risk on financial markets at the cost of higher volatility of real variables. Government spending shocks, on the contrary, have smaller effects on both. Finally I analyze a set of contagion-preventing policies in the appendix.
Resource Race Attacks on Android

Smartphones are frequently involved in accessing private user data. Although many studies have been done to prevent malicious apps from leaking private user data, only a few recent works examine how to remove the sensitive information from the data collected by smartphone hardware resources (e.g., camera). Unfortunately, none of them investigates whether a malicious app can obtain such sensitive information when (or right before/after) a legitimate app collects such data (e.g., taking photos). To fill in the gap, in this paper, we model such attacks as the Resource Race Attack (RRAttack) based on races between two apps during their requests to exclusive resources to access sensitive information. RRAttacks have three categories according to when a race on requesting resources occurs: Pre-Use, In-Use, and Post-Use attacks. We further conduct the first systematic study on the feasibility of launching the RRAttacks on two heavily used exclusive Android resources: camera and touchscreen. In details, we perform Proof-of-Concept (PoC) attacks to reveal that, (a) camera is highly vulnerable to both In-Use and Post-Use attacks; and (b) touchscreen is vulnerable to Pre-Use attacks. Particularly, we demonstrate successful RRAttacks on them to steal private information, to cause financial loss, and to steal user passwords from Android 6 to the latest Android Q. Moreover, our analyses on 1,000 apps indicate that most of them are vulnerable to one to three RRAttacks. Finally, we propose a set of defense strategies against RRAttacks for user apps, system apps, and Android system itself.
Prospective study comparing outcomes in patients with advanced malignancies on molecular alteration-matched versus non-matched therapy.

11019 Background: With the paradigm shift to precision medicine, we hypothesized that matching patients to therapy based on molecular profile could significantly improve outcomes. Methods: Archival tissues from patients treated in MDACC’s Phase I clinic were sent to Foundation Medicine, where next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based comprehensive genomic profiling (236 genes) was performed. Patients with actionable molecular alterations were preferentially treated on pathway-matched therapies. A direct match was defined when the drug targeted an alteration or its immediate downstream effector; an indirect match, when the drug targeted a protein > 1 effector removed from the alteration. Based on matching and the number of alterations in patients’ tumors, an exploratory scoring system was evaluated; each direct match was given a 1, each indirect match 0.5, and no match a value of zero, normalized by the number of alterations per patient. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed .