Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EXPERIENCES OF FEMALE SEX WORKERS ALONG THE HIV CARE CONTINUUM IN SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Female sex workers (FSWs) are disproportionately affected by HIV and face additional barriers throughout the HIV care continuum. This study explored their experiences with HIV care in the Dominican Republic through 40 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions with 44 FSWs living with HIV. Data were analyzed in Spanish using narrative and thematic analysis. FSWs living with HIV experienced considerable movement in and out of HIV care over time. FSWs described individual, interpersonal, environmental and structural factors that either facilitated (re)engagement in HIV care or led to disengagement throughout the HIV care continuum. Key individual-level factors were physical and mental health as post-diagnosis depression often led to disengagement until declines in physical health. At the interpersonal level, disclosure of HIV or FSW status and receipt of emotional or economical support were frequently instrumental in facilitating engagement with HIV care. Yet negative reactions to or lack of disclosure complicated access to support and to HIV clinics. At the environmental level, participants were generally satisfied with HIV clinic staff, but they described considerable challenges with the health system organization, frequent delays and costs of care. Participants also described pervasive stigma and discrimination related to both their HIV status and their sex work, including some experiences of discrimination within clinics. Finally, lack of economic resources complicated adherence to clinical appointments and to antiretroviral therapy. In addition to challenges faced by the general population living with HIV, FSWs confronted economic instability and the compounded stigma of being both HIV-infected and a FSW. Engagement in HIV care among FSWs was continually negotiated within a broader context of structural constraints and social conditions. Factors at multiple levels influenced engagement and experiences at one step affected subsequent engagement. These findings underscore the need for the provision of support tailored to the unique needs of FSWs throughout the HIV care continuum in order to maximize individual and public health.
First data on the age and growth of Brazilian flathead Percophis brasiliensis (Pisces: Perciformes) in San Matías Gulf, northern Patagonia (Argentina)

Brazilian flathead Percophis brasiliensis is a commercially important perciform fish caught as bycatch by trawlers throughout its latitudinal distribution range (from 23° S in Brazil to 47° S in Argentina). It is associated with the catches of Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi and Patagonian red shrimp Pleocticus muelleri in San Matías Gulf (SMG). The main objective of this study was to describe the first data on the growth of this species in SMG and to compare the results with available information for other areas of the Argentine Continental Shelf (ACS). The study was carried out using 294 specimens (196 females, 97 males and one of indeterminate sex) collected over four non-consecutive years from commercial/recreational fishing and during research cruises. The age of individuals was determined by reading and counting opaque-hyaline rings on the sagittae otoliths. The maximum ages observed were 14 years for females and 12 years for males. Growth parameters were estimated using the von Bertalanffy mode. Significant differences in L∞ parameter between sexes were found (L∞ males = 54.58 cm; L∞ females = 78.31 cm, p < 0.05). Growth parameters were different from those determined in previous studies for the ACS.
Autocratic Consent to International Law: The Case of the International Criminal Court's Jurisdiction, 1998–2017

Abstract This article contributes to an understanding of why autocrats have accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Leveraging their ability to obstruct their own prosecution, autocrats have traded off the risk of unwanted prosecutions against the deterrent threat that prosecutions pose to political rivals and patrons of their enemies conspiring to oust them. The risk of unwanted prosecutions and the court's deterrent threat both arise because ICC prosecutions credibly communicate guilt for international crimes to capital-disbursing democracies, which may, insofar as possible, use leader-specific economic statecraft to prevent the administration of foreign states by those whom the court signals are guilty of international crimes. Analysis using fixed effects and matching shows that a greater reliance on capital publicly financed by democracies increased the probability that a state accepted the court's jurisdiction only when it was an autocracy (1998–2017). ICC jurisdiction also lengthened the tenure of autocrats and reduced the severity of civil conflict in autocracies.
Creating business models for smart cities: a practical framework

ABSTRACT Smart cities can use business models to evaluate what value they offer citizens by integrating ICT into their infrastructure and services. The article introduces the concept of the ‘city business model’ and proposes a practical framework for analysing it. The City Model Canvas (CMC)—based on the Business Model Canvas for firms—shows the elements that city councils should consider during the design, delivery and assessment of smart services, including the smart service’s expected economic, environmental and social impacts. An example of how the CMC was used to design an ICT platform in Bristol shows its utility as a planning tool.
Dental Age Estimation Based on X-ray images

Chronological age estimation using panoramic dental X-ray images is an essential task in forensic sciences. Various statistical approaches have proposed by considering the teeth and mandible. However, building automated dental age estimation based on machine learning techniques needs more research efforts. In this paper, an automated dental age estimation is proposed using transfer learning. In the proposed approach, features are extracted using two deep neural networks namely, AlexNet and ResNet. Several classifiers are proposed to perform the classification task including decision tree, k-nearest neighbor, linear discriminant, and support vector machine. The proposed approach is evaluated using a number of suitable performance metrics using a dataset that contains 1429 dental X-ray images. The obtained results show that the proposed approach has a promising performance.
Cervical Cancer Risk Factors Association in Patients at the Gynecologic-Oncology Clinic of Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya

Background: Cervical cancer ranks fourth of all cancers in women worldwide and linked to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Despite the evidence of methods for cervical cancer prevention, such as pap smear test and HPV vaccination, most of the women remain unscreened and never get HPV vaccination. Most cervical cancer cases are not diagnosed early enough, leading to poor outcomes. This study aims to examine the association of risk factors with cervical cancer incidence in Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya and also records the patients’ knowledge of cervical cancer preventions, history of HPV vaccination, and pap smear screening test. Methods: This is a case-control study. Questionnaires were given to 60 newly diagnosed cervical cancer patients and 60 non-cervical cancer patients at The Gynecologic-Oncology Clinic of Dr. Soetomo Hospital Surabaya in the period of March 2016 until August 2016. The analysis was made using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The bivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that parity more than two times (p=0.001), history of birth control pills consumption more than 10 years (p=0.04), passive smoking (p=0.001) and not knowing that cervical cancer can be prevented (p=0.001) were significantly associated to the incidence of cervical cancer. The multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that not knowing that cervical cancer can be prevented (OR=6.85), the history of passive smoking (OR=4.04), parity more than two times (OR=2.89) and history of birth control pills consumption more than 10 years (OR=6.52) were the independent factors that were associated with the cervical cancer incidence. Conclusions: Parity more than two times, history of birth control pills consumption more than 10 years, history of passive smoking, not knowing that cervical cancer can be prevented and never having a pap smear test were the factors associated with cervical cancer incidence.
Data protection and privacy: Data protection and democracy

The subjects of this volume are more relevant than ever, especially in light of the raft of electoral scandals concerning voter profiling. This volume brings together papers that offer conceptual analyses, highlight issues, propose solutions, and discuss practices regarding privacy and data protection. It is one of the results of the twelfth annual International Conference on Computers, Privacy and Data Protection, CPDP, held in Brussels in January 2019. The book explores the following topics: dataset nutrition labels, lifelogging and privacy by design, data protection iconography, the substance and essence of the right to data protection, public registers and data protection, modelling and verification in data protection impact assessments, examination scripts and data protection law in Cameroon, the protection of children's digital rights in the GDPR, the concept of the scope of risk in the GDPR and the ePrivacy Regulation. This interdisciplinary book has been written at a time when the scale and impact of data processing on society – not only on individuals, but also on social systems – is becoming ever starker. It discusses open issues as well as daring and prospective approaches, and will serve as an insightful resource for readers with an interest in computers, privacy and data protection.
GM-035 Can administration traceability of blood derived medicines by paramedical team be optimal without intervention of the pharmaceutical team?

Background Blood derived medicines (BDM) need, as a result of their status, strict and obligatory traceability at each step of their circuit. Administration traceability for BDM has to be kept for 40 years at the pharmacy. However, care teams do not always spontaneously send traceability to the pharmacy, which makes this aspect of the regulatory obligation difficult. Purpose We wished to evaluate the pharmaceutical team’s interventions in recovering BDM traceability by analysing claims made to paramedical teams. Material and methods We prospectively collected traceability requests to hospital wards over a -months period (March 2016 to September 2016). Results Over the study period, 3361 BDM were distributed. Products were always delivered to the hospital wards with a specific traceability label, traceability sheets and a leaf reminding them to send back the traceability sheet with the specific label to the pharmacy after every BDM administration. Despite this, 123 claims were made to return the traceability sheet for 367 products, more than 10% of distributions. In 84% of cases, a request made 8 days after distribution on average, by mail or phone call, was enough to get the traceability back. In 11% of cases a second demand was necessary, done on average 13 days after distribution. In 3% of cases a third claim was made on average 24 days after distribution. Lastly, in 3% of cases a fourth request was made on average 35 days after distribution. After at least one demand, we obtained traceability 14 days on average after the distribution. Hence implementation of regulatory administration’s traceability is still difficult for some care teams and needs the pharmacy’s intervention. Conclusion This work highlights the importance of the pharmacy’s intervention to obtain an exhaustive collection of administration traceability of BDM. Training actions for paramedical teams about the importance of traceability and the circuit of BDM are being set up via competency workshops. These workshops are currently created by pharmaceutical and paramedical teams jointly. No conflict of interest
THE AFFORDANCES OF PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AND CLASSROOM ACTION RESEARCH IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF NATURAL SCIENCES

In this paper I reflect on the experiences of Life- and Natural Sciences teachers in the Northern Cape who engaged in classroom action research (CAR). The context was a short-learning programme (SLP) facilitated by the North-West University on epistemological border-crossing between indigenous knowledge and the school science curriculum. After the SLP teachers had to submit evidence-based portfolios; and the CAR was part of this portfolio. The activity that was the focus of the teachers’ action research (reported on in the portfolios) was learners’ engagement in project-based learning such as, among others, ethnobotanical surveys. During the SLP in June 2017, teachers were shown how learners could engage in ethnobotanical surveys. In the portfolios, teachers had to reflect on their own and learners’ experiences of engaging in such ethnobotanical surveys. These portfolios were analysed, and several emerging themes were identified from the data. Individual interviews were also conducted with a sample of teachers. Three of these themes are presented in this paper. The findings indicate that project-based learning holds affordances such as the realization of affective outcomes in science education. It also assists science teachers to become more critical and reflective, and enhances self-directed learning. One of the recommendations in this paper is that CAR should be promoted in both pre-service and in-service teacher education programmes.
Guidelines for assessing the growth and development of orthodontic patients

This paper provides guidelines for determining treatment objectives and evaluating posttreatment outcomes. More specifically, it reviews our current understanding of growth and maturation, focusing on the most salient aspects that apply to individual patients. Pretreatment diagnostics and treatment objectives will be addressed first, focusing initially on adjustments necessary based on the patient's somatic growth and maturity. Estimates of craniofacial growth that can be applied to individual patients when developing treatment objectives are then provided, along with the approach used to apply them. It will be shown how the estimates are adjusted, depending on the patient's sex, age, and growth patterns. These adjusted growth estimates are also used to evaluate posttreatment changes. Orthodontists must be able to separate the treatment changes from the growth changes that occur. The application of these guidelines will be demonstrated on three patients.
Taux de chocs électriques appropriés et inappropriés dans une population de patients suivis par télécardiologie

Contexte : La tele cardiologie est consideree comme une technique fiable de suivi des patients porteurs de defibrillateur automatique implantable (DAI), mais le taux de chocs dans la vraie vie reste peu connu. Methode : Dans notre etude retrospective, nous avons inclus 792 patients porteurs de DAI entre 2008 et 2013 pour etre suivi par telecardiologie (RM) jusqu’en 2015. Les DAI etaient regles avec une zone de tachycardie ventriculaire > 180 bpm et une zone de fibrillation ventriculaire >220 bpm. Les diagnostics realises par RM etaient poses par un rythmologue apres relecture des EGM. Resultat : 529 patients (67%) ont ete implantes en prevention primaire et 261 patients (33%) en prevention secondaire. 432 patients (54%) etaient suivis pour une CMI et 307 patients (39%) pour une CMD. La duree moyenne de suivi etait de 36 ± 17 mois. Le taux de choc approprie (CEA) etait de 12% et de choc inapproprie (CEI) etait de 3,8%. Les CEI etaient secondaires a une tachycardie supra-ventriculaire dans 67% des cas. Les patients en prevention secondaire ont recu significativement plus de chocs approprie que les patients en prevention primaire (p=0,001). Il n’y avait pas de difference entre les taux de choc approprie en fonction de l’etiologie (p=0,43). L’etiologie, le type de prevention, et le nombre de sondes, n’ont pas influence les chocs inappropries (respectivement p=0,86, p=0,66, p=0,82). Le taux de diagnostic de FA etait de 11%, ce qui a conduit a l’introduction d’anticoagulant pour 42% des patients. Conclusion : Dans notre population suivie par RM on retrouve un taux de CEA de 12% et un taux bas de CEI grâce au diagnostic precoce des arythmies et des dysfonctions de sonde.
State feedback control and delay estimation for LTI system with unknown input-delay

The objective of this paper is to build feedback control solutions for LTI systems with unknown constant input-delay. The control scheme includes a time-delay estimation algorithm and a predictor-based controller. The Lyapunov–Krasovskii theorem provides the global exponential stability of the closed-loop system. Some examples illustrate the theoretical results and the performances of the proposed method.
Performance Effect of Risk-based Capital Policy on Insurers: Longitudinal Microdata Evidence

ABSTRACT Risk-based capitalization (RBC) is an insurance regulation policy aimed at protecting policyholders. But effects of this policy on insurers’ performance are conjectural as empirical studies are scarce. This study investigates RBC influence, in the context of capital structure, on return on asset (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and earnings per share (EPS) of insurers using 2SLS fixed and random effect models. From the results, RBC improved ROA and EPS significantly, but reduced ROE insignificantly. It concluded that RBC policy make a significant positive contribution to ROA and EPS. ROE is not significantly affected by RBC policy for the period under review.
A prospective study of incidence of cervical HPV infection & its association with aetiological factors & cervical cancer in adult women of Jamnagar

Introduction: Etiological link between cervical cancer & HPV is independent of other risk factors but their geographic variations need to be explored. Cervical cancer with profile of Sexually Transmitted Disease has consistent causal connection with persistent cervical HPV infection, so such carrier women are at High risk. Thus, study evaluate risk of HPV infection in women of Jamnagar region by exploring aetiological determinants related to their sexual life. Aim: To explore incidence of cervical HPV infection along with its association with cervical cancer as well with commonly proposed aetiological factors in adult women of Jamnagar Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in 2004 on random 110 women attending Gynecology out patient department of GG Hospital at MPSGMC Jamnagar by taking their cervical smear and administering them questionnaires about their sexual life. HPV infection was diagnosed based on cytopathic effects of HPV, by Microbiological staining techniques. Association of cervical HPV positive status of women in relation to common aetiological factors and carcinoma cervix were analyzed. Results: 10.9% of women exhibited cervical HPV infection out of them 20% belonged to higher age group (50-59 years) followed by 16.6% of young age group (20-29). 15.3% of women with HPV infection were having 6 -10 years of active married life. Accordingly 18.18% HPV infected women were multipara - bearing 3 - 4 children whereas nullipara had no HPV infection. 75% of women with carcinoma cervix were positive for cervical HPV which endorse strong causal connections. Conclusions: Study concludes that cervical HPV is prevalent in 10.9% adult women of Jamnagar region and is significantly attributable to cervical cancer. HPV positive woman have profile of sexually active life of initial years, early age at first coitus or had longer but active married life, so sexual transmission happens to be the predominant mode of HPV acquisition. Similarly, multiparity has aetiol
Debt and Economic Growth of Pakistan; Role of Uncertain Economic and Political Conditions

This study is an attempt to investigate the role of political instability and economic uncertainty on debt and economic growth for the data span of 1975 to 2016 in Pakistan. We extract economic uncertainty by using Generalized Autoregressive Conditionally Heteroskedastic (GARCH) model. We explore the relationship between debt and economic growth simultaneously with Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach. The deep-rooted relation of political and economic uncertainty with debt and growth recommends immediate fiscal and public policy adjustments to minimize the harms of higher debt-GDP ratio and slow economic growth. This study results in the changing fiscal behavior with political shifts and confirms â€œthe positive theory of debtâ€ , by Alesinaand Tabellini (1989 and 1990), recommending stable political environment with consistent economic policies for Pakistan.
An Assessment of Sharp Injuries to Workers in a State Hospital

Objective: Healthcare workers are at risk of occupational injury in terms of infections due to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmitted by blood and body fluids as a result of sharp injuries. In this study, it was aimed to analyze the sharp injuries registered in a second-stage hospital of a county and to determine the ratio of personal protective equipment usage. Methods: Between 2012 and 2016, records of sharp injuries reported at Seydişehir State Hospital in Konya were analyzed retrospectively. The data were expressed in numbers and percentages. Results: In a five-year period, sharp injuries were recorded in a total of 98 healthcare workers, with a mean age of 23.5 years. While the top three injured profession groups included nursing students (67.3%), nurses (17.3%) and cleaning personnel (8.2%), the most common reason of injury was recapping a used needle (41.9%). While 55.1% of the health personnel used personal protective equipment during the incident, 50% preferred single layer gloves. Of the source patients, serological status of 17.3% was unknown, while patients having a known serological status showed 4.1% HBsAg positivity, 2% anti-HCV positivity, and no anti-HIV positivity. HBV, HCV and HIV infection did not develop during the six-month follow-up of employees at risk. It was observed that those exposed to injury were 96.9% immune against HBV serologically. Conclusions: Although it was satisfactory that there were not any HBV, HCV or HIV infection incidences developing after a 6-month follow-up, standard precautions should be followed to avoid sharp injuries. In case of injury, all health personnel, especially doctors, should report about the incidents, and they should be followed-up and receive prophylaxis, if necessary. Klimik Dergisi 2017; 30(2): 78-82.
Bayesian relative survival : An illustration with lung cancer patients data

Abstract Relative survival estimation is an important treatment effect, comaparison tool for cancer research. In addition to the standard statistical procedure for survival analysis like-Kaplan Meier estimate and Cox proportional hazard, the application of relative survival can provide an alternative and supportive statistical inference about data. This article is aimed to explore the application of relative survival in cancer treatment effect comparison. The Bayesian extension of the relative survival analysis is opted to illustrate the application. A data set of stage four lung cancer patients’ treated with metronomic chemotherapy is considered in this study. The adopted model can be considered in near future for standard treatment efect comparison.