Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of female sex hormones on Chlamydia trachomatis growth and gene expression

Transmissible diseases are re-emerging as a global problem, with Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) becoming endemic. Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading cause of bacterially-acquired STD worldwide, with the Australian cost of infection estimated at $90 - $160 million annually. Studies using animal models of genital tract Chlamydia infection suggested that the hormonal status of the genital tract epithelium at the time of exposure may influence the outcome of infection. Oral contraceptive use also increased the risk of contracting chlamydial infections compared to women not using contraception. Generally it was suggested that the outcome of chlamydial infection is determined in part by the hormonal status of the epithelium at the time of exposure. Using the human endolmetrial cell line ECC-1 this study investigated the effects of C. trachomatis serovar D infection, in conjunction with the female sex hormones, 17β-estradiol and progesterone, on chlamydial gene expression. While previous studies have examined the host response, this is the first study to examine C.trachomatis gene expression under different hormonal conditions. We have highlighted a basic model of C. trachomatis gene regulation in the presence of steroid hormones by identifying 60 genes that were regulated by addition of estradiol and/or progesterone. In addition, the third chapter of this thesis discussed and compared the significance of the current findings in the context of data from other research groups to improve our understanding of the molecular basis of chlamydial persistence under hormonal different conditions. In addition, this study analysed the effects of these female sex hormones and C. trachomatis Serovar D infection, on host susceptibility and bacterial growth. Our results clearly demonstrated that addition of steroid hormones not only had a great impact on the level of infectivity of epithelial cells with C.trachomatis serovar D, but also the morphology of chlamydial inclusions was affected by hormone supplementation.
Efficient Support for Selective MapReduce Queries

The work described in this thesis proposes and evaluates ShortMap, a system that relies on a combination of techniques aimed at efficiently supporting selective MapReduce jobs that are only concerned with a subset of the entire dataset. We combine the use of an appropriate data layout with data indexing tools to improve the data access speed and significantly shorten the Map phase of the jobs. An extensive experimental evaluation of ShortMap shows that, by avoiding reading irrelevant blocks, it can provide speedups up to 80 times when compared to the basic Hadoop implementation. Further, our system also outperforms other MapReduce implementations that use variants of the techniques we have embedded in ShortMap. ShortMap is open source and available for download. Today, there is an increasing need to analyse very large datasets, a task that requires specialised storage and processing infrastructures. The problems associated with the management of such very large datasets have been coined “big data”. Big data requires the use of massively parallel software, running on hundreds of servers, in order to produce useful results in reasonable time. The MapReduce paradigm[1], and its associated middleware, have become a fundamental tool to parallelize complex computations over large amounts of data. In this context, MapReduce implementations, such as Hadoop[2] have become “de facto” standard middleware frameworks that strongly simplify big data processing. Originally, MapReduce was designed for jobs such as web indexing, that need to process the entire dataset [3]. However, as the range of applications of MapReduce grows, it is frequently used to execute queries that are only concerned with a small fraction of the entire dataset [4], [5]. For instance, communications service providers maintain datasets about their customers that they can use as an additional source of revenue by selling analysis of data to third parties for market research[6]. Unfortunately, current MapReduce implementations are not well tailored to support this type of operation. According to the MapReduce model, it is the role of the Map task to select the appropriate entries of the dataset, that are relevant to the computation being performed, and pass those entries to reducers. To perform this selection, the Map task may be forced to read the entire dataset, even if only a small fraction is relevant for the query being performed. This can consume a significant fraction of the entire MapReduce job. Figure 1 nrowest arrow road badest nrowest arrow road badest Selectivity of query 0 20 40 60 80 100 P e rc e n ta g e o f m a p p h a se s p e n t re a d in g r e co rd s (% )
MultiTrack: Flexible Use of Multiple Location Technologies

With the development of networks and mobile devices, Location-based Services (LBSs) have emerged that require location information to provide their services to users. Actually, there are several positioning systems capable of providing location information for these services, but they all focus on particular scenarios by applying speciﬁc location technologies and/or techniques which they consider more suited for those cases. Considering that LBSs are not constrained to any particular scenario and that they might have diﬀerent requirements, we propose a different approach, called MultiTrack, which instead of focusing on speciﬁc scenarios and requirements, tries to accommodate them all by supporting the ﬂexible usage of diﬀerent location technologies and/or techniques. For testing and evaluation purposes, we developed a smartphone application called Cycle-to-Shop, which requires location information for rewarding users that arrive at certain locations according to diﬀerent rules and scenarios (e.g. go to school by bicycle). Experimental results obtained by using the Cycle-to-Shop rewarding application with Multi-Track are presented and described, enhancing how MultiTrack achieves Cycle-to-Shop’s requirements and its goal of supporting the ﬂexible usage of diﬀerent location technologies and/or techniques by LBSs.
Tool for Managing IS Benefits Summary of dissertation for the degree of Master in Information Systems and Computer Engineering

Most organizations rely on the commitment of information systems and technology (IS/IT) to achieve their current and future business objectives. The growing complexity of IS/IT results in large investments. As such it is essential to justify the benefits of investments and ensure that they are achieved. However, when considering the return of the investment, the completion of the benefits initially identified remains challenging. Organizations are too concerned about reducing costs and fail to focus on how the investment in IS/IT can create business value and deliver significant benefits. We propose the development of a cloud-based collaborative tool that provides a service to allow better and easier adoption of a benefits management methodology with focus on increasing motivation and improving stakeholders’ participation. We will use the Design Science Research Methodology to guide our research. We will demonstrate our proposal by developing the tool that implements the features mentioned in the proposal. Finally we will evaluate it through feedback gathered from demonstrations, interviews and questionnaires.
THE METABOLIC RESPONSES OF ADULT ANGULATE TORTOISES (CHERSINA ANGULATA) TO VARYING AMBIENT TEMPERATURES

Various physiological processes of ectotherms increase with increasing temperature. The effects of varying ambient temperature and gender on the metabolic rate (MR) of adult Chersina angulata were investigated. The tortoises were acclimated to 22 ± 1°C and a 14L:10D photoperiod in an environmentally controlled room prior to MR determination. Oxygen consumption (VO2) rates were determined as index of MR in fasted and resting adult tortoises at eight experimental temperatures (14°C, 18°C, 22°C, 26°C, 30°C, 35°C, 38°C and 40°C). Gender had no significant influence on the MR of C. angulata. MR increased with increasing temperature, but not consistently over the whole range of temperatures tested. MR was strongly temperature dependent, with a Q10 value of 4.13 between 14°C and 26°C. A plateau was detected within a temperature range of 26°C–38°C with a Q10 value of 1.13. The plateau may be a thermal preferendum for C. angulata which may render them advantage to forage at summer temperatures in their natural habitat in the Eastern Cape. Above 38°C, MR increased markedly with temperature which may indicate stress on the tortoises. At higher temperatures, the tortoises in their natural habitat may retreat to shady areas to dissipate excess heat.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF YOUTHS’ PARTICIPATION IN HIV/AIDS COUNSELING AND TESTING (HCT) SERVICES IN ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

The study compared youth’s participation in HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing (HCT) Programme in Urban and Rural Communities of Abia State, Nigeria. The objectives specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents in the study area and compared the level of participation in HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing among the rural and urban respondents. A five-staged sampling technique was employed for data collection and statistical tools such as frequencies, percentages, charts and Z-statistic were used in generating the desired results. From the study, level of educational attainment was higher in the urban areas of Aba North and South Local Government Areas than the rural communities of Ohafia and Arochukwu Local Government Areas. Majority of the respondents were unmarried youths and students by occupation with a mean age of 22.95. On participation level, the result shows a general low level of participation. Risk perception, level of knowledge and occupation were significant at 5%, 10% and 1% respectively and negatively related to participation, while educational attainment of the respondents, distance to HCT centre, household sizes, level of awareness and occupation were significant at 5%, 10%, 5%, and 5% respectively and positively related to participation in HCT. There was significant difference in the levels of participation between the urban and rural respondents. The study therefore recommended an increase in the number of HCT centres in the State, especially at the rural areas, to increase access of this intervention to a larger population of youth. There should also be increased rural awareness campaign in the rural communities of Abia State, which must be followed by free HIV/AIDS Counselling and Testing sessions.
Partner Violence in the Military: A Call to Action

Considerable research exists for the prevalence of intimate partner violence in civilian couples, though the opposite is true for married or cohabitating couples consisting of active duty soldiers or veterans. Since its start, more than 2.5 million United States Military Veterans have served in the Global War on Terror (Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom). The high rates of combat exposure among military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan (as high as 90%), and high-profile homicides among military personnel and their intimate partners have led to concern by military and civilians regarding the impact of combat exposure and military member psychological wellbeing on marital stability and IPV. Military personnel are exposed to unique stressors that can contribute to risk factors associated with increased IPV. Thus far, prevention and treatment programs for military personnel and their families are based off of programs used within the civilian community. Results of the effectiveness of these treatments within the military are discouraging at best. This review examines risk factors of IPV within the military and overviews treatment. Additionally, lack of confidentiality within the military will be examined.
Proliferation and survival mechanisms in soft tissue sarcoma and glioblastoma tumors

Soft tissue sarcomas and glioblastomas are two deadly tumors that are characterized by aggressive overproliferation, and regions of severe intratumoral nutrient and oxygen deprivation. The mechanisms by which tumors evade proliferation control signals and survive in a hostile microenvironment are active areas of investigation. This work describes two projects investigating loss of proliferation control in soft tissue sarcoma, as a result of Hippo pathway deregulation, and mechanisms of survival under stress in glioblastoma, as a result of decreased microRNA-124 (miR-124) levels. First, we demonstrate that the Hippo pathway is deregulated in soft tissue sarcoma patient samples, leading to overexpression of the Hippo effector YAP. YAP, a transcriptional coactivator, binds to TEAD proteins in the nucleus and controls the transcription of multiple pro-proliferation and anti-apoptosis targets, including the transcription factor FOXM1. Interestingly, we show that FOXM1 physically interacts with the TEAD/YAP complex, creating a powerful pro-proliferation complex. FOXM1 genetic deletion and pharmacologic inhibition resulted in decreased sarcoma tumor size, suggesting that FOXM1 inhibition is a viable potential sarcoma treatment. Second, we show that ectopically expressing miR-124 in glioblastoma cells leads to increased cell death. We identify three factors (SERP1, TEAD1, and MAPK14) as direct miR-124 targets and partial effectors of cell survival under stress. Inhibition of these targets recapitulates the miR-124 cell death phenotype under stress, and decreased glioma growth in vivo. Importantly, miR-124 ectopic expression results in increased survival in an in vivo orthotopic intracranial glioma model, suggesting that expression of miR-124, or inhibition of its downstream targets, is an attractive way of targeting glioblastoma cells residing in hypoxic/ischemic regions, and ultimately a method of investigating novel glioblastoma treatments. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Cell & Molecular Biology First Advisor Celeste Simon
International Journal of Current Research in

Article Info This work reports the synthesized plasmonic silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)by SILAR (successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction)technique on glass substrates with 5, 8, 11, 14 and 17 SILAR cycles and effect on the optical properties of the thin films (TFs). The absorbance data of the as-synthesized Ag-NPs thin films were obtained using UVVis (Ultraviolet visible) spectroscopy at room temperature in the wavelength range of 250nmto 900nm. The transmittance, absorption coefficient, optical bandgap, refractive index and extinction coefficient were experimentally measured. The absorption peaks of(450, 455, 470, 455, 500) nm, and optical energy band gaps of (2.20, 2.16, 2.12, 2.11, 1.84) eV with absorption coefficient approximately 10 -12 cm -1 were identified for the SILAR cycles, which agree to a particular characteristics of the silver nanoparticles surface plasmon resonance band. The results showed a red shift from 450nm to 500nm by increasing the SILAR cycles from 5 to 17 cycles, which is attributed to coalescence of Ag nanoparticles at higher SILAR deposition cycles. An increase in the refractive index of the films from 1.55 to 2.51 observed, with approximate average value of 1.92, may be due to the optical properties of silver nanoparticles. This study revealed that Ag-NPs synthesized by SILAR technique gives good optical properties with excellent absorption bands in the visible region, which has potential applications in technology. Accepted: 28 November 2017 Available Online:20 December 2017
CAsupp Pfizer April REV.qxd

Often regarded as a benign condition, chronic constipation afflicts more people than such common diseases as diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and by some estimates, its prevalence approaches that of hypertension. Although it is rarely as serious as any of these conditions,chronic constipation is a cause of significant psychological distress and impaired quality of life for many patients. Moreover, chronic constipation may pose challenges for treatment and is therefore more likely to be managed by primary health-care providers. Constipation is one of the more frequent patient complaints. Constipation is a symptom-based disorder that has often been defined by the medical community as fewer than three bowel movements per week. However, patients may report being constipated irrespective of the number of bowel movements. Straining, a sense of incomplete evacuation, and/or hard stools are also common symptoms reported. Given the varying definitions of constipation, it is difficult to accurately assess its prevalence. However, it is estimated that approximately 15% of the population in North America suffers from chronic constipation, with estimates ranging from 2% to as high as 30%. In the United States alone, between 4 million and 56 million adults have chronic constipation. A recent population-based study found its prevalence to be 19% among 24,090 adults surveyed. Yet only 33% of these individuals had ever seen a health-care provider for symptoms of functional constipation. Constipation is twice as likely to afflict women as men and is more common among the older populations, with as many as 30% of those over 65 years of age reporting this as a problem. In addition to advancing age, the prevalence of this disorder is associated with depression and psychological distress, lower socioeconomic status, lower education levels, less exercise, and non-Caucasian ethnicity. Managing the Chronically Constipated Adult: Emerging Approaches to Diagnosis and Treatment
The psychological effects of road traffic accidents on children and adolescents following admission to an accident and emergency department

Objectives: - The present research attempts to elicit children's perceptions and experiences of enduring a road traffic accident (RTA). It also examined their parents experiences of parenting such children and their own experiences and perceptions of the accident. Participants: - The study focussed on 14 children, aged from 9 years 9 months- 14 years and 4 months of age who had endured a RTA from between 9 - 33 months previously and their parents. Design: - The study employed a non-experimental design with a combination of quantitative and qualitative paradigms. Method: - The participants were identified via the h6spitaI data base of all children who had endured a RTA from between 6 - 24 months previously. Both the children and their parents were interviewed on specifically designed semi-structured interview schedules. Each interview was then tape-recorded and transcribed in its entirety. These transcripts then provided the universe of material for subsequent qualitative analysis. Results:- The results of this study demonstrated that approximately half of the children who had experienced a RTA were suffering from a post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, the PTSD case children differed from the non-case children on factors such as awareness of the inpending RTA, feelings of self-blame regarding the accident, and more negative thoughts regarding their experience immediately after the impact and at the time of the assessment. In addition, the parents of the case children displayed similar responses to that of their children. Conclusion: - A theoretical Model was presented to account for the main findings in response to the research questions, also drawing on existing research. It is emphasised that this model is speculative due to the small sample size insofar as it draws upon the present findings, and as such can only relate to this study sample and further research would be required to fully test and validate it. In addition, recommendations were made for service delivery and clinical practice.
Parents’ reasons for enrolment of their motor- disabled child in a Dutch therapeutic toddler class

This article describes and categorizes the reasons why parents enrol their motor-disabled children in the therapeutic toddler class, a special centre-based service in early intervention. The results among a representative Dutch sample of 84 mothers showed that child-related reasons were considered more important than familyand parent-related reasons. Familyand parent-related reasons were influenced by the presence and severity of the child’s behaviour problems. The results of this study are discussed within the context of parental expectations in early intervention, and the concept of family centredness.
E¡ects of an intensive-period inpatient rehabilitation programme on the perceived physical self in moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

The benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) include improvement of exercise tolerance, functional ability and sense of well being (European Respiratory Society Rehabilitation and Chronic Care Scientific Group, 1991; American Thoracic Society, 1999). Psychological factors such as depression, anxiety, fear of dyspnea and coping are now being investigated by researchers and practitioners in rehabilitation of COPD patients. These factors are determinant for the diagnosis, prognosis and rehabilitation’s orientation. They play a major role in aggravation or relativization of severity of the respiratory illness and life expectancy (Dudley et al., 1980). For example, COPD affects perceived physical functioning, social role, status, mental health and body pain more than diabetes, hypertension or chronic back pain (Stewart et al., 1989). The manner in which patients perceive themselves will orient their strategies to cope with the illness (Kirk, 1992).