bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Premarital sex and associated factors among unmarried students of a private college in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Birri Dagim Jirata , Takele Mihiretu Kumie 
Published: July 2024

Premarital sex may result in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unwanted pregnancy. Published reports on the prevalence premarital sex among private college students in Ethiopia are limited. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of premarital sex and associated factors among unmarried students of a private college in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 390 unmarried students of the college selected by stratified random sampling. Associations between variables were determined using logistic regression at P-value less than 0.05. The prevalence of premarital sex was 23.3%, and 20% started sex before 18. About 68% did not use condom at the first sex. Nearly 15.5% had multiple sexual partners. About 14.5% said oral contraceptive pills prevent STIs. Nearly 59 % did not have a practice of requesting a new sexual partner for STIs status. Regression analysis showed that religion, program of study, having a boyfriend or girlfriend, misconception that oral contraceptive pills protect from STIs and taking alcohol were significantly associated with having premarital sex. The prevalence of premarital was high among participants. Effective intervention strategies are needed to reduce the prevalence of premarital sex.
An investigation of the pigments, antioxidants and free radical scavenging potential of twenty medicinal weeds found in the southern part of Bangladesh
Authors: Sumi Mousumi Jahan , Zaman Samia Binta , Imran Shahin , Sarker Prosenjit , Rhaman Mohammad Saidur , Gaber Ahmed , Skalicky Milan , Moulick Debojyoti , Hossain Akbar 
Published: July 2024

Despite their overlooked status, weeds are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic value, aligning with historical reliance on plants for medicine and nutrition. This study investigates the medicinal potential of native weed species in Bangladesh, specifically pigments, antioxidants, and free radical scavenging abilities. Twenty different medicinal weed species were collected from the vicinity of Khulna Agricultural University and processed in the Crop Botany Department Laboratory. Pigment levels were determined using spectrophotometer analysis, and phenolics, flavonoids, and DPPH were quantified accordingly. Chlorophyll levels in leaves ranged from 216.70 ± 9.41 to 371.14 ± 28.67 µg g−1 FW, and in stems from 51.98 ± 3.21 to 315.89 ± 17.19 µg g−1 FW. Flavonoid content also varied widely, from 1,624.62 ± 102.03 to 410.00 ± 115.58 mg CE 100 g−1 FW in leaves, and from 653.08 ± 32.42 to 80.00 ± 18.86 mg CE 100 g−1 FW in stems. In case of phenolics content Euphorbia hirta L. displaying the highest total phenolic content in leaves (1,722.33 ± 417.89 mg GAE 100 g−1 FW) and Ruellia tuberosa L. in stems (977.70 ± 145.58 mg GAE 100 g−1 FW). The lowest DPPH 2.505 ± 1.028 mg mL−1was found in Heliotropium indicum L. leaves. Hierarchical clustering links species with pigment, phenolic/flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. PCA, involving 20 species and seven traits, explained 70.07% variability, with significant PC1 (14.82%) and PC2 (55.25%). Leaves were shown to be superior, and high-performing plants such as E. hirta and H. indicum stood out for their chemical composition and antioxidant activity. Thus, this research emphasizes the value of efficient selection while concentrating on the therapeutic potential of native weed species.
Library Generation by Gene Shuffling
Authors: Meyer Adam J. , Ellefson Jared W. , Ellington Andrew D. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThis unit describes the process of gene shuffling, also known as sexual PCR. Gene shuffling is a facile method for the generation of sequence libraries containing the information from a family of related genes. Essentially, related genes are fragmented by DNase I digestion and reassembled by primer‐less PCR. The resulting chimeric genes can then be screened or selected for a desired function. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 105:15.12.1‐15.12.7. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Numerical study on relationship between lightning types and distribution of space charge and electric potential
Authors: Tan Yongbo , Tao Shanchang , Liang Zhongwu , Zhu Baoyou 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThe favorable factors that affect the initiation of intracloud (IC) lightning and cloud‐to‐ground (CG) flashes are investigated by using a fine resolution two‐dimensional lightning model. Simulation results indicate that potential at initiation point is a key to decide whether downward leader reaches ground. The absolute values of initiation potential of CG flashes are greater than 30 MV, while the absolute values of initiation potential of IC lightning are basically less than 30 MV. Since potential field is determined by space charge distributions, polarities and types of lightning discharges are also dependent on relative locations and magnitudes of positive and negative charge zones near initiation points. In general, dipoles (positive charge above negative) initiate normal IC lightning and positive CG flashes and inverted dipoles are associated with inverted IC lightning and negative CG flashes. The magnitude of upper charge near initiation point is generally larger than that of lower charge when CG flashes occur, and the two are comparable when IC lightning occur. For CG flashes, the magnitude of lower charge near initiation points should be enough for initiation breakdown, but not so strong that the lower potential well prevents propagation to ground. In addition, CG flashes are initiated within various special charge distributions, only if the reference potentials at initiation point are far away from 0 MV.
The global extent of the mid stratospheric CN layer: A three‐dimensional modeling study
Authors: Campbell Patrick , Mills Michael , Deshler Terry 
Published: January 2014

AbstractFor the first time the global extent of a mid stratospheric new particle layer is addressed, using the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Earth System Model, version 1 (CESM1), with the high‐top atmosphere component, the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM). The CESM1(WACCM) version has been configured for pure sulfate formation in the stratosphere, including the formation of late winter to spring condensation nuclei (CN), or small particle, layers of enhanced concentration in the polar regions. CESM1(WACCM) adequately reproduces, with some differences, a layer of observed (r > 3–10 nm) particles originating in the polar stratosphere as measured in both the Antarctic and northern mid latitude regions. The austral CN layer in August has nearly a symmetrical maximum in concentration within the 60–65°S latitude band and extends to 15°S. In comparison in February, the Northern Hemisphere CN layer has less symmetry and extends to only 30°N. CN concentrations in the mid stratosphere are variable due to the polar formation of the CN layer in each hemisphere, and the CN layer accounts for > 50–90% of the r > 3 nm particles in the stratospheric column poleward of 30°S and 35°N during winter and spring. The increase in CN concentration during the formation of the austral layer is not necessarily smooth. There may be fluctuations related to changes in temperature, partitioning of sulfuric acid, and the competition between nucleation, condensation, and coagulation. CESM1(WACCM) also predicts fall CN layers in both hemispheres. There are no observations to compare with this prediction.
Near‐cloud aerosol properties from the 1 km resolution MODIS ocean product
Authors: Várnai Tamás , Marshak Alexander 
Published: January 2014

AbstractThis study examines aerosol properties in the vicinity of clouds by analyzing high‐resolution atmospheric correction parameters provided in the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) ocean color product. The study analyzes data from a 2 week long period of September in 10 years, covering a large area in the northeast Atlantic Ocean. The results indicate that on the one hand, the Quality Assessment (QA) flags of the ocean color product successfully eliminate cloud‐related uncertainties in ocean parameters such as chlorophyll content, but on the other hand, using the flags introduces a sampling bias in atmospheric products such as aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and Angstrom exponent. Therefore, researchers need to select QA flags by balancing the risks of increased retrieval uncertainties and sampling biases. Using an optimal set of QA flags, the results reveal substantial increases in optical thickness near clouds—on average the increase is 50% for the roughly half of pixels within 5 km from clouds and is accompanied by a roughly matching increase in particle size. Theoretical simulations show that the 50% increase in 550 nm AOT changes instantaneous direct aerosol radiative forcing by up to 8 W/m2 and that the radiative impact is significantly larger if observed near‐cloud changes are attributed to aerosol particles as opposed to undetected cloud particles. These results underline that accounting for near‐cloud areas and understanding the causes of near‐cloud particle changes are critical for accurate calculations of direct aerosol radiative forcing.
Can dynamically downscaled windstorm footprints be improved by observations through a probabilistic approach?
Authors: Haas Rabea , Pinto Joaquim G. , Born Kai 
Published: January 2014

AbstractWindstorms are a main feature of the European climate and exert strong socioeconomic impacts. Large effort has been made in developing and enhancing models to simulate the intensification of windstorms, resulting footprints, and associated impacts. Simulated wind or gust speeds usually differ from observations, as regional climate models have biases and cannot capture all local effects. An approach to adjust regional climate model (RCM) simulations of wind and wind gust toward observations is introduced. For this purpose, 100 windstorms are selected and observations of 173 (111) test sites of the German Weather Service are considered for wind (gust) speed. Theoretical Weibull distributions are fitted to observed and simulated wind and gust speeds, and the distribution parameters of the observations are interpolated onto the RCM computational grid. A probability mapping approach is applied to relate the distributions and to correct the modeled footprints. The results are not only achieved for single test sites but for an area‐wide regular grid. The approach is validated using root‐mean‐square errors on event and site basis, documenting that the method is generally able to adjust the RCM output toward observations. For gust speeds, an improvement on 88 of 100 events and at about 64% of the test sites is reached. For wind, 99 of 100 improved events and ~84% improved sites can be obtained. This gives confidence on the potential of the introduced approach for many applications, in particular those considering wind data.
Frontal cationic curing of epoxy resins in the presence of defoaming or expanding compounds
Authors: Scognamillo Sergio , Bounds Chris , Thakuri Suman , Mariani Alberto , Wu Qinglin , Pojman John A. 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTThermal frontal polymerization was carried out with trimethylol propane triglycidyl ether using two different BF3‐amine complexes, B‐950 and B‐110 from Leepoxy, as initiators for cationic polymerization. The amounts of filler (kaolin or fumed silica), defoaming, or expansion agents were varied to study how the compositions affected the front velocity, expansion, and flexural modulus of the resulting epoxy resins. The polymer produced with B‐950 initiator showed higher modulus than the polymers produced with B‐110. Moreover, fumed silica created stronger materials than kaolin. The presence of BYK as a defoamer or an expansion agent such as the Expancel #80 was also able to affect significantly the mechanical properties. differential scanning calorimetry studies indicated that the conversion was complete and that kaolin and silica increased the rate of reaction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40339.
INSOS—educational system for teaching intelligent systems
Authors: Marković Marko , Kostić Kovačević Ivana , Nikolić Olivera , Nikolić Boško 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTThe basic features of a INSOS software system developed to support the teaching of Intelligent Systems and experiences gained in using it at the Singidunum University Computer Engineering Department, have been presented. The system has been used by students for the self‐learning and the work in the laboratory. They have the possibility to test abstract algorithms that are explained in classes and to explore their visual simulation. Its purpose is to demonstrate the application of theoretical knowledge in practice. Students are using it not only to understand how certain algorithms function, but also to gain insight into how they can be applied in practice and how to choose the right algorithm. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:268–276, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21595
Catheterization Therapy vs Surgical Closure in Pediatric Patients With Patent Ductus Arteriosus: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wang Kai , Pan Xuanren , Tang Qiaoyun , Pang Yusheng 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBackgroundPatent ductus arteriosus (PDA) remains a common congenital heart disease in pediatric patients, and the new trend of catheterization therapy is still associated with some potential risks and complications.HypothesisCompared with surgical closure, the clinical effect of catheterization therapy in pediatric PDA patients requires meta‐analysis.MethodsA systematic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Science Citation Index, Web of Science, and the Chinese Biomedicine literature database was conducted. Eligible studies included controlled trials of pediatric PDA patients receiving catheterization therapy vs surgical closure. Relative risks (RRs), standard mean differences, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 test.ResultsSeven studies with a total of 810 patients met the inclusion criteria. Catheterization therapy neither significantly increased the primary success rate (RR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.82‐1.03, P = 0.16) nor reduced the total postprocedure complications (RR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.44‐1.25, P = 0.26) and blood transfusion (RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.16‐7.67, P = 0.93). Catheterization was associated with a statistically significant increase in residual shunts (RR: 5.19, 95% CI: 1.41‐19.20, P = 0.01) and reduction in length of hospital stay (standard mean difference: −1.66, 95% CI: −2.65 to −0.67, P = 0.001).ConclusionsCatheterization therapy in pediatric PDA patients did not show a significant advantage in primary success rate, total complications, or blood transfusion, but it was associated with increase in residual shunts and reduction in length of hospital stay.
Multi‐resolution analysis for high accuracy and efficiency of Euler computation
Authors: Kang Hyungmin , Park Kyunghyun , Kim Kyuhong , Lee Dohyung 
Published: January 2014

SUMMARYA multi‐resolution analysis (MRA) is proposed for efficient flow computation with preserving the high‐order numerical accuracy of a conventional solver. In the MRA process, the smoothness of a flow pattern is assessed by the difference between original flow property values, and the values approximated by high‐order interpolating polynomial in decomposition. Insignificant data in smooth region are discarded, and flux computation is performed only where crucial features of a solution exist. The reduction of expensive flow computation improves the overall computational efficiency. In order to maintain the high‐order accuracy, modified thresholding procedure restricts the additional error introduced by the thresholding below the order of accuracy of a conventional solver. The practical applicability of the MRA method is validated in various continuous and discontinuous flow problems. The MRA stably computes the Euler equations for continuous and discontinuous flow problems and maintains the accuracy of a conventional solver. Overall, it substantially enhances the computational efficiency of the conventional third‐order accurate solver. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Tougher the Better: An Economic Analysis of Increased Payment Thresholds on the Performance of General Practices
Authors: Feng Yan , Ma Ada , Farrar Shelley , Sutton Matt 
Published: January 2014

SummaryWe investigate whether and how a change in performance‐related payment motivated General Practitioners (GPs) in Scotland. We evaluate the effect of increases in the performance thresholds required for maximum payment under the Quality and Outcomes Framework in April 2006. A difference‐in‐differences estimator with fixed effects was employed to examine the number of patients treated under clinical indicators whose payment schedules were revised and to compare these with the figures for those indicators whose schedules remained unchanged. The results suggest that the increase in the maximum performance thresholds increased GPs' performance by 1.77% on average. Low‐performing GPs improved significantly more (13.22%) than their high‐performing counterparts (0.24%). Changes to maximum performance thresholds are differentially effective in incentivising GPs and could be used further to raise GPs' performance across all indicators. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to hyperbaric oxygen in opioid‐tolerant mice
Authors: Zhang Y. , Stolz P.A. , Shirachi D.Y. , Quock R.M. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractBackgroundHyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy can produce analgesia in patients experiencing various conditions of chronic pain. Previously, we reported that naloxone antagonized the acute antinociceptive effect of both brief (11 min) and longer (60 min) HBO2 treatments. This implied a possible role for opioid receptors in the antinociceptive effects of HBO2.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine whether mice previously rendered as tolerant to opioid agonists would exhibit a reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to HBO2.MethodsMale NIH Swiss mice were given repeated injections of the opioid agonists morphine, fentanyl or (‐)‐U50488H over 4 days to induce tolerance at their respective opioid receptors. Mice receiving saline according to a similar injection schedule served as a vehicle control group. On day 5, 15 h after the last injection, mice received either an antinociceptive challenge dose of the opioid agonists or a 30‐min HBO2 exposure at 3.5 atmosphere absolute. The antinociception was then assessed by the 0.6% acetic acid‐induced abdominal constriction test.ResultsThe results showed that mice rendered as tolerant to morphine, fentanyl or (‐)‐U50488H pretreatment all exhibited reduced antinociceptive responsiveness to themselves and HBO2.ConclusionsThese results demonstrated that both μ‐ and κ‐opioid receptors are involved in mediation of the acute antinociceptive response to HBO2.
Novel RANK Antagonists for the Treatment of Bone-Resorptive Disease: Theoretical Predictions and Experimental Validation
Authors: Téletchéa Stéphane , Stresing Verena , Hervouet Soizic , Baud'huin Marc , Heymann Marie-Françoise , Bertho Gildas , Charrier Céline , Ando Kosei , Heymann Dominique 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACT

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) and RANK ligand (RANKL) play a pivotal role in bone metabolism, and selective targeting of RANK signaling has become a promising therapeutic strategy in the management of resorptive bone diseases. Existing antibody-based therapies and novel inhibitors currently in development were designed to target the ligand, rather than the membrane receptor expressed on osteoclast precursors. We describe here an alternative approach to designing small peptides able to specifically bind to the hinge region of membrane RANK responsible for the conformational change upon RANKL association. A nonapeptide generated by this method was validated for its biological activity in vitro and in vivo and served as a lead compound for the generation of a series of peptide RANK antagonists derived from the original sequence. Our study presents a structure- and knowledge-based strategy for the design of novel effective and affordable small peptide inhibitors specifically targeting the receptor RANK and opens a new therapeutic opportunity for the treatment of resorptive bone disease. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Stability of the Positive Mood Effect on Creativity When Task Switching, Practice Effect, and Test Item Differences are Taken into Consideration
Authors: Tan Chee‐Seng , Qu Li 
Published: January 2014

AbstractAlthough experimentally induced positive mood can generally last for 20 min and the induced mood is conducive to creative performance, it is still unclear whether the facilitation effect is stable during these 20 min. Two studies were conducted to examine this issue while controlling for the impacts of task switching, practice effect, and test item differences. In Study 1, participants (N = 42) were randomly assigned to positive, negative, and neutral mood conditions. After watching a short video clip, participants answered four items of the Alternate Uses Test (AUT) in 20 min, with 5 min allotted for each item. Creative performance during each 5‐min period was scored in terms of fluency and flexibility. Separate repeated‐measures analyses of variances on these creativity scores showed that positive mood consistently enhanced performance over 20 min. Study 2 further eliminated the effects of test item differences and test order. Participants (N = 131) underwent the same mood induction procedure and answered the same four items of the AUT, except that these items were presented in four different sequences in accordance with the Latin square design. Consistent with the findings in Study 1, Study 2 showed that the facilitation effect of positive mood lasted for 20 min when the interference of task switching, practice effect, and test item differences were minimized. This finding not only sheds light on the debate regarding the stability of experimentally induced positive mood effect, but also contributes to the body of empirical evidence that future studies may use to examine the positive mood effect over a relatively long period of time.
A pre‐operative nomogram for decision making in oncological surgical emergencies
Authors: Dumont Frédéric , Mazouni Chafika , Bitsakou Georgina , Morice Philippe , Goéré Diane , Honoré Charles , Elias Dominique 
Published: January 2014

BackgroundThe purpose of the study was to propose a clinical decision‐making tool for predicting mortality in patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery with a palliative intent in the oncology setting.MethodsIdentification of all emergency surgical procedures performed in a Department of Oncologic Surgery in a Comprehensive Cancer Center between January 2008 and January 2013. Multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were used to identify factors predicitve of mortality at 3 months and survival probabilities. Models were internally validated using bootstrapping and calibration.ResultsThe mortality rates were 30% at 1 month, 46.7% at 3 months and 83.3% at the end of the study. One model based on the albumin level and the P‐POSSUM score (AUC: 0.725) adequately predicted mortality at 3 months. A survival nomogram predicted mortality with a concordance index (CI) of 0.718, using the following factors: WHO performance status (P = 0.02), albumin level (P < 0.01) and P‐POSSUM score (P < 0.01). The origin or the extent of the carcinoma did not own sufficient pronostic impact to be selected in this model.ConclusionsPre‐operative mortality risk scores can be developed in a palliative context. Physicians counselling and surgical decision making should be based on the use of these tools. J. Surg. Oncol 2014; 109:721–725. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.