cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Antenatal corticosteroids for management of preterm birth: a multi-country analysis of health system bottlenecks and potential solutions
Creators: name: Segrè, Joel
name: Hermida, Jorge
name: Liu, Grace
name: Moxon, Sarah G.
name: Althabe, Fernando
name: Moses, Edward
name: Gülmezoglu, A. Metin
name: Mathai, Matthews
name: Simen-Kapeu, Aline
name: Dickson, Kim E.
name: Lawn, Joy E.
name: Barker, Pierre
name: Smith, Jeffrey M.
name: Jere, Mercy
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2015

description: BackgroundPreterm birth complications are the leading cause of deaths for children under five years. Antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) are effective at reducing mortality and serious morbidity amongst infants born at <34 weeks gestation. WHO guidelines strongly recommend use of ACS for women at risk of imminent preterm birth where gestational age, imminent preterm birth, and risk of maternal infection can be assessed, and appropriate maternal/newborn care provided. However, coverage remains low in high-burden countries for reasons not previously systematically investigated.MethodsThe bottleneck analysis tool was applied in 12 countries in Africa and Asia as part of the Every Newborn Action Plan process. Country workshops involved technical experts to complete the survey tool, which is designed to synthesise and grade health system "bottlenecks", factors that hinder the scale up, of maternal-newborn intervention packages. We used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the bottleneck data, combined with literature review, to present priority bottlenecks and actions relevant to different health system building blocks for ACS.ResultsEleven out of twelve countries provided data in response to the ACS questionnaire. Health system building blocks most frequently reported as having significant or very major bottlenecks were health information systems (11 countries), essential medical products and technologies (9 out of 11 countries) and health service delivery (9 out of 11 countries). Bottlenecks included absence of coverage data, poor gestational age metrics, lack of national essential medicines listing, discrepancies between prescribing authority and provider cadres managing care, delays due to referral, and lack of supervision, mentoring and quality improvement systems.ConclusionsAnalysis centred on health system building blocks in which 9 or more countries (>75%) reported very major or significant bottlenecks. Health information systems should include improved gestational age assessment and track ACS coverage, use and outcomes. Better health service delivery requires clarified policy assigning roles by level of care and cadre of provider, dependent on capability to assess gestational age and risk of preterm birth, and the implementation of guidelines with adequate supervision, mentoring and quality improvement systems, including audit and feedback. National essential medicines lists should include dexamethasone for antenatal use, and dexamethasone should be integrated into supply logistics.
Learning Maximum Entropy Models from finite size datasets: a fast Data-Driven algorithm allows sampling from the posterior distribution
Creators: name: Ferrari, Ulisse
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Disordered Systems and Neural Networks (cond-mat.dis-nn)
subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: Quantitative Methods (q-bio.QM)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Maximum entropy models provide the least constrained probability distributions that reproduce statistical properties of experimental datasets. In this work we characterize the learning dynamics that maximizes the log-likelihood in the case of large but finite datasets. We first show how the steepest descent dynamics is not optimal as it is slowed down by the inhomogeneous curvature of the model parameters space. We then provide a way for rectifying this space which relies only on dataset properties and does not require large computational efforts. We conclude by solving the long-time limit of the parameters dynamics including the randomness generated by the systematic use of Gibbs sampling. In this stochastic framework, rather than converging to a fixed point, the dynamics reaches a stationary distribution, which for the rectified dynamics reproduces the posterior distribution of the parameters. We sum up all these insights in a "rectified" Data-Driven algorithm that is fast and by sampling from the parameters posterior avoids both under- and over-fitting along all the directions of the parameters space. Through the learning of pairwise Ising models from the recording of a large population of retina neurons, we show how our algorithm outperforms the steepest descent method.
title: ХИМИЯ И БИОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ АКТИВНОСТЬ 11H-ИНДЕНО[1,2-b]ХИНОКСАЛИН-2-ОНА
Creators: name: Кутлалиева, Эльвина Нуритдиновна
name: Шустова, Екатерина Александровна
name: Великородов, Анатолий Валериевич
Publisher: name: Астраханский государственный медицинский университет
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Clinical medicine
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine

description: В данном обзоре рассмотрены реакции функционализации по карбонильной группе 11H-индено[1,2-b]хиноксалин-2-она и его применение в реакциях гетероциклизации, включая ре- акцию 1,3 диполярного циклоприсоединения. Продемонстрированы новые направления применения 11H-индено[1,2-b]хиноксалин-2-она в органическом синтезе для создания широкого ряда соединений с тиокарбазонным, пиразольным, пиррольным, γ-лактонным, β-лактамным и другими фрагментами, имеющимиразличные виды биологической активности. Описанные производные особенно интересны, так как некоторые из них показали анти-ВИЧ, противомикробную, противораковую, противовоспалительную и другие виды активности, вследствие чего их синтезимеет большое значениев органи- ческой и медицинской химии.
Clinical response and symptomatic remission in short- and long-term trials of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Creators: name: Weisler, Richard H.
name: Babcock, Thomas
name: Scheckner, Brian
name: Lasser, Robert
name: Goodman, David W.
name: Young, Joel
name: Mattingly, Greg W.
name: Dirks, Bryan
name: Adeyi, Ben
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: BackgroundDespite the overall high degree of response to pharmacotherapy, consensus is lacking on how to judge clinical response or define optimal treatment/remission when treating adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined clinical response and symptomatic remission in analyses of 2 studies of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) in adults with ADHD.MethodsIn a 4-week, double-blind, forced-dose trial, adults with ADHD were randomized to LDX 30, 50, and 70 mg/day (mg/d) or placebo. In a second, open-label, follow-up trial, adults entering from the 4-week study were titrated to an “optimal” LDX dose (30 mg/d [n=44], 50 mg/d [n=112], and 70 mg/d [n=171]) over 4 weeks, and maintained for 11 additional months. The ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS-IV) with adult prompts and the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) scale assessed efficacy. Clinical response was defined, post hoc, as ≥30% reduction from baseline in ADHD-RS-IV and CGI-I rating of 1 or 2; symptomatic remission was defined as ADHD-RS-IV total score ≤18. Log rank analysis examined overall significance among the treatment groups in time to response or remission.ResultsFour hundred and fourteen participants in the 4-week study and 345 in the open-label, extension study were included in the efficacy populations. All LDX groups improved by ADHD-RS-IV and CGI-I scores in both studies. In the 4-week study (n=414), 69.3% responded and 45.5% achieved remission with LDX (all doses); 37.1% responded and 16.1% achieved remission with placebo; time (95% CI) to median clinical response (all LDX doses) was 15.0 (15.0, 17.0) days and to remission was 31.0 (28.0, 37.0) days (P<.0001 overall). In the open-label study, with LDX (all doses), 313 (95.7%) and 278 (85.0%) of 327 participants with evaluable maintenance-phase data met criteria for response and remission, respectively. Of participants who completed dose optimization, 75.2% remained responders and 65.7% remained in remission in the 12-month study. Overall, 285 (82.6%) and 227 (65.8%) of 345 participants were responders and remitters, respectively, at their final visits.ConclusionIn the long-term study, with open-label, dose-optimized LDX treatment, most adults with ADHD achieved clinical response and/or symptomatic remission; almost two-thirds maintained symptomatic remission over the remaining 11 months.Trial registrationClinical Trial Numbers: NCT00334880 and NCT01070394Clinical Trial Registry: clinicaltrials.govURLshttp://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00334880http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01070394?term=NCT01070394&rank=1
A multi-wavelength polarimetric study of the blazar CTA 102 during a Gamma-ray flare in 2012
Creators: name: Casadio, Carolina
name: Gómez, José L.
name: Jorstad, Svetlana G.
name: Marscher, Alan P.
name: Larionov, Valeri M.
name: Smith, Paul S.
name: Gurwell, Mark A.
name: Lähteenmäki, Anne
name: Agudo, Iván
name: Molina, Sol N.
name: Bala, Vishal
name: Joshi, Manasvita
name: Taylor, Brian
name: Williamson, Karen E.
name: Arkharov, Arkady A.
name: Blinov, Dmitry A.
name: Borman, George A.
name: Di Paola, Andrea
name: Grishina, Tatiana S.
name: Hagen-Thorn, Vladimir A.
name: Itoh, Ryosuke
name: Kopatskaya, Evgenia N.
name: Larionova, Elena G.
name: Larionova, Liudmila V.
name: Morozova, Daria A.
name: Rastorgueva-Foi, Elizaveta
name: Sergeev, Sergey G.
name: Tornikoski, Merja
name: Troitsky, Ivan S.
name: Thum, Clemens
name: Wiesemeyer, Helmut
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We perform a multi-wavelength polarimetric study of the quasar CTA 102 during an extraordinarily bright $γ$-ray outburst detected by the {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope in September-October 2012 when the source reached a flux of F$_{>100~\mathrm{MeV}} =5.2\pm0.4\times10^{-6}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. At the same time the source displayed an unprecedented optical and NIR outburst. We study the evolution of the parsec scale jet with ultra-high angular resolution through a sequence of 80 total and polarized intensity Very Long Baseline Array images at 43 GHz, covering the observing period from June 2007 to June 2014. We find that the $γ$-ray outburst is coincident with flares at all the other frequencies and is related to the passage of a new superluminal knot through the radio core. The powerful $γ$-ray emission is associated with a change in direction of the jet, which became oriented more closely to our line of sight ($θ\sim$1.2$^{\circ}$) during the ejection of the knot and the $γ$-ray outburst. During the flare, the optical polarized emission displays intra-day variability and a clear clockwise rotation of EVPAs, which we associate with the path followed by the knot as it moves along helical magnetic field lines, although a random walk of the EVPA caused by a turbulent magnetic field cannot be ruled out. We locate the $γ$-ray outburst a short distance downstream of the radio core, parsecs from the black hole. This suggests that synchrotron self-Compton scattering of near-infrared to ultraviolet photons is the probable mechanism for the $γ$-ray production.
description: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal
Self-Reported quality of life in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and executive function impairment treated with lisdexamfetamine dimesylate: a randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study
Creators: name: Dauphin, Matthew
name: Deas, Patrick
name: Adler, Lenard A.
name: Raychaudhuri, Aparna
name: Saylor, Keith
name: Weisler, Richard
name: Dirks, Bryan
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: BackgroundThis study examined the effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on quality of life (QOL) in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and clinically significant executive function deficits (EFD).MethodsThis report highlights QOL findings from a 10-week randomized placebo-controlled trial of LDX (30–70 mg/d) in adults (18–55 years) with ADHD and EFD (Behavior Rating Inventory of EF-Adult, Global Executive Composite [BRIEF-A GEC] ≥65). The primary efficacy measure was the self-reported BRIEF-A; a key secondary measure was self-reported QOL on the Adult ADHD Impact Module (AIM-A). The clinician-completed ADHD Rating Scale version IV (ADHD-RS-IV) with adult prompts and Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) were also employed. The Adult ADHD QoL (AAQoL) was added while the study was in progress. A post hoc analysis examined the subgroup having evaluable results from both AIM-A and AAQoL.ResultsOf 161 randomized (placebo, 81; LDX, 80), 159 were included in the safety population. LDX improved AIM-A multi-item domain scores versus placebo; LS mean difference for Performance and Daily Functioning was 21.6 (ES, 0.93, P<.0001); Impact of Symptoms: Daily Interference was 14.9 (ES, 0.62, P<.0001); Impact of Symptoms: Bother/Concern was 13.5 (ES, 0.57, P=.0003); Relationships/Communication was 7.8 (ES, 0.31, P=.0302); Living With ADHD was 9.1 (ES, 0.79, P<.0001); and General Well-Being was 10.8 (ES, 0.70, P<.0001). AAQoL LS mean difference for total score was 21.0; for subscale: Life Productivity was 21.0; Psychological Health was 12.1; Life Outlook was 12.5; and Relationships was 7.3. In a post hoc analysis of participants with both AIM-A and AAQoL scores, AIM-A multi-item subgroup analysis scores numerically improved with LDX, with smaller difference for Impact of Symptoms: Daily Interference. The safety profile of LDX was consistent with amphetamine use in previous studies.ConclusionsOverall, adults with ADHD/EFD exhibited self-reported improvement on QOL, using the AIM-A and AAQoL scales in line with medium/large ES; these improvements were paralleled by improvements in EF and ADHD symptoms. The safety profile of LDX was similar to previous studies.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01101022
Perceived need for substance use treatment among young women from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, South Africa
Creators: name: Myers, Bronwyn
name: Doherty, Irene A.
name: Carney, Tara
name: Wechsberg, Wendee M.
name: Kline, Tracy L.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: BackgroundInitiation of treatment for substance use disorders is low among young women from disadvantaged communities in Cape Town, South Africa. Yet little is known about the factors that influence perceived need for treatment (a determinant of treatment entry) within this population.MethodsBaseline data on 720 young, drug-using women, collected as part of a randomized field experiment were analyzed to identify predisposing, enabling and health need factors associated with perceived need for treatment.ResultsOverall, 46.0% of our sample perceived a need for treatment. Of these participants, 92.4% wanted treatment for their substance use problems but only 50.1% knew where to access services. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, we found significant main effects for ethnicity (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.05-1.65), income (AOR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.93-0.99), anxiety (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.05-1.45), and not having family members with drug problems (AOR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.05-2.04) on perceived need for treatment. When the sample was stratified by methamphetamine use, income (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.79-0.96), awareness of treatment services (AOR =1.84, 95% CI = 1.03-3.27), anxiety (AOR =1.41, 95% CI = 1.06-1.87) and physical health status (AOR = 6.29, 95% CI = 1.56-25.64) were significantly associated with perceived need for treatment among those who were methamphetamine-negative. No variables were significantly associated with perceived need for treatment among participants who were methamphetamine-positive.ConclusionsA sizeable proportion of young women who could benefit from substance use treatment do not believe they need treatment, highlighting the need for interventions that enhance perceived need for treatment in this population. Findings also show that interventions that link women who perceive a need for treatment to service providers are needed. Such interventions should address barriers that limit young women’s use of services for substance use disorders.
X-Shooter study of accretion in $ρ$-Ophiucus: very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs
Creators: name: Manara, C. F.
name: Testi, L.
name: Natta, A.
name: Alcalá, J. M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present new VLT/X-Shooter optical and NIR spectra of a sample of 17 candidate young low-mass stars and BDs in the rho-Ophiucus cluster. We derived SpT and Av for all the targets, and then we determined their physical parameters. All the objects but one have M*<0.6 Msun, and 8 have mass below or close to the hydrogen-burning limit. Using the intensity of various emission lines present in their spectra, we determined the Lacc and Macc for all the objects. When compared with previous works targeting the same sample, we find that, in general, these objects are not as strongly accreting as previously reported, and we suggest that the reason is our more accurate estimate of the photospheric parameters. We also compare our findings with recent works in other slightly older star-forming regions to investigate possible differences in the accretion properties, but we find that the accretion properties for our targets have the same dependence on the stellar and substellar parameters as in the other regions. This leads us to conclude that we do not find evidence for a different dependence of Macc with M* when comparing low-mass stars and BDs. Moreover, we find a similar small (1 dex) scatter in the Macc-M* relation as in some of our recent works in other star-forming regions, and no significant differences in Macc due to different ages or properties of the regions. The latter result suffers, however, from low statistics and sample selection biases in the current studies. The small scatter in the Macc-M* correlation confirms that Macc in the literature based on uncertain photospheric parameters and single accretion indicators, such as the Ha width, can lead to a scatter that is unphysically large. Our studies show that only broadband spectroscopic surveys coupled with a detailed analysis of the photospheric and accretion properties allows us to properly study the evolution of disk accretion rates.
description: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Abstract shortened to fit arXiv constraints
Thyroid axis function after in-patient treatment of acute psychosis with antipsychotics: a naturalistic study
Creators: name: Bunevicius, Robertas
name: Prange, Arthur J.
name: Steibliene, Vesta
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: BackgroundEndocrine function in psychiatric patients may be affected by mental disorder itself as well as by antipsychotic medications.The aim of this naturalistic observational study was to determine if treatment of acute psychotic episode with antipsychotic medication affects thyroid axis hormone concentrations and if such changes are associated with symptomatic improvement.MethodsEighty six adult acute psychotic patients, consecutively admitted to a mental hospital, were recruited for the study. All patients were physically healthy and without thyroid disease. During the hospitalization period all study patients received treatment with antipsychotic medication according to clinical need. Severity of the psychotic episode was evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and venous blood samples were drawn for analysis of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations on the day of admission and on the day of discharge from the hospital.ResultsAntipsychotic drug treatment was associated with decrease of mean FT3 (p < 0.001) and FT4 (p = 0.002) concentrations; and with increase of mean TSH (p = 0.016) concentrations. Changes in thyroid hormone concentrations were mostly predicted by baseline hormone concentrations. Individual changes were not limited to decrease in high hormone concentrations; in patients who had low FT3 or FT4 concentrations, treatment resulted in increase in concentrations. Such an increase was established in one-quarter of patients for FT3 concentrations and in one-third of patients for FT4 concentrations. Fall in FT4 concentrations negatively correlated with the improvement in the BPRS score (r = −0.235, p = 0.023).ConclusionsThe study indicates that antipsychotic treatment resulted in a decrease in mean FT3 concentrations and in an increase in mean TSH concentrations after recovery from acute psychosis. Symptomatic improvement was less evident in patients who experienced a decrease in FT4 concentrations.Trial registrationEudraCT No.2007-001541-18
Collaboration and Dialogue in Virtual Reality
Creators: name: Jensen, Camilla Gyldendahl
Publisher: name: Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education
Year: 2017

description: “Virtual reality” adds a new dimension to constructivist problem-based learning (PBL) environments in the architectural and building construction educations, where a realistic and lifelike presence in a building enables students to assess and discuss how the various solutions interact with each other. Combined with “Building Information Models” (BIM), “Virtual Reality” provides an entirely new opportunity to innovate and optimize the architecture and construction in its early stages, which creates and iterative learning process. There are several studies where virtual simulation tools based on predefined tutorials are tested for their ability to facilitate collaborative processes. This study addresses the problem from a new angle by the virtual universe created through the students' own iterative design of a building. The “Virtual reality” system's narrative tale arises spontaneously through the dialogue. The result of this study shows that “Virtual Reality”, as a tool, creates some changes in the dialogue conditions which affect the learning process. The use of “Virtual Reality” requires a very precise framing about the system's ability to facilitate a collaborative learning process. The analysis identifies several clear opportunities about incorporating gamification mechanisms known from e.g. video games software.
description: Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, Vol 5 No 1 (2017): Special issue: Blended Learning in Architecture and Design Education
title: UniCa PhD Book – XXXIV Cycle
Creators: name: Ruggerone, Paolo
name: Pelligra, Vittorio
Publisher: name: UNICApress
Year: 2022

description: This volume reports, in brief, the experience of the students enrolled in the XXXIV cycle of the PhD courses at the University of Cagliari. The contributions are grouped by course and are preceded by a presentation of the coordinators of each PhD program. In two pages each student gives the reader an idea of his/her personal experience and of the results of his/her research.
Thermodynamics of horizons: de Sitter black holes and reentrant phase transitions
Creators: name: Kubiznak, David
name: Simovic, Fil
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this paper we propose a straightforward method for understanding the thermodynamics of black holes in de Sitter space, one that will allow us to study these black holes in a way that is analogous to the anti-de Sitter case. As per usual, we formulate separate thermodynamic first laws for each horizon present in the spacetime, and study their thermodynamics as if they were independent systems characterized by their own temperature. That these systems are not entirely independent and various thermodynamic quantities in them are in fact "correlated" is reflected by the fact that their thermodynamics can be captured by a single Gibbs free energy-like thermodynamic potential. This quantity contains information about possible phase transitions in the system and allows us to uncover a rich phase structure for de Sitter black holes. In particular, we discover reentrant phase transitions for Kerr-dS black holes in six dimensions, a phenomenon recently observed for their six dimensional AdS cousins.
description: 27 pages, 12 figures v3: extended version
The intentional use of learning technologies to improve learning outcomes in studio.
Creators: name: MacKenzie, Andrew
name: Muminovic, Milica
name: Oerlemans, Karin
Publisher: name: Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education
Year: 2017

description: At the University of Canberra, Australia, the design and architecture faculty are trialling a range of approaches to incorporating learning technologies in the first year foundation studio to improve student learning outcomes. For this study researchers collected information on students’ access to their assignment information and feedback from the learning management system (LMS) to discover how the students engaged in the design process. The studio curriculum was designed to encourage students to engage in a convergence, divergence dynamic (Brown, 2009; Thomas, Billsberry, Ambrosini, & Barton, 2014) in developing their own understanding of the design process. The staff tailored around points of convergence, online instruction, assessment tools and feedback in studio. We argue that using learning technologies in this way can improve intentionality at the beginning of semester, enhance students understanding of feedback and facilitate a more iterative approach to problem based learning in studio practice.
description: Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, Vol 5 No 1 (2017): Special issue: Blended Learning in Architecture and Design Education
Prevalence and predictors of giving birth in health facilities in Bugesera District, Rwanda
Creators: name: Rulisa, Stephen
name: Niyonkuru, Francine
name: Thielman, Nathan M.
name: Joharifard, Shahrzad
name: Ostermann, Jan
name: Sayinzoga, Felix
name: Weinhold, Andrew
name: Wilkinson, Jeffrey
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2012

description: BackgroundThe proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel is one of two indicators used to measure progress towards Millennium Development Goal 5, which aims for a 75% reduction in global maternal mortality ratios by 2015. Rwanda has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, estimated between 249–584 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The objectives of this study were to quantify secular trends in health facility delivery and to identify factors that affect the uptake of intrapartum healthcare services among women living in rural villages in Bugesera District, Eastern Province, Rwanda.MethodsUsing census data and probability proportional to size cluster sampling methodology, 30 villages were selected for community-based, cross-sectional surveys of women aged 18–50 who had given birth in the previous three years. Complete obstetric histories and detailed demographic data were elicited from respondents using iPad technology. Geospatial coordinates were used to calculate the path distances between each village and its designated health center and district hospital. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with delivery in health facilities.ResultsAnalysis of 3106 lifetime deliveries from 859 respondents shows a sharp increase in the percentage of health facility deliveries in recent years. Delivering a penultimate baby at a health facility (OR = 4.681 [3.204 - 6.839]), possessing health insurance (OR = 3.812 [1.795 - 8.097]), managing household finances (OR = 1.897 [1.046 - 3.439]), attending more antenatal care visits (OR = 1.567 [1.163 - 2.112]), delivering more recently (OR = 1.438 [1.120 - 1.847] annually), and living closer to a health center (OR = 0.909 [0.846 - 0.976] per km) were independently associated with facility delivery.ConclusionsThe strongest correlates of facility-based delivery in Bugesera District include previous delivery at a health facility, possession of health insurance, greater financial autonomy, more recent interactions with the health system, and proximity to a health center. Recent structural interventions in Rwanda, including the rapid scale-up of community-financed health insurance, likely contributed to the dramatic improvement in the health facility delivery rate observed in our study.
Supplementary information for Stroud et al. Extreme cold event and lizards from An extreme cold event leads to community-wide convergence in lower temperature tolerance in a lizard community
Creators: name: Stroud, James T.
name: Mothes, Caitlin C.
name: Winter Beckles
name: Heathcote, Robert J. P.
name: Donihue, Colin M.
name: Losos, Jonathan B.
Publisher: name: The Royal Society
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Environmental Science
subject: Ecology

description: Supplementary information and analyses, including: addiional methods on thermal trait trials, additional statistical methods, sources of climate data, summary statistics of body sizes for all study species, taxonomic classifications and native geographic distributions of all study species, local and regional media news stories about the extreme cold event on which the study is based, local social media evidence of lizard responses to the extreme cold event (including photos).
Ethnic differences in alcohol and drug use and related sexual risks for HIV among vulnerable women in Cape Town, South Africa: implications for interventions
Creators: name: Carney, Tara
name: Kline, Tracy L.
name: Johnson, Kim
name: Wechsberg, Wendee M.
name: Browne, Felicia A.
name: Myers, Bronwyn
name: Parry, Charles
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: BackgroundAlcohol and other drug (AOD) use among poor Black African and Coloured women in South Africa compounds their sexual risk for HIV. Given South Africa’s history of ethnic disparities, ethnic differences in sex risk profiles may exist that should be taken into account when planning HIV risk reduction interventions. This paper aims to describe ethnic differences in AOD use and AOD-related sexual risks for HIV among vulnerable women from Cape Town, South Africa.MethodCross-sectional data on 720 AOD-using women (324 Black African; 396 Coloured) recruited from poor communities in Cape Town were examined for ethnic differences in AOD use and AOD-related sexual risk behavior.ResultsEthnic differences in patterns of AOD use were found; with self-reported drug problems, heavy episodic drinking and methamphetamine use being most prevalent among Coloured women and cannabis use being most likely among Black African women. However, more than half of Black African women reported drug-related problems and more than a third tested positive for recent methamphetamine use. More than a third of women reported being AOD-impaired and having unprotected sex during their last sexual encounter. Coloured women had four-fold greater odds of reporting that their last sexual episode was AOD-impaired and unprotected than Black African women. In addition, close to one in two women reported that their sexual partner was AOD-impaired at last sex, with Coloured women having three-fold greater odds of reporting that their partner was AOD-impaired at last sex than Black African women.ConclusionsFindings support the need to develop and test AOD risk reduction interventions for women from both ethnic groups. In addition, findings point to the need for tailored interventions that target the distinct profiles of AOD use and AOD-related sex risks for HIV among Black African and Coloured women.
Mutual Information Bounds via Adjacency Events
Creators: name: Han, Yanjun
name: Ordentlich, Or
name: Shayevitz, Ofer
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Information Theory (cs.IT)
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: The mutual information between two jointly distributed random variables $X$ and $Y$ is a functional of the joint distribution $P_{XY},$ which is sometimes difficult to handle or estimate. A coarser description of the statistical behavior of $(X,Y)$ is given by the marginal distributions $P_X, P_Y$ and the adjacency relation induced by the joint distribution, where $x$ and $y$ are adjacent if $P(x,y)>0$. We derive a lower bound on the mutual information in terms of these entities. The bound is obtained by viewing the channel from $X$ to $Y$ as a probability distribution on a set of possible actions, where an action determines the output for any possible input, and is independently drawn. We also provide an alternative proof based on convex optimization, that yields a generally tighter bound. Finally, we derive an upper bound on the mutual information in terms of adjacency events between the action and the pair $(X,Y)$, where in this case an action $a$ and a pair $(x,y)$ are adjacent if $y=a(x)$. As an example, we apply our bounds to the binary deletion channel and show that for the special case of an i.i.d. input distribution and a range of deletion probabilities, our lower and upper bounds both outperform the best known bounds for the mutual information.
description: Accepted for publication in the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory
Lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy and socioeconomic status: atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) surveillance study
Creators: name: Kitzmiller, Joseph P.
name: Rose, Kathy M.
name: Foraker, Randi E.
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2013

description: BackgroundLipid-reduction pharmacotherapy is often employed to reduce morbidity and mortality risk for patients with dyslipidemia or established cardiovascular disease. Associations between socioeconomic factors and the prescribing and use of lipid-lowering agents have been reported in several developed countries.MethodsWe evaluated the association of census tract-level neighborhood household income (nINC) and lipid-lowering medications received during hospitalization or at discharge among 3,546 (5,335 weighted) myocardial infarction (MI) events in the United States (US) Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) surveillance study (1999–2002). Models included neighborhood household income, race, gender, age, study community, year of MI, hospital type (teaching vs. nonteaching), current or past history of hypertension, diabetes or heart failure, and presence of cardiac pain.ResultsAbout fifty-nine percent of patients received lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy during hospitalization or at discharge. Low nINC was associated with a lower likelihood (prevalence ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.79, 1.01) of receiving lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy compared to high neighborhood household income, and no significant change in this association resulted when adjusted for the above-mentioned covariates.ConclusionPatient’s socioeconomic status appeared to influence whether they were prescribed a lipid-lowering pharmacotherapy after hospitalization for myocardial infarction in the US ARIC surveillance study (1999–2002).
title: ИНСУЛЬТ ПОСЛЕ КАРОТИДНОЙ ЭНДАРТЕРЭКТОМИИ
Creators: name: Эбзеева, Лаура Халисовна
name: Шихмурадов, Мурад Шерифович
Publisher: name: Астраханский государственный медицинский университет
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Clinical medicine
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine

description: Научный обзор посвящен послеоперационному инсульту при каротидной эндартерэктомии. Представлены результаты крупных рандомизированных исследований, в которых описана частота возникновения этого грозного осложнения. Приведены подробные данные о факторах риска, которые могут служить предикторами осложнения.
Beyond the Main Sequence: Testing the accuracy of stellar masses predicted by the PARSEC evolutionary tracks
Creators: name: Ghezzi, Luan
name: Johnson, John Asher
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Characterizing the physical properties of exoplanets, and understanding their formation and orbital evolution requires precise and accurate knowledge of their host stars. Accurately measuring stellar masses is particularly important because they likely influence planet occurrence and the architectures of planetary systems. Single main-sequence stars typically have masses estimated from evolutionary tracks, which generally provide accurate results due to their extensive empirical calibration. However, the validity of this method for subgiants and giants has been called into question by recent studies, with suggestions that the masses of these evolved stars could have been overestimated. We investigate these concerns using a sample of 59 benchmark evolved stars with model-independent masses (from binary systems or asteroseismology) obtained from the literature. We find very good agreement between these benchmark masses and the ones estimated using evolutionary tracks. The average fractional difference in the mass interval $\sim$0.7 - 4.5 M$_{\odot}$, is consistent with zero (-1.30 $\pm$ 2.42%), with no significant trends in the residuals relative to the input parameters. A good agreement between model-dependent and -independent radii (-4.81 $\pm$ 1.32%) and surface gravities (0.71 $\pm$ 0.51%) is also found. The consistency between independently determined ages for members of binary systems adds further support for the accuracy of the method employed to derive the stellar masses. Taken together, our results indicate that determination of masses of evolved stars using grids of evolutionary tracks is not significantly affected by systematic errors, and is thus valid for estimating the masses of isolated stars beyond the main sequence.
description: Accepted for publication in ApJ. Complete tables 1 and 2 are available at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_C74xx43AOHTXBKNDh1YVI4RDA/view?usp=sharing. Changes from v1 to v2: Section 4.5 and Figure 7 (about the Retired A Stars) were removed as per referee's request, but main results remain unchanged; minor edits to the text
Aspects of Infrared Non-local Modifications of General Relativity
Creators: name: Mitsou, Ermis
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology (gr-qc)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: In this thesis we are interested in the problem of dark energy in cosmology. In particular, we consider the possibility that this effect is due to an infrared non-local modification of the theory of General Relativity. Inspired by massive gravity, we construct non-local theories in which gravity may be massive, but where the symmetry of diffeomorphisms is preserved. We focus on the cosmology of these theories and confront them with observational constraints. On a more theoretical level, we discuss some subtleties of non-local field theory and address in a novel way the issue of stability. This thesis is based on both published and original work.
description: 144 pages, 13 figures, Ph.D. thesis
A theory-based online health behaviour intervention for new university students (U@Uni): results from a randomised controlled trial
Creators: name: Meier, Petra S.
name: Julious, Steven A.
name: Dadzie, Aba Sah
name: Shah, Iltaf
name: Ciravegna, Fabio
name: Naughton, Declan
name: Petroczi, Andrea
name: Norman, Paul
name: Brennan, Alan
name: Epton, Tracy
name: Harris, Peter R.
name: Sheeran, Paschal
name: Webb, Thomas L.
name: Kruger, Jen
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2014

description: BackgroundToo few young people engage in behaviours that reduce the risk of morbidity and premature mortality, such as eating healthily, being physically active, drinking sensibly and not smoking. This study sought to assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a theory-based online health behaviour intervention (based on self-affirmation theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and implementation intentions) targeting these behaviours in new university students, in comparison to a measurement-only control.MethodsTwo-weeks before starting university all incoming undergraduates at the University of Sheffield were invited to take part in a study of new students’ health behaviour. A randomised controlled design, with a baseline questionnaire, and two follow-ups (1 and 6 months after starting university), was used to evaluate the intervention. Primary outcomes were measures of the four health behaviours targeted by the intervention at 6-month follow-up, i.e., portions of fruit and vegetables, metabolic equivalent of tasks (physical activity), units of alcohol, and smoking status.ResultsThe study recruited 1,445 students (intervention n = 736, control n = 709, 58% female, Mean age = 18.9 years), of whom 1,107 completed at least one follow-up (23% attrition). The intervention had a statistically significant effect on one primary outcome, smoking status at 6-month follow-up, with fewer smokers in the intervention arm (8.7%) than in the control arm (13.0%; Odds ratio = 1.92, p = .010). There were no significant intervention effects on the other primary outcomes (physical activity, alcohol or fruit and vegetable consumption) at 6-month follow-up.ConclusionsThe results of the RCT indicate that the online health behaviour intervention reduced smoking rates, but it had little effect on fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity or alcohol consumption, during the first six months at university. However, engagement with the intervention was low. Further research is needed before strong conclusions can be made regarding the likely effectiveness of the intervention to promote health lifestyle habits in new university students.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials, ISRCTN67684181.
Memory-preserving equilibration after a quantum quench in a 1d critical model
Creators: name: Sotiriadis, Spyros
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: Quantum Gases (cond-mat.quant-gas)
subject: High Energy Physics - Theory (hep-th)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: One of the fundamental principles of statistical physics is that only partial information about a system's state is required for its macroscopic description. This is not only true for thermal ensembles, but also for the unconventional ensemble, known as Generalized Gibbs Ensemble (GGE), that is expected to describe the relaxation of integrable systems after a quantum quench. By analytically studying the quench dynamics in a prototypical one-dimensional critical model, the massless free bosonic field theory, we find evidence of a novel type of equilibration characterized by the preservation of an enormous amount of memory of the initial state that is accessible by local measurements. In particular, we show that the equilibration retains memory of non-Gaussian initial correlations, in contrast to the case of massive free evolution which erases all such memory. The GGE in its standard form, being a Gaussian ensemble, fails to predict correctly the equilibrium values of local observables, unless the initial state is Gaussian itself. Our findings show that the equilibration of a broad class of quenches whose evolution is described by Luttinger liquid theory with an initial state that is non-Gaussian in terms of the bosonic field, is not correctly captured by the corresponding bosonic GGE, raising doubts about the validity of the latter in general one-dimensional gapless integrable systems such as the Lieb-Liniger model. We also propose that the same experiment by which the GGE was recently observed [Langen et al., Science 348 (2015) 207-211] can also be used to observe its failure, simply by starting from a non-Gaussian initial state.
description: 8 pages, final version as accepted for publication
Senna Fernandes e A Trança Feiticeira, uma história de compromissos: entre a literatura e a vida, entre o Oriente e o Ocidente
Creators: name: Lopes, Ana Maria Costa
Publisher: name: Povos e Culturas
Year: 1998

description: Povos e Culturas, v. 6 (1998): Lisboa: contemporaneidade e futuro. Religião em África
title: Ανάπτυξη ηλεκτρονικού παιχνιδιού πινγκ πονγκ 2 διαστάσεων στην Unity3D
title: Ping pong 2D Game development in Unity3D
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Καλογερόπουλος, Ιωάννης
Publisher: name: Πανεπιστήμιο Πειραιώς
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Πινγκ πονγκ

description: H παρούσα μεταπτυχιακή εργασία έχει ως στόχο τον σχεδιασμό, την ανάπτυξη & τρόπο λειτουργία ενός «ρέτρο» ηλεκτρονικού παιχνιδιού αλλά σε μία σύγχρονη και εξελιγμένη μορφή σε σύγκριση με τότε που πρωτοδημιουργήθηκε. H υλοποίηση της βασίστηκε στη λογική του αντικειμενοστραφούς προγραμματισμού καθώς και την διαδικασία της σύνθεσης με την βοήθεια της μηχανής Unity 3D Engine σε συνδυασμό με τη γλώσσα προγραμματισμού C#, όπου και η ανάλυση του θα είναι και το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της εργασίας. Επιπλέον θα υπάρξει ανάλυση των δυνατοτήτων που μας προσφέρουν τα εργαλεία που έχουμε σήμερα στην κατοχή μας καθώς και μία σύγκριση από τα πρώτα χρόνια δημιουργίας βιντεοπαιχνιδιών. Ακόμα θα υπάρξουν κάποιες σύντομες ιστορικές αναφορές σε βιντεοπαιχνίδια καθώς και στο πόσο μεγάλη επιρροή έχουν στην καθημερινή μας ζωή και γενικότερα.
Analytic formulation of the coupling parameter and optical activity in chiral and achiral dimer configurations for arbitrary excitation and scattering directions in three-dimensional space
Creators: name: M.A. Kuntman
name: E. Kuntman
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Coupled nanorods in 3D space, plasmonic dimers, 3D Jones matrix, tensor polarizability, chiral/achiral 3D configurations, Coupling coefficient, Optical activity, Circular dichroism, Optical activity with no-coupling, Arbitrary excitation and scattering directions

description: For simple nanosystems, it is usually sufficient to investigate the system's behavior under a single polarization excitation. However, in the case of coupled nanoparticles in three-dimensional space, it is often necessary to study different excitation polarizations in different scattering directions and matrix methods using all possible modes of excitation become important. In this note, we examine the optical response of coupled metallic nanorods. We introduce a 3D Jones matrix for arbitrarily oriented nanorods in three-dimensional space and we formulate the scattering matrix of the coupled nanorod system for arbitrary excitation and scattering directions. We also study the optical activity of the nanorod system and show that, contrary to general belief, optical activity does not arise from the coupling (interaction) between nanorods. Although, optical activity for forward scattering occurs only for coupled nanorods, for other scattering directions, in general, the system can manifest strong optical activity even if there is no coupling between the particles. We conclude that the main cause of optical activity is the phase difference in the light rays scattered from different parts of the system.