The AI Paradox: Mapping the Unintended Disruptions in IT and Beyond

In the realm of Artificial Intelligence (AI), there exists a complex landscape where promises of efficiency and innovation clash with unforeseen disruptions across Information Technology (IT) and broader societal realms. This paper sets out on a journey to explore the intricate paradoxes inherent in AI, focusing on the unintended consequences that ripple through IT and beyond. Through a thorough examination of literature and analysis of related works, this study aims to shed light on the complexities surrounding the AI paradox. It delves into how this paradox appears in various domains, such as algorithmic biases, job displacement, ethical dilemmas, and privacy concerns. By mapping out these unintended disruptions, this research seeks to offer a nuanced understanding of the challenges brought forth by AI-driven transformations. Ultimately, its goal is to pave the way for the responsible development and deployment of AI, fostering a harmonious integration of technological progress with societal values and priorities.

Unintended Pregnancy Determinants among Antenatal Clinic Attendees: A University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital Experience

An unintended pregnancy is a pregnancy that is either mistimed or unplanned. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy as well as to document the determinant factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 215 women attending the antenatal clinic of UPTH from July to August 2022. Information on socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive history, desirability of the current pregnancy at the time of conception, knowledge and use of contraceptive methods were collected using a pretested questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 26.0. Chi-square test was used for test of associations with the level of significance set at P < 0.05. The prevalence rate of unintended pregnancy from the study was 16.28% (≈16%). The contraceptive awareness was very high (209, 97.21%), however, 101 (46.98%) participants had never used any form of contraceptives. Univariate analysis using Chi-square test showed a statistically significant association between age and unintended pregnancy (P = 0.042), level of education and unwanted pregnancy (P = 0.033) as well as parity and unintended pregnancy (P = 0.019). The prevalence of unintended pregnancy among women attending antenatal clinics was high, possibly due to low contraceptive usage. More efforts should be geared towards ensuring access to comprehensive contraceptive care and contraceptive methods, this will enhance uptake and reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy.

RNA-seq analysis of unintended effects in transgenic wheat overexpressing the transcription factor GmDREB1

The engineering of plants with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses typically involves complex multigene networks and may therefore have a greater potential to introduce unintended effects than the genetic modification for simple monogenic traits. For this reason, it is essential to study the unintended effects in transgenic plants engineered for stress tolerance. We selected drought-and salt-tolerant transgenic wheat overexpressing the transcription factor, GmDREB1, to investigate unintended pleiotropic effects using RNA-seq analysis. We compared the transcriptome alteration of transgenic plants with that of wild-type plants subjected to salt stress as a control. We found that GmDREB1 overexpression had a minimal impact on gene expression under normal conditions.GmDREB1 overexpression resulted in transcriptional reprogramming of the salt response,but many of the genes with differential expression are known to mitigate salt stress and contribute incrementally to the enhanced stress tolerance of transgenic wheat. GmDREB1 overexpression did not activate unintended gene networks with respect to gene expression in the roots of transgenic wheat. This work is important for establishing a method of detecting unintended effects of genetic engineering and the safety of such traits with the development of marketable transgenic crops in the near future.

Unintended targeting of Dmp1-Cre reveals a critical role for Bmpr1a signaling in the gastrointestinal mesenchyme of adult mice

Cre/loxP technology has been widely used to study cell type-specific functions of genes. Proper interpretation of such data critically depends on a clear understanding of the tissue specificity of Cre expression. The Dmpl- Cre mouse, expressing Cre from a 14-kb DNA fragment of the mouse Dmpl gene, has become a common tool for studying gene function in osteocytes, but the presumed cell specificity is yet to be fully established. By using the Ai9 reporter line that expresses a red fluorescent protein upon Cre recombination, we find that in 2-month-old mice, Dmpl-Cre targets not only osteocytes within the bone matrix but also osteoblasts on the bone surface and preosteoblasts at the metaphyseal chondro-osseous junction. In the bone marrow, Cre activity is evident in certain stromal cells adjacent to the blood vessels, but not in adipocytes. Outside the skeleton, Dmpl-Cre marks not only the skeletal muscle fibers, certain cells in the cerebellum and the hindbrain but also gastric and intestinal mesenchymal cells that express Pdgfra. Confirming the utility of Dmpl-Cre in the gastrointestinal mesenchyme, deletion of Bmprla with Dmpl-Cre causes numerous large polyps along the gastrointestinal tract, consistent with prior work involving inhibition of BMP signaling. Thus, caution needs to be exercised when using Dmpl-Cre because it targets not only the osteoblast lineage at an earlier stage than previously appreciated, but also a number of non-skeletal cell types.

Unintended Changes in Genetically Modified Rice Expressing the Lysine-Rich Fusion Protein Gene Revealed by a Proteomics Approach

Development of new technologies for evaluating genetically modiifed （GM） crops has revealed that there are unintended insertions and expression changes in GM crops. Proifling techniques are non-targeted approaches and are capable of detecting more unintended changes in GM crops. Here, we report the application of a comparative proteomic approach to investigate the protein proifle differences between a GM rice line, which has a lysine-rich protein gene, and its non-transgenic parental line. Proteome analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis （2-DE） and mass spectrum analysis of the seeds identiifed 22 differentially expressed protein spots. Apart from a number of glutelins that were detected as targeted proteins in the GM line, the majority of the other changed proteins were involved in carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis and stress responses. These results indicated that the altered proteins were not associated with plant allergens or toxicity.

The Agreement Rate about Unintended Pregnancy and Its Relationship with Postpartum Depression in Parents of Preterm and Term Infants

Introduction: Postpartum depression (PPD) affects women’s health and self-confidence, and infant’s social, emotional, cognitive and even physical development. Studies show that parents of preterm infants frequently experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. Women with unintended pregnancy are subjected to more risk of depression than women with planned pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy may lead to increased maternal exposure to psychosocial stressors, reduced social support by the spouse, increased levels of depressive symptoms and decreased life satisfaction. Findings: No significant difference was observed between term and preterm infants’ mothers (p = 0.85) in terms of postpartum depression. However, two groups of fathers in terms of depression showed a significant difference (p = 0.045). McNemar’s test showed that parents of term infants (K = 0.322, p = 0.077), and parents of preterm infants (k = 0.17, p = 0.144) agreed with each other on unintended pregnancy. Conclusion: Fathers of preterm infants are at higher risk for mental disorders than fathers of term infants and they need more attention in future studies.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES:HOW THE USE OF LEED CAN INADVERTENTLY FAIL TO BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT

Unintended consequences invariably accompany regulations and standards.This study examined whether the LEED rating system creates any negative inadvertent environmental effects and,if so,what they are.In effect,can doing something that is not sustainable ever help a project get a higher score?The research tool consisted of semi-structured interviews with construction management personnel responsible for the LEED aspects of projects.The study looked at specific LEED certified projects around the southeastern United States.These interviews gathered project specific information about the company responsible for building,the interviewee’s experience and views,and the general project.Most importantly,the interviews collected data on any instances of negative unintended environmental effects.Of the 16 projects considered,two included cases of unintended effects.Both cases resulted from situations in which the project location made the otherwise beneficial LEED requirement inappropriate.The study recommends ways to help prevent other similar instances of negative unintended effects.Ultimately,sustainability is best advanced by using LEED certification as an aid not an objective in the journey towards environmentally friendly buildings.

Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy among Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in Thyolo District, Malawi

Background: Unintended pregnancies remain a public health problem. Unintended pregnancies continue to be a leading predisposing factor to the high total fertility rate, high maternal and child health morbidity and mortality. Unintended pregnancies lead to unsafe abortion and poor health-seeking behavior, especially among young and poor women. Knowledge of associated factors can help to design and implement appropriate interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with unintended pregnancy among women attending antenatal clinic (ANC) at Thyolo District Hospital in Malawi. Methodology: It was a quantitative cross-sectional study. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 396 women using a questionnaire. Systematic random sampling was used to recruit study participants. STATA version 13 package was used for univariate descriptive statistics, and logistic regression for bivariate and multivariate data analysis. Results: Slightly over half (54%) of women attending the antenatal clinic at Thyolo District Hospital had an unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy was more likely to be reported among women of less than 20 years, education below secondary school level, marriage before 20 years, and polygamous relationships. In addition, families relying on farming alone other than employment or business were more likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Primgravidity and having no living child were also significantly associated with unintended pregnancy. Conclusion: Prevalence of unintended pregnancy is a health burden in Thyolo. Strategies to keep the girl child in school and delay marriage could address this challenge. Increasing access to effective contraceptive methods for the youth could mitigate the problem.

Geographic Access to Working Family Planning Centers and Unintended Pregnancies among Married Women: A Community Based Nested Case Control Study

Background: Unintended pregnancies pose substantial risk to mothers and children. In Pakistan, unintended pregnancies account for 46% of all pregnancies. Lack of geographic access to open and well-supplied family planning (FP) centers may be related to the occurrence of such pregnancies, particularly in rural areas. Objective: The objective of this analysis is to determine if geographic access to family planning centers in the Thatta district of Pakistan is related to unintended pregnancy rates among married women. Methods: We conducted a community-based, nested case-control study of 800 pregnant women identified from the database of an active surveillance system, which registers and follows all pregnant women in the catchment area of Thatta district. Women were enrolled during the first trimester;those that reported their pregnancy to be unintended were selected as cases (n = 200), and those whose pregnancies were intended served as controls (n = 600). We defined geographic access as including both the distance of a family planning center from the woman’s home, and availability of personal transportation. Logistic regression was used for analysis. Results: In the multivariate model, neither distance [OR = 1.0;95% CI (0.95 - 1.05)] nor availability of transportation [OR = 1.14;95% CI (0.78 - 1.67)] were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy. In fact, women with unintended pregnancies were more likely to be aware of family planning [OR = 2.21;95% CI (1.23 - 3.97)] and more likely to have been using a contraceptive method before conceiving their index pregnancy [OR = 3.59;95% CI (1.83 - 7.06)]. Other factors related to unintended pregnancy were older maternal age [OR = 1.13;95% CI (1.08 - 1.17)], having already had at least one son [OR = 3.13;95% CI (1.93 - 5.07)];spousal opposition to contraceptive use, [OR = 3.24;95% CI (1.89 - 5.56)] and low spousal education level [OR = 1.85;95% CI (1.08 - 3.18)] as compared to women with intended pregnancy. Conclusion: Lack of geographic access to FP centers is not a risk factor for unintended pregnancy in women from the Thatta district. However, in this population, unintended pregnancies are more common among older women, women having at least one son, and those who have a spouse who does not approve of contraceptive use, and is less educated. Of note, women who reported unintended pregnancy did have knowledge about FP and were more often using contraceptives before they conceived.

A comparative proteomics approach to detect unintended effects in transgenic Arabidopsis

Recently, as part of biosafety assessments, unintended effects have been given much attention. In this study, we applied a proteomics approach to elucidate the unintended effects of random T-DNA insertion in transgenic plants. Separated proteins extracted from 12 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana with different T-DNA insertion sites and from wild-type （ecotype Col-o） were analyzed. In the transgenic plants, 102 significantly altered protein spots were detected, in which 59 were up-regulated and 43 down-regulated. MALDI-TOF MS analysis showed that most of these expression level-altered proteins were involved in energy transfer, oxidative respiration and photosynthesis. However, none of these proteins was a toxic protein or allergen. Using plants with or without cold treatment, a natural environmental stress, as controls, we found that the number of the altered proteins was even less in those transgenic plants than those triggered by the cold treatment, suggesting that the transgenic events had a weaker impact on the plants than the environmental stresses. Interestingly, the phosphinothricin acetyl transferase （PAT）, the BAR-encoded protein, was detected in nine out of twelve different T-DNA insertion lines at five different insertion sites. These data suggest that the most significant impact of transgenic events on the host plants is from the transgene itself, i.e., from the predictable intended effects, rather than unintended effects. This study also suggests that the proteomics approach has the potential to detect the unintended effects in transgenic plants.

Effects of Unintended Dopants on I-V Characteristics of the Double-Gate MOSFETs,a Simulation Study

In this paper, we study the effects of an unintended dopant in the channel on the current-voltage char-acteristics of a Double-Gate (DG) Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor (MOSFET). Non-Equilibrium Green's Function (NEGF) approach is used. A quantum transport model to calculate the drain current is presented and subthreshold swing and drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect are studied.

Heightened risk of unintended pregnancy among sex workers and sex worker organizations’response during the stringent COVID-19 containment measures in East and Southern Africa

The UNFPA 2022 State of the World Population(SWOP)report recognises that certain populations of young women and girls are at a higher risk of unintended pregnancy,but did not adequately address the grave situation of female sex work­ers(FSWs),who experience the worst sexual and reproductive health outcomes,especially during humanitarian crises.This study assesses the risks of unintend­ed pregnancy among FSWs and sex worker organizations?response during the stringent COVID-19 containment measures in East and Southern Africa(ESA).A mixed-methods approach consisting of a desk review,key informant interviews and an online survey was used for data collection.Key informants and survey re­spondents included representatives of sex worker-led organisations and networks,organisations providing services to sex workers,development partners,advocacy organisations and donors,with priority given to key informants who had direct experience of providing services to sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.In total,21 key informants were interviewed and 69 respondents participated in the online survey,with representation from 14 out of 23 countries in the ESA region.The study findings show that the disruption to livelihoods and threats to human rights occasioned by the stringent COVID-19 containment measures intersected with sex workers’access to contraception and risk of unintended pregnancy.Look­ing to the uncertain future of humanitarian crises,the study concludes by outlining critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure resilience of SRHR services for populations in vulnerable positions,such as sex workers.

Analysis of unintended pregnancy and influencing factors among married women in China

Unintended pregnancy often ends with induced abortion,an outcome that affects a woman’s physical and mental health and consumes social resources.A national fertility survey conducted by the former National Health and Family Planning Com-mission in 2017,gathered data on pregnancies among married women aged 15-49 to analyze the changing circumstances of such pregnancies and the factors that influ-ence their occurrence.The analysis found that the incidence of unintended pregnan-cies among married women in China was 42.4‰in 2017,and that such pregnancies accounted for 22.9%of all pregnancies in China for the years 2010-2017.Of all abortions,91.9%were used to terminate unintended pregnancies,and of unintended pregnancies,67.1%ended with induced abortions.The incidence of unintended pregnancy and that of induced abortion to terminate the unintended pregnancy were higher among women living in an urban rather than a rural area,having previously given birth to a boy,having a large number of children,being at the older end of their childbearing years,or having a shorter interpregnancy interval.Only 37.3%of women chose long-term contraceptive methods after an induced abortion caused by an unintended pregnancy;their sense of self-protection was not strong.It is neces-sary to strengthen education and advocacy,enhance women’s awareness of the pro-tection contraceptives offer,and improve the quality of and access to contraceptive services to reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy,and reduce the incidence of induced abortion to terminate unintended pregnancy.

Correlates of Mistimed Pregnancy and Unmet Need for Family Planning among Women of Reproductive Age in Sandema, Ghana

Background: Globally, an estimated 80 million unintended pregnancies comprising both mistimed and unwanted pregnancies are recorded yearly. Yet only half of the women at risk of mistimed pregnancy use contraceptives. In developing countries, over 100 million females have unmet need, and national surveys in Ghana indicate 23% unmet need rate. Methods: Using a cross-sectional community-based approach, a sample size of 300 women of reproductive age were selected using multi-step cluster sampling techniques. The study was quantitative, using structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. Results: Two-third (66%) of the women in reproductive age still had unmet need, 71% were currently pregnant, and more than a third (36%) confirmed ever having a mistimed pregnancy. Fifty-three percent (53%) of the women confirmed never communicating with their partners on family planning issues, a little below half (45%) took their own health care decisions. Seventy nine percent (79%) ever received family planning services from a health professional. Factors related to unmet needs included mistimed pregnancy, level of education, preferred birth/pregnancy interval, communication between partners and the autonomy to spend self-earnings. Conclusion: Considering that high rates of unmet need results in mistimed pregnancy, improved policies around the influence of unmet need on mistimed pregnancies are needed.

影响力传播中“未预结果”的分析与预防——以星巴克“种族和谐”运动为例

本文通过分析星巴克"种族和谐"运动展开后的情况与传播效果,解释何为"未预结果",以及"未预结果"对影响力传播的作用方式、影响及解决对策,从而展现传播效果中新的可能性,为今后的传播活动提供一些新思路,帮助避免"未预结果"对传播形成的副作用。

Determinants of emergency contraceptive pill use in Bangladesh: An analysis of national survey data

Objective:To examine the determinants of emergency contraceptive pill use in Bangladesh.Methods:Data for this cross-sectional study came from 2017-2018 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.Characteristics of 906 reproductive age women who were potential candidates for using emergency contraceptive pill were analysed in this study.Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses.Stepwise binary logistic regression was employed as multivariate analysis.Results:Only 10.9%candidates were found to ever use emergency contraceptive pill.The odds of using emergency contraceptive pill for women visited by family planning field worker was significantly higher than that for those who were not visited by family planning field worker[odds ratio(OR)1.94;95%confidence interval(CI)1.19–3.17;P=0.008],while the odds of using emergency contraceptive pill for women with high socioeconomic status was higher than that for those with low socioeconomic status(OR 3.10;95%CI 1.61–5.97;P=0.001).Additionally,having some media access was linked to an increase in the odds of using emergency contraceptive pill(OR 3.01;95%CI 1.33–6.83;P=0.008).Women empowerment related factors did not show any significant effect on emergency contraceptive pill use.Conclusions:The findings indicate that family planning programme has a great opportunity of playing an important role in increasing emergency contraceptive pill use in Bangladesh by increasing the knowledge and awareness of women about emergency contraceptive pill.

Male Involvement in Family Planning: An Integrative Review

Purpose: The purpose of this review was to identify evidence about determinants of male engagement in family planning. Methods: An integrative review was used to assess the determinants of male engagement in family planning. Data search was between 2014 and 2019 using Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Pub Med, Medline, CINAHL, EBSCO, Cochrane, and EBSCO host. A total of 14 articles met the eligibility criteria. Results: The fourteen reviewed articles were adopted with mixed method designs, randomized controlled trial, quazi-experimental, and survey. Themes were: determinant of male engagement in family planning, women perception of male enrolment in family planning, and methods to enhance male use of family planning. Conclusion: Religion, large family size, culture, fear of side effect, access and exposure to information, attitudes, norms and self-efficacy and interaction with a health care provider are determinants of male involvement in family planning use. Interventional programs by health care providers and intensive education to men will positively increase prevalence of family planning use. It’s recommended to involve religious leaders in education. Implication: More attention is needed at community and governmental level to identify strategies to promote gender equity, shared decision making, shared responsibility and positive participation of men, empowering women, and to increase effectiveness of male participation.

Barriers to Intrauterine Device Use at an University-Based Women’s Clinic

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the barriers to intrauterine device (IUD) use at a University-Based Women’s Clinic. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of subjects receiving obstetrical care at a University-Based Women’s Clinic. Eligible women who consented to participate self-administered a 16-question survey during a routine prenatal visit. Descriptive statistics were used to report participants’ demographics and history of contraception use. Additionally, subjects were asked if they would consider IUD use in the future. Results: A total of 160 women participated in this study. The average age of this sample was 24.9 (SD = 6.3). The majority were in low income and low education categories. Only 5% of women reported previous IUD use. 27% of women surveyed desired more information regarding IUD contraception. 19% of participants would consider using an IUD in the future and 25% would consider?IUD in the future if they knew more about them. Insurance and financial constraints were cited as barriers to IUD use. 4% of the sample reported that they had used an IUD previously and were unhappy with it due to pain and discomfort. 18% would not consider an IUD because they had heard about side effects. 68%?of the surveyed sample reported unintended pregnancies. Conclusion: The two most common barriers to IUD use in this patient population was lack of knowledge?and concern about side effects. Increasing patients’ knowledge of IUDs has the potential to increase IUD utilization in this clinic population which reported a 68% rate of unintended pregnancy.

Differences in Adolescent Effective Contraception Use between Population Densities

Objective: Studies addressing effective contraceptive use by population density are lacking. We hypothesize that contraception counseling and effective contraception use vary by population density. Study Design: This is a cross-sectional study using the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth data, including female subjects ages 15 to 19. The primary exposure was population density, defined as Principal city of a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or “city”, Other MSA or “non-city urban”, and Not MSA or “rural.” The primary outcome was effective contraception use and the secondary outcome was contraceptive counseling exposure. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between population density and effective contraception use, as well as the likelihood of receiving contraceptive counseling. Results: 2284 subjects were studied. Compared to non-city urban dwellers, city adolescents had similar effective contraception use (aOR: 0.99, [0.79, 1.24]), whereas rural adolescents had significantly higher use (aOR: 1.79, [1.35, 2.36]). Among sexually active respondents who were not using contraception, the rate of contraception counseling in non-city urban adolescents was 66.7%. In comparison, the city dwellers had higher rate of counseling (79.1%, aOR: 1.87;95% CI: [1.09, 3.22]). Similarly, rural adolescents also had higher rate of counseling (81.5%, aOR: 2.37;95% CI: [1.08, 5.19]). Conclusions: Rural residents were more likely to use effective contraception methods than their city and non-city urban counterparts. However, higher rates of contraception counseling among sexually active adolescents not using contraception in city and rural densities could suggest ineffective counseling in these groups.

Urgent need to change clinical practices about postpartum contraception

In the United States, maternal mortality and unintended pregnancy rates are increasing. There are growing disparities in maternal health between indigent, minority women and Caucasian women of higher socioeconomic status. Family planning has long been viewed as a solution to these problems. As reliance on permanent contraception has diminished, timely access to highly effective contraceptive methods, namely long acting reversible contraceptives, which includes the contraceptive hormonal implant and intrauterine device- has become even more important. For women in the United States and abroad, the time of delivery is the one reliable opportunity for women to receive medical care. Consistently, research has shown that providing contraception in the immediate postpartum period is safe, effective, feasible and cost effective. However, misperceptions, lack of supplies, and reimbursement issues combine to defeat attempts to provide the most effective methods of contraception during that hospitalization. We believe that it is time to tackle the problem of unintended and rapid repeat pregnancy using an evidence-based, patient-centered paradigm and to eradicate systemic barriers blocking access to contraceptive methods during hospital stay. This editorial will outline some of the more compelling evidence supporting this move and will provide insights from successful programs.