Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Relating to HIV among Motorbike Taxi Drivers in Parakou, Benin, in 2021

Background and Objective: HIV infection is a major global Public Health threat worldwide, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa of which Benin. The level of knowledge determines the attitudes and behaviors of the populations towards this infection. The study objective was to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices related to HIV infection among motorbike taxi drivers (MTD) in Parakou in 2021. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study targeting MTD in Parakou in 2021. Participants were selected by cluster sampling. Pretested Digitized questionnaire using KoboCollect@ applicationserved as a data collection tool. Knowledge, attitudes and practices variable were treated on a score scale. A knowledge score was considered to reflect a good knowledge of HIV if at least two-thirds of the knowledge statements had been correctly answered provided the subject recognized the sexual route as one of modes of HIV transmission, identified at least one preventive measure and meant the incurability of the disease. Quantitative and qualitative variables were appropriately described using the EPI Info 7.1.3.3 software. The participant was classified at positive attitude/practice for HIV prevention, when it has a score of at least 80% and suggests a good preventive measure face a risk of exposure to HIV. Results: A total of 374 subjects were recruited into the study. The mean age was 31.51 ± 7.76 years. Most participants (86.06%) had good knowledge of condom use as an HIV prevention method. The sources of information mentioned were mainly the media (77.07%), relatives or friends (63.38%), and field-workers from non-governmental organizations (37.26%). Routine HIV testing was 50.53%. Among participants, 76.10% reported at least two different sexual partners. Condom use was 59.18 % during the casual sexual intercourse. Within the client-provider relationship with female sex workers, 33.17% had had sexual intercourse with them. The sexual route was the most cited (92.99%), and 90.23% stated that HIV infection can be stabilized by medication in a health structure. Conclusion: The level of knowledge of motorbike taxi drivers in Parakou does not match their behavior with regard to HIV prevention. Appropriate strategies are needed to develop prevention skills in this population. To effectively comb at HIV, it will be necessary to strengthen the targeted HIV preventive interventions at key and bridge populations including motorbike taxi drivers in Benin.

Taxi origin and destination demand prediction based on deep learning:a review

Taxi demand prediction is a crucial component of intelligent transportation system research.Compared to region-based demand prediction,origin-destination(OD)demand prediction has a wide range of potential applications,including real-time matching,idle vehicle allocation,ridesharing services,and dynamic pricing,among others.However,because OD demand involves complex spatiotemporal dependence,research in this area has been limited thus far.In this paper,we first review existing research from four perspectives:topology construction,temporal and spatial feature processing,and other relevant factors.We then elaborate on the advantages and limitations of OD prediction methods based on deep learning architecture theory.Next,we discuss ongoing challenges in OD prediction,such as dynamics,spatiotemporal dependence,semantic differentiation,time window selection,and data sparsity problems,and summarize and compare potential solutions to each challenge.These findings offer valuable insights for model selection in OD demand prediction.Finally,we provide public datasets and open-source code,along with suggestions for future research directions.

Higher Plasma Potassium Level Reduces 10-Year Cardiovascular Disease Risk Predicted by the Framingham Risk Score among Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Residing and Working in Cotonou, Benin

Hypertension, obesity, smoking, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are the major risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recent studies revealed that taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) in Cotonou had higher rates of CVD risk factors, but their impacts on cardiovascular events have rarely been studied. The Framingham risk score (FRS) is an algorithm that considers CVD risk factors and estimates the risk of developing CVD in the next 10 years. Our objectives were to assess the 10-year CVD risk predicted by the FRS, and to examine the relationships of 10-year CVD risk with plasma iron and potassium levels among TMDs. We included 134 TMDs (22 - 59 years old) who had no prior diagnosis of CVD or T2D, and not taking medications affecting iron and potassium homeostasis. Conventional cardiovascular risk factors were used to calculate the 10-year CVD risk, which was categorized as low (20%). FRS > 2%, which corresponded to the 75th percentile of FRS distribution in our study population, was used as a cut-off value to classify participants into two groups. Plasma iron and potassium levels were segregated into tertiles and their associations with 10-year CVD risk were quantified by multivariate-adjusted logistic regression to calculate the odd ratios (ORs) to being above the 75th percentile of 10-year CVD risk with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We found that 62.0% of participants had at least one of cardiovascular risk factors. Approximately 97.8% of TMDs had 10-year CVD risk 4.8 mmol/L led to an 83% risk reduction of having 10-year CVD risk > 2% (OR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04 - 0.82, P = 0.027). In conclusion, our findings showed that high plasma potassium levels associate with reduced 10-year CVD risk among TMDs. Interventions focused on monitoring of plasma potassium, particularly in those with existing cardiovascular risk factors, may help prevent CVD.

木聚糖酶TAXI型抑制蛋白的研究进展

木聚糖酶是一种重要的半纤维素酶,广泛用于饲料工业。近年来在小麦中发现一类能抑制木聚糖酶活性的蛋白,这类抑制蛋白可能会对木聚糖酶的应用效果产生影响。目前发现在不同的谷物中共存在2种类型的木聚糖酶抑制蛋白,根据其结构的不同,分为TAXI型(triticum aestivum xylanase inhibitor)和XIP型(xylanase inhibi-tor protein)。本文主要简述了TAXI型抑制蛋白的分子结构、抑制特性和活性影响因素等方面的研究进展,对于深入研究木聚糖酶及其活性影响因子,充分开发利用我国饲料资源和促进畜牧业生产可持续发展具有重要现实意义。

木聚糖酶TAXI型抑制剂及基因工程研究

谷物中存在2种类型的木聚糖酶抑制剂,根据其结构的不同可分为TAXI型和XIP型。本文主要简述了木聚糖酶TAXI型抑制剂对木聚糖酶的抑制特性及其基因工程研究。

Green Aircraft Taxiing Strategy Based on Multi-scenario Joint Optimization

The issue of green aircraft taxiing under various taxi scenarios is studied to improve the efficiency of aircraft surface operations and reduce environmental pollution around the airport from aircraft emissions.A green aircraft taxi programming model based on multi-scenario joint optimization is built according to airport surface network topology modeling by analyzing the characteristics of aircraft operations under three different taxiing scenarios:all-engine taxi,single-engine taxi,and electronic taxi.A genetic algorithm is also used in the model to minimize fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.The Shanghai Pudong International Airport is selected as a typical example to conduct a verification analysis.Compared with actual operational data,the amount of aircraft fuel consumption and gas emissions after optimization are reduced significantly through applying the model.Under an electronic taxiing scenario,fuel consumption can be lowered by 45.3%,and hydrocarbon(HC)and carbon dioxide(CO)emissions are decreased by 80%.The results show that a green aircraft taxiing strategy that integrates taxiway optimization and electronic taxiing can effectively improve the efficiency of airport operations and reduce aircraft pollution levels in an airport′s peripheral environment.

High-Level Circulating Total Calcium and Low Phosphate as Predictors of Insulin Resistance among Non-Diabetic Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Living and Working in Cotonou, Benin

Insulin resistance (IR) is a well-recognized marker of increased cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. Therefore, screening for IR predictors would help reduce the likelihood of progression from early stage of IR to T2D or CVDs. However, the knowledge of association between IR and circulating total calcium (CTCa) and phosphate levels among non-diabetic patients in Benin is lacking. We investigated whether CTCa and phosphate levels within the normal ranges are associated with IR risk among taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) living and working in Cotonou. We evaluated 134 non-diabetic TMDs (aged 22 - 59 years) based on CTCa, phosphate, glucose, fasting insulin, and IR levels. IR was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). IR was defined as the 75th percentile of HOMA-IR value. Cardiometabolic factors were analyzed by tertiles of CTCa and phosphate levels (low, middle, and high groups). Logistic regression models evaluated the relationships between IR and CTCa and phosphate levels. Our results showed that participants with high CTCa levels had the highest prevalence of IR, elevated total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. In a fully adjusted model, the odd ratio (OR) of having IR comparing the highest (>2.50 mmol/L) to the lowest CTCa levels (1.23 mmol/L) and the lowest levels (<1.10 mmol/L) of phosphate was 0.28 (p = 0.037). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that elevated CTCa and low phosphate levels are significant predictors of IR in non-diabetic patients. Continuous monitoring of these markers may help identify earlier individuals at greatest IR risk.

Control Research for a Small Fixed-Wing UAV DuringGround Taxiing

Ground taxiing is the key process of take-off and landing for a tricycle-undercarriage unmanned aerial vehicle( UAV). Nonlinear model of a sample UAV is established based on stiffness and damping model of landing gears and tires taken into account. Then lateral nonlinear model is linearized and state space equations are deduced by using nose wheel and ruder as inputs and lateral states as outputs. Adaptive internal model control( AIMC) is proposed and applied to lateral control based on decoupled and linearized dynamic model during ground taxiing process. Different control strategies are analyzed and compared by simulations,and then a combined control strategy of nose wheel steering with holding and rudder control is given. Hardware in loop simulations( HILS) proves the validity of the controller designed.

A Comprehensive Taxi Assessment Index Using Floating Car Data

With the expansion of urban area and development of taxi system,problems arise,such as low operation efficiency,high taxi idling rate,and long passenger waiting-time. Although various studies have been conducted,only limited overview of the factors towards urban taxi system has been provided. Consequently,a comprehensive evaluation of taxi system is essential for the urban planner to analyze the current situation and take effective measures. This paper,by using Floating Car Data( FCD),proposes a Comprehensive Taxi Assessment Index( CTAI) to quantify the quality of existing urban taxi system with the assistance of Geographic Information System( GIS) technology. The proposed index system extracts and classifies key factors,reflecting the taxi system from the perspectives of operation efficiency,customer and taxi-driver satisfaction. The system contributes to improving the organization and operation of urban taxi system. Based on the data obtained from the city of Shenzhen,Guangdong Province,China,for both weekday and weekends( Dec.,2011),the proposed CTAI was illustrated by using the Principal Component Analysis( PCA) with ArcGIS 10. 0 platform. The results indicate that the system provides a good multi-dimensional view to delve into the existing urban taxi operation, thus to point out the most sensitive indices towards the entire system,which consequently provides guidelines for future improvement and management of urban taxi system.

Developing a Comprehensive Taxi Strategy for Dubai: Based on System Analysis &Structured Assessment

Taxi plays an important role in providing passenger mobility. Taxi services are among the most frequently used passenger transport services in many cities in the world. Taxis are an integral part of a city’s image. In a recent IRU/EU report taxis are considered as part of the collective public transport chain. In this context taxis role is a complementary mobility option to public transport rather than a competitive one. In the growing city of Dubai taxis are utilized by many local and foreign residences as well as by tourists and visitors. The annual number of taxi trips reached 104 million trips in 2016, while the fleet is growing currently at 9613 and is expected to reach around 12,765 by 2020. Riding a taxi in Dubai is known to be pleasant, comfortable, convenient and relatively affordable experience. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is the Dubai government authority responsible for the planning and governance of the taxi sector in Dubai. The RTA through its agency namely the Public Transport Agency (PTA) exercises such roles. This research is meant to provide a system analysis and structured assessment of the taxi sector in Dubai with the objective of identifying strengths and gaps as well as reviewing the literature and conducting stakeholder consultation hence culminating on developing a comprehensive taxi strategy in Dubai. Such strategy would be targeted to achieve customer satisfaction leading eventually to customer happiness. All in all this is expected to provide an added value and benefit to the business planning for PTA as well as for the overall strategic and futuristic planning by RTA.

Analysis of Host Selectivity and Taxis of Grapholita molesta in Different Peach Varieties

[Objective]The paper was to preliminarily determine the susceptible varieties of Grapholita molesta(Busck)by analyzing trap catches of peach trees at different ripening stages,new shoot damage rate and fruit damage rate at different development stages.[Method]Three traps were hanged in peach orchard of the same variety,with the interval of 30 m.The traps were fixed on ventilated and shaded branches for regular and fixed-point monitoring.Three trees were randomly selected from each variety to investigate the damage fruit rate and new shoot damage rate at east,south,west and north directions of each tree,and the number of infected fruits and damaged new shoots was recorded.[Result]There were obvious differences in taxis selection of G.molesta to different peach varieties,and the trap catches in the same variety varied among different periods.The damage caused by G.molesta in the same variety over the same period was different among different organs.The catch peak of late ripening peach 03-46-78 appeared on August 11.In summer shoot period,the trap catches of late ripening peach 03-46-78 were extremely higher than those of other varieties,and the damage rate of late ripening peach Jinyuan was extremely higher than that of other varieties.In autumn shoot period,the average trap catches of late ripening peach 03-46-78 were significantly higher than those of other varieties,and the damage rate of late ripening peach Jinyuan was significantly higher than that of other varieties.The investigation and analysis of different ripening stages of peach fruits showed that the damage rate of late ripening variety Ruiguang 39 was significantly higher than that of other varieties in the ripening stage.The trap catches of late ripening peach 03-46-78 were significantly higher than those of other varieties in the young fruit stage.The trap catches of late ripening peach 03-46-78 had significant difference with those of other varieties during fruit expansion stage.The trap catches of late ripening peach 03-46-78 had significant difference with that of other varieties during fruit ripening stage.[Conclusion]With the development of new shoots and the ripening of fruits,G.molesta appears different dynamic regularities in different organs of various varieties.The time point that G.molesta transfers with the development of fruit tree organs should be grasped to deeply analyze the physical and chemical properties of fruit trees during the growth period,so as to find out reasonable and effective prevention and control techniques for fruit farmers.

A Dial-a-Ride Problem Applied to Saharan Countries: The Case of Taxi Woro-Woro

In a context of increasing competition and sustainable development, service prices and unused capacity enhancement play a crucial role in freight or people transportation management. The focus of the paper is on a Dial-a-ride Problem in the Saharan country context, for the particular of Taxi “woro-woro”1. More precisely, these taxis help to transport groups of people without any affinity, from point A to point B without stopping. Also, we propose for this problem an exact solution based on a mix integer program (MIP). A secondary study on a random instance generation algorithm is presented, which allows us to have a diversified and varied benchmark on which to apply our MIP program.

Evaluation of Physical and Mental Quality of Life of Motorcycle Taxi Drivers

Motorcycle taxi drivers are workers who use motorcycle to carry passengers. Objectives: to identify the sociodemographic profile and evaluate the physical and mental quality of life of motorcycle taxi drivers. Methods: Cross-sectional study, held in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul-Brazil, from May to July 2015 with 301 participants. To calculate the sample size, the margin of error was 5%, confidence level, 95%;and the drivers were randomly selected. For data collection, two instruments were used: the demographic questionnaire and the SF-36 Health Status Questionnaire. Results: Among the 301 respondents, predominance fell on males (98.7%, n = 297), married or in a stable relationship (63.5%, n = 191), with completed high school education (44.9%, n = 135). More than half felt discomfort while working (52.8%, n = 159). Of those with diagnosed disease the predominant type of disease was hypertension (55.5%, n = 30). When male and female were compared, men had lower average in the mental health aspect (63.39 ± 13.22);and women, in the emotional aspect (41.66 ± 31.91). There were significant differences in the scores of physical functioning (p = 0.002), bodily pain (0.043) and general health perceptions (p = 0.003) of the drivers reporting disease, compared to those who did not reported it. Conclusion: The studied motorcycle taxi drivers are mostly male, married, with high school education. Regarding quality of life, men had lower perception in the general mental health aspect whereas women showed lower perception in the emotional aspects. The individuals with disease had lower perceived quality of life in the physical functioning, bodily pain and general health concepts.

Big Data Analytics of Taxi Operations in New York City

As a global financial center, the transportation system in New York City (NYC) has always been studied from various aspects. Since 2009, NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission have made public the information on NYC taxi operations, offering an opportunity for detailed analysis. Thus, this research project investigates taxi operations in New York City based on big data analysis. The correlation between taxi operations and different types of weather, including precipitation, snow depth, and snowfall is discussed in this paper. The research also evaluates taxi trip distribution in each NTA area using Geopandas, and presents its density on an NYC map.

明天将更美好——看影片《女人·TAXI·女人》有感

与其说编导在给观众叙述着一个委婉动听的故事,倒不如说她们在讲着一个发人深思的寓言。影片《女人·TAXI·女人》中发生在生活阅历不同、文化层次不同、对世界本体和人生价值的认识更不同的两位女性身上的经历,诉说着做女人的艰难,同时也表现了现代气息给她们带来的新的躁动,揭示着丰富的人生哲理。人生的道路是坎坷复杂的,时代毕竟不同了,女人与男人一样可以上大学,可以当硕士、博士,可以从事科学研究,但她们照样遇到种种麻烦与苦恼,而且这并不取决于她们知识层次的高下。同时,人世间又是充满温暖的,尽管“家家都有一本难念的经”,但她们仍然能在广博的世界内,包括与自己相间性别的人们中找到知音。影片的编剧乔雪竹和导演王君正都是女人,凭着对女性的艰难的理解。

具有Prey-Taxis的Holling-Tanner捕食模型的分支结构

本文研究了一类具有prey-taxis的Holling-Tanner捕食模型中的斑图生成问题.运用线性化分析的方法和经典的分支理论,证明了只有当趋化排斥发生时,由正平衡点处才可以分支出非常数正平衡解.进一步在分支点附近确定了分支方向.

话说taxi

近些年来,“打的”一词使用得愈来愈频繁。这里的“的”,是指 taxi,我国的港、澳、台地区大多将其音译为“的士”,而大陆地区通常将其意译成“出租车”或“计程车”。学过英语的人都知道 taxi 一词来源于英国英语,cab 一词来源于美国英语。尽管 taxi 一词在绝大多数的情况下都是指“出租车”,但有时也用来表示“出租飞机”(taxi plane)、“出租游艇”(taxi yacht)或“出租船”(taxi boat)。因此,只有 taxi cab 一词才能确切地表达“出租车”的意思。

Elevated White Blood Cell Count Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Insulin Resistance among Non-Diabetic Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Working in Cotonou, Benin

High white blood cell count (WBC) and insulin resistance (IR) are interrelated events that contribute to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including type-2 diabetes (T2D). However, associations between IR and hematological parameters have never been explored in populations of Benin. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of IR and associated hematological parameters in taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) working in Cotonou. A total of 133 participants were analyzed in this cross-sectional study. Complete blood count, including WBC and platelet, as well as fasting plasma glucose and insulin, were performed by standard procedures. IR was assessed using the Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Factors associated with IR, their odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined by logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the study participants was 39.3 years. The HOMA-IR cut-off (75th percentile) for IR was 5.9. The overall prevalence of IR was 24.1%. IR increased with the increase of exposure duration and WBC levels. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of IR increased significantly with higher total WBC, with adjusted ORs (95% CI) for the second and third tertiles of 3.56 (1.10 - 11.58) and 4.01 (1.21 - 13.31), respectively. Similar patterns of associations were observed in an analysis restricted to non-drinkers, although these estimates lacked statistical significance. BMI > 24.2 kg/m2 was independently associated with an increased risk of IR (OR = 3.82, 95% CI: 1.33 - 11.03, P = 0.013). In conclusion, the prevalence of IR in TMDs was 24.1%. IR was significantly associated with elevated WBC count and BMI. WBC may serve as a biomarker to identify individuals at the greatest IR risk.

Low Plasma Potassium and High Iron Levels Increased the Risk of Dyslipidemia among Non-Diabetic Taxi-Motorbike Drivers Living and Working in Cotonou, Benin

Non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as iron and potassium may play a role in lipid metabolism. However, information on this association is lacking in populations of Benin. This study evaluated the associations between plasma iron and potassium levels and risk of dyslipidemia among taxi-motorbike drivers (TMDs) in Cotonou. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 134 males TMDs aged ≥20 years old, of whom 39 (29.1%) had dyslipidemia. Plasma biochemistry including measurements of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), iron, and potassium were performed. Dyslipidemia was defined as any or combinations of the following: TC > 5.2 mmol/L, LDL-C > 3.4 mmol/L, TG > 1.7 mmol/L, and HDL-C 18.8 μmol/L) to the 1st tertile of plasma iron (<13.6 μmol/L) was 3.85, (95% CI: 1.20 - 12.35, p = 0.023). We observed similar patterns of association in a subgroup analysis restricted to normotensive patients, although the estimates lacked statistical significance. Our findings also revealed that the risk of dyslipidemia decreased when plasma potassium levels increased. The OR (95% CI) for dyslipidemia comparing the 2nd tertile (4.4 - 4.8 μmol/L) to the 1st tertile (<4.3 μmol/L) of potassium was 0.31 (0.11 - 0.86, p = 0.025). Interestingly, the risk of dyslipidemia decreased progressively (81% to 86%) and significantly across plasma potassium tertiles when restricting analysis to normotensive patients. The ORs (95% CI) for dyslipidemia comparing the 2nd and 3rd tertiles to the 1st tertile of plasma potassium were 0.19 (0.04 - 0.87, p = 0.032) and 0.14 (0.02 - 0.93, p = 0.043). In conclusion, our study shows that higher plasma iron and low potassium levels are significant predictors of dyslipidemia in TMDs. As such, the findings have public health implications for predicting and preventing dyslipidemia and associated cardiometabolic diseases. However, longitudinal studies are needed to determine if disturbances in iron and potassium levels, even within the normal range, are precursors or consequences of dyslipidemia.

把Taxi译作出租汽车似乎欠妥

在本刊第一期,笔者曾谈到过对middle school的理解与译法。这次,笔者认为继续把taxi译为“出租汽车”也颇值得研究。其实,在十几年前港台地区早就把taxi改译为“计程车”了,仔细想想,这是有道理的。翻开任何案头词典都会见到taxi或taxicab(美语)