Knowledge and discriminatory attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among the women of reproductive age group of Pakistan using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey(MICS)

Background Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(HIV/AIDS)has become a major worldwide public health issue,with a focus on developing nations.Despite having a very low HIV prevalence,South Asia faces serious issues with stigma and false information because of a lack of awareness.This stigma highlights significant gaps in popular awareness while also sustaining unfavorable attitudes towards those living with HIV/AIDS.Pakistan is ranked second in South Asia for the rapidly increasing AIDS epidemic.Thorough information and optimistic outlooks are essential for successful HIV/AIDS prevention,control,and treatment.But false beliefs about how HIV/AIDS spreads lead to negative perceptions,which highlights the need to look into how women’s knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS in Pakistan are influenced by sociodemographic traits and autonomy.Methods The purpose of this study is to evaluate Pakistani women’s discriminatory attitudes and level of awareness on HIV/AIDS.This study used data(the women in reproductive age 15-49 years’dataset)from the Pakistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey to conduct an analytical cross-sectional analysis.To represent the respondents’attitudes and knowledge towards people living with HIV(PLHIV),two composite variables were developed and composite scored.Binary logistics regression was used to identify predictor variables and chi-square was used for bivariate analysis.Results The findings reveal that almost 90%of Pakistani women have poor knowledge and attitude with HIV/AIDS.In Punjab,72.8%of rural residents have low knowledge,whereas only 20.6%of young individuals(15-<25 years old)show the least amount of ignorance.Education is shown to be crucial,and“Higher”education is associated with superior knowledge.Urban dwellers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa typically have more expertise.Knowledge of HIV is positively correlated with education;those with higher education levels know a lot more(odds ratio[OR]=5.419).Similarly,quintiles with greater incomes show a higher likelihood of knowing about HIV(OR=6.745).The study identifies age,wealth index,place of residence,educational attainment,and exposure to contemporary media as significant predictors influencing HIV knowledge and attitudes among women in these provinces.Conclusion The majority of respondents had negative opinions regarding the virus,and the majority of women in the study knew very little about HIV.Individuals who live in metropolitan areas,have higher incomes,are better educated,are exposed to contemporary media,and are generally more aware of HIV and have more positive attitudes towards HIV/AIDS,or PLHIV.The study found that,in comparison to those living in urban environments,those from rural areas with low socioeconomic level have a negative attitude and inadequate understanding.

The Effects of Disruptive Thinking on the Food Industry*

This study aimed to understand disruptive thinking and how its ideas can change the food industry. This was achieved by identifying, studying, and understanding the impacts, current trends, and different disruptive ideas and innovations emerging in the food industry. The study was conducted through interpretive research philosophy by carrying out secondary data collection processes, where both qualitative and quantitative information was presented. Deductive approaches were also selected to apply existing theories and models, which were used to construct research hypotheses and present detailed findings. The study finds that, with disruptive thinking, enhancements in the product life cycle, new flavors, and improvements in food packaging have been possible. The supply chain, which is always considered a complex part of the food industry, has been streamlined, offering greater transparency and real-time tracking and improving quality control across distribution systems.

Differences in Pandemic-Related Factors Associated with Alcohol and Substance Use among Korean Adolescents:Nationwide Representative Study

The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has raised concerns about the mental health and social well-being of youth,including its potential to increase or exacerbate substance use behaviors[1].Among adolescents,the COVID-19pandemic has resulted in limited face-to-face school contact and thus missed milestones in preventing alcohol and substance use.

不锈钢预应力钢桁架火灾响应及火灾后受力性能试验研究

对一组不锈钢空间预应力钢桁架模型进行了火灾下的结构响应及火灾后力学性能试验研究。模型用奥氏体304无缝不锈钢管制作,通过置于模型下端的伸缩小立柱施加预应力。抗火试验测定了桁架弦杆和腹杆的温度响应及上弦节点位移,并对火灾后的结构模型开展了卸载及加载试验。结果表明,不锈钢空间预应力钢桁架模型在受火过程中,即使产生较大的位移和扭曲变形,结构模型仍未出现整体坍塌。钢桁架上、下弦杆有一定的温差,且上弦杆响应温度沿模型纵向变化幅度较下弦杆更大。对于具有同样几何尺寸和材料性能的索张拉钢桁架,受火前是否施加预应力对其火灾下的位移响应、残余变形及火灾后的受力性能均有较大影响。桁架自身刚度对预应力钢桁架的抗火性能也有一定的影响,刚度较大的结构模型,其火灾后承载时易出现扭曲变形。

常温及火灾后自应力轻骨料钢管混凝土柱轴压力学性能试验研究

自应力钢管陶粒混凝土不仅具有轻质、高强的特点,并可弥补轻集料混凝土因弹性模量较小而导致钢管约束不足的缺陷。本文通过对4组12根受火后的钢管自应力陶粒混凝土短柱及9根未受火钢管混凝土短柱受力性能的对比试验,分析了不同参数的钢管自应力陶粒混凝土短柱火灾后轴压承载力和破坏形态。重点讨论了试件的自应力大小(膨胀剂掺量)、含钢率及受火条件等因素对钢管自应力陶粒混凝土短柱火灾后轴压承载力及相关力学性能的影响。结果表明,自应力大小对钢管陶粒混凝土短柱火灾后轴压承载力的影响与试件含钢率有关,且初始自应力对含钢率相对较低试件的火灾后轴压性能的改善效果更加显著;试件含钢率越高,轴压力作用下的火灾后钢管自应力陶粒混凝土短柱的延性则越好。膨胀剂掺量为51 kg/m3(P2型)的试件,无论受火温度为700℃还是900℃,其火灾后的线弹性刚度受试件含钢率影响的规律基本一致。

00Cr17Ni14Mo2不锈钢高温力学性能

利用高温炉对00Cr17Ni14Mo2不锈钢开展了一系列高温下的稳态拉伸试验、瞬态拉伸试验和蠕变试验,测得了不锈钢在不同高温温度下的弹性模量、屈服强度、极限强度、极限应变、伸长率和蠕变应变.利用MATLAB软件对00Cr17Ni14Mo2不锈钢各力学性能(弹性模量、屈服强度、极限强度、极限应变、伸长率)与温度关系曲线和蠕变曲线进行了拟合.结果表明:当应力水平为0.2fu(fu为不锈钢常温极限强度)时,00Cr17Ni14Mo2不锈钢在较高温度(600℃)下的短期蠕变应变相当明显,在钢结构抗火计算时应考虑短期蠕变应变对钢结构响应的影响.所建立的00Cr17Ni14Mo2不锈钢各力学性能与温度关系方程均能较好地拟合试验结果.

以新型农村合作医疗为平台 加强农村妇幼保健工作

住院分娩是否应该纳入新型农村合作医疗的补偿范围,目前在学术界和实践中仍然存在争议。以陕西省镇安县为案例,从公共政策分析的角度,通过对该县定额住院分娩制度运行效果的分析,论证了把住院分娩纳入合作医疗补偿范围的积极意义,同时针对该制度运行过程中出现的问题提出了相应的政策建议。

Assessing the quality of studies in meta-analyses: Advantages and limitations of the Newcastle Ottawa Scale

One of the most important points in the meta-analyses is certainly represented by the assessment of the quality of the studies included in such research. The meta-analyses are considered the highest level of evidence in science. Also for this reason, the quality of the studies included should be accurately evaluated by standardized tools. The overall results of the metaanalysis depend indeed also on a rigorous evaluation of the studies quality. Among all the possible tools for this complex evaluation, the Newcastle Ottawa Scale(NOS) is one of the most used worldwide, above all for observational studies. In this review, we will discuss the strengths and limitation of the NOS, also on the basis of the branch of science in which it has been applied.

Associations between cardiac arrhythmia,incident disability in activities of daily living and physical performance:the ILSA study

Background Cardiac arrhythmias are common conditions in older people.Unfortunately,there is limited literature on associations between cardiac arrhythmias and physical performance or disability.We therefore aimed to prospectively investigate associations between cardiac arrhythmias and changes in disability and physical performance during 8 years of follow-up,using data from the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging(ILSA).Methods Cardiac arrhythmias diagnosis was posed through a screening phase,confirmed by a physician.The onset of disability in activities of daily living(ADL)and the changes in several physical performance tests during follow-up were considered as outcomes.Fully-adjusted and propensity-score Cox Proportional Hazard models and mixed models were used for exploring associations between cardiac arrhythmia and the outcomes of interest.Results The prevalence of cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was 23.3%.People reporting cardiac arrhythmia at the baseline were significantly older,more frequently male,smokers and reported a higher presence of all medical conditions investigated(hypertension,heart failure,angina,myocardial infarction,diabetes,stroke),but no difference in dementia,Parkinsonism,cognitive or mood disorder.Cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was significantly associated with the incidence of disability in ADL(HR=1.23;95%:CI:1.01–1.50;P=0.0478 in propensity score analyses;HR=1.28;95%CI:1.01–1.61;P=0.0401 in fully adjusted models).Cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was also associated with a significant worsening in balance test(P=0.0436).Conclusions The presence of cardiac arrhythmia at baseline was associated with a significant higher risk of disability and of worsening in some physical performance tests,particularly those relating to balance.Screening and frequently assessing physical performance in older people affected by cardiac arrhythmia can be important to prevent a loss of physical performance,with further,potential,complications of medical management.

Exorcising memories of internalised stigma: The demons of lived experience

Public stigma and self-stigma impact negatively on the lives of people with mental health issues.Many people in society stereotype and discriminate against people with mental ill-health,and often this negative process of marginalisation is internalised by people with lived experiences.Thus,this negative internalisation leads to the development of self-stigma.In this article,I reflect on my own experiences of shame and self-stigma as a person with mental ill-health socially bullied by peers from my community and social groups.I present a personal narrative of both public and self-stigmatisation which I hope will enable me to exorcise memories of internalised stigma,which are encountered as my demons of lived experience.Using reflexivity,a process used widely in health and social care fields,I consider how social bullying shattered my fragile confidence,selfesteem,and self-efficacy in the early days of my recovery;the impact of associative stigma on family members is also explored.Following this,the potential to empower people who experience shame and stigma is explored alongside effective anti-stigma processes which challenge discrimination.I connect the concept of recovery with the notion of empowerment,both of which emphasise the importance of agency and self-efficacy for people with mental illhealth.Finally,I consider how the concepts of empowerment and recovery can challenge both the public stigma held by peers in the community and the selfstigma of those with lived experiences.

Does exercise have a protective effect on cognitive function under hypoxia? A systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective:This study aimed to examine(1)the independent effects of hypoxia on cognitive function and(2)the effects of exercise on cognition while under hypoxia.Methods:Design:Systematic review with meta-analysis.Data sources:PubMed,Scopus,Web of Science,PsychInfo,and SPORTDiscus were searched.Eligibility criteria for selecting studies:randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized controlled studies that investigated the effects of chronic or acute exercise on cognition under hypoxia were considered(Aim 2),as were studies investigating the effects of hypoxia on cognition(Aim 1).Results:In total,18 studies met our inclusionary criteria for the systematic review,and 12 studies were meta-analyzed.Exposure to hypoxia impaired attentional ability(standardized mean difference(SMD)=-0.4),executive function(SMD=-0.18),and memory function(SMD=-0.26),but not information processing(SMD=0.27).Aggregated results indicated that performing exercise under a hypoxia setting had a significant effect on cognitive improvement(SMD=0.3,95%confidence interval:0.14-0.45,I^2=54%,p<0.001).Various characteristics(e.g.,age,cognitive task type,exercise type,exercise intensity,training type,and hypoxia level)moderated the effects of hypoxia and exercise on cognitive function.Conclusion:Exercise during exposure to hypoxia improves cognitive function.This association appears to be moderated by individual and exercise/hypoxia-related characteristics.

Handgrip strength and health outcomes: Umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies

Purpose:The aim of the present study was to assess both the credibility and strength of evidence arising from systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies on handgrip strength and health outcomes.Methods:An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of observational studies was conducted.We assessed meta-analyses of observational studies based on random-effect summary effect sizes and their p values,95%prediction intervals,heterogeneity,small-study effects,and excess significance.We graded the evidence from convincing(Class I)to weak(Class IV).Results:From 504 articles returned in a search of the literature,8 systematic reviews were included in our review,with a total of 11 outcomes.Overall,nine of the 11 of the outcomes reported nominally significant summary results(p<0.05),with 4 associations surviving the application of the more stringent p value(p<106).No outcome presented convincing evidence.Three associations showed Class II evidence(i.e.,highly suggestive):(1)higher handgrip values at baseline were associated with a minor reduction in mortality risk in the general population(n=34 studies;sample size=1,855,817;relative risk=0.72,95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.670.78),(2)cardiovascular death risk in mixed populations(n=15 studies;relative risk=0.84,95%CI:0.780.91),and(3)incidence of disability(n=7 studies;relative risk=0.76,95%CI:0.660.87).Conclusion:The present results show that handgrip strength is a useful indicator for general health status and specifically for early all-cause and cardiovascular mortality,as well as disability.To further inform intervention strategies,future research is now required to fully understand mechanisms linking handgrip strength scores to these health outcomes.

青光眼的视神经乳头

所有类型的青光眼都会有青光眼视神经病变。检查和处理青光眼的关键在于清楚如何检查视乳头（ONH）

Commercial Banks Responses toward Small and Medium Enterprises Survival in the Context of the COVID-19 in Africa

The African government has implemented measures to sustain an investable economic downturn as it navigates the fiscal effect of the viral spread of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Consequently,commercial banks in Africa have come hand in hand toward support of SMEs activities by increasing their borrowing power and reducing interest rates.Despite all these measures the general performance of small and medium enterprises(SMEs)across Africa as pertains to revenues and profits has gone down.This paper provides a theoretical analysis of the measures undertaken by commercial banks to ensure proper running and continuity of activities in the SMEs sector in Africa.The research is founded on the theories of innovation diffusion and resource-based theory.This study will use a mixed research design,which will include descriptive and explanatory research.The proposed target population will be Africa’s thriving commercial banks.The primary and secondary data will be used from commercial bank reports and the central bureau of statistics reports across Africa.The data will be analyzed using a multiple linear regression model.The finding indicated that commercial banks in Africa have brought in solutions and measures to adapt to the crisis being implicated on the SMEs by the COVID-19 pandemic.Based on the findings of the desktop reviews,the study concludes that commercial banks have a significant influence on SMEs during this period of COVID-19,and with the assistance of the government,they have implemented more policies to support the activities of SMEs.

Comparative study of honeycomb optimization using Kriging and radial basis function

Structural optimization for crashworthiness criteria is of particular significance especially at early stage of design. The comparative study of Kriging and radial basis function network （RBFN） was performed in order to improve the crashworthiness effects of honeycomb. Improving the crashworthiness characteristic of honeycomb was achieved using LS-OPT~ and domain reduction strategy. This optimization is performed on the basis of validated numerical simulation to establish the approximated model to illustrate the relationship between the responses and design variables. The results showed that Kriging meta-model is excelled in accuracy, robustness and efficiency compared to radial basis function （RBF） and crashworthiness characteristic of honeycomb is improved by 4%.

Reversal of Tetracycline Resistance by Cepharanthine,Cinchonidine,Ellagic Acid and Propyl Gallate in a Multi-drug Resistant Escherichia coli

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is an increasing threat to global healthcare systems.We therefore sought compounds with potential to reverse antibiotic resistance in a clinically relevant multi-drug resistant isolate of Escherichia coli(NCTC 13400).200 natural compounds with a history of either safe oral use in man,or as a component of a traditional herb or medicine,were screened.Four compounds;ellagic acid,propyl gallate,cinchonidine and cepharanthine,lowered the minimum inhibi-tory concentrations(MICs)of tetracycline,chloramphenicol and tobramycin by up to fourfold,and when combined up to eightfold.These compounds had no impact on the MICs of ampicillin,erythromycin or trimethoprim.Mechanistic studies revealed that while cepharanthine potently suppressed efflux of the marker Nile red from bacterial cells,the other hit com-pounds slowed cellular accumulation of this marker,and/or slowed bacterial growth in the absence of antibiotic.Although cepharanthine showed some toxicity in a cultured HEK-293 mammalian cell-line model,the other hit compounds exhibited no toxicity at concentrations where they are active against E.coli NCTC 13400.The results suggest that phytochemicals with capacity to reverse antibiotic resistance may be more common in traditional medicines than previously appreciated,and may offer useful scaffolds for the development of antibiotic-sensitising drugs.

Pharmacological Isolation of Experimental Models of Drug-resistant Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line

Drug resistance is one of the major challenges facing the success of chemotherapy against human hepatocarcinoma (HCC) as well as other types of cancer. Studies with cell lines can serve as initial screening for agents that could modulate drug resistance. Development of a good experimental model of drug-resistant cells is a prerequisite for the success of such cellular studies;but could be laborious and generally time-consuming. Additionally, the high mortality rate associated with advanced HCC calls for a probe into the mechanism of resistance by developing experimental model that mimics clinical method of its treatment. Consequently, we have reported a simplified method of selection of drug-resistant hepatocarcinoma cells from human hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2) cell line using pharmacologic agents, cisplatin (CDDP) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). HEPG2 cell line was incubated for 24 hours with different concentrations of CDDP (0 - 20 μM) or 5-FU (0 - 100 μM). Cell viability was assayed by CCK-8 (Cell Counting Kit) analysis, and the inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for CDDP and 5-FU were established by dose-dependent cytotoxicity curves. The IC50(s) were confirmed by flow cytometric analysis of cell death due to CDDP or 5-FU. Clinical method of treatment was imitated by treating the parental HEPG2 cell line in pulse, at the optimal concentration of either CDDP or 5-FU for 4 to 6 hours. Induction was repeated 6 times, whilst allowing the cells to attain at least 70% confluence between intervals of induction. The resultant drug-resistant sublines, (HEPG2CR) and (HEPG2FR) were found to be stable after over 3 months of drug withdrawal and maintenance in drug-free medium. This was done with the views of establishing a simple, efficient and direct protocol for the development of good cellular models for the study of drug resistance in liver cancer, with possible application in other cancer types.

Impact of climate change on tropical health in the Central African Republic

Climate change is the variation in climate that human activities contribute to,directly or indirectly.Furthermore,climate change impacts human activity,but it also affects human existence and sustenance[1].Climate change has shown a negative impact on the quality of life,morbidity,and mortality of people across the globe[1,2].In Central African Republic(CAR),the number of reported weather-related natural disasters has more than tripled since the 1960s[2].Since then,these disasters have resulted in over 600000 deaths[2].