Statistical analysis of the attitudes towards blood donation and transfusion in Mali.

Master of Science in Statistics. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville 2016.The demand for blood transfusion in Mali is high, because of the high prevalence of anemia, which is mostly caused by malaria, malnutrition and pregnancy-related complications. In this study a classic KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE (KAP) SURVEY was conducted on 323 individuals in Mali. Questions asked were aimed at finding what people in the study know about blood donation, how they feel about donating and receiving blood, and how they behave when asked to donate blood. The objective of this study is to develop a theoretical framework to better understand the attitudes toward blood donation and transfusion in Mali, thereby identifying factors that motivate and deter blood donation, and also to identify interventions to improve the supply of blood transfusion. A main effect logistic regression model was carried out to the model the relationship between willingness status of blood donating and thirteen explanatory variables. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to confirm the results obtained. Due to the nonresponse in the survey, techniques used to handle missing data values were also explored. More than 50% of individuals in the study responded as non-donors, however a vast majority of respondents reported their intent to become future donors. Also, the male population responded as majority donors at 58.8%. Results found, indicate that females were less likely to be donors in the Mali population and individuals that had knowledge about the different type of blood groups were more inclined to be donors. Overall results produced from the statistical methods employed in this study were consistent across the methods

Performance evaluation of Agribazaar

Many collective ICT initiatives and specific Internet applications has been implemented since the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor in 1996 by the Malaysian government to offer support to the rural community. Implementing successful rural ICT applications is crucial to help bring services to the rural and also to improve the socio-economic status of the community. The agricultural sector has been given greater emphasis in Ninth Malaysian Plan, where the sector has been revitalized to become the third engine of growth in a New Agriculture. Agribazaar is a portal developed by the Malaysian Government to provide support and assistance to the agribusiness sector through multiple agencies, led by Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry. This initiative was implemented to help improve the agriculture industry in Malaysia. The portal has opened up more opportunities for conducting agribusiness and related industry from the local and international community.However, the review of the literature showed little work has been done on this study. An evaluation has been carried out with the users of Agribazaar through analyzing portal user comments, interviews, and focus group discussions.This research has revealed many issues and challenges although the Agribazaar has been successfully implemented and accepted by the users.Therefore, the research provides feedback from the users to the Department of Agriculture and as well as specify the requirement for future enhancement conducted by MIMOS who is the developer

Hybrid machine learning technique for intrusion detection system

The utilization of the Internet has grown tremendously resulting in more critical data are being transmitted and handled online.Hence, these occurring changes have led to draw the conclusion that thenumber of attacks on the important information over the internet is increasing yearly.Intrusion is one of the main threat to the internet.Various techniques and approaches have been developed to address the limitations of intrusion detection system such as low accuracy, high false alarm rate, and time consuming. This research proposed a hybrid machine learning technique for network intrusion detection based on combination of K-means clustering and support vector machine classification.The aim of this research is to reduce the rate of false positive alarm, false negative alarm rate and to improve the detection rate.The NSL-KDD dataset has been used in the proposed technique.In order to improve classification performance, some steps have been taken on the dataset.The classification has been performed by using support vector machine. After training and testing the proposed hybrid machine learning technique, the results have shown that the proposed technique has achieved a positive detection rate and reduce the false alarm rate

Comparison of popular e-government implementation models

E-government implementation has become a priority in many countries around the world. This phenomenon has further grown in the developing countries as it could improve the quality of services, increase the economic competitiveness and enhance transparency between the government and the public. Therefore, many governments are widely supporting the electronic public services in order to enable their citizens and the businesses to make most of full transactions within the government via electronic channels. There are different types of e-government implementation models that have been proposed to guide the development process. However, most of these models have various conflicting stages and focus on different critical factors. The lack of consensus on how many stages that should be included in e-government model requires a thorough investigation. This paper reviews five different e-government models and presents four main comprehensive stages that are important to develop successful infrastructures and applications for electronic government

Beyond syndromic management: Opportunities for diagnosis-based treatment of sexually transmitted infections in low- and middle-income countries

Introduction In light of the limited impact the syndromic management approach has had on the global sexually transmitted infection (STI) epidemic, we assessed a care model comprising point-of-care (POC) STI testing, immediate treatment, and expedited partner therapy (EPT) among a cohort of young women at high HIV risk in South Africa. Methods and findings HIV negative women presenting for STI care underwent POC testing for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV), and swabs were sent for NG culture and susceptibility testing. Results were available within 2 hours and women with STIs were immediately treated and offered EPT packs, including medication, condoms, and information for sexual partners. An EPT questionnaire was administered after one week, and women retested for STIs after 6 and 12 weeks. 267 women, median age 23 (IQR 21–26), were recruited and 88.4% (236/267) reported genital symptoms. STI prevalence was CT 18.4% (95%CI 13.7–23.0), NG 5.2% (95%CI 2.6–7.9) and TV 3.0% (95%CI 1.0–5.0). After 12 weeks, all but one NG and two CT infections were cleared. No cephalosporin-resistant NG was detected. Of 63/267 women (23.6%) diagnosed with STIs, 98.4% (62/63) were offered and 87.1% (54/62) accepted EPT. At one week 88.9% (48/54) stated that their partner had taken the medication. No allergic reactions or social harms were reported. Of 51 women completing 6-week follow up, detection rates were lower amongst women receiving EPT (2.2%, 1/46) compared to those who did not (40.0%, 2/5), p = 0.023. During focus group discussions women supported the care model, because they received a rapid, specific diagnosis, and could facilitate their partners’ treatment. Conclusions POC STI testing and EPT were acceptable to young South African women and their partners, and could play an important role in reducing STI reinfection rates and HIV risk. Larger studies should evaluate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of implementing this strategy at population level

Exploring morality among orphans: a study of akhlaq and social standards in Pusat Jagaan Hembusan Kasih Sayang

This study explores the Islamic perspective on the care and treatment of orphans, focusing on their moral development within an institutional setting. Islamic teachings emphasize the holistic welfare of orphans, advocating for their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This notion is grounded in the Quran and Hadith, where caring for orphans is not only a moral obligation but a means to attain spiritual reward. The study employs a quantitative cross-sectional design, using self-report questionnaires distributed among 50 children at Pusat Jagaan Hembusan Kasih Sayang, Kuantan. The questionnaire assesses various aspects of morality ('akhlaq') in relation to God, guardians, peers, and daily life. Results show a strong adherence to Islamic practices among the children, such as prayer, Quran recitation, and fasting, reflecting their spiritual upbringing. Their interactions with guardians and peers demonstrate respect, assistance, and effective conflict resolution, aligning with Islamic values of empathy and social harmony. Daily habits like tidiness and honesty are indicative of the institution's success in instilling Islamic principles of cleanliness and integrity. The study highlights the significant role of institutions like Pusat Jagaan Hembusan Kasih Sayang in shaping the moral development of orphans. These institutions provide not only physical care but also moral and spiritual guidance, crucial for children lacking familial support. The findings suggest that integrating religious teachings into the upbringing of children fosters a strong moral compass, preparing them to be responsible and ethical members of society. Overall, this research underscores the potential of religious education in promoting moral and ethical values in young individuals and calls for its replication in other childcare and educational settings. Future research could explore the long-term societal impact of such upbringing and the challenges faced by caregivers and educators in reinforcing these values

Spike protein mutations and structural insights of pangolin lineage B.1.1.25 with implications for viral pathogenicity and ACE2 binding affinity

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID -19, is constantly evolving, requiring continuous genomic surveillance. In this study, we used whole-genome sequencing to investigate the genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Bangladesh, with particular emphasis on identifying dominant variants and associated mutations. We used high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) to obtain DNA sequences from COVID-19 patient samples and compared these sequences to the Wuhan SARS-CoV-2 reference genome using the Global Initiative for Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID). Our phylogenetic and mutational analyzes revealed that the majority (88%) of the samples belonged to the pangolin lineage B.1.1.25, whereas the remaining 11% were assigned to the parental lineage B.1.1. Two main mutations, D614G and P681R, were identified in the spike protein sequences of the samples. The D614G mutation, which is the most common, decreases S1 domain flexibility, whereas the P681R mutation may increase the severity of viral infections by increasing the binding affinity between the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor. We employed molecular modeling techniques, including protein modeling, molecular docking, and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) geometry optimization, to build and validate three-dimensional models of the S_D614G-ACE2 and S_P681R-ACE2 complexes from the predominant strains. The description of the binding mode and intermolecular contacts of the referenced systems suggests that the P681R mutation may be associated with increased viral pathogenicity in Bangladeshi patients due to enhanced electrostatic interactions between the mutant spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor, underscoring the importance of continuous genomic surveillance in the fight against COVID -19. Finally, the binding profile of the S_D614G-ACE2 and S_P681R-ACE2 complexes offer valuable insights to deeply understand the binding site characteristics that could help to develop antiviral therapeutics that inhibit protein–protein interactions between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and human ACE2 receptor

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Recent Semen Exposure Impacts the Cytokine Response and Bacterial Vaginosis in Women

BackgroundThe presence of semen in the vagina from unprotected sex may influence the immune and microbial environment of the female genital tract. Inflammatory cytokine concentrations and BV-associated bacteria in female genital secretions may influence HIV risk, although the effect of recent sexual intercourse on incident BV and the cytokine milieu of cervicovaginal secretions has rarely been measured in previous studies. Here, we investigated the extent to which partner semen impacts the cytokine response and incident BV.MethodsAt baseline, we assessed the recency of semen exposure in menstrual cup supernatants by quantifying prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels using ELISA in 248 HIV-uninfected women at high risk for HIV infection. Luminex was used to measure 48 cytokines in menstrual cup supernatants and vaginal swabs to diagnose BV by Nugent score. Point-of-care screening for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae was conducted using GeneXpert while OSOM was used for Trichomonas vaginalis detection. Multivariable models, adjusted for age, sexually transmitted infections, BV, current contraception use and condom use, were used to assess the impact of semen exposure on biomarkers of inflammation and BV.ResultsPresence of PSA, indicating recent semen exposure within 48 hours prior to sampling, was observed in menstrual cup supernatants of 17% (43/248) of women. Of these women, 70% (30/43) had self-reported condom use at their last sex act and 84% (36/43) had BV (Nugent score >7). PSA presence was significantly associated with prevalent BV (Relative Risk (RR), 2.609; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 1.104 - 6.165; p = 0.029). Furthermore, women with detectable PSA had high median concentrations of macrophage inflammatory protein- beta (MIP-1α, p=0.047) and low median concentration of the stem cell growth factor beta (SCGF-β, p=0.038) compared to those without PSA.ConclusionA degree of discordance between self-reports of consistent condom use and PSA positivity was observed. There was also evidence of a relationship between recent semen exposure, BV prevalence and altered cytokine concentrations. These findings suggest that PSA, as a semen biomarker, should be taken into consideration when investigating biological markers in the female genital tract and self-reported condom use in studies on reproductive and sexual health

Who is sexually active? Using a multicomponent sexual activity profile (MSAP) to explore, identify and describe sexuallyactive high-school students in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

: Understanding sexual activity is necessary to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa suggests that 10–20% of youth aged 15–24 are sexually active before reaching 15 years, yet estimating sexual activity remains challenging. This study explored the use of multiple sexual health outcomes to identify sexually-active young women in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods: Using a multi-component sexual activity profile (MSAP), we aimed to identify sexually active students. Based on data from 2675 grade 9 and 10 students attending 14 high schools) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, we constructed a descriptive diagram identifying students who were sexually active by self-report vs MSAP profile. T-tests for two independent samples was performed to compare by sex and ecological variables that characterise students newlyidentified as sexually active. Results: Using self-report only, 40.3% self-reported as sexually active, whilst the MSAP identified 48.7% (223 additional students). More females were identified than males. Younger adolescents were more likely to underreport sexual activity but were identified using MSAP. Newly-identified as sexually active were more likely to be female (p = < 0.000), 15 years old or younger (p = 0.008), less likely to perceive being at risk (p = 0.037) or have ever used alcohol (p = < 0.000). At a relational level, they were less likely to report having ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend (p = 0.000) or to have felt pressured to have sex by their peers (p = < 0.000) or partners (p = 0.008). At a familial level they more likely to be of medium socioeconomic (SES) status (p = 0.037) whilst at a school and community level they were less likely to have repeated a grade (p = 0.024) and were more likely to be engaged in social activities (p = 0.032)