HIV in South African Youth: Relations with Parenting Quality and Executive Functioning

Black South Africans account for a majority of HIV cases in South Africa, highlighting the need for greater understanding of risks specific to this group. Within the HIV prevention and risk literature, little information exists regarding the familial and neuropsychological contributions to HIV risk in youth. The current study addressed this gap. In a group of black South African parent-child dyads, the researchers investigated the independent and interactive contributions of parenting quality and executive functioning in the prediction of HIV risk. Child report of relationship quality was negatively associated with risky sexual attitudes and externalizing behaviors. Parent report of parental monitoring/involvement was negatively associated with child pre-coital behaviors. Cognitive inflexibility interacted with child report of parental monitoring/involvement in its relation with externalizing behaviors. Results indicated that parenting may protect black South African youth with respect to HIV risk, and that executive functioning may play an indirect role in this relationship

Cross-textual reconceptualisation of the deictic space of “victory” in political discourse: Donald Trump versus Joseph Biden

The present study propounds the notion-complex of cross-textual reconceptualisation as a cognitive-linguistic output of applying Paul Chilton’s (2013, 2014, 2017) model of Deictic Space Theory (DST) to textual practices drawn from the broad domain of political discourse. The DST model has operated methodologically towards conducting a cognitively oriented political discourse analysis of the two victory speeches produced by Donald Trump and Joseph Biden during the 2020 election for US presidency. As a geometric model, DST has been applied to the two speeches in a way that demonstrated the deictic spatial construction of victory in relation to Trump and Biden as the now-here-real speakers on the three axes of discourse referents, time, and epistemic modality. The data analysis has revealed four significant instantiations of cross-textual reconceptualisation made by Biden of Trump’s deictic space of victory as a contested concept: (i) a “clear” and “convincing” victory, (ii) a peripersonal real victory, (iii) Trump and his voters, and (iv) a now shift from a past Democrat to a future President. All four instantiations have proved the hypothesis that the DST model, while revealing the deictic-spatial conceptualisations of “victory” constituted by each speaker in his speech, may further be extended to disentangle the interesting aspect of how one and the same concept could be reconceptualised across two textual practices produced by speakers with ideologically opposed perspectives.

Design optimization of the JPL Phase B testbed

Increasingly complex spacecraft will benefit from integrated design and optimization of structural, optical, and control subsystems. Integrated design optimization will allow designers to make tradeoffs in objectives and constraints across these subsystems. The location, number, and types of passive and active devices distributed along the structure can have a dramatic impact on overall system performance. In addition, the manner in which structural mass is distributed can also serve as an effective mechanism for attenuating disturbance transmission between source and sensitive system components. This paper presents recent experience using optimization tools that have been developed for addressing some of these issues on a challenging testbed design problem. This particular testbed is one of a series of testbeds at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the sponsorship of the NASA Control Structure Interaction (CSI) Program to demonstrate nanometer level optical pathlength control on a flexible truss structure that emulates a spaceborne interferometer

Intrahepatic expression of interferon alpha & interferon alpha receptor m-RNA can be used as predictors to interferon response in HCV and HCC patients

Chronic hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis worldwide and in Egypt. Patients with cirrhosis secondary to chronic HCV infection are at increased risk for developing Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in which Interferon therapy is the only effective anti-viral therapy. The current study aimed to investigate the expression IFN-αand IFN-αReceptor genes in liver biopsies from patients with HCV and HCC. Correlation of their expression with the clinical, histopathological progress of the disease and the effectiveness of IFN therapy in HCV patients after a period of 6 months follow-up was done. Expression of IFN-α and IFNα-Rc m-RNA was investigated by RT-PCR using liver biopsy specimens from 30 HCV patients including 7 patients complicated with HCC. Liver biopsies were also subjected to formalin fixation for complete histopathological examination. Ninety seven percent of patients expressed Interferon Alpha m-RNA while 30% only expressed Interferon Alpha Receptor m-RNA. Responders and non-responders to Interferon therapy were divided according to their HCV RNA after six-months follow up period of interferon therapy. Responders showed significantly lower mean age, better histopathological states and higher incidence of expression of IFN Alpha Receptor mRNA. Regardless of the response to interferon, histological activity index scores and the degree of fibrosis showed a significant inverse correlation to the presence of IFNα-R m-RNA. IFNα-R mRNA expression decreases with the histological progress of the disease, suggesting that lower expression of the IFNα-Rc may be partially responsible for the unfavorable response to interferon in these patients. African Journal of Health Sciences Vol. 14 (1-2) 2007: pp. 86-9

Influence of peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 genotype and shared epitope on clinical characteristics and autoantibody profile of rheumatoid arthritis.

Background: Recent evidence suggests that distinction of subsets of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) depending on anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) status may be helpful in distinguishing distinct aetiopathologies and in predicting the course of disease. HLA-DRB1 shared epitope (SE) and peptidylarginine deiminase type 4 (PADI4) genotype, both of which have been implicated in anti-CCP generation, are assumed to be associated with RA. Objectives: To elucidate whether PADI4 affects the clinical characteristics of RA, and whether it would modulate the effect of anti-CCPs on clinical course. The combined effect of SE and PADI4 on autoantibody profile was also analysed. Methods: 373 patients with RA were studied. SE, padi4_94C.T, rheumatoid factor, anti-CCPs and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) were determined. Disease severity was characterised by cumulative therapy intensity classified into ordinal categories (CTI-1 to CTI-3) and by Steinbrocker score. Results: CTI was significantly associated with disease duration, erosive disease, disease activity score (DAS) 28 and anti-CCPs. The association of anti-CCPs with CTI was considerably influenced by padi4_94C.T genotype (C/C: ORadj=0.93, padj=0.92; C/T: ORadj=2.92, padj=0.093; T/T: ORadj=15.3, padj=0.002). Carriage of padi4_94T exhibited a significant trend towards higher Steinbrocker scores in univariate and multivariate analyses. An association of padi4_94C.T with ANAs was observed, with noteworthy differences depending on SE status (SE2: ORadj=6.20, padj,0.04; SE+: ORadj=0.36, padj=0.02) and significant heterogeneity between the two SE strata (p=0.006). Conclusions: PADI4 genotype in combination with anti- CCPs and SE modulates clinical and serological characteristics of RA

"Magnetoscan": A Modified Hall Probe Scanning Technique for the Detection of Inhomogeneities in Bulk High Temperature Superconductors

We present a novel technique for the investigation of local variations of the critical current density in large bulk superconductors. In contrast to the usual Hall probe scanning technique, the sample is not magnetized as a whole before the scan, but locally by a small permanent magnet, which is fixed near the Hall probe, during the scanning process. The resulting signal can be interpreted as a qualitative measure of the local shielding currents flowing at the surface.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

The effect of pre- and post-merger factors on the performance of mergers in Libyan government banks

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of pre-merger and post-merger factors on the performance of mergers in Libyan government banks. Specifically, the study examines motivations behind Libyan banking mergers, and the influence of strategic fit, organisational cultural fit, speed of integration, and effectiveness of integration on the performance of mergers among Libyan government banks. The main conceptual framework was based on three different schools of thoughts: strategic management school, the process school and the organisational behavioural school. The theoretical model was examined through a cross-sectional research design i.e. structured questionnaire. Questionnaire data were collected from 169 managers in Libyan government banks. The findings reveal that mergers by government banks are seen primarily as a means to increase market power, to be able to compete with foreign banks, to enable faster entry to market and acquire organisational know-how. The findings also indicate that the organisational cultural fit improves the chances of merger performance. In addition, strategic complementarity positively influences cultural fit and integration effectiveness as well as merger performance. Finally, the findings indicate that merger performance is positively influenced by strategic complementarity, effectiveness of integration, and the speed of integration. Prior researchers primarily examined the impact of pre-merger factors and post-mergers factors separately. This study contributes to the existing literature by developing and empirically testing an integrative and holistic conceptual framework explaining the influence of pre-merger and post-merger factors on the performance of banking mergers. Hence, outcome of the study would bring clarity in understanding the relationship between different factors influencing merger performance

Direct observation of substitutional Ga after ion implantation in Ge by means of extended x-ray absorption fine structure

We present an experimental lattice location study of Ga atoms in Ge after ion implantation at elevated temperature (250°C). Using extended x-rayabsorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments and a dedicated sample preparation method, we have studied the lattice location of Ga atoms in Ge with a concentration ranging from 0.5 at. % down to 0.005 at. %. At Ga concentrations ≤0.05 at.%, all Ga dopants are substitutional directly after ion implantation, without the need for post-implantation thermal annealing. At higher Ga concentrations, a reduction in the EXAFS amplitude is observed, indicating that a fraction of the Ga atoms is located in a defective environment. The local strain induced by the Ga atoms in the Ge matrix is independent of the Ga concentration and extends only to the first nearest neighbor Ge shell, where a 1% contraction in bond length has been measured, in agreement with density functional theory calculations.We acknowledge the support from the Research Foundation Flanders, the epi-team from imec, the KU Leuven GOA 09/06 project, the IUAP program P6/42 and the Australian Research Council. S.C. acknowledges support from OCAS NV by an OCAS-endowed chair at Ghent University

Visualization for Information Retrieval based on Fast Search Technology

The core of search engine is information retrieval technique. Using information retrieval system backs more retrieval results, some of them more relevant than other, and some is not relevant. While using search engine to retrieve information has grown very substantially, there remain problems with the information retrieval systems. The interface of the systems does not help them to perceive the precision of these results. It is therefore not surprising that graphical visualizations have been employed in search engines to assist users. The main objective of Internet users is to find the required information with high efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper we present brief sides of information visualization's role in enhancing web information retrieval system as in some of its techniques such as tree view, title view, map view, bubble view and cloud view and its tools such as highlighting and Colored Query Result

Perencanaan Kebutuhan Tenaga Kependidikan Berdasarkan Analisis Beban Kerja di Lingkungan Perguruan Tinggi (Studi pada Program Pascasarjana Universitas Brawijaya )

Merencanakan kebutuhan tenaga kependidikan dalam hal ini bukan hanya yang berkaitan dengan kuantitas, akan tetapi juga kualitas dari sumber daya manusia yang dibutuhkan. Sehingga dalam hal ini seharusnya analisis beban kerja memainkan peranan yang penting sebab pengadaan tenaga kependidikan yang tidak didasari oleh analisis yang tepat, akan selalu menimbulkan masalah misalnya pendistribusian tenaga kependidikan yang saat ini masih belum mengacu pada kebutuhan tiap unit kerja yang sebenarnya dalam artian belum didasarkan pada beban kerja yang ada. Sehingga dalam perencanaan kebutuhan tenaga kependidikan di lingkungan unit kerja yang ada di Universitas Brawijaya khususnya pada Program Pascasarjana makaperlu dianalisis beban kerja setiap tenaga kependidikan dan juga menganalisis kebutuhan tenaga kependidikan pada unit layanan yang ada di program pascasarjana.Dalam penelitian ini data yang dikumpulkan berdasarkan Observasi atau pengamatan langsung yang dilakukan dalam mengumpulkan data dimana langsung mengamati aktivitas kegiatan yang dilaksanakan oleh tenaga kependidikan di tiap bagian misalnya mengamati berapa waktu yang dibutuhkan oleh tenaga kependidikan dalam mengerjakan suatu pekerjaan selain itu juga dengan wawancara yang dilakukan dalam hal ini adalah menanyakan langung kepada narasumber ataui nforman yang melaksanakan jabatan tersebut selanjutnya dilakukan dokumentasi dalam hal ini dilaksanakan dengan cara mengumpulkan data-data yang berasal dari catatan-catatan, dokumen-dokumen yang dianggap berkaitan dengan masalah yang di telitibaik berupa daftar tupoksi tiap jabatan ataupun data kepegawaian tiap tenaga kependidikan yang berada di Program Pascasarjana.Dengan adanya hasil perhitungan analisis beban kerja pada Program Pascasarjana maka dapat diketahui jabatan-jabatan mana saja yang mengalami kelebihan beban kerja dan kekurangan beba nkerjanya