23 research outputs found
Interventions using social networking sites to promote contraception in women of reproductive age
No full textBackgroundSocial networking sites (SNSs) have great potential as a platform for public health interventions to address the unmet need for contraception.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of interventions using SNSs to promote the uptake of and adherence to contraception in reproductive‐age women.Search methodsWe searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, and six other databases on January 2018. We also searched Google Scholar, key conference proceedings, checked the reference lists of included studies, and contacted study authors to identify additional studies.Selection criteriaWe considered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non‐randomised interventional studies (NRS) in women of reproductive age. SNSs requiring a social profile within a bounded or restricted‐access system of shared connections were included. We also included trials that utilised SNSs only or as an adjunct to an intervention. Studies had to have a follow‐up outcome assessment of at least three months.Data collection and analysisTwo authors independently screened titles, abstracts and full‐text studies, and extracted data from included studies. A third author was assigned to arbitrate areas of disagreement. Authors assessed risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We were unable to conduct a meta‐analysis due to the heterogeneity of the study designs and outcome measures.Main resultsOf the 461 unique records found, only two studies met our inclusion criteria. Both studies were conducted in the USA and were at high risk of bias. One RCT included 2284 women exposed to a web‐based SNS or nothing. The groups were no different post intervention in their self‐reported consistency of contraceptive use or knowledge of the relative effectiveness of different methods. There was a small but significant increase in the use of more effective methods (long‐acting reversible methods) at 12 months' follow‐up.The second study, a cluster RCT with 1578 women, used a closed Facebook page showing sexual health content compared to a modified Facebook news page that avoided sexual health content. They found no differences in the use of condoms at last act of sexual intercourse at six months or the intention to use condoms between the intervention and control groups.Authors' conclusionsDespite the prevalence of SNSs, we found little scientific evidence to support the use of SNSs to improve contraceptive use or adherence among women.<br/
The relationship between relative deprivation and self-rated health among Palestinian women in refugee camps in Lebanon
No full textAbstractBackgroundRelative deprivation (RD) has been advanced as a theory to explain the relationship between income inequality and health in high-income countries. In this study, we tested the theory in a low-income protracted refugee setting in a middle-income country.MethodsUsing data from the 2010 Socioeconomic Survey of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, we examined the relationship between RD and health among a representative sample of Palestinian refugee women (N=1047). Data were gathered utilizing a household questionnaire with information on socio-demographics and an individual-level questionnaire with information on the health of each respondent. We examined self-rated health (SRH) as the main health measure but also checked the sensitivity of our results using self-reported chronic conditions. We used two measures for absolute SES: total household monthly expenditures on non-food goods and services and total household monthly expenditures on non-health goods and services. With refugee camp as a reference group, we measured a household’s RD as a household’s rank of absolute SES within the reference group, multiplied by the distance between its absolute SES and the average absolute SES of all households ranked above it. We investigated the robustness of the RD–SRH relationship using these two alternative measures of absolute SES.ResultsOur findings show that, controlling for absolute SES and other possible confounders, women report significantly poorer health when they live in households with a higher score on our RD measure (because of either lower relative rank or lower relative SES compared to households better off in the reference group which we take to be the refugee camp). While RD is always significant as a determinant of SRH under a variety of specifications, absolute SES is not consistently significant. These findings persist when we use self-reported chronic conditions as our measure of health instead of SRH, suggesting that the relationship between health and RD may be operating through a psychosocial mechanism.DiscussionOur findings underscore the importance of examining RD under conditions of poverty and in diverse socio-cultural contexts. They also highlight that public health approaches should be concerned with reducing social inequalities in low-income settings in addition to alleviating poverty
Determination of haemolytic and non haemolytic genes profiles of Bacillus cereus strains isolated from food samples by polymerase chain reaction (pcr) technique
No full textIncome inequality and the composition of public debt
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the redistributive effect of domestic public debt: lenders to the government lie on the higher end of the income distribution, but the burden of debt financing falls on the entire tax base, to the extent that taxes are used to service debt. Because domestic debt is typically held by domestic lenders, this involves a redistribution of resources. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses cross-country panel data on debt composition, and run regressions of income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, using various specifications, controlling for a variety of macroeconomic, fiscal and political variables. Findings – The author finds that the composition of public debt is consistently a significant determinant of income inequality: the domestic share of public debt is regressive and significant across all specifications, even controlling for total and external debt servicing, political conflict, corruption and a variety of government spending variables. Research limitations/implications – The data span 18 years (1990-2007) which means that long-run effects are hard to track. While the author has a good mix in the sample of observations from low-, middle- and high-income countries, the author is constrained in the choice of countries by the availability of data on inequality and on the composition of public debt. Originality/value – This is the first paper to examine the composition of public debt in terms of domestic and external debt, and any bearing it may have on income inequality. The finding is also new for both the public debt and income inequality literatures: cross-country panel data are consistent with the belief that domestic debt redistributes resources from the entire tax base to wealthy holders of government debt in a way that external debt does not. © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Contemporary Representations of the Third Crusade in British and American Texts
No full textThis thesis examines six contemporary British and American historical works of the Third Crusade. These works consist of four novels, a play and a film. They are Tariq Ali’s The Book of Saladin (1998), Stewart Binns’s Lionheart (2013), Richard Warren Field’s The Swords of Faith (2010), Kamran Pasha’s Shadow of the Swords (2010), David Eldridge’s Holy Warriors: A Fantasia on the Third Crusade and History of Violent Struggle in the Holy Lands (2014) and Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The aim of this thesis is to explore depictions of the current relationships between Islam and the West, particularly with regard to contemporary Western political and military interventionism in Muslim-majority countries and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian issue. Making use of postcolonial approaches, it investigates the influence of Samuel Huntington’s thesis of the “Clash of Civilizations” (1993) and Western media representations of Muslims on contemporary historical fiction, drama and film. The thesis also interrogates the extent to which these works promote or discourage Western military action as a solution to defeat terrorism. It, in addition, explores these works’ engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in light of the ongoing debates about the one-state and two-state settlements. The thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters and a conclusion. Chapter One examines two biographical novels of the Third Crusade The Book of Saladin by the Pakistani-British author Tariq Ali and Lionheart by the British author Stewart Binns. Chapter Two examines two post-9/11 historical novels of the Third Crusade The Swords of Faith by the American author Richard Warren Field and Shadow of the Swords by the Pakistani-American author Kamran Pasha. Chapter Three investigates representations of the Third Crusade in drama and film. It examines Holy Warriors: A Fantasia on the Third Crusade and History of Violent Struggle in the Holy Lands by the British playwright David Eldridge and Kingdom of Heaven by the British film director and producer Ridley Scott
Contemporary Representations of the Third Crusade in British and American Texts
No full textThis thesis examines six contemporary British and American historical works of the Third Crusade. These works consist of four novels, a play and a film. They are Tariq Ali’s The Book of Saladin (1998), Stewart Binns’s Lionheart (2013), Richard Warren Field’s The Swords of Faith (2010), Kamran Pasha’s Shadow of the Swords (2010), David Eldridge’s Holy Warriors: A Fantasia on the Third Crusade and History of Violent Struggle in the Holy Lands (2014) and Ridley Scott’s Kingdom of Heaven (2005). The aim of this thesis is to explore depictions of the current relationships between Islam and the West, particularly with regard to contemporary Western political and military interventionism in Muslim-majority countries and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian issue. Making use of postcolonial approaches, it investigates the influence of Samuel Huntington’s thesis of the “Clash of Civilizations” (1993) and Western media representations of Muslims on contemporary historical fiction, drama and film. The thesis also interrogates the extent to which these works promote or discourage Western military action as a solution to defeat terrorism. It, in addition, explores these works’ engagement with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in light of the ongoing debates about the one-state and two-state settlements. The thesis consists of an introduction, three chapters and a conclusion. Chapter One examines two biographical novels of the Third Crusade The Book of Saladin by the Pakistani-British author Tariq Ali and Lionheart by the British author Stewart Binns. Chapter Two examines two post-9/11 historical novels of the Third Crusade The Swords of Faith by the American author Richard Warren Field and Shadow of the Swords by the Pakistani-American author Kamran Pasha. Chapter Three investigates representations of the Third Crusade in drama and film. It examines Holy Warriors: A Fantasia on the Third Crusade and History of Violent Struggle in the Holy Lands by the British playwright David Eldridge and Kingdom of Heaven by the British film director and producer Ridley Scott
Systematik, Taxonomie, Phylogenie und Zoogeographie des Capoeta damascina-Artenkomplexes (Pisces: Teleostei: Cyprinidae) auf der Grundlage vergleichend-morphologischer und molekulargenetischer Untersuchungen
No full textDer Damaskus-Weißling Capoeta damascina (Pisces: Teleostei: Cyprinidae) kommt in der Levante, in Mesopotamien und in Teilen der Türkei und des Iran vor. Dort ist er eine der häufigsten Fischarten. Aufgrund der Trockenheit dieser Region besteht der Lebensraum dieser Art aus vielen von einander isolierten Gewässern. Vor der hier vorgelegten Studie war nicht klar, ob es sich bei C. damascina um eine Art handelt, oder aber um einen Komplex nah verwandter Arten, die sich durch hohe intraspezifische und geringe interspezifische Variabilität auszeichnen. Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchungen war es, anhand morphologischer und molekulargenetischer Daten die phylogenetische Position des C. damascina-Artenkomplexes zu ermitteln und die Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen der Arten untereinander zu klären. Um die Arten gegeneinander abzugrenzen und wichtige diagnostische Merkmale zu ermitteln, wurden Fischsammlungen großer europäischer Museen vergleichend-morphologisch untersucht. Dabei galt den Typen der nominellen Arten dieses Komplexes besonderes Augenmerk. Zur Klärung der Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen wurden Sequenzen der mitochondrialen Cytochrom-c-Oxidase (COI, n = 103) und der zwei benachbarten variablen Regionen (D1-D2) des nukleären 28S-rRNA-Gens (LSU, n = 65) mit Hilfe unterschiedlicher phylogenetischer Rekonstruktionsalgorithmen ausgewertet. Als Ergebnis werden innerhalb des C. damascina-Artenkomplexes die folgenden sechs Arten als gültig anerkannt: Capoeta buhsei, C. caelestis, C. damascina, C. saadii, C. umbla und die bisher unbeschriebene Art Capoeta sp. 1. Die Analyse der morphometrischen und meristischen Daten zeigt ein hohes Maß an phenotypischer Variabilität zwischen den unterschiedlichen Populationen derselben Art, sowie zwischen den verschiedenen Arten. Dieses Phänomen ist genetischen Faktoren, dem Einfluss von Umweltbedingungen bzw. einer Kombination aus beidem zu erklären. Die phylogenetischen Analysen zeigen zwei genetische Linien innerhalb des C. damascina-Artenkomplexes: eine westliche Linie mit den Arten C. caelestis, C. damascina und C. umbla; so wie eine östliche Linie mit den Arten C. buhsei, C. saadii und Capoeta sp. 1. Die enge Verwandtschaft zwischen C. damascina und C. umbla zeigt sich unter anderem dadurch, dass ein Exemplar von C. damascina aus dem Euphrat den selben COI-Haplotypen aufweist wie ein Exemplar von C. umbla aus dem Tigris. Hierfür gibt es drei mögliche Erklärungen: Mitochondriale Introgression, nahe zurückliegende Artbildung oder eine Kombination aus beidem. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es sich bei den sechs genannten Taxa um junge Arten handelt und ihre Entstehung und heutige Verbreitung im Wesentlichen durch pleistozäne Ereignisse geprägt wurde. Die Besiedlung des Iran erfolgte vermutlich während einer der früheren pleistozänen Meeresspiegeltiefstände und führte zur Abspaltung der östlichen Linie von der mesopotamischen Ausgangspopulation. Die östliche Linie konnte in humiden Phasen des Pleistozäns die verschiedenen Flusssysteme des südlichen und zentralen Iran besiedeln wo sich die Arten C. buhsei, C. saadii und Capoeta sp. 1 bildeten. Nach der Abspaltung der östlichen Linie breitete sich die westliche Linie von Mesopotamien in die Levante aus. Dies geschah ebenfalls während des Pleistozäns, als die Oberläufe der westlichen Zuflüsse des Euphrats mit dem Ceyhan verbunden waren. Vom Ceyhan aus erfolgte die Ausbreitung in die Flüsse der südlichen Türkei, die zu Perioden niedriger Meeresspiegelstände über die verlängerten Unterläufe miteinander verbunden waren. Auf diese Weise wurde der Seyhan/Göksu besiedelt und die Art C. caelestis entstand. Die Schwesterpopulation differenzierte sich in die Arten C. damascina und C. umbla. Sehr wahrscheinlich besiedelte C. damascina während des späten Pleistozäns die Levante und die südliche Türkei. Dies wird durch die geringe genetische Differenzierung der Art belegt. Direkte Süßwasserverbindungen, die als Ausbreitungsroute für C. damascina zwischen den Gewässersystemen der Levante dienten, existierten zu Zeiten niedriger Meeresspiegelstände. Die hier vorgelegte Arbeit beinhaltet eine detaillierte Neubewertung des taxonomischen Status der behandelten Arten. Sechs nah verwandte Arten werden als gültig anerkannt. Das rezente Verbreitungsmuster dieser Arten wird vor dem Hintergrund der geologischen Entwicklung des Verbreitungsgebietes, ökologischer Faktoren so wie der Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen zwischen den Arten und ihrer Evolutionsgeschichte erklärt.Capoeta damascina (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) is one of the most common freshwater fish species, found throughout the Levant, Mesopotamia, Turkey and Iran. According to the state of knowledge prior to this study, C. damascina, which is distributed over a wide range of isolated water bodies, was not a well-defined species. It was questionable whether it represents a single species or a complex of closely related species with high intraspecific and comparatively low interspecific variability. The goal of this study was to investigate the taxonomy, systematic position of the C. damascina species complex and the phylogenetic relationships among its members, based on morphological features as well as molecular phylogeny. Samples obtained from throughout the geographic range of this species complex were subjected to comparative morphological analyses in order to define, properly diagnose and separate species within the C. damascina complex. To elucidate phylogenetic relationships among members of the C. damascina species complex, samples were subjected to genetic analyses, using two molecular markers targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI, n = 103) and the two adjacent divergence regions (D1-D2) of the nuclear 28S rRNA genes (LSU, n = 65). Based on morphological and molecular genetic data, six closely related species were recognized within the C. damascina complex: C. buhsei, C. caelestis, C. damascina, C. saadii, C. umbla and an undescribed species, Capoeta sp.1. Analyses of the morphometric and meristic data obtained in this study revealed phenotypic variability among the various populations within a species and among the different species. Such differences in morphological characters reflect genetic differences, environmentally induced phenotypic variation or both, as the meristic phenotype of fish is sometimes a consequence of environmental parameters acting on the genotype. Based on phylogenetic analyses, two main lineages were identified within the C. damascina species complex: a western lineage represented by C. caelestis, C. damascina and C. umbla and an eastern lineage represented by C. buhsei, C. saadii and Capoeta sp.1. The close phylogenetic relationships between C. damascina and C. umbla and the sharing of same haplotypes between one specimen of C. damascina from Euphrates and another of C. umbla from Tigris reflect one of three possibilites: recent speciation, mitochondrial introgression or a combination of both. The results obtained in this study indicate that speciation of the above-mentioned six taxa is quite recent and that their dispersal and present-day distribution can be related to Pleistocene events. The drying out of the Persian Gulf, probably during one of the first glacials of the Pleistocene, led the ancestor of the C. damascina species complex in Mesopotamia to reach the rivers of the Gulf and of Hormuz basins and differentiate there, giving rise to the eastern lineage (ancestor of C. buhsei, C. saadii and Capoeta sp.1). As connections presumably existed among the different river drainages and basins in Iran during the wet periods of the Pleistocene, the ancestor of C. buhsei, C. saadii and Capoeta sp.1 was subsequently able to colonize the various Iranian drainages and differentiate there, giving rise to C. buhsei, C. saadii and Capoeta sp.1. After the separation from the eastern lineage, the western lineage, represented by the ancestor of C. damascina, C. umbla and C. caelestis, most likely reached the Levant from the Tigris-Euphrates system during the Pleistocene glacials, when river connections existed in the regions of the upper courses of Ceyhan Nehri (southern Turkey) and some western affluents to the Euphrates. From Ceyhan Nehri, it dispersed into other rivers in southern Turkey during Pleistocene periods of low sea levels until it reached Göksu Nehri and evolved into C. caelestis. The sister population differentiated into C. damascina and C. umbla. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is likely that C. damascina colonized the Levant and southern Turkey during the Pleistocene glacials. This is well supported by the low genetic variability among the C. damascina populations. Direct connections existed among the river drainages in the Levant during the Pleistocene periods of low sea level, thus serving as a pathway for the dispersal of C. damascina. The results of this study provide a coherent picture of the taxonomic position, phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the C. damascina species complex and explain present patterns of distribution considering paleogeographic events
Drainage basins in: (a) Levant (b) Iran (the Maharlu basin lies between the Rud-e Kor and the Gulf basins).
No full textDrawing of Fig 1(b) reprinted from [9] under a CC BY license, with permission from author with modifications.</p
IMPACT OF WORKING CAPITAL MANAGEMENT ON PROFITABILITY
No full textThe main purpose of this study is to empirically test the impact of working capital management on profitability .To investigate this relationship between these two, the author collected secondary data from Glaxo Smith Kline pharmaceutical company registered in Karachi stock exchange for the period of 1996-2011. For this purpose, in this study we use variable of return on assets ratio to measure the profitability of company and variables of account receivable turnover, creditors turnover, inventory turnover and current ratio as working capital management criteria. The results of the research show that there is a significant impact of the working capital management on profitability of company. Therefore, managers may enhance the profitability of their firms by minimizing the inventory turnover, account receivables ratio and by decreasing creditors turnover ratios but there is no significant effect of increasing or decreasing the current ratio on profitability. So, the results indicate that through proper working capital management the company can increase its profitability. This study will benefit the Pharmaceutical companies in the management of their working capital in such an efficient manner so that they can multiply their profitability
Standardization of the NEO-PI-3 in the Greek general population
No full textBackground: The revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-3) includes 240 items corresponding to the Big Five personality traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience) and subordinate dimensions (facets). It is suitable for use with adolescents and adults (12 years or older). The aim of the current study was to validate the Greek translation of the NEO-PI-3 in the general Greek population. Material and methods The study sample included 734 subjects from the general Greek population of whom 59.4% were females and 40.6% males aged 40.80 ± 11.48. The NEO-PI-3 was translated into Greek and back-translated into English, and the accuracy of the translation was confirmed and established. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, confirmatory factorial analysis (CFA), the calculation of Cronbach’s alpha, and the calculation of Pearson product–moment correlations. Sociodemographics groups were compared by ANOVA. Results: Most facets had Cronbach’s alpha above 0.60. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable loading of the facets on their own hypothesized factors and very good estimations of Cronbach’s alphas for the hypothesized factors, so it was partially supportive of the five-factor structure of the NEO-PI-3.The factors extracted with Procrustes rotation analysis can be considered reasonably homologous to the factors of the American normative sample. Correlations between dimensions were as expected and similar to those reported in the literature. Discussion The literature suggests that overall, the psychometric properties of NEO-PI-3 scales have been found to generalize across ages, cultures, and methods of measurement. In accord with this, the results of the current study confirm the reliability of the Greek translation and adaptation of the NEO-PI-3. The inventory has comparable psychometric properties in its Greek version in comparison to the original and other national translations, and it is suitable for clinical as well as research use.Version of Recor
