Does receiving a cash grant improve individual earnings in a war-torn country? Evidence from a randomized experiment in Afghanistan

Background: In this study, the effect of receiving a non-trivial cash grant and mentorship for business practice on individual earnings in Afghanistan was assessed. Methods: This randomized control trial (RCT) included 2177 individuals (n=2177), with the age range of 18-35 years. The amount of cash grant (500 USD) was approximately equal to the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the country. By a process of lottery, eligible applicants were equally divided into the group that received the grant (treatment group) and the group that did not (control group). Results: Almost two years after this study, the percentage of increased annual income to the size of this cash grant was approximately 173 % and 69 % for males and females, respectively. This result was much higher than the estimated percentage reported in previous literature assessing the effect of microfinance loans and cash grants in other countries. The treatment group had 7% higher probability of having an officially registered business than the control group. The treatment group also increased labor supply and employed additional workers, compared to the control group. The male treatment group bought more capital equipment (e.g., trike and commercial carts) than the male control group, while the female treatment group bought more domestic animals. Conclusion: A non-trivial cash grant has a strong positive effect on the earnings of the recipient of the cash grant in Afghanistan. If the state of increased income continues for the next few years, the sum of increased income will be more than the sum of the administration cost, the interest cost and the amount of cash grant given. This implies that the project passes the standard criteria to determine the appropriateness of government program. Additionally, we did not find any economically and statistically significant positive effect of mentorship on income.

Promoting Interest in Transportation Careers Among Young Women

Transportation remains the largest source of U.S.-based carbon emissions, and reducing emissions from this source continues to challenge experts. Addressing challenging problems requires diverse modes of thinking—and at present the transportation workforce is not diverse in terms of gender, with women occupying only about 14% of the transportation workforce. This research developed and tested a school-based intervention that uses pro-environmental framing and exposure to women transportation role models to help attract more women to transportation careers. To investigate the efficacy of the intervention, the research team studied control and treatment groups of university students using pre- and post-surveys to measure changes in student understanding and interest in transportation fields and careers. Students in both groups were enrolled in a climate change course, and students in the treatment group completed an additional transportation learning module designed to stimulate interest in transportation careers. The results showed that by the end of the semester, student awareness that the transportation industry can provide green and sustainable careers increased by 39.7% in the treatment group compared to no change in the control group. In addition, student openness to working in a transportation related career increased by 17.5% for females in the treatment group compared to no change in the male treatment group and no change in the control group. Given the success of this intervention, similar educational modules at various educational levels could increase the number of women working in transportation. Should such approaches be successful, society will be better prepared to respond to environmental challenges like climate change.

Efficacy of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate in patients with detrusor underactivity: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is commonly found in the aging male. Treatment of BPH can be in form of conservative or surgical intervention. Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold-standard treatment for BPH according to the guideline. However, there is no evidence that there is a benefit for TURP in patients with detrusor underactivity (DUA). Holmium laser enucleation (HoLEP) is theorized to have a better outcome due to its property of complete prostate enucleation. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to determine the benefit of HoLEP for BPH patients with DUA. Main body We performed systematic literature searching from five databases including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, and Web of Science for articles up to 31 December 2020 for relevant studies. A total of five articles are eligible for this meta-analysis. A total of 2.180 subjects participated in all of the studies included. Two studies comparing patients with and without DUA that was treated with HoLEP, two studies comparing HoLEP with other surgical approaches for BPH, and one study comparing both parameters. IPSS score reduction is significantly higher in the patients with DUA (Mean Difference = 3.28, 95% CI 1.91 to 4.64, p < 0.01). Qmax and PVR are not significantly different between both groups. HoLEP also showed better improvement in IPSS and Qmax compared to TURP (IPSS: Mean Difference = -4.80, 95% CI − 7.83 to − 1.77, p = 0.002; Qmax: Mean Difference = 4.20, 95% CI 0.58 to 7.82, p = 0.02) and PVP (IPSS: Mean Difference = − 2.47, 95% CI − 4.47 to − 0.47, p = 0.02; Qmax: Mean Difference = 2.31, 95% CI 0.34 to 4.28, p = 0.02). Conclusion HoLEP showed better improvement in IPSS scores in patients with DUA. HoLEP can be considered to be performed in the BPH patients with DUA for better outcomes for the patients.

Spermatogonial Stem Cell Transplantation in Large Animals

Spermatogonial stem cell transplantation (SSCT) can restore male fertility through transfer of germline between donor and recipient males. From an agricultural perspective, SSCT could be an important next-generation reproductive and breeding tool in livestock production. Current SSCT approaches in large animals remain inefficient and many technical details need further investigation. This paper reviews the current knowledge on SSCT in large animals, addressing (1) donor spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) preparation, (2) recipient male treatment, and (3) SSC injection, homing, and detection. The major studies showing unequivocal evidence of donor SSC-derived spermatogenesis in large animals (mainly in livestock for breeding purpose) are summarized to discuss the current status of the field and future directions.

Effect of irradiation on the mating capacity and competitiveness of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) for the development of the sterile insect technique

The sterile insect technique is a new approach for the integrated management of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an invasive pest in North America. We evaluated, under laboratory conditions, the mating capacities and success of male D. suzukii, irradiated at a dose of 120 Gy, with and without competition. We also explored the tendency of females to remate depending if their first mate was irradiated or not. We observed that irradiated males have the same mating capacity as control males, copulating with, respectively, 6.4 ± 1.9 females versus 6.9 ± 2.0 females in a 24-hour period. Irradiated males won the competition 37.5% of times, which is not significantly different from competiveness of control males. Female remating can be considered infrequent and not significantly influenced by male treatment: 7.4% of the females first mated with control males and 18.8% of the females first mated with irradiated males remated when given the opportunity two days and four days after the first mating. Latency before mating and mating duration were not significantly influenced by male treatment, but by presence of male competition. Overall, irradiated males thus seem to be as performant as control males, which is an important condition for a successful sterile insect technique programme.

Influence of male on estrus behavior, estradiol and progesterone release and puberty onset on prepubertal Saanen goats

The present study investigated the male effect on the estrus behaviors, estradiol and progesterone release in prepubertal Saanen goats. Twenty-nine female Saanen goats at 135 ± 10 days old with body weight of 22.8 ± 3.3 Kg were randomly assigned to three treatments: exposure to sexually active male (male treatment), exposure to androgenized females (androgenized female treatment), and prepubertal goats isolated from active male and androgenized females (control treatment). Sexual behaviors associated with estrus were recorded daily, and blood samples were taken weekly to determine estradiol and progesterone concentrations over 24 weeks. The experimental goats subjected to male or androgenized female had significantly higher frequency of estrus (mount acceptance) (P ? 0,02), progesterone (P ? 0,01), and estradiol (P ? 0,01) release than the control goats. Furthermore, goats exposed to a male showed estrus behavior two weeks earlier and maintained this estrus behavior for three weeks more than goats of both female and control treatments. Estrus was observed in 70 % of goats in male and female treatments during the breeding season versus 44 % of the control goats. Finally, significantly more goats subjected to male treatment (60 % of goats) showed progesterone concentrations higher than 1 ng mL-1 (which indicates the presence of a functional corpus luteum) compared to the female and control treatment (40 and 22 % of goats, respectively). These results shows that male treatment significantly increased the number of females showing estrus behavior, estradiol and progesterone release, and the number of animals with a functional corpus luteum, anticipating puberty for experimental goats, suggesting that the male effect could be used to anticipate the onset of puberty in goats.

Sexual Dysfunction in Male Canadian Armed Forces Members and Veterans Seeking Mental Health Treatment

Introduction There is mixed evidence regarding how posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters are associated with sexual dysfunction (SD), and most studies to date have failed to account for potentially confounding variables. Our study sought to explore the unique contribution of PTSD symptom clusters on (a) lack of sexual desire or pleasure, and (b) pain or problems during sexual intercourse, after adjusting for comorbidities and medication usage. Materials and Methods Participants included 543 male treatment-seeking veterans and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel (aged <65 years), referred for treatment between September 2006 and September 2014. Each participant completed self-report measures of demographic variables, depressive symptom severity, chronic pain, alcohol misuse, and psychotropic medication usage as part of a standard clinical intake protocol. Hierarchical ordinal logistic regression analyses were used to determine the incremental contribution of PTSD symptom clusters on sexual dysfunction. Results Nearly three-quarters (71.5%) of participants reported a lack of sexual desire or pleasure and 40.0% reported pain or problems during intercourse. Regression analyses suggested that avoidant/numbing symptoms were the only symptoms to be independently associated with lacking sexual desire or pleasure (AOR = 1.10; 95% CI 1.05–1.15). None of the PTSD symptom clusters were independently associated with pain or problems during intercourse. Conclusions Sexual dysfunction is prevalent among male treatment-seeking CAF personnel and veterans. Results suggest that PTSD symptoms are differentially associated with sexual desire or pleasure concerns. Assessing sexual function among CAF personnel and veterans seeking treatment for PTSD is critical in order to treat both conditions and improve overall functioning.