Experimental and Theoretical Predictors for Redox Potentials of Bispyridinylidene Electron Donors.

Bispyridinylidenes are neutral organic molecules capable of two-electron oxidation at a range of redox potentials that are widely tunable by choice of substituent, making them attractive as homogeneous organic reductants and active materials in redox flow batteries. In an effort to readily predict the redox potentials of this important class of compounds, we have developed correlations between the experimental redox potentials and both experimental and theoretical predictors. On the experimental side, we show that multinuclear NMR chemical shifts of related pyridinium ions correlate well with the redox potentials of bispyridinylidenes, with R and standard errors (S) reaching 0.

Longitudinal Examination of Which Married Young Women Use Contraception to Delay a First Pregnancy in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India.

Early marriage and childbearing put young women and their babies at risk of poor health and well-being. This study uses two rounds of longitudinal data from young women ages 15-19 in 2015-2016 and followed in 2018-2019 to determine factors associated with contraceptive use before a first pregnancy among young, married women in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India. Discrete time hazard models were used to analyze time to first use starting from the month of marriage.

The more, the better: influence of family planning discussions during the maternal, newborn and child health continuum of care on postpartum contraceptive uptake and method type among young women in Ethiopia.

This study examines the association between family planning (FP) discussions with health professionals during contact points on the maternal, newborn and child health continuum of care and timing of modern contraceptive uptake and method type in the one-year following childbirth in six regions of Ethiopia among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). : This paper uses panel data of women aged 15-24 who were interviewed during pregnancy and the postpartum period between 2019-2021 as part of the PMA Ethiopia survey (n=652).  : Despite the majority of pregnant and postpartum AGYW attending antenatal care (ANC), giving birth in a health facility, and attending vaccination visits, one-third or less of those who received the service reported discussion of FP at any of these visits.

"So let me give you money, you give me what I want": decision-making priorities around contraceptive method and source choice among young women in Kenya.

Background: Many factors influence young women's choice of contraceptive methods and where to source them, yet less is known about whether one of these choices (method or source) is prioritized and the relationship between these choices. This study qualitatively explored decision-making around contraceptive method and source choice among young women in Kenya.

Methods: In August-September 2019, 30 in-depth interviews were conducted with women ages 18-24 who had used two or more contraceptive methods and resided in three counties: Nairobi, Mombasa or Migori.

Community perspectives on family planning service quality among users and non-users: a qualitative study from two cities in Burkina Faso.

Background: Most studies that focus on quality of family planning (FP) services collect data from facilities. These studies miss the perspectives of quality from women who do not visit a facility and for whom perceived quality may be a barrier to service utilization.

Methods: This qualitative study from two cities in Burkina Faso examines perceived quality of FP services from women who were recruited at the community level to avoid potential biases based on recruiting women at facilities.

Choice of a family planning outlet in urban areas: The role of distance and quality of services in Kenya and Uganda.

Introduction: Quality of care and physical access to health facilities affect facility choice for family planning (FP). These factors may disproportionately impact young contraceptive users. Understanding which components of service quality drive facility choice among contraceptive users of all ages can inform strategies to strengthen FP programming for all potential users of FP.

The association of quality contraceptive counseling measures with postabortion contraceptive method acceptance and choice: results from client exit interviews across eight countries.

The availability of a variety of modern contraceptive methods is necessary but insufficient to provide a high-quality contraceptive service to postabortion clients. Women, especially young women, must be empowered to make informed choices about which methods they receive, including whether to use contraception following an abortion service. In this study, we conducted 2,488 client exit interviews with abortion clients after their induced abortion service or postabortion care visit in Ipas-supported health facilities in eight countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda.

Evidence for Cardiac Glycosides in Foliage of Colorado Potato Beetle-Resistant .

, the Colorado potato beetle (CPB), is a herbivore that primarily feeds on foliage and is a global pest of the potato agricultural industry. Potato breeding through cross-hybridization with CPB-resistant wild relatives is used for genetic improvement. The wild species was demonstrated to deter CPB feeding in choice and no choice feeding assays.

Using structural equation modeling to examine the influence of family planning social norms on modern contraceptive use in Nigeria.

Despite high knowledge of family planning (FP) among Nigerian women, use of modern contraceptives remains low. While FP investments in Nigeria have been ongoing for decades, relatively little emphasis on contextual and structural factors may have contributed to low demand for and use of contraception. From 2009 to 2014, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) supported the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) with the aim of increasing voluntary use of contraceptives among women ages 15-49 years in six Nigerian cities.

Contraceptive method use trajectories among young women in Kenya: A qualitative study.

Background: Many young women experience important key life transitions during adolescence and early adulthood, such as initiation of sexual activity, first use of contraceptives, marriage, and childbirth. For young women to be able to plan and manage their lives, it is critical to understand how these life events intersect and shape their contraceptive decision-making. This study aims to explore young women's contraceptive method use trajectories, including the factors that influence contraceptive decision-making throughout adolescence and youth.

Longitudinal examination of young married women's fertility and family planning intentions and how they relate to subsequent family planning use in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh India.

Objectives: This study examines which fertility and family planning (FP) intentions are related to subsequent FP use in a sample of young, married women in India.

Design: We use 3-year longitudinal data from married women ages 15-19 in 2015-2016 (wave 1) who are not using contraception to examine factors associated with any use of FP in 2018-2019 (wave 2).

Setting: Data were collected in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India.

"I Got What I Came for": A Qualitative Exploration into Family Planning Client Satisfaction in Dosso Region, Niger.

Background: Client satisfaction is recognized as an important construct for evaluating health service provision, yet the field of family planning (FP) lacks a standard approach to its measurement. Further, little is known about satisfaction with FP services in Niger, the site of this study. This study aims to understand what features of FP visits were satisfactory or dissatisfactory from a woman's perspective and reflect on the conceptualization and measurement of satisfaction with FP services.

Does Provider Bias Affect Choice of a Facility for Family Planning Services by Women in Urban Senegal?

Few studies to date have determined the effect of provider bias based on age, parity, and marital status on women's method and facility choice. Using data from women using modern methods in six cities of Senegal and a facility survey that included a facility audit and provider interviews, we undertake conditional logit analyses to determine whether women's choice of a family planning facility is associated with provider bias at the facility, controlling for other facility characteristics (e.g.

Perceptions of peer contraceptive use and its influence on contraceptive method use and choice among young women and men in Kenya: a quantitative cross-sectional study.

Background: Prior research has established that an individual's social environment may influence his or her reproductive behaviors, yet less is known about peer influence on contraceptive use among young people (ages 15-24). In Kenya, the site of this study, 15% of adolescents ages 15-19 have begun childbearing and 45% of sexually active young women report current use of a modern contraceptive method. This highlights the need to better understand what factors influence young people to use contraception.

Assessment of segmentation and targeted counseling on family planning quality of care and client satisfaction: a facility-based survey of clients in Niger.

Background: Niger demonstrates high fertility and low contraceptive use that are typical in much of the West and Central African region. The government of Niger has committed to increasing modern contraceptive use as part of its health strategy. Designing and testing strategies to improve quality of care and satisfaction of family planning clients is important for addressing low contraceptive use in contexts like Niger.

Return to pregnancy after contraceptive discontinuation to become pregnant: a pooled analysis of West and East African populations.

Background: The fear of infertility or delayed return to fertility is a common barrier to contraceptive use in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among young or nulliparous women. Global evidence on return to pregnancy after method discontinuation suggests these fears may be misplaced; yet the topic has not been widely studied in sub-Saharan Africa nor by age and parity group.

Methods: Reproductive calendar data from recent Demographic and Health Surveys of 15 sub-Saharan African countries were used to analyze time-to-pregnancy following discontinuation of a contraceptive method with the reason to become pregnant.

A vignette-based approach to understanding social norms around family planning in three Nigerian cities.

Understanding the mechanisms through which social norms shape contraceptive use can help prevent unintended pregnancies in low-income countries. The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) aimed to increase contraceptive uptake through advocacy, service delivery, and demand generation. Using data from focus group discussions, we examined whether social norms around family planning (FP), and specifically use of modern contraception (MC), varied among women and girls of reproductive age exposed to varying levels of the programme in three Nigerian cities.

Her, his, and their fertility desires and contraceptive behaviours: A focus on young couples in six countries.

Most studies examining contraceptive use among women focus on their own fertility desires and family planning attitudes and do not incorporate the desires and attitudes of their partner. Using Demographic and Health Survey data from young couples (wife is aged 15-24) from six countries, we use descriptive and multivariate analyses to examine the association between couple-level fertility desires and current contraceptive use and women's future intention to use contraception. Results demonstrate that young couples want to have children immediately or may want to delay having children for two or more years; very few do not want (more) children.

The association of empowerment measures with maternal, child and family planning outcomes in Plateau State Nigeria by urban-rural residence.

Background: Nigeria is experiencing a high level of urbanization and urban poverty. Within Nigeria maternal and child health and family planning outcomes may differ by residence (capital city, urban/non-capital city and rural) as well as by measures of women's empowerment and wealth. This paper presents a detailed analysis of maternal and child health and family planning outcomes in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Influences on contraceptive method choice among adolescent women across urban centers in Nigeria: a qualitative study.

Background: Despite calls to increase contraceptive use among adolescents and youth, large gaps still exist, creating an unmet need for family planning. Past research has focused on barriers to seeking a method. There is less understanding of the types of methods young women want and who and what influences these decisions.

Government stakeholders' perspectives on the family planning environment in three Nigerian cities: qualitative findings from the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) Sustainability Study.

: The Nigerian government has made numerous commitments to expanding access to family planning services for its population yet has faced many challenges in implementing these commitments. Foreign donors provide support for expanding access to family planning in key populations. : This study examines the family planning environment after donor funding has ended, including how government stakeholders perceive family planning services and their role in providing them post donor funding.

Factors promoting sustainability of NURHI programme activities in Ilorin and Kaduna, Nigeria: findings from a qualitative study among health facility staff.

Objectives: The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) was implemented in six urban sites in Nigeria from 2009 to early 2015. Under a second phase (NURHI-2), activities ceased operations in four of the original six sites in 2015 (Ilorin, Abuja, Benin City and Zaria), and continued in two sites (Kaduna and Ibadan). This paper examines the sustainability of facility-based intervention activities implemented under NURHI-1 in Ilorin and Kaduna.

Influences on seeking a contraceptive method among adolescent women in three cities in Nigeria.

Background: Despite international support for increasing access to contraceptives among adolescents, gaps in use still exist worldwide. Past research has identified barriers to use across all levels of the socioecological model including restrictive policies, a lack of youth friendly services, and knowledge gaps. This study was conducted to further identify influences on contraceptive use among adolescent girls in Nigeria in hopes of guiding future policies and programs.

The Examination of Diffusion Effects on Modern Contraceptive Use in Nigeria.

This study uses data gathered for an evaluation of a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded initiative designed to increase modern contraceptive use in select urban areas of Nigeria. When the initiative was conceived, the hope was that any positive momentum in the cities would diffuse to surrounding areas. Using a variety of statistical methods, we study three aspects of diffusion and their effects on modern contraceptive use: spread through mass communications, social learning, and social influence.