Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing Anti-Malaria Bednets Uptake Using Information and Distribution Strategies

This paper studies the effect of information on malaria and of distribution strategies on the demand for anti-malaria bednets. We use a randomized experiment in the city of Thies in Senegal. We offer two orthogonal treatments to a random sample of households. The first is a sale treatment and consists of (1) an offer to purchase on the spot a bednet at a subsidized price or (2) an offer to purchase a bednet at the same subsidized price with a voucher valid for 7 days. The second is an information treatment that consists of a ten-minute information session on malaria related issues. We find that information has no significant effect on the demand of bednets and that, receiving a voucher increases purchasing by 20%. Our results suggest that selling bednets at a subsidized prize allowing for some flexibility with a short period of seven days increases purchase compared to the on-the-spot sale approach.
Basal sliding of Ice Stream B, West Antarctica

Abstract A “tethered stake” apparatus is used to measure basal sliding in a borehole on Ice Stream B, West Antaretica, about 300 km upstream (east) from its grounding line near the head of the Ross Ice Shelf. A metal stake, emplaced at the top of a laver of unfrozen till underlying the ice, is connected by a tether line to a metering unit that measures the tether line as it is pulled out from the borehole by the stake as a result of basal sliding. The measured sliding motion includes any actual slip across the ice–till interface and may include in addition a possible contribution from shear deformation of till within about 3 cm of the interface. This 3 cm figure follows from a qualitative model of the movements of the stake in the course of the experiment, based on features of the record of apparent sliding. Alternative but less likely models would increase the figure from 3 cm to 10 cm or 25 cm. In any case it is small compared to the seismically inferred till thickness of 9 m. Measured apparent sliding averages 69% of the total motion of 1.2 m d−1 over 26 days of observation if a 3.5 day period of slow apparent sliding (8% of the total motion) is included in the average. The occurrence of the slow period raises the possibility that the sliding motion switches back and forth between c.80% and c. 8% of the total motion, on a time-scale of a few days. However, it is likely that the period of slow apparent sliding represents instead a period when the stake got caught on the ice sole. If the slow period is therefore omitted, the indicated average basal sliding rate is 83% of the total motion. In either case, basal sliding predominates as the cause of the rapid ice-stream motion. In the last 2 days of observation the average apparent sliding rate reached 1.17 m d−1, essentially 100% of the motion of the ice stream. If till deformation contributes significantly to the ice-stream motion, the contribution is concentrated in a shear zone 3 cm to possibly 25 cm thick at the top of the 9 m thick till layer. These observations, if applicable to the West Antaretic ice sheet in general, pose complications in modeling the rapid ice-streaming motion.
Orally administered colony stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor PLX3397 in recurrent glioblastoma: an Ivy Foundation Early Phase Clinical Trials Consortium phase II study.

BACKGROUND The colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) ligands, CSF1 and interleukin-34, and the KIT ligand, stem cell factor, are expressed in glioblastoma (GB). Microglia, macrophages, blood vessels, and tumor cells also express CSF1R, and depletion of the microglia reduces tumor burden and invasive capacity. PLX3397 is an oral, small molecule that selectively inhibits CSF1R and KIT, penetrates the blood-brain barrier in model systems, and represents a novel approach for clinical development. METHODS We conducted a phase II study in patients with recurrent GB. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS6). Secondary endpoints included overall survival response rate, safety, and plasma/tumor tissue pharmacokinetics. Exploratory endpoints included pharmacodynamic measures of drug effect in blood and tumor tissue. RESULTS A total of 37 patients were enrolled, with 13 treated prior to a planned surgical resection (Cohort 1) and 24 treated without surgery (Cohort 2). PLX3397 was given at an oral dose of 1000 mg daily and was well tolerated. The primary efficacy endpoint of PFS6 was only 8.6%, with no objective responses. Pharmacokinetic endpoints revealed a median maximal concentration (Cmax) of 8090 ng/mL, with a time to attain Cmax of 2 hour in plasma. Tumor tissue obtained after 7 days of drug exposure revealed a median drug level of 5500 ng/g. Pharmacodynamic changes included an increase in colony stimulating factor 1 and reduced CD14(dim)/CD16+ monocytes in plasma compared with pretreatment baseline values. CONCLUSION PLX3397 was well tolerated and readily crossed the blood-tumor barrier but showed no efficacy. Additional studies are ongoing, testing combination strategies and potential biomarkers to identify patients with greater likelihood of response.
Segmented Switchers and Retailer Pricing Strategies

Empirical studies reveal a surprisingly wide variety of pricing strategies among retailers, even among Internet sellers of undifferentiated homogeneous goods, such as books and music CDs. Several empirical findings remain puzzling; for example, within the same market, some small retailers decide to discount deeply, whereas others forgo the price-sensitive switchers and price high. The authors present theoretical and empirical analyses that address these varied pricing strategies. A model of three asymmetric firms shows that under multiple switcher segments, in which different switchers compare prices at different retailers, firm-specific loyalty is not sufficient to explain the variety of pricing strategies. The authors demonstrate that a retailer's strategy to discount deeply or frequently is driven by the ratio of the size of switcher segments for which the retailer competes to its loyal segment size. The relative switcher-to-loyal ratios among retailers explain situations in which a small retailer finds it optimal to price high, despite having few loyals, or to discount and go for the switchers. The results of two empirical studies confirm the model's predictions for varied pricing strategies in the context of Internet booksellers. The analyses also present several implications. A small retailer can sometimes benefit from strategically limiting its access to switchers to soften price competition. A midsized retailer can benefit from targeting its switcher acquisition activities toward its larger rival, given the shallower discounts involved. When most switchers widely compare prices, a large retailer should offer few shallow discounts because other firms will more aggressively discount. The importance of switcher segmentation suggests that managers should carefully measure switching behavior in devising pricing strategies.
THE RELATION BETWEEN PHYSICAL / FUNCTIONAL FITNESS AND THE BLOOD PRESSURE OF ELDERLY MEN AND WOMEN UDC

The aim of the research was to determine the connection between physical fitness and the blood pressure of elderly men and women. The sample of subjects encompassed 60 men and 60 women who were aged 65 to 70. The senior fitness test with six measuring instruments was used for the evaluation of hand strength, upper and lower extremity mobility, stamina and agility/dynamic balance. The values of systolic and diastolic resting blood pressure, presented in mmHg, were used to evaluate blood pressure. The data were processed by a multivariate regressional analysis. The obtained results indicate that a connection exists between the predictor variables (physical/functional fitness) and systolic and diastolic blood pressure on a sample of men and a sample of women. All of the obtained multiple correlations are significant at the 0.000 level. The greatest contribution to the explanation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure on the basis of the sample of elderly men was made by the variables for the evaluation of aerobic stamina and lower body strength. The greatest contribution to the explanation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure on the basis of the sample of women was made by the variables which were used to evaluate aerobic stamina, lower body strength, arm strength, and lower body mobility.
STUDIES ON THE PATHOGENICITY OF GROUP A STREPTOCOCCI

Four strains of Group A streptococci, possessing different degrees of virulence for both mice and rats, were tested for susceptibility to phagocytosis on glass slides, in glass roller tubes, and on the surfaces of freshly excised tissues and moistened filter paper. All of the tests were performed in the absence of serum to exclude the possible presence of opsonins. Only under conditions which allowed surface phagocytosis to take place was there a correlation between virulence and susceptibility to phagocytosis. A similar relationship between virulence and surface phagocytosis was also demonstrable in vivo during the early stages of experimental streptococcal peritonitis. Systematic study of the evolution of the peritonitis revealed that its outcome was determined by the phagocytic reaction which occurred in the first few hours of the infection.
Nuclear receptor COUP‐TFII‐expressing neocortical interneurons are derived from the medial and lateral/caudal ganglionic eminence and define specific subsets of mature interneurons

Neocortical GABAergic interneurons in rodents originate from subpallial progenitor zones. The majority of mouse neocortical interneurons are derived from the medial and caudal ganglionic eminences (MGE and CGE, respectively) and the preoptic area (POA). It is controversial whether the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE) also generates neocortical interneurons. Previously it was shown that the transcription factor COUP‐TFII is expressed in the CGE; here we show that COUP‐TFII is also expressed in the dorsal MGE, dorsal LGE (dMGE and dLGE, respectively), and POA. In the adult neocortex, COUP‐TFII+/somatostatin (SOM)+ interneurons are mainly located in layer V. Using a genetic fate‐mapping approach (Shh‐Cre and Nkx2.1‐Cre), we demonstrate that the POA and ventral MGE do not give rise to COUP‐TFII+ neocortical interneurons, suggesting that the dMGE is the source of COUP‐TFII+/SOM+ neocortical interneurons. We also observed a migratory stream of COUP‐TFII+/Sp8+ cells emanating from the dLGE and CGE to the neocortex mainly through the subventricular zone at later embryonic stages. Slice culture experiments in which dLGE progenitors were labeled with BrdU provided additional evidence that the dLGE generates neocortical interneurons. While earlier‐born dMGE‐derived COUP‐TFII+ interneurons occupy cortical layer V, later‐born dLGE‐ and CGE‐derived COUP‐TFII+ ones preferentially occupy superficial cortical layers. A similar laminar distribution was observed following neonatal transplantation of embryonic day (E)14.5 dMGE and E15.5 dLGE. These results provide novel information about interneuron fate and position from spatially and temporally distinct origins in the ganglionic eminences. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:479–497, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Global Takeoff of New Products: Culture, Wealth or Vanishing Differences?

The authors study the takeoff of 16 new products across 31 countries 430 categories to analyze how and why takeoff varies across products and countries. They test the effect of 12 hypothesized drivers of takeoff using a parametric hazard model. The authors find that the average time to takeoff varies substantially between developed and developing countries, between work and fun products, across cultural clusters, and over calendar time. Products take off fastest in Japan and Norway, followed by other Nordic countries, the United States, and some countries of Midwestern Europe. Takeoff is driven by culture and wealth plus product class, product vintage, and prior takeoff. Most importantly, time to takeoff is shortening over time and takeoff is converging across countries. The authors discuss the implications of these findings.
Survival mechanisms in a physiological oxidative stress model

The Syrian hamster Harderian gland has as the remarkable feature of an extraordinary rate of porphyrin production, even higher than the liver. The low activity of the last enzyme of the route gives rise to the accumulation of the uncomplex porphyrins in the female glands. Moreover, due to the localization of the Harderian gland, porphyrins exposed to light produce reactive oxygen species and, thus, the gland presents a physiological oxidative stress, with a great number of sings of degeneration, but without compromising the gland integrity. The appearance of abnormal features in this gland was largely described in the past, but the significance is interpreted for the first time in this study. We have found that autophagic processes are the first result of an elevated porphyrin metabolism, as it is observed in both sexes. This mechanism is considered, in this case, as a constant renovation system that allows the normal gland activity to be sustained. Furthermore, there is a second procedure, invasive processes toward connective tissue, which even occasionally reach blood vessels with intravasation of damaged gland components into the bloodstream. This effect is a consequence of a strong oxidative stress environment that is mainly observed in the female gland, resembling to tumoral progression. Both mechanisms, autophagy and invasive processes, have to be implied in the maintenance of the gland integrity.
Time-reversal space-time codes in asynchronous two-way double-antenna relay networks

We consider an asynchronous two-way relay network, in which two double-antenna relays assist in the communication between two single-antenna terminals through analog network coding. The asynchronous transmission between relays and terminals causes symbol misalignments and results in diversity loss in space-time block code (STBC). We propose a zero-padded time-reversal quasi-orthogonal STBC that can achieve full diversity with low-complexity maximum likelihood (ML) decoding, given a bounded delay. With ML decoding, the proposed code is decomposed into several independent parts, which leads to single complex symbol decoding. Proof of full diversity is established, and the decoding complexity order is analyzed for the proposed design. Simulations confirm the full diversity gain. The bit error rate performance in asynchronous scenarios is almost the same as that in synchronous scenarios.
Systems Rebalancing of Metabolism in Response to Sulfur Deprivation, as Revealed by Metabolome Analysis of Arabidopsis Plants1[w]

Sulfur is an essential macroelement in plant and animal nutrition. Plants assimilate inorganic sulfate into two sulfur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine. Low supply of sulfate leads to decreased sulfur pools within plant tissues. As sulfur-related metabolites represent an integral part of plant metabolism with multiple interactions, sulfur deficiency stress induces a number of adaptive responses, which must be coordinated. To reveal the coordinating network of adaptations to sulfur deficiency, metabolite profiling of Arabidopsis has been undertaken. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques revealed the response patterns of 6,023 peaks of nonredundant ion traces and relative concentration levels of 134 nonredundant compounds of known chemical structure. Here, we provide a catalogue of the detected metabolic changes and reconstruct the coordinating network of their mutual influences. The observed decrease in biomass, as well as in levels of proteins, chlorophylls, and total RNA, gives evidence for a general reduction of metabolic activity under conditions of depleted sulfur supply. This is achieved by a systemic adjustment of metabolism involving the major metabolic pathways. Sulfur/carbon/nitrogen are partitioned by accumulation of metabolites along the pathway O-acetylserine to serine to glycine, and are further channeled together with the nitrogen-rich compound glutamine into allantoin. Mutual influences between sulfur assimilation, nitrogen imbalance, lipid breakdown, purine metabolism, and enhanced photorespiration associated with sulfur-deficiency stress are revealed in this study. These responses may be assembled into a global scheme of metabolic regulation induced by sulfur nutritional stress, which optimizes resources for seed production.
New Agendas for Appraisal: Reflections on Theory, Practice, and Research

Appraisal—defined here to include a variety of ex ante techniques and procedures that seek to predict and evaluate the consequences of certain human actions—has been afforded an increasingly important role in environmental policy. We argue in this paper, however, that both the nature of appraisal and its role in the political process have been inadequately conceptualised. Exploring a literature that has tended to polarise ‘technical’ and ‘deliberative’ models, we identify a need for sensitive selection and combination of approaches, taking account of both the object and the objective of appraisal in particular contexts. We suggest that an important role for appraisal (by design or by default) may be that of providing spaces for dialogue and learning in the making of policies and decisions. A better understanding of such processes requires further research, particularly well-designed longitudinal work involving retrospective and ‘real time’ studies of appraisal in practice.
Towards a listening agent: a system generating audiovisual laughs and smiles to show interest

In this work, we experiment with the use of smiling and laughter in order to help create more natural and efficient listening agents. We present preliminary results on a system which predicts smile and laughter sequences in one dialogue participant based on observations of the other participant's behavior. This system also predicts the level of intensity or arousal for these sequences. We also describe an audiovisual concatenative synthesis process used to generate laughter and smiling sequences, producing multilevel amusement expressions from a dataset of audiovisual laughs. We thus present two contributions: one in the generation of smiling and laughter responses, the other in the prediction of what laughter and smiles to use in response to an interlocutor's behaviour. Both the synthesis system and the prediction system have been evaluated via Mean Opinion Score tests and have proved to give satisfying and promising results which open the door to interesting perspectives.
IDEA’s Double Bind: A Synthesis of Disproportionality Policy Interpretations

Disproportionality research has been subject to multiple reviews, but there has been less critical examination of the policy dimension of this enduring educational problem. Given the relevance of federal policies, and interpretations thereof, to educators’ and scholars’ conceptualization of disproportionality and schools’ resultant policies and practices, we provide a brief overview of disproportionality scholarship before focusing on its policy dimensions. We describe the role of federal policy and resultant interpretations to how disproportionality is addressed and our approach to identifying and synthesizing these interpretations. We then analyze the themes apparent in these interpretations: requirements for states’ numerical analysis of “significant disproportionality,” parameters for school systems’ allocation of resources for early intervening services when significant disproportionality is found, and schools’ obligations for nondiscriminatory application of policies and procedures. Finally, we distill implications for school policies, practices, and procedures. We close with discussion of implications for how disproportionality is conceptualized and studied.
Analysis of the social and psychosocial factors associated with adherence to antiretroviral therapy in adolescents with perinatal HIV-1 infection in Panama from a gender perspective

ABSTRACT Adherence is vital for an effective antiretroviral treatment. This cross-sectional study explored social and psychosocial factors associated with adherence among adolescents with perinatal human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection in Panama from a gender perspective. A questionnaire developed for the study was applied to 38 adolescent patients (20 female, 18 male; median age, 14 years). Thirty-two patients (86%; one missing response) still depended on an adult to remember taking their medication, among whom 28 relied on a female relative. Although 18 (47%) patients reported to become ill no more than once a year, only 10 (26%) patients showed an undetectable viral load, and 4 (11%) patients showed no CD4 suppression. Seventeen (45%) patients recalled correctly their medication. During the week prior to the interview, 26 patients (68%) reported that they had missed at least one dose. When asked the reason for missing a dose, 23 out of 34 (68%; 4 missing responses) patients responded, “I forgot”. Female patients gave more excuses for missing doses (mean ± SD number of excuses per female, 2.4 ± 2; per male, 1.2 ± 1; p = .02), while more male than female patients described an action plan if they ran out of medication (13 vs. 8; p = .05). Educational programs involving patients and also family members are warranted to improve adherence.
Differential Effects of Volatile Anesthetics on Hepatic Heme Oxygenase–1 Expression in the Rat

THE microsomal enzyme heme oxygenase (HO; EC 1.14.99.3) catalyzes the oxidation of heme to biliverdin-IXa, iron, and carbon monoxide. 1 So far, three isoforms of this enzyme have been cloned. While HO-2 and HO-3 are constitutively expressed, 2,3 HO-1 is highly inducible in response to a variety of stimuli and has been identiﬁed as the major 32-kd heat shock (stress) protein (HSP) 32. 4 Heme oxygenase–1 is essential for the function of the normal liver and plays a major protective role in the stress-exposed liver. 5 It exerts antioxidant properties by cleavage of the prooxidant heme and by the production of biliverdin, which is subsequently reduced to the antioxidant bilirubin. 6 Furthermore, its product carbon monoxide serves to maintain liver perfusion 5 and has potent antiinﬂammatory effects. 7 Many studies have shown differential effects of volatile anesthetics on the perfusion, function, and integrity of the liver. Moreover, preliminary evidence suggests that volatile anesthetics may interfere with stress gene expression and function. 8 We therefore aimed to deter-mine whether volatile anesthetics affect hepatic HO-1 gene expression.