Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced Antituberculosis Drug Concentrations in HIV-Infected Patients Who Are Men or Have Low Weight: Implications for International Dosing Guidelines

ABSTRACT Reduced antituberculosis drug concentrations may contribute to unfavorable treatment outcomes among HIV-infected patients with more advanced immune suppression, and few studies have evaluated pharmacokinetics of the first-line antituberculosis drugs in such patients given fixed-dose combination tablets according to international guidelines using weight bands. In this study, pharmacokinetics were evaluated in 60 patients on 4 occasions during the first month of antituberculosis therapy. Multilevel linear mixed-effects regression analysis was used to examine the effects of age, sex, weight, drug dose/kilogram, CD4+ lymphocyte count, treatment schedule (5 versus 7 days/week), and concurrent antiretrovirals (efavirenz plus lamivudine plus zidovudine) on the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 12 h (AUC0-12) of the respective antituberculosis drugs and to compare AUC0-12s at day 8, day 15, and day 29 with the day 1 AUC0-12. Median (range) age, weight, and CD4+ lymphocyte count were 32 (18 to 47) years, 55.2 (34.4 to 98.7) kg, and 252 (12 to 500)/μl. For every 10-kg increase in body weight, the predicted day 29 AUC0-12 increased by 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.5, 20.8), 14.1% (95% CI, −0.7, 31.1), 6.1% (95% CI, 2.7, 9.6) and 6.0% (95% CI, 0.8, 11.3) for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, respectively. Males had day 29 AUC0-12s 19.3% (95% CI, 3.6, 35.1) and 14.0% (95% CI, 5.6, 22.4) lower than females for rifampin and pyrazinamide, respectively. Level of immune suppression and concomitant antiretrovirals had little effect on the concentrations of the antituberculosis agents. As they had reduced drug concentrations, it is important to review treatment responses in patients in the lower weight bands and males to inform future treatment guidelines, and revision of doses in these patients should be considered.
Psychologists and smoking cessation intervention: unrealised potential

Smoking cessation interventions during routine clinical encounters by health professionals have the potential to reach smokers and facilitate cessation. Although psychologists might appear to be ideal providers of such interventions, international research suggests that their provision is limited. This paper reports the results of a survey conducted in NSW, Australia, of psychologists' (n = 72) smoking intervention practices, attitudes, and barriers to providing such care. Less than half of the respondents reported assessing smoking status for 'all or nearly all' of their clients. Across a range of smoking cessation intervention types, the most frequent response given indicated provision to 'none or almost none' of clients who smoked. Only 13% of respondents indicated even 'advising cessation' to 'all or nearly all' of their smoking clients. Barriers included concern about negative influence on the therapeutic relationship, inadequacy of training and lack of confidence to intervene. Respondents were less likely to provide intervention for smoking than for cannabis, methamphetamine 'ice', and alcohol. The study suggests that the potential of Australian psychologists to assist smokers to quit is not being realised, and that there is a need to address the barriers to care provision.
Please Scroll down for Article Journal of Human Development the Capability Approach: a Theoretical Survey the Capability Approach: a Theoretical Survey

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Abstract This paper aims to present a theoretical survey of the capability approach in an interdisciplinary and accessible way. It focuses on the main conceptual and theoretical aspects of the capability approach, as developed by Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum, and others. The capability approach is a broad normative framework for the evaluation and assessment of individual well-being and social arrangements, the design of policies, and proposals about social change in society. Its main characteristics are its highly interdisciplinary character, and the focus on the plural or multidimensional aspects of well-being. The approach highlights the difference between means and ends, and between substantive freedoms (capabilities) and outcomes (achieved functionings).
Biphasic Insulin Secretion After Intravenous but Not After Intraportal CCK-8 Infusion in Rats

The effects of physiological doses of sulfated cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) on insulin secretion were investigated in unrestrained unanesthetized rats. The routes of administration were intravenous or intraportal infusion. Intravenous infusion (0.33–5.0 μg CCK-8 · kg−1 · 20 min−1) resulted in a biphasic response pattern consisting of a fast 1st-min rise in plasma insulin concentration and a slower second phase that lasted throughout the infusion. The first phase showed the same amplitude with all amounts of CCK-8 administered in this study, whereas the second phase exhibited dose dependency. Blood glucose levels were lowered during all infusions of CCK-8, although the second phase of insulin release was absent with the lowest dose. These results suggest a strong stimulatory effect of CCK-8 on the pancreatic β-cells, probably by changing the set point for glucose. The described effects of intravenous administration of CCK-8 cannot be produced when the infusion is given into the portal vein. Only very high concentrations of CCK-8 (15 μg · kg−1 · 20 min−1) produced a small increase in plasma insulin levels, indicating a strong CCK-8-eliminating mechanism in the liver. These results indicate that 1) CCK-8 evokes biphasic insulin release and a concomitant drop in glucose levels, and 2) CCK-8 acting on the β-cell in vivo is not of intestinal origin but is probably released by the pancreatic vagai branch.
Economics and Electronic Commerce: Survey and Directions for Research

This article reviews the growing body of research on electronic commerce from the perspective of economic analysis. It begins by constructing a new framework for understanding electronic commerce research, then identifies the range of applicable theory and current research in the context of the new conceptual model. It goes on to assess the state-of-the-art of knowledge about electronic commerce phenomena in terms of the levels of analysis here proposed. And finally,it charts the directions along which useful work in this area might be developed. This survey and framework are intended to induce researchers in the field of information systems, the authors' reference discipline, and other areas in schools of business and management to recognize that research on electronic commerce is business-school research, broadly defined. As such, developments in this research area in the next several years will occur across multiple business-school disciplines, and there will be a growing impetus for greater interdisciplinary communication and interaction.
Optimal Monetary Policy and Asset Price Misalignments

This paper analyses the relationship between monetary policy and asset prices in the context of optimal policy rules. The transmission mechanism is represented by a linearized rational expectations model augmented for the effect of asset prices on aggregate demand. Stabilization objectives are represented by a discounted quadratic loss function penalizing inflation and output gap volatility. Asset prices are allowed to deviate from their intrinsic value due to momentum trading. We find that in the presence of wealth effects and inefficient markets, asset price misalignments from their fundamentals should be included in the optimal interest rate reaction function.
Selective inhibition of esophageal cancer cells by combination of HDAC inhibitors and Azacytidine

Esophageal cancers are highly aggressive tumors with poor prognosis despite some recent advances in surgical and radiochemotherapy treatment options. This study addressed the feasibility of drugs targeting epigenetic modifiers in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) cells. We tested inhibition of histone deacetylases (HDACs) by SAHA, MS-275, and FK228, inhibition of DNA methyltransferases by Azacytidine (AZA) and Decitabine (DAC), and the effect of combination treatment using both types of drugs. The drug targets, HDAC1/2/3 and DNMT1, were expressed in normal esophageal epithelium and tumor cells of ESCC or EAC tissue specimens, as well as in non-neoplastic esophageal epithelial (Het-1A), ESCC (OE21, Kyse-270, Kyse-410), and EAC (OE33, SK-GT-4) cell lines. In vitro, HDAC activity, histone acetylation, and p21 expression were similarly affected in non-neoplastic, ESCC, and EAC cell lines post inhibitor treatment. Combined MS-275/AZA treatment, however, selectively targeted esophageal cancer cell lines by inducing DNA damage, cell viability loss, and apoptosis, and by decreasing cell migration. Non-neoplastic Het-1A cells were protected against HDACi (MS-275)/AZA treatment. RNA transcriptome analyses post MS-275 and/or AZA treatment identified novel regulated candidate genes (up: BCL6, Hes2; down: FAIM, MLKL), which were specifically associated with the treatment responses of esophageal cancer cells. In summary, combined HDACi/AZA treatment is efficient and selective for the targeting of esophageal cancer cells, despite similar target expression of normal and esophageal cancer epithelium, in vitro and in human esophageal carcinomas. The precise mechanisms of action of treatment responses involve novel candidate genes regulated by HDACi/AZA in esophageal cancer cells. Together, targeting of epigenetic modifiers in esophageal cancers may represent a potential future therapeutic approach.
Discussion task demands and revising probabilities in the selection task: a comment on Green, Over, and Pyne

Green, Over, and Pyne's (1997) paper (hereafter referred to as “GOP”) seems to provide a novel approach to examining probabilistic effects in Wason's selection task. However, in this comment, it is argued that their chosen experimental paradigm confounds most of their results. The task demands of the externalisation procedure (Green, 1995) enforce a correlation between card selections and the probability of finding a counterexample, which was the main finding of GOP's experiments. Consequently GOP cannot argue that their data support Kirby's (1994) proposal that people's normal strategy in the selection task is to seek falsifying evidence. Despite this methodological problem, effects of the probability of the antecedent (p) of a conditional rule, if p then q, predicted by Kirby (1994) and by Oaksford and Chater (1994) were observed, although they were inconsistent between Experiments 1 and 2. Moreover, the probability estimates that GOP collected, which are not vulnerable to that methodological criticism,.
The Effect of Core Strengthening on Performance of Young Competitive Swimmers

Study design: Randomized control trial Objectives: To assess the added effect of core strengthening on performance within young competitive swimmers. Background: There have been studies in the past which evaluated efficacy of various exercise protocols in improving performance in young competitive swimmers. This improvement was expressed in terms of changes in the values of sprint time and stroking characteristics. The need of the hour has favored us answer this research question regarding the efficiency of core strengthening program in improving the performing in the young competitive swimmers. Methods: 60 young competitive swimmers (mean±SD, Age 14.2 ± 1.49) participated in the study of both sexes divided in two groups. (N= 60, n1= 30, n2= 30). Outcome measures were evaluated before and after 6 weeks of an additional core strengthening. Repeated measures ANOVA, Friedman test, Unpaired ttest and Mann Whitney U test were used to analyze their performance. Results: Significant differences between values of outcome measures were noted between experimental and control group at p < 0.05. Conclusion: Added core muscle strengthening enhanced the performance in young competitive swimmers projected as significant improvements in 50m freestyle sprint time, velocity and stroke index. Level of Evidence: Therapy, level 1b.
Neuropsychological Aspects of Developmental Dyscalculia.

The classification of arithmetic disorders has traditionally been predicated on neuropsychological features and associated learning disabilities. We assessed the compatibility of these classifications on a non-referred, population-based cohort of 139 children with developmental dyscalculia (DC). The assessment battery included reading and spelling tests, evaluation for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), ReyOsterreith complex figure, Benton's test of facial recognition, ten-word learning test, word fluency, trail making, tapping sequence, and sequential hand movements. Arithmetic was assessed using an individually administered, standardised arithmetic battery. ADHD was assessed clinically and by questionnaires. The hypotheses tested in this study were (1) whether children with DC and disabilities in reading (R) and/or spelling (RS) had better arithmetic skills than children with DC only and (2) whether ADHD as a co-morbid diagnosis wo.
Integrative “omic” analysis reveals distinctive cold responses in leaves and roots of strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa ‘Korona’

To assess underlying metabolic processes and regulatory mechanisms during cold exposure of strawberry, integrative “omic” approaches were applied to Fragaria × ananassa Duch. ‘Korona. ’ Both root and leaf tissues were examined for responses to the cold acclimation processes. Levels of metabolites, proteins, and transcripts in tissues from plants grown at 18°C were compared to those following 1–10 days of cold (2°C) exposure. When leaves and roots were subjected to GC/TOF-MS-based metabolite profiling, about 160 compounds comprising mostly structurally annotated primary and secondary metabolites, were found. Overall, ‘Korona’ showed a modest increase of protective metabolites such as amino acids (aspartic acid, leucine, isoleucine, and valine), pentoses, phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated hexoses, and distinct compounds of the raffinose pathway (galactinol and raffinose). Distinctive responses were observed in roots and leaves. By 2DE proteomics a total of 845 spots were observed in leaves; 4.6% changed significantly in response to cold. Twenty-one proteins were identified, many of which were associated with general metabolism or photosynthesis. Transcript levels in leaves were determined by microarray, where dozens of cold associated transcripts were quantitatively characterized, and levels of several potential key contributors (e.g., the dehydrin COR47 and GADb) to cold tolerance were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Cold responses are placed within the existing knowledge base of low temperature-induced changes in plants, allowing an evaluation of the uniqueness or generality of Fragaria responses in photosynthetic tissues. Overall, the cold response characteristics of ‘Korona’ are consistent with a moderately cold tolerant plant.
Dual Task Performance in Parkinson’s Disease

Several studies have found dual tasking to be impaired in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but unaffected by healthy ageing. It is not known if this deficit is specific to AD, or also present in other neurodegenerative disorders that can occur in later life, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, this study investigated dual tasking in 13 people with PD, 26 AD and 42 healthy age-matched controls. The people with AD demonstrated a specific impairment in dual tasking, which worsened with increasing disease severity. The people with PD did not demonstrate any deficits in dual tasking ability, when compared to healthy controls, suggesting that the dual task impairment is specific to AD.
Introducing Financial Frictions and Unemployment into a Small Open Economy Model

The current …nancial crisis has made it abundantly clear that business cycle modeling no longer can abstract from …nancial factors. It is also becoming increasingly clear that the stylized modeling of labor markets without explicit unemployment that is the current standard approach has its limitations. Some questions which the dominating extant business cycle models are mute on, but that we would like to answer are: How important are …nancial and labor market frictions for the business cycle dynamics of a
Multiview Rectification of Folded Documents

Digitally unwrapping images of paper sheets is crucial for accurate document scanning and text recognition. This paper presents a method for automatically rectifying curved or folded paper sheets from a few images captured from multiple viewpoints. Prior methods either need expensive 3D scanners or model deformable surfaces using over-simplified parametric representations. In contrast, our method uses regular images and is based on general developable surface models that can represent a wide variety of paper deformations. Our main contribution is a new robust rectification method based on ridge-aware 3D reconstruction of a paper sheet and unwrapping the reconstructed surface using properties of developable surfaces via <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ell _1$</tex-math> <alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="you-ieq1-2675980.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> conformal mapping. We present results on several examples including book pages, folded letters and shopping receipts.
An Experimental Study of the Role of Expectation and Variation in Music

PSYCHOLOGISTS, MUSICIANS, AND LAYMAN are agreed that music is often a powerful source of affect.1 Yet we know relatively little about the basis for this power of music to arouse emotion in the listener. Studies have attempted to show that music is capable of inducing a mood effect, or that there are affective qualities in music which can be identified by listeners; they have also correlated certain musical attributes, such as the minor mode, with specific emotional reactions. But such experiments, employing introspective reports, check lists of emotions, and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) measurements, have yielded no information about the characteristics of the musical stimuli actually involved in evoking the response. Directly relevant to this question is the theory of musical aesthetics formulated by Leonard Meyer, as presented in his Emotion and Meaning in Music. Starting from a psychological theory of emotions first proposed by Dewey, Meyer invokes the concept of expectation as a central factor determining the aesthetic response. His basic hypothesis states that "affect or emotion-felt is aroused when an expectation-a tendency to respond-activated by the musical stimulus situation, is temporarily inhibited or permanently blocked. "2 Expectations are products of our knowledge of the particular musical style, the individual work, and the modes of human perception and cognition. Any musical figure which deviates from the expected musical sequence is felt to be a disruption in the normal process of continuation and, hence, arouses tension in the listener, which is then resolved when a satisfactory musical resolution appears.
An Information-Processing Model of Jury Decision Making

An experiment was designed to test a model of jury decision making. This model, the linear discrepancy model, is an information-processing model which posits that when jurors hear an argument during deliberation, they adjust their opinion toward the message. The amount of change is a linear function of the discrepancy between the opinion expressed in the message and the jurors' opinions. An unequal-speaking version of this model, contrasting the speaking frequency of the foreperson and other jury members was constructed. Trial outcomes and postdeliberation variances were predicted accurately by the model in an experiment employing impaneled jurors.
Identification of Hexose Transporter-Like Sensor HXS1 and Functional Hexose Transporter HXT1 in the Methylotrophic Yeast Hansenula polymorpha

ABSTRACT We identified in the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha (syn. Pichia angusta) a novel hexose transporter homologue gene, HXS1 (hexose sensor), involved in transcriptional regulation in response to hexoses, and a regular hexose carrier gene, HXT1 (hexose transporter). The Hxs1 protein exhibits the highest degree of primary sequence similarity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae transporter-like glucose sensors, Snf3 and Rgt2. When heterologously overexpressed in an S. cerevisiae hexose transporter-less mutant, Hxt1, but not Hxs1, restores growth on glucose or fructose, suggesting that Hxs1 is nonfunctional as a carrier. In its native host, HXS1 is expressed at moderately low level and is required for glucose induction of the H. polymorpha functional low-affinity glucose transporter Hxt1. Similarly to other yeast sensors, one conserved amino acid substitution in the Hxs1 sequence (R203K) converts the protein into a constitutively signaling form and the C-terminal region of Hxs1 is essential for its function in hexose sensing. Hxs1 is not required for glucose repression or catabolite inactivation that involves autophagic degradation of peroxisomes. However, HXS1 deficiency leads to significantly impaired transient transcriptional repression in response to fructose, probably due to the stronger defect in transport of this hexose in the hxs1Δ deletion strain. Our combined results suggest that in the Crabtree-negative yeast H. polymorpha, the single transporter-like sensor Hxs1 mediates signaling in the hexose induction pathway, whereas the rate of hexose uptake affects the strength of catabolite repression.
Productivity Growth : Theory and Measurement

Productivity growth has received greater attention from economists and policy makers in Asia in the 1990s. This is partly due to the work of Alwyn Young (1992, 1995) and Paul Krugman (1994), who argued that economic growth in Asia is driven by the accumulation of the inputs in the production process rather than by increases in productivity. In other words they, in particular Krugman, believe that the Asian economic miracle is largely attributable to an increase in the quantity and not the quality of the factors of production. Further analysis and evidence showed that as countries become more developed and move closer to the limits of factor accumulation, they rely more and more on increasing productivity to sustain the economic growth process. In fact, some studies (such as Rao and Owyong 1997) indicate that this process of productivity growth is already occurring in the more developed economies in the region. Nonetheless, policy makers and economists alike have begun to recognize more fully the importance of technology and productivity in economic growth. In order to facilitate this process of understanding the movements in productivity and designing the right policies to enhance it, it is critical to be able to first get a handle on what exactly productivity is and how to measure it. This will be the focus of this article.