Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Availability of essential medicines in primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To characterize the availability of tracer medicines in pharmaceutical services in primary health care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). METHODS This is a cross-sectional and evaluative study, part of the Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos – Serviços, 2015 (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines – Services, 2015). To analyze the availability of medicines, we verified 50 items selected from the Relação Nacional de Medicamentos Essenciais (Rename – National List of Essential Medicines) of 2012. Observation scripts were applied to medicine dispensing services in the primary health care. Interviews were carried out with patients, health care professionals, and public managers, using semi-structured questionnaires. The availability index was presented as the percentage of health units where the medicines were available. For statistical analysis, absolute, relative, and mean frequencies were presented (with 95% confidence intervals). The comparison of groups was carried out by Pearson Chi-square tests or variance analysis, when needed. RESULTS One thousand, one hundred, and seventy-five observation scripts were filled in a national representative sample composed by 273 cities. Statistically significant differences were observed regarding the type of unit, infrastructure, and presence of a pharmacist between regions of Brazil. The average availability of tracer medicines in primary health care was 52.9%, with differences between regions and sampling strata. This index increased to 62.5% when phytotherapic medicines were excluded. We found limited availability of medicines for treatment of chronic and epidemiological diseases, such as tuberculosis and congenital syphilis. CONCLUSIONS The low availability of essential medicines purchased centrally by the Brazilian Ministry of Health indicates deficiencies in supply chain management. The different views on the availability of tracer medicines in SUS confirm the general availability verified in this study. Among patients, about 60% said they obtain medicines in SUS units, data consistent with the lack of medicines reported by medicine dispensers and in line with physicians’ evaluations.
A Spectral Method for Generating Surrogate Graph Signals

The increasing availability of network data is leading to a growing interest in processing of signals on graphs. One notable tool for extending conventional signal-processing operations to networks is the graph Fourier transform that can be obtained as the eigendecomposition of the graph Laplacian. In this letter, we used the graph Fourier transform to define a new method for generating surrogate graph signals. The approach is based on sign-randomization of the graph Fourier coefficients and, therefore, the correlation structure of the surrogate graph signals (i.e., smoothness on the graph topology) is imposed by the measured data. The proposed method of surrogate data generation can be widely applied for nonparametric statistical hypothesis testing. Here, we showed a proof-of-concept with a high-density electroencephalography dataset.
Voltage-current properties of superconducting amorphous tungsten

The voltage-current (V-I) characteristics of tungsten (W) strips patterned by focused-ion-beam assisteddeposition werestudiedat differenttemperatures and variousmagnetic fieldsapplied perpendiculartothestrips.Atfieldsof1Tesla(T)and2 T,ascalingbehaviorwasobservedinV-Iisotherms,whichcanbefittedby quasi-three-dimensional (quasi-3D) vortex-glass (VG) to liquid transition theory.
Compression as a Universal Principle of Animal Behavior

A key aim in biology and psychology is to identify fundamental principles underpinning the behavior of animals, including humans. Analyses of human language and the behavior of a range of non-human animal species have provided evidence for a common pattern underlying diverse behavioral phenomena: Words follow Zipf's law of brevity (the tendency of more frequently used words to be shorter), and conformity to this general pattern has been seen in the behavior of a number of other animals. It has been argued that the presence of this law is a sign of efficient coding in the information theoretic sense. However, no strong direct connection has been demonstrated between the law and compression, the information theoretic principle of minimizing the expected length of a code. Here, we show that minimizing the expected code length implies that the length of a word cannot increase as its frequency increases. Furthermore, we show that the mean code length or duration is significantly small in human language, and also in the behavior of other species in all cases where agreement with the law of brevity has been found. We argue that compression is a general principle of animal behavior that reflects selection for efficiency of coding.
The probability-distributed principle and runoff production at point and basin scales

ABSTRACT The probability-distributed principle in basin-scale hydrology considers the frequency of occurrence of hydrological variables (model inputs, parameters or elements) of certain magnitudes over the basin without regard to the location of a particular occurrence within the basin. The random assemblage of different parts is considered more important than the relation of the parts, one to another. Rainfall-runoff models based on probability-distributed infiltration capacity and storage capacity concepts, and which generate runoff according to Hortonian and saturation overland flow mechanisms respectively, are distinguished. Two types of probability-distributed storage capacity model are identified, one based on an assumption that storage elements at points in the basin respond independently of their neighbours, and the other where storage elements interact so as to equalize the depth of stored water over the basin. Allowing redistribution of water leads to simplification of the model equations. The p.
Clinical Incidence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Colonization or Infection as a Proxy Measure for MRSA Transmission in Acute Care Hospitals

Background. The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization or infection has been used as a proxy measure for MRSA transmission, but incidence calculations vary depending on whether active surveillance culture (ASC) data are included. Objective. To evaluate the relationship between incidences of MRSA colonization or infection calculated with and without ASCs in intensive care units and non-intensive care units. Setting. A Veterans Affairs medical center. Methods. From microbiology records, incidences of MRSA colonization or infection were calculated with and without ASC data. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the 2 measures, and Poisson regression was used to model temporal trends. A Poisson interaction model was used to test for differences in incidence trends modeled with and without ASCs. Results. The incidence of MRSA colonization or infection calculated with ASCs was 4.9 times higher than that calculated without ASCs. Correlation coefficients for incidences with and without ASCs were 0.42 for intensive care units, 0.59 for non-intensive care units, and 0.48 hospital-wide. Trends over time for the hospital were similar with and without ASCs (incidence rate ratio with ASCs, 0.95 [95% confidence interval, 0.93-0.97]; incidence rate ratio without ASCs, 0.95 [95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.99]; P = .68). Without ASCs, 35% of prevalent cases were falsely classified as incident. Conclusions. At 1 Veterans Affairs medical center, the incidence of MRSA colonization or infection calculated solely on the basis of clinical culture results commonly misclassified incident cases and underestimated incidence, compared with measures that included ASCs; however, temporal changes were similar. These findings suggest that incidence measured without ASCs may not accurately reflect the magnitude of MRSA transmission but may be useful for monitoring transmission trends over time, a crucial element for evaluating the impact of prevention activities.
N-(3,4-Dimethylphenyl)acetamide

The conformation of the N—H bond in the title compound (34DMPA), C10H13NO, is syn to the 3-methyl substituent in the aromatic ring, in contrast to the anti conformation observed with respect to the 3-chloro substituent in N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)acetamide (34DCPA). The asymmetric unit of the structure contains three molecules. The bond parameters in 34DMPA are similar to those in 34DCPA, N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)acetamide, N-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)acetamide and other acetanilides. The molecules in 34DMPA are linked into infinite chains through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding.
Diverse effects of anti‐CD44 antibodies on the stromal cell‐mediated support of normal but not leukaemic (CML) haemopoiesis in vitro

We have identified three non‐cross‐reacting anti‐human CD44 monoclonal antibodies that have significant positive or negative (or no) effects on normal human haemopoiesis in the long‐term culture (LTC) system. These effects manifested as increases or decreases in the number of LTC‐initiating cells (LTC‐IC), and the number of colony‐forming cells (CFC) recovered from cultures in which either unseparated or highly purified CD34+CD38− normal marrow cells were placed on pre‐established normal marrow feeder layers in the presence or absence of each antibody. The effects seen were rapid and sustained, and dependent on the presence of a preformed feeder layer. Interestingly, the same anti‐CD44 antibodies had no effect on the maintenance of leukaemic (Ph+) progenitors (from patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia) when these cells were cultured on preformed feeder layers established from normal marrow. CD44 appears to be part of a mechanism by which stromal elements can regulate primitive normal haemopoietic cells but not their leukaemic (Ph+) counterparts.
Past and future wave climate in the Baltic Sea produced by the SWAN model with forcing from the regional climate model RCA of the Rossby Centre

A hindcast wave database and a wave database based on future climate scenarios for the Baltic Sea, Kattegat and Skagerrak is under development. The wind force used for the wave simulation is coming form the RCA model and the future wind from RCA is based on global climate model ECHAM4 for one emission scenario (IPCC SRES A2). The phase averaged spectral model SWAN (Simulated WAves Nearshore) model is used for simulating the wave field. The model is driven by atmospheric forcing and it simulates waves generated by the wind and their propagation both in deep water and near shore areas. When realistic winds are provided the model has an outstanding performance. Winds from the Mesan reanalysis and the RCA model were used as forcing for the SWAN model simulating short hindcast storms for the validation of the wave model in connection with the winds. RCA results appeared to underestimate extreme winds. A correction was introduced which used an empirical relation between 3-second gust and the wind velocity. The model data were compared with observational data. Statistical parameters like scatter index, bias and symmetric slope were used to judge the quality of the data. The performance of the wave model with Mesan is very good. Model and observed data appear to have a good correlation. The performance with RCA is worse and it underestimates the wave height during extreme wind events. The performance when using corrected RCA winds is improved and data give better statistical values when they are compared with observations. The reason for using RCA forcing was the length of RCA data, 40 years of hindcast, and the 50 years of future winds based on global climate scenarios. The corrected coefficient was applied to the RCA and used to force SWAN. Only one year of hindcast has been performed initially while the 40 year run is planned to be performed in the near future. Moreover, a run based on future scenario has been performed. Six month is 1970 were run as control period and 6 months in 2020 as a future projection, giving insight to some of the possible changes in the future wave climate. Thirty years of control run and thirty years of future projection are in progress.
Not All Stroke Units Are the Same: A Comparison of Physical Activity Patterns in Melbourne, Australia, and Trondheim, Norway

Background and Purpose— Very early mobilization may be one of the most important factors contributing to the favorable outcome observed from a stroke unit in Trondheim, Norway. The aims of this study were to (1) describe and compare the pattern of physical activity of patients with stroke managed in a stroke unit with specified mobilization protocols (Trondheim) and those without in Melbourne, Australia; and (2) identify differences in activity according to stroke severity between the 2 sites. Methods— Melbourne patients were recruited from 5 metropolitan stroke units. Trondheim patients were recruited from the stroke unit at University Hospital, Trondheim. All patients <14 days poststroke were eligible for the study. Patients receiving palliative care were excluded. Consenting participants were observed at 10-minute intervals from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm over a single day. At each observation, patient location, activity, and the people present were recorded. Negative binomial regression analyses were undertaken to assess differences in physical activity patterns between stroke units in the 2 cities. Results— Patients in Melbourne and Trondheim had similar baseline characteristics. Melbourne patients spent 21% more time in bed and only 12.2% undertook moderate/high activity (versus 23.2% in Trondheim, P<0.001). This difference was even more pronounced among patients with greater stroke severity. The incidence rate ratio for time spent doing standing and walking activities in Melbourne was 0.44 (95% CI: 0.32 to 0.62) when compared with Trondheim. Conclusion— Higher activity levels were observed in Trondheim patients, particularly among those with more severe strokes. A greater emphasis on mobilization may make an important contribution to improved outcome. Further investigation of this is warranted.
Healthcare associated infection: good practices, knowledge and the locus of control in heatlhcare professionals

Abstract Background and aim: The incidence of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) is an important indicator of the quality of care. The behaviors associated with the prevention of infections are not only supported by rational knowledge or motivation, but are mediated by social, emotional and often stereotyped behaviors. The awarness of the good practices related to HAI, may be a factor. Other studies, identify how the perception of the problem in healthcare professionals is often influenced by a tendency towards an external Locus of Control: the patient, the family, the other wards, other care settings. The aim of this study is to investigate the perception of healthcare professionals. In particular they have been measured their awarness of the good practices , perceptions of the potential contamination level of some commonly used objects, knowledge about the management of invasive devices, Locus of Control. Method: A cross-sectional correlational design was utilized. An ad hoc questionnaire was interviewed by 222 health professionals nurses and physicians in a northern hospital of Italy. Results: The percentage of professionals who have attended training courses over the last 5 years was quite high, both for upgrades on HAI (78.7%) and Vascular Catheters (78.8%), while the percentage of professionals who updated on bladder catheterization (59.46%) was lower. The mean score of good practice awareness towards HAI (5.06), is high. The perception of the potential level of contamination of some devices had a mean ranging from 4.62 (for the drip) to 5.26 (for the door handle). The average value of the Locus of Control (43.54) indicates that participants demonstrated a value that is midway between External and Internal. The correlation test analysis revealed no significant relationships among professionals’age, knowledge about HAI, or infection related venus catheter. Also, results revealed that there were statistically significant positive relationships between professionals’ Good Practices awareness about HAI, Knowledge, and Locus of Control. Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated that good practice awareness towards HAI among nurse and physician was good but not completely optimal. Findings revealed that knowledge toward HAI prevention and HAI related device prevention were not completely adequate. The educational courses, according to our correlational findings, should definitely take into account the psycho-social aspects of this phenomenon.
Energy Densification of Lignocellulosic Biomass via Hydrothermal Carbonization and Torrefaction

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge research grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC, Grant no. 400495), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA, Grant no. 200370), Highly Qualified Program (HQP), and Ministry of the Environment for Best in Science program (Project #1314010).
Investigating Content Selection for Language Generation using Machine Learning

The content selection component of a natural language generation system decides which information should be communicated in its output. We use information from reports on the game of cricket. We first describe a simple factoid-to-text alignment algorithm then treat content selection as a collective classification problem and demonstrate that simple 'grouping' of statistics at various levels of granularity yields substantially improved results over a probabilistic baseline. We additionally show that holding back of specific types of input data, and linking database structures with commonality further increase performance.
Comparison of the Effect of Three Suturing Techniques on Postkeratoplasty Astigmatism in Keratoconus

Purpose: To compare the effect of 3 common suturing techniques on postkeratoplasty astigmatism and final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in patients with keratoconus. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 103 eyes of 103 patients with advanced keratoconus, who were contact lens intolerant, or with contact lens-corrected visual acuity less than 20/80, underwent penetrating keratoplasty with 3 suturing techniques: interrupted (IR), single running (SR), and combined interrupted and running (CIR). Postkeratoplasty astigmatism and BCVA were evaluated during regular examinations 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively and 2 months after complete suture removal. Suture adjustment and selective suture removal were performed 2 to 6 weeks and after 3 months in eyes with more than 4 D of corneal astigmatism in the SR and IR/CIR groups, respectively. Results: Of 87 patients who completed follow-up, 26 eyes underwent PK with interrupted suturing technique (IR), 26 eyes had single running sutures (SR), and in 35 eyes, the suturing technique was combined (interrupted + running sutures; CIR). Mean age was 27.2 ± 8.4, 28.9 ± 8.7, and 30.3 ± 8.7 years, and postoperative astigmatism 1.5 months after surgery was 3.77 ± 1.68, 5.48 ± 2.09, and 4.10 ± 1.79 D in the 3 groups, respectively (P = 0.015). However, 2 months after complete suture removal, final postoperative astigmatism was 3.83 ± 1.65, 3.37 ± 1.9, and 3.88 ± 2.79 D (P = 0.851) and BCVA (log MAR) was 0.08 ± 0.14, 0.13 ± 0.23, and 0.09 ± 0.16, respectively (P = 0.53). Immunologic endothelial rejection reactions were seen in 5 eyes (19.2%) in the IR group, 3 eyes (11.72%) in the SR group, and 6 eyes (17.64%) in the CIR group (P = 0.44). There was no case of graft failure during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Postkeratoplasty astigmatism and BCVA are comparable with the 3 common suturing techniques (IR, SR, and CIR) in patients with keratoconus, provided that regular postoperative examinations and topography-guided suture adjustment and/or removal are performed.
Trace-based evaluation of job runtime and queue wait time predictions in grids

Large-scale distributed computing systems such as grids are serving a growing number of scientists. These environments bring about not only the advantages of an economy of scale, but also the challenges of resource and workload heterogeneity. A consequence of these two forms of heterogeneity is that job runtimes and queue wait times are highly variable, which generally reduces system performance and makes grids difficult to use by the common scientist. Predicting job runtimes and queue wait times have been widely studied for parallel environments. However, there is no detailed investigation on how the proposed prediction methods perform in grids, whose resource structure and workload characteristics are very different from those in parallel systems. In this paper, we assess the performance and benefit of predicting job runtimes and queue wait times in grids based on traces gathered from various research and production grid environments. First, we evaluate the performance of simple yet widely used time series prediction methods and the effect of applying them to different types of job classes (e.g., all jobs submitted by single users or to single sites). Then, we investigate the performance of two kinds of queue wait time prediction methods for grids. Last, we investigate whether prediction-based grid-level scheduling policies can have better performance than policies that do not use predictions.
Epicatechin, catechin, and dimeric procyanidins inhibit PMA‐induced NF‐κB activation at multiple steps in Jurkat T cells

The capacity of the flavan‐3‐ols [(–)‐epicatechin (EC) and (+)‐catechin (CT)] and a B dimeric procyanidin (DP‐B) to modulate phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA)‐induced NF‐κB activation in Jurkat T cells was investigated. The classic PMA‐triggered increase in cell oxidants was prevented when cells were preincubated for 24 h with EC, CT, or DP‐B (1.7–17.2 μM). PMA induced the phosphorylation of IKKβ and the subsequent degradation of IκBα: These events were inhibited in cells pretreated with the flavonoids. PMA induced a 4.6‐fold increase in NF‐κB nuclear binding activity in control cells. Pretreatment with EC, CT, or DP‐B decreased PMA‐induced NF‐κB binding activity and the transactivation of the NF‐κB‐driven gene IL‐2. EC, CT, and DP‐B inhibited, in vitro, NF‐κB binding to its DNA consensus sequence, but they had no effect on the binding activity of CREB or OCT‐1. Thus, EC, CT, or DP‐B can influence the immune response by modulating NF‐κB activation. This modulation can occur at early (regulation of oxidant levels, IKK activation) as well as late (binding of NF‐κB to DNA) stages of the NF‐κB activation cascade. A model is presented for possible interactions between DP‐B and NF‐κB proteins, which could lead to the inhibition of NF‐κB binding to κB sites.