Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
J Venom Anim Toxins incl Trop Dis

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) comprise of a group of seventeen infectious conditions endemic in many developing countries. Among these diseases are three of protozoan origin, namely leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and African trypanosomiasis, caused by the parasites Leishmania spp. , Trypanosoma cruzi, and Trypanosoma brucei respectively. These diseases have their own unique challenges which are associated with the development of effective prevention and treatment methods. Collectively, these parasitic diseases cause more deaths worldwide than all other NTDs combined. Moreover, many current therapies for these diseases are limited in their efficacy, possessing harmful or potentially fatal side effects at therapeutic doses. It is therefore imperative that new treatment strategies for these parasitic diseases are developed. Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising area of research in the therapy and prevention of NTDs. These delivery systems provide novel mechanisms for targeted drug delivery within the host, maximizing therapeutic effects while minimizing systemic side effects. Currently approved drugs may also be repackaged using these delivery systems, allowing for their potential use in NTDs of protozoan origin. Current research on these novel delivery systems has provided insight into possible indications, with evidence demonstrating their improved ability to specifically target pathogens, penetrate barriers within the host, and reduce toxicity with lower dose regimens. In this review, we will examine current research on these delivery systems, focusing on applications in the treatment of leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and African trypanosomiasis. Nanoparticulate systems present a unique therapeutic alternative through the repositioning of existing medications and directed drug delivery. J Venom Anim Toxins incl Trop Dis, 2019 25: e144118 REVIEW OPEN ACCESS
Benign hereditary chorea related to NKX2-1 with ataxia and dystonia

Benign hereditary chorea (BHC) was originally described in 1967, but it was not until 2002 that linkage analysis and positional cloning identified the causative gene, NKX2-1 (also known as TTF-1). 1,2 The range of manifestations spans from isolated chorea, pulmonary disease, or thyroid dysfunction, with one-third of patients having the full brain-lung-thyroid syndrome.3 Recent reports have expanded the NKX2-1 phenotype, as patients may present with additional movement disorders such as dystonia and myoclonus.3 We present a case with early-onset chorea, ataxia, and dystonia.
Gravity Model Specification and the Effects of the Canada-U.S. Border

There is a well-established literature finding that the Canada-U.S. border has a large dampening effect on trade, is asymmetric, and differs across provinces. In this paper, I demonstrate that the standard gravity model used to obtain these results provides biased estimates of the volume of trade. I attribute this to heterogeneity bias and reestimate the effects of the border using a gravity model that allows for heterogeneous gravity equations. Doing so does not alter the general results of existing studies, although it does yield a border effect that is 40 percent larger, reverses the border's asymmetry, and indicates very different provincial effects.
Social Security, Demographic Trends, and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence from the International Experience

The worldwide problem with pay-as-you-go (PAYG) social security systems isn't just financial. This study indicates that these systems may have exerted adverse effects on key demographic factors, private savings, and long-term growth rates. Through a comprehensive endogenous-growth model where human capital is the engine of growth, family choices affect human capital formation, and family formation itself is a choice variable, we show that social security taxes and benefits can create adverse incentive effects on family formation and subsequent household choices, and that these effects cannot be fully neutralized by counteracting intergenerational transfers within families. We implement the model using calibrated simulations as well as panel data from 57 countries over 32 years (1960-92). We find that PAYG tax measures account for a sizeable part of the downward trends in family formation and fertility worldwide, and for a slowdown in the rates of savings and economic growth, especially in OECD countries.
Social Security and the Evolution of Elderly Poverty

We use data from the March 1968-2001 Current Population Surveys to document the evolution of elderly poverty over this time period, and to assess the causal role of the Social Security program in reducing poverty rates. We develop an instrumental variable approach that relies on the large increase in benefits for birth cohorts from 1885 through 1916, and the subsequent decline and flattening of real benefits growth due to the Social Securing 'notch', to estimate of Social Security on elderly poverty. Our findings suggest that over all elderly families the elasticity of poverty to benefits is roughly unitary. This suggests that reductions in Social Security benefits would significantly alter the poverty of the elderly.
Structural and Evolutionary Analysis Indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is an Inconvenient Target for Small-Molecule Inhibitors Design

The novel coronavirus whose outbreak took place in December 2019 continues to spread at a rapid rate worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine, inhibitor repurposing or de novo drug design may offer a longer-term strategy to combat this and future infections due to similar viruses. Here, we report on detailed classical and mix-solvent molecular dynamics simulations of the main protease (Mpro) enriched by evolutionary and stability analysis of the protein. The results were compared with those for a highly similar SARS Mpro protein. In spite of a high level of sequence similarity, the active sites in both proteins show major differences in both shape and size indicating that repurposing SARS drugs for COVID-19 may be futile. Furthermore, analysis of the binding site’s conformational changes during the simulation time indicates its flexibility and plasticity, which dashes hopes for rapid and reliable drug design. Conversely, structural stability of the protein with respect to flexible loop mutations indicates that the virus’ mutability will pose a further challenge to the rational design of small-molecule inhibitors. However, few residues contribute significantly to the protein stability and thus can be considered as key anchoring residues for Mpro inhibitor design.
Importancia Económica Y Social De Los Servicios De Los Ecosistemas: Una Revisión De La Agenda De Investigación (Economic and Social Importance of Ecosystem Services: A Review of Research Agenda)

Spanish Abstract: Hasta hace 50 anos, los servicios ecosistemicos eran invisibles para el analisis economico y social, se desconocia su contribucion al sistema economico y la vida humana, en general. Hoy gracias al trabajo de diversos autores, el tema se aborda desde un enfoque multidisciplinario, ecologia y economia se fusionan para reconocer y estimar la contribucion de los servicios ecosistemicos y la importancia de su conservacion. En este sentido, se realizo una revision teorica exhaustiva con el objetivo de dar a conocer la importancia que tienen los servicios ecosistemicos al sistema economico y social, que desde siempre han contribuido al bienestar del hombre, proveen de alimentos, agua, combustibles, medicinas, regulacion del aire, entre otros. Sin embargo, antes se consideraba que los bienes y servicios ambientales eran infinitos, su uso era intensivo y provoco la degradacion del capital natural a niveles criticos, por ello actualmente se trabaja en politicas y medidas de conservacion y manejo sustentable de los ecosistemas, que garanticen su regeneracion y perdurabilidad. Se encontro que el capital natural es fundamental tanto para el sistema economico como el social, sin el no existirian, pues contribuye con multiples beneficios directos e indirectos que sostienen el bienestar humano.English Abstract: 50 years ago ecosystem services were invisible to the economic and social analysis. Their contribution to the economic system and the human life in general was unkown. Now, thanks to the work of many researchers the subject is studied from a multidisciplinary approach, ecology and economics blend to recognize and estimate the contribution of ecosystem services and the importance of their conservation. Therefore, a comprehensive theoretical review of the topic was conducted to release the importance of the ecosystem services to the economic and social systems, always have contributed to the human welfare, provide food, water, fuel, medicines, regulation of air, among other, however less, once considered as the environmental godos and services were infinite, their use was intensive and produce the degradation of the environment in critical levels, therefore currently the research focuses in policies and conservation strategies which ensure their regeneration and perdurability. Was found the natural capital is fundamental both the economic system and social system, would not exist without him, the natural capital contributes with multiple benefits direct and indirect that support human welfare.
Evaluation of a lifetime-based optode to measure oxygen in aquatic systems

In this paper we evaluate the performance of a commercially available life-time based optode and compare it with data obtained with other methods. A set of 11 different tests including targeted laboratory evaluations and field studies were performed covering a wide range of situations from shallow coastal waters and waste water treatment plants to abyssal depths. The principal conclusion reached is that this method, due to high accuracy (±2 μM); long-term stability (more than 20 months); lower fouling sensitivity; no pressure hysteresis and limited cross sensitivity, is overall more suitable for oxygen monitoring than other methods.
Geodetic model of the 2015 April 25 Mw 7.8 Gorkha Nepal Earthquake and Mw 7.3 aftershock estimated from InSAR and GPS data

Guangcai Feng,1 Zhiwei Li,1 Xinjian Shan,2 Lei Zhang,3 Guohong Zhang2 and Jianjun Zhu1 1Laboratory of Radar Remote Sensing, School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China. E-mail: zwli@csu.edu. cn 2State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China 3Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
TREATMENT OF TOBACCO DEPENDENCE AND SMOKING CESSATION METHODS

Behavioural and pharmacotherapy for tobacco dependence and withdrawal can contribute substantially to improved health by enabling cessation of tobacco use. Even among persons who might ultimately achieve tobacco abstinence without therapy, the benefits can be profound if treatments help people to achieve tobacco abstinence earlier, because the risk of disease is strongly related to the duration of tobacco use. Several concepts are discussed that can contribute to understanding the place of therapy in tobacco-disease-control efforts.
Parameterizations for the Absorption of Solar Radiation by O2 and CO2 with Application to Climate Studies

Abstract Simple and accurate parameterizations have been developed for computing the absorption of solar radiation due to O2 and CO2. The parameterizations are based on the findings that temperature has a minimal effect on the absorption and that the one-parameter scaling can be applied to take into account the effect of pressure variation along a path. Furthermore, overlapping of the absorption due to CO2 and water vapor is treated accurately in the parameterizations. Simulations with a zonally averaged multilayer energy balance model show that the absorption of solar radiation due to O2 and CO2 has a small, albeit nonnegligible, effect on climate. The global surface solar radiation is reduced by 2.2 W m−2, and the warming of the surface temperature due to a doubled CO2 concentration is reduced by 10% in the Northern Hemisphere. Because the parameterizations can be easily implemented without perturbing other parts of a radiation routine, it is suggested that the absorption of solar radiation by O2 and CO.
Bio-Engineered Skin and Soft Tissue Substitutes

When Policy Topic is covered Breast reconstructive surgery using allogeneic acellular dermal matrix productsa (i.e., AlloDerm®, AlloMaxTM, CortivaTM, AlloMend®, DermACELLTM, DermaMatrixTM, FlexHD®, FlexHD® PliableTM, GraftJacket®, See Considerations) may be considered medically necessary,  when there is insufficient tissue expander or implant coverage by the pectoralis major muscle and additional coverage is required,  when there is viable but compromised or thin post-mastectomy skin flaps that are at risk of dehiscence or necrosis, or  the infra-mammary fold and lateral mammary folds have been undermined during mastectomy and re-establishment of these landmarks is needed.
Lyman-alpha radiative transfer during the epoch of reionization: contribution to 21-cm signal fluctuations

During the epoch of reionization, Ly-α photons emitted by the first stars can couple the neutral hydrogen spin temperature to the kinetic gas temperature, providing an opportunity to observe the gas in emission or absorption in the 21-cm line. Given the bright foregrounds, it is particularly important to determine the fluctuation signature of the signal precisely, so as to be able to extract it by its correlation power. LICORICE is a Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code, coupled to the dynamics via an adaptative Tree-SPH code. We present here the Ly-α part of the implementation and validate it through three classical tests. Unlike previous works, we do not assume that Pα, the number of scatterings of Ly-α photons per atom per second, is proportional to the Ly-α background flux, but take the scatterings in the Ly-α line wings into account. The latter have the effect of steepening the radial profile of Pα around each source, and re-inforce the contrast of the fluctuations. In the particular geometry of cosmic filaments of baryonic matter, Ly − α photons are scattered out of the filament, and the large-scale structure of Pα is significantly anisotropic. This could have strong implications for the possible detection of the 21-cm signal.
Dense Water Formation beneath a Time-Dependent Coastal Polynya*

Abstract Recent modeling studies of dense water formation beneath an idealized steady coastal polynya have provided simple analytical expressions for the maximum density anomaly achievable as a function of the polynya geometry and the imposed surface buoyancy flux. These studies have assumed that the buoyancy flux and polynya geometry are both constant and independent parameters. To relax these assumptions, dense water formation is examined beneath a coastal polynya whose size and surface buoyancy flux are computed from atmospheric temperature and wind velocity according to a polynya model developed by Pease. Though highly idealized, the Pease model produces polynyas that open and close on reasonably realistic timescales, and it thermodynamically couples the polynya size and buoyancy flux. Results reveal several interesting and potentially useful features of the ocean response to time-dependent polynya forcing. First, under reasonable atmospheric conditions, both the maximum density anomaly achievable and.
On Natural Aesthetics

The boundary between heaven and human heings is the cultural setting of the natural aesthetics.The natural aesthetics of the human beings are proceeding in the two extremes of nature and culture.Naturalness is the unique value of the object of natural aesthetics and life is the universal value of natural aesthetics.The natural beauty includes the two levels of outward traits and taste, and the two kinds of object and environment.The highest state of the natural aesthetics is the metaphysical insight into the way of nature and the homeward affection for nature.The natural aesthetics is the historical and basic logic of aesthetic theory and the history of aesthetics.To reassert the value of natural aesthetics is of widespread and enormous significance of humanities for the present society to reconstruct the spiritual relationship between heaven and human beings and maintain new-type harmonious relationship between heaven and human beings.
Where To Look? Automating Some Visual Attending Behaviors of Human Characters

We propose a method for automatically generating the appropriate attentional eye gaze or looking behavior for virtual characters existing or performing tasks in a dy namically changing environment Such behavior is expected of human like characters but is usually tedious to animate and often not speci ed at all as part of the char acter s explicit actions In our system referred to as the AVA Automated Visual Attending users enter a list of motor or cognitive actions as input in text format walk to the lamp post monitor the tra c light reach for the box etc The system generates the appropriate motions and automatically generates the corresponding attentional behavior The resulting gaze behavior is produced not only by consider ing the explicit queue of required tasks but also by factoring in involuntary visual functions known from human cognitive behavior attentional capture by exogenous factors spontaneous looking the environment being viewed task interactions and task load This method can be adapted to eye and head movement control for any facial model
On a Generalization of the Koch Curve Built from n-gons

We study a generalization of the von Koch Curve, which has two parameters, an integer n and a real number c on the interval (0, 1). This von Koch type curve is constructed as the limit of a recursive process that starts with a regular n-gon (or line segment) and repeatedly replaces the middle c portion of an interval by the n− 1 other sides of a regular n-gon placed contiguous to the interval. We show that there are values of n such that the set of c for which the (n, c)-von Koch Curve is simple, i.e. does not intersect itself, is not an interval.
Grand challenges

A recent paper in the (British) Computer Journal [1] described the "Grand Challenges" for Computing Education [1]. With student numbers falling worldwide, this certainly is a challenging period for our discipline. The paper is timely and worthwhile reading. It discusses several problems facing the discipline, but in a positive way, by attempting to identify the solutions to those problems. This column will concentrate on some of the problems/solutions from that paper that might be answered via education research.
Secondary Employment in Russia Labor Supply Modeling

This paper employs the RLMS (Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey) empirical data base to estimate the function of labor supply in the form of secondary employment. Several hypotheses are tested — the effect of individual and household income on secondary employment decisions, the dependence of first job parameters on second job characteristics, and the different motives of secondary employment (the heterogeneity of jobs, limitations of time spent on the first job, labor mobility). Our research results support the conclusion that there are two different types of secondary employment (one in the form of a permanent job and another in the form of additional earnings ("prirabotki")), and that secondary employment depends on wage arrears and to some extent on labor mobility. The analysis of secondary employment motives showed that the heterogeneity of job positions is the main reason individuals seek secondary employment in the form of a permanent second job, while time limits on the first job are the dominating reason for seeking additional earnings.
Khuzestani Arabic

Khuzestani Arabic (ISO 639-3) is a minority language spoken in the southern west of Iran, in Khuzestan province (see Figure 1). The majority of its speakers live in Ahwaz, Howeyzeh, Bostan, Susangerd, Shush, Abadan, Khorramshahr, Shadegan, Hamidiyeh (Balawi & Khezri 2014: 107), Karun, and Bawi. According to Blanc (1964: 6), this variety of Arabic is closely related to the Gelet subgroup of Mesopotamian dialects.1 This dialect is in contact with Bakhtiyari Lori and Persian (Iranian languages of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European language family), as well as Iraqi Arabic. The lexis of the dialect predominantly contains Arabic words, but it also has several Persian, English, French, and Turkish loanwords.
Analytical model for wave-related transport

A computationally efficient, analytical model to determine net sediment transport rates in oscillatory flow is presented. The model is based on (approximate) analytical solutions to the IDV momentum and advection-diffusion equations and on the subsequent analytical integration of the sediment flux over time and depth. The model is validated against measurements of sediment concentrations and net transport rates performed in WL|DELFT HYDRAULICS' Large Oscillating Water Tunnel (LOWT). Further, comparisons are made with the predictions of numerical IDV models and sediment transport formulae. The model gives accurate estimates of the net transport rates for medium sand. For finer sand, although qualitatively correct, the model fails to predict the strong offshore sediment transport rates at higher velocities, mainly due to limitations of the diffusion approach for the upward transport of sediment.
Effects on health care use and associated cost of a home visiting program for older people with poor health status: a randomized clinical trial in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND Home visiting programs have been developed to improve the functional abilities of older people and subsequently to reduce the use of institutional care services. The results of trials have been inconsistent and their cost-effectiveness uncertain. Home visits for a high-risk population rather than the general population seems a promising approach. We therefore studied the effects of a home visiting program for older people with poor health. This article describes the effects on health care use and associated cost. METHODS We conducted a randomized clinical trial among 330 community-dwelling citizens, aged 70-84 years, in the Netherlands. Participants in the intervention group (n = 160) received eight home visits by a trained home nurse over an 18-month period; a multidimensional geriatric assessment of problems was included. The main outcomes are: admissions to hospital, nursing home, and home for older persons; contacts with medical specialists, general practitioners, and paramedics; and hours of home care help. The data on health care use were mostly obtained from computerized databases of various medical administration offices; the follow-up period was 24 months. RESULTS Inpatient and outpatient health care use was similar for both groups, with the exception of a higher distribution of aids and in-home modifications in favor of the intervention group. No differences were found between the intervention and control group in health care cost. CONCLUSION The home visiting program did not appear to have any effect on the health care use of older people with poor health and had a low chance of being cost-effective. We conclude that these visits are probably not beneficial for such persons within the health care setting in the Netherlands or comparable settings in other Western countries.