julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
The availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines in Malawi: A cross-sectional study
2019-02-12

&lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Introduction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Malawian government recently introduced cost-covering consultation fees for self-referral patients in tertiary public hospitals. Previously, patients received medicines free of charge in government-owned health facilities, but must pay elsewhere. Before the government implements a payment policy in other areas of health care, it is important to investigate the prices, affordability and availability of essential medicines in Malawi.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Methods&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Data on availability and prices of 50 essential medicines were collected in 44 health facilities in two major cities and two districts. These included 12 public facilities, 11 facilities of the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), nine retail pharmacies, eight wholesalers and four private clinics/hospitals. Price, availability and affordability were assessed based on the methodology developed by the World Health Organization and Health Action International, which compares local prices to international reference prices.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Results and discussion&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The overall availability of medicines was 48.5% in public facilities, 71.1% in retail pharmacies, 62.9% in CHAM facilities and 57.5% in private clinics. The availability of essential medicines varied from 0% for ethosuximide to 100% for amoxicillin and cotrimoxazole tablets. Antibiotic formulations for adults were widely available, in contrast to the low availability of pediatric formulations. Several medicines for non-communicable diseases like sodium valproate, phenytoin, paraldehyde, captopril and simvastatin showed poor availability and affordability. The overall median price ratio compared to the international reference price was 1.11 for wholesalers, 2.54 in CHAM facilities, 2.70 in retail pharmacies, and 4.01 in private clinics, which is low compared to other countries. But nevertheless, for 18 out of 32 medicines assessed, the cost of one course exceeded the statutory minimum daily wage, making them unaffordable to a majority of the population. Therefore, continued provision of free public health care is still of critical importance for the foreseeable future until other financing mechanisms have been explored.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
Gαs-coupled receptor signaling and sleep regulate integrin activation of human antigen-specific T cells
2019-02-12

Efficient T cell responses require the firm adhesion of T cells to their targets, e.g., virus-infected cells, which depends on T cell receptor (TCR)–mediated activation of β2-integrins. Gαs-coupled receptor agonists are known to have immunosuppressive effects, but their impact on TCR-mediated integrin activation is unknown. Using multimers of peptide major histocompatibility complex molecules (pMHC) and of ICAM-1—the ligand of β2-integrins—we show that the Gαs-coupled receptor agonists isoproterenol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, prostaglandin (PG) E2, PGD2, and adenosine strongly inhibit integrin activation on human CMV- and EBV-specific CD8+ T cells in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, sleep, a natural condition of low levels of Gαs-coupled receptor agonists, up-regulates integrin activation compared with nocturnal wakefulness, a mechanism possibly underlying some of the immune-supportive effects of sleep. The findings are also relevant for several pathologies associated with increased levels of Gαs-coupled receptor agonists (e.g., tumor growth, malaria, hypoxia, stress, and sleep disturbances).
Exhumation history of the Aydın range and the role of the Büyük Menderes detachment system during bivergent extension of the central Menderes Massif, western Turkey
2019-02-12

The central Menderes Massif (western Turkey) is a prominent example of symmetrical exhumation of a core complex. It comprises the Bozdaǧ and Aydın ranges, which represent the footwalls of the north-dipping Gediz detachment and the south-dipping Büyük Menderes detachment, respectively. In contrast to the Gediz detachment, the role of the Büyük Menderes detachment during Late Cenozoic extension and exhumation of the central Menderes Massif is less well resolved. Here, we present results from structural and geological mapping as well as new fission-track and (U–Th)/He data to show that two low-angle normal faults contributed to the exhumation of the Aydın range. Our data indicate that the sustained activity of the Büyük Menderes detachment since the early Miocene is followed by the onset of faulting along the previously unrecognized Demirhan detachment, which is situated in the hanging wall of the Büyük Menderes detachment, in the latest Miocene/Pliocene. Thermokinematic modelling of cooling ages from the footwalls of the Büyük Menderes and Demirhan detachments yielded exhumation rates of c. 0.5 and c. 0.4 km Ma -1 , respectively. Apatite fission track ages from the Demirhan detachment indicate a slip rate of c. 2 km Ma -1 during the Pliocene. High-angle normal faulting along the modern Büyük Menderes graben commenced in the Quaternary. Supplementary material: Further results of thermal history modelling are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4392905
Trace Element Concentrations in Firewood and Corresponding Stove Ashes
2019-02-12

The combustion of natural untreated wood in firewood stoves generates ashes with high contents of minor and trace elements. Those ashes can be disposed via garbage collection. Those ashes can also be used as a fertilizer. This study investigates the elemental composition of four natural untreated wood species (beech, oak, spruce, and fir) and their ashes produced in a firewood stove. In total, 30 minor and trace elements were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy. With a complete set of fuel and ash data, possible effects of ashes from untreated wood on the environment are discussed. They contain nutrients in concentrations so that ashes are comparable to commercial fertilizers, but they also contain toxic trace elements in concentrations at or above limits given by relevant German legislation. However, the trace elements are not only potentially harmful but also valuable. Therefore, ashes are also valuable in terms of an urban mining prospectus because they do contain certain elements in comparable concentrations as commercially used ores. It is therefore necessary to separate the trace elements from the ash matrix before it is put on soil, and the separated trace elements need to be processed to crude materials for demanded rare earth elements.
The Human Is Dead – Long Live the Algorithm! Human-Algorithmic Ensembles and Liberal Subjectivity
2019-02-13

The article analyzes the relation of humans and technology concerning so called ‘intelligent’ or ‘autonomous’ algorithms that are applied in everyday contexts but are far removed from any form of substantial artificial intelligence. In particular, the use of algorithms in surveillance and in architecture is discussed. These examples are structured by a particular combination of continuity and difference between humans and technology. The article provides a detailed analysis of boundary practices that establish continuity and oppositions between humans and information technology, referring to their exemplary depiction in movies. Both strands of boundary practices have the potential to challenge as well as sustain the position of the human as liberal, autonomous subject. Finally, it is shown how the particular combination of continuity and difference that structures the use of algorithms maintains the power of liberal, autonomous subject positions, while the shift of decisions to the algorithms seems to decenter the human.
Progressive Gait Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease: A Wearable-Based Biannual 5-Year Prospective Study
2019-02-13

<b>Background:</b> Gait changes occur during all Parkinson's disease (PD) stages and wearable sensor-derived gait parameters may quantify PD progression. However, key aspects that may qualify quantitative gait parameters as progression markers in PD remain elusive. <b>Objectives:</b> Longitudinal changes in gait parameters from a lower-back sensor under convenient and challenging walking conditions in early- and mid-stage PD patients (E-PD, M-PD) compared to controls were investigated. <b>Methods:</b> Normal- and fast-pace parameters (step: number, time, velocity, variability) were assessed every 6 months for up to 5 years in 22 E-PD (<4 years baseline disease duration), 18 M-PD (>5 years) and 24 controls. Parameter trajectories and associations with MDS-UPDRS-III were tested using generalized estimating equations. <b>Results:</b> Normal-pace step number (annual change in E-PD: 2.1%, Time<sup>∗</sup>Group: <i>p</i> = 0.001) and step time variability (8.5%, <i>p</i> < 0.05) longitudinally increased in E-PD compared to controls (0.7%, -12%). For fast pace, no significant progression differences between groups were observed. Longitudinal changes in M-PD did not differ significantly from controls. MDS-UPDRS-III was largely associated with normal-pace parameters in M-PD. <b>Conclusion:</b> Wearables can quantify progressive gait deficits indicated by increasing step number and step time variability in E-PD. In M-PD, and for fast-pace, gait parameters possess limited potential as PD progression markers.
Tungsten Iodide Clusters as Singlet Oxygen Photosensitizers: Exploring the Domain of Resonant Energy Transfer at 1 eV
2019-02-13

The photophysics of selected tungsten iodide clusters was examined with respect to their role as a photosensitizer for the production of singlet oxygen, O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>). We examined all-iodo octahedral clusters, [W<sub>6</sub>I<sub>8</sub>(I<sub>6</sub>)]<sup>2-</sup>, and ligand-substituted octahedral clusters, [W<sub>6</sub>I<sub>8</sub>(L<sub>6</sub>)]<sup>2-</sup>, in which the ligand, L, occupies the outer apical positions surrounding the cluster core. We also examined a square-pyramidal cluster, [W<sub>5</sub>I<sub>8</sub>(I<sub>5</sub>)]<sup>-</sup>, in which the tungsten core was presumably more accessible to diffusional encounter with ground state oxygen, O<sub>2</sub>(X<sup>3</sup>Σ<sub>g</sub><sup>-</sup>). For the compounds examined, we find pronounced cluster-dependent changes in the yield of photosensitized O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) production. In particular, although the iodine-encased octahedral cluster, [W<sub>6</sub>I<sub>8</sub>(I<sub>6</sub>)]<sup>2-</sup>, is an efficient O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) sensitizer, the pyramidal cluster, [W<sub>5</sub>I<sub>8</sub>(I<sub>5</sub>)]<sup>-</sup>, does not make O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) at all. The latter provides fundamental insight into the important case where the sensitizer triplet state is nearly degenerate with the O<sub>2</sub>(X<sup>3</sup>Σ<sub>g</sub><sup>-</sup>)-O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) transition energy at 1 eV. Our data indicate that even with near resonance, energy transfer to form O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) will not occur within the <sup>3</sup>sensitizer-O<sub>2</sub>(X<sup>3</sup>Σ<sub>g</sub><sup>-</sup>) encounter pair if other more efficient channels for energy dissipation are available.
Impact of diverse chemotherapeutic agents and external factors on activation of brown adipose tissue in a large patient collective
2019-02-13

Abstract Increased activity of brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity in adults is thought to prevent obesity. Therefore, regulators of BAT activity might serve as anti-obesity therapy in future, but are not investigated thoroughly up to now. In our study, we assessed retrospectively the association of BAT activity with several external factors and diverse chemotherapeutic and immunosuppressive agents in a collective of 702 patients. The patients underwent at least two clinically indicated PET/CT examinations in the course of different oncological and inflammatory diseases. BAT activity was identified according to predefined PET/CT criteria in all examinations. In multivariate analysis, the type of disease, the disease activity and the therapeutic regimen did not influence BAT activity. In contrast, sex and age were confirmed as independent factors for BAT activity. For the association of therapeutic agents with BAT activity, we examined 53 different disease-related agents, which were applied to patients without initial BAT activity between their PET/CT examinations. Out of these, cytarabine therapy was significantly associated with increased new onset of BAT activity. Cytarabine is a therapeutic agent for lymphoma patients. Further targeted studies might investigate the usefulness of Cytarabine serving as possible therapeutic approach against obesity via BAT regulation.
The Role of Bottom-Up and Top-Down Cortical Interactions in Adaptation to Natural Scene Statistics
2019-02-13

Adaptation is a mechanism by which cortical neurons adjust their responses according to recently viewed stimuli. Visual information is processed in a circuit formed by feedforward (FF) and feedback (FB) synaptic connections of neurons in different cortical layers. Here, the functional role of FF-FB streams and their synaptic dynamics in adaptation to natural stimuli is assessed in psychophysics and neural model. We propose a cortical model which predicts psychophysically observed motion adaptation aftereffects (MAE) after exposure to geometrically distorted natural image sequences. The model comprises direction selective neurons in V1 and MT connected by recurrent FF and FB dynamic synapses. Psychophysically plausible model MAEs were obtained from synaptic changes within neurons tuned to salient direction signals of the broadband natural input. It is conceived that, motion disambiguation by FF-FB interactions is critical to encode this salient information. Moreover, only FF-FB dynamic synapses operating at distinct rates predicted psychophysical MAEs at different adaptation time-scales which could not be accounted for by single rate dynamic synapses in either of the streams. Recurrent FF-FB pathways thereby play a role during adaptation in a natural environment, specifically in inducing multilevel cortical plasticity to salient information and in mediating adaptation at different time-scales.
Memes against sexism? A multi-method analysis of the feminist protest hashtag #distractinglysexy and its resonance in the mainstream news media
2019-02-14

Hashtag feminism has become a popular tactic of online protest against gender inequality. Using the Twitter hashtag #distractinglysexy, women scientists posted pictures of themselves in labs or during field research to contest misogynist remarks by Nobel laureate Tim Hunt. We examined the resulting humorous and memetic discourse on Twitter as well as its coverage in news media combining a content analysis of the multimodal tweets with a qualitative discourse analysis of German and British news media. The results show that the ironic memes in which researchers addressed sexism in academia by parodying social norms and ideals of ‘sexiness’ yielded substantial media attention, but with differences in the two countries: While the hashtag #distractinglysexy initiated a broader debate on sexism and discrimination in academia in the UK news media discourse, in the German context, this form of ‘self-mediation’ was portrayed either as ‘something funny on the Web’ or as a harmful firestorm.
Ballistic Study Tackles Kinetic Energy Values of Palaeolithic Weaponry
2019-02-14

The appearance of new projectile propulsion modes is viewed as an important element for understanding human behaviour during the Palaeolithic. Because the organic components of hunting weapons (the bow, spear‐thrower and arrow, and spear shaft) are only rarely preserved archaeologically, some effort has been invested in experiments to explore how the projecting modes could be identified through the analysis of stone points. The kinetic energy developed by each mode of propulsion has been considered a key variable in these experiments. However, the data used in these studies generally come from a few ballistic studies, with varied results. We present the results of a systematic study conducted with a ballistic pendulum and combined with a classic ballistic analysis. We quantified and compared the kinetic energy developed by the four standard modes of propulsion known for the Palaeolithic. The kinetic energy values that we attained, especially those measured for thrusting spears, clearly differ from what has been assumed up to now, and thus challenge current models on the evolution of hunting technology.
Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Models for CYP1A2 Drug–Drug Interaction Prediction: A Modeling Network of Fluvoxamine, Theophylline, Caffeine, Rifampicin, and Midazolam
2019-02-14

This study provides whole‐body physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic models of the strong index cytochrome P450 ( CYP )1A2 inhibitor and moderate CYP 3A4 inhibitor fluvoxamine and of the sensitive CYP 1A2 substrate theophylline. Both models were built and thoroughly evaluated for their application in drug–drug interaction ( DDI ) prediction in a network of perpetrator and victim drugs, combining them with previously developed models of caffeine (sensitive index CYP 1A2 substrate), rifampicin (moderate CYP 1A2 inducer), and midazolam (sensitive index CYP 3A4 substrate). Simulation of all reported clinical DDI studies for combinations of these five drugs shows that the presented models reliably predict the observed drug concentrations, resulting in seven of eight of the predicted DDI area under the plasma curve ( AUC ) ratios ( AUC during DDI / AUC control) and seven of seven of the predicted DDI peak plasma concentration (C max ) ratios (C max during DDI /C max control) within twofold of the observed values. Therefore, the models are considered qualified for DDI prediction. All models are comprehensively documented and publicly available, as tools to support the drug development and clinical research community.
Linking text readability and learner proficiency using linguistic complexity feature vector distance
2019-02-14

How can we identify authentic reading material that matches the learner's proficiency and fosters their language development? Traditionally, this involves assigning a one-dimensional label to the text that identifies the grade or proficiency level of the learners that the text is intended for. Such an approach is inadequate given that both the text complexity and proficiency constructs are multi-dimensional in nature. We propose to instead link readers and texts through multidimensional vectors characterizing the linguistic complexity of the reading material and that of texts written by the learners as proxy of their proficiency level. We first validate the approach using a leveled reading corpus by showing that vector distances computed on the complexity representations can serve the function of the traditional labels. We then highlight the advantage of the multi-dimensional approach using data from a continuation writing task, showing that it makes it possible to study individual complexity dimensions and to explore different degrees of challenge for different dimensions. Our approach essentially makes it possible to empirically investigate the +1 of Krashen's i+1, the challenge that best fosters development given the learner's interlanguage. On the practical side, we discuss an ICALL system demonstrating the viabilityof the approach in real-life..
Killing Two Angry Birds with One Stone: Autophagy Activation by Inhibiting Calpains in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Beyond
2019-02-14

Proteolytic machineries execute vital cellular functions and their disturbances are implicated in diverse medical conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, calpains, a class of Ca 2+ -dependent regulatory proteases, can modulate the degradational system of autophagy by cleaving proteins involved in this pathway. Moreover, both machineries are common players in many molecular pathomechanisms and have been targeted individually or together, as a therapeutic strategy in experimental setups. In this review, we briefly introduce calpains and autophagy, with their roles in health and disease, and focus on their direct pathologically relevant interplay in neurodegeneration and beyond. The modulation of calpain activity may comprise a promising treatment approach to attenuate the deregulation of these two essential mechanisms.
Morphometric Approach to Many-Body Correlations in Hard Spheres
2019-02-14

We model the thermodynamics of local structures within the hard sphere liquid at arbitrary volume fractions through the morphometric calculation of n-body correlations. We calculate absolute free energies of local geometric motifs in excellent quantitative agreement with molecular dynamics simulations across the liquid and supercooled liquid regimes. We find a bimodality in the density library of states where fivefold symmetric structures appear lower in free energy than fourfold symmetric structures and from a single reaction path predict a dynamical barrier which scales linearly in the compressibility factor. The method provides a new route to assess changes in the free energy landscape at volume fractions dynamically inaccessible to conventional techniques.
GRO J1750–27: A neutron star far behind the Galactic Center switching into the propeller regime
2019-02-14

We report on analysis of properties of the X-ray binary pulsar GROJ1750-27\\nbased on X-ray (Chandra, Swift, and Fermi/GBM), and near-infrared (VVV and\\nUKIDSS surveys) observations. An accurate position of the source is determined\\nfor the first time and used to identify its infrared counterpart. Based on the\\nVVV data we investigate the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the\\ncompanion, taking into account a non-standard absorption law in the source\\ndirection. A comparison of this SED with those of known Be/X-ray binaries and\\nearly type stars has allowed us to estimate a lower distance limit to the\\nsource at kpc. An analysis of the observed spin-up torque during a giant\\noutburst in 2015 provides an independent distance estimate of kpc, and\\nalso allows to estimate the magnetic field on the surface of the neutron star\\nat G. The latter value is in agreement with the\\npossible transition to the propeller regime, a strong hint for which was\\nrevealed by Swift/XRT and Chandra. We conclude that GROJ1750-27 is located far\\nbehind the Galactic Center, which makes it one of the furthest Galactic X-ray\\nbinaries known.\\n
Predicting Academic Effort
2019-02-14

Academic effort is a key construct in research on motivational variables such as interest and in research on conscientiousness, one of the Big Five domains of human personality. Surprisingly, the two lines of research have rarely been brought together. In this chapter, we describe the differences and similarities in the theoretical foundation of the two constructs and review research on their predictive power for academic effort. We then introduce the Conscientiousness × Interest Compensation (CONIC) model which postulates that conscientiousness and interest (partly) compensate for each other in predicting academic effort. Subsequently, we present empirical evidence for the model. In the final section of the chapter, we formulate some next steps in a research program on conscientiousness and interest.