julilili42/papers huggingface dataset:
Resistance‐associated substitutions in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 4 infection
2020-05-12

Abstract Data on the prevalence of resistance‐associated substitutions (RASs) and their implications for treatment with direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) are sparse in European patients with HCV genotype 4. This study investigated RASs before and after DAA failure in different genotype 4 subtypes and evaluated retreatment efficacies. Samples of 195 genotype 4‐infected patients were collected in the European Resistance Database and investigated for NS3, NS5A and NS5B RASs. Retreatment efficacies in DAA failure patients were analysed retrospectively. After NS5A inhibitor (NS5Ai) failure, subtype 4r was frequent (30%) compared to DAA‐naïve patients (5%) and the number of NS5A RASs was significantly higher in subtype 4r compared to 4a or 4d (median three RASs vs no or one RAS, respectively, P &lt; .0001). RASsL28V, L30R and M31L pre‐existed in subtype 4r and were maintained after NS5Ai failure. Typical subtype 4r RASs were located in subdomain 1a of NS5A, close to membrane interaction and protein‐protein interaction sites that are responsible for multimerization and hence viral replication. Retreatment of 37 DAA failure patients was highly effective with 100% SVR in prior SOF/RBV, PI/SOF and PI/NS5Ai failures. Secondary virologic failures were rare (n = 2; subtype 4d and 4r) and only observed in prior NS5Ai/SOF failures (SVR 90%). In conclusion, subtype 4r harboured considerably more RASs compared to other subtypes. A resistance‐tailored retreatment using first‐ and second‐generation DAAs was highly effective with SVR rates ≥90% across all subtypes and first‐line treatment regimens.
Ultrastructural evidence for the origin of the subretinal pigment shield in the compound eye of Drosophila melanogaster
2020-05-12

Abstract Little morphological information is available about subretinal pigment shields in insect compound eyes, especially ultrastructural information. The latter is however needed in order to detect possible smallest projections that emanate from pigment‐granule‐bearing cells and pass through the basal matrix (BM), but that are not visible in light micrographs. Previous work on the subretinal pigment shield in Drosophila melanogaster suggests that the pigment cell population located below the BM is closely associated with secondary and tertiary pigment cells. Whether these cells stay in connection throughout life with the subretinal regions via thin projections that pass through the fenestrae of the BM, or whether the subretinal parts later become separated during eye development remained so far unknown. Our investigation of the periphery of the BM by three‐dimensional reconstruction based on serial‐sectioning transmission electron microscopy has revealed that the secondary and tertiary pigment cells possess thin projections that pass through the fenestrae of the BM and thus connect the cellular regions above and below the BM in the adult compound eye. The subretinal pigment shield of D. melanogaster is therefore of retinal origin and is not composed of additional subretinal pigment cells. The maintained bond allows the active displacement of pigment granules below the BM during the process of dark and light adaptation of the compound eye.
Imaging and Clinical Data on Swallowing Function of Individuals with Huntington’s Disease and Dysphagia
2020-05-12

Dysphagia in HD is exacerbated by difficulties with self-feeding and monitoring feeding rate. Burden of pathology relates to pharyngeal swallow initiation and penetration and aspiration of fluid. Dysphagia did not appear to worsen in a systematic way in a subset of participants.
Characterizing Retinal Ganglion Cell Responses to Electrical Stimulation Using Generalized Linear Models
2020-05-12

The ability to preferentially stimulate different retinal pathways is an important area of research for improving visual prosthetics. Recent work has shown that different classes of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) have distinct linear electrical input filters for low-amplitude white noise stimulation. The aim of this study is to provide a statistical framework for characterizing how RGCs respond to white-noise electrical stimulation. We used a nested family of Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) to partition neural responses into different components-progressively adding covariates to the GLM which captured non-stationarity in neural activity, a linear dependence on the stimulus, and any remaining non-linear interactions. We found that each of these components resulted in increased model performance, but that even the non-linear model left a substantial fraction of neural variability unexplained. The broad goal of this paper is to provide a much-needed theoretical framework to objectively quantify stimulus paradigms in terms of the types of neural responses that they elicit (linear vs. non-linear vs. stimulus-independent variability). In turn, this aids the prosthetic community in the search for optimal stimulus parameters that avoid indiscriminate retinal activation and adaptation caused by excessively large stimulus pulses, and avoid low fidelity responses (low signal-to-noise ratio) caused by excessively weak stimulus pulses.
How EU Juridification shapes Constitutional Social Rights
2020-05-12

Abstract This article demonstrates how EU member states' distinct constitutional traditions shape the impact of EU juridification on national welfare states and social rights. These traditions come with different ‘constitutional social rights norms’ – that is, distinct distributions of obligation and power to protect social rights between judicial and political actors. The article argues that norms common to the political constitutional tradition are less compatible with the EU's juridified notion of rights than those distinguishing legal constitutionalism. To develop this argument, the article takes an in‐depth look at Germany and Sweden, which represent the two constitutional traditions. This reveals how the Swedish constitutional understanding of social rights as politically defined collective rights has shifted towards a more juridified notion of rights, as EU law effectively makes social entitlements defined in national legislation more justiciable. The already significantly juridified understanding of social rights in Germany, in contrast, comes closer to that of the EU.
On-Chip Sensing of Hotspots in Superconducting Terahertz Emitters
2020-05-12

Intrinsic Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconductor Bi<sub>2</sub>Sr<sub>2</sub>CaCu<sub>2</sub>O<sub>8+δ</sub> (BSCCO) are known for their capability to emit high-power terahertz photons with widely tunable frequencies. Hotspots, as inhomogeneous temperature distributions across the junctions, are believed to play a critical role in synchronizing the gauge-invariant phase difference among the junctions, so as to achieve coherent strong emission. In this paper, we demonstrate an on-chip <i>in situ</i> sensing technique that can characterize hotspot distributions on BSCCO. This is achieved by fabricating a series of micro-nanosized "sensor" junctions on top of an "emitter" junction and measuring the critical current on the sensors versus the bias current applied to the emitter. This fully electronic on-chip design can enable efficient close-loop control of hotspots in BSCCO junctions and significantly enhance the functionality of superconducting terahertz emitters.
Dataset for Male Eurasian jays flexibly alter their food sharing in line with partners' choices
2020-05-12

This is the raw data for Exp. 1 and Exp. 2 from "Investigating the flexibility of male Eurasian jays' food-sharing behavior' by Rachel C Crosby, Edward W Legg, Katharina F. Brecht, Michael T Mendl, Ljerka Ostojic and Nicola S. Clayton in a machine-readable format. It was previously pre-printed under the title of "Male Eurasian jays flexibly alter their food sharing in line with partners’ choices".
Stabilization of Highly Efficient and Stable Phase‐Pure FAPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells by Molecularly Tailored 2D‐Overlayers
2020-05-13

Abstract As a result of their attractive optoelectronic properties, metal halide APbI 3 perovskites employing formamidinium (FA + ) as the A cation are the focus of research. The superior chemical and thermal stability of FA + cations makes α‐FAPbI 3 more suitable for solar‐cell applications than methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI 3 ). However, its spontaneous conversion into the yellow non‐perovskite phase ( δ ‐FAPbI 3 ) under ambient conditions poses a serious challenge for practical applications. Herein, we report on the stabilization of the desired α‐FAPbI 3 perovskite phase by protecting it with a two‐dimensional (2D) IBA 2 FAPb 2 I 7 (IBA= iso ‐butylammonium overlayer, formed via stepwise annealing. The α‐FAPbI 3 /IBA 2 FAPb 2 I 7 based perovskite solar cell (PSC) reached a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of close to 23 %. In addition, it showed excellent operational stability, retaining around 85 % of its initial efficiency under severe combined heat and light stress, that is, simultaneous exposure with maximum power tracking to full simulated sunlight at 80 °C over 500 h.
Public attitudes toward biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management in Europe
2020-05-13

Abstract Increasing urbanization worldwide calls for more sustainable urban development. Simultaneously, the global biodiversity crisis accentuates the need of fostering biodiversity within cities. Policies supporting urban nature conservation need to understand people's acceptance of biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. We surveyed more than 2,000 people in 19 European cities about their attitudes toward near‐natural urban grassland management in public greenspaces, and related their responses to nine sociocultural parameters. Results reveal that people across Europe can support urban biodiversity, yet within the frames of a generally tidy appearance of public greenery. Younger people and those using greenspaces for a greater variety of activities were more likely to favor biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. Additionally, people who were aware of the meaning of biodiversity and those stating responsibility for biodiversity conservation particularly supported biodiversity‐friendly greenspace management. Our results point at explicit measures like environmental education to increase public acceptance of policies that facilitate nature conservation within cities.
Identification of Falsified Chloroquine Tablets in Africa at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic
2020-05-13

Reports that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine may be effective against COVID-19 have received worldwide attention, increasing the risk of the introduction of falsified versions of these medicines. Five different types of falsified chloroquine tablets were discovered between March 31, 2020 and April 4, 2020, in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo by locally conducted thin layer chromatographic analysis. Subsequent investigation by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry in Germany proved the absence of detectable amounts of chloroquine and the presence of undeclared active pharmaceutical ingredients, that is, paracetamol and metronidazole, in four of the samples. The fifth sample contained chloroquine, but only 22% of the declared amount. Such products represent a serious risk to patients. Their occurrence exemplifies that once medicines or vaccines against COVID-19 may be developed, falsified products will enter the market immediately, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Timely preparations for the detection of such products are required, including the establishment of appropriate screening technologies in LMICs.
Orf Virus-Based Therapeutic Vaccine for Treatment of Papillomavirus-Induced Tumors
2020-05-13

Viral vectors are widely used for the development of therapeutic vaccines for the treatment of tumors. In our study we have used Orf virus (ORFV) strain D1701-V for the generation of recombinant vaccines expressing cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) early proteins E1, E2, LE6, and E7. The therapeutic efficacy of the ORFV-CRPV vaccines was evaluated in two independent experiments using the outbred CRPV rabbit model. In both experiments the immunization achieved significant suppression of tumor growth. In total, 84.6% of all outbred animals benefited from the ORFV-CRPV vaccination, showing reduction in tumor size and significant tumor growth inhibition, including one animal with complete tumor regression without recurrence.
Testing the Kerr metric using X-ray reflection spectroscopy: spectral analysis of GX 339–4
2020-05-13

Signatures of X-ray reprocessing (reflection) out of an accretion disk are commonly observed in the high-energy spectrum of accreting black holes, and can be used to probe the strong gravity region around these objects. In this paper, we extend previous work in the literature and we employ a full emission model for relativistic reflection in non-Kerr spacetime to demonstrate an approach that tests the Kerr black hole hypothesis. We analyze a composite spectrum obtained with the Proportional Counter Array in the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), of the stellar-mass black hole GX 339−4 in its brightest hard state. With a remarkable sensitivity of ~0.1% and 40 million counts in the 3–45 keV band to capture the faint features in the reflection spectrum, we demonstrate that it is possible with existing data and an adequate model to place constraints on the black hole spin a* and the deformation parameter that quantifies the departure from the Kerr metric. Our measurement obtained with the best fit model, which should be regarded as principally a proof of concept, is a*=0.92^(+0.07)_(−0.12) and α13=−0.76^(+0.78)_(−0.60) with a 90% confidence level and is consistent with the hypothesis that the compact object in GX 339−4 is a Kerr black hole. We also discuss how the physical model choice and the emissivity profile adopted could make an impact on the constraints of α13 and spin. To enable Kerr metric test using X-ray reflection spectroscopy, it is essential to improve our astrophysical understanding of accreting black holes, e.g., the natures of accretion flow and corona.
Journalist-Activist Boundary Work in Populist Times: The #NazisRaus Debate in German Media
2020-05-13

When broadcast journalist Nicole Diekmann tweeted “Nazis out,” she launched a large cultural discussion in the German Twittersphere—the hashtag #NazisRaus began to trend, prompting politicians, celebrities, and other journalists to partake. This paper begins by analyzing the developing discourses surrounding Diekmann’s tweet via a two-fold qualitative content analysis, looking at both the @replies to her tweet and the emergent media coverage about the debate. The analyses yield that user commentary was predominantly positive, with many commending Diekmann for taking a stance against right-wing populism in Germany. Users debated the message itself, its social acceptability, and feasibility. Journalistic treatments of the #NazisRaus controversy was overall much more critical, with most journalist reprimanding Diekmann for engaging in activism as a fellow journalist, using examples of hate-speech to show what happens to journalists who dabble in activism. Building on these results, this paper then investigates the lessons of the #NazisRaus debate with a focus on the link between activist journalistic practice and its boundary work, arguing that the present political climate and growing right-wing culture might prompt journalists to engage in more activist public communication practices.
The functions of tail flicking in birds: A meta-analysis
2020-05-13

Tail flicking is a common behavior that can be observed in many bird species. Various studies have investigated this behavior in different contexts such as during foraging, social interactions, or during predator–prey interactions. Nonetheless, there has been no statistical synthesis of results concerning the most commonly hypothesized functions of tail flicking. We conducted meta-analyses of published studies reporting flicking rates of birds in different contexts to identify a general function of tail flicking across species. We found evidence that tail flicking does not serve only one function but most likely has various functions across species. We found the general trend for flicking being a reflection of vigilance and predation risk. Flicking was related to flock size as rates decreased with increasing flock size, which might be related to a decreased individual predation risk in larger flocks. Moreover, we found flicking to be related to body condition and prey flushing. However, effect sizes for these hypotheses were only available from very few studies (body condition k = 2, prey flushing k = 3). Hence, future research concerning these two functions are necessary. Finally, our results suggested that flicking is not used for social communication, as it was not related to the presence of a conspecific or social status of an individual.
Multivalent ions and biomolecules: Attempting a comprehensive perspective
2020-05-14

Abstract Ions are ubiquitous in nature. They play a key role for many biological processes on the molecular scale, from molecular interactions, to mechanical properties, to folding, to self‐organisation and assembly, to reaction equilibria, to signalling, to energy and material transport, to recognition etc. Going beyond monovalent ions to multi valent ions, the effects of the ions are frequently not only stronger (due to the obviously higher charge), but qualitatively different. A typical example is the process of binding of multivalent ions, such as Ca 2+ , to a macromolecule and the consequences of this ion binding such as compaction, collapse, potential charge inversion and precipitation of the macromolecule. Here we review these effects and phenomena induced by multivalent ions for biological (macro)molecules, from the “atomistic/molecular” local picture of (potentially specific) interactions to the more global picture of phase behaviour including, e. g., crystallisation, phase separation, oligomerisation etc. Rather than attempting an encyclopedic list of systems, we rather aim for an embracing discussion using typical case studies. We try to cover predominantly three main classes: proteins, nucleic acids, and amphiphilic molecules including interface effects. We do not cover in detail, but make some comparisons to, ion channels, colloidal systems, and synthetic polymers. While there are obvious differences in the behaviour of, and the relevance of multivalent ions for, the three main classes of systems, we also point out analogies. Our attempt of a comprehensive discussion is guided by the idea that there are not only important differences and specific phenomena with regard to the effects of multivalent ions on the main systems, but also important similarities. We hope to bridge physico‐chemical mechanisms, concepts of soft matter, and biological observations and connect the different communities further.
Antithrombotic Treatment of Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source
2020-05-14

Background and Purpose— The RE-SPECT ESUS trial (Randomized, Double-Blind, Evaluation in Secondary Stroke Prevention Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of the Oral Thrombin Inhibitor Dabigatran Etexilate Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source) tested the hypothesis that dabigatran would be superior to aspirin for the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. This exploratory subgroup analysis investigates the impact of age, renal function (both predefined), and dabigatran dose (post hoc) on the rates of recurrent stroke and major bleeding. Methods— RE-SPECT ESUS was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial of dabigatran 150 or 110 mg (for patients aged ≥75 years and/or with creatinine clearance 30 to &lt;50 mL/minute) twice daily compared with aspirin 100 mg once daily. The primary outcome was recurrent stroke. Results— The trial, which enrolled 5390 patients from December 2014 to January 2018, did not demonstrate superiority of dabigatran versus aspirin for prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. However, among the population qualifying for the lower dabigatran dose, the rate of recurrent stroke was reduced with dabigatran versus aspirin (7.4% versus 13.0%; hazard ratio, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.39–0.82]; interaction P =0.01). This was driven mainly by the subgroup aged ≥75 years (7.8% versus 12.4%; hazard ratio, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.43–0.94]; interaction P =0.10). Stroke rates tended to be lower with dabigatran versus aspirin with declining renal function. Risks for major bleeding were similar between treatments, irrespective of renal function, but with a trend for lower bleeding rates with dabigatran versus aspirin in older patients. Conclusions— In subgroup analyses of RE-SPECT ESUS, dabigatran reduced the rate of recurrent stroke compared with aspirin in patients qualifying for the lower dose of dabigatran. These results are hypothesis-generating. Aspirin remains the standard antithrombotic treatment for patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source. Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Unique identifier: NCT02239120.
A Literature Review on the Foundations and Potentials of Digital Teaching Scenarios for Interprofessional Health Care Education
2020-05-14

The health care system is increasingly complex and specialized, but it presents the actors involved with the challenge of working together in interprofessional teams. One way to meet this challenge is through interprofessional training approaches, where representatives of different professions learn together with learners of other professions. This article contributes to the question of how interprofessional teaching in health care education can be designed with a low threshold by using digital media. We focus on learning with digital learning platforms and learning with videos. Based on existing empirical findings, these approaches are discussed in terms of their potential and limitations for interprofessional teaching. In particular, we examine how these approaches influence the core competence domains of interprofessional collaborative practice. Digital collaborative learning platforms are suitable for teaching interprofessional competences, since they enable social and professional exchange among learners of different professions. Videos are suitable for imparting medical declarative and procedural knowledge. Based on these considerations, the use of videos in combination with interaction possibilities is presented as a didactic approach that can combine the aspect of knowledge transfer with the possibility of interprofessional computer-based collaboration.