The changing characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C prescribed direct acting antiviral medicines in general practice since listing of the medicines on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

Background and Aim: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether the characteristics of patients prescribed direct acting antiviral (DAA) medicines have changed since initial listing of the medicines on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from MedicineInsight, an Australian database of general practice electronic health records, from March 2016 to August 2018. We compared sociodemographic, comorbidity, and clinical characteristics of patients aged at least 18 years who were prescribed at least one DAA in the first 4 months of PBS listing in 2016 with those prescribed at least one DAA in 2018. Results: There were 2251 eligible adult patients prescribed a DAA during the study period, 62% were men and 59% were aged 50 years and older. Patients prescribed DAA medicines initially were older (aged ≥50 years: 67.9% vs 49.3%; P 1 (20.4% vs 8.9%; P < 0.001) than those prescribed DAA medicines in 2018. A greater proportion of patients in regional/remote (46.5% vs 35.6%; P < 0.001) and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas (44.4% vs 34.5%; P = 0.003) accessed treatment in 2018 compared with 2016. Conclusions: Despite evidence of decreasing uptake of DAA medicines across Australia, this study indicates broadened uptake among younger age groups and those residing in regional/remote and socioeconomically disadvantaged areas since 2016. While uptake of DAA medicines in some population subgroups appears to have improved, continuous efforts to improve uptake across the Australian population are essential

Integrating Geographic Information into the Analysis of the Genetic Distribution of South African Vervet Monkeys

This project uses the program Geneland to reanalyze McAuliffe’s (2008) thesis data on genetic variability in three South African vervet monkey populations (Polokwane, Oribi and Blyde). Using information on the geographic location and genetic variability of these populations, the spatially explicit Geneland program shows that the three populations are weakly differentiated. These findings oppose the results of previous genetic studies of South African vervet monkeys as well as the results obtained by McAuliffe with the spatially implicit Structure program, which found that the 34 individuals all come from one population. Based on this historic data and the fact that other studies have found the same number of subpopulations with both Structure and Geneland, I conclude that Polokwane, Oribi and Blyde are slightly differentiated, though not distinct enough to be considered separate populations (Latch et al. 2008). These results need to be supported by an analysis of the entire sample of South African vervet monkey genetic data from up to 200 animals prior to suggesting policy changes regarding genetic structuring in South African vervet monkeys

Source apportionment of atmospheric ammonia before, during, and after the 2014 APEC summit in Beijing using stable nitrogen isotope signatures

Stable nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) offers new opportunities to address the long-standing and ongoing controversy regarding the origins of ambient ammonia (NH3), a vital precursor of PM2.5 (particulate matters with aerodynamic diameter equal or less than 2.5 µm) inorganic components, in the urban atmosphere. In this study, the δ15N values of NH3 samples collected from various sources were constrained using a novel and robust chemical method coupled with standard elemental analysis procedures. Independent of the wide variation in mass concentrations (ranging from 33 (vehicle) to over 6000 (human excreta) µg m−3), different NH3 sources have generally different δ15N values (ranging from −52.0 to −9.6 ‰). Significantly high δ15N values are seen as a characteristic feature of all vehicle-derived NH3 samples (−14.2 ± 2.8 ‰), which can be distinguished from other sources emitted at environmental temperature (−29.1 ± 1.7, −37.8 ± 3.6, and −50.0 ± 1.8 ‰ for livestock, waste, and fertilizer, respectively). The isotope δ15N signatures for a range of NH3 emission sources were used to evaluate the contributions of the different sources within measured ambient NH3 in Beijing, using an isotope mixing model (IsoSource). The method was used to quantify the sources of ambient NH3 before, during and after the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, when a set of stringent air quality control measures were implemented. Results show that the average NH3 concentrations (the overall contributions of traffic, waste, livestock, and fertilizer) during the three periods were 9.1 (20.3, 28.3, 23.6, and 27.7 %), 7.3 (8.8, 24.9, 14.3, and 52.0 %), and 12.7 (29.4, 23.6, 31.7, and 15.4 %) µg m−3, respectively, representing a 20.0 % decrease first and then a 74.5 % increase in overall NH3 mass concentrations. During (after) the summit, the contributions of traffic, waste, livestock, and fertilizer decreased (increased) by 56.7 (234.2), 12.0 (−5.0), 39.4 (120.8), and −87.7 % (−70.5 %) when compared with periods before (during) the summit, respectively, signifying that future NH3 control efforts in megacities like Beijing should prioritize traffic sector as well as livestock breeding. The results show that isotope ratio measurements of NH3 to be a valuable tool to quantify the atmospheric sources of NH3 in urban atmospheres

Secondary schooling and rural youth transitions in Lesotho and Zimbabwe

Based on case studies centred on two rural secondary schools in Lesotho and Zimbabwe, this paper examines the gendered impacts of schooling on young people’s transitions to adulthood. School attendance is shown, first, to disrupt the conventional pathways to adulthood: young people attending school may leave home sooner than they otherwise would, and take responsibility for their day-to-day survival, while marriage and childbearing are often delayed. More significantly, secondary schooling reflects, and contributes to, a growing sense that adulthood itself is not fixed. An alternative version of adulthood is promoted through schools in which formal sector employment is central. Yet while young people are encouraged to opt for, and work towards, this goal, only a minority are able to obtain paid employment. The apparent possibility of determining one’s own lifecourse serves to cast the majority of young people as failures in their transitions to adulthood

Infrared absorption from Charge Density Waves in magnetic manganites

The infrared absorption of charge density waves coupled to a magnetic background is first observed in two manganites La{1-x}Ca{x}MnO{3} with x = 0.5 and x = 0.67. In both cases a BCS-like gap 2 Delta (T), which for x=0.5 follows the hysteretic ferro-antiferromagnetic transition, fully opens at a finite T{0} < T{Neel}, with 2 Delta(T{0})/kT{c} close to 5. These results may also explain the unusual coexistence of charge ordering and ferromagnetism in La{0.5}Ca{0.5}MnO{3}.Comment: File revtex + 3 figs. in epsf. To appear on Phys. Rev. Let

Three-Year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) Observations: Foreground Polarization

We present a full-sky model of polarized Galactic microwave emission based on three years of observations by the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) at frequencies from 23 to 94 GHz. The model compares maps of the Stokes Q and U components from each of the 5 WMAP frequency bands in order to separate synchrotron from dust emission, taking into account the spatial and frequency dependence of the synchrotron and dust components. This simple two-component model of the interstellar medium accounts for at least 97% of the polarized emission in the WMAP maps of the microwave sky. Synchrotron emission dominates the polarized foregrounds at frequencies below 50 GHz, and is comparable to the dust contribution at 65 GHz. The spectral index of the synchrotron component, derived solely from polarization data, is -3.2 averaged over the full sky, with a modestly flatter index on the Galactic plane. The synchrotron emission has mean polarization fraction 2--4% in the Galactic plane and rising to over 20% at high latitude, with prominent features such as the North Galactic Spur more polarized than the diffuse component. Thermal dust emission has polarization fraction 1% near the Galactic center, rising to 6% at the anti-center. Diffuse emission from high-latitude dust is also polarized with mean fractional polarization 0.036 +/- 0.011.Comment: 9 pages with 8 figures. For higher quality figures, see the version posted at http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/product/map/dr2/map_bibliography.cf

Ecosystem carbon 7 dioxide fluxes after disturbance in forests of North America

Disturbances are important for renewal of North American forests. Here we summarize more than 180 site years of eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide flux made at forest chronosequences in North America. The disturbances included stand-replacing fire (Alaska, Arizona, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan) and harvest (British Columbia, Florida, New Brunswick, Oregon, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Wisconsin) events, insect infestations (gypsy moth, forest tent caterpillar, and mountain pine beetle), Hurricane Wilma, and silvicultural thinning (Arizona, California, and New Brunswick). Net ecosystem production (NEP) showed a carbon loss from all ecosystems following a stand-replacing disturbance, becoming a carbon sink by 20 years for all ecosystems and by 10 years for most. Maximum carbon losses following disturbance (g C m−2y−1) ranged from 1270 in Florida to 200 in boreal ecosystems. Similarly, for forests less than 100 years old, maximum uptake (g C m−2y−1) was 1180 in Florida mangroves and 210 in boreal ecosystems. More temperate forests had intermediate fluxes. Boreal ecosystems were relatively time invariant after 20 years, whereas western ecosystems tended to increase in carbon gain over time. This was driven mostly by gross photosynthetic production (GPP) because total ecosystem respiration (ER) and heterotrophic respiration were relatively invariant with age. GPP/ER was as low as 0.2 immediately following stand-replacing disturbance reaching a constant value of 1.2 after 20 years. NEP following insect defoliations and silvicultural thinning showed lesser changes than stand-replacing events, with decreases in the year of disturbance followed by rapid recovery. NEP decreased in a mangrove ecosystem following Hurricane Wilma because of a decrease in GPP and an increase in ER

Infrared response of ordered polarons in layered perovskites

We report on the infrared absorption spectra of three oxides where charged superlattices have been recently observed in diffraction experiments. In La$_{1.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$NiO$_4$, polaron localization is found to suppress the low-energy conductivity through the opening of a gap and to split the $E_{2u}$-$A_{2u}$ vibrational manifold of the oxygen octahedra. Similar effects are detected in Sr$_{1.5}$La$_{0.5}$MnO$_4$ and in La$_2$NiO$_{4+y}$, with peculiar differences related to the type of charge ordering.Comment: File latex, 11 p. + 3 Figures, to appear on Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Commun.), 1 Oct. 1996. The figures will be faxed upon request. E-mail:[email protected] Fax: +39-6-446315

Small and large polarons in nickelates, manganites, and cuprates

By comparing the optical conductivities of La_{1.67}Sr_{0.33}NiO_{4} (LSNO), Sr_{1.5}La_{0.5}MnO_4 (SLMO), Nd_2CuO_{4-y} (NCO), and Nd_{1.96}Ce_{0.04}CuO_{4} (NCCO), we have identified a peculiar behavior of polarons in this cuprate family. While in LSNO and SLMO small polarons localize into ordered structures below a transition temperature, in those cuprates the polarons appear to be large, and at low T their binding energy decreases. This reflects into an increase of the polaron radius, which may trigger coherent transport.Comment: File latex, 15 p. incl. 4 Figs. epsf, to appear on the Journal of Superconductivity - Proc. "Stripes 1996" - Roma Dec 199