Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of free high resolution digital elevation data sets (ASTER GDEM2, SRTM v2.1/v4.1) and validation against accurate heights from the Australian National Gravity Database

Today, several global digital elevation models (DEMs) are freely available on the web. This study compares and evaluates the latest release of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflectometer DEM (ASTER GDEM2) and two DEMs based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) as released by the United States Geological Survey (SRTM3 USGS version 2.1) and by the Consortium for Spatial Information (SRTM CGIAR-CSI version 4.1) over the Australian continent. The comparison generally shows a very good agreement between both SRTM DEMs; however, data voids contained in the USGS model over steep topographic relief are filled in the CGIAR-CSI model. ASTER GDEM2 has a northeast- to southwest-aligned striping error at the 10 m level and shows an average height bias of –5 m relative to SRTM models. The root-mean square (RMS) height error obtained from the differences between ASTER GDEM2 and SRTM over Australia is found to be around 9.5 m. An external validation of the models with over 228 000 accurate station heights from the Australian National Gravity Database allows estimating each models’ elevation accuracies over Australia: ASTER GDEM2 ∼ 8.5 m, SRTM3 USGS ∼ 6 m, SRTM CGIAR-CSI ∼ 4.5 m (RMS). In addition, the dependence of the DEM accuracy on terrain type and land cover is analysed. Applying a cross-correlation image co-registration technique to 529 1 × 1 degree tiles and 138 2 × 2 degree tiles reveals a mean relative shift of ASTER GDEM2 compared with SRTM of –0.007 and –0.042 arc-seconds in north–south and –0.100 and –0.136 arc-seconds in east–west direction over Australia, respectively.
Erlotinib attenuates the progression of chronic kidney disease in rats with remnant kidney

Background Increasing evidence indicates that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has a pathogenic role in renal fibrosis. Currently no effective treatment can completely halt the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study was undertaken to investigate the renoprotective effects of erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that can block EGFR activity in the progression of CKD and the mechanisms involved. Methods Sprague Dawley rats with 5/6 nephrectomy were administered either erlotinib or vehicle from 2 weeks after surgery and for a period of 8 weeks. Blood pressure, proteinuria and serum creatinine were measured periodically. Renal morphological investigations were performed at sacrifice. In vitro, we used normal human mesangial cells (NHMCs) and human proximal tubular cells to investigate the inhibitory effects of erlotinib on renal fibrosis-associated signaling pathways by western blotting. Results Erlotinib treatment significantly blunted the progression of CKD as evidenced by reduced levels of serum creatinine, proteinuria and renal cortical profibrogenic genes and scores of glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial damage. Tubulointerstitial macrophage infiltration and multiple pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression levels were also attenuated by erlotinib treatment. In vitro, heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor-induced Akt and extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activation in normal human mesangial cells and human proximal tubular cells was inhibited by pretreatment with erlotinib. Conclusions EGFR blocking by erlotinib protected against renal fibrosis in 5/6 nephrectomized rats via inhibition of Akt and ERK 1/2 signaling pathways, which are associated with renal fibrosis. Erlotinib also has anti-inflammatory properties, which may contribute to its renoprotective effects. Erlotinib represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CKD.
Pharmacological characterization of nanoparticle-induced platelet microaggregation using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation: comparison with light aggregometry

Background Engineered nanoparticles (NPs) can induce platelet activation and aggregation, but the mechanisms underlying these interactions are not well understood. This could be due in part to use of devices that study platelet function under quasi-static conditions with low sensitivity to measure platelet microaggregation. Therefore, in this study we investigated the pharmacological pathways and regulators of NP-induced platelet microaggregation under flow conditions at nanoscale using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and compared the data thus obtained with those generated by light aggregometry. Methods Blood was collected from healthy volunteers, and platelet-rich plasma was obtained. Thrombin receptor-activating peptide, a potent stimulator of platelet function, and pharmacological inhibitors were used to modulate platelet microaggregation in the presence/absence of silica (10 nm and 50 nm) and polystyrene (23 nm) NPs. Light aggregometry was used to study platelet aggregation in macroscale. Optical, immunofluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy were also used to visualize platelet aggregates. Results Platelet microaggregation was enhanced by thrombin receptor-activating peptide, whereas prostacyclin, nitric oxide donors, acetylsalicylic acid, and phenanthroline, but not adenosine diphosphate (ADP) blockers, were able to inhibit platelet microaggregation. NPs caused platelet microaggregation, an effect not detectable by light aggregometry. NP-induced microaggregation was attenuated by platelet inhibitors. Conclusion NP-induced platelet microaggregation appears to involve classical proaggregatory pathways (thromboxane A2-mediated and matrix metalloproteinase-2-mediated) and can be regulated by endogenous (prostacyclin) and pharmacological (acetylsalicylic acid, phenanthroline, and nitric oxide donors) inhibitors of platelet function. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation, but not light aggregometry, is an appropriate method for studying NP-induced microaggregation.
Side channel modeling attacks on 65nm arbiter PUFs exploiting CMOS device noise

Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are emerging as hardware security primitives. For so-called strong PUFs, the number of challenge-response pairs (CRPs) increases exponentially with the required chip area in the ideal case. They can provide a mechanism to authenticate chips which is inherently unique for every manufactured sample. Modeling of the CRP behavior through Machine Learning (ML) has shown to be a threat however. In this paper, we exploit repeatability imperfections of PUF responses as a side channel for model building. We demonstrate that 65nm CMOS arbiter PUFs can be modeled successfully, without utilizing any ML algorithm. Data originates from real-world measurements and hence not from simulations. Modeling accuracies exceeding 97% are obtained, which is comparable with previously published ML results. Information leakage through the exploited side channel should be considered for all strong PUF designs. Combined attack strategies, whereby repeatability measurements facilitate ML, might be effective and are recommended for further research.
Trial to incorporate Cu stabilizer in rapid-quenching processed Nb3Al wires

The jelly-roll (JR) Nb 3 Al superconducting conductors produced by rapid-quenching and transformation (RQT) process may be considered as an alternative to Nb 3 Sn conductors for high-field and large-scale applications. However, it has been difficult to incorporate a Cu stabilizer in the conductor as a basic component, because it is inevitable that a Cu stabilizer would melts during the rapid-quenching (RQ) process. In this study, we made several types of Nb 3 Al wires where the Cu or Ag stabilizer was internally incorporated in the wire and separated from the Nb 3 Al filaments by a Nb (or Ta) barrier. The fabrication and subsequent RQT process was successfully applied. The J c (Nb 3 Al phase) obtained was approximately 200A/mm 2 (21T, 4.2K), which was larger than that of the conventional RQT processed conductors without a stabilizer. Although the H c2 itself was almost the same, the transition was quite sharp compared to the conventional conductors, indicating that a homogeneous Nb 3 Al phase was formed in the internally stabilized Nb 3 Al conductors.
Estimation of the effects of multipoint pacing on battery longevity in routine clinical practice

Aims Multipoint pacing (MPP) permits simultaneous multisite pacing of the left ventricle (LV); initial studies suggest haemodynamic and clinical benefits over conventional (single LV site) cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of MPP activation on battery longevity in routine clinical practice. Methods and results Patient (n = 46) and device data were collected from two centres at least 3 months after MPP-CRT device implantation. Multipoint pacing programming was based on the maximal possible anatomical LV1/LV2 separation according to three predefined LV pacing capture threshold (PCT) cut-offs (≤1.5 V; ≤4.0 V; and ≤6.5 V). Estimated battery longevity was calculated using the programmed lower rate limit, lead impedances, outputs, and pacing percentages. Relative to the longevity for conventional CRT using the lowest PCT (8.9 ± 1.2 years), MPP activation significantly shortened battery longevity for all three PCT cut-offs (≤1.5 V, -5.6%; ≤4.0 V, -16.9%; ≤6.5 V, -21.3%; P's <0.001). When compared with conventional CRT based on longest right ventricle-LV delay (8.3 ± 1.3 years), battery longevity was significantly shortened for the MPP ≤ 4.0 V and ≤6.5 V cut-offs (-10.8 and -15.7%, respectively; P's <0.001). Maximal LV1/LV2 spacing was possible in 23.9% (≤1.5 V), 56.5% (≤4.0 V), and 69.6% (≤6.5 V) of patients. Conclusion Multipoint pacing activation significantly reduces battery longevity compared with that for conventional CRT configuration. When reasonable MPP LV vector PCTs (≤4.0 V) are achieved, the decrease in battery longevity is relatively small which may prompt the clinician to activate MPP.
A Low-Power Programmable Neural Spike Detection Channel With Embedded Calibration and Data Compression

This paper reports a programmable 400 μm pitch neural spike recording channel, fabricated in a 130 nm standard CMOS technology, which implements amplification, filtering, digitization, analog spike detection plus feature extraction, and self-calibration functionalities. It can operate in two different output modes: 1) signal tracking, in which the neural signal is sampled and transmitted as raw data; and 2) feature extraction, in which the spikes of the neural signal are detected and encoded by piece-wise linear curves. Additionally, the channel offers a foreground calibration procedure in which the amplification gain and the passband of the embedded filter can be self-adjusted. The amplification stage obtains a noise efficiency factor of 2.16 and an input referred noise of 2.84 μVrms over a nominal bandwidth of 167 Hz-6.9 kHz. The channel includes a reconfigurable 8-bit analog-to-digital converter combined with a 3-bit controlled programmable gain amplifier for adjusting the input signal to the full scale range of the converter. This combined block achieves an overall energy consumption per conversion of 102 fJ at 90 kS/s. The energy consumed by the circuit elements which are strictly related to the digitization process is 14.12 fJ at the same conversion rate. The complete channel consumes 2.8 μW at 1.2 V voltage supply when operated in the signal tracking mode, and 3.1 μW when the feature extraction mode is enabled.
Detection of Land Subsidence Associated with Land Creation and Rapid Urbanization in the Chinese Loess Plateau Using Time Series InSAR: A Case Study of Lanzhou New District

Lanzhou New District is the first and largest national-level new district in the Loess Plateau region of China. Large-scale land creation and rapid utilization of the land surface for construction has induced various magnitudes of land subsidence in the region, which is posing an increasing threat to the built environment and quality of life. In this study, the spatial and temporal evolution of surface subsidence in Lanzhou New District was assessed using Persistent Scatterer Interferometric Synthetic Aperture radar (PSInSAR) to process the ENVISAT SAR images from 2003–2010, and the Small Baseline Subset (SBAS) InSAR to process the Sentinel-1A images from 2015–2016. We found that the land subsidence exhibits distinct spatiotemporal patterns in the study region. The spatial pattern of land subsidence has evidently extended from the major urban zone to the land creation region. Significant subsidence of 0–55 mm/year was detected between 2015 and 2016 in the land creation and urbanization area where either zero or minor subsidence of 0–17.2 mm/year was recorded between 2003 and 2010. The change in the spatiotemporal pattern appears to be dominated mainly by the spatial heterogeneity of land creation and urban expansion. The spatial associations of subsidence suggest a clear geological control, in terms of the presence of compressible sedimentary deposits; however, subsidence and groundwater fluctuations are weakly correlated. We infer that the processes of land creation and rapid urban construction are responsible for determining subsidence over the region, and the local geological conditions, including lithology and the thickness of the compressible layer, control the magnitude of the subsidence process. However, anthropogenic activities, especially related to land creation, have more significant impacts on the detected subsidence than other factors. In addition, the higher collapsibility and compressibility of the loess deposits in the land creation region may be the underlying mechanism of macro-subsidence in Lanzhou New District. Our results provide a useful reference for land creation, urban planning and subsidence mitigation in the Loess Plateau region, where the large-scale process of bulldozing mountains and valley infilling to create level areas for city construction is either underway or forthcoming.
The influence of maternal vaginal flora on the intestinal colonization in newborns and 3-month-old infants

Abstract Aim: The role of maternal vaginal bacteria on the colonization of neonatal gut is still a matter of discussion. Our aim was to estimate the role of maternal vaginal flora on the development of intestinal flora in neonates and 3-month-old infants. Methods: Seventy-nine maternal–neonatal pairs were included in the study. Vaginal swabs were taken before the rupture of membranes after admission to the delivery ward. First neonatal stool (meconium) and stool at 3-month-old infants were collected and cultured. All samples were subjected to microbiological analysis for Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium (including C. difficile), Lactobacillus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida. Results: Maternal vagina was colonized mainly by streptococci (67%) followed by lactobacilli (58%) and Candida spp. (39%). Vaginal streptococci influenced the intestinal colonization in infants with staphylococci, C. difficile, and candida. Conclusion: Vaginal lactobacilli influenced colonization with C. difficile, and Candida. Vaginal flora is a potent factor influencing the development of bacterial flora in the neonatal and infantile gut. The extension of the observation period until 3 months of life allow to discover the potential changes in the intestinal flora of children.
Adapting a General-Purpose Social Robot for Paediatric Rehabilitation through In Situ Design

Socially assistive robots (SARs) offer great promise for improving outcomes in paediatric rehabilitation. However, the design of software and interactive capabilities for SARs must be carefully considered in the context of their intended clinical use. While previous work has explored specific roles and functionalities to support paediatric rehabilitation, few have considered the design of such capabilities in the context of ongoing clinical deployment. In this article, we present a two-phase in situ design process for SARs in health care, emphasising stakeholder engagement and on-site development. We explore this in the context of developing the humanoid social robot NAO as a socially assistive rehabilitation aid for children with cerebral palsy. We present and evaluate our design process, outcomes achieved, and preliminary results from ongoing clinical testing with 9 patients and 5 therapists over 14 sessions. We argue that our in situ design methodology has been central to the rapid and successful deployment of our system.
Candidate Serum Markers in Early Crohn’s Disease: Predictors of Disease Course

Background and Aims More than half of patients with Crohn's disease [CD] develop disease complications requiring aggressive medical therapy or surgery over time. However, predicting disease course and treatment response remains difficult. We therefore identified distinctive serum analytes associated with disease activity and course in newly diagnosed, untreated patients at presentation and during their follow-up. Methods In a pilot study, a multiplex immunoassay analysis on 36 markers was performed on serum from 20 CD patients at the time of primary diagnosis following endoscopic evaluation. The 12 most potent markers associated with disease activity, phenotype and course were analysed in a consecutive cohort of 66 CD patients at diagnosis and follow-up [n = 39]. A healthy control group [n = 20] was included as a reference. Results CD patients had higher baseline levels of sTNF-R2 [p = 0.001], sIL-2R [p = 0.0001], and MMP-1 [p = 0.001] compared with healthy controls. Serial measurements revealed that these three analytes dropped statistically significantly from baseline level during remission and were high during exacerbation. Great decline of sTNF-R1 levels was found during remission, with 6.7-fold lower levels than in healthy controls [p = 0.015]. Patients who did not respond to initial prednisone treatment had higher baseline levels of sTNF-R2 [p = 0.001]. Patients experiencing relapses during follow-up had lower baseline sTNF-R2 and VCAM levels compared with patients with long-lasting remission. Conclusions In a large cohort of newly diagnosed untreated CD patients, we identified candidate serum markers [sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2, sIL-2R, and MMP-1] associated with disease activity. Furthermore, sTNF-R2 was associated with prednisone response and, together with VCAM, with long-lasting remission.
Combined Oral Contraception and Bicalutamide in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Severe Hirsutism: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Context Hirsutism often occurs in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The efficacy of oral contraceptive pill (OCP) plus antiandrogens in the treatment of its severe expression is controversial due to the lack of randomized, double-blind, long-term studies. Objective The primary outcome was the reduction of hirsutism in PCOS women objectively measured by videodermoscopy on the androgen-sensitive skin areas assessed by the modified Ferriman and Gallwey (mF&G) total score, after 12 months of therapy with OCP + bicalutamide (BC) vs OCP plus placebo (P). The secondary outcomes were to evaluate tolerability of BC and body composition as well as the occurrence of adverse events. Design An experimental, phase 3, prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, P-controlled trial. Patients were evaluated at the baseline visit, at 6 and 12 months during treatment, and 6 months' posttreatment. Participants Seventy women with classic PCOS (severe hirsutism, oligoanovulation, and ovarian polycystic ovarian morphology). Intervention Patients received OCP + BC (50 mg/d) or OCP + P for 12 months. Results The repeated measures analysis of variance showed that both treatments were effective in reducing hirsutism: The OCP + BC group had a higher reduction compared with the OCP + P group. No adverse effects were described during treatment except an increase in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein in the OCP + BC group. Conclusions The association of OCP + BC is well tolerated and significantly more effective than OCP alone in treating severe hirsutism. We suggest a combined use of the videodermoscopic index and mF&G to evaluate the effects of androgen deprivation therapy for hirsutism.
Functional dissociation of stimulus intensity encoding and predictive coding of pain in the insula

The computational principles by which the brain creates a painful experience from nociception are still unknown. Classic theories suggest that cortical regions either reflect stimulus intensity or additive effects of intensity and expectations, respectively. By contrast, predictive coding theories provide a unified framework explaining how perception is shaped by the integration of beliefs about the world with mismatches resulting from the comparison of these beliefs against sensory input. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging during a probabilistic heat pain paradigm, we investigated which computations underlie pain perception. Skin conductance, pupil dilation, and anterior insula responses to cued pain stimuli strictly followed the response patterns hypothesized by the predictive coding model, whereas posterior insula encoded stimulus intensity. This novel functional dissociation of pain processing within the insula together with previously observed alterations in chronic pain offer a novel interpretation of aberrant pain processing as disturbed weighting of predictions and prediction errors. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.24770. 001
Effect of an Early Dose of Measles Vaccine on Morbidity Between 18 Weeks and 9 Months of Age: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in Guinea-Bissau

Abstract Background Children in Guinea-Bissau receive measles vaccine (MV) at 9 months of age, but studies have shown that an additional dose before 9 months of age might have beneficial nonspecific effects. Within a randomized trial designed to examine nonspecific effects of early MV receipt on mortality, we conducted a substudy to investigate the effect of early MV receipt on morbidity. Methods Children were randomly assigned at a ratio of 2:1 to receive 2 doses of MV at 18 weeks and age 9 months (intervention group) or 1 dose of MV at age 9 months, in accordance with current practice (control group). Children were visited weekly from enrollment to age 9 months; the mother reported morbidity, and the field assistants examined the children. Using Cox and binomial regression models, we compared the 2 randomization groups. Results Among the 1592 children, early measles vaccination was not associated with a higher risk of the well-known adverse events of fever, rash, and convulsions within the first 14 days. From 15 days after randomization to age 9 months, early measles vaccination was associated with reductions in maternally reported diarrhea (hazard ratio [HR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], .82–.97), vomiting (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, .75–.98), and fever (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, .87–1.00). Conclusion Early MV receipt was associated with reduced general morbidity in the following months, supporting that early MV receipt may improve the general health of children.