Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation and Study of Diabetic Nephropathy with Atrasentan: what was learned about the treatment of diabetic kidney disease with canagliflozin and atrasentan?

Abstract In April 2019, two major Phase 3 randomized clinical trials were published that assessed primary renal outcomes in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The Canagliflozin and Renal Events in Diabetes with Established Nephropathy Clinical Evaluation (CREDENCE) tested an already available antidiabetic drug, canagliflozin, and the Study of Diabetic Nephropathy with Atrasentan (SONAR) tested a novel molecule, the endothelin-1 receptor blocker atrasentan, both on top of renin–angiotensin system blockade. Both trials demonstrated significant nephroprotection in patients with overt DKD (albuminuria >300 mg/g urinary creatinine) for combined primary endpoints of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), doubling of serum creatinine or death from renal or cardiovascular causes in CREDENCE {hazard ratio [HR] 0.70 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59–0.82]} and ESKD and doubling of serum creatinine in SONAR [HR 0.65 (95% CI 0.49–0.88)]. Canagliflozin also decreased the secondary renal endpoint ESKD, doubling of serum creatinine or renal death [HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.53–0.81)], which was similar in nature and impact to the primary endpoint in SONAR. In addition, canagliflozin decreased a secondary endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure [HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.57–0.83)], whereas atrasentan had no significant impact on a secondary cardiovascular composite endpoint or on hospital admissions for heart failure and, despite restrictive exclusion criteria, there was a non-significant trend towards more frequent episodes of heart failure. Based on these results, canagliflozin will likely be approved for the indication of treating DKD in T2DM and the estimated glomerular filtration rate threshold for prescribing it will be lifted, whereas the future and place of atrasentan in the treatment of DKD remain unclear.
Secukinumab induced Behçet’s syndrome: a report of two cases

Abstract Secukinumab is a human monoclonal antibody against IL-17A that has been shown to be effective in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (AS). On the other hand, in randomized controlled trials among patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and uveitis due to Behçet’s syndrome (BS) treated with secukinumab, primary end points were not met and the drug caused more exacerbations compared to placebo. The drug fact sheet states that secukinumab should be used with caution in patients with CD; however, there are no warnings for those with BS. Here, we present two patients with AS treated with secukinumab; we observed exacerbation of BS in one and emergence of de novo BS in another. Although IL-17A is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of BS, our observations suggest that it might have a protective role. Finally, we suggest caution is required with the inhibition of IL-17 in BS.
Study on Stock Index Futures’ Mean Reversion Effect and Arbitrage in China Based on High-Frequency Data

Based on 1 minute high frequency data, this paper constructs no-arbitrage band for CSI300 index futures, and empirically studies the futures-spot arbitrage. Furthermore, the mean reversion and its time effect are analyzed by ADF model for the first time in Chinese index futures market and a logit model is used to investigate the related factors of arbitrage opportunities. We find that CSI300 index futures have cash-and-carry arbitrage opportunities; the existence of mean reversion effect of index futures when arbitrage is absent; cash-and-carry arbitrage has a significant impact for mean reversion of the mispricing, while the reverse has insignificant effect. As for the time effect of mean reversion, it indicates that the time which arbitrage effect reversion most is mispricing shows 14 minutes later. The probability of arbitrage opportunities is positive correlated to first-order lagged of volume, and negative correlated to the volume; the time to expiration, the highest price and lowest price differences are also positive related to arbitrage opportunities.
CFD Study of NACA 0018 for Diffuser Design of Tidal Current Turbines

This study is focused on diffuser augmented tidal current turbines that capture the kinetic energy in a tidal stream. The energy that can be extracted from tides is proportional to the cube of the current velocity. The role of the diffuser in diffuser augmented tidal turbines is to help accelerate the incoming current velocity. Consequently, the efficiency of the turbine can be significantly increased by using a diffuser. The research community is investing considerable time and financial resources in this growing domain. The diffuser augmented tidal turbines research data is rather scarce due to their emerging nature, large and costly research and development setup, startup cost and proprietary issues. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of length and angle on NACA 0018 airfoil for diffuser design. CFD simulation is carried out to investigate velocity and mass flow rate at the throat. The drag force due to diffuser installation is also calculated. Velocity inside the diffuser increases with diffuser length and angle of attack. Velocity increases up to stall angle and then drops due to flow separation. The drag force is also dominant compared to lift coefficient near stall angle region.
Cost Behavior and Stock Returns

This paper shows that investors fail to fully incorporate cost behavior information into valuation. Firms with higher growth in operating costs generate substantially lower future stock returns. A long-short spread portfolio earns an average return of about 12% per year after controlling for extant risk factors and firm characteristics. Mean-variance spanning tests show that an investor can benefit from investing in this spread portfolio in addition to well-known factors. Firms with high cost growth also suffer from deterioration in future operating performance. The negative cost growth-return relation is much stronger around earnings announcement days, among firms with lower investor attention, higher idiosyncratic volatility, and higher transaction costs, suggesting that investor underreaction and limits to arbitrage mainly drive the effect.
Evapotranspiration of a tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna, southwest China

The eddy covariance flux measurements from 2003 to 2006 at a tropical rain forest site in Xishuangbanna, southwest China, were used to study the ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET). During the four study years, the mean annual precipitation and air temperature were slightly lower than their long‐term averages (1322 vs 1487 mm and 20·1 vs 21·7 °C, respectively). Mean annual ET in the four study years was estimated at 1029 mm, accounted for 78% of the corresponding annual precipitation. Mean daily ecosystem ET was 2·6 mm day−1 during the dry season from November to April and was 3·1 mm day−1 during the rainy season from May to October. The ET diurnal variations in the cool‐dry season (from November to February), the hot‐dry season (March and April) and the rainy season had similar maximum values, although the soil water content, leaf area index (LAI) and climate conditions differed greatly. ET was mainly controlled by soil water availability in the hot‐dry season, by LAI in the early rainy season (May and June) and by atmospheric conditions in the mid‐to‐late rainy season (from July to October) and the cool‐dry season. The total ET was substantially higher than the corresponding precipitation in the dry season. The extra amount of water evapotranspirated in the dry season was mainly due to the depletion of soil water stored in the previous rainy season. Fog deposition during the dry season also played a role in providing water for ET. Our results indicated the importance of interannual interactions of water balance in the seasonal distribution of ecosystem ET at this site. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Facial Nerve Paralysis in Imo State, Nigeria

A retrospective study of facial nerve paralysis in two tertiary health institutions in Imo State, Nigeria over a five-year period is presented. The aim was to address the aetiology and prevalence of facial nerve paralysis. There was a total of 56 cases made up of 36 (64.29%) males and 20 (35.71%) females with a male: female ratio of 1.8:1. The ages ranged from 6 to 68years with a peak prevalence occurring in the age group of 21-30 years. Left facial nerve was affected in 60.71% of the cases while the right was involved in 39.29%. The commonest cause was Bell's palsy 20 (35.71%) while Road Traffic Accident was responsible for 14 (25.00%). The outcome of the study would be of predictive value in assessment and management of future cases.
Malondialdehyde as a Marker of Oxidative Stress in Periodontitis Patients

Background: Periodontology is a fast-evolving field with newer insights into traditional periodontal diagnosis. Advances in periodontal disease diagnostic research are moving toward methods whereby periodontal risk can be identified and quantified by objective measures such as biomarkers. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in whole saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: Whole saliva samples were collected from 85 patients: 30 patients with chronic periodontitis, 25 with gingivitis, and 30 periodontally healthy controls. To determine the clinical condition of each subject, the gingival index and clinical attachment level were measured. The salivary MDA levels were determined spectrophotometrically. Results: Higher salivary MDA levels (P < 0.005) were detected in patients with periodontitis compared to the healthy controls. There was no statistically significant difference in the salivary MDA levels between patients with gingivitis and healthy controls. Conclusions: Higher salivary MDA levels seem to reflect increased oxygen radical activity during periodontal inflammation. Thus, MDA can be used as a marker of oxidative stress in patients with periodontitis.
Leaf area estimation in some species of fruit tree by using models as a non-destructive method

Introduction. Leaf area measurements are used commonly in the study of growth and development of fruit trees. These measurements can be made destructively by using a variety of sen- sitive instruments and/or non-destructively by using models of leaf area estimation. For models of leaf area estimation, some leaf parameters such as the length and width of leaves are usually used in the measurements. Construction of a model of leaf area estimation. Computer programs such as Excel, SAS and SPSS may be used in this process. In brief, after a leaf has been placed on a sheet of paper and photocopied, a digital planimeter or suitable tool may be used to measure the actual leaf area. The leaf width (W) and length (L) of the leaves sampled can be measured by a simple ruler. After this, regression analysis of the data may be performed separately for each genotype, species or cultivar. The analysis can be conducted with various subsets of the independent variables; for ins- tance, leaf length (L), leaf width (W), L 2 , W 2 and (L 2 /W 2 ) to develop the best model for predicting leaf area. Regression analyses should be carried out until the deviation sum of squares is minimized. Models of leaf area estimation for specific crops. In our study, prediction models of leaf area were developed by referring to the relevant current literature that studied such fruits as avocado, banana, blackberry, cacao, cherry, chestnut, grape, guava, kiwifruit, lotus plum, peach, pistachio, rabbiteye blueberry, red currant, red raspberry, sour orange, strawberry, pecan and white mulberry. Advan- tages and disadvantage of the models of leaf area estimation. Some advantages and a disad- vantage of models of leaf area estimation are presented. Conclusion. Our mini-review has shown that the models which have been formulated and which will develop in the future for some fruit spe- cies can be reliably used. Turkey / fruit-growing / models / forecasting / leaf area / methods / measurement / evaluation
Effects of Salinity on Seedling Growth and Physiological Traits of Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf)

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) is known to be survived under the diversesoil and water conditions. In order to study the effects of salinity stress on the seedlinggrowth of the desired species, a completely randomized design was conducted with 3replications. Seeds were sown in the salty-soil plots in the greenhouse. Salinity levels werespecified as 4 control ones including 20, 30 and 40 dS/m. Results showed that the seedlinggrowth and yield were progressively declined by the increase of NaCl concentration levels.The concentrations of both chlorophylls a and b were dramatically increased by increasingNaCl and the highest and lowest values have been obtained for the levels of 40 and 4 dS/m,respectively. There were no significant differences for the leaf area and water content withthe salinity of 20 dS/m as compared to the control treatment. The concentrations ofchlorophylls a and b were 0.73 and 0.41(mg/g FW) and 0.35 and 0.11 (mg/g FW) in the 40and 4 dS/m salinity treatments, respectively. Leaf water content for 4 and 20 dS/m salinitylevels has been calculated as 11.3 and 9.8 percent. But there was a significant reduction inthe leaf water content with 30 and 40 dS/m salinity levels. Leaf water content with 30 and40 dS/m salinity level was 6.3 and 5.2 %. Leaf area in 4, 20, 30 and 40 dS/m salinity levelshas been computed as 172, 168.7, 81.7 and 65.2 cm2, respectively. Compared to the controltreatments, there was a significant reduction in leaf area with 30 and 40 dS/m salinitylevels. Our results suggest that in an EC between 4 to 20 dS/m, Vetiveria zizanioides couldgrow.
Use of microsatellite markers for molecular characterization of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) ecotypes

In this study, Simple Sequence Repeat markers (SSR) were used to investigate the genetic variation between 49 cumin ecotypes collected from 9 different provinces of Iran. SSR primers Elap1479, Elap040 and Elap1493 showed the highest (89%), while Elap1340 and Elap017 showed the lowest (56%) number of polymorphic bands. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values varied between 0.18 - 0.37. The highest and the lowest PIC value were obtained by Elap017 and Elap1340 (0.37) and Elap040, Elap1493 and Elap1479 (0.18), respectively. Cumin populations of Semnan and Northern-Khorasan showed the highest difference, whereas Kerman and Esfahan populations exhibited the lowest difference. The obtained dendrogram classified all cumin population into three clusters at similarity level of 0.71; the first group was Semnan and Southern-Khorasan populations, the second includes Fars, Kerman, Northern-Khorasan, Khorasan-Razavi, Esfahan, Golestan and the third class consisted of Yazd populations. Based on these clusters, Kerman and Northern-Khorasan showed the closet genetic background and may belong to the same ancestor. The genetic markers used in this study can provide impetus information for tagging of economic traits. It can be concluded that the variability in the Iranian cumin populations have potential important source for cumin breeding objectives.
The optimization of the main beam for the resistance structure of an over-sized rolling bridge

Most of the time, the resistance structures who have not been statically determined, cut to the right sized, and checked out by the classic methods of the material strength cause the over sizing, because specialists use approximate measurements in order to decrease the number of mathematical calculation. This paper work describes the optimization of the main beam of a resistance structure of a rolling bridge used in metallurgy - by using the OPTSTAR mode that the COSMOS/M calculation software encloses ehich uses finite elements. In order to accomplish the best suited size, we have to perform both an analytic and experimental study about the performance of the rolling bridge. In order to do that, we analyze the state of the tensions and deformation of the resistance structure by using this calculation software based on Cosmos finite elements. In order to validate the analytic study, we have performed some industrial experiments by using specific devices for measuring the resistance of the electrical tension. Both the analytic and experimental studies have pointed out that we are able to come up with the best sizes in order to reduce the material consumption we used during the production process of the main beam within the resistance structure of the rolling bridge we have analyzed.
Understanding the Reinforcing Mechanisms in Kenaf Fiber/PLA and Kenaf Fiber/PP Composites: A Comparative Study

This study focused on exploring the feasibility of green composites made from biodegradable and renewable materials as potential alternatives to petroleum polymer composites and understanding the reinforcing mechanisms in composites containing kenaf fibers (KF). KF-reinforced poly(lactide) acid (PLA) composites were made using melt compounding and injection molding, and their properties were compared to that of KF-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites. The flexural properties and thermomechanical behavior were determined as a function of the fiber content, the crystallization of PLA and PP was studied using X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry, and the composites’ morphology was investigated using scanning electron microscopy. It was concluded that PLA exhibits higher modulus and Tg compared to those of neat PP. The modulus of the composites at 40 wt% fibers is 6.64 GPa and 2.96 GPa for PLA and PP, respectively. In general, addition of kenaf results in larger property enhancement in PP due to better wetting of the fibers by the low melt viscosity PP and the crystallization behavior of PP that is significantly altered by the fibers. The novelty of this work is that it provides one-to-one comparison of PLA and PP composites, and it explores the feasibility of fabricating green composites with enhanced properties using a simple scalable process.
LEGISLATION AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA: A NARRATIVE OVERVIEW OF WORKPLACE DISPUTE

This paper provides an overview of legislative measures applied in handling grievances and disciplinary matters in the workplace from the South African perspective. South Africa is one of the unionised countries in the world and the involvement of trade unions in resolving disputes including grievances and disciplinary matters is crucial. Trade unions, employers’ organisations and the state play an integral role in employment relations. Unions represent their members during dispute proceedings at various institutions where they (trade unions) are recognised. The country’s statutory measures must always be adhered-to in the handling of grievances and disciplinary procedures. The author relates the manner in which grievances and disciplinary proceedings are handled in a unionised workplace environment.
Scholars Commons @ Laurier Scholars Commons @ Laurier Reading-related skills of kindergarteners from diverse linguistic Reading-related skills of kindergarteners from diverse linguistic backgrounds backgrounds

Thisstudyexamined whether measures used to identify children at risk for reading failure are appropriate for children from different language backgrounds. Tasks assessing literacy and phono- logical and language processing at the beginning and end of kindergarten were administered to 540 native English speakers (NS), 59 bilingual children (BL), and 60 children whose initial exposure to English was when they began school (ESL). Although the BL and ESL children performed more poorly than the NS children on most measures of phonological and linguistic processing, the acquisi- tion of basic literacy skills for children with different language backgrounds developed in a similar manner. Furthermore, planned contrasts between the language groups did not explain the variance in the children’s literacy performance in May. Instead, alphabetic knowledge and phonological processing were important contributors to early reading skill. Therefore, children learning English may acquire literacy skills in English in a similar manner to NS children, although their alphabetic knowledge may precede and facilitate the acquisition of phonological awareness in English.
Valuing Access to Water - A Spatial Hedonic Approach Applied to Indian Cities

An important infrastructure policy issue for rapidly growing cities in developing countries is how to raise fiscal revenues to finance basic services in a fair and efficient manner. This paper applies hedonic analysis that explicitly accounts for spatial spillovers to derive the value of improved access to water in the Indian cities of Bhopal and Bangalore. The findings suggest that by looking at individual or private benefits only, the analysis may underestimate the overall social welfare from investing in service supply especially among the poorest residents. The paper further demonstrates how policy simulations based on these estimates help prioritize spatial targeting of interventions according to efficiency and equity criteria.
The Correlation of Factors in Nature of Knowledge and their Effects on Knowledge Transfer in Private Finance Initiative Projects

This study empirically investigated the nature of the knowledge transfer process between Private Finance Initiative (PFI) partners, which, under a public private partnership arrangement, are from both public and private sector organizations. Most of the previous studies on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have focused on the procurement processes, examining specific issues such as risk management, legal aspects, finance and cost planning. This study fills a gap in the literature relating to knowledge transfer between PFI partners in the context of knowledge management, and contributes to the understanding of ways to develop expertise and facilitate improvements at different stages of the PFI process. As causal ambiguity and other antecedents are well recognized as obstacles to knowledge transfer, this study adopted a quantitative methodology to investigate the effects of causal ambiguity, tacitness and complexity on the transfer of knowledge in PFI projects. A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst private and public sector professional practitioners; the 602 valid responses, representing a 30% response rate, were divided almost equally between the two sectors. The statistical analyses found that four out of the six hypotheses of this study were supported. The hypothesis that tacitness of knowledge is negatively related to knowledge transfer was significantly supported but not the casual ambiguity and complexity of the nature of knowledge. It is interesting that within the context of the nature of knowledge, causal ambiguity has a weak effect on knowledge transfer, which may be due to the characteristics of PFI projects that they are new procurement approach; and public and private sectors are not in competition with one another.