Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Prednisone Plus Cyclophosphamide in Patients with Advanced-stage IgA Nephropathy

BackgroundTreatments with glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants in IgA nephropathy remain controversial, especially in IgA nephropathy patients with renal insufficiency and small quantities of proteinuria. So far, no randomized controlled study has investigated whether cyclophosphamide has a protective effect on IgA nephropathy independent of glucocorticoids.MethodsWe conducted a single-center, randomized, controlled trial ((NCT01758120)). 135 IgA nephropathy patients with elevated plasma creatinine concentrations (1.3-3.0 mg/dl in males and 1.0-3.0 mg/dl in females), regardless of proteinuria level, were enrolled in and randomized 1:1 to the prednisone alone group or prednisone plus cyclophosphamide group. The daily dosage of oral prednisone was initiated at 0.5 mg/kg/d taken every morning for 2 months and then tapered by 20% each month for the next 4 months in prednisone alone group. In prednisone plus cyclophosphamide group cyclophosphamide was given in monthly pulses of 1.0 g for 6 months, while the prednisone dosage was the same as prednisone group. The two primary end points were a combination of reaching end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or doubling of serum creatinine or death and absolute changes in eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) at 36 months.ResultsOverall, 135 patients were enrolled in our study. There was no significant difference between the two groups at baseline. The two groups had similar primary composite renal outcomes, which occurred in 4 participants (5.97%) in the prednisone alone group and 5 (7.35%) in the prednisone plus cyclophosphamide group (hazard ratio, 1.13 [95% CI, 0.30 to 4.19]; P = 0.861). Additionally, no significant difference in eGFR absolute change in three years was found between the two groups (0.09 (-7.42, 12.00) ml/min/1.73 m2 in the prednisone alone group vs. 3.24 (5.025, 9.59) ml/min/1.73 m2 in the prednisone plus cyclophosphamide group; P = 0.578). Proteinuria was reduced similarly in both groups. Treatment with cyclophosphamide led to more adverse events.ConclusionsOur study showed that corticosteroids plus cyclophosphamide did not increase the renal benefit of patients with advanced-stage IgA nephropathy but increased adverse effects compared with corticosteroids alone. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01758120. Registered 1 July 2012, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01758120
Abnormal brain development of monoamine oxidase mutant zebrafish and impaired social interaction of heterozygous fish

ABSTRACT Monoamine oxidase (MAO) deficiency and imbalanced levels of brain monoamines have been associated with developmental delay, neuropsychiatric disorders and aggressive behavior. Animal models are valuable tools to gain mechanistic insight into outcomes associated with MAO deficiency. Here, we report a novel genetic model to study the effects of mao loss of function in zebrafish. Quantitative PCR, in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry were used to study neurotransmitter systems and expression of relevant genes for brain development in zebrafish mao mutants. Larval and adult fish behavior was evaluated through different tests. Stronger serotonin immunoreactivity was detected in mao+/− and mao−/− larvae compared with their mao+/+ siblings. mao−/− larvae were hypoactive, and presented decreased reactions to visual and acoustic stimuli. They also had impaired histaminergic and dopaminergic systems, abnormal expression of developmental markers and died within 20 days post-fertilization. mao+/− fish were viable, grew until adulthood, and demonstrated anxiety-like behavior and impaired social interactions compared with adult mao+/+ siblings. Our results indicate that mao−/− and mao+/− mutants could be promising tools to study the roles of MAO in brain development and behavior. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Estimating Aboveground Carbon Stock at the Scale of Individual Trees in Subtropical Forests Using UAV LiDAR and Hyperspectral Data

Accurate estimation of aboveground carbon stock for individual trees is important for evaluating forest carbon sequestration potential and maintaining ecosystem carbon balance. Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data has been widely used to estimate tree-level carbon stock. However, few studies have explored the potential of combining LiDAR and hyperspectral data to estimate tree-level carbon stock. The objective of this study is to explore the potential of integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) LiDAR with hyperspectral data for tree-level aboveground carbon stock estimation. To achieve this goal, we first delineated individual trees by a CHM-based watershed segmentation algorithm. We then extracted structural and spectral features from UAV LiDAR and hyperspectral data respectively. Then, Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between LiDAR features, hyperspectral features, and tree-level carbon stock, based on which, features were selected for model development. Finally, we developed tree-level carbon stock estimation models based on the Schumacher–Hall formula and stepwise multiple regression. Results showed that both LiDAR and hyperspectral features were strongly correlated to tree-level carbon stock. Both tree height (H, r = 0.75) and Green index (GI, r = 0.83) had the highest correlation coefficients with tree-level carbon stock in LiDAR and hyperspectral features, respectively. The best model using LiDAR features alone includes the metrics of H, the 10th height percentile of points (PH10), and mean height of points (Hmean), and can explain 74% of the variations in tree-level carbon stock. Similarly, the best model using hyperspectral data includes GI and modified normalized differential vegetation index (mNDVI), and has similar explanatory power (r2 = 0.75). The model that integrates predictors, namely, GI and the 95th height percentile of points (PH95) from hyperspectral and LiDAR data, substantially improves the explanatory power (r2 = 0.89). These results indicated that while either LiDAR data or hyperspectral data alone can estimate tree-level carbon stock with reasonable accuracy, combining LiDAR and hyperspectral features can substantially improve the explanatory power of the model. Such results suggested that tree-level carbon stock estimation can greatly benefit from the complementary nature of LiDAR-detected structural characteristics and hyperspectral-captured spectral information of vegetation.
Tackling the emotional toll together: How journalists address harassment with connective practices

In this article, we examine how journalists address and tackle online harassment by connective practices that involve joint action with peers and editors that we find are particularly effective in addressing the emotional effects of harassment. Theoretically, we bridge community of practice research with theories of emotional labour to develop a novel perspective to examine online harassment. Drawing on 22 interviews with Finnish journalists, we find three categories of connective practices that are particularly effective in tackling harassment: (1) supportive connection between the journalist and the editor; (2) shared collegial practices among peers in the newsrooms and (3) emotional engagement among peers outside the newsroom. All three categories illustrate how journalists as a community of practice develop new practices through dynamic processes innovation, improvisation, trial and error, reciprocal learning and mutual engagement. Importantly, emotional labour forms an important dimension of these practices as the journalists jointly address and tackle the emotional effects of harassment. We posit that the effectiveness of these connective practices largely stems from their ability to provide emotional support. While addressing feelings of fear, anger and shame, these shared practices also help consolidate the newly acquired knowledge and the professional identity under attack. Finally, we offer recommendations for newsrooms and journalists on how to collectively counter harassment and develop policies to address it.
Properties of Ion‐Inertial Scale Plasmoids Observed by the Juno Spacecraft in the Jovian Magnetotail

We expand on previous observations of magnetic reconnection in Jupiter's magnetosphere by constructing a survey of ion‐inertial scale plasmoids in the Jovian magnetotail. We developed an automated detection algorithm to identify reversals in the Bθ ${B}_{\theta }$ component and performed the minimum variance analysis for each identified plasmoid to characterize its helical structure. The magnetic field observations were complemented by data collected using the Juno Waves instrument, which is used to estimate the total electron density, and the JEDI energetic particle detectors. We identified 87 plasmoids with “peak‐to‐peak” durations between 10 and 300 s. Thirty‐one plasmoids possessed a core field and were classified as flux‐ropes. The other 56 plasmoids had minimum field strength at their centers and were termed O‐lines. Out of the 87 plasmoids, 58 had in situ signatures shorter than 60 s, despite the algorithm's upper limit being 300 s, suggesting that smaller plasmoids with shorter durations were more likely to be detected by Juno. We estimate the diameter of these plasmoids assuming a circular cross section and a travel speed equal to the Alfven speed in the surrounding lobes. Using the electron density inferred by Waves, we contend that these plasmoid diameters were within an order of the local ion‐inertial length. Our results demonstrate that magnetic reconnection in the Jovian magnetotail occurs at ion scales like in other space environments. We show that ion‐scale plasmoids would need to be released every 0.1 s or less to match the canonical 1 ton/s rate of plasma production due to Io.
Exclusive and Dual Cigarette and Hookah Smoking Is Associated with Adverse Perinatal Outcomes among Pregnant Women in Cairo, Egypt

This study assessed the prevalence of prenatal smoking, factors associated with prenatal smoking, and its association with birth outcomes in a sample of pregnant women in Egypt. Pregnant women were recruited during their last trimester from antenatal clinics in Cairo from June 2015 to May 2016. Participants completed an interviewer-administered survey that assessed tobacco use and attitudes, and exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) was measured. Gestational age at delivery and offspring birth weight were collected via a postnatal phone interview. Two hundred pregnant women ages 16–37 years participated. More than a quarter (29.0%) of women reported smoking (cigarettes, hookah, or both) during their current pregnancy, and hookah was more popular than cigarettes. Most women who smoked prior to their current pregnancy either maintained their current smoking habits (46.6%) or switched from dual to hookah-only smoking (46.6%). Current smokers during pregnancy had a higher mean (±SD) exhaled CO level (2.97 ± 1.45 vs. 0.25 ± 0.60 ppm, p < 0.001) and had babies with a lower mean birth weight (2583 ± 300 vs. 2991 ± 478 g, p < 0.001) than non-smokers. Smokers during pregnancy had greater odds of premature birth and/or low birth weight babies compared to non-smokers. Dual cigarette-hookah smokers had the highest risk. Additional focused programs are required to prevent women of childbearing age from initiating tobacco use and empower women to stop tobacco use during the preconception and gestational periods.
Improving phasor measurements under power system oscillations

A comprehensive description of the phasor estimation process leads to the ideal criteria a digital filter must fulfill in order to provide more accurate phasor estimates under power system oscillations. The raised cosine filter, widely used in digital transmission, is described and proposed to approach those criteria. Simulation results corroborate an improvement in the performance (accuracy and speed) of these phasor estimates as compared with those obtained with the Fourier-boxcar filter, commonly used in present commercial applications.
Electroporation of tissue and cells for drug delivery applications

Basic quantitative studies of transport due to electroporation were performed in single and multiple bilayer systems. This thesis provides, for single bilayer systems: (a) a systematic study of the absolute number of molecules transported over a range of electroporation conditions and (b) measurements of electroporation transport with time resolution shorter than that of the pulse. Considering tissue electroporation, this thesis provides: (a) the first demonstration that electroporation of mammalian skin occurs, (b) a systematic study of transdermal transport due to electroporation, suggesting that electroporation of skin may be useful for drug delivery applications, and (c) theoretical analysis supporting the occurrence of skin electroporation. Electroporation involves creation of transient aqueous pathways in lipid bilayers by the application of short (s, ms) electric field pulses. We measured the net number of molecules transported into erythrocyte ghosts over a broad range of electroporation conditions. A plateau in uptake was found at large field strength, which did not represent an absolute maximum in transport, but represented the maximum effect of increasing field strength, for a particular pulse protocol. Moreover, sub-millisecond measurements of electroporative transport
Joint Use of in-Scene Background Radiance Estimation and Optimal Estimation Methods for Quantifying Methane Emissions Using PRISMA Hyperspectral Satellite Data: Application to the Korpezhe Industrial Site

Methane (CH4) is one of the most contributing anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) in terms of global warming. Industry is one of the largest anthropogenic sources of methane, which are currently only roughly estimated. New satellite hyperspectral imagers, such as PRISMA, open up daily temporal monitoring of industrial methane sources at a spatial resolution of 30 m. Here, we developed the Characterization of Effluents Leakages in Industrial Environment (CELINE) code to inverse images of the Korpezhe industrial site. In this code, the in-Scene Background Radiance (ISBR) method was combined with a standard Optimal Estimation (OE) approach. The ISBR-OE method avoids the use of a complete and time-consuming radiative transfer model. The ISBR-OEM developed here overcomes the underestimation issues of the linear method (LM) used in the literature for high concentration plumes and controls a posteriori uncertainty. For the Korpezhe site, using the ISBR-OEM instead of the LM -retrieved CH4 concentration map led to a bias correction on CH4 mass from 4 to 16% depending on the source strength. The most important CH4 source has an estimated flow rate ranging from 0.36 ± 0.3 kg·s−1 to 4 ± 1.76 kg·s−1 on nine dates. These local and variable sources contribute to the CH4 budget and can better constrain climate change models.
Development of Evaluation Metrics for Pedestrian Flow Optimization in a Complex Service Environment Based on Behavior Observation Method

In a service environment, the spatial layout is an important factor that has a great impact on customers' behavioral characteristics including wayfinding and purchasing. Previous studies have shown a gap between marketing, focusing solely on profitability and satisfaction, and architecture, looking only into efficiency of pedestrian flow. To balance such disparity, this study suggests an integrated approach for assessing behavioral patterns in complex service environments. With the objective that complex service environments should aim to increase its profitability and efficiency while guaranteeing customer satisfaction, quantitative metrics was developed for evaluation. The metrics was defined to use data from behavior observation including path tracking, population counting, and gaze analysis, while previous studies have relied on abstract survey methods that were prone to sampling errors and loss of data. For validation of the metrics in a real world setting, a case study was conducted at 4 train stations in Korea. In the case study, experiments were conducted to gather the required data in all 4 train stations, while their physical layouts were also analyzed. With the results from the case study, comparative evaluation of the 4 train stations in terms of behavioral efficiency was possible, together with a discussion on the effect of their physical settings.
Analyzing Back Contacts of Silicon Solar Cells by Suns-Voc-Measurement at High Illumination Densities

This work demonstrates the feasibility and usefulness of a new method to analyse the quality of the rear contact of silicon solar cells separated from other ohmic loss channels as e.g. the resistive loss in the front contact grid. The measurement is based on SunsVoc data at high illumination densities between 1 and 1000 suns. Generally the rear contacts can be described as a Schottky diode with a shunt resistor in parallel. At 1 sun operation conditions the back contact is fully dominated by the shunt showing an ohmic behaviour. However, at high illumination densities the Schottky diode can not be shunted completely anymore resulting in an increasing voltage which is opposed to the pn junction voltage. Finally a reversal point in the SunsVoc characteristics can be observed, i.e. the voltage decreases with increasing illumination density. The evaluation of this characteristic behaviour is used to extract physical parameters like the barrier height of the contact. Additionally the contact quality is assessed for different contact types and base doping concentrations. The predicted contact quality is in good correlation with the measured fill factors of the cells.
Exergy analysis of the United Kingdom energy system

Abstract The exergy method has been used to analyse changes in the structure of the UK energy system over a period of more than 30 years from 1965. A sectoral approach was employed, with the supply side examined in terms of themain energy sources, while final demand was separated into four energy end-use groups: the domestic, service, industrial and transport sectors. Estimates of sector-weighted or ‘lumped’ parameters, such as exergy efficiencies, were obtained from the particular characteristics of each sector. These were employed to determine the exergetic ‘improvement potential’ for critical elements of the energy system. Electricity generation together with final energy demand in the domestic sector and in transport are shown to account for nearly 80 per cent of the Second Law improvement potential. This poor thermodynamic performance is principally due to exergy losses in combustion and heat transfer processes associated with power generation, space heating and main transport modes. The results of the exergy analysis are placed in the context of recent developments in energy market liberalization and of the need to achieve environmental sustainability. They are also contrasted with proposals for new or improved energy technologies to meet the requirements of a sustainable energy strategy. Finally, the role of the exergy method is contrasted with the various other approaches to energy technology assessment.
Properties of Biocomposite Film Based on Whey Protein Isolate Filled with Nanocrystalline Cellulose from Pineapple Crown Leaf

Among the main bio-based polymer for food packaging materials, whey protein isolate (WPI) is one of the biopolymers that have excellent film-forming properties and are environmentally friendly. This study was performed to analyse the effect of various concentrations of bio-based nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) extracted from pineapple crown leaf (PCL) on the properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) films using the solution casting technique. Six WPI films were fabricated with different loadings of NCC from 0 to 10 % w/v. The resulting films were characterised based on their mechanical, physical, chemical, and thermal properties. The results show that NCC loadings increased the thickness of the resulting films. The transparency of the films decreased at higher NCC loadings. The moisture content and moisture absorption of the films decreased with the presence of the NCC, being lower at higher NCC loadings. The water solubility of the films decreased from 92.2% for the pure WPI to 65.5% for the one containing 10 % w/v of NCC. The tensile strength of the films peaked at 7% NCC loading with the value of 5.1 MPa. Conversely, the trend of the elongation at break data was the opposite of the tensile strength. Moreover, the addition of NCC produced a slight effect of NCC in FTIR spectra of the WPI films using principal component analysis. NCC loading enhanced the thermal stability of the WPI films, as shown by an increase in the glass transition temperature at higher NCC loadings. Moreover, the morphology of the films turned rougher and more heterogeneous with small particle aggregates in the presence of the NCC. Overall, the addition of NCC enhanced the water barrier and mechanical properties of the WPI films by incorporating the PCL-based NCC as the filler.
Modeling impact and cost‐effectiveness of driving‐Y gene drives for malaria elimination in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Malaria elimination will be challenging in countries that currently continue to bear high malaria burden. Sex‐ratio‐distorting gene drives, such as driving‐Y, could play a role in an integrated elimination strategy if they can effectively suppress vector populations. Using a spatially explicit, agent‐based model of malaria transmission in eight provinces spanning the range of transmission intensities across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we predict the impact and cost‐effectiveness of integrating driving‐Y gene drive mosquitoes in malaria elimination strategies that include existing interventions such as insecticide‐treated nets and case management of symptomatic malaria. Gene drive mosquitoes could eliminate malaria and were the most cost‐effective intervention overall if the drive component was highly effective with at least 95% X‐shredder efficiency at relatively low fertility cost, and associated cost of deployment below 7.17 $int per person per year. Suppression gene drive could be a cost‐effective supplemental intervention for malaria elimination, but tight constraints on drive effectiveness and cost ceilings may limit its feasibility.
New Acoustic Meter for Measuring 3D Laboratory Flows

A small, robust, and relatively inexpensive current meter was developed to measure uniform and oscillatory water flows in both open-weather and enclosed-physical-model facilities. The 10-MHz acoustic-doppler volocimeter (ADV) measures three-dimensional current velocity over the speed range of 0 to 2.5 m/s at a sampling rate of up to 25 Hz. Measurements are made in a small sampling volume located 5 cm from a slim transmit-receive assembly. Comparison tests of the ADV in several engineering model facilities together with other velocity-measurement instruments and in a precision tow-channel facility were highly successful. The ADV is rugged and portable, and it can remain installed in facilities for extended periods without recalibration.
Disconnect between Published AC Magnetic Susceptibility of a Room Temperature Superconductor and Measured Raw Data

In ref. [1], we pointed out that certain anomalies observed in the published data for ac magnetic susceptibility of a room temperature superconductor reported in Nature 586, 373 (2020) [2] would be cleared up once the measured raw data were made available. Part of the measured raw data were recently posted in arXiv:2111.15017 [3]. Here we report the results of our analysis of these raw data and our conclusion that they are incompatible with the published data. Implications of these results to the claim that the material is a room temperature superconductor are discussed.