Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between Genetic Variants and Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: A Genome-Wide Approach and Validation Study

This study aims to evaluate genetic risk factors for cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by investigating not previously studied genetic risk variants and further examining previously reported genetic associations. A genome-wide study (GWAS) was conducted in genetically estimated Europeans in a discovery cohort of cisplatin-treated adults from Toronto, Canada, followed by a candidate gene approach in a validation cohort from the Netherlands. In addition, previously reported genetic associations were further examined in both the discovery and validation cohorts. The outcome, nephrotoxicity, was assessed in two ways: (i) decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration formula (CKD-EPI) and (ii) increased serum creatinine according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v4.03 for acute kidney injury (AKI-CTCAE). Four different Illumina arrays were used for genotyping. Standard quality control was applied for pre- and post-genotype imputation data. In the discovery cohort (n = 608), five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reached genome-wide significance. The A allele in rs4388268 (minor allele frequency = 0.23), an intronic variant of the BACH2 gene, was consistently associated with increased risk of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in both definitions, meeting genome-wide significance (β = −8.4, 95% CI −11.4–−5.4, p = 3.9 × 10−8) for decreased eGFR and reaching suggestive association (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 2.3–6.7, p = 7.4 × 10−7) by AKI-CTCAE. In the validation cohort of 149 patients, this variant was identified with the same direction of effect (eGFR: β = −1.5, 95% CI −5.3–2.4, AKI-CTCAE: OR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.8–3.5). Findings of our previously published candidate gene study could not be confirmed after correction for multiple testing. Genetic predisposition of BACH2 (rs4388268) might be important in the development of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity, indicating opportunities for mechanistic understanding, tailored therapy and preventive strategies.
Response of irregularly ribbed elastic structures, under fluid loading, to localized excitation

This paper investigates the response to excitation of a fluid–loaded elastic membrane supported by a finite array of irregularly spaced ribs. Fluid loading is assumed to provide the only mechanism for the transmission of energy along the structure. This gives rise to two forms of coupling, local surface wave coupling and long–range fluid coupling, which are determined by the Green'function of the unribbed membrane. When the Green'function consists only of the dominant subsonic surface wave component, irregularity gives rise to the phenomenon of Anderson localization whereby energy becomes exponentially localized around the source at all frequencies, in contrast to the pass/stop–band structure generated when the ribs are arranged strictly periodically. This, however, neglects the effect of the second, acoustic component of the Green'function which provides long–range coupling and taken alone gives rise to algebraic decay at all frequencies along a regularly ribbed membrane. It is shown, analytically and numerically that, when the Green'function consists only of the acoustic component, this algebraic decay is essentially insensitive to any degree of disorder. Similar techniques are used to show that the stop band response, when only local coupling is accounted for, can show slight delocalization in comparison with the response for the regular array. When the full Green'function is used, consisting of both components, it is shown that the exponential decay induced by irregularity in the pass bands becomes short–circuited by the much slower algebraic decay so that the energy transmission levels become significantly higher. This, with similar behaviour in the stop bands, suggests that the effect of long–range coupling would frustrate any attempt at exploiting either the Anderson localization phenomenon or stop–band localization in fluid–loaded structures.
Safety and Risk of Medication Overuse Headache in Lasmiditan and Second-Generation Gepants: A Rapid Review

Abstract The treatment of migraine is often complicated by insufficient headache relief, a miscellany of side effects and the risk of developing Medication Overuse Headache (MOH). Novel acute therapies have been recently developed and are now in the early post-marketing phase. Lasmiditan is a highly selective serotonin receptor agonist that binds to the 5-HT1F receptor, while ubrogepant and rimegepant antagonize the calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor. All three medications are now prescribed in a real-world setting, and an adequate level of knowledge is the starting point for rational use. In this rapid systematic review, we have established what is known about lasmiditan, ubrogepant and rimegepant, highlighting the most relevant safety aspects available from published studies and speculating about their risk of MOH.
The association between elevated serum interleukin‐22 and the clinical diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis: A retrospective study

There is an unmet need for a reliable biomarker for the differentiation of axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA) from its mimickers. Serum levels of interleukin‐22 (IL‐22) have previously been found to be significantly elevated in patients with AxSpA compared with healthy individuals or persons with osteoarthritis.
Radiation effects in a CMOS active pixel sensor

A CMOS active pixel sensor has been evaluated with Co60, 10 MeV proton and heavy-ion irradiation. Permanent displacement damage effects were seen but total ionizing dose-induced dark current and increase in power supply current annealed at 100/spl deg/C. Large changes in responsivity were seen after proton irradiation, which subsequently annealed. Mechanisms for these responsivity changes are discussed, but a definitive cause has not yet been established.
Compact dual-band printed monopole antenna for WLAN application

A microstrip-fed dual-band antenna with omnidirectional radiation patterns in the azimuth plane is proposed. It can provide two separate impedance bandwidths of 0.25 GHz (2.3-2.55 GHz) and 0.85 GHz (5.1-5.95 GHz), so that it easily covers the required bandwidths for wireless local area network applications. The proposed antenna is composed of a rectangular monopole and a folded strip whose end is coupled to the monopole by a narrow gap. It occupies an area of only 6.5 times 14 mm when printed on an FR4 substrate with a thickness of 1.5 mm.
Evaluation of indigenous entomopathogenic nematodes in Southwest China as potential biocontrol agents against Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Spodoptera litura is a notorious leaf feeding insect pest in the Asia-Pacific region and leads to a significant economic loss in vegetable and field crop production. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), lethal parasites of insects, are used as biocontrol agents. Yunnan Province in China is a well-known region due to its rich biodiversity. In the present study, a survey of EPNs using the Galleria-baiting technique was conducted in 2017 and 2018 throughout the entire Yunnan province. In total, 789 soil samples were collected from 232 sites, of which 75 samples were positive for EPNs. Phylogenetic analyses of ITS, D2D3 expansion region of the 28S rRNA gene, as well as mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), were performed to identify isolated nematode species and evaluate their genetic diversity. In total, 13, 3, and 58 identified populations belong to Steinernema, Heterorhabditis, and Oscheius, respectively. The phylogenetic relationships of EPN species in the three genera were analyzed with the Neighbor-Joining method. The virulence of the trapped isolates in the genera of Steinernema, Heterorhabditis, and Oscheius against S. litura was evaluated. Ten new indigenous isolates from Steinernema and Heterorhabditis showed prominent virulence to S. litura within 48 hr which is equivalent to that of commercial EPNs populations. The present study provides background information on indigenous EPN resources for S. litura control in Asia-Pacific region.
Exploring Attitudes of Young Adults toward Cars and Driver Licensing

In recent decades, young adults in Australia and much of the developed world have become less likely to get a driving licence. Research into this trend is only recently emerging yet it is likely to have important impacts on public transport and road planning. Very little is known about the attitudes of young adults toward cars and driving and how these attitudes impact whether they choose to acquire a driving licence. This paper presents the results of a survey of over 200 young adults in Melbourne, Australia. The survey explores the relationship between car licensing and demographics, life stage, use of social media and attitudes as well as exploring reasons why some young adults do not have a licence. Although most young adults see a car as providing independence, they also see it as a big responsibility; they are much less likely to believe a car means someone is ldoing well in life.r Non-drivers say they would rather spend money on other expenses and believe they can get where they want without driving. Policy implications of the results are discussed and future research directions are suggested.
A 10-bit CMOS Capacitive and Resistive D/A Converter Integrated with Self-adjusted Reference Circuit

Abstract A 10-bit, digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for static/dc operation is fabricated in a standard 0.5 ¼ complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. The DAC is optimized for system-on-chip (SOC) readout circuits. A capacitive and resistive DAC is adopted for the DAC core to obtain area reduced and good monotony. A self-adjusted reference circuit is proposed in order to provide differential reference voltages for getting better accuracy. A unique common centroid layout is used in the capacitor network to reduce the effect of thermal or process linear gradients. The measured results of our work with integral non-linearity (INL) and differential non-linearity (DNL) are less than 0.54 LSB and 0.43 LSB, respectively. The power consumption is about 16 mW.
Appraising Knowledge Management Perceptions Among Construction Practitioners

Contemporary studies have identified knowledge and its management as strategic resources within organisations. Lessons learned from the construction industry have also proved that effective generation, reusing and sharing of knowledge can enhance the outcomes of construction projects by reducing the associated costs, time of completion and improving the overall competitiveness within organisations. However, the fragmented project-based and task oriented nature of most construction activities has often made knowledge management (KM) implementation unfeasible within the construction industry. One major challenge to KM implementation in construction organisations is the lack of systematic procedures that support the development and application of KM. Utilising semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the perceptions of KM among practitioners within the Nigerian construction industry. The key findings indicate that, even though practitioners in the Nigerian construction industry may be aware of KM and its benefits, in practice its systematic application still remains largely uncommon. The paper also highlights the need for shifts in organisational culture as a means of facilitating a more KM-conscious construction industry in Nigeria.
Blatant Dehumanization is Not Influenced by Dual Identity Labels: Evidence from the Canadian Context

Blatant dehumanization has been shown to be prevalent in modern society. However, little work has explored the possible ways in which blatant dehumanization may be attenuated. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by exploring if activating a dual identity attenuates (or even erases) blatant dehumanization. To investigate these issues, Canadian participants completed the “Ascent of Man” scale, rating various groups in terms of their perceived evolutionary qualities. Half of our participants saw labels with the qualifier “-Canadians” attached, while the other half saw no such qualifier. Results showed that, regardless of whether the “-Canadians” label was provided, participants rated Filipinos, Christians, Arabs, Muslims, and Indigenous groups as significantly lower than Whites on the evolution scale. As such, provision of the additional group label “-Canadians” did not influence the manifestation of blatant dehumanization. We also found that ratings on the evolution scale significantly correlated with both Social Dominance Orientation and Empathic Concern levels, such that stronger adherence to current power structures and social hierarchies showed stronger blatant dehumanization, while those with a high pre-disposition for altruistic behaviours and emotions showed weaker blatant dehumanization. We discuss our results in the light of other research on blatant dehumanization and intergroup processes.
CFD Modelling of Natural Ventilation: Combined Wind and Buoyancy Forces

Abstract Results of a CFD simulation of the wind-assisted stack ventilation of a single-storey enclosure with high and low-level ventilation openings are presented and compared with both the laboratory measurements and the analytical model of the flow and thermal stratification developed by Hunt and Linden (2001). Comparisons show that close quantitative agreement is obtained between the thermal stratification predicted by the CFD and the analytical model and experimental measurements. A key consideration in the CFD modelling work is how to specify appropriate boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet locations of the enclosure. This paper investigates the use of constant pressure boundary conditions imposed over an opening whose physical area has been reduced to account for the effects of discharge and expansion. The close agreement with the analytical predictions and experimental results gives confidence in this approach and offers guidance on how to model wind-assisted stack ventilation flows using CFD.
A Quasi-Steady Performance Prediction Model for Dynamic Characteristics of a Volute Pump

A performance prediction model generally applicable for volute-type centrifugal pumps has been extended to predict the dynamic characteristics of a pump during its normal starting and stopping periods. Experiments have been conducted on a volute pump with different valve openings to study the dynamic behaviour of the pump during normal start-up and stopping, when a small length of discharge pipeline is connected to the discharge flange of the pump. Such experiments have also been conducted when the test pump was part of a hydraulic system, an experimental rig, where it is pumping against three similar pumps, known as supply pumps, connected in series, with the supply pumps kept idle or running. Instantaneous rotational speed, flowrate, and delivery and suction pressures of the pump were recorded and it was observed in all the tested cases that the change of pump behaviour during the transient period was quasi-steady, which validates the quasi-steady approach presented in this paper. The nature of variation of parameters during the transients has been discussed. The model-predicted dynamic head-capacity curves agree well with the experimental data for almost all the tested cases.
A Missense Variant in Granulysin is Associated with the Efficacy of Pegylated-Interferon-Alpha Therapy in Chinese Patients with HBeAg-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B

Purpose Granulysin (GNLY) is a cytotoxic granule that has been reported to have various antimicrobial activities. We evaluated the association between a missense variant in GNLY (rs11127) and treatment efficacy of pegylated interferon-alpha (PegIFNα) or nucleos(t)ide analogs (NUCs) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Patients and Methods We included a total of 1823 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB (954 patients treated with PegIFNα and 869 patients treated with NUCs) in four Phase IV multicenter randomized controlled trials. The association of the GNLY rs11127 genotype with the combined response (CR), defined as HBeAg seroconversion and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level <2000 IU/mL was evaluated. A polygenic score (PGS) was constructed to evaluate the cumulative effect of multiple single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs11127 and several other SNPs, STAT4 rs7574865, CFB rs12614, and CD55 rs28371597, which were reported to be associated with CR. Results GNLY rs11127 was significantly associated with CR in patients treated with PegIFNα. The CR rate in patients with the rs11127 CC genotype was higher than that with the CT or TT genotype (40.98% vs 30.34% or 27.09%, P = 0.003). Furthermore, a PGS integrating GNLY rs11127 and three other SNPs was significantly associated with CR in PegIFNα-treated patients (P < 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found between GNLY rs11127 and CR in NUCs-treated patients. Conclusion GNLY rs11127 is an independent biomarker for predicting the response to PegIFNα therapy in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. Furthermore, the PGS, including GNLY rs11127, provides new insights for individualized treatment in clinical practice.
The ‘heel impact’ force peak during running is neither ‘heel’ nor ‘impact’ and does not quantify shoe cushioning effects

It has been common practice in studies of running shoe cushioning to use the magnitude of the initial transient peak (Fz1) of the vertical ground reaction force (Fz(t)), as an index of heel impact severity. Frequently, the results of such studies have been inconsistent with impact attenuation theory, in vitro impact test results and other load measures. This paper concludes that such use of Fz1 as a measure of heel impact load is not valid. Fz(t) and in shoe-pressure distributions were recorded while 20 male subjects ran at 4.0 ± 0.2 m/s on a laboratory runway in three footwear conditions representing the approximate range of commercially available running shoes and a minimal, uncushioned control shoe. Pressure data were used to identify spatial (heel and distal foot) components of Fz(t) and spectral analysis was used to distinguish high and low frequency components. Consistent with previous reports, cushioned shoes attenuated Fz1 magnitude by less than 10% and the most compliant shoe produced significantly higher force peaks than shoes with stiffer cushioning. Analysis of the spatial and frequency components of Fz(t) revealed that Fz1 is a composite that includes high frequency (heel impact) loads but that low frequency force components originating both in the heel and distal forefoot contribute about half its magnitude. In contrast to Fz1, cushioned shoes attenuated the high frequency (impact) force component by 35%, and effects across shoe conditions were consistent with both theory and in vitro impact test results. Thus Fz1 is neither uniquely defined by heel impact, nor a reliable indicator of impact magnitude. It can be shown that the artifactual effects of cushioning on Fz1 magnitude are derived from the superimposition of low frequency (non-impact) and non-heel load components.
Determinant Factors Influencing the Adoption of Blockchain Across SMEs in South Africa

The adoption of blockchain necessitates the attention of a wide range of elements, much beyond the primarily technological focus of most present investigations. The present inquiries do not provide appropriate models as to how SMEs ought to go about blockchain adoption. Thus, this research study sort to investigate the key factors that drive blockchain adoption and propose a research model that could be used to inform blockchain adoption by SMEs in the context of South Africa. Drawing on the innovation diffusion theory and technological, organizational and environmental factors a model was proposed. Quantitative study was carried out; survey data was collected from 167 SMEs. SPSS was used to analyze the collected data and AMOS to fit the model. The results revealed that organizational readiness, trading partner pressure, perceived benefits, complexity, top management support, and compatibility could significantly influence the adoption of blockchain. However, in the South African context, competitive pressure and government regulations & support were found to be insignificant.
Socio-Economic Characterisation of Resettled Smallholder Farmers in Rural Zimbabwe

The socio-economic characterisation of resettled small-holder farmers under the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP) in Zimbabwe has blind spots in relation to the emergent transformative social policy features such as ‘social cohesion’, ‘cooperation’, ‘protection’ and ‘accumulation’ which are equally important among land beneficiaries. Using the Sangwe farm, this article departs from the conventional use of the political economy, sustainable livelihoods, human rights-based and neo-patrimonial approaches to experiment with the transformative social policy approach. Using both quantitative and qualitative data in an exploratory research design, the article shows that viewed from the transformative social policy approach, the FTLRP was neither a resounding success nor a complete disaster. The programme actually produced mixed results. The article thus, recommends the use of in-depth, ideologically free and neutral approaches in its analysis so as to reveal its detailed outcomes. Additional studies in which existing land reform policies can be considered in the collective efforts of improving the transformative agenda of the FTLRP across the country are needed.
Study of geometrical defects of free-form surface machined using neural network

The manufacture of total hip arthroplasty (THA) requires the control of the quality of free form surfaces. In fact, the polyethylene insert is deformed to fit the overall geometry of the femoral part, which has an impact on the quality of the contact. In this paper, we propose a method for evaluating the defects of complex forms. The originality of the approach is the use of artificial intelligence to position the cloud of measured points, obtained with a three-dimensional measuring machine equipped with a contactless sensor, with regard to the 3D CAD model of the THA. The artificial intelligence algorithm used is based on neural networks that are trained using a virtual positioning realized with 3D CAD software. Finally, the difference between the positioned point cloud and the CAD model allows us to evaluate the shape defect of the measured THA surface. We found that the error of the proposed method is at the vicinity of micron scale.
TOPLHA: an accurate and efficient numerical tool for analysis and design of LH antennas

This paper presents a self-consistent, integral-equation approach for the analysis of plasma-facing lower hybrid (LH) launchers; the geometry of the waveguide grill structure can be completely arbitrary, including the non-planar mouth of the grill. This work is based on the theoretical approach and code implementation of the TOPICA code, of which it shares the modular structure and constitutes the extension into the LH range. Code results are validated against the literature results and simulations from similar codes.
Teaching engineering dynamics by use of peer instruction supported by an audience response system

The use of electronic audience response systems in university teaching is currently increasing rapidly. This paper describes how a consistent use of peer instruction facilitated by an audience response system has been introduced in an introductory engineering dynamics course. Data are presented that reveal that this teaching style leads to an increased learning outcome, especially regarding the students’ conceptual understanding of the subject. Further results show that the students are very satisfied with the teaching style and they give high rankings on several parameters, which is important to the learning process. Finally, this study indicates that the use of clickers provides the students with a more critical and hence maybe a more realistic self-assessment of their academic outcome.