Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) are included in the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) priority list of engineered nanomaterials for assessment of their environmental impact. The present study was carried out to assess the CeO2 NP toxicity to the freshwater midge Chironomus riparius larvae at concentrations of 2.5, 25, 250, and 2500mg of CeO2 NP/kg of sediment. Experiments were designed to assess the prolonged exposure of midges to CeO2 NPs while adhering to OECD test guideline 218. The following parameters were investigated: CeO2 NP uptake by larvae, oxidative stress parameters, in vivo genotoxic effects, and life trait parameters. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the concentration of CeO2 NPs in the sediment and its uptake by the larvae. No significant mortality was observed in C. riparius, and oxidative stress was not detected. The only significantly induced sublethal effect was genotoxicity, which began to manifest at a lowest‐observed‐effect concentration of 25mg kg of sediment and progressively increased at higher concentrations. Our results indicate that exposure to CeO2 NP–contaminated freshwater sediments does not pose a risk to chironomids at environmentally realistic concentrations. However, the significant accumulation of CeO2 NPs by chironomid larvae may pose a risk through trophic transfer to organisms further up the food chain. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:131–140. © 2019 SETAC
Sudden impulse observations in the dayside magnetosphere by Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms

We present a study of the magnetospheric response to interplanetary shocks. We show eight events with simultaneous observations of sudden impulses in the dayside magnetosphere and interplanetary shocks in the solar wind. The spacecraft measurements in the equatorial plane, even those very close to the Earth, can be interpreted in terms of the vortices predicted by previous studies employing global MHD models. In fact, these vortices are velocity oscillations with the properties of Alfvén waves. The amplitude and frequency of the oscillations depend on radial distance from the Earth. The amplitude of the velocity perturbations decreases with increase of the density and magnetic field magnitude, but the velocity amplitude shows no dependence on magnitude of the solar wind dynamic pressure change attending the interplanetary shocks. The oscillations are observed both in the outer magnetosphere and the plasmasphere, but they become less sinusoidal near the plasmapause, i.e., in the region with a large-density gradient. The amplitude of the magnetic field enhancement in the sudden impulses also depends on the radial distance. The MHD simulations successfully predict the amplitudes of magnetic field increase and the first cycles of the velocity oscillations in these events.
Spatial variations and trends in AOD climatology over East Africa during 2002-2016: A comparative study using three satellite datasets: Comparative study on spatial variations and trends in AOD climatology

Aerosol optical depth (AOD) has become one of the most crucial parameters for climate change assessment. This study presents long-term (2002–2016) spatio-temporal distributions and trends in AOD over East Africa (EA) retrieved from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua [Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB)] and multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer (MISR). An inter-comparison of AODs retrieved from different algorithms noticed significant positive correlations (r = 0.72− 0.87) with MISR underestimating MODIS. Moderate (>0.5–0.8) to high (≥0.8) correlations in AOD exhibited over EA, with a few regions representing low (0–0.5) positive correlations. The spatial patterns of annual mean AOD were generally characterized by low (<0.2), moderate (0.2–0.35) and high (>0.35) centres over EA. The seasonal mean AODs over EA were found high (low) during the local dry (wet) seasons, with annual mean (±σ) values of 0.20± 0.01, 0.18± 0.01 and 0.20± 0.02 as observed by DT, DB and MISR, respectively. A single peak distribution of frequencies in AOD was observed by the three sensors in the interval 0.1–0.2, signifying a generally less polluted environment dominated by particular aerosol type. Linear trend analysis revealed an increase in AOD by 0.52, 0.57 and 0.74% year−1 as detected by MISR, DT and DB, respectively, and were consistent with those noted in key meteorological parameters. Furthermore, annual and seasonal spatial trends and tendencies revealed a general increase in AOD over EA, being positive and significant over the northern part of EA. Later, classification of major aerosol types over major cities in EA revealed dominance of continental (74.47%) followed by the mixed (16.22%) and biomass-burning/urban-industrial (8.02%) aerosols, with minor contributions from desert dust (1.03%) and clean maritime (0.32%) type of aerosols.
From intangibles identification to Requirements for Intangibles Management

In order to maintain their leadership, corporate companies have to continuously find new ways to efficiently respond to the ever-changing customer needs. To do so, companies must rely on both business strategies and rules, as well as the unique capital provided by human knowledge developed during years of experience. It became evident for organisations that knowledge is a fundamental economical asset (Strassmann, 1998). Our work is focused on finding methods to foster this knowledge, referred to as intangibles, in the context of a company that adopted product-line engineering to provide railway transport solutions. The core element of product-line engineering is the use of a unique “reference platform” which may be adapted in order to create a set of distinct products. When responding to a customer's demand, the reference platform has to be properly adapted in order to map the specific needs of a customer. Our goal is to find a solution for managing intangibles involved in the process of adapting the “reference platform”. We have therefore studied the adaptation process in order to understand how intangibles impact this process and how they can be managed. The study was divided in two stages. The first stage had the goal to identify intangibles through interviews. The second stage consisted in the choice and analysis of a specific activity where to apply management of the intangibles previously selected. Results of our investigation showed there was a need for a workspace supporting intangibles management and organisational learning. Therefore, based on the set of needs identified during our study, we defined a set of basic requirements for the future workspace. In this paper we present all the steps of our research from the intangibles identification until the requirements definition for the workspace.
Levelling the playing field: Student and staff experiences of a curated, self-assessed, self-paced multimedia resource

SkillBox, a curated, self-assessed, self-paced multimedia resource was developed for use by students as a way to increase their knowledge and confidence specific topics such as statistics, basic mathematics or referencing that are required in many tertiary subjects. A SkillBox uses adaptively scaffolded text, video and self-assessment quizzes, and is provided to students as an optional supplementary resource. We surveyed students and staff to evaluate the success of SkillBox across three teaching sessions. We found that engaging with SkillBox increased students’ confidence, attitude and knowledge in the topic area covered in that SkillBox, and that both students and staff found the addition of SkillBox useful and would recommend its use in other subjects. Although more research is needed, we suggest that a resource such as SkillBox can positively contribute not only to student knowledge and confidence in a range of topics, but also to equity, retention, engagement and academic performance in the subjects where a SkillBox is promoted.
Automatic Detection and Classification of Weed Seedlings under Natural Light Conditions

In recent years, robots have been developed for controlling weeds in agriculture and thereby optimising yield while minimising the use of pesticides. The commercial success of robots and other precision weed control techniques have, however, been limited, partly due to a combination of a high acquisition price and low capacity compared to conventional spray booms. This has limited the usage of precision weed control to high-value crops such as lettuce and onions, but not cereals and maize, which take up most of the farmland. Nonetheless, conventional spray booms are rarely used in an optimal way as it requires a preliminary analysis of the field. This analysis should determine which weeds are present in the field and the density of those weeds so that herbicides targeting those weeds may be selected, and other herbicides can be avoided.
New Applications of JAK/STAT Inhibitors in Pediatrics: Current Use of Ruxolitinib

Janus kinases (JAK) are a family of tyrosine kinases (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2) that transduce cytokine-mediated signals through the JAK–STAT metabolic pathway. These kinases act by regulating the transcription of specific genes capable of inducing biological responses in several immune cell subsets. Inhibition of Janus kinases interferes with the JAK–STAT signaling pathway. Besides being used in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases, in recent years, they have also been used to treat inflammatory conditions, such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and cytokine release syndrome as complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and cell therapy. Recently, the FDA approved the use of ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, in the treatment of acute steroid-refractory GVHD (SR-aGVHD), highlighting the role of JAK inhibition in this immune deregulation. Ruxolitinib was initially used to treat myelofibrosis and true polycythemia in a high-dose treatment and caused hematological toxicity. Since a lower dosage often could not be effective, the use of ruxolitinib was suspended. Subsequently, ruxolitinib was evaluated in adult patients with SR-aGVHD and was found to achieve a rapid and effective response. In addition, its early low-dose use in pediatric patients affected by GVHD has proved effective, safe, and reasonably preventive. The review aims to describe the potential properties of ruxolitinib to identify new therapeutic strategies.
Predictors and outcomes of recognition of intellectual disability for adults during hospital admissions: A retrospective data linkage study in NSW, Australia

Adults with intellectual disability have high health care needs. Despite frequent contact with health services, they often receive inadequate health care. One method to improve health care delivery is reasonable adjustments, that is, the adaptation of health care delivery such that barriers to participation are removed for the person with disability. A starting point for the provision of reasonable adjustments is recognition of intellectual disability during the health care contact. To determine rates and predictors of the recognition of intellectual disability during hospital admissions, and its impact on admission metrics, we examined a population of adults with intellectual disability identified from disability services datasets from New South Wales, Australia between 2005 and 2014. Recognition of intellectual disability was determined by the recording of an International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) diagnostic code for intellectual disability during a given hospital admission. We examined how recognition of intellectual disability related to length of hospital episodes. We found an overall low rate of recognition of intellectual disability (23.79%) across all hospital episodes, with the proportion of hospital episodes recognising intellectual disability decreasing from 2005–2015. Admissions for adults with complex health profiles (e.g., those with many comorbidities, those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and those admitted for urgent treatment) were more likely to recognise intellectual disability, but admissions for adults with complexity in other domains (i.e., for those in custody, or those with drug and alcohol disorders) were less likely to recognise intellectual disability. Recognition of intellectual disability was associated with longer episodes of care, possibly indicating the greater provision of reasonable adjustments. To improve the recognition of intellectual disability for adults during health service contacts, we advocate for the implementation of targeted initiatives (such as a nationwide disability flag to be included in health service records) to improve the provision of reasonable adjustments.
Association between urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase activity–urinary creatinine concentration ratio and risk of disability and all-cause mortality

Background Recent studies have suggested that chronic kidney disease is associated with cardiovascular disease, dementia, and frailty, all of which cause disability and early death. We investigated whether increased activity of urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG), a marker of kidney injury, is associated with risk of disability or all-cause mortality in a general population. Methods Follow-up data from the Hidaka Cohort Study, a population-based cohort study of members of a Japanese rural community, were obtained via questionnaires completed by participants or their relatives. Multivariable analyses were used to investigate relations between urinary NAG activity–urinary creatinine concentration ratio and risk of disability or all-cause mortality. Results A total of 1182 participants were followed up for a median of 12.4 years. The endpoints were receipt of support under the public long-term care insurance program, and all-cause mortality. A total of 122 participants (10.3%) were reported to be receiving long-term care and 230 (19.5%) had died. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors along with physical activity, and using the quartile 1 results as a reference, the odds ratio (OR) for disability was 2.12 [95% confidence interval (95% confidence interval [CI]), 1.04–4.33; p = 0.038) and the hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality was 1.65 (95% CI, 1.05–2.62; p = 0.031) in participants with urinary NAG/creatinine ratio in quartile 4. Similar results were obtained in participants without proteinuria: OR for disability, 2.46 (95% CI, 1.18–5.16; p = 0.017); and HR for all-cause mortality, 1.62 (95% CI, 1.00–2.63; p = 0.049). Conclusions Increased urinary NAG/creatinine ratio was associated with risk of disability or all-cause mortality in a general population.
Active Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) makes 60–70% of gliomas and 15% of primary brain tumors. Despite the availability of standard multimodal therapy, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years survival rate of GBM are still low. Active immunotherapy is a relatively new treatment option for GBM that seems promising. Methods An electronic database search on PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and clinicaltrials.gov was performed to include all relevant studies. This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Reported parameters are OS, PFS, AEs, post treatment KPS, and 2 year mortality. Results Active immunotherapy provided better OS (HR = .85; 95% CI = .71–1.01; P = .06) and PFS (HS = .83; 95% CI= .66 – 1.03; P = .11) side albeit not statistically significant. Active immunotherapy reduces the risk of 2 year mortality as much as 2.5% compared to control group (NNT and RRR was 56.7078 and 0,0258, respectively). Conclusion Active immunotherapy might be beneficial in terms of survival rate in patients with GBM although not statistically significant. It could be a treatment option for GBM in the future.
Prognostic indicators of disease progression in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: A literature review and evidence synthesis

Background Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, severely debilitating, and fatal neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration. Like in many orphan diseases, randomized controlled trials are uncommon in DMD, resulting in the need to indirectly compare treatment effects, for example by pooling individual patient-level data from multiple sources. However, to derive reliable estimates, it is necessary to ensure that the samples considered are comparable with respect to factors significantly affecting the clinical progression of the disease. To help inform such analyses, the objective of this study was to review and synthesise published evidence of prognostic indicators of disease progression in DMD. We searched MEDLINE (via Ovid), Embase (via Ovid) and the Cochrane Library (via Wiley) for records published from inception up until April 23 2021, reporting evidence of prognostic indicators of disease progression in DMD. Risk of bias was established with the grading system of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM). Results Our search included 135 studies involving 25,610 patients from 18 countries across six continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America). We identified a total of 23 prognostic indicators of disease progression in DMD, namely age at diagnosis, age at onset of symptoms, ataluren treatment, ATL1102, BMI, cardiac medication, DMD genetic modifiers, DMD mutation type, drisapersen, edasalonexent, eteplirsen, glucocorticoid exposure, height, idebenone, lower limb surgery, orthoses, oxandrolone, spinal surgery, TAS-205, vamorolone, vitlolarsen, ventilation support, and weight. Of these, cardiac medication, DMD genetic modifiers, DMD mutation type, and glucocorticoid exposure were designated core prognostic indicators, each supported by a high level of evidence and significantly affecting a wide range of clinical outcomes. Conclusion This study provides a current summary of prognostic indicators of disease progression in DMD, which will help inform the design of comparative analyses and future data collection initiatives in this patient population.
Effects of chronic mild hyperoxia on retinal and choroidal blood flow and retinal function in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma

Purpose To test the hypothesis that mild chronic hyperoxia treatment would improve retinal function despite a progressive decline in ocular blood flow in the DBA/2J mouse model of glaucoma. Materials and methods DBA/2J mice were treated with chronic mild hyperoxia (30% O2) beginning at 4.5 months of age or were untreated by giving normal room air. Retinal and choroidal blood flow (RBF and ChBF, respectively) were measured at 4, 6, and 9 months of age by MRI. Blood flow was additionally measured under hypercapnia challenge (5% CO2 inhalation) to assess vascular reactivity. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured using a rebound tonometer at the same time points. Scotopic flash electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded at 9 months of age. Results Both ChBF and RBF were reduced and significantly affected by age (p < 0.01), but neither were significantly affected by O2-treatment (p > 0.05). ChBF significantly increased in response to hypercapnia (p < 0.01), which was also unaffected by O2-treatment. Significant effects of age (p < 0.001) and of the interaction of age with treatment (p = 0.028) were found on IOP. IOP significantly decreased in O2-treated mice at 6 months compared to 4 months of age (p < 0.001), while IOP trended to increase with age in untreated mice. The amplitude of the b-wave from ERG was significantly increased in O2-treated DBA/2J compared to the untreated mice (p = 0.012), while the a-wave and oscillatory potentials were not significantly affected (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study investigated the effects of chronic mild hyperoxia on retinal function and on retinal and choroidal blood flow in a mouse model of glaucoma. Retinal function was improved in the O2-treated mice at late stage, despite a progressive decline of RBF and ChBF with age that was comparable to untreated mice.
CT Diagnosis of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Accurate diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in living patients is a prerequisite for formulating treatment decisions and clinical trials for this common cerebral small vessel pathology. Although amyloid-PET imaging or CSF analysis can detect cerebrovascular β-amyloid deposits,1,2 structural brain lesions, in particular CAA-related hemorrhagic lesions, remain the most specific markers of CAA. The modified Boston criteria for CAA3 hinge on hemorrhage number and location as detected by T2*-weighted MRI, requiring multiple, strictly lobar foci of intracerebral hemorrhages (ICH), microbleeding, or cortical superficial siderosis (cSS). The more recently proposed Edinburgh criteria for CAA4 take the complementary approach of focusing on ICH morphology on CT imaging. According to the original study of the “simplified” Edinburgh criteria (using CT features alone rather than in combination with APOE ε4 genotyping), the combination of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) plus finger-like projections (defined as extensions from the ICH that are longer than wide) was highly specific for moderate/severe pathologic CAA and the presence of at least 1 of the 2 features was reasonably sensitive.4 These findings offered the exciting prospect of diagnosis of CAA-related ICH in settings without MRI.
The effect of acquisition duration on cerebral blood flow‐based resting‐state functional connectivity

Resting‐state functional connectivity (rs‐FC) is widely used to examine the functional architecture of the brain, and the blood‐oxygenation‐level‐dependent (BOLD) signal is often utilized for determining rs‐FC. However, the BOLD signal is susceptible to various factors that have less influence on the cerebral blood flow (CBF). Therefore, CBF could comprise an alternative for determining rs‐FC. Since acquisition duration is one of the essential parameters for obtaining reliable rs‐FC, we investigated the effect of acquisition duration on CBF‐based rs‐FC to examine the reliability of CBF‐based rs‐FC. Nineteen participants underwent CBF scanning for a total duration of 50 min. Variance of CBF‐based rs‐FC within the whole brain and 13 large‐scale brain networks at various acquisition durations was compared to that with a 50‐min duration using the Levene's test. Variance of CBF‐based rs‐FC at any durations did not differ from that at a 50‐min duration (p > .05). Regarding variance of rs‐FC within each large‐scale brain network, the acquisition duration required to obtain reliable estimates of CBF‐based rs‐FC was shorter than 10 min and varied across large‐scale brain networks. Altogether, an acquisition duration of at least 10 min is required to obtain reliable CBF‐based rs‐FC. These results indicate that CBF‐based resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) with more than 10 min of total acquisition duration could be an alternative method to BOLD‐based rs‐fMRI to obtain reliable rs‐FC.