Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Usefulness of Telemetric Blood Pressure Monitoring in Hypertensive Patients with Chronic Kidney Diseases

Introduction: The quality of Blood Pressure (BP) control remains poor among patients with Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD). It is therefore crucial to develop therapeutic strategies enabling improvement in BP control in order to retard the progression of the underlying renal diseases. The cornerstones of therapy include the use of effective and well tolerated drugs and a good drug adherence. In this pilot study conducted in ambulant routine care we evaluated the potential clinical benefits of implementing a Telemonitoring System (TMS) in parallel to an anticipated change of treatment in hypertensive CKD patients with uncontrolled hypertension and/or adverse reactions due to the current antihypertensive treatment. Methods: This is an observational study conducted by 13 Swiss nephrologists in patients with CKD stage III-IV and a BP >130/80 mmHg under treatment with an antihypertensive drug. A validated, automated TMS for home BP and Heart Rate (HR) monitoring and an electronic scale to measure Body Weight (BW) and a modem to transfer the measured parameters to a central database were provided to each patient. The protocol included a run-in phase and a drug titration phase of 1 month each and a 2 month maintenance phase. During the titration phase, the calcium antagonist lercanidipine could be introduced and up titrated in case of uncontrolled BP. Results: The use of a TMS in conjunction with the introduction of lercanidipine resulted in a significant reduction of office systolic and diastolic BP of respectively -10 ± 21 mmHg (p=0.028) and -5.0 ± 11 mmHg (p=0.049). Home BP revealed a parallel significant reduction of -3 ± 1.4 mmHg systolic (p=0.043) and -3 ± 1.2 mmHg (p=0.021) diastolic, respectively. The fall in BP was associated with a slight but significant increase in serum creatinine and decrease in Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR). Conclusion: The results of this observational pilot study suggest that a telemonitoring system enabling to follow home BP may be useful to improve BP control in hypertensive patients with CKD. However, a prospective randomized control study would be needed to assess the real added benefits of this strategy. Administration of lercanidipine in CKD patients was effective and well tolerated.
No . 164 Regional integration , international liberalization and the dynamics of industrial agglomeration

This paper presents a 3-Region footloose-entrepreneur new economic geography model. Two symmetric regions are part of an economically integrated area (the Union), while the third region represents an outside trade partner. We explore how the spatial allocation of industrial production and employment within the Union is a¤ected by changes in two aspects of trade liberalisation: regional integration and globalisation. Our main contribution pertains to the analysis of the local and global dynamics of the speci ed factor mobility process. We show that signi cant parameter ranges exist for which asymmetric distribution of economic activities is one of the possible long-run outcomes. This is a remarkable result within the NEG literature. We then analyse the impact of international trade liberalisation on the dynamics of agglomeration conditional on the endowments of skilled and unskilled labour of the ouside region. Keywords: Industrial agglomeration, New Economic Geography, footloose entrepreneurs, local and global dynamics, bifurcation scenarios JEL classi cation: C62, F12, F2, R12.
Charmonium moving through a strongly coupled QCD plasma: a holographic perspective

The properties of charmonium in a strongly coupled QCD-like plasma at finite momentum are studied. This is based upon a “bottom-up” holographic model which has been previously shown to reproduce charmonium phenomenology in vacuum and give a reasonable dissociation temperature at zero momentum. The finite momentum spectral functions are presented and found to be consistent with recent lattice results. The in-medium dispersion relation and momentum dependence of the decay width of J/ψ have also been investigated. We find no signature of a subluminal limiting velocity from the dispersion relation, while we note that the dissociation temperature decreases with momentum faster than previous holographic models. Based upon the dissociation temperature, a maximum momentum for J/ψ in-medium is identified and its phenomenological implications on J/ψ suppression are discussed.
Prediction of Stock Market using C-means Clustering and Particle Filter

In this article, Particle Filter and C-means are used to predict a value of a point in a time series. Similar data in a time-series are grouped using C-means algorithm. Afterward, a number of particle filters are used as sub-predictors. These sub-predictors start from different points, which are the centers of clusters resulted from clustering algorithm. Outputs from all filters were used to obtain Final prediction result. A weighted average method is used to aggregate the outputs of the filters. Particle filters are used in here to model non-Gaussian time series. Benchmark datasets were used to evaluate the proposed algorithm. To measure its prediction performance, the results derived from the proposed model were compared with those of other algorithms. The comparison proved the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
Multiple Oral Dosing Pharmacokinetics of Standardized Extract of Centella asiatica ECa 233 and Its Inductive Effect on Efflux Transporters in Rats

Abstract ECa 233 is a standardized extract of Centella asiatica, characterized as a white powder containing triterpenoid glycosides not less than 80% with a ratio of madecassoside to asiaticoside of 1.5±0.5:1. Although pharmacological and toxicological profiles of ECa 233 have been successively reported, the pharmacokinetic data needed for further therapeutic development are not fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of multiple oral dosing of ECa 233 at 100 mg/kg/day for 7 days in rats. Plasma, tissues, urine, and feces were collected from 0 to 24 h after dosing on days 1 and 7. The concentrations of asiaticoside, madecassoside, asiatic acid, and madecassic acid were simultaneously analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. No significant change was observed in physical and blood biochemical parameters of the animals treated with ECa 233 for 7 days. The maximum plasma concentration and area under the curve at day 7 of madecassoside and asiaticoside decreased by 70–80% from day 1. However, both triterpenoid glycosides were extensively distributed and accumulated, resulting in significantly higher concentrations at pharmacologically relevant organs. Madecasssic acid and asiatic acid are major metabolites mainly found in and excreted via feces. Moreover, multiple dosing of ECa 233 increased mRNA expression of Abcb1a and Abcc2 in the small intestine by approximately 2- to 3-fold. This is the first study to identify an inductive effect of a standardized extract of C. asiatica after multiple oral dosing in rats. Potential drug-herb interactions when ECa 233 is coadministered with Abcb1a and Abcc2 substrates calls for further investigations.
The condition of a function relative to a polytope

The condition number of a smooth convex function, namely the ratio of its smoothness to strong convexity constants, is closely tied to fundamental properties of the function. In particular, the condition number of a quadratic convex function is precisely the square of the diameter-to-width ratio of a canonical ellipsoid associated to the function. Furthermore, the condition number of a function bounds the linear rate of convergence of the gradient descent algorithm for unconstrained minimization. We propose a condition number of a smooth convex function relative to a reference polytope. This relative condition number is defined as the ratio of a relative smooth constant to a relative strong convexity constant of the function, where both constants are relative to the reference polytope. The relative condition number extends the main properties of the traditional condition number. In particular, we show that the condition number of a quadratic convex function relative to a polytope is precisely the square of the diameter-to-facial-distance ratio of a scaled polytope for a canonical scaling induced by the function. Furthermore, we illustrate how the relative condition number of a function bounds the linear rate of convergence of first-order methods for minimization of the function over the polytope.
The effects of land use and climate change on the carbon cycle of Europe over the past 500 years

The long residence time of carbon in forests and soils means that both the current state and future behavior of the terrestrial biosphere are influenced by past variability in climate and anthropogenic land use. Over the last half‐millennium, European terrestrial ecosystems were affected by the cool temperatures of the Little Ice Age, rising CO2 concentrations, and human induced deforestation and land abandonment. To quantify the importance of these processes, we performed a series of simulations with the LPJ dynamic vegetation model driven by reconstructed climate, land use, and CO2 concentrations. Although land use change was the major control on the carbon inventory of Europe over the last 500 years, the current state of the terrestrial biosphere is largely controlled by land use change during the past century. Between 1500 and 2000, climate variability led to temporary sequestration events of up to 3 Pg, whereas increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations during the 20th century led to an increase in carbon storage of up to 15 Pg. Anthropogenic land use caused between 25 Pg of carbon emissions and 5 Pg of uptake over the same time period, depending on the historical and spatial pattern of past land use and the timing of the reversal from deforestation to afforestation during the last two centuries. None of the currently existing anthropogenic land use change datasets adequately capture the timing of the forest transition in most European countries as recorded in historical observations. Despite considerable uncertainty, our scenarios indicate that with limited management, extant European forests have the potential to absorb between 5 and 12 Pg of carbon at the present day.
The Mairan domes: Silicic volcanic constructs on the Moon

The Mairan domes are four features located in northern Oceanus Procellarum at ∼312.3E, 41.4N on the Moon. High resolution visible imagery, visible‐to‐mid‐IR spectra, and Lunar Prospector Th abundance data all indicate that these four domes have a composition that is consistent with derivation from a Si‐rich, highly evolved magma.
Eurocode 8 Compliant Real Record Sets for Seismic Analysis of Structures

Among all the possible options to define the seismic input for structural analysis, natural recordings are emerging as the most attractive. Easily accessible waveform databases are available and evidence shows that only a relatively limited number of criteria has to be considered in selection and scaling to get an unbiased estimation of seismic demand. Like many codes worldwide, Eurocode 8 (EC8) allows the use of real ground-motion records for the seismic assessment of structures. The main condition to be satisfied by the chosen set is that the average elastic spectrum does not underestimate the code spectrum, with a 10% tolerance, in a broad range of periods depending on the structure's dynamic properties. The EC8 prescriptions seem to favour the use of spectrum-matching records, obtained either by simulation or manipulation of real records. The study presented herein investigates the European Strong-Motion Database with the purpose of assessing whether it is possible to find real accelerogram sets complying with the EC8 spectra, while accounting for additional constraints believed to matter in the seismic assessment of buildings, as suggested by the current best practice. Original (un-scaled) accelerogram sets matching EC8 criteria were found, for the case of one-component (P-type) and spatial sets (S-type), for the spectra anchored to the Italian peak acceleration values. The average spectra for these sets tend to be as close as possible to the code spectrum. Other sets, requiring scaling, have been found to match the non dimensional (country-independent) EC8 spectral shape. These sets have also the benefit of reducing, in respect to the un-scaled sets, the record-to-record variability of spectra. Combinations referring to soft soil, stiff soil, and rock are presented here and are available on the internet at http://www.reluis. it/
Temperature Fields Induced by Low Power Focused Ultrasound in Soft Tissues During Gene Therapy. Numerical Predictions and Experimental Results

The aim of this work is twofold. Firstly, to verify a theoretical model which is capable of predicting temperature fields appearing in soft tissues during their ultrasound treatment. Secondly, to analyze some aspects of the dynamics of Heat Shock Response induced by the heating process in the context of therapeutic treatment. The theoretical investigations and quantitive analysis of temperature increments at any field point versus time of heating process, depending on the heat source power, spatial distribution and duration as well as on the tissue thermal properties, has been carried out by Finite Element Method (FEM). The validation of the numerical model has been performed by comparison of the calculation results with the experimental data obtained by measuring in vitro of the 3D temperature increments induced in samples of the turkey and veal liver by the circular focused transducer with the diameter of 15mm, focal length of 25mm and resonance frequency of 2MHz. Various ultrasonic regimes were considered. They were controlled by adjusting ultrasound power and exposure time. The heat shock proteins (HSP) and misfolded proteins (MFP) levels during the proposed cyclic sonification are presented.
Venture capital needs for sustainable development of clean technologies

Challenges of evaluating new evolving technologies are particularly pronounced for clean technology firms (CTFs) in need of venture capital (VC). This study investigates how Technology Approval Group (TAG) may bridge an identified funding gap. TAG is a communication tool enabling investors that traditionally would not invest that early in an innovation to feel confident in injecting VC into developing CTFs. In the study, challenges facing the investors include high levels of risk and small investment sums required. Additional characteristics that affect the funding process are the market size, the communication platforms and the political climate. A successful implementation of TAG in the water sector, in the UK, provided inspiration for expanding the use to other sectors and geographical markets where new challenges were identified. The identified risks with using a tool like TAG are associated with ethical questions, handling dependencies and the challenge of forecasting sustainable technological development.
Optomechanically induced nonreciprocity in a three-mode optomechanical system

We propose to create optical nonreciprocity in a three-mode optomechanical system comprising one mechanical and two optical modes, where the mechanical mode is coupled with only one of the optical modes. The optical nonreciprocal response of the system is based on the nonlinearity induced by the optomechanical interaction. However, nonlinearity is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for observing nonreciprocity. Another necessary condition for nonreciprocal response of the system to a classical driving field is demonstrated analytically. The effects of the parameters on the nonreciprocal response of the system are discussed numerically. The three-mode optomechanical system provides a platform to realize nonreciprocity for strong optical signal fields.
The Respiration of some Planktonic copepods II. The Effect Of Temperature

The respiratory rates of three species of planktonic copepods, Acartia clausi, Centropages hamatus and Temora longicornis, were measured at four different temperatures. The relationship between respiratory rate and temperature was found to be similar to that previously found for Calanus, although the slope of the curves differed in the different species. The observations on Centropages at 13 and 170 C. can be divided into two groups and it is suggested that the differences are due to the use of copepods from two different generations. The relationship between the respiratory rates and lengths of Acartia and Centropages agreed very well with that previously found for other species. That for Temora was rather different: the difference is probably due to the distinct difference in the shape of the body of Temora from those of the other species. The application of these measurements to estimates of the food requirements of the copepods is discussed.
Effects of Temperature on Voluntary Locomotion of the Eastern Box Turtle, Terrapene Carolina Carolina

We examined voluntary locomotion of Terrapene c. carolina in a laboratory racetrack at six temperatures ranging from 9.7-31.9 C. The mean number of strides and stops, velocity, fastest non-stop velocity, total time stopped and body mass were recorded for each turtle. We did not observe acclimation or training effects and neither time of year nor prolonged captivity affected locomotor performance. Stride length increased with body mass. The mean number of strides, and the mean total time stopped in the first meter, decreased as temperature increased. Both the mean velocity and the mean fastest non-stop velocity increased with increasing temperature. Body temperatures of turtles in the field, monitored via radiotelemetry, ranged from -1.4-34.9 C (rarely exceeding 31.9 C) and clustered about the simultaneous ambient temperatures. Both laboratory and field data suggest that locomotion is strongly temperature dependent. Voluntary locomotion in the laboratory appeared to be maximal at body temperatures between 24 and 32 C; however, the existence of an 'optimal' temperature remains uncertain. Although the voluntary speeds of turtles are much slower than the sprint velocities of squamates, they are comparable to the speeds of urodele amphibians and to voluntary speeds of lizards and snakes.
Innovation Budgeting Over the Business Cycle and Innovation Performance

The global economic crisis of 2008/2009 hit many firms hard. Faced with rapidly declining sales and highly uncertain economic prospects, firms had to cut costs and reconsider their business strategies. With respect to innovation, cost cutting often means to stop or underresource innovation projects which may harm a firm's long-term competitiveness. Firms may therefore refrain from reducing innovation budgets during crises but rather deliberately allocate more resources to innovation activities in order to update their product portfolio for the following recovery. Our analysis examines the effects of changes in innovation budgets during the most recent economic crisis on firms' post-crisis innovation performance. Based on firm-level panel data from the German Innovation Survey covering the period 2006 to 2012, we find a positive effect of crisis adjustment. Raising the ratio of innovation expenditure to sales does increase subsequent sales of market novelties, but not of product imitations. Our findings are dependent upon the way business cycle effects are measured, however. While the results hold for macroeconomic business cycle indicators (change in real GDP), they do not for demand changes in a firm's primary sales market. This may imply that lower opportunity costs of innovation during an economic crisis are transferred into higher post-crisis new product sales by firms in markets less strongly affected by the crisis.
Spatial and temporal variability of CO2 concentration and flux in a boreal aspen forest

In conjunction with eddy covariance measurements of CO2 fluxes at the 39.5-m height over a 21.5-m-tall boreal aspen stand in northern Saskatchewan, CO2 concentration was measured at eight heights in order to calculate net ecosystem exchange. During both leafless and full-leaf periods, daytime vertical CO2 concentration gradients above 9 m were weak (<0.2 μmol mol−1 m−1), but were strong below this height. Little change in CO2 storage in the air column below 39.5 m occurred during much of the daytime, while around sunrise and sunset CO2 storage changed mainly below 9 m. For the rest of the night, over 85% of the increase in CO2 storage occurred above 9 m. On some calm nights during the growing season, CO2 also accumulated below 9 m resulting in a sudden upward CO2 flux at 39.5 m following the resumption of mixing 2–3 hours after sunrise. A 10-day experiment was conducted to determine the spatial variability of CO2 flux in the trunk space. Two eddy covariance systems were mounted just above the understory about two tree heights apart. The correlation between CO2 fluxes were poor even under unstable (daytime) conditions, suggesting a relatively heterogeneous understory and soil. In contrast, the correlation between water vapor fluxes was high (r2 = 0.70) in unstable conditions. However, average daytime and nighttime CO2 fluxes over the 10 days agreed to within 5%. This suggests that partitioning net ecosystem exchange between overstory and understory on an hourly basis using a single-understory eddy covariance system is inadvisable; however, partitioning probably can be done quite reliably using 5-day average fluxes.
Modelling Mean-Covariance Structures in the Growth Curve Model

The growth curve model (GCM) has been widely used in longitudinal studies and repeated measures. Most existing approaches for statistical inference in the GCM assume a specific structure on the within-subject covariances, e.g., compound symmetry, AR(1) and unstructured covariances. This specification, however, may select a suboptimal or even wrong model, which in turn may affect the estimates of regression coefficients and/or bias standard errors of the estimates. Accordingly, statistical inferences of the GCM may be severely affected by misspecification of covariance structures. Within the framework of the GCM in this paper we propose a data-driven approach for modelling the withinsubject covariance structures, investigate the effects of misspecification of covariance structures on statistical inferences and study the possible heterogeneity of covariances between different treatment groups.
Differential allocation in relation to mate song quality in the Bengalese finch

Postmating sexual selection plays an important part in the evolution of secondary sexual characters. Based on differential allocation theory that predicts biased reproductive investment of females depending on the attractiveness of mates, a number of previous studies have shown that egg production is related in various ways to ornamental sexual traits of males, but evidence for behavioural sexual traits is less abundant. In this study we examine such maternal effects in relation to birdsong. Because the Bengalese finch is a monomorphic songbird, courtship song serves a key role in mate choice. To take into account individual female differences in egg production performance, we sequentially paired naive, captive, female Bengalese finches to two different males, and investigated if their reproductive investment (clutch size, egg mass and hatchling sex ratio) was related to the song traits of their mates. We found that clutch size and egg mass were highly repeatable within individual females while sex ratio was not. Despite the inflexibility of egg mass within each female, egg mass increased when females were mated to males with longer songs. In addition, we found a non-significant weak tendency toward male-biased sex ratio in relation to longer song duration of mates. Our findings suggest that females mated to better mates adjusted their reproductive investment by producing heavier eggs and possibly offspring of the more costly sex.