Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT)

METHODS In this randomized controlled clinical study, complete demographic characteristics were obtained and several laboratory measurements were collected from all enrolled subjects. The HOMA- IR was calculated as an insulin sensitivity index. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), which is calculated as log (TG/HDL-C), was a signi ﬁ cant predictor of atherosclerosis, better than LDL-C. The plasma concentrations of adiponectin, IL-6, MCP-1 and MMP-9 were determined using ELISA. All data were analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software. RESULTS A total of 309 participants were enrolled into the study. The hypertensive patients with IR (n ¼ 93) displayed signi ﬁ cantly higher levels of HOMA-IR and AIP, in addition to lower adiponectin levels, compared to the patients without IR (n ¼ 121) and the healthy adults (n ¼ 95) ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the circulating IL-6, MCP-1 and MMP-9 concentrations differed signi ﬁ cantly between the hypertensive patients and healthy adults ( P < 0.05). Additionally, inverse trends be- tween the adiponectin and IL-6, MCP-1, MMP-9, HOMA-IR and AIP valueswerefoundintheclinical study. Afteradjustingforconfounders via multivariate linear regression, the HOMA-IR, adiponectin and Scr valuesremainedindependentlyassociatedwithAIPforallparticipants. dyslipidemia in ﬂ ammation. OBJECTIVES To explore the association between apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), as well as that between AHI and blood pressure (BP), RAAS and BP in hypertensive patients combined with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ¼ 0.198, P ¼ 0.042), angiotensin II (r ¼ 0.219, P ¼ 0.024), aldo- sterone (r ¼ 0.196, P ¼ 0.044) and MAP (r ¼ 0.412, P < 0.001). A positive cor-relationwasalsofoundbetweenaldosteroneandMAP(r ¼ 0.213,P ¼ 0.028). No signi ﬁ cant correlation was found between rennin and MAP (r ¼ 0.114, P ¼ 0.246), similarly between angiotensin II and MAP (r ¼ 0.072, P ¼ 0.461). CONCLUSIONS Levels of aldosterone and MAP in moderate-severe OSA patients are signi ﬁ cantly higher than mild OSA patients.
Flight Behavioural Responses to Sport Hunting by Two African Herbivores

Sport hunting may have severe behavioural consequences, and possibly conservation implications for wildlife populations. We used flight initiation distances by two herbivores, impala (Aepyceros melampus) and greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) to assess the impacts of sport hunting on their flight behaviour. We compared Gwaai, a designated hunting area adjacent to Hwange National Park, a protected area in Zimbabwe.We aimed to estimate flight initiation distances (FIDs) for impala and kudu as this can be a good measure of hunting effect on behaviour. Our results suggest that impala and kudu are more flight prone in hunting areas than in non-hunting areas. We propose habituation to explain the shorter FIDs in the protected area,and the risk of being shot by hunters the higher FIDs in the hunting area.We concede that more field observations are needed to estimate the distance at which animals will always trigger an immediate flight response from approaching predators (Dmin) and the distance above which prey will not move away from an approaching predator as it is not perceived to be dangerous (Dmax) in our study area. However,we suggest that Dmin is a useful index for wildlife managers to assess predation risk.
Mining satellite image database of landscapes and application for urban zones: clustering, consensus and categorisation

Remote sensed satellite images have found a wide application for analysing and managing natural resources and human activities. Satellite images of high resolution, e.g., SPOT5, have large sizes and are very numerous. This gives a large interest to develop new theoretical aspects and practical tools for satellite image mining. The objective of the thesis is unsupervised satellite image mining and includes three main parts. In the first part of the thesiswe demonstrate content of high resolution optical satellite images. We describe image zones by texture and geometrical features. Unsupervised clustering algorithms are presented in the second part of the thesis. A review of validity criteria and information measures is given in order to estimate the quality of clustering solutions. A new criterion based on Minimum Description Length (MDL) is proposed for estimating the optimal number of clusters. In addition, we propose a new kernel hierarchical clustering algorithm based on kernel MDL criterion. A new method of
Singularities and exotic spheres

© Association des collaborateurs de Nicolas Bourbaki, 1966-1968, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives du séminaire Bourbaki (http://www.bourbaki. ens.fr/) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/legal.php). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
DNA Methylation and miRNA-1296 Act in Concert to Mediate DNA Methylation and miRNA-1296 Act in Concert to Mediate Spatiotemporal Expression of KPNA7 During Bovine Oocyte and Spatiotemporal Expression of KPNA7 During Bovine Oocyte and Early Embryonic Development Early Embryonic Development

Background: Epigenetic regulation of oocyte-specific maternal factors is essential for oocyte and early embryonic development. KPNA7 is an oocyte-specific maternal factor, which controls transportation of nuclear proteins important for early embryonic development. To elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the controlled expression of KPNA7, both DNA methylation associated transcriptional silencing and microRNA (miRNA)-mediated mRNA degradation of KPNA7 were examined. Results: Comparison of DNA methylation profiles at the proximal promoter of KPNA7 gene between oocyte and 6 different somatic tissues identified 3 oocyte-specific differentially methylated CpG sites. Expression of KPNA7 mRNA was reintroduced in bovine kidney-derived CCL2 cells after treatment with the methylation inhibitor, 5-aza-2 ′ - deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR). Analysis of the promoter region of KPNA7 gene in CCL2 cells treated with 5-Aza-CdR showed a lighter methylation rate in all the CpG sites. Bioinformatic analysis predicted 4 miRNA-1296 binding sites in the coding region of KPNA7 mRNA. Ectopic co-expression of miRNA-1296 and KPNA7 in HEK293 cells led to reduced expression of KPNA7 protein. Quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed that miRNA-1296 is expressed in oocytes and early stage embryos, and the expression reaches a peak level in 8-cell stage embryos, coincident with the time of embryonic genome activation and the start of declining of KPNA7 expression. Conclusions: These results suggest that DNA methylation may account for oocyte-specific expression of KPNA7, and miRNA-1296 targeting the coding region of KPNA7 is a potential mechanism for KPNA7 transcript degradation during the maternal-to-zygotic transition
Sero-Epidemiology of Camel Toxoplasmosis and Public Awareness on its Zoonotic Importance in Central Afar Region, North East Ethiopia

: Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important camel diseases endemic in the pastoral areas. A cross-sectional study was carried out to study sero-epidemiology of camel toxoplasmosis and public awareness on its zoonotic importance in central Afar region of Northeast Ethiopia. A total of 384 sera sample were collected from 56 camel herds and 56 individuals have interviewed for the questionnaire survey. Out of 384 tested samples, 262 (68.2%, 95% CI: 63.5% to 72.9%) were found positive by Modified Agglutination Test/MAT. The Chi-square analysis revealed that it was only presence of cat ( X =8.698, P=0.003) and presence 2 of wild felids ( X =5.225, P=0.022) that showed statistically significant (P<0.05) association with seropositivity 2 of camel toxoplasmosis. According to both univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis, it is only exposure to cat has statistically significant association (P=0.014) with seropositivity of camel toxoplasmosis. Out of the 56 herds in which blood sample is collected, 54 herds (96.4%, 95% CI: 91.5% to 100%) were found at least with one seropositive animal. The questionnaire survey revealed that all (100%) of the respondents had no knowledge about toxoplasmosis and its method of transmission to human. Finally, this study demonstrated that camel toxoplasmosis is highly prevalent in the study area. Hence, it is suggested that there is a need for prevention and control of the disease as well as raising public health awareness in decreasing the public health implication of the disease in the area.
Performance Evaluation of SNMPv1/2c/3 using Different Security Performance Evaluation of SNMPv1/2c/3 using Different Security Models on Raspberry Pi Models on Raspberry Pi

—The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is one of the dominant protocols for network monitoring and configuration. The first two versions of SNMP (v1 and v2c) use the Community-based Security Model (CSM), where the community is transferred in clear text, resulting in a low level of security. With the release of SNMPv3, the User-based Security Model (USM) and Transport Security Model (TSM) were proposed, with strong authentication and privacy at different levels. The Raspberry Pi family of Single-Board Computers (SBCs) is widely used for many applications. To help their integration into network management systems, it is essential to study the impact of the different versions and security models of SNMP on these SBCs. In this work, we carried out a performance analysis of SNMP agents running in three different Raspberry Pis (Pi Zero W, Pi 3 Model B, and Pi 3 Model B+). Our comparisons are based on the response time, defined as the time required to complete a request/response exchange between a manager and an agent. Since we did not find an adequate tool for our assessments, we developed our own benchmarking tool. We did numerous experiments, varying different parameters such as the type of requests, the number of objects involved per request, the security levels of SNMPv3/USM, the authentication and privacy protocols of SNMPv3/USM, the transport protocols, and the versions and security models of SNMP. Our experiments were executed with Net-SNMP, an open-source and comprehensive distribution of SNMP. Our tests indicate that SNMPv1 and SNMPv2c have similar performance. SNMPv3 has a longer response time, due to the overhead caused by the security services (authentication and privacy). The Pi 3 Model B and Pi 3 Model B+ have comparable performance, and significantly outperform the Pi Zero W.
Teplá trachyte weathering phenomena and physical properties of a rare volcanogenic building stone

One of the few deposits of trachyte suitable for dimension stones is situated in the Western Czech Republic, 6km east of the town of Tepla. The buildings of the famous monastery of Tepla are the best example of the use of Tepla trachyte over more than 800 years. Tepla trachyte is being exploited in a single quarry on the slopes of the nearby Spicak hill. The trachyte is known to have been quarried from the 12th century onwards. The Tepla trachyte is still an important, very good and stable dimension stone which has been used as intersection material in historical buildings like the cathedral of Xanten and in various towns in the Netherlands. Modern facades like the university hospital in Pilzen consist of trachytic slabs from Tepla. Alkaline massive volcanic rocks with a bright appearance are fairly rare in Europe. Trachyte consists mainly of fine grained alkalifeldspar and plagioclase with phenocrysts of sanidine. Accessoric minerals are biotite, titanite and magnetite. The Tepla trachyte is comparable to those of the Euganean Hills (Italy), the Auvergne region (France), the Rhine province and Westerwald (Germany). Very characteristic features are the thick black manganese-oxide dendrites. The volcanism of the Tepla trachyte occurred some 12.5 million years ago in the context of the faulting along the Ohre (Eger) rift in the western part of the Bohemian Massif. The decay of trachyte dimension stones originates mainly in the disintegration of the rock caused by the alteration of the feldspars into the clay minerals kaolinite, illite and vermiculite. This leads to typical damage such as flaking, scaling, alveolar weathering, clearing out of sanidines and manganese-oxide dendrites and different discoloration effects. Based on the chemical and mineralogical composition and the physical properties of the trachyte an adequate consolidation concept using a TEOS modular system was developed.
Two phases of the phytoplankton community in the Baja California upwelling1

The method of principal component analysis has been applied to quantitative data on 60 species of phytoplankton from the cruises MESCAL I and MESCAL II. Dinoflagellate dominance in the phytoplankton was associated with upwelling of water of relatively low salinity and lower nutrients from below the minimum salinity core of the California Current. Diatom dominance was related to upwelling of deeper salinc and high nlltrient water from the California Undercurrent. Nutrient enrichment following upwelling along the California coast may induce the growth of dense diatom- or dinoflagellate-dominated populations. Dinoflagellate blooms are often intense enough to deserve the designation of red tides. 11espite work by Holmes et al. (1967) and Blasco (1975, 1977, 1978), many questions concerning the relationship between hydrographic conditions and phytoplankton population changes remain unanswered. Generally, diatom blooms h ave been associated with upwelling conditions that lead to low temperatures and high salinity at the surface (Sverdrup and Allen 1939; Bolin and Abbott 1963; Tont 1976). Eppley and IIarrison (1975) related dinoflagellate blooms to the occurrence of a nutrient-depleted, shallow mixed layer overlying a steep, shallow thermocline with nutrient-rich water below it. Our hypothesis is that the composition of the upwelling phytoplankton is related to the origin of the enriched waters. To evaluate this relationship further, we applied a multivariate statistical technique to data collected during the cruises MESCAL I and 1MESCAL II, carried out off Punta San IIipolito, Baja California, as part of the Coastal Upwelling Ecosystelns Analysis Program.
University of Birmingham Climate model and proxy data constraints on ocean warming across the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum

Constraining the greenhouse gas forcing, climatic warming and estimates of climate sensitivity across ancient large transient warming events is a major challenge to the palaeoclimate research community. Here we provide a new compilation and synthesis of the available marine proxy temperature data across the largest of these hyperthermals, the Paleocene – Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). This includes the application of consistent temperature calibrations to all data, including the most recent set of calibrations for archaeal lipid-derived palaeothermometry. This compilation provides the basis for an informed discussion of the likely range of PETM warming, the biases present in the existing record and an initial assessment of the geographical pattern of PETM ocean warming. To aid interpretation of the geographic variability of the proxy-derived estimates of PETMwarming, we present a comparison ofthis data with the patterns of warmingproduced byhigh p CO 2 simulations of Eocene climates using the Hadley Centre atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) HadCM3L. On the basis of this comparison and taking into account the patterns of intermediate-water warming we estimate that the global mean surface temperature anomaly for the PETM is within the range of 4 to 5 °C. ©
Conﬁned Electron and Hole States in Semiconducting Carbon Nanotube sub-10 nm Artiﬁcial Quantum Dots

We show that quantum conﬁnement in the valence and conduction bands of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes can be engineered by means of artiﬁcial defects. This ability holds potential for designing future nanotube-based quantum devices such as electrically driven, telecom-wavelength, room-temperature single-photon sources. Intrananotube quantum dots with sub-10 nm lateral sizes are generated between consecutive Ar + or N + ion-induced defects, giving rise to quantized electronic bound states with level spacings of the order of 100 meV and larger. Using low-temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy, we resolve the energy and real space features of the quantized states and compare them with theoretical models. Eﬀects on the states structure due to asymmetric defect scattering strength and the inﬂuence of the Au(111) substrate are remarkably well reproduced by solving the Schr¨odinger equation over a one-dimensional piecewise constant potential model. Using ab-initio calculations
Herbaceous Vegetation Cover Analysis of Selected Sites in Jordan (Research Note)

Five selected sites representing two biogeographical regions and five different vegetation types in Jordan were studied. Herbaceous vegetation were surveyed using the line transect. A total of 50 quadrat units (1m sq. each) per site were sampled along a ten fifty-meter-line transects with 5 quadrat units per line. Herbaceous vegetation total cover and maximum plant height, total number of individuals of each species and number of species were recorded. The analysis of the surveyed sites included species composition, species frequencies, abundances and Importance Value (IV). Analysis revealed that three to four families constituted more than 50% of the relative abundance of the total families in each site. Asteraceae was the most abundant family in all sites and had the highest IV. Other families that showed high abundance and IV values include, Leguminosae, Labiatae and Gramineae. Highest coverage, height, number of species, number of families and number of individuals have been recorded in Alouk and Na’ur areas, representing the deciduous oak and non-forest Mediterranean vegetation types, respectively. Dana and Adaseyeh had the lowest values. Only few species in each site contributed a major percent of the total abundance. Identifying the species with the highest IV values in each family at each of the five sites showed that these herbaceous vegetation types exhibit diverse array of species
Unravelling the Determinants of Undergraduate Accounting Students' Intention to Utilise Microsoft Excel for Completing Academic Assignments

The integration of Microsoft (MS) Excel into undergraduate accounting curriculum is crucial. Nonetheless, the factors impacting students' utilization of MS Excel for academic purposes remain inadequately explored. This study aims to bridge this knowledge gap by uncovering the motivations behind undergraduate accounting students' use of MS Excel in their academic pursuits. Our primary research objective is to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of MS Excel among undergraduate accounting students. We draw upon the original Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), encompassing Perceived usefulness (PU) and Perceived ease of use (PEU). Furthermore, we incorporate additional factors such as compatibility, attitude, facilitators, and subjective norms into the modified TAM. Our research employed a quantitative survey methodology, distributed to undergraduate accounting students enrolled in the Fundamentals of Information Technology course. Out of 277 eligible students, 182 participated, and strong internal consistency among the surveyed items was confirmed by a high Cronbach's alpha value. The findings reveal a significant correlation between students' intention to use MS Excel and both PU and PEU, aligning with the original TAM. Even in our modified TAM, the model maintains its significance, with positive influences from PEU, compatibility, attitude, and subjective norms. However, the influence of PU and facilitators on the intention to use MS Excel is not found to be statistically significant. Further research should explore more effective ways to integrate technology into the accounting program to meet the demands of contemporary education effectively.
Analysis of College Students’ Second Classroom Ability Evaluation Based on Principal Component and Clustering Methods

For better cultivating the comprehensive quality of students, this paper takes the perspective of the second classroom and combines various data of students' indicators, to explore and analyze, so as to better promote the development of higher education in our country. In this paper, a data set of second classroom from college students is studied using principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering. Based on the definition of second classroom, this paper constructs evaluation indexes which include competition, research and innovation, foreign language, cadre, public interest, and physical test for college students. Firstly, this paper uses principal components to analyze the second classroom situation of individual students, and selects the top four principal components as the main evaluation indexes of the second classes based on the cumulative contribution rate. Secondly, this paper uses hierarchical clustering method to cluster the samples. The model is evaluated and analyzed Silhouette Coefficiency, Calinski-Harabasz Index, and Davies-Bouldin Index. The results show that the clustering model is optimal when the category is 3 and the cluster distance is 'single'. The model is reliable, scientific and reasonable. By identifying the categories of students and providing appropriate recommendations, we can better promote the development of higher education in our country.
An Extensible Toolkit for Resource Prediction In Distributed Systems

This paper describes the design, implementation, and performance of RPS, an extensible toolkit for building flexible on-line and off-line resource prediction systems in which resources are represented by independent, periodically sampled, scalar-valued measurement streams. RPS-based prediction systems predict future values of such streams from past values. Systems are composed at run-time out of an extensible set of communicating prediction components which are in turn constructed using RPS’s sensor, prediction, and communication libraries. We have used RPS to evaluate predictive models and build on-line prediction systems for host load and network bandwidth. The overheads involved in such systems are quite low. Effort sponsored in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency and Rome Laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command, USAF, under agreement number F30602-96-1-0287, in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant CMS-9318163, and in part by a grant from the Intel Corporation. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright annotation thereon. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Rome Laboratory, or the U.S. Government.
The Bloody Millennium: Internal Conflict in South Asia

This paper documents the short-term and long-term trends in internal conflict in South Asian countries, using multiple data sources. I find that incidents of terrorism have been rising across South Asia over the past decade, and this increase has been concentrated in economically lagging regions in the post-2001 period. This is in contrast to both the historical patterns of conflict, and the evolution of other types of violence. Analyzing the role of economic, geographic and demographic factors, I find that poorer areas have significantly higher levels of conflict intensity. The paper reviews the various approaches taken by governments to deal with conflict, contrasting security-based approaches with political accommodation and economic approaches. Finally, the paper reviews the potential role of regional cooperation in mitigating conflict.