Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of amlodipine, efonidipine, and trichlormethiazide on home blood pressure and upper-normal microalbuminuria assessed by casual spot urine test in essential hypertensive patients

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the effects of irbesartan alone and combined with amlodipine, efonidipine, or trichlormethiazide on blood pressure (BP) and urinary albumin (UA) excretion in hypertensive patients with microalbuminuria (30≤UA/creatinine (Cr) ratio [UACR] <300 mg/g Cr) and upper-normal microalbuminuria (10≤UACR<30 mg/g Cr). This randomized controlled trial enrolled 175 newly diagnosed and untreated hypertensive patients (home systolic blood pressure [SBP]≥135 mmHg; 10≤UACR<300 mg/g Cr of casual spot urine at the first visit to clinic). All patients were treated with irbesartan (week 0). Patients who failed to achieve home SBP ≤125 mmHg on 8-week irbesartan monotherapy (nonresponders, n = 115) were randomized into three additional drug treatment groups: trichlormethiazide (n = 42), efonidipine (n = 39), or amlodipine (n = 34). Irbesartan monotherapy decreased home SBP and first morning urine samples (morning UACR) for 8 weeks (p < 0.0001). At 8 weeks after randomization, all three additional drugs decreased home SBP (p < 0.0002) and trichlormethiazide significantly decreased morning UACR (p = 0.03). Amlodipine decreased morning UACR in patients with microalbuminuria based on casual spot urine samples (p = 0.048). However, multivariate analysis showed that only higher home SBP and UACR at week 8, but not any additional treatments, were significantly associated with UACR reduction between week 8 and week 16. In conclusion, crucial points of the effects of combination therapy on UACR were basal UACR and SBP levels. The effect of trichlormethiazide or amlodipine treatment in combination with irbesartan treatment on microalbuminuria needs to be reexamined based on a larger sample size after considering basal UACR and SBP levels.
Job and Work Analysis

Job analysis a broad term commonly used to describe a wide variety of systematic procedures for examining, documenting, and drawing inferences about work activities, worker attributes, and work context. Following a conceptual overview of the range of choices facing the individual conducting a job analysis, the chapter discusses important changes and challenges to job analysis that have emerged over the last decade. The first is the development of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET); a comprehensive job analysis system designed to replace the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Second, we discuss the growing trend toward the incorporation of personality variables in job analysis, paralleling the growth of interest in personality within the field of I/O psychology overall. Third, we examine the growth of competency modeling, which is often presented as an alternative to or replacement for job analysis. Fourth, we review developments in the field of cognitive task analysis, which involve efforts to understand unobservable cognitive processes. Fifth, we examine the growth of strategic job analysis, which focuses on analysis for changing job situations and projections about work in the future. Sixth, and finally, we discuss recent developments focusing on the topic of sources of inaccuracy in job analysis. Keywords: cognitive task analysis; competency modeling; O*NET; strategic job analysis; work activities; worker attributes
Introducing Communication in Dis-POMDPs with Locality of Interaction

The Networked Distributed POMDPs (ND-POMDPs) can model multiagent systems in uncertain domains and has begun to scale-up the number of agents. However, prior work in ND-POMDPs has failed to address communication. Without communication, the size of a local policy at each agent within the ND-POMDPs grows exponentially in the time horizon. To overcome this problem, we extend existing algorithms so that agents periodically communicate their observation and action histories with each other. After communication, agents can start from new synchronized belief state. Thus, we can avoid the exponential growth in the size of local policies at agents. Furthermore, we introduce an idea that is similar the Point-based Value Iteration algorithm to approximate the value function with a fixed number of representative points. Our experimental results show that we can obtain much longer policies than existing algorithms as long as the interval between communications is small.
Examining the Impact of Vocabulary Strategy Training on Adult EFL Students

Abstract - This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of strategy instruction in vocabulary learning. To reach the goal of the study, 70 elementary level EFL learners at the Preparatory School of Mersin University were assigned as study and control groups. At the first stage of the study, through a Vocabulary Strategy Frequency Survey (Cohen, Oxford & Chi, 2002) and Taxonomy (Schmitt, 1997), conscious and/or unconscious use of vocabulary learning strategies in both groups was investigated. The study group received instruction on vocabulary learning strategies which was embedded to the course-book through a 10-week period. For the next stage, it was aimed to raise the teachers’ awareness of vocabulary strategy learning; therefore, discussion and feedback sessions were planned. For the follow-up stage of the study, 10 of the participant students who were then second grade medical students were interviewed in order to investigate the effects of strategy training after 2 academic years. Interviewees were asked about their opinions on strategy use during this period. The findings indicated that vocabulary strategy training can help students to learn and store more vocabulary. Keywords: language learning strategies, vocabulary learning strategies, strategy training, adult EFL learners Ozet – Kelime Strateji Egitiminin Ingilizce Ogrenen Yetiskin Ogrenciler Uzerindeki Etkisinin Arastirilmasi . Bu calisma kelime ogreniminde strateji kullaniminin etkisini olcmek icin yapilmistir. Bu amacla, Mersin Universitesi Yabanci Diller Yuksekokulundan 70 baslangic duzey yabanci dil ogrencisi calisma ve kontrol grubu olarak secilmislerdir. Ilk olarak, kelime stratejisi siklik anketi (Cohen, Oxford & Chi, 2002) ve taksonomisi (Schmitt, 1997) ile her iki grubun bilincli ve/veya bilincdisi kullandiklari stratejiler arastirilmistir. Calisma grubu ders kitaplarina uygun olarak duzenlenmis etkinliklerle kelime ogrenim stratejileri uzerine 10 haftalik bir egitim almistir. Diger yandan calismada, ogretmenlerin de kelime ogrenimi stratejileri konusunda bilinclendirilmesi hedeflenmistir. Bu amacla toplantilar planlanmis; bu toplantilarda fikir alisverisinde bulunulmus, calismanin gidisati ve sonuclari konusunda bilgi verilmistir. Calismanin son asamasi, strateji egitiminin uzun vadede etkisini olcmeyi hedeflemistir. Bu amacla iki yil sonra Tip Fakultesi 2. sinif olan 10 calisma grubu uyesi ogrenci ile mulakat yapilmistir. Ogrencilerin gecen sure boyunca strateji kullanimi konusundaki dusunceleri sorgulanmistir. Calismanin sonuclari, kelime strateji egitiminin ogrencilerin daha fazla kelime ogrenmesine ve akilda tutmasina katkida bulunabilecegini gostermektedir. Anahtar kelimeler : dil ogrenme stratejileri, kelime ogrenme stratejileri, strateji egitimi, yetiskin yabanci dil ogrencileri
CLUSTERS ET SYSTÈMES LOCAUX D'INNOVATION - RETOUR CRITIQUE SUR LES HYPOTHÈSES NATURALISTES DE TRANSMISSION DES CONNAISSANCES À L'AIDE DES CATÉGORIES DE L'ÉCONOMIE DE LA PROXIMITÉ

With the return of polarization, and the emergence of poles of competitiveness and other networks of excellence, this article aims to conduct a critical analysis of clusters and local systems of innovation, by using the contributions of proximity economics. Authors generally tend to consider that the agglomeration of economic activities in one specific place is sufficient in itself to generate effects of localised development and to create efficient innovation systems at the local level. The hypothesis is that the transfer of knowledge (of tacit knowledge in particular) is facilitated by geographical proximity. The many failures, as well as the success often related to the history of th e very few efficient innovation systems, have encouraged us to distance from this naturalist hypothesis. In view of the theoretical hypotheses about knowledge transfer that underlie the notion of cluster and of the empirical findings based on several concrete cases, we question the relevance of this notion. First, we propose a critical presentation of the notion of cluster, by examining, in particular, the limits of the naturalist hypothesis according to which the tacit dimension of knowledge necessitates face-to-face relations that lead to the emergence of clusters (I). We then propose a reexamination of clusters, by showing how the use of two types of proximity (geographical and organised) makes it possible to qualify the performance of clusters as tools facilitating knowledge transfer (II). In a third section we discuss other forms of interactions between innovative activities that involve or do not involve geographical proximity, before presenting what we believe are the most profound causes of the processes of spatial agglomerations of research and innovative activities (III).
Update of the mutation spectrum and clinical correlations of over 360 mutations in eight genes that underlie the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders. Most are autosomal recessively inherited. Clinical features include a variable age of onset, motor and mental decline, epilepsy, visual loss, and premature death. Mutations in eight genes (PPT1/CLN1, TPP1/CLN2, CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, MFSD8/CLN7, CLN8) have been identified and several more are predicted to exist, including two provisionally named CLN4 and CLN9. Despite excessive in vitro and in vivo studies, the precise functions of the NCL proteins and the disease mechanisms remain elusive. To date 365 NCL‐causing mutations are known, with 91 novel disease‐causing mutations reported. These are reviewed with an emphasis on their complex correlation to phenotypes. Different mutations within the NCL spectrum can cause variable disease severity. The NCLs exemplify both phenotypic convergence or mimicry and phenotypic divergence. For example, mutations in CLN5, CLN6, MFSD8, or CLN8 can underlie the clinically similar late infantile variant NCL disease. Phenotypic divergence is exemplified by different CLN8 mutations giving rise to two very different diseases, the mild CLN8 disease, EPMR (progressive epilepsy with mental retardation), and the more severe CLN8 disease, late infantile variant. The increase in the genetic understanding of the NCLs has led to improved diagnostic approaches, and the recent proposal of a new nomenclature. Hum Mutat 33:42–63, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficiency and Safety of Prolonged Levosimendan Infusion in Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Background. Levosimendan is an inotropic drug with unique pharmacological advantages in patients with acute heart failure. Scope of this study is to determine whether longer infusion patterns without the hypotension-inducing loading dose could justify an effective and safe alternative approach. Methods. 70 patients admitted to the emergencies with decompensated chronic heart failure received intravenously levosimendan without a loading dose up to 72 hours. Clinical parameters, BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) and signal-averaged-ECG data (SAECG) were recorded up to 72 hours. Results. The 48-hour group demonstrated a statistically significant BNP decrease (P < .001) after 48 hours, which also maintained after 72 hours. The 72-hour group demonstrated a bordeline decrease of BNP after 48 hours (P = .039), necessitating an additional 24-hour infusion to achieve significant reduction after 72 hours (P < .004). SAECG data demonstrated a statistically significant decrease after 72 hours (P < .04). Apart from two deaths due to advanced heart failure, no major complications were observed. Conclusion. Prolonged infusion of levosimendan without a loading dose is associated with an acceptable clinical and neurohumoral response.
Mechanisms for the time‐dependent decay of inward currents through cloned Kir2.1 channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes

1 The decay of inward currents was characterized using the giant patch‐clamp technique in the cloned inward rectifier K+ channels Kir2.1 expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. 2 The degree of decay was increased by strong hyperpolarization and reduced by increases in external [K+]. This voltage (membrane potential, Vm)‐ and K+‐dependent decay is referred to as inactivation. The dissociation constant for the protective effects of external K+ ions against inactivation was about 5 mm and was not Vm dependent. 3 Internal K+ ions also showed mildly protective effects against inactivation when external K+ sites were not saturated. Results from variations in [K+] suggest that the hyperpolarization‐induced inactivation of the Kir2.1 channels is not dependent on the driving force for K+ ions. 4 In the mutant which demonstrates higher external K+ affinity, the degree of inactivation was reduced. These results suggest that binding of K+ ions in the external channel pore mouth stabilizes channel opening. 5 Internal Mg2+ and polyamines induced time‐dependent decay of inward currents in a dose‐dependent but Vm‐independent manner between ‐150 and ‐60 mV. The order of potency for Mg2+‐ and polyamine‐induced decay was different from that for inward rectification. Furthermore, mutations with reduced inward rectification did not show parallel reduction of Mg2+‐ and polyamine‐induced decay. These results suggest that the effects of internal Mg2+ and polyamines on Kir2.1 channels involve different binding sites. 6 This study provides evidence for Vm‐dependent processes controlling the inactivation of the Kir2.1 channels.
Social events and social ties

This paper is based upon an approach for automatic detection of personal events in on-line personal photo collections and proposes a powerful exploitation of these events: We compose social events out of personal events and then automatically reveal interpersonal ties. Trying to tame the stream of big data in social networks we solely rely on image meta-data of time and space. We validate our assumptions in the wild using 1.8 million public images of more than 4100 users. The proposed approach has three main steps: (i) personal event detection using individual, unsorted photo collections, in which we make use of the spatio-temporal context embedded in digital photos to detect event boundaries within the collection; (ii) social event detection for which we use a tailored similarity measurement between personal events of different users; and (iii) an analysis of event co-participation to propagate social connections. Experiments validate that the fully automated approach is able to accurately detect 78.76% of social events and reconstruct the interpersonal ties of a user with a verified true positive rate of 45%. This rate is probably much higher: Since most interpersonal ties are undefined in the universe of social networks, our experimental ground-truth of course remains fragmentary.
Self-reported sleep and β-amyloid deposition in community-dwelling older adults.

IMPORTANCE Older adults commonly report disturbed sleep, and recent studies in humans and animals suggest links between sleep and Alzheimer disease biomarkers. Studies are needed that evaluate whether sleep variables are associated with neuroimaging evidence of β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition. OBJECTIVE To determine the association between self-reported sleep variables and Aβ deposition in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional study of 70 adults (mean age, 76 [range, 53-91] years) from the neuroimaging substudy of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a normative aging study. EXPOSURE Self-reported sleep variables. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES β-Amyloid burden, measured by carbon 11-labeled Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography distribution volume ratios (DVRs). RESULTS After adjustment for potential confounders, reports of shorter sleep duration were associated with greater Aβ burden, measured by mean cortical DVR (B = 0.08 [95% CI, 0.03-0.14]; P = .005) and precuneus DVR (B = 0.11 [0.03-0.18]; P = .007). Reports of lower sleep quality were associated with greater Aβ burden measured by precuneus DVR (B = 0.08 [0.01-0.15]; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among community-dwelling older adults, reports of shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality are associated with greater Aβ burden. Additional studies with objective sleep measures are needed to determine whether sleep disturbance causes or accelerates Alzheimer disease.
Lunar bulk chemical composition: a post-Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory reassessment

New estimates of the thickness of the lunar highlands crust based on data from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory mission, allow us to reassess the abundances of refractory elements in the Moon. Previous estimates of the Moon fall into two distinct groups: earthlike and a 50% enrichment in the Moon compared with the Earth. Revised crustal thicknesses and compositional information from remote sensing and lunar samples indicate that the crust contributes 1.13–1.85 wt% Al2O3 to the bulk Moon abundance. Mare basalt Al2O3 concentrations (8–10 wt%) and Al2O3 partitioning behaviour between melt and pyroxene during partial melting indicate mantle Al2O3 concentration in the range 1.3–3.1 wt%, depending on the relative amounts of pyroxene and olivine. Using crustal and mantle mass fractions, we show that that the Moon and the Earth most likely have the same (within 20%) concentrations of refractory elements. This allows us to use correlations between pairs of refractory and volatile elements to confirm that lunar abundances of moderately volatile elements such as K, Rb and Cs are depleted by 75% in the Moon compared with the Earth and that highly volatile elements, such as Tl and Cd, are depleted by 99%. The earthlike refractory abundances and depleted volatile abundances are strong constraints on lunar formation processes.
Detection of changed buildings in multitemporal Very High Resolution SAR images

This paper presents an approach to the detection of changed buildings using multitemporal Very High Resolution (VHR) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. The proposed approach is based on two concepts i) the extraction of information on changes associated with increase and decrease of backscattering at the optimal building scale; and ii) the exploitation of the expected backscattering proprieties of buildings to detect new and fully destroyed buildings with their grade of reliability. Experimental results obtained on a dataset made up of two COSMO-SkyMed (CSK©) spotlight images acquired in 2009 over the city of L'Aquila (Italy) before and after an earthquake demonstrated that the proposed approach allows an effective identification of destroyed buildings.
Phylogeny of Rieske/cytb Complexes with a Special Focus on the Haloarchaeal Enzymes

Rieske/cytochrome b (Rieske/cytb) complexes are proton pumping quinol oxidases that are present in most bacteria and Archaea. The phylogeny of their subunits follows closely the 16S-rRNA phylogeny, indicating that chemiosmotic coupling was already present in the last universal common ancestor of Archaea and bacteria. Haloarchaea are the only organisms found so far that acquired Rieske/cytb complexes via interdomain lateral gene transfer. They encode two Rieske/cytb complexes in their genomes; one of them is found in genetic context with nitrate reductase genes and has its closest relatives among Actinobacteria and the Thermus/Deinococcus group. It is likely to function in nitrate respiration. The second Rieske/cytb complex of Haloarchaea features a split cytochrome b sequence as do Cyanobacteria, chloroplasts, Heliobacteria, and Bacilli. It seems that Haloarchaea acquired this complex from an ancestor of the above-mentioned phyla. Its involvement in the bioenergetic reaction chains of Haloarchaea is unknown. We present arguments in favor of the hypothesis that the ancestor of Haloarchaea, which relied on a highly specialized bioenergetic metabolism, that is, methanogenesis, and was devoid of quinones and most enzymes of anaerobic or aerobic bioenergetic reaction chains, integrated laterally transferred genes into its genome to respond to a change in environmental conditions that made methanogenesis unfavorable.
Data security in Smart Grid with hardware implementation against DoS attacks

Cultivation of Smart Grid refurbish with brisk and ingenious. The delinquent breed and sow mutilate in massive. This state of affair coerces security as a sapling which incessantly is to be irrigated with Research and Analysis. The Cyber Security is endowed with resiliency to the SYN flooding induced Denial of Service attack in this work. The proposed secure web server algorithm embedded in the LPC1768 processor ensures the smart resources to be precluded from the attack.
A Framework for Dynamic Causal Inference in Political Science

Dynamic strategies are an essential part of politics. In the context of campaigns, for example, candidates continuously recalibrate their campaign strategy in response to polls and opponent actions. Traditional causal inference methods, however, assume that these dynamic decisions are made all at once, an assumption that forces a choice between omitted variable bias and posttreatment bias. Thus, these kinds of “single-shot” causal inference methods are inappropriate for dynamic processes like campaigns. I resolve this dilemma by adapting methods from biostatistics, thereby presenting a holistic framework for dynamic causal inference. I then use this method to estimate the effectiveness of an inherently dynamic process: a candidate’s decision to “go negative. ” Drawing on U.S. statewide elections (2000–2006), I find, in contrast to the previous literature and alternative methods, that negative advertising is an effective strategy for nonincumbents. I also describe a set of diagnostic tools and an approach to sensitivity analysis.
Quantum Computations with Cold Trapped Ions.

A quantum computer can be implemented with cold ions confined in a linear trap and interacting with laser beams. Quantum gates involving any pair, triplet, or subset of ions can be realized by coupling the ions through the collective quantized motion. In this system decoherence is negligible, and the measurement (readout of the quantum register) can be carried out with a high efficiency.
Examining the Skills Debate in Scotland

Research has detailed a perceived skills gap that points to accounting graduates lacking communication and problem solving skills expected by the accounting profession. Higher education funding bodies have also emphasized the need for student skills, demanding degree courses support skills development and employability. This study examines the skills debate influenced by the accounting profession, higher education funding bodies and accounting academics, detailing the parameters for the skills debate and subsequent agenda. Academics from each University in Scotland providing accounting degrees or programme courses were interviewed to document the opinion and support for the skills debate in Scotland. The results indicate that skills are not considered uniformly by accounting's academia and that there is a political dimension to the debate that should be researched further. The findings centre on the recurring themes of the scope of skills, the placement of skills, and the politics of skills. The findings detail a complex situation in the context of diverse provision, and subsequently, the paper calls for more research into the nature of skills and more debate on the issues comprising the skills agenda.