Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives of SME Financing Through Capital Markets: the Case of Croatia

Startup companies are very vulnerable and risky part of SME sector, as well as the entire economy. Early stage in company’s life cycle, inadequate income and risky market surroundings disenables these companies from accessing sources of financing within traditional financial institutions. Their sources of financing are usually own funds, family, non-refundable support funds and in developed countries business angels and different forms of venture capital. Recognizing insufficient financial support for startups and SME in general, the EU has started an initiative enabling access to equity financing for these companies. The initiative has been regulatory implemented through European venture capital funds (EuVECA), a specific type of alternative investment fund in the EU. The paper points to expected effects of setting up such funds, their regulatory requirements and their market potential in the EU. The aims of a paper are to discuss and examine EuVECA fu nds as a possible instrument for equity financing in Croatia. Paper uses quantitative empirical research using survey methodology on the sample of start-ups in Croatia examining the potential of these companies for equity financing. The paper is also analysing the entire surrounding of equity financing of startups in Croatia from venture capital, support measures of developing agencies and the government as well as EU funds. Based on empirical research and analysis of available instruments of equity financing, the development potential of European venture capital funds (EuVECA) in Croatia is estimated. Special emphasis is given to stimulating framework, access to financial funds and startup companies in urban agglomeration of the City of Zagreb.
Chronic disease management: what will it take to improve care for chronic illness?

M eeting the complex needs of patients with chronic illness or impairment is the single greatest challenge facing organized medical practice. Usual care is not doing the job; dozens of surveys and audits have revealed that sizable proportions of chronically ill patients are not receiving effective therapy, have poor disease con- trol, and are unhappy with their care (1). Results of randomized trials also show that effective disease management programs can achieve substantially better outcomes than usual care, the control intervention. These trials, along with the ideas and efforts for improvement discussed in this issue, show that we can improve care and outcomes. As the articles suggest, these improvements will not come easily. If we are to improve care for most patients with chronic illness, the evidence strongly suggests that we reshape our ambulatory care systems for this purpose. Pri- mary care practice was largely designed to provide ready access and care to patients with acute, varied problems, with an emphasis on triage and patient flow; short appointments; diagnosis and treatment of symptoms and signs; reliance on laborato- ry investigations and prescriptions; brief, didactic patient education; and patient- initiated follow-up. Patients and families struggling with chronic illness have differ- ent needs, and these needs are unlikely to be met by an acute care organization and culture. They require planned, regular interactions with their caregivers, with a focus on function and prevention of exacerbations and complications. This interac- tion includes systematic assessments, attention to treatment guidelines, and behav- iorally sophisticated support for the patient's role as self-manager. These interactions must be linked through time by clinically relevant information systems and continu- ing follow-up initiated by the medical practice. Comprehensive System Change
Epigenetic regulation of cancer growth by histone demethylases

Cancer is traditionally viewed as a primarily genetic disorder. However, it is now increasingly apparent that epigenetic abnormalities play a fundamental role in cancer development. Aberrant expression of histone‐modifying enzymes has been implicated in the course of tumor initiation and progression. The discovery of a large number of histone demethylases suggests an important role for dynamic regulation of histone methylation in biological processes. The observation that overexpression, amplification or mutations of several histone demethylases have been found in many types of tumors, raise the possibility of using these enzymes as diagnostic tools as well as pave a way for the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and treatment modalities. Here, we review the current knowledge of the potential role of H3K4, H3K9 and H3K27 histone demethylases in tumorigenesis.
In silico chromosome staining: Reconstruction of Giemsa bands from the whole human genome sequence

Giemsa staining has been used for identifying individual human chromosomes. Giemsa-dark and -light bands generally are thought to correspond to GC-poor and GC-rich regions; however, several experiments showed that the correspondence is quite poor. To elucidate the precise relationship between GC content and Giemsa banding patterns, we developed an “in silico chromosome staining” method for reconstructing Giemsa bands computationally from the whole human genome sequence. Here we show that 850-level Giemsa bands are best correlated with the difference in GC content between a local window of 2.5 megabases and a regional window of 9.3 megabases along a chromosome. The correlations are of strong statistical significance for almost all 43 chromosomal arms. Our results clearly show that Giemsa-dark bands are locally GC-poor regions compared with the flanking regions. These findings are consistent with the model that matrix-associated regions, which are known to be AT-rich, are present more densely in Giemsa-dark bands than in -light bands.
Needle aponeurotomy for Dupuytren contracture: Effectiveness of postoperative night extension splinting

Background Night extension splinting has been used to treat patients with Dupuytren contracture to improve active range of motion (AROM) of the hand. A published case study demonstrated the benefit of splinting following needle aponeurotomy; however, no larger studies have evaluated the impact of postoperative splinting. Objectives To compare the impact of night extension splinting on AROM, specifically extension, following needle aponeurotomy for Dupuytren contracture. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted in which the charts of 53 patients who underwent needle aponeurotomy for Dupuytren contracture between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed. The control group consisted of patients who underwent needle aponeurotomy only, whereas the treatment group was also referred for fabrication of custom night extension splints after surgery. Comparisons in pre- and postoperative AROM measurements for the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints were made between both groups of patients. The degrees of change in AROM for each joint were categorized in terms of levels of change: mild (0° to 29°); moderate (30° to 60°); and significant (≥61°). Results All patients exhibited increased AROM after surgery for both MCP and PIP joints. Both groups had a greater increase in AROM in the MCP joint. Twelve joints from the control group had moderate changes and two from the treatment group had significant changes. When both groups were compared, the levels of change of AROM between both groups did not vary significantly. Conclusion Night extension splinting following needle aponeurotomy may not improve AROM of the MCP or PIP joints.
Short‐term plasticity impacts information transfer at glutamate synapses onto parvocellular neuroendocrine cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus

Non‐technical summary The response to stress is orchestrated by parvocellular neuroendocrine cells in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. These cells integrate synaptic information from a number of brain regions and release hormone, yet little is known about the basic rules of synaptic communication at glutamate synapses that provide the dominant excitatory input to these cells. Here we describe experiments aimed at providing insights into how these synapses behave when recruited at different activation frequencies and what impact this has on cell firing.
Achieving reconfigurable service oriented applications using Model Driven Engineering

Service Oriented architectures are becoming very popular to meet the requirements of complex current applications demanding distribution and heterogeneity in open environments. In this sense, the iLAND-ARTEMIS project is aimed at the development of a service-based middleware framework capable of supporting deterministic dynamic functional composition and reconfiguration of networked embedded service oriented applications. The approach proposed in this paper uses Model Driven Engineering (MDE) in order to guide the development of the iLAND applications from the specification to the execution through code generation, focusing on reconfiguration behavior at run-time, and assuring that non-functional requirements are met by an adequate resource assignment.
Gastrointestinal Absorption of Pravastatin in Healthy Subjects

The bioavailability of pravastatin, a hypocholesterolmic agent, may be enhanced by decreasing its exposure to stomach contents, where it may be converted nonenzymatically to a relatively inactive metabolite. The pharmacokinetics of pravastatin and its metabolite were determined after infusion of pravastatin directly into the stomach (locus for greatest bioavailability for the metabolite), duodenum (greastest bioavailability for pravastatin), jejunum, or ileum. An enterically coated formulation of pravastatin may increase its bioavailability.
HOST‐PARASITE AND GENOTYPE‐BY‐ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS: TEMPERATURE MODIFIES POTENTIAL FOR SELECTION BY A STERILIZING PATHOGEN

Abstract Parasite‐mediated selection is potentially of great importance in modulating genetic diversity. Genetic variation for resistance, the fuel for natural selection, appears to be common in host‐parasite interactions, but responses to selection are rarely observed. In the present study, we tested whether environmental variation could mediate infection and determine evolutionary outcomes. Temperature was shown to dramatically alter the potential for parasite‐mediated selection in two independent laboratory infection experiments at four temperatures. The bacterial parasite, Pasteuria ramosa, was extremely virulent at 20d̀C and 25d̀C, sterilizing its host, Daphnia magna, so that females often never produced a single brood. However, at 10d̀C and 15d̀C, the host‐parasite interaction was much more benign, as nearly all females produced broods before becoming sterile. This association between virulence and temperature alone could stabilize coexistence and lead to the maintenance of diversity, because it would weaken parasite‐mediated selection during parts of the season. Additionally, highly significant genotype‐by‐environment interactions were found, with changes in clone rank order for infection rates at different temperatures. Our results clearly show that the outcome of parasite‐mediated selection in this system is strongly context dependent.
Risk management system model for construction projects

This paper shows a project risk management system model allowing to better identify risks and to manage them throughout the life cycle of the project. It shows the most popular methods of risk probability assessment and tries to indicate the advantages of the robust approach over the traditional methods. Modern development of project management as well as the accumulated knowledge and experience in this field made it possible to integrate project management knowledge into a single system model. Within the framework of this model standard and robust approaches are applied and expanded for the tasks of project data analysis. The suggested algorithms used to assess the parameters in statistical models allow to obtain reliable estimates.
(Picolinato-κ2 N,O)[tris(2-isopropyl-1H-imidazol-4-yl-κN 3)phosphane]cobalt(II) nitrate

Single crystals of the title compound, [Co(C6H4NO2)(C18H27N6P)]NO3, were obtained from the reaction of nitrato[tris(2-isopropylimidazol-4-yl)phosphane]cobalt(II) nitrate with picolinic acid in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide as base. The coordination polyhedron around the central CoII ion is about halfway between square-pyramidal and trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. In the structure, the nitrate counter-anion is connected by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonding to the complex cation. Additionally, the complex cations form one-dimensional chains along [010] by hydrogen bonding of the NH group of an imidazole ring to the picolinate group of a neighbouring complex cation.
Paternal occupational exposures and the risk of Down syndrome.

An exploratory case-control study of paternal occupation as a risk factor for Down syndrome was conducted. With the use of the British Columbia Health Surveillance Registry, 1,008 cases of live-born Down syndrome were identified for the period 1952-73. Two controls were matched to each case by using the birth files of British Columbia. Paternal occupation was obtained from the birth notice. Elevated maternal age-adjusted relative risks of Down syndrome were found for fathers employed as janitors (odds ratio [OR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [C.I.] = 1.02-10.44); mechanics (OR = 3.27; C.I. = 1.57-6.80); farm managers/workers (OR = 2.03; C.I. = 1.25-3.03); material-moving equipment operators (OR = 1.88; C.I. = 0.93-3.82); food processors (OR = 1.79; C.I. = 0.96-3.31); sheet-metal workers, iron workers, and other metalworkers (OR = 1.57; C.I. = 0.92-2.69); and sawmill workers (OR = 1.43; C.I. = 0.90-2.66). This large study provides new leads for further evaluation of the role of paternal exposures in the etiology of Down syndrome.
Ketamine safety and tolerability in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression.

OBJECTIVE Ketamine has demonstrated rapid antidepressant effects in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD); however, the safety and tolerability of ketamine in this population have not been fully described. Herein we report the largest study to date of the safety, tolerability, and acceptability of ketamine in TRD. METHOD Data from 205 intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes) in 97 participants with DSM-IV-defined major depressive disorder (MDD) were pooled from 3 clinical trials conducted between 2006 and 2012 at 2 academic medical centers. Safety and tolerability measures included attrition, adverse events (AEs), hemodynamic changes, and assessments of psychosis and dissociation. RESULTS The overall antidepressant response rate, defined as a ≥ 50% improvement in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score, was 67% (65 of 97 participants). Four of 205 infusions (1.95%) were discontinued due to AEs. The overall attrition rate was 3.1% (3 of 97). In the first 4 hours after the infusion, the most common general AEs were drowsiness, dizziness, poor coordination, blurred vision, and feeling strange or unreal. Approximately one third of individuals experienced protocol-defined hemodynamic changes. Ketamine resulted in small but significant increases in psychotomimetic and dissociative symptoms (all P < .05). There were no cases of persistent psychotomimetic effects, adverse medical effects, or increased substance use in a subgroup of patients with available long-term follow-up information. CONCLUSIONS In this relatively large group of patients with TRD, ketamine was safe and well tolerated. Further research investigating the safety of ketamine in severe and refractory depression is warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT00419003, NCT00548964, and NCT00768430.
Drought, agricultural adaptation, and sociopolitical collapse in the Maya Lowlands

Significance The Terminal Classic decline of the Maya civilization represents a key example of ancient societal collapse that may have been caused by climate change, but there are inconsistencies between paleoclimate and archaeological evidence regarding the spatial distribution of droughts and sociopolitical disintegration. We conducted a new analysis of regional drought intensity that shows drought was most severe in the region with the strongest societal collapse. We also found that an earlier drought interval coincided with agricultural intensification, suggesting that the ancient Maya adapted to previous episodes of climate drying, but could not cope with the more extreme droughts of the Terminal Classic. Paleoclimate records indicate a series of severe droughts was associated with societal collapse of the Classic Maya during the Terminal Classic period (∼800–950 C.E.). Evidence for drought largely derives from the drier, less populated northern Maya Lowlands but does not explain more pronounced and earlier societal disruption in the relatively humid southern Maya Lowlands. Here we apply hydrogen and carbon isotope compositions of plant wax lipids in two lake sediment cores to assess changes in water availability and land use in both the northern and southern Maya lowlands. We show that relatively more intense drying occurred in the southern lowlands than in the northern lowlands during the Terminal Classic period, consistent with earlier and more persistent societal decline in the south. Our results also indicate a period of substantial drying in the southern Maya Lowlands from ∼200 C.E. to 500 C.E. , during the Terminal Preclassic and Early Classic periods. Plant wax carbon isotope records indicate a decline in C4 plants in both lake catchments during the Early Classic period, interpreted to reflect a shift from extensive agriculture to intensive, water-conservative maize cultivation that was motivated by a drying climate. Our results imply that agricultural adaptations developed in response to earlier droughts were initially successful, but failed under the more severe droughts of the Terminal Classic period.
Secure message transmission in the general adversary model

The problem of secure message transmission (SMT), due to its importance in both practice and theory, has been studied extensively. Given a communication network in which a sender S and a receiver R are indirectly connected by unreliable and distrusted channels, the aim of SMT is to enable messages to be transmitted from S to R with a reasonably high level of privacy and reliability. SMT must be achieved in the presence of a Byzantine adversary who has unlimited computational power and can corrupt the transmission. In the general adversary model, the adversary is characterized by an adversary structure. We study two diff�erent measures of security: perfect (PSMT) and almost perfect (APSMT). Moreover, reliable (but not private) message transmission (RMT) are considered as a specifi�c part of SMT. In this thesis, we study RMT, APSMT and PSMT in two di�fferent network settings: point-to-point and multicast. To prepare the study of SMT in these two network settings, we present some ideas and observations on secret sharing schemes (SSSs), generalized linear codes and critical paths. First, we prove that the error-correcting capability of an almost perfect SSS is the same as a perfect SSS. Next, we regard general access structures as linear codes, and introduce some new properties that allow us to construct pseudo-basis for efficient PSMT protocol design. In addition, we de�fine adversary structures over "critical paths", and observe their properties. Having these new developments, the contributions on SMT in the aforementioned two network settings can be presented as follows. The results on SMT in point-to-point networks are obtained in three aspects. First, we show a Guessing Attack on some existing PSMT protocols. This attack is critically important to the design of PSMT protocols in asymmetric networks. Second, we determine necessary and sufficient conditions for di�fferent levels of RMT and APSMT. In particular, by applying the result on almost perfect SSS, we show that relaxing the requirement of privacy does not weaken the minimal network connectivity. Our �final contribution in the point-to-point model is to give the �first ever efficient, constant round PSMT protocols in the general adversary model. These protocols are designed using linear codes and critical paths, and they signifi�cantly improve some previous results in terms of communication complexity and round complexity. Regarding SMT in multicast networks, we solve a problem that has been open for over a decade. That is, we show the necessary and sufficient conditions for all levels of SMT in di�fferent adversary models. First, we give an Extended Characterization of the network graphs based on our observation on the eavesdropping and separating activities of the adversary. Next, we determine the necessary and sufficient conditions for SMT in the general adversary model with the new Extended Characterization. Finally, we apply the results to the threshold adversary model to completely solve the problem of SMT in general multicast network graphs.
Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

BACKGROUND Acute graft-versus-host disease still represents the major factor that limits successful allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Cytokines released by type 1 T-helper cells are thought to play a pivotal role in acute graft-versus-host disease. OBJECTIVE This study was performed to investigate whether the serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were associated with the manifestation of acute graft-versus-host disease. METHODS Serum cytokine levels were measured by sandwich ELISA in 18 patients who underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. RESULTS Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma were increased in patients in whom acute graft-versus-host disease developed. However, only serum soluble IL-2 receptor levels were significantly related to disease severity. Serum levels of IL-12 and IL-18, both of which are mainly produced by activated macrophages, were increased in different phases of acute graft-versus-host disease, especially grade I. Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor and IFN-gamma were significantly elevated in patients with fever. CONCLUSION Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor were more closely related to the severity of acute graft-versus-host disease than those of IL-12, IL-18, and IFN-gamma.
Translational Crawl and Path Tracking of a Quadruped Robot

Translational crawl and path tracking are presented for a quadruped robot, named TITAN-VIII, to walk on rough ground. The generalized and explicit formulation is derived to generate the translational crawl gait in an arbitrary direction automatically, to control the joint positions, and to estimate the robot localization in a walking environment. Compared to conventional gaits, the proposed gait is characterized by a natural and continuous transition between any successive gait cycles, by a maximized stride of the robot in each gait cycle, and by different foot trajectories corresponding to the uneven terrain. Especially, the proposed approach enables the quadruped robot to track a reference path in a complex walking environment, based on dead-reckoning localization for the robot. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through the experimental results. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.