Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance-Based Everyday Functioning after Stroke: Relationship with IADL Questionnaire and Neurocognitive Performance

Abstract Neuropsychologists frequently are asked to comment on everyday functioning, but the research relies mostly on questionnaire-based assessment of daily functioning. While performance-based assessment of everyday functioning has many advantages over commonly used questionnaires, there are few empirically validated comprehensive performance-based measures. We present data here on a performance-based battery of daily living skills, the Functional Impact Assessment (FIA) in 47 unilateral stroke patients and 37 matched healthy controls. The FIA was validated by comparing it to performance on the self- and informant-report version of the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ). We also examined the relationship between the FIA and cognitive functioning using the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB). The stroke group's performance on the FIA, FAQ (self and informant), and NAB (total and domain scores) was significantly (d′s ≥ .80) lower than the control group. The NAB total score and all domain scores were highly correlated with the FIA in the stroke group (r's > .7), and only one NAB domain score (visuospatial) was a unique predictor. This may be due to the fact that most of the NAB domains have a statistical problem of multicollinearity, which may explain why only the spatial domain was a unique predictor. While the informant FAQ was significantly correlated with FIA total score (r = .48, p < .01), the NAB total score was a significantly better predictor (r = .83, p < .001) than the informant FAQ. NAB total scaled score of less than 86 predicted impairment on the FIA with 92% sensitivity and 84% specificity. Our findings argue that the FIA is sensitive to deficits associated with stroke and is highly associated with all neuropsychological domains (attention, executive functions, language and spatial skills, and memory). (JINS, 2011, 17, 832–840)
Apps with Hardware: Enabling Run-time Architectural Customization in Smart Phones

In this paper we present a novel system which incorporates programmable hardware (an FPGA) into a smart phone to enable a vision where apps can include both software and hardware components, or apps with hardware. We introduce a novel mechanism to enable sharing the FPGA in a practical manner by leveraging the unique deployment model of mobile applications - namely that deployment is via an app store, where we introduce a new cloud-based compilation. We present our prototype smart phone using the Zedboard, which pairs a Xilinx Zynq FPGA with an embedded Cortex A9, running an Android-based system which we extended to provide run-time system support for dynamically managing apps with hardware and providing a secure loading system. With this prototype, our evaluation demonstrates the performance gains for an AES encryption module (representing cryptography), a QAM modulation module (representing software-defined radio) of 3x to several orders of magnitude, with room for improvement and a hardware-based memory scanner (representing custom co-processors). We demonstrate the feasibility of our cloud-based compilation within the context of real app store statistics. Finally, we present a case study of a complete integration of hardware into an existing application (the Orbot Tor client).
Squamous cell carcinoma arising in mature cystic teratoma of ovary

Squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary is a rare condition and usually arises in mature cystic teratoma (MCT) or dermoid cyst of the ovary. The reported incidence of malignant transformation in MCT is approximately 2%. A case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a dermoid cyst of the ovary presenting at an early stage is presented here. A 53-year-old postmenopausal lady, presented with the complaint of pain in right lower abdomen since one month and a large complex abdomino-pelvic mass on examination and investigations. Final histopathology was reported as squamous cell carcinoma of left ovary arising from dermoid cyst and a benign dermoid cyst in the right ovary. The patient was assigned to squamous cell carcinoma of the ovary arising in a mature cystic teratoma, surgical stage Ic2. In view of the poor prognosis, adjuvant chemotherapy was started.
On zero-delay lossy source coding with side information at the decoder

We consider real-time, variable-rate lossy source coding in the presence of side information (SI) at the decoder. We show that time-sharing at most two scalar encoder-decoder pairs achieves optimal performance. We further demonstrate that in this setting, increasing the number of quantization levels can reduce the minimum average rate. Finally, two structure theorems, pertaining to source- or SI look-ahead are given.
Should Chronic Total Occlusion Be Treated With Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting?: Chronic Total Occlusion Should Be Treated With Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Coronary artery chronic total occlusions (CTOs) are an exacerbation of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) with advanced calcification. CTOs are defined as 100% coronary occlusions with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction grade 0 flow persisting for >3 months.1 National database registries and large single-center series suggest that in patients with CAD the overall incidence of CTOs may vary from 16% to 19% in Japan2 and 29% to 33% in North America,3 making this a common problem globally. Treatment of CTOs should be considered if associated with symptoms or viable/ischemic myocardial territories. Historically, treatments have been via coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or medical therapy.3–9 Response by Weintraub and Garratt on p 1817 The use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to treat CTOs (CTO-PCI) against established practice is controversial.10 This controversy is facilitated by the poor evidence available and by lack of clarity in the European and American guidelines for revascularization, including those for patients with stable CAD.11–15 The lack of robust evidence and the unclear guidelines can lead to ill-defined clinical indications determining serious geographical discrepancies in CTO-PCI medical practice. In a recent report from Japan, >61% of patients diagnosed with CTOs (19% of all CAD patients) were treated with CTO-PCI.2 This is a significant increase compared with a previous report from North America in which only 6% to 9% of all CTOs (29%–33% of all CAD cases) were treated with CTO-PCI (range, 1%–16% by geographical area/center). 3 The report by Yamamoto and coworkers2 suggests widespread use of CTO-PCI in patients with multivessel CAD. This is likely to be at the expense of more established treatments such as CABG. The difference in CTO-PCI practice observed between Japan and North America is not easily explained. Contributing factors may be differences …
A Simple Model of Double-Loop Hysteresis Behavior in Memristive Elements

This brief investigates the double-loop hysteresis behavior in memristive elements. Here, we propose a very simple dimensionless equation to model the double-loop behavior and then show how physical voltage- and current-controlled memristor models can be derived. Furthermore, we introduce the incremental/decremental positive/negative memristance/transmemristance and present circuit emulators which are capable of emulating these devices. Experimental results are given.
Respiratory function and self-reported functional health: EPIC-Norfolk population study

Respiratory function is known to be associated with mortality. However, its association with health related quality of life (HRQoL) has not yet been examined. A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in 16,738 subjects aged 40–79 yrs and resident in Norfolk, to examine the association between forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and HRQoL measured by the 36-item short form questionnaire. Individuals who were in the highest quintiles of FEV1 were more likely to report good physical functional health (odds ratio (OR) 1.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28–2.01 and OR 1.71; 95% CI 1.40–2.10 for males and females, respectively) controlling for age, height, weight or body mass index, smoking, physical activity, prevalent illness and social class. Being in the highest quintile for FEV1 was associated with significantly lower likelihood of poor self-reported mental functional health status in males (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.61–0.99), but not in females (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.82–1.22). In conclusion, forced expiratory volume in one second independently predicts self perceived physical well being in a general population across the whole normal distribution of respiratory function.
Reduced intrarenal resistance and autoregulatory capacity after hyperoncotic dextran.

NAVAR, L. G. , P. G. BAER, S. L. WALLACE, AND J. K. McI DANIEL. Reduced intrarenal resistance and autoregulatory capacity after hvperoncotic dextran. Am. J. Physiol. 221(l): 329-334. 1971.Renal hemodvnamic and urine flow responses to infusions of hyperoncotic dextran solutions have been studied in anesthetized dogs. Following infusion of 300-500 ml of a 12yh dextran solution, the renal blood flow and intrarenal venous pressure were markedly increased in association with the increased plasma colloid osmotic pressure, but there was no significant change in arterial pressure or glomerular filtration rate. The urine flow, intrarenal resistance, and hematocrit were decreased. Renal blood flow autoregulatory capability was examined in two ways, and it was determined that although intrinsic vascular contractile ability was maintained following the dextran loading, blood flow autoregulation was nearly abolished. Because the differences between control and experimental renal blood flow and intrarenal vascular resistance values at arterial pressures below the autoregulatory range were minimal, the decreases in intrarenal vascular resistance appeared to be restricted to the autoregulating component. An effect on the intrarenal mechanism normally responsible for autoregulation of renal blood flow is postulated. This could be mediated by changes in plasma colloid osmotic pressure, although indirect effects due to dextran leakage into the tubules cannot be discounted.
Genetic transformation with cell wall-associated deoxyribonucleic acid in Bacillus subtilis

Cell walls from bacillus subtilis 168 were prepared by conventional methods and found to contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In transformation assays, after autolysis, it was found that two major regions of the chromosome were selectively enriched in the wall preparations. One region clustered around the replication origin and is represented by the markers purA16, ts8132, thiC5, sacA321, and hisA1. The other region included the replication terminus with representative loci metB10, citK5, gltA292, and pyrA1. All other (internal) loci which were examined showed no statistical enrichment. The two areas of enrichment were similar to but more extensive than those reported for membrane-DNA complexes. The wall preparations also contained protein and lipid, indicating a possible membrane involvement. Analyses of the cell walls revealed that the fatty acid composition of the membrane component was not typical of the for B. subtilis protoplast membranes or for lipoteichoic acids. In addition, radioiodination of cell wall autolysates, followed by gel electrophoresis and autoradiography, demonstrated the presence of proteins not readily detectable in bulk protoplast membranes or on the surfaces of intact cells. These data suggest that a unique component of the membrane and regions of the B. subtilis genome involved in DNA replication events are tightly associated with cell walls. The binding of DNA-membrane complexes to the "rigid" cell wall and the replication of the wall could be a mechanism by which the segregation of growing chromosomes occurs.
SMT-Based Nonlinear PDDL+ Planning

PDDL+ planning involves reasoning about mixed discrete-continuous change over time. Nearly all PDDL+ planners assume that continuous change is linear. We present a new technique that accommodates nonlinear change by encoding problems as nonlinear hybrid systems. Using this encoding, we apply a Satisfiability Modulo Theories (SMT) solver to find plans. We show that it is important to use novel planning- specific heuristics for variable and value selection for SMT solving, which is inspired by recent advances in planning as SAT. We show the promising performance of the resulting solver on challenging nonlinear problems.
Differential Contribution of Bilateral Supplementary Motor Area to the Effective Connectivity Networks Induced by Task Conditions Using Dynamic Causal Modeling

Functional imaging studies have indicated hemispheric asymmetry of activation in bilateral supplementary motor area (SMA) during unimanual motor tasks. However, the hemispherically special roles of bilateral SMAs on primary motor cortex (M1) in the effective connectivity networks (ECN) during lateralized tasks remain unclear. Aiming to study the differential contribution of bilateral SMAs during the motor execution and motor imagery tasks, and the hemispherically asymmetric patterns of ECN among regions involved, the present study used dynamic causal modeling to analyze the functional magnetic resonance imaging data of the unimanual motor execution/imagery tasks in 12 right-handed subjects. Our results demonstrated that distributions of network parameters underlying motor execution and motor imagery were significantly different. The variation was mainly induced by task condition modulations of intrinsic coupling. Particularly, regardless of the performing hand, the task input modulations of intrinsic coupling from the contralateral SMA to contralateral M1 were positive during motor execution, while varied to be negative during motor imagery. The results suggested that the inhibitive modulation suppressed the overt movement during motor imagery. In addition, the left SMA also helped accomplishing left hand tasks through task input modulation of left SMA→right SMA connection, implying that hemispheric recruitment occurred when performing nondominant hand tasks. The results specified differential and altered contributions of bilateral SMAs to the ECN during unimanual motor execution and motor imagery, and highlighted the contributions induced by the task input of motor execution/imagery.
Development and Testing of an Abbreviated Numeracy Scale: A Rasch Analysis Approach

ABSTRACT Research has demonstrated that individual differences in numeracy may have important consequences for decision making. In the present paper, we develop a shorter, psychometrically improved measure of numeracy—the ability to understand, manipulate, and use numerical information, including probabilities. Across two large independent samples that varied widely in age and educational level, participants completed 18 items from existing numeracy measures. In Study 1, we conducted a Rasch analysis on the item pool and created an eight‐item numeracy scale that assesses a broader range of difficulty than previous scales. In Study 2, we replicated this eight‐item scale in a separate Rasch analysis using data from an independent sample. We also found that the new Rasch‐based numeracy scale, compared with previous measures, could predict decision‐making preferences obtained in past studies, supporting its predictive validity. In Study, 3, we further established the predictive validity of the Rasch‐based numeracy scale. Specifically, we examined the associations between numeracy and risk judgments, compared with previous scales. Overall, we found that the Rasch‐based scale was a better linear predictor of risk judgments than prior measures. Moreover, this study is the first to present the psychometric properties of several popular numeracy measures across a diverse sample of ages and educational level. We discuss the usefulness and the advantages of the new scale, which we feel can be used in a wide range of subject populations, allowing for a more clear understanding of how numeracy is associated with decision processes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Successful treatment of persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with nifedipine in an adult patient.

OBJECTIVE To describe the successful treatment of severe noninsulinoma hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia with use of a calcium channel blocking agent in an adult patient who had previously undergone a gastric bypass surgical procedure. METHODS A 65-year-old woman who had undergone a gastric bypass surgical procedure 26 years earlier was hospitalized because of severe postprandial hypoglycemia. During and after hospitalization, the patient underwent assessment with conventional measurements of glucose, insulin, proinsulin, and C-peptide; toxicologic studies; magnetic resonance imaging studies of the pancreas; and determination of hepatic vein insulin concentrations after selective splanchnic artery calcium infusion. RESULTS Metabolic variables were consistent with the diagnosis of hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed the presence of a side branch intraductal papillary mucinous tumor that had been stable for more than 1 year. The results of the calcium-stimulated insulin release study were consistent with nonlocalized hypersecretion of insulin. A trial of frequent small feedings failed to prevent hypoglycemia. On the basis of reports of successful treatment of childhood nesidioblastosis, the patient was then prescribed nifedipine, 30 mg daily. She has subsequently remained free of symptomatic hypoglycemia for 20 months. CONCLUSION A calcium channel blocking agent may be efficacious and a potential alternative to partial pancreatectomy in cases of noninsulinoma hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia in adults.
A new constraint on cosmological variability of the proton-to-electron mass ratio

Exotic cosmologies predict the variability of the fundamental physical constants over the cosmic time. Using the Very Large Telescope/Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spectrograph (VLT/UVES) high-resolution spectra of the quasar Q0347-3819 and unblended electronic-vibrational-rotational lines of the H 2 molecule identified at Z a b s = 3.025 we test possible changes in the proton-to-electron mass ratio μ 0 = m p /m e over the period of ∼ 11 Gyr. We obtained a new constraint on the time-averaged variation rate of μ 0 of ‖μ/μ 0 ‖ < 5 × 10 - 1 5 yr - 1 (1σ confidence level). The estimated 1σ uncertainty interval of the ‖Δμ/μ 0 ‖ ratio of about 0.004 per cent implies that since the time when the H 2 spectrum was formed at z a b s = 3.025, μ 0 has not changed by more than a few thousandths of a per cent.
A Soft Modularity Function For Detecting Fuzzy Communities in Social Networks

We discuss a new formulation of a fuzzy validity index that generalizes the Newman-Girvan (NG) modularity function. The NG function serves as a cluster validity functional in community detection studies. The input data is an undirected weighted graph that represents, e.g., a social network. Clusters correspond to socially similar substructures in the network. We compare our fuzzy modularity with two existing modularity functions using the well-studied Karate Club and American College Football datasets.
Predicting the Probability of Falls in Community-Residing Older Adults Using the 8-Foot Up-and-Go: A New Measure of Functional Mobility

The purpose of this study was to determine whether performance on the 8-ft up-and-go test (UG) could discriminate between older adult fallers (n = 71) and nonfallers (n = 63) and whether it would be as sensitive and specific a predictor of falls as the timed up-and-go test (TUG). Performance on the UG was significantly different between the recurrent faller and nonfaller groups (p < .01), as was performance on the TUG (p < .001). Older adults who required 8.5 s or longer to complete the UG were classified as fallers, with an overall prediction rate of 82%. The specificity of the test was 86% and the sensitivity was 78%. Conversely, the overall prediction rate for older adults who completed the TUG in 10 s or longer was 80%. The specificity of the TUG was 86% and the sensitivity was 71%.
The Epidemiology of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

Abstract Objective: To determine the epidemiology of colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Design: Ten-month prospective cohort study. Setting: A 19-bed medical ICU of a 1,440-bed teaching hospital. Methods: Patients admitted to the ICU had rectal swab cultures for VRE on admission and weekly thereafter. VRE-positive patients were cared for using contact precautions. Clinical data, including microbiology reports, were collected prospectively during the ICU stay. Results: Of 519 patients who had admission stool cultures, 127 (25%) had cultures that were positive for VRE. Risk factors for VRE colonization identified by multiple logistic regression analysis were hospital stay greater than 3 days prior to ICU admission (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI95], 2.3 to 5.7), chronic dialysis (AOR, 2.4; CI95, 1.2 to 4.5), and having been admitted to the study hospital one to two times (AOR, 2.3; CI95,1.4 to 3.8) or more than two times (AOR, 6.5; CI95, 3.7 to 11.6) within the past 12 months. Of the 352 VRE-negative patients who had one or more follow-up cultures, 74 (21%) became VRE positive during their ICU stay (27 cases per 1,000 patient-ICU days). Conclusion: The prevalence of VRE culture positivity on ICU admission was high and a sizable fraction of ICU patients became VRE positive during their ICU stay despite contact precautions for VRE-positive patients. This was likely due in large part to prior VRE exposures in the rest of the hospital where these control measures were not being used.
Anti‐HBV effect of individual traditional Chinese herbal medicine in vitro and in vivo: an analytic review

Traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCHM) has been widely used in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in China. The systematic analysis of clinical research of TCHM against CHB revealed its potential but not confirmed its therapeutic effect. To understand the detailed antiviral effect of TCHM against HBV infection, we systematically analysed the anti‐HBV effect of individual Chinese herbs on the basis of the research on individual TCHM in vitro and in vivo, which were published from 1995 to 2012. Among 171 herbal components isolated from 76 Chinese herbs, we found 13 compounds and 9 extracts isolated from 18 Chinese herbs showing strong inhibitory effect on HBV DNA, HBeAg or HBsAg release with low cytotoxicity in HepG2.2. 15 cells, and agents from 12 Chinese herbs showing the highest inhibition rates of plasma DHBV DNA of more than 50% in DHBV‐infected ducks. In addition, the two compounds chrysophanol 8‐O‐beta‐D‐glucoside isolated from Rheum palmatum and wogonin isolated from Scutellaria baicalensis were found to display strong anti‐HBV activity. Interestingly, compounds isolated from 5 of these effective anti‐HBV Chinese herbs were found to show strong antibacterial or antifungal activity also. This review summarizes and analyses the studies on the anti‐HBV effect of individual TCHM in cell and animal models, providing potential perspective in the understanding of TCHM in the treatment of hepatitis B and the development of new anti‐HBV drugs from TCHM.