Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How to Make Electrodiagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome With Normal Distal Conductions?

The purpose of this study is to investigate which electrodiagnostic techniques are better in clinically diagnosed patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and patients with CTS with normal distal conduction study. A total of 230 clinically diagnosed patients with CTS and 100 normal control subjects were enrolled. All subjects were evaluated by eight electrodiagnostic techniques, including conventional conduction studies: median distal sensory latency and distal motor latency; short distance conduction studies across wrist, including wrist-palm sensory conduction time and wrist-palm motor conduction velocity; comparison of median sensory conduction across the wrist with radial or ulnar nerves in the same limb (median-radial sensory latency difference [M-R] or median-ulnar sensory latency difference [M-U]); and comparison of median wrist-palm and palm-index conduction, including distoproximal conduction time difference and distoproximal conduction time ratio. Normal limits were derived by calculating the mean ± 2 standard deviations from the data of the controls. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve with 95% confidence interval of each test were calculated. In clinically diagnosed patients with CTS, M-R is the best diagnostic technique with significant difference in area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.912) compared with other tests except that of M-U. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of M-R were 84.3%, 98%, 99%, and 73.1%, respectively. Further evaluation of patients with CTS with normal distal latencies also revealed the best diagnostic value of M-R and M-U with significance to other tests in area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. In clinical practice, after conventional median distal sensory latency and distal motor latency studies, the authors suggest performing M-R or M-U studies instead of segmental conduction or comparative studies of median nerves in the patients with CTS with normal distal latencies.
Lightweight Asynchronous Snapshots for Distributed Dataflows

Distributed stateful stream processing enables the deployment and execution of large scale continuous computations in the cloud, targeting both low latency and high throughput. One of the most fundamental challenges of this paradigm is providing processing guarantees under potential failures. Existing approaches rely on periodic global state snapshots that can be used for failure recovery. Those approaches suffer from two main drawbacks. First, they often stall the overall computation which impacts ingestion. Second, they eagerly persist all records in transit along with the operation states which results in larger snapshots than required. In this work we propose Asynchronous Barrier Snapshotting (ABS), a lightweight algorithm suited for modern dataflow execution engines that minimises space requirements. ABS persists only operator states on acyclic execution topologies while keeping a minimal record log on cyclic dataflows. We implemented ABS on Apache Flink, a distributed analytics engine that supports stateful stream processing. Our evaluation shows that our algorithm does not have a heavy impact on the execution, maintaining linear scalability and performing well with frequent snapshots.
Further SEM assessment of radular characters of the limpets Patella caerulea Linneaus 1758 and P. rustica Linneaus 1758 (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Antalya Bay, Turkey

This paper aims to elucidate the structure and design of radulae of 2 species of limpet, namely Patella caerulea and P. rustica . Samples were examined by light microscope and SEM. Although the general formula is the same, the pattern of each dentition differed between the 2 species. General morphology and histology of odontophore showed structural significance of the organ, suggesting a further study to confirm ecological choice of the genus at different intertidal levels.
RED NOISE VERSUS PLANETARY INTERPRETATIONS IN THE MICROLENSING EVENT OGLE-2013-BLG-446

For all exoplanet candidates, the reliability of a claimed detection needs to be assessed through a careful study of systematic errors in the data to minimize the false positives rate. We present a method to investigate such systematics in microlensing data sets using the microlensing event OGLE-2013-BLG-0446 as a case study. The event was observed from multiple sites around the world and its high magnification (Amax ∼ 3000) allowed us to investigate the effects of terrestrial and annual parallax. Real-time modeling of the event while it was still ongoing suggested the presence of an extremely low-mass companion (∼3M⊕) to the lensing star, leading to substantial follow-up coverage of the light curve. We test and compare different models for the light curve and conclude that the data do not favor the planetary interpretation when systematic errors are taken into account.
Modeling of the Mechanical Behavior of Metallic Foams: Damage Effects at Finite Strains

This work applies Gurson model to the simulation of damage in metallic foams. In the first part, two approaches for Gurson model application, i.e., the hypoelastic and the hyperelastic formulations are compared. Then, a study on the minimum number of cells to be employed in an experimental test to adequately simulate the behavior of the cellular material in tension is presented. Finally, considering that compression is the dominant loading in impact situations, a simulation including damage effects of a compression test on a cellular metal sample is shown and compared with experimental results.
Medium-Dependent Phenotypes of Streptomyces coelicolor with Mutations in ftsI or ftsW

ABSTRACT Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) ftsI- and ftsW-null mutants produced aerial hyphae with no evidence of septation when grown on a traditional osmotically enhanced medium. This phenotype was partially suppressed when cultures were grown on media prepared without sucrose. We infer that functional FtsZ rings can form in ftsI- and ftsW-null mutants under certain growth conditions.
Edaravone Protect against Retinal Damage in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

Edaravone (3-methyl-1-phenyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one), a free radical scavenger, is used for the clinical treatment of retinal injury. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of edaravone against diabetic retinal damage in the mouse. Diabetic retinopathy in the mouse was induced by injection of streptozotocin. Edaravone was given once-daily and was intraperitoneally (i.p.) treated at a dose of 3 mg/kg from streptozotocin injection to 4 weeks after onset of diabetes. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) damage was evaluated by recording the pattern electroretinogram (ERG). RGCs damage was also detected by Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined fluorometrically. The expressions of phosporylated-ERK1/2, BDNF, and caspase-3 were determined by Western blot analysis. Retinal levels of ROS, phosphorylated ERK1/2, and cleaved caspase-3 were significantly increased, whereas the expression of BDNF was significantly decreased in the retinas of diabetic mice, compared to nondiabetic mice. Administration of edaravone significantly attenuated diabetes induced RGCs death, upregulation of ROS, ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and cleaved caspase-3 and downregulation of BDNF. These findings suggest that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in diabetic retinal damage and that systemic administration of edaravone may slow the progression of retinal neuropathy induced by diabetes.
Nocturnal elevation of intraocular pressure is detectable in the sitting position.

PURPOSE When intraocular pressure (IOP) was monitored in supine healthy young adults throughout a 24-hour period, a diurnal-to-nocturnal elevation of IOP was observed. This study was undertaken to investigate whether a similar elevation of IOP can be detected when experimental subjects are in the sitting position. METHODS Experimental subjects were 16 nonsmoking, healthy young volunteers (ages, 18-25 years). Subjects with myopia of more than 3 D were excluded. They were housed in a sleep laboratory for 24 hours in a strictly controlled environment. An 8-hour nocturnal/sleep period was assigned to each volunteer according to the individual's accustomed sleep cycle. IOP was measured every 2 hours with a pneumatonometer with the volunteers in both sitting and supine positions. Mean diurnal-to-nocturnal IOP change and the cosine-fit 24-hour IOP rhythm were compared between the sitting and the supine IOP data. RESULTS Mean IOP was significantly higher in the nocturnal period than in the diurnal/wake period for both the sitting and the supine IOPs. The 24-hour IOP troughs appeared at the end of the diurnal period, and the peaks appeared at the end of the nocturnal period. The difference between the trough and the peak was 3.8 +/- 0.6 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) in the sitting position and 3.4 +/- 0.6 mm Hg in the supine position. Cosine-fitting of 24-hour IOP data showed a synchronized 24-hour rhythm of the sitting and the supine IOPs for the group. There was no difference in the phase timing or the magnitude of variation between these two 24-hour rhythms of sitting and supine IOPs. CONCLUSIONS A nocturnal elevation of IOP can be detected in healthy young adults in both the sitting and the supine positions. There is a 24-hour rhythm of sitting IOP that is not different from the 24-hour rhythm of supine IOP.
Minimal prime ideals and arithmetic comprehension

We assume that the reader is familiar with the program of “reverse mathematics” and the development of countable algebra in subsystems of second order arithmetic. The subsystems we are using in this paper are RCA0, WKL0 and ACA0. (The reader who wants to learn about them should study [1].) In [1] it was shown that the statement “Every countable commutative ring has a prime ideal” is equivalent to Weak Konig's Lemma over RCA0, while the statement “Every countable commutative ring has a maximal ideal” is equivalent to Arithmetic Comprehension over RCA0. Our main result in this paper is that the statement “Every countable commutative ring has a minimal prime ideal” is equivalent to Arithmetic Comprehension over RCA0. Minimal prime ideals play an important role in the study of countable commutative rings; see [2, pp. 1–7].
Inactivation of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) gene induces dermal and pulmonary fibrosis and peripheral microvasculopathy in mice: a new model of experimental scleroderma?

Objective Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a key component of the fibrinolytic system involved in extracellular matrix remodelling and angiogenesis. The cleavage/inactivation of uPAR is a crucial step in fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition and has been implicated in systemic sclerosis (SSc) microvasculopathy. In the present study, we investigated whether uPAR gene inactivation in mice could result in tissue fibrosis and peripheral microvasculopathy resembling human SSc. Methods The expression of the native full-length form of uPAR in human skin biopsies was determined by immunohistochemistry. Skin and lung sections from uPAR-deficient (uPAR−/−) and wild-type (uPAR+/+) mice at 12 and 24 weeks of age were stained with haematoxylin-eosin, Masson's trichrome and Picrosirius red. Dermal thickness and hydroxyproline content in skin and lungs were quantified. Dermal myofibroblast and microvessel counts were determined by immunohistochemistry for α-smooth muscle actin and CD31, respectively. Endothelial cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL/CD31 immunofluorescence assay. Results Full-length uPAR expression was significantly downregulated in SSc dermis, especially in fibroblasts and endothelial cells. Dermal thickness, collagen content and myofibroblast counts were significantly greater in uPAR−/− than in uPAR+/+ mice. In uPAR−/− mice, dermal fibrosis was paralleled by endothelial cell apoptosis and severe loss of microvessels. Lungs from uPAR−/− mice displayed non-specific interstitial pneumonia-like pathological features, both with inflammation and collagen deposition. Pulmonary pathology worsened significantly from 12 to 24 weeks, as shown by a significant increase in alveolar septal width and collagen content. Conclusions uPAR−/− mice are a new animal model closely mimicking the histopathological features of SSc. This model warrants future studies.
Epidemiology, Genetic Diversity, and Evolution of Endemic Feline Immunodeficiency Virus in a Population of Wild Cougars

ABSTRACT Within the large body of research on retroviruses, the distribution and evolution of endemic retroviruses in natural host populations have so far received little attention. In this study, the epidemiology, genetic diversity, and molecular evolution of feline immunodeficiency virus specific to cougars (FIVpco) was examined using blood samples collected over several years from a free-ranging cougar population in the western United States. The virus prevalence was 58% in this population (n = 52) and increased significantly with host age. Based on phylogenetic analysis of fragments of envelope (env) and polymerase (pol) genes, two genetically distinct lineages of FIVpco were found to cooccur in the population but not in the same individuals. Within each of the virus lineages, geographically nearby isolates formed monophyletic clusters of closely related viruses. Sequence diversity for env within a host rarely exceeded 1%, and the evolution of this gene was dominated by purifying selection. For both pol and env, our data indicate mean rates of molecular evolution of 1 to 3% per 10 years. These results support the premise that FIVpco is well adapted to its cougar host and provide a basis for comparing lentivirus evolution in endemic and epidemic infections in natural hosts.
The Saccharomyces cerevisiae AMPK, Snf1, Negatively Regulates the Hog1 MAPK Pathway in ER Stress Response

Accumulation of unfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) causes ER stress. Snf1, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ortholog of AMP–activated protein kinase (AMPK), plays a crucial role in the response to various environmental stresses. However, the role of Snf1 in ER stress response remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterize Snf1 as a negative regulator of Hog1 MAPK in ER stress response. The snf1 mutant cells showed the ER stress resistant phenotype. In contrast, Snf1-hyperactivated cells were sensitive to ER stress. Activated Hog1 levels were increased by snf1 mutation, although Snf1 hyperactivation interfered with Hog1 activation. Ssk1, a specific activator of MAPKKK functioning upstream of Hog1, was induced by ER stress, and its induction was inhibited in a manner dependent on Snf1 activity. Furthermore, we show that the SSK1 promoter is important not only for Snf1-modulated regulation of Ssk1 expression, but also for Ssk1 function in conferring ER stress tolerance. Our data suggest that Snf1 downregulates ER stress response signal mediated by Hog1 through negatively regulating expression of its specific activator Ssk1 at the transcriptional level. We also find that snf1 mutation upregulates the unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway, whereas Snf1 hyperactivation downregulates the UPR activity. Thus, Snf1 plays pleiotropic roles in ER stress response by negatively regulating the Hog1 MAPK pathway and the UPR pathway.
Customer Trading and Information in Foreign Exchange Markets

Recent research point to the possible existence of private information in foreign exchange markets. Dealers claim that customer orders are their most important source of private information, and that banks with a large customer base have a competitive advantage. Previous studies by Lyons (1995), Yao (1998a) and Bjønnes and Rime (2000) focus on the dealer’s pricing decision under the assumptions that it is only the initiator of a trade that may have private information and that the knowledge of the identity of the counterpart is unimportant when setting prices. In this paper we relax both assumptions. We also consider the dealer’s order placement decision. Our results suggest that customer trades influence the placement of orders. The dealers tend to take the same positions as their customers. There is also evidence that dealers price discriminate customers. Spreads to customers are wider than to other dealers. The pricing decision in the interbank market is, however, not affected by customer trades. We find no evidence that dealers price discriminate other dealers they think may be particularly well-informed. Both authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from Center for Research on Monetary Policy and Financial Economics. We like to thank Steinar Holden, Ylva Søvik and Kristian Rydqvist for helpful comments. Any errors are entirely our own. Updated versions can be downloaded from Dagfinn Rimes home page at http://www.uio. no/ dagfinri. †Norwegian School of Management, P.O. box 580, N-1301 Sandvika, NORWAY. e-mail: geir.bjonnes@bi.no. ‡Department of Economics, University of Oslo, P.O. box 1095 Blindern, N-0317 Oslo, NORWAY. e-mail: dagfinn.rime@econ.uio. no, home page: http://www.uio. no/ dagfinri.
Expectations and outcomes in geriatric patients with do-not-resuscitate orders undergoing emergency surgical management of bowel obstruction.

OBJECTIVE To describe the outcomes and the expected postoperative course for patients with do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders (DNR patients) who undergo emergency surgical management of bowel obstruction. DESIGN We retrospectively identified all patients who underwent emergency surgical management of intestinal obstruction and who were classified previously as DNR using the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Participant Use Data File for 2005 through 2009. We constructed a forward stepwise multivariate logistic regression model to determine predictors of postoperative mortality. We used propensity score analysis to determine the effect of DNR status on postoperative outcomes. SETTING Institutions participating in the NSQIP. PATIENTS All patients entered in the NSQIP database. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Thirty-day postoperative mortality and complication rates. RESULTS We identified 242 patients who met the study criteria. Mean age was 80.9 years. Thirty-day mortality was 29.8%, with 47.1% of patients experiencing a postoperative complication. The presence of a postoperative complication was an independent predictor of postoperative mortality. Comparison of matched cohorts revealed a significantly higher postoperative mortality in DNR patients even after adjusting for comorbidities and overall complication rate. CONCLUSIONS Outcomes are poor after emergency surgical intervention for bowel obstruction in elderly DNR patients, with high postoperative complication and mortality rates. The presence of a DNR order is an independent risk factor for postoperative mortality. Patients, their families, and their physicians must be counseled on surgical expectations preoperatively and made aware of the significantly higher risks involved when a DNR order exists in the setting of emergency surgical management of bowel obstruction.
The coefficients of the Ihara zeta function

In her Ph.D. Thesis, Czarneski began a preliminary study of the coefficients of the reciprocal of the Ihara zeta function of a finite graph. We give a survey of the results in this area then give a complete characterization of the coefficients. As an application, we give a (very poor) bound on the number of Eulerian circuits in a graph. We also use these ideas to compute the zeta function of graphs which are cycles with a single chord. Finally, we conclude by posing several questions for future work.
Kinetic role of helix caps in protein folding is context-dependent.

Secondary structure punctuation through specific backbone and side chain interactions at the beginning and end of alpha-helices has been proposed to play a key role in hierarchical protein folding mechanisms [Baldwin, R. L. , and Rose, G. D. (1999) Trends Biochem. Sci. 24, 26-33; Presta, L. G. , and Rose, G. D. (1988) Science 240, 1632-1641]. We have made site-specific substitutions in the N- and C-cap motifs of the 5-helix protein monomeric lambda repressor (lambda(6-85)) and have measured the rate constants for folding and unfolding of each variant. The consequences of C-cap changes are strongly context-dependent. When the C-cap was located at the chain terminus, changes had little energetic and no kinetic effect. However, substitutions in a C-cap at the boundary between helix 4 and the subsequent interhelical loop resulted in large changes to the stability and rate constants of the variant, showing a substantial kinetic role for this interior C-cap and suggesting a general kinetic role for interior helix C-caps. Statistical preferences tabulated separately for internal and terminal C-caps also show only weak residue preferences in terminal C-caps. This kinetic distinction between interior and terminal C-caps can explain the discrepancy between the near-absence of stability and kinetic effects seen for C-caps of isolated peptides versus the very strong C-cap effects seen for proteins in statistical sequence preferences and mutational energetics. Introduction of consensus, in-register N-capping motifs resulted in increased stability, accelerated folding, and slower unfolding. The kinetic measurements indicate that some of the new native-state capping interactions remain unformed in the transition state. The accelerated folding rates could result from helix stabilization without invoking a specific role for N-caps in the folding reaction.
Perioperative stroke after total joint arthroplasty: prevalence, predictors, and outcome.

BACKGROUND The risk of perioperative stroke following cardiac and carotid artery surgery is well documented. There is an apparent lack of recognition and appreciation of this complication after total joint arthroplasty. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of, and outcome after, perioperative stroke following total joint arthroplasty. In addition, risk factors for the development of this complication were evaluated in an attempt to identify a strategy that could minimize the prevalence of this complication. METHODS We performed an observational study of 18,745 consecutive patients undergoing primary or revision total hip or total knee arthroplasty from 2000 to 2007 at our institution. The institutional perioperative stroke rate was 0.2% (thirty-six of 18,745). The thirty-six patients who had a stroke included seventeen men and nineteen women with a mean age of 68.2 years (range, forty-five to eighty-seven years). The average duration of follow-up for all patients and controls in the present study was sixty-two months (range, zero to 124.9 months). In a predictive model, different patient-related and surgery-related factors that could predispose patients to this complication and/or affect outcome were evaluated. RESULTS The first-year mortality among stroke patients was 25% (nine of thirty-six), and four of these nine patients died in the hospital following total joint arthroplasty. Of three patients who received emergency intra-arterial thrombolysis, two had complete neurologic recovery and one died in the hospital. The final regression model showed that a history of noncoronary heart disease, urgent (versus elective) surgery, general (versus regional) anesthesia, and an intraoperative arrhythmia or other alterations in the heart rate during surgery are significant predictors of perioperative stroke. CONCLUSIONS Perioperative stroke is a rare but potentially devastating complication of total joint arthroplasty, with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Vigilant attention to prevent, detect, and treat this complication in a timely manner may alter the course of the disease.