Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing cognitive impairment following stroke

The assessment of cognitive function is often neglected following stroke, with no consensus on the optimal method to assess poststroke cognition. We evaluated the ability of a brief protocol to detect cognitive impairment in community-dwelling people with chronic stroke compared to healthy controls and its ability to detect changes in cognition in stroke participants undergoing an exercise intervention. Four tests of cognition were able to detect differences between the groups in the domains of executive function, memory, and information-processing speed. Stroke survivors undergoing exercise over a 5-month period showed significantly improved memory and speed of information processing. Results suggest that exercise may have the potential to improve cognition in long-term stroke survivors and that these tests are sensitive measures of poststroke cognition.
Job Training, Wage Growth, and Labor Turnover

Using explicit information on timing and duration of job training in panels of PSID men, I find negative effects of training on turnover and positive effects on wage growth in the firm and over longer periods (1968 to 1983). Wages of trainees grow 4-6% faster per year over periods of training compared to other workers or periods. Wage trajectories in the firm and across firms over longer periods are steeper for workers who engage in more training. These results are explainable by a positive correlation between general and firm-specific components of training. So is the apparent paradox that frequent movers' wages grow less in the long run than those of less frequent movers (stayers), despite wage gains in moving. Mobility wage gains are reduced by worker investment in training in the new firm. These mobility (search and matching) gains appear to contribute to job attachment in the presence of such investments.
Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction in Hyperacute Ischemic Stroke: Evaluation with Multiphasic Perfusion Computed Tomography Maps

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of large hypoperfusion (greater than two-thirds of MCA territory) on computed tomography (CT) perfusion maps between hyperacute middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke patients without or with malignant cerebral edema. Methods: Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with a hyperacute MCA stroke who had an initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score greater than 10 were included. Multiphasic perfusion CT was performed within 6 hours of symptom onset. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the malignant group (n = 11), composed of patients who died within 7 days, and the nonmalignant group, which included all other patients (n = 16). Unenhanced CT and CT perfusion maps were assessed and compared between the 2 groups with special emphasis on examining the CT findings, including hyperdense MCA sign, large (greater than two-thirds) hypoattenuation and hypoperfusion in the MCA territory, and hypoattenuation in the basal ganglia and other vascular territories. Results: The incidence of large hypoattenuation (greater than two-thirds of MCA territory) on unenhanced CT and large hypoperfusion on CT perfusion maps differed significantly between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). Large hypoperfusion on the CT total perfusion map was most accurate (93%) among various CT findings for the prediction of malignant MCA infarction with high sensitivity (91%), specificity (94%), and positive predictive value (91%). Conclusions: The incidence of large hypoperfusion on a CT perfusion map was higher in the malignant group than the nonmalignant group. CT perfusion maps may provide added information about cerebral perfusion and could be a useful predictor of malignant MCA infarction.
Pharmacokinetics of Cocaine and Metabolites in Human Oral Fluid and Correlation With Plasma Concentrations After Controlled Administration

Oral fluid is an attractive alternative matrix for drug testing with a noninvasive and directly observed collection, but there are few controlled cocaine administration studies to guide interpretation. Materials and Methods: While residing on a closed research unit for up to 10 weeks under constant medical supervision, 19 participants were administered 75 mg/70 kg subcutaneous cocaine and 14 received 150 mg/70 kg. The disposition of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE), and ecgonine methyl ester (EME) into oral fluid was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for 0.08 to 48 hours after administration. Results: In oral fluid collected by citric acid candy-stimulated expectoration, cocaine first appeared in oral fluid 0.08 to 0.32 hours after dosing and was rapidly eliminated with half-lives of 1.1 to 3.8 hours. BE and EME were first detected 0.08 to 1.0 hours after dosing with longer half-lives of 3.4 to 13.8 (BE) and 2.4 to 15.5 hours (EME) (P < 0.05). Oral fluid and plasma concentrations were significantly correlated for cocaine, BE, and EME (P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in first and last detection times with the 8-μg/L cutoff proposed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration or the 10-μg/L cutoff from the European initiative, Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines. Metabolite:cocaine ratios increased after cocaine administration, potentially helpful for interpreting time of last use. Comparison of oral fluid collection through citric acid candy-stimulated expectoration, citric acid-treated Salivette, and neutral cotton Salivette devices did not reveal significant differences between devices for areas under the curve for cocaine, BE, or EME (P > 0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: These results provide additional evidence for interpreting cocaine and metabolite concentrations in oral fluid and oral fluid's usefulness as an alternative matrix for drug testing.
Pricing Reinsurance Contracts on FDIC Losses

This paper proposes a pricing model for the FDIC's reinsurance risk. We derive a closed-form Weibull call option pricing model to price a call-spread a reinsurer might sell to the FDIC. To obtain the risk-neutral loss-density necessary to price this call spread we risk-neutralize a Weibull distributed FDIC annual losses by a tilting coefficient estimated from the traded call options on the BKX index. An application of the proposed approach yield reasonable reinsurance prices.
Selective Toxicity of Investigational Ixazomib for Human Leukemia Cells Expressing Mutant Cytoplasmic NPM1: Role of Reactive Oxygen Species

Purpose: This study was performed to determine whether the investigational proteasome inhibitor ixazomib demonstrated selective antineoplastic activity against acute myelogenous leukemia cells expressing a mutated nucleophosmin-1 gene and to gain a better understanding of its mechanisms of action. Experimental Design: The cytotoxic effects of ixazomib treatment were analyzed in human acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines and primary AML samples expressing wild-type or mutated NPM1 (NPMc+). The potential roles of oxidative stress in mediating cytotoxic activity were determined using flow cytometry, enzyme-based assays, and Western blots. Results: Apoptosis induced by ixazomib was abrogated by knockdown of NPM1/NPMc+ expression using an inducible shRNA construct and enhanced by NPMc+ overexpression. Cytotoxicity was associated with superoxide generation and was reduced by the addition of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine. AML cells expressing NPMc+ had significantly reduced levels of intracellular glutathione and NADPH associated with reduced antioxidant responses to drug treatment. Treatment of 3 patients with relapsed NPMc+ AML resulted in an antileukemic effect in 1 patient as demonstrated by a marked reduction of leukemic blasts in the peripheral blood. Efficacy was associated with superoxide generation, reduced glutathione levels, and reduced mRNA and protein expression of antioxidant effectors in responding cells. Conclusions: In this study, a direct association was observed between NPMc+ expression in AML, reduced antioxidant responses, and enhanced sensitivity to an oral proteasome inhibitor that induces oxidative stress. These data suggest that intracellular determinants of antioxidant responses may be good predictors of therapeutic response to ixazomib. Clin Cancer Res; 22(8); 1978–88. ©2015 AACR.
Convergence rate analysis for discrete-time multi-agent systems with time-varying delays

Over the past decade, an increasing amount of interest has centered around the consensus (or synchronization) problem of multi-agent systems (MASs). Although there are numerous results reported on the convergence of an MAS based on the product of an infinite sequence of matrices with a uniform lower bound for all nonzero entries, few are on the convergence rate of the MAS. Estimation of the convergence rate is very often important but also a challenging task. This paper proposes an approach to analyze the convergence rate of discrete-time MASs in the presence of time-varying delays. We obtain an upper bound on the convergence rate under the condition of joint connectivity. Our proposed approach does not require the assumption of uniform lower bound for all nonzero entries of the matrices.
Do CEO Compensation Incentives Affect Firm Innovation

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine if the structure and design of CEO compensation has any effect on firm innovation. It further investigates the effectiveness of each component of portfolio of compensation incentives in encouraging innovation. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses systems of simultaneous equations to model the interdependence between compensation incentives and measures of firm innovation. Findings - Results indicate that the pay-performance sensitivity of the CEO portfolio of compensation incentives is positively related to investment in R&D expenditures, number of patents and citations. Options in general are more effective than stocks. However, within the options portfolio, recently awarded and unvested options are more effective than previously awarded and vested options. Restricted stock is more effective than unrestricted stock. Research limitations/implications - Measuring innovation output is difficult as innovation could take different forms, including business model innovation, which does not appear in the patent data. Practical implications - Stock options encourage investment in value-increasing innovations and should remain a significant part of managerial compensation. If the firm awards stock, it should only award restricted stock. Originality/value - This study uses comprehensive measures of compensation incentives and firm innovation. It views incentives as a portfolio of stock and options and uses incentives in their entirety. It examines the effectiveness of each component of the portfolio in encouraging innovation. It measures innovation as investment into the innovation process (R&D expenditures) and the resulting success of that investment (patents and citations).
Traffic noise exposure affects telomere length in nestling house sparrows

In a consistently urbanizing world, anthropogenic noise has become almost omnipresent, and there are increasing evidence that high noise levels can have major impacts on wildlife. While the effects of anthropogenic noise exposure on adult animals have been widely studied, surprisingly, there has been little consideration of the effects of noise pollution on developing organisms. Yet, environmental conditions experienced in early life can have dramatic lifelong consequences for fitness. Here, we experimentally manipulated the acoustic environment of free-living house sparrows (Passer domesticus) breeding in nest boxes. We focused on the impact of such disturbance on nestlings’ telomere length and fledging success, as telomeres (the protective ends of chromosomes) appear to be a promising predictor of longevity. We showed that despite the absence of any obvious immediate consequences (growth and fledging success), nestlings reared under traffic noise exposure exhibited reduced telomere lengths compared with their unexposed neighbours. Although the mechanisms responsible for this effect remain to be determined, our results provide the first experimental evidence that noise alone can affect a wild vertebrate's early-life telomere length. This suggests that noise exposure may entail important costs for developing organisms.
On the Efficiency of the Markets for Gold and Silver

Gold and silver have wide-ranging utility, from their use in art and jewelry to their use in the production of electronic equipment. The holding of gold and silver has always been considered a great treasure. Within the last decade a new use has developed for these metals: Individual investors and portfolio managers have recently begun to view them as possible investment assets. This paper examines the workings of the gold and silver markets from the investor's point of view. The prices of goods are important in their allocation among competing uses, and the same is true for gold and silver. Investors use the prices of the metals in making buy-and-sell decisions; however, the price changes for gold and silver permit these markets to be analyzed. Current theory maintains that market-determined changes in price-of-investment assets result from a changing set of information and that, given a competitive market system, the price changes tend to move the markets toward equilibrium. This is the essence of the efficient-markets theory. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the price changes for gold and silver to establish if the efficient-markets theory can be applied to the markets for these metals. This paper is divided into four sections and a conclusion. The relationship between the gold and silver markets and market efficiency is ex-
A Longitudinal Evaluation of Restraint Reduction within a Multi-site, Multi-model Canadian Continuing Care Organization*

RÉSUMÉ Bien que la documentation américaine sur la réduction de l'usage des moyens de contention soit relativement importante, les travaux de recherche publiés sur cette même question sont moins nombreux sur les pensionnaires d'un établissement canadien de soins de longue durée. Les statistiques des plus importants établissements de ce type financés et exploités au Canada ont mis au jour des attitudes révélatrices envers les moyens mécaniques de contention. Durant les quatre années d'une étude comportant une campagne visant à réduire l'utilisation de moyens mécaniques de contention, la prévalence organisationnelle est passée de 24,68 % à 16,01 %. Il existait une variabilité substantielle en matière de contention parmi les 11 centres de l'organisation (échelle de 0 à 39,86 % des pensionnaires faisant l'objet de contention) et tous sauf un ont pu réduire la contention mécanique. Des facilitateurs particuliers à la réalisation et au maintien de la réduction de la contention sont indiqués, notamment les établissements de petite taille, la fourniture de soins spécialisés (par ex., maladie d'Alzheimer), et un «champion» résidant sur place. Des obstacles particuliers, comme la grande taille d'un établissement et un champion résidant à l'extérieur font aussi l'objet de discussion. ABSTRACT While American literature on sustaining restraint reduction is relatively robust, there is a lack of research published on the same issue in Canadian continuing care (CC) settings. Statistics from Canada's largest publicly funded and operated CC organization have revealed telling patterns in mechanical restraint use. Over a 4-year study period during a campaign to reduce mechanical restraint use, the organizational prevalence dropped from 24.68 per cent to 16.01 per cent. There was substantial variability in restraint prevalence among the organization's 11 centres (range: 0–39.86% of residents restrained) and all but 1 was able to achieve mechanical restraint reduction. Specific facilitators to achieving and sustaining restraint reduction are identified, including small facility size, provision of specialized care (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), and an on-site champion. Specific barriers, such as large facility size and an off-site champion are also discussed.
Information Content and Recency Effect of the Audit Report in Loan Rating Decisions

We examined the significance of the audit report in loan rating decisions using the belief revision model. We designed a laboratory experiment where the sign of the audit report is mixed with other annual financial information in a series of sequential evidence. The results of an experimental design, using 106 loan officers from international financial institutions, support the hypothesis that the qualified audit report appears to be an independent and useful piece of evidence when it is contrary to favourable financial expectations. Our findings also support that the ‘recency effect’ might influence international commercial loan officers’ perception of the qualified audit report.
DR.SGX: automated and adjustable side-channel protection for SGX using data location randomization

Recent research has demonstrated that Intel's SGX is vulnerable to software-based side-channel attacks. In a common attack, the adversary monitors CPU caches to infer secret-dependent data accesses patterns. Known defenses have major limitations, as they require either error-prone developer assistance, incur extremely high runtime overhead, or prevent only specific attacks. In this paper, we propose data location randomization as a novel defense against side-channel attacks that target data access patterns. Our goal is to break the link between the memory observations by the adversary and the actual data accesses by the victim. We design and implement a compiler-based tool called DR.SGX that instruments the enclave code, permuting data locations at fine granularity. To prevent correlation of repeated memory accesses we periodically re-randomize all enclave data. Our solution requires no developer assistance and strikes the balance between side-channel protection and performance based on an adjustable security parameter.
Increase in extracellular inulinase production for a new Rhizoctonia ssp. strain by using buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) flour as a single carbon source

Aims: A newly isolated strain of Rhizoctonia ssp. was used for the production of extracellular inulinase. Previously, the qualitative effects of some carbon and nitrogen sources from fermentative media and the physicochemical parameters for growth were established by Plackett–Burman analysis, and the main parameters that affect extracellular inulinase yield were identified. In this study, the quantitative effect of the carbon to nitrogen ratio in the fermentative medium and the growth temperature were studied and optimized using central composite design and response surface methodology.
The importance of ecological and socio-technological literacy in R&D priority setting: the case of a fruit innovation system in Guinea, West Africa

The introduction of farmer participatory approaches over the past decades has to some extent improved the relevance and uptake of research results. While R&D prioritization increasingly involves more stakeholders, including the private sector, policymakers and civil society, building ecological literacy among all stakeholders is urgent, especially for sustainable agricultural development. A case study of an emerging fruit innovation system in Guinea, West Africa, highlights the challenges of supply- and demand-driven approaches to R&D prioritization. Shallow ecological knowledge and a blind faith in ‘modern’ technologies by scientists and farmers alike distort prioritization. Locally available, appropriate technologies are dismissed in favour of high technologies that are inaccessible to most smallholder growers. Strengthening the ecological literacy of all stakeholders may help to overcome this bias. On the other hand, building socio-technological literacy would allow innovation intermediaries, who typic.
Cost-of-Illness and Willingness-to-Pay Estimates of the Benefits of Improved Air Quality: Evidence from Taiwan

We compare cost-of-illness (COI) and willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates of the damages from minor respiratory symptoms associated with air pollution, using data from a study in Taiwan in 1991-92. A contingent valuation survey was conducted to estimate WTP to avoid minor respiratory illnesses. Health diaries were analyzed to predict the likelihood and cost of seeking relief from symptoms and of missing work. As predicted by economic theory, WTP is greater than the COI estimates, exceeding the latter by 1.61 to 2.26 times, depending on pollution levels. These ratios are similar to those for the United States, despite the differences between the two countries
Pain Management for Gynecologic Procedures in the Office

Importance Satisfactory pain control for women undergoing office gynecologic procedures is critical for both patient comfort and procedure success. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to be aware of the safety and efficacy of different pain control regimens. Objective This article aimed to review the literature regarding pain control regimens for procedures such as endometrial biopsy, intrauterine device insertion, colposcopy and loop electrosurgical excisional procedure, uterine aspiration, and hysteroscopy. Evidence Acquisition A search of published literature using PubMed was conducted using the following keywords: “pain” or “anesthesia. ” These terms were paired with the following keywords: “intrauterine device” or “IUD,” “endometrial biopsy,” “uterine aspiration” or “abortion,” “colposcopy” or “loop electrosurgical excisional procedure” or “LEEP,” “hysteroscopy” or “hysteroscopic sterilization. ” The search was conducted through July 2015. Articles were hand reviewed and selected by the authors for study quality. Meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials were prioritized. Results Although local anesthesia is commonly used for gynecologic procedures, a multimodal approach may be more effective including oral medication, a dedicated emotional support person, and visual or auditory distraction. Women who are nulliparous, are postmenopausal, have a history of dysmenorrhea, or suffer from anxiety are more likely to experience greater pain with gynecologic procedures. Evidence for some interventions exists; however, the interpretation of intervention comparisons is limited by the use of different regimens, pain measurement scales, patient populations, and procedure techniques. Conclusions and Relevance There are many options for pain management for office gynecologic procedures, and depending on the procedure, different modalities may work best. The importance of patient counseling and selection cannot be overstated. Target Audience Obstetricians and gynecologists, family physicians Learning Objectives After completing this activity, the learner should be better able to select appropriate pain control measures for awake patients undergoing gynecologic procedures in the office, compare the efficacy and safety of different pain control regimens, and identify factors that may increase or decrease the pain experienced with various procedures.
R and D and the Directions of Diversification

The pattern of diversification within U.S. manufacturing between 1963 and 1977 are examined. Firms didn't diversify at random; they were more likely to enter rapidly growing industries, and industries that were related to their primary activities through supply relationships or marketing similarities. Research and development (R & D) expenditures also influence the observed patterns. R & D intensive industries generate outbound diversification and attract inbound diversification. However, the strongest influence is directional; R & D intensive firms channel their diversification toward R & D intensive industries. Much diversification reflects the transfer of sharable organization capital among related activities.