Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endovascular thrombectomy beyond 12 hours of stroke onset: a stroke network’s experience of late intervention

Background Selected patients with proximal anterior circulation ischemic stroke who demonstrate limited infarct and sufficient penumbra may benefit from endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) beyond conventional time limits. Objective To perform a retrospective review of all cases of EVT performed at our institution for proximal anterior circulation acute ischemic stroke with onset >12 hours. Materials and methods Patients were assessed with non-contrast CT brain and multiphase CT angiography, with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) and collateral grade informing patient selection. Data, including patient demographics, workflow, neuroimaging findings, procedural details, recanalization rates, and 90-day functional outcomes, were collected. Results Of the 542 consecutive endovascular thrombectomy cases performed during the study period, 25 (4.6%) were >12 hours from stroke onset. Median age was 69 years (IQR 55–80), median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score on presentation was 14 (IQR 11–18.5), median ASPECTS was 8 (IQR 8–9), and rate of moderate–good collateral status was 96% (n=24). Median time to groin puncture was 14 hours 40 min (IQR 12 hours 36 min – 16 hours 18 min). Rate of successful recanalization (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral infarction 2b–3) was 88% (n=22). Rate of functional independence (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 0–2) was 52% (n=13). There were no cases of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage and 90-day mortality rate was 12% (n=3). Conclusion With the use of ASPECTS and collateral grade to guide patient selection, good functional outcome with acceptable safety parameters may be achieved in patients undergoing EVT beyond 12 hours from stroke onset.
Assessment of protein assembly prediction in CASP12

We present the results of the first independent assessment of protein assemblies in CASP. A total of 1624 oligomeric models were submitted by 108 predictor groups for the 30 oligomeric targets in the CASP12 edition. We evaluated the accuracy of oligomeric predictions by comparison to their reference structures at the interface patch and residue contact levels. We find that interface patches are more reliably predicted than the specific residue contacts. Whereas none of the 15 hard oligomeric targets have successful predictions for the residue contacts at the interface, six have models with resemblance in the interface patch. Successful predictions of interface patch and contacts exist for all targets suitable for homology modeling, with at least one group improving over the best available template for each target. However, the participation in protein assembly prediction is low and uneven. Three human groups are closely ranked at the top by overall performance, but a server outperforms all other predictors for targets suitable for homology modeling. The state of the art of protein assembly prediction methods is in development and has apparent room for improvement, especially for assemblies without templates.
The IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society: historical development, current status, and future perspectives

In the evolution of any professional organization, it is informative and desirable to take stock of what has occurred, and to use this assessment to consider and plan for the future. The IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics (SMC) Society is considered to be the leading professional society in the transdisciplinary area of systems engineering, cybernetics, and human machine systems, and has an international reputation for our efforts in developing and presenting innovative research results related to this area. In this paper, we - group of five current and former SMC Society presidents - consider the past, present, and future of the IEEE SMC Society; we are also doing this to commemorate the Society's 30th anniversary. In particular, we address our auspicious beginning; our transition from an incubatee to an incubator society; the breadth of our transactions; the international character of our membership; the appropriateness of our name; the move toward an "intelligent" systems-oriented umbrella organization; the evolving array of research areas; and the challenges and opportunities we face in the future.
An Investigation of Ionic Wind Propulsion

A corona discharge device generates an ionic wind and thrust, when a high voltage corona discharge is struck between sharply pointed electrodes and larger radius ground electrodes. The objective of this study was to examine whether this thrust could be scaled to values of interest for aircraft propulsion. An initial experiment showed that the thrust observed did equal the thrust of the ionic wind. Different types of high voltage electrodes were tried, including wires, knife-edges, and arrays of pins. A pin array was found to be optimum. Parametric experiments, and theory, showed that the thrust per unit power could be raised from early values of 5 N/kW to values approaching 50 N/kW, but only by lowering the thrust produced, and raising the voltage applied. In addition to using DC voltage, pulsed excitation, with and without a DC bias, was examined. The results were inconclusive as to whether this was advantageous. It was concluded that the use of a corona discharge for aircraft propulsion did not seem very practical.
Postoperative Complications of Dermis-Fat Autografts in the Anophthalmic Socket

ABSTRACT Reconstruction of the anophthalmic socket allows the use of an ocular prosthesis and rehabilitation of facial appearance. Dermis-fat grafting is one option in volume augmentation of the anophthalmic socket and presents unique benefits, including increased surface area within the socket and the ability to grow with pediatric patients. Postoperative complications of this procedure are relatively common. Minor complications, such as graft hirsutism, keratinization, and conjunctival cysts or granulomas, are managed easily by observation or simple intervention. Major complications, such as graft atrophy, infection, or ulceration, may prevent good prosthesis fit and may require return to the operating room.
Defying aches and revaluating daily doing: Occupational perspectives on adjusting to chronic pain

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate how people with chronic pain experience their daily doing, with a special focus on possible adjustment to pain and altered life conditions in order to cope with pain and maintain well-being. In-depth interviews were guided by themes concerning daily occupation, ways to maintain well-being, and future expectations. Using qualitative content analysis a core concept “Reappraising daily doing” was arrived at, containing the categories of altering doing processes and altering values, each in turn containing four subcategories. The findings showed that along with the grief of having to abandon jobs and former social networks, the participants coped with their everyday lives in ways that opened up the use of imagination and improvisation and the valuing of non-material and altruistic behaviour. An occupation was generally given up when aches (participants' term) became worse, except for when the occupations were so enjoyed that the pain was put out of focus. Using the concept of Occupational Value to enhance coping ability seems a reasonable strategy for occupational therapists when assisting clients in finding or maintaining meaningful daily doing and effective coping strategies for experiencing well-being. This could in turn limit the use of health care resources, which is extensive.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor improves survival of patients with decompensated cirrhosis: a randomized-controlled trial

Background Liver transplantation is the only curative option for patients with decompensated cirrhosis; however, many patients die while awaiting transplantation. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) has shown promising results in improving outcomes in patients with advanced liver disease. We evaluated the efficacy of GCSF in patients with decompensated cirrhosis in an open-labeled randomized-controlled trial. Methods Consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis were randomized to receive either GCSF 300 &mgr;g twice daily for 5 days plus standard medical therapy (SMT) (GCSF+SMT group) or SMT alone (SMT alone group). Outcomes were assessed at 6 months from randomization. Results A total of 126 patients [median age: 53 (range: 31–76) years, 85% men] received GCSF+SMT and 127 patients received SMT alone. Baseline characteristics were similar in both the groups. The 5-day GCSF therapy did not lead to any significant adverse effects. At 6 months, in the GCSF+SMT group, 17 patients had died and nine were lost to follow-up, whereas in the SMT-alone group, 30 patients had died and 11 were lost to follow-up. By intention-to-treat analysis, cumulative survival was significantly higher in the GCSF+SMT group (79 vs. 68%; P=0.025). Also, significantly more patients (66%) showed improvement or stability in the Child–Turcotte–Pugh score at 6 months in the GCSF+SMT group compared with the SMT-alone group (51%, P=0.021). Conclusion GCSF therapy improves survival and clinical outcome in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. It may be useful in patients awaiting transplantation to prevent worsening during the waiting period. Further studies are needed to explore whether repeated periodic GCSF courses can further increase the survival and decrease the need for liver transplantation. Clinical trial registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov vide NCT02642003.
Influence of Iron Deficiency on HbA1c Levels in Pregnant Women: Comparison with Non-Pregnant Women

Although HbA1c is widely used as a glycemic control indicator, HbA1c is known to show falsely high levels in patients in an iron deficient state (IDS). We compared the influence of IDS on HbA1c levels between pregnant women, due to mainly an increase in demand for iron without bleeding, and non-pregnant women, due to mainly bleeding (menstruation). We studied 42 non-diabetic pregnant women (pregnant group) and 42 age-matched non-pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (non-pregnant group). We compared HbA1c and glycated albumin (GA) levels between IDS and normal iron state (NIS) in both groups. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between indicators of glycemic control and iron-related parameters [mean corpuscular hemoglobin, serum transferrin saturation (%Tf), and serum ferritin] in both groups. Compared with non-pregnant women, pregnant women had significantly lower %Tf and serum ferritin levels and significantly higher morbidity of IDS. HbA1c, but not GA, had significantly higher levels in pregnant women with IDS compared with NIS; however, HbA1c in non-pregnant women showed no significant difference for both IDS and NIS. In pregnant women, significant negative correlations were observed between HbA1c and iron-related parameters. In non-pregnant women, negative correlations were observed between HbA1c and these parameters, but they were not significant. No significant correlations were observed between GA and iron-related parameters in both groups. HbA1c levels in pregnant women were found to be largely affected by iron deficiency compared with non-pregnant women. For this reason, GA, which is not affected by iron deficiency, is desirable for use in the assessment of glycemic control during pregnancy.
No evidence of association of oxytocin polymorphisms with breastfeeding in 2 independent samples

Oxytocin has an important function in breastfeeding via its role in the milk ejection reflex and in attachment and bonding processes. Genetic factors account for a significant part of the individual differences in breastfeeding behavior. OXT and OXTR have been proposed as gene candidates for breastfeeding. Previous studies have focused on certain single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within these genes, finding null or inconsistent results. The present study analyses the associations between a wide coverage of polymorphisms in OXT and OXTR and breastfeeding duration from 2 large and independent unselected samples comprising a total of 580 and 2112 female twin mothers from the Murcia Twin Registry (Spain) and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (Australia), respectively. A total of 19 SNPs in OXT and 137 in OXTR SNPs were covered in both samples. Effects of the OXT and OXTR polymorphisms on breastfeeding duration were calculated by means of linear regression controlling for age at survey time, educational level, interaction between age and educational level and principal components of genetic ancestry. The analyses were conducted independently in the 2 samples and also meta‐analyzed. Although some SNPs were associated at an alpha level of . 05 with breastfeeding, they did not survive multiple testing correction. We conclude that SNPs within or nearby OXT and OXTR are unlikely to have large effects on breastfeeding behavior.
Trans fatty acid intake and emotion regulation

We examined whether there is a relationship between trans fatty acid intakes and emotion regulation, mediated by positive or negative affect. Archival data on 1699 men and 3293 women were used to measure trans fatty acid intake at baseline, positive, and negative affects and emotion regulation at follow-up. Higher trans fatty acid intake related to subsequent difficulties with emotional awareness (p = 0.045), clarity (p = 0.012), and regulation strategies (p = 0.009). Affect mediated these relationships. Lower trans fatty acid intake associated with increased positive and decreased negative affects which, in turn, associated with improved emotion regulation. Trans fatty acid intakes may be associated with subsequent ability to regulate emotions.
[German Guideline for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis - Update on Pharmacological Therapies 2017].

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a severe and often fatal disease with a median survival of 2–4 years after diagnosis. Since the publication of the German IPF guideline in 2013 new treatment trials have been published, necessitating an update of the pharmacological therapy of IPF. Different from the previous guideline, the GRADE system was discarded and replaced by the Oxford evidence classification system which allows a more differentiated judgement. The following pharmacological therapies were rated not suitable for the treatment of IPF patients (recommendation A; evidence 1-b): triple therapy with prednisolone, azathioprine and acetyl-cysteine; imatinib; ambrisentan; bosentan; macitentan. A less clear but still negative recommendation (B, 1-b) was attributed to the treatment of IPF with the phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitor sildenafil and acetyl-cysteine monotherapy. In contrast to the international guideline antacid therapy as a general treatment for IPF was rated negative, based on conflicting results of recent analyses (recommendation C; evidence 4). An unanimous positive recommendation was granted for the antifibrotic drugs nintedanib and pirfenidone for the treatment of IPF (A, 1-a). For some open questions in the management of IPF patients for which firm evidence is lacking the guideline also offers recommendations based on expert consensus.
The ontogeny of tolerance curves: Habitat quality versus acclimation in a stressful environment

1. Stressful environments affect life-history components of fitness through (i) instantaneous detrimental effects, (ii) historical (carry-over) effects, and (iii) historyby-environment interactions, including acclimation effects. The relative contributions of these different responses to environmental stress are likely to change along life, but such ontogenic perspective is often overlooked in studies of tolerance curves, precluding a better understanding of the causes of costs of acclimation, and more generally of fitness in temporally fine-grained environments.
Neuronal Rho GTPase Rac1 elimination confers neuroprotection in a mouse model of permanent ischemic stroke

The Rho GTPase Rac1 is a multifunctional protein involved in distinct pathways ranging from development to pathology. The aim of the present study was to unravel the contribution of neuronal Rac1 in regulating the response to brain injury induced by permanent focal cerebral ischemia (pMCAO). Our results show that pMCAO significantly increased total Rac1 levels in wild type mice, mainly through rising nuclear Rac1, while a reduction in Rac1 activation was observed. Such changes preceded cell death induced by excitotoxic stress. Pharmacological inhibition of Rac1 in primary neuronal cortical cells prevented the increase in oxidative stress induced after overactivation of glutamate receptors. However, this was not sufficient to prevent the associated neuronal cell death. In contrast, RNAi‐mediated knock down of Rac1 in primary cortical neurons prevented cell death elicited by glutamate excitotoxicity and decreased the activity of NADPH oxidase. To test whether in vivo down regulation of neuronal Rac1 was neuroprotective after pMCAO, we used tamoxifen‐inducible neuron‐specific conditional Rac1‐knockout mice. We observed a significant 50% decrease in brain infarct volume of knockout mice and a concomitant increase in HIF‐1α expression compared to littermate control mice, demonstrating that ablation of Rac1 in neurons is neuroprotective. Transmission electron microscopy performed in the ischemic brain showed that lysosomes in the infarct of Rac1‐ knockout mice were preserved at similar levels to those of non‐infarcted tissue, while littermate mice displayed a decrease in the number of lysosomes, further corroborating the notion that Rac1 ablation in neurons is neuroprotective. Our results demonstrate that Rac1 plays important roles in the ischemic pathological cascade and that modulation of its levels is of therapeutic interest.
The histone demethylase LSD1 regulates inner ear progenitor differentiation through interactions with Pax2 and the NuRD repressor complex

The histone demethylase LSD1 plays a pivotal role in cellular differentiation, particularly in silencing lineage-specific genes. However, little is known about how LSD1 regulates neurosensory differentiation in the inner ear. Here we show that LSD1 interacts directly with the transcription factor Pax2 to form the NuRD co-repressor complex at the Pax2 target gene loci in a mouse otic neuronal progenitor cell line (VOT-N33). VOT-N33 cells expressing a Pax2-response element reporter were GFP-negative when untreated, but became GFP positive after forced differentiation or treatment with a potent LSD inhibitor. Pharmacological inhibition of LSD1 activity resulted in the enrichment of mono- and di-methylation of H3K4, upregulation of sensory neuronal genes and an increase in the number of sensory neurons in mouse inner ear organoids. Together, these results identify the LSD1/NuRD complex as a previously unrecognized modulator for Pax2-mediated neuronal differentiation in the inner ear.
The Capacity of Private Information Retrieval From Coded Databases

We consider the problem of private information retrieval (PIR) over a distributed storage system. The storage system consists of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula> non-colluding databases, each storing an MDS-coded version of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula> messages. In the PIR problem, the user wishes to retrieve one of the available messages without revealing the message identity to any individual database. We derive the information-theoretic capacity of this problem, which is defined as the maximum number of bits of the desired message that can be privately retrieved per one bit of downloaded information. We show that the PIR capacity in this case is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$C=(1+{K}/{N}+{K^{2}}/{N^{2}}+\cdots +{K^{M-1}}/{N^{M-1}})^{-1}=(1+R_{c}+R_{c}^{2}+\cdots +R_{c}^{M-1})^{-1}=({1-R_{c}})/({1-R_{c}^{M}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{c}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the rate of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(N,K)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> MDS code used. The capacity is a function of the code rate and the number of messages only regardless of the explicit structure of the storage code. The result implies a fundamental tradeoff between the optimal retrieval cost and the storage cost when the storage code is restricted to the class of MDS codes. The result generalizes the achievability and converse results for the classical PIR with replicated databases to the case of MDS-coded databases.
Systematic block Markov superposition transmission of repetition codes

In this paper, we propose systematic block Markov superposition transmission of repetition (BMST-R) codes, which can support a wide range of code rates but maintain essentially the same encoding/decoding hardware structure. The systematic BMST-R codes resemble the classical rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) codes, except that they are typically non-decodable by the Viterbi algorithm due to the huge constraint length induced by the block-oriented encoding process. By taking into account that the codes are systematic, the performance of systematic BMST-R codes under maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoding can be analyzed with a simple lower bound and an upper bound with the help of partial input-redundancy weight enumerating function (IRWEF). Numerical results verify our analysis and show that systematic BMST-R codes perform well in a wide range of code rates.
Oxalic acid is an elicitor of plant programmed cell death during Sclerotinia sclerotiorum disease development.

Accumulating evidence supports the idea that necrotrophic plant pathogens interact with their hosts by controlling cell death. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a necrotrophic ascomycete fungus with a broad host range (>400 species). Previously, we established that oxalic acid (OA) is an important pathogenicity determinant of this fungus. In this report, we describe a mechanism by which oxalate contributes to the pathogenic success of this fungus; namely, that OA induces a programmed cell death (PCD) response in plant tissue that is required for disease development. This response exhibits features associated with mammalian apoptosis, including DNA laddering and TUNEL reactive cells. Fungal mutants deficient in OA production are nonpathogenic, and apoptotic-like characteristics are not observed following plant inoculation. The induction of PCD by OA is independent of the pH-reducing abilities of this organic acid, which is required for sclerotial development. Moreover, oxalate also induces increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the plant, which correlate to PCD. When ROS induction is inhibited, apoptotic-like cell death induced by OA does not occur. Taken together, we show that Sclerotinia spp. -secreted OA is an elicitor of PCD in plants and is responsible for induction of apoptotic-like features in the plant during disease development. This PCD is essential for fungal pathogenicity and involves ROS. Thus, OA appears to function by triggering in the plant pathways responsible for PCD. Further, OA secretion by Sclerotinia spp. is not directly toxic but, more subtly, may function as a signaling molecule.