Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social History Matters–The Impact of Illicit Drug Use on tPA Use and In-Hospital Mortality in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Aims The objective of this descriptive study was to compare time to medical evaluation, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA) use, and short-term outcomes in illicit drug users compared to non-users presenting with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Study Design This is a retrospective study performed from our stroke registry using deidentified patient information. Place and Duration of Study Tulane Medical Center Primary Stroke Center (PSC). Consecutive AIS patients presenting to our PSC from July 2008 to December of 2010 were identified from our prospectively collected stroke registry. Methodology Patients were categorized as toxicology positive (TP) or toxicology negative (TN). We compared baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, tPA use, and short-term outcomes in TP and TN patients. Results Two hundred and sixty-three patients met inclusion criteria (median age 63, 35.4% female, 66.5% Black). Nearly 40% of toxicology screens were positive. Stroke severity was similar with the median National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) of 6 in both groups; however, a higher proportion of TN patients were treated with IV tPA (32.1% vs. 21.2%). After adjustment for time from last seen normal to emergency department arrival (LSN-to-ED arrival), the odds of being treated with tPA for TP patients were similar to TN patients (OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.36–1.31, p=0.255). After adjustment for age, NIHSS, glucose, and tPA, the odds of in-hospital mortality in TP patients was 3 times that of TN patients (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.07–9.43, p=0.038). Conclusion We found that the disparities observed in tPA use were attenuated after adjustment for time from LSN-to-ED arrival, suggesting an area for future intervention. Additionally, we found that TP patients may be at higher risk for in-hospital mortality. Further study on the role of substance abuse in time to ED arrival, tPA use, and outcome in AIS patients is warranted.
Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) Transcriptionally Regulates SNAI2 Expression and TIMP4 Secretion in Human Cancers

Purpose: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is important in cancer progression and metastasis. We and others have previously reported that lysyl oxidase (LOX) is overexpressed in aggressive cancers, is associated with increased mortality, and regulates EMT. However, the mechanism by which LOX mediates EMT is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of LOX on mediators of EMT. Experimental Design: We used chromatin immunoprecipitation and promoter luciferase assays to determine the target gene of LOX. To determine the effects of SNAI2 in vivo, we used our metastatic anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) mouse model. To investigate the effects of LOX and SNAI2 on MMPs and TIMPs, protein arrays were used. Primary tumors from patients with metastatic, breast and colon cancer, and tissue array for thyroid cancer were assessed for SNAI2 and TIMP4 expression by immunohistochemistry. Results: We found that LOX knockdown decreases SNAI2 expression in cancer cell lines. Furthermore, knockdown of LOX reduced SNAI2 expression in a metastatic mouse model of thyroid cancer. We also demonstrated that LOX binds and transactivates the SNAI2 promoter. We found a direct correlation in thyroid and breast cancer samples between LOX and SNAI2 expression. To understand how LOX/SNAI2 axis mediates these effects, we performed a comprehensive analysis of MMPs/TIMPs. LOX and SNAI2 depletion reduced TIMP4 secretion. Analysis of SNAI2 and TIMP4 expression showed overexpression of both proteins in aggressive thyroid, colon, and breast tumors. Conclusions: Our findings provide new evidence that LOX regulates SNAI2 expression and that SNAI2-mediated TIMP4 secretion plays a role in cancer progression. Clin Cancer Res; 22(17); 4491–504. ©2016 AACR.
Local Pain and Spreading Hyperalgesia Induced by Intramuscular Injection of Nerve Growth Factor Are Not Reduced by Local Anesthesia of the Muscle

ObjectivesInjections with local anesthesia for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes are common clinical practice. This double-blind placebo controlled study explores the rational of local anesthetic blocks for the detection of muscle pain as the primary generator in spreading hyperalgesic conditions. MethodsExperimental muscle pain was induced by injections of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the left and right supraspinatus muscle of 11 healthy volunteers. One day later ropivacaine and saline were administered with ultrasound guidance in the left or right supraspinatus muscle in a randomized double-blind manner. Assessments before NGF, day 1 (before and after ropivacaine/saline), and day 7 included: visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at rest and during shoulder shrugging, time until exercise interruption owing to pain, cutaneous pain sensitivity, pressure pain thresholds, and pain VAS during tonic pressure stimulation. Cutaneous and pressure pain sensitivity were assessed over the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and deltoideus muscles, and at the web space between first and second finger. ResultsIncreased VAS pain scores and increased pressure pain sensitivity of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles were found in both sides one day after the NGF injection compared with baseline. One day after NGF injections, the time until participants stopped exercising was reduced compared with baseline. The increased muscle pain sensitivity was not normalized by intramuscular ropivacaine. Saline caused increased VAS pain scores compared with ropivacaine. DiscussionMuscle pain and spreading hyperalgesia induced by NGF is maintained despite anesthesia of the primary nociceptive locus. This indicates that intramuscular injection of local anesthetics may not be a valid diagnostic method for primary muscle pain.
Design strategies to minimize the radiative efficiency of global warming molecules

A strategy is devised to screen molecules based on their radiative efficiency. The methodology should be useful as one additional constraint when determining the best molecule to use for an industrial application. The strategy is based on the results of a recent study where we examined molecular properties of global warming molecules using ab initio electronic structure methods to determine which fundamental molecular properties are important in assessing the radiative efficiency of a molecule. Six classes of perfluorinated compounds are investigated. For similar numbers of fluorine atoms, their absorption of radiation in the IR window decreases according to perfluoroethers > perfluorothioethers ≈ sulfur/carbon compounds > perfluorocarbons > perfluoroolefins > carbon/nitrogen compounds. Perfluoroethers and hydrofluorethers are shown to possess a large absorption in the IR window due to (i) the C─O bonds are very polar, (ii) the C-O stretches fall within the IR window and have large IR intensity due to their polarity, and (iii) the IR intensity for C-F stretches in which the fluorine atom is bonded to the carbon that is bonded to the oxygen atom is enhanced due to a larger C─F bond polarity. Lengthening the carbon chain leads to a larger overall absorption in the IR window, though the IR intensity per bond is smaller. Finally, for a class of partially fluorinated compounds with a set number of electronegative atoms, the overall absorption in the IR window can vary significantly, as much as a factor of 2, depending on how the fluorine atoms are distributed within the molecule.
A Distributed Method for Localization in Large- Scale Sensor Networks based on Graham's scan

1 Abstract — Localization is an important aspect in the field of wireless sensor networks that has attracted significant research interest recently. The interest in wireless sensor network localiza- tion is expected to grow further with the advances in the wireless communication techniques and the sensing techniques, and the consequent proliferation of wireless sensor network applications. This paper presents an improved localization algorithm with high accuracy in large-scale Sensor networks with a large num- ber of sensor nodes based on the Graham's scan, called Slsng. the Graham's scan adapted here for our approximation technique to determining the convex hull of a set of sensors used instead of the Grid-Scan method, to take into account the requirements in memory, to make it scalable and rapidly convergent with small location estimation error. We verify our algorithm in various scenarios and compare it with AT-Dist method. Simulation re- sults show that our proposal is superior to the state-of-the-art localization algorithms for Wireless sensor networks in large- scale.
A reversal coarse-grained analysis with application to an altered functional circuit in depression

When studying brain function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data containing tens of thousands of voxels, a coarse‐grained approach – dividing the whole brain into regions of interest – is applied frequently to investigate the organization of the functional network on a relatively coarse scale. However, a coarse‐grained scheme may average out the fine details over small spatial scales, thus rendering it difficult to identify the exact locations of functional abnormalities.
Inverse dynamics control of flexible-link manipulators using neural networks

Experimental evaluation of the performance of neural network-based controllers for tip position tracking of flexible-link manipulators is presented. A modified output re-definition approach is utilized to overcome the problem caused by the non-minimum phase characteristic of the flexible-link system. This modification is based on using minimum a priori knowledge about the system dynamics. The modified output redefinition approach requires a priori knowledge about the linear model of the system and no a priori knowledge about the payload mass. Four different neural network schemes are proposed. The neural networks are trained and employed as online controllers. The four proposed neural network controllers are implemented on a single flexible-link experimental test-bed. Experimental and simulation results are presented to illustrate the advantages and improved performance of the proposed tip position tracking controllers over conventional PD-type controllers in the presence of unmodeled dynamics.
SVF1 Regulates Cell Survival by Affecting Sphingolipid Metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Sphingolipid signaling plays an important role in the regulation of central cellular processes, including cell growth, survival, and differentiation. Many of the essential pathways responsible for sphingolipid biogenesis, and key cellular responses to changes in sphingolipid balance, are conserved between mammalian and yeast cells. Here we demonstrate a novel function for the survival factor Svf1p in the yeast sphingolipid pathway and provide evidence that Svf1p regulates the generation of a specific subset of phytosphingosine. Genetic analyses suggest that Svf1p acts in concert with Lcb4p and Lcb3p to generate a localized pool of phytosphingosine distinct from phytosphingosine generated by Sur2p. This subset is implicated in cellular responses to stress, as loss of SVF1 is associated with defects in the diauxic shift and the oxidative stress response. A genetic interaction between SVF1 and SUR2 demonstrates that both factors are required for optimal growth and survival, and phenotypic similarities between svf1Δsur2Δ and ypk1Δ suggest that pathways controlled by Svf1p and Sur2p converge on a signaling cascade regulated by Ypk1p. Loss of YPK1 together with disruption of either SVF1 or SUR2 is lethal. Together, these data suggest that compartmentalized generation of distinct intracellular subsets of sphingoid bases may be critical for activation of signaling pathways that control cell growth and survival.
The Structure of the Homunculus. II. Modeling the Physical Conditions in η Carinae’s Molecular Shell

We present models that reproduce the observed double-shell structure of the Homunculus Nebula around η Carinae, including the stratification of infrared H2 and [Fe II] emission seen in data obtained with the Phoenix spectrograph on Gemini South, as well as the corresponding stratified grain temperature seen in thermal-infrared data. Tuning the model to match the observed shell thickness allows us to determine the threshold density that permits survival of H2. An average density of nH ≃ (0.5-1) × 107 cm-3 in the outer zone is required to allow H2 to exist at all latitudes in the nebula, and for Fe+ to recombine to Fe0. This gives independent confirmation of the very large mass of the Homunculus, indicating a total of roughly 15-35 M☉ (although we note reasons why the lower end of this range is favored). At the interface between the atomic and molecular zones, we predict a sharp drop in the dust temperature, in agreement with the bimodal dust color temperatures observed in the two zones. In the outer molecular shell, the dust temperature drops to nearly the blackbody temperature, and becomes independent of grain size because of self-shielding at shorter UV wavelengths and increased heating at longer wavelengths. This relaxes constraints on large grain sizes suggested by near-blackbody color temperatures. Finally, from the strength of infrared [Fe II] emission in the inner shell we find that the gas-phase Fe abundance is roughly solar. This is astonishing in such a dusty object, where one normally expects gaseous iron to be depleted by 2 orders of magnitude.
Local Does as Local is: Information Content of the Geography of Individual Investors&Apos; Common Stock Investments

Using a data set on the investments made by a large number of retail investors from 1991 to 1996, we find that households exhibit a strong preference for local investment - the average household invests nearly a third of their portfolio in firms headquartered within 250 miles. We test whether this locality bias is driven by information or by simple familiarity. The average household generates an additional return of 3.7% per year from its local holdings relative to its non-local holdings, suggesting local investors are able to exploit local knowledge. The excess return to investing locally is even larger among stocks not in the S&P 500 index (firms where informational asymmetries between local and non-local investors may be largest), while there is no excess return earned by households that invest in local S&P 500 stocks.
School Health Policy Implementation: Facilitators and Challenges

Schools are uniquely positioned to impact student health and academic outcomes through health and wellness policies. The purpose of this study was to describe factors influencing implementation of school health and wellness policies, specifically those focused on physical activity and nutrition. In-depth, stakeholder interviews were conducted with key informants at eight Chicago Public Schools (K–eighth grade). Data were analyzed using summative content analysis. Two themes were identified, facilitators and challenges to policy implementation. Facilitators included district support and motivation (internal and external). Challenges included limited school nurse availability, breaking tradition and budget. The external community and wellness team composition fell within both themes. Specific strategies are suggested to build upon policy implementation facilitators and overcome challenges. While school nurses play an integral role in student health and wellness, further research is needed to understand school nurse impact on student health and academic outcomes through school health policy.
EMOTEX: Detecting Emotions in Twitter Messages

Social media and microblog tools are increasingly used by individuals to express their feelings and opinions in the form of short text messages. Detecting emotions in text has a wide range of applications including identifying anxiety or depression of individuals and measuring well-being or public mood of a community. In this paper, we propose a new approach for automatically classifying text messages of individuals to infer their emotional states. To model emotional states, we utilize the well-established Circumplex model that characterizes aective experience along two dimensions: valence and arousal. We select Twitter messages as input data set, as they provide a very large, diverse and freely avail- able ensemble of emotions. Using hash-tags as labels, our methodology trains supervised classiers to detect multiple classes of emotion on potentially huge data sets with no manual eort. We investigate the utility of several features for emotion detection, including unigrams, emoticons, negations and punctuations. To tackle the problem of sparse and high dimensional feature vectors of messages, we utilize a lexicon of emotions. We have compared the accuracy of several machine learning algorithms, including SVM, KNN, Decision Tree, and Naive Bayes for classifying Twitter messages. Our technique has an accuracy of over 90%, while demonstrating robustness across learning algorithms.
Association between Related Purine Metabolites and Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Aims. The purpose of the study was to investigate the differences of adenosine, adenine, inosine, xanthine, hypoxanthine, and uric acid concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy and assess the relationship between purine metabolites and disease. Materials and Methods. The study group consisted of 114 subjects which were divided into three groups: control (n = 40), type 2 diabetes without retinopathy (n = 35), and type 2 diabetes with retinopathy (n = 39). Levels of metabolites were measured in plasma of all participants. Results. There is a significant increase of levels of adenosine (0.94 ± 0.17 mg/L versus 0.17 ± 0.01 mg/L, P < 0.001), inosine (0.297 ± 0.078 mg/L versus 0.086 ± 0.010 mg/L, P < 0.001), xanthine (1.01 ± 0.21 mg/L versus 0.54 ± 0.05 mg/L, P = 0.009), and uric acid (70.55 ± 3.97 mg/L versus 53.81 ± 2.36 mg/L, P < 0.001) with diabetic retinopathy compared to diabetes mellitus. The levels of adenine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine oxidase did not change. Uric acid, xanthine, inosine, and adenosine correlated positively with systolic blood pressure and urea nitrogen. Conclusions. The levels of adenosine, inosine, uric acid, and xanthine may be useful for monitoring the progression of diabetic retinopathy and evaluating the treatment.
Changes in Cortical Activity During Mental Rotation: A mapping study using functional magnetic resonance imaging

Mental imagery is an important cognitive method for problem solving, and the mental rotation of complex objects, as originally described by Shepard and Metzler, is among the best studied of mental imagery tasks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to observe focal changes in blood flow in the brains of ten healthy volunteers performing a mental rotation. On each trial, subjects viewed a pair of perspective drawings of three-dimensional shapes, mentally rotated one into congruence with the other, and then determined whether the two forms were identical or mirror-images. The control task, which we have called the “comparison” condition, was identical except that both members of each pair appeared at the same orientation, and hence the same encoding, comparison and decision processes were used but mental rotation was not required. These tasks were interleaved with a baseline “fixation” condition, in which the subjects viewed a crosshair. Technically adequate studies were obtained in eight of the ten subjects. Areas of increased signal were identified according to sulcal landmarks and are described in terms of the Brodmann’s area definitions that correspond according to the atlas of Talaraich and Tournoux (Talairach and Tournoux, 1988). When the rotation task was contrasted with the comparison condition, all subjects showed consistent foci of activation in Brodmann’s areas 7a and 7b (sometimes spreading to area 40); 93% had increased signal in middle frontal gyrus (area 8), and 75% showed extra-striate activation, including particularly areas 39 and 19, in a position consistent with area V5/human MT as localized by functional and histological assays. In more than half of the subjects, hand somatosensory cortex (3-1-2) was engaged, and in 50% of subjects there was elevated signal in area 18. In frontal cortex, activation was above threshold in half the subjects in area 9 and or 46 (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Some (4/8) subjects also showed signal increases in areas 44 and/or 46. Premotor cortex (area 6) was active in half of the subjects during the rotation task. There was little evidence for lateralization of the cortical activity or of engagement of motor cortex. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that mental rotation engages cortical areas involved in tracking moving objects and encoding spatial relations, as well as the more general understanding that mental imagery engages the same, or similar, neural imagery as direct perception.
PD-L1 Expression and Combined Status of PD-L1/PD-1–Positive Tumor Infiltrating Mononuclear Cell Density Predict Prognosis in Glioblastoma Patients

Background Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumor cells is known to promote immune escape of cancer by interacting with programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) in tumor infiltrating immune cells. Immunotherapy targeting these molecules is emerging as a new strategy for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM). Understanding the relationship between the PD-L1/PD-1 axis and prognosis in GBM patients may be helpful to predict the effects of immunotherapy. Methods PD-L1 expression and PD-1–positive tumor infiltrating mononuclear cell (PD-1+tumor infiltrating mononuclear cell [TIMC]) density were evaluated using tissue microarray containing 54 GBM cases by immunohistochemical analysis; the associations with patient clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results PD-L1 expression and high PD-1+TIMC density were observed in 31.5% and 50% of GBM cases, respectively. High expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells was an independent and significant predictive factor for worse overall survival (OS; hazard ratio, 4.958; p = .007) but was not a significant factor in disease-free survival (DFS). PD-1+TIMC density was not correlated with OS or DFS. When patients were classified based on PD-1 expression and PD-1+TIMC density, patients with PD-L1+/PD-1+TIMC low status had the shortest OS (13 months, p = .009) and DFS (7 months, p = .053). Conclusions PD-L1 expression in GBM was an independent prognostic factor for poor OS. In addition, combined status of PD-L1 expression and PD-1+TIMC density also predicted patient outcomes, suggesting that the therapeutic role of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis should be considered in the context of GBM immunity.