Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Telestroke in an urban setting.

BACKGROUND Telestroke is a viable alternative in rural areas where neurologists or stroke expertise is unavailable. Urban applications of telestroke have not been previously described. MATERIALS AND METHODS All patients evaluated using remote telestroke technology at four urban spoke hospitals between March 2011 and March 2013 were included in this analysis. Telestroke services were provided by vascular fellowship-trained neurologists at one academic stroke center. Patient characteristics, time to initiation of consult, and treatment decisions were prospectively recorded. Stroke triage protocols and thrombolysis rates prior to initiation of telestroke were also obtained. RESULTS Four hundred ninety-eight patients were evaluated during the study period; mean age was 64.5 years, and 60.4% were female. Median time from initial emergency room call to start of teleconsult was 5 (range, 1-51) minutes. Average length of teleconsult was 30 minutes. Technical difficulties occurred in 80 (16.0%) teleconsults, but only 1 was major. Daytime calls (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday) accounted for 38.2% of teleconsults. Two hundred eighty-one patients (56.4%) were determined by teleconsult to have an acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). In 72 patients (14.5% overall; 25.6% of all ischemic stroke/TIA patients), intravenous alteplase (tissue plasminogen activator) was recommended. Transfer to the hub hospital occurred in 75 patients (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS Telestroke is a rapid and effective way to assess patients with suspected acute stroke in an urban setting. Its use may increase access to stroke neurologists and improve thrombolysis rates where competing responsibilities may delay, prevent, and even dissuade on-site evaluation by neurologists.
The Ubiquitin Receptor DA1 Regulates Seed and Organ Size by Modulating the Stability of the Ubiquitin-Specific Protease UBP15/SOD2 in Arabidopsis[W]

This work shows that the ubiquitin receptor DA1 genetically and physically interacts with the ubiquitin-specific protease UBP15 to regulate seed size in Arabidopsis, suggesting that DA1 and UBP15 are promising targets for crop improvement. Although the control of organ size is a fundamental question in developmental biology, little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms that determine the final size of seeds in plants. We previously demonstrated that the ubiquitin receptor DA1 acts synergistically with the E3 ubiquitin ligases DA2 and ENHANCER1 OF DA1 (EOD1)/BIG BROTHER to restrict seed growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we describe UBIQUITIN-SPECIFIC PROTEASE15 (UBP15), encoded by SUPPRESSOR2 OF DA1 (SOD2), which acts maternally to regulate seed size by promoting cell proliferation in the integuments of ovules and developing seeds. The sod2/ubp15 mutants form small seeds, while overexpression of UBP15 increases seed size of wild-type plants. Genetic analyses indicate that UBP15 functions antagonistically in a common pathway with DA1 to influence seed size, but does so independently of DA2 and EOD1. Further results reveal that DA1 physically associates with UBP15 in vitro and in vivo and modulates the stability of UBP15. Therefore, our findings establish a genetic and molecular framework for the regulation of seed size by four ubiquitin-related proteins DA1, DA2, EOD1, and UBP15 and suggest that they are promising targets for increasing seed size in crops.
Determinants Of Foreign Direct Investment: The Case Of Emerging Markets

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows and their determinants in 68 Emerging Markets between1984-2011. This paper uses a panel cointegration technique of Pedroni (1999, 2004) and Westerlund and Edgerton (2008) considering both structural breaks and cross-sectional dependence. Cointegration results indicate that there exists a positive long-run relationship between economic growth, openness and FDI and a negative long-run relationship between inflation, real effective exchange rate and FDI.
Cortical Hyperexcitability is Cortical Under-Inhibition: Evidence From a Novel Functional Test of Migraine Patients

Recent studies of the visual cortex in patients with migraine have generally concluded that migraine (particularly migraine with aura) is associated with a state of functional cortical hyperexcitability. The mechanisms giving rise to this hyperexcitability have hitherto been unclear. This paper reports two studies that used a novel investigative technique, derived from basic research in vision science, to examine specific deficits of inhibitory processing in primary visual cortex. The technique is termed the metacontrast test, and it examines visual masking under highly specified conditions. In Study 1, 12 migraine with aura patients (MA), 12 age-matched migraine without aura patients (MO) and 12 age- and sex-matched headache-free control subjects (C) were compared using the metacontrast test. MA patients were significantly less susceptible to visual masking in the metacontrast test than both MO and C groups: this result is highly consistent with a deficit in cortical inhibitory processing in MA patients. Study 2 examined MA patients taking a variety of migraine prophylactics, again using the metacontrast test. Test results normalized in those MA patients taking sodium valproate, but not in those taking other prophylactics. Sodium valproate is a GABA-A agonist that is known to cross the blood–brain barrier: GABA-ergic networks act as the primary inhibitory mechanism in visual cortex. Taken together, the results of these studies argue that cortical hyperexcitability, at least in MA patients, is likely to be a result of deficient intracortical inhibitory processes.
Oral Toxicity of Photorhabdusluminescens W14 Toxin Complexes inEscherichiacoli

ABSTRACT Previous attempts to express the toxin complex genes ofPhotorhabdusluminescens W14 inEscherichiacoli have failed to reconstitute their oral toxicity to the model insectManducasexta. Here we show that the combination of three genes, tcdA, tcdB, and tccC, is essential for oral toxicity toM. sexta when expression inE. coli is used. Further, when transcription from native toxin complex gene promoters is used, maximal toxicity in E. coli cultures is associated with the addition of mitomycin C to the growth medium. In contrast, the expression of tcdAB (or the homologoustcaABC operon) with no recombinant tccChomolog in a different P. luminescensstrain, K122, is sufficient to confer oral toxicity on this strain, which is otherwise not orally toxic. We therefore infer thatP. luminescens K122 carries a functionaltccC-like homolog within its own genome, a hypothesis supported by Southern analysis. Recombinant toxins from bothP. luminescens K122 and E.coli were purified as high-molecular-weight particulate preparations. Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) images of these particulate preparations showed that the expression oftcdAB (either with or without tccC) inE. coli produces visible ∼25-nm-long complexes with a head and tail-like substructure. These data are consistent with a model whereby TcdAB constitutes the majority of the complex visible under TEM and TccC either is a toxin itself or is an activator of the complex. The implications for the potential mode of action of the toxin complex genes are discussed.
Integrated-Jitter PVT-Insensitive Injection-Locked Clock Multiplier Using All-Digital Continuous Frequency-Tracking Loop in 65 nm CMOS

Sub-harmonically injection locked oscillators provide a simple means for generating very-low-noise high-frequency clocks in a power, and area efficient manner [1-5]. Ideally, a free-running oscillator can be locked to the N harmonic of a reference clock simply by injecting narrow pulses at reference frequency (FREF) into the oscillator, such that FOUT=NFREF. In the locked state, the oscillator tracks the reference clock and its close-in phase noise is greatly suppressed. As such, the phase noise of an injection-locked clock multiplier (ILCM) is limited only by the noise of reference clock. However, in practice, there are several design challenges that limit usage of ILCMs. First, lock-in range (ΔFL) of the injection-locked oscillator is limited. Therefore, separate frequency tuning, typically performed using a phase-locked loop (PLL) is needed to bring the oscillator free-running frequency (FFR) to be within the lock-in range, i.e., FERR= FFR-NFREF<ΔFL [5]. If FERR≠ 0 (but <ΔFL), injection ensures phase locking but causes a reference spur whose magnitude is proportional to FERR [1]. The second major challenge is the voltage and temperature (VT) sensitivity of ILCM. FERR increases as FFR drifts due to VT variations, which degrades phase noise and spurious performance and may even lead to loss of lock once FERR exceeds ΔFL [4]. This is especially problematic in the case of high-Q LC oscillators because of their relatively small ΔFL. Techniques to extend ΔFL by reducing N or lowering Q are undesirable as smaller N mandates higher FREF and lower Q incurs a large power penalty.
Pharmacologic Treatment of Central Post-Stroke Pain

ObjectivesAlmost 100 years after the first report of the thalamic syndrome, the scientific basis for the treatment of central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is remarkably small. Therefore, the authors aimed to provide evidence-based recommendations for the treatment of CPSP. MethodsThe authors performed a systematic review of the literature on the pharmacologic treatment of CPSP. All studies and case series were included and evaluated according to their level of evidence. Only CPSP was considered, not other types of central pain. ResultsAmitriptyline and lamotrigine are the only oral drugs proven to be effective in the treatment of CPSP in a placebo-controlled study. IV drugs such as lidocaine, propofol, and ketamine have shown efficacy for short-term control of CPSP, but their application and potential side effects make them unsuitable for long-term treatment. The novel antiepileptic drug gabapentin has been reported to control CPSP in a few patients. ConclusionsAmitriptyline, lamotrigine, and gabapentin provide a more favorable efficacy and safety profile than the classic antiepileptic drugs carbamazepine and phenytoin, for which no placebo-controlled evidence of efficacy was found. Clinical trials are urgently needed to optimize pharmacologic treatment of CPSP.
Cooperative Amplify-and-Forward Beamforming with Multiple Multi-Antenna Relays

In this paper, we consider beamforming (BF) for cooperative networks with one multi-antenna source, multiple multi-antenna amplify-and-forward (AF) relays, and one single-antenna destination. The source BF vector and the AF-BF matrices at the relays are optimized for maximization of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the destination under three different power constraints. In particular, we consider individual relay power constraints, a joint relay power constraint, and a joint power constraint for the source and the relays. We solve the associated optimization problems in two stages. In the first stage, we find the optimal AF-BF matrices for a given BF vector at the source. For the cases of individual and joint relay power constraints, closed-form solutions for the AF-BF matrices are provided, respectively. Furthermore, for the case of a joint source-relay power constraint, the AF-BF matrices are obtained in closed form up to a scalar power allocation factor and an efficient numerical algorithm for the power allocation between the source and the relays is given. In the second stage, the optimal source BF vectors are computed. Thereby, we show that for the joint relay and the joint source-relay power constraints, the resulting problem can be transformed into a non-convex polynomial programming problem which allows for an exact solution for small-scale networks. For large-scale networks and networks with individual relay power constraints, we propose efficient suboptimal optimization methods for the source BF vector. Simulation results show the benefits of having multiple antennas at the source and/or multiple multi-antenna relays and illustrate the performance differences introduced by the three different power constraints.
Assessment of Upper Extremity Function in Multiple Sclerosis: Review and Opinion

Abstract Upper extremity (UE) dysfunction may be present in up to ˜80% of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), although its importance may be under-recognized relative to walking impairment, which is the hallmark symptom of MS. Upper extremity dysfunction affects independence and can impact the ability to use walking aids. Under-recognition of UE dysfunction may result in part from limited availability of performance-based and patient self-report measures that are validated for use in MS and that can be readily incorporated into clinical practice for screening and regularly scheduled assessments. In addition to the 9-Hole Peg Test, which is part of the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite, there are several performance-based measures that are generally used in the rehabilitation setting. These measures include the Box and Block Test, the Action Research Arm Test, the Test d'Evaluation de la performance des Membres Supérieurs des Personnes Agées, and the Jebsen-Taylor Test of Hand Function. Several of these measures were developed for use in stroke, although in contrast to stroke, which is characterized by unilateral dysfunction, UE impairment in MS is generally bilateral, and should be assessed as such. Similarly, patient-reported UE measures are available, including Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) and its shorter version, QuickDASH, the Manual Ability Measure, and ABILHAND, although none has been psychometrically validated for MS. Recently, item response theory was used to develop a Neuro-QOL (Quality of Life) UE measure and a Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System UE measure; neither of these have demonstrated sensitivity to change, limiting their use for longitudinal assessment. Consequently, although work is still needed to develop and validate performance-based and patient-reported measures of UE function that are suitable for use in daily MS clinical practice, currently available UE measures can be recommended for incorporation into MS management, albeit with an understanding of their limitations.
A mannose‐binding protein from the cell surface of flocculent Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3528): its role in flocculation

A cell surface lectin was isolated and purified to homogeneity from the cell walls of a highly flocculent strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (NCIM 3528) by chromatography on DEAE‐cellulose, phenyl Sepharose and Sephacryl S‐300. It showed a molecular mass of 40 kDa on SDS–PAGE. It is an acidic protein with a pI of 4.0 and contains 44% hydrophobic amino acids. The N‐terminal sequence up to 10 amino acid residues showed at least 70% homology with the predicted N‐terminal sequence of the putative FLO1 as well as FLO5 gene products. The mannose‐binding nature of the lectin was indicated by its high affinity and specificity towards the branched trisaccharide of mannose, a ligand which also inhibits the flocculation of yeast cells. Immunofluorescence studies confirmed the presence of lectin on the yeast cell surface and lectin‐specific IgGs prevented flocculation of the cells. This cell surface mannose‐specific lectin probably plays an important role in flocculation, with the branched trimannoside on the cell wall being the apparent carbohydrate receptor. The N‐terminal sequence data gives a primary indication that the lectin could be a product of one of the FLO genes. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Growth/Predation Risk Trade‐Off: So What Is the Mechanism?

Among damselflies in natural lakes, Ischnura species grow faster than coexisting Enallagma species, but Enallagma species have higher survival under predation than Ischnura species. This growth/predation risk trade‐off apparently allows these taxa to coexist in ponds and lakes across the Holarctic. However, laboratory studies presented here show that the mechanism assumed by most theoretical and empirical studies to mediate this trade‐off, namely activity simultaneously modulating foraging returns and predation risk, does not operate in this system. Ischnura verticalis larvae were more active than larvae of Enallagma species in a short‐term behavioral experiment, which explains why Ischnura experiences greater mortality from predation. However, this greater activity did not translate into higher feeding rates. Ischnura verticalis and Enallagma species ate comparable amounts of food in both the short‐term behavioral experiment and a longer feeding and digestion experiment. In spite of no difference in the amount of food ingested or assimilated, I. verticalis larvae grew faster than Enallagma larvae because they were better able to physiologically convert assimilated food into their own biomass in the presence of mortality threats. From these studies we understand the phenotypic mechanisms determining the antagonistic patterns of relative growth and survival between these two genera, but why these patterns exist remains unclear.
Interleukin‐2 transfected prostate cancer cells generate a local antitumor effect in vivo

In an effort to stimulate host‐mediated antitumor response against prostate cancer in an animal model, highly malignant Dunning MAT‐LyLu rat prostate carcinoma cells were transfected with the interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) cDNA, resulting in their ability to secrete large amounts of biologically active IL‐2. Although parental cells form lethal tumors when injected subcutaneously into syngeneic hosts at doses of ≥5,000, injections of IL‐2 secreting cells initially formed tumors and regressed completely in each of over 200 animals at all doses tested (104‐8 × 107 cells). Mixtures of parental and IL‐2 transfected cells were similarly rejected, demonstrating the non‐cell autonomous nature of the response. Histological analysis of regressing tumors revealed a vigorous, predominantly lymphocytic and macrophage infiltrate at day 2 and marked tumor necrosis by day 6. Immunohistochemical staining of infiltrating lymphocytes at this latter time point demonstrated numerous T cells bearing either CD4 or CD8 surface markers, suggesting these cells as possibly mediating the tumor rejection. The ability of athymic mice to reject the IL‐2 secreting tumor cells, however, suggests a non‐T‐cell‐mediated mechanism. Although splenic natural killer (NK) activity is increased following injection of IL2 secreting tumor cells, this activity appears to be unnecessary for tumor elimination since syngeneic animals injected with asialo‐GM1 antiserum to decrease NK activity also rejected IL‐2 transfected cells, albeit slightly less effectively than untreated animals. Immunization of animals with subcutaneous injections of IL‐2 transfected cells protected animals against a subsequent challenge of 104 wild‐type cells 1 to 2 weeks later in 19 of 51 cases; however, immunization did not confer protection against larger doses of parental tumor. These studies indicate that high local concentrations of IL‐2 stimulate the elimination of large local burdens of prostate cancer in this model system, and this elimination results in a weak, but detectable systemic immune response against wild‐type prostate cancer cells. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A design of optimal overlay system

In this paper, the optimal design of a wideband overlay system is considered for communications over a white Gaussian noise channel corrupted by the signal from an existing system. Under the assumptions that the symbol transmission rate of the new system is an integer multiple of that of the existing system and that the transmit filter is time invariant, the optimum transmitter and receiver waveforms are derived that jointly minimize the average mean-squared error (MSE) at the output of the linear receiver of the new system. It is shown that this joint optimization technique leads to significant performance improvement through complete interference avoidance over the overlay systems with receiver-only optimization, and over those with no transmitter and receiver optimization. It is also shown that, if the existing system does not induce any self interference, the derived solution reduces to the generalized Nyquist condition for no mutual as well as self interference. The case where the symbol transmission rate of the existing system is an integer multiple of that of the new system is also briefly discussed.
Evolution of reporting and control for churches and charities in the United States: A study of the Southern Baptist Convention Annuals, 1845–2010

From its inception in 1845, the Southern Baptist Convention has always had a theologically-based stewardship focus regarding its donated funds and developed financial controls early on that required audits and bonding of church officials. This stewardship focus has been maintained over its 165-year history. Finally, the Convention’s Meeting Annuals show a comprehensive view of the evolution of accounting control and reporting for religious and secular not-for-profit organizations from simple double entry accounting methods to more sophisticated GAAP-based financial reporting.
Two-hour postprandial test versus one-hour, fifty-gram glucola test as screening tools for gestational diabetes: a critical analysis.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare 2-hour postprandial glucose measurements with the standard 1-hour, 50 gm glucola screen as a predictor of gestational diabetes. STUDY DESIGN In this prospective study, 448 patients were screened for gestational diabetes mellitus after 20 weeks' gestation. Each patient was instructed to ingest a meal containing at least 100 gm of carbohydrate, and 2 hours later a plasma glucose level was obtained. Shortly after, each patient was given 50 gm glucola followed by a 1-hour glucose measurement. If either screen showed a result of 140 mg/dl or more, a formal 3-hour glucose tolerance test was done. Data were analyzed with use of the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS Of the 448 patients screened, 39 (8.7%) had a screening result of 140 mg/dl or greater and 16 (3.6%) of these had gestational diabetes mellitus. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the 1-hour glucose screen was more predictive of gestational diabetes than the postmeal assessment. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (plus or minus the SEM) for the 1-hour glucose test was 0.746 +/- 0.086 (p < 0.005) whereas the 2-hour postprandial test produced an area of 0.524 +/- 0.097 (p = NS). The range of optimal 1-hour glucola discriminatory values was 182 to 190 mg/dl. Thus the critical cutoff value of the 1-hour glucola test that minimizes false-positive results and maximizes true-positive screening for gestational diabetes is 182 mg/dl or greater. CONCLUSIONS The 1-hour glucola test is a reliable screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus whereas the 2-hour post-prandial test is not.
Cycles, double-cycles d'interactions et modes de mise à jour

Qu'il s'agisse de notre vie quotidienne a travers les reseaux sociaux, de ce qui constitue notre essence avec les reseaux de regulation biologique, ou meme du monde physique auquel nous appartenons et des systemes de particules qui le constituent, nous sommes tous concernes de tres pres par les reseaux d'interactions. Or, les connaissances acquises a leur sujet ne sont que tres partielles et il semble aujourd'hui necessaire, ou tout du moins utile, de mieux apprehender et comprendre leurs proprietes intrinseques, et notamment les relations entre leur architecture et leur dynamique ainsi que leur rapport au \og temps \fg{}. En considerant comme modele general de reseaux d'interactions les reseaux d'automates booleens, nous presentons dans cet article une synthese de resultats recents sur le role de la presence de cycles de retroaction et de leurs intersections sur leur comportement asymptotique, en mettant notamment en avant l'influence des modes de mise a jour des automates.