Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fluoxetine for Motor Recovery After Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial

Hemiplegia and hemiparesis are the most common deficits caused by stroke. A few small clinical trials suggest that Fluoxetine enhances motor recovery but its clinical efficacy is unknown in our setting. A randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted at Neurology and medicine ward of Chittagong Medical College Hospital from 1/1/2013 to 31/12/2013. One hundred and twenty eight patients, aged between 40-60 years with a diagnosis of acute ischaemic stroke who fulfilled the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected for the study. Eligible patients were randomly assigned, using a simple lottery method, in a 1:1 ratio to Fluoxetine (20 mg once per day, orally) or placebo group for 3 months starting within 10 days after the onset of stroke. The primary outcome was the mean change in the Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI) score between inclusion (day 0) and day 90. RMI score was significantly changed from D 0 to D 90 in Fluoxetine group in comparison to placebo group (p <.001) and mean (±SD) improvement of RMI score in 90 days were significantly greater in the Fluoxetine group, than in the placebo group [7.08 (±3.26) vs. 4.40 (±2.53)]. Patients treated with Fluoxetine were nearly 3.2 times more likely to show motor improvement than placebo group and the NNT was 2. In patients with acute ischaemic stroke and with motor deficit, the early administration of Fluoxetine with physiotherapy enhanced motor recovery after 3 months.
Prognostic value of heart rate variability during long-term follow-up in patients with mild to moderate heart failure. The Dutch Ibopamine Multicenter Trial Study Group.

OBJECTIVES We sought to assess the prognostic value of heart rate variability measures, including Poincaré plots, in patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure. BACKGROUND Mortality is high in patients with heart failure, and many of them die suddenly. However, identification of high risk patients, particularly those with an increased risk for sudden death, has remained difficult. METHODS We studied 95 patients with heart failure (mean [+/- SD] age 60 +/- 8 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 0.29 +/- 0.09, New York Heart Association functional class II [81%] and III [19%]) during up to 4 years of follow-up. Heart rate variability measures and Poincaré plots were obtained from 24-h Holter recordings. RESULTS During follow-up, 17 (18%) of the 95 patients died. In 15 patients, death was cardiac related (11 patients experienced sudden death). None of the conventional time and frequency domain measures of heart rate variability were related to survival. In contrast, abnormal Poincaré plots identified a significantly higher risk for all-cause cardiac death (Cox proportional hazards ratio 5.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 20.6, univariate analysis) and for sudden cardiac death (hazards ratio 6.8, 95% CI 1.5 to 31.4) compared with those with normal Poincaré plots. Patients with abnormal Poincaré plots were shown to have a lower left ventricular ejection fraction (0.26 +/- 0.10 vs. 0.31 +/- 0.08, p < 0.05) and higher plasma norepinephrine concentrations (506 +/- 207 pg/ml vs. 411 +/- 175 pg/ml, p < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, abnormal Poincaré plots still had independent prognostic value, both for all-cause cardiac mortality and for sudden cardiac death (hazards ratio 5.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 17.1, hazards ratio 4.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 27.5, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Heart rate variability analysis, as assessed by Poincaré plots, has independent prognostic value in patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure and identifies an increased risk for all-cause and sudden cardiac death in these patients.
Albuminuria as a predictor of cardiovascular and renal outcomes in people with known atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND Microalbuminuria predicts elevated cardiovascular risk in those with and without diabetes. In diabetes, microalbuminuria also heralds overt diabetic nephropathy. The predictive value of albuminuria below the microalbuminuria cutoff, and the development of overt nephropathy in nondiabetics with microalbuminuria, have not been well studied. We review findings of the HOPE Study. METHODS The HOPE Study database includes data on first morning urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in 9043 participants at baseline, and in 7674 participants at baseline and at last follow-up. Inclusion criteria were known vascular disease or diabetes, plus one other cardiovascular risk factor; exclusion criteria included heart failure or known impaired left ventricular function, dipstick-positive proteinuria (> 1+), and serum-creatinine > 2.3 mg/dL (200 micromol/L). Microalbuminuria was defined as an ACR > or = 2 mg/mmol. RESULTS Microalbuminuria at baseline approximately doubled the relative risk (RR) of the primary outcome (myocardial infarction, stroke, or CV death). For every 1 mg/mmol rise of ACR, even below the level of microalbuminuria, the adjusted hazard of the primary outcome increased by about 15%. Baseline microalbuminuria predicted subsequent clinical proteinuria, RR 17.5, similarly in participants without and with diabetes. New microalbuminuria developed in 1542 participants, and clinical proteinuria in 317. CONCLUSION Albuminuria is a continuous risk factor for CV events even below the level of microalbuminuria. Microalbuminuria predicts clinical proteinuria in nondiabetics.
T Cell Receptor V ~ Repertoire in an Acute Infection of Rhesus Monkeys with Simian Immunodeficiency Viruses and a Chimeric Simian-Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Changes in T cell receptor (TCR) V/3 repertoire and their correlation with virologic events were investigated in rhesus monkeys after acute infection with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). 11 genetically defined rhesus monkeys were experimentally infected with SIVm~ or a chimeric simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), and their peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and lymph nodes were prospectively assessed for TCR V~ gene expression. PBL and lymph nodes of the acutely infected monkeys demonstrated an expansion of selected V~-expressing T lymphocyte subpopulations as early as 3 d after infection. These expanded V/~-expressing lymphocyte subpopulations were comprised predominantly of CD8+ cells. Six of seven infected monkeys sharing a single electrophoreticaUy defined major histocompatibility complex class I allele exhibited a similar expansion of VB14-expressing PBL. Sequence analyses of V-D-J segments of TCR-fl cDNA indicated that the VB-expressing T cell subpopulation expansion can be oligoclonal. SIVm,c-specific CDS+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes were demonstrated in both PBL and lymph nodes of the infected monkeys at the time expansion of the selected V3-expressing cell subpopulations was seen. Finally, the expansion of the selected V3-expressing lymphocytes in PBL coincided with the emergence and clearance of SIV p27 from the plasma of the infected monkeys. These results demonstrate that acute infection of rhesus monkeys with SIVm~ or SHIV results in an expansion of CD8 + lymphocyte subpopulations expressing selected V3 gene families. The selectively expanded T lymphocytes may contribute to early viral clearance after acute SIVmac or SHIV infection.
The First of the Month Effect: Consumer Behavior and Store Responses

Previous research has used survey and diary data to carefully document that Food Stamp recipients decrease their expenditures and consumption of food throughout the benefit month, the beginning of which is defined by the date on which benefits are distributed. The reliance on survey and diary data has meant that researchers could not test two rational hypotheses for why food consumption cycles. Using detailed grocery store scanner data we ask 1) whether cycling is due to a desire for variation in foods consumed that leads to substitution across product quality within the month and 2) whether cycling is driven by countercyclical pricing by grocery retailers. We find support for neither of these hypotheses. We find that the decrease in food expenditures is largely driven by reductions in food quantity, not quality, and that prices for foods purchased by benefit households vary pro-cyclically with demand implying that benefit households could save money by delaying their food purchases until later in the month. The price effects are small relative to demand changes and relative to impacts found for other subsidy programs such as EITC, suggesting that most of the benefits accrue to the intended recipients particularly in product categories and stores where benefit recipients represent a small fraction of overall demand. We conclude by concurring with previous literature that food cycling behavior is most likely due to short-run impatience.
The effects of forward light scattering on the multifocal electroretinogram

Purpose. To study the effects of forward light scattering on the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Methods. Thirty young normal subjects were recruited for this study. The mfERG was measured under five conditions. (1) no light scattering (stimulus contrast 93%), (2) mild light scattering (stimulus contrast 80%), (3) moderate light scattering (stimulus contrast 50%), (4) no light scattering (stimulus contrast 80%), and (5) no light scattering (stimulus contrast 50%). Results. The amplitudes of N1 and P1 from the central retina did not change significantly, but the amplitudes of N1 and P1 in the mid peripheral retina increased with the increase of forward light scattering. By comparing conditions 1, 4 and 5, it was shown that the amplitudes of N1 and P1 decreased at all eccentricities when stimulus contrast reduced from 93% to 50%. Conclusions. This study suggests that the topography and waveform of the mfERG could be affected by forward light scattering.
Immune deficiencies, aplastic anemia and abnormalities of lymphoid tissue in thymoma.

THERE is a wealth of clinical information documenting the association of thymoma with a variety of disorders of the hematopoietic1 2 3 and lymphoid systems, immunoglobulin metabolism4 5 6 and neuromuscular transmission.7 , 8 Although recent studies have emphasized the crucial role of the thymus in the ontogeny of the lymphoid system, and in the genesis and modulation of the immune response,9 , 10 there is still no clear understanding of the relation between the pathologically altered thymus and the diverse clinical derangements that often accompany it. This report presents a case of thymoma and associated hematologic and immunologic disorders whose clinical and histologic features appear in several .
Reglas de Fijación de Precios de los Productores Colombianos: Evidencia a partir de los Modelos de Duración con Micro Datos del IPP

En este articulo se estudia la habilidad de las reglas de precios dependientes del tiempo y del estado para explicar la probabilidad de que las firmas Colombianas cambien los precios. Para este proposito, se utilizan los precios recolectados por el Banco de la Republica en el calculo del Indice de Precios del Productor durante el periodo junio de 1990 a diciembre de 2006. El analisis se basa en la metodologia semiparametrica de la funcion hazard constante por tramos, para verificar por la dependencia del tiempo, y en los modelos de duracion de riesgos en competencia, que distingue entre incrementos y disminuciones de precios, para probar por la dependencia del estado. Adicionalmente, se controla la heterogeneidad realizando la estimacion en cada uno de los 213 estratos homogeneos conformados. Los resultados se pueden resumir en: 1) Aproximadamente, un tercio de los estratos tienen reglas dependientes del tiempo. Adicionalmente, la funcion hazard de referencia de las rachas de precios no es decreciente en el 70% de los estratos. 2) Existe heterogeneidad en la forma, el nivel de la funcion hazard y en el impacto de la inflacion sectorial acumulada sobre la probabilidad de cambiar los precios. 3) hay evidencia de dependencia del estado en el 60% de los casos en los que los precios disminuyeron. 4) Se observa asimetria en el efecto de la inflacion sectorial acumulada sobre la probabilidad de cambiar los precios cuando se distinguen incrementos y disminuciones de precios.
COIN FREQUENCIES IN SIXTH AND SEVENTH CENTURY PALESTINE AND ARABIA: SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS

Large scale excavations at the ancient urban sites of Pella and Jarash (Gerasa) in Jordan have produced a statistically viable body of data on coin supply and circulation in Byzantine and early Islamic Palestine and Arabia. A comparison of the copper coins (folles and fractions) recovered at these sites reveals consistent trends, notably a major increase in supply during the reigns of Justin I and especially Justin II. After Justin II (d. 578) there is a marked decline in the supply and circulation of copper coins, even taking into account fluctuating production levels and quality of folles in the later sixth and seventh centuries. The presence of a greater number of mints suggests no major consignments but only the local circulation of coins. A minor improvement in coinage levels at Pella in the late sixth to early seventh century may reflect the growing local strategic importance of the town. Support for this explanation can be seen in the expansion of Pella's Byzantine fort and, soon after, the important battle between the Islamic and Byzantine armies in 635.
Tratamiento de la ficción especulativa en las editoriales independientes argentinas

La ficcion especulativa y las politicas editoriales conforman en Argentina dos campos de estudio con sus propias tradiciones bibliograficas, cuyo entrecruzamiento ha sido raro o mas bien nulo. Paradojicamente, es en la ficcion especulativa donde mas resulta indispensable analizar el influjo de la industria editorial en el origen y conformacion de un genero. “More than in any other popular genre, and for that matter more than in most publishing in general, sf’s editors and publishers have from the beginning played a highly visible and sometimes controversial role in the evolution and ideology of the field and its readership” (Wolfe 2003: 96). Los generos englobados por la llamada ficcion especulativa son principalmente la ciencia ficcion, el fantastico y el horror, asi como tambien el relato utopico, apocaliptico o de historia alternativa; pertenecen a los llamados generos marginales o masivos, los cuales han sido objeto del rescate historico, la valoracion critica y la reflexion teorica a partir de la decada del ’60 (Garcia 1999). La aplicacion del hiperonimo speculative fiction se realiza durante la misma epoca; por un lado, como un modo de escapar al encasillamiento y de acceder a un mayor reconocimiento de su valor literario; por el otro, como un aglutinador de mecanismos similares de generacion de discursos. De igual forma, el termino sf no funciona como una sigla inequivoca: es precisamente su polivalencia lo que le concede utilidad. La necesidad de un termino unificador proviene de un imperativo de la industria para referirse a la totalidad de su propia produccion. Aun asi, el entrecruzamiento critico entre la ficcion especulativa argentina y las politicas editoriales ha constituido un objeto solo en las notas al pie o en referencias ocasionales. Resulta sintomatico el por demas completo trabajo de Guillermo Garcia
Variable Length Coding for GPU-Based Direct Volume Rendering

The sheer size of volume data sampled in a regular grid requires efficient lossless and lossy compression algorithms that allow for on-the-fly decompression during rendering. While all hardware assisted approaches are based on fixed bit rate block truncation coding, they suffer from degradation in regions of high variation while wasting space in homogeneous areas. On the other hand, vector quantization approaches using texture hardware achieve an even distribution of error in the entire volume at the cost of storing overlapping blocks or bricks. However, these approaches suffer from severe blocking artifacts that need to be smoothed over during rendering. In contrast to existing approaches, we propose to build a lossy compression scheme on top of a state-of-the-art lossless compression approach built on non-overlapping bricks by combining it with straight forward vector quantization. Due to efficient caching and load balancing, the rendering performance of our approach improves with the compression rate and can achieve interactive to real-time frame rates even at full HD resolution.
Amino acids induce expression of BAP2, a branched-chain amino acid permease gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Branched-chain amino acid uptake in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is mediated by at least three transport systems: the general amino acid permease Gap1p, the branched-chain amino acid permease Bap2p, and one or more so far unknown permeases. Regulation of the transcription of BAP2 is mainly subject to the presence of certain amino acids in the medium. The level of transcription is low during growth on a minimal medium with proline as the sole nitrogen source. As assayed with a lacZ fusion, the level of transcription is slightly higher (3-fold) on a minimal medium with ammonium ions as a nitrogen source, and transcription is induced about 20-fold by addition of leucine (0.2 mM). As little as 10 microM leucine causes a fivefold induction. Addition of (L)-leucine to minimal proline medium, on the other hand, has no effect on BAP2 transcription. The two known permeases for transport of branched-chain amino acids, Gap1p and Bap2p, are thus not active at the same time. The BAP2 promoter contains one or two putative Gcn4p binding sites and one putative Leu3p binding site. None of the three is needed for induction by leucine. Induction of BAP2 transcription by leucine is accompanied by an increase in branched-chain amino acid uptake. This elevation is interpreted to be partly the result of an increased level of the Bap2p permease in the plasma membrane, because deletion of BAP2 slightly decreases the induction of uptake. There is still a leucine-inducible increase in branched-chain amino acid uptake in a delta gap1 delta bap2 strain, indicating that BAP2 shares leucine induction with at least one remaining branched-chain amino acid-transporting permease.
Feature Interaction as a Context Sharing Problem

We argue that the feature interaction problem arises primarily from sharing of context and hence features should be structured and analysed through a notation that makes context explicit. We support this argument with three sets of evidence. Firstly, we express feature interaction through Zave and Jackson’s entailment relation. With the entailment relation, we structure a feature as a relation between three sets of descriptions: requirement, context, and specification. We show that feature interactions arise due to shared context. Secondly, we examine the literature on sources of feature interactions and conclude that inconsistencies between requirements are ultimately manifested on shared context. Finally, we study feature interaction taxonomies and show that in the characterisation of feature interactions in taxonomies, context sharing is central.
Bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity in monocytic and myelomonocytic leukemia with hyperlysozymemia.

Twenty-two sera of patients with monocytic and myelomonocytic leukemia with a high level of lysozyme were found to have higher bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity toward Escherichia coli strain “Lilly” and toward other microorganisms than sera of healthy individuals. The difference was most pronounced in the early stages of lysis and was related in part to the levels of lysozyme and complement. The most active sera were those with normal complement and elevated lysozyme. No relationship to the levels of immunoglobulins or transferrin was detected. Patients in remission and whose serum lysozyme level was normal had lower bacteriolytic activity than sera in the acute stage of the disease when the serum lysozyme level was high. It seems, therefore, that leukemic patients with high serum lysozyme may have higher than normal bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity against some microorganisms. This observation correlates well with the finding that patients with high-lysozyme leukemia suffer less from infections than those with normal or low lysozyme. The addition of pure human lysozyme to normal sera enhanced their bacteriolytic and bactericidal activity. The addition of various chemotherapeutic agents to normal human serum did not influence antibacterial activity against E. coli Lilly.
0.13 μm modular BCD technology enable to embedding high density E2PROM, RF and hall sensor suitable for IoT application

In this paper, we develop 0.13 μm BCD technology which gives best-in-class LDMOS transistors rated up to 30V with ultra-low leakage logic device. Based on this process, high density EEPROM with the cell size of 0.645 μm2 and RF devices such as varactor and inductor are integrated. Also, high reliable Hall sensor family can be added. Total Photo mask layers are only 33 for 5 metallization.
Peripheral Neuropathies and Pelvic Pain: Diagnosis and Management

Introduction Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is often assumed visceral in origin by patients and physicians alike. It is common for patients with low lateral pain to present with such chief complaints as “my ovary hurts,” or “my endometriosis is back. ” Unfortunately, many gynecologists will reinforce these assumptions without a critical analysis of the history or without ruling out a somatic pelvic pain etiology by physical examination. Many complex pelvic pain patients will have suffered multiple pelvic surgeries, including adnexectomy or hysterectomy, only to continue experiencing the same pain for which she originally sought relief. These patients may be experiencing somatic neuropathic pain. Unlike visceral nerves, the somatic nerves are very accessible. Diagnosis of their role in pain generation is by history, physical examination, and nerve blocks. An awareness of peripheral neuropathies as an etiology of CPP may avoid inappropriate surgery. Even the most skilled clinicians may be doomed to failure if they omit appropriate somatic nerve screening before surgical treatment of CPP. Careful abdominal wall examination to look for trigger points and areas of abnormal skin sensation should be performed before bimanual examination. It is important to recognize that many tissue layers are palpated during bimanual examination—both visceral and somatic. Tenderness on bimanual examination doesn’t equate to visceral pathology. When these components are not isolated, somatic pain generators will be misdiagnosed as ovarian, uterine, or bladder pathology. The entire peripheral nerve could be etiologic or an isolated neuromotor unit. Trigger points will manifest as areas of discrete hyperalgesia. When palpated with Correspondence: Brookwood Women’s Medical Center, 2006 Brookwood Medical Center Drive, Birmingham, AL. E-mail: cpperry@aol.com CLINICAL OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY Volume 46, Number 4, 789–796 © 2003, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.