Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Airway Microbiota in Severe Asthma and Relationship to Asthma Severity and Phenotypes

Background The lower airways harbor a community of bacterial species which is altered in asthma. Objectives We examined whether the lower airway microbiota were related to measures of asthma severity. Methods We prospectively recruited 26 severe asthma, 18 non-severe asthma and 12 healthy subjects. DNA was extracted from induced sputum and PCR amplification of the V3-V5 region of bacterial 16S rRNA gene was performed. Results We obtained 138,218 high quality sequences which were rarefied at 133 sequences/sample. Twenty OTUs had sequences ≥1% of total. There were marked differences in the distribution of Phyla between groups (P = 2.8x10-118). Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria were reduced in non-severe and severe asthmatic groups. Proteobacteria were more common in non-severe asthmatics compared to controls (OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.94–2.64) and Firmicutes were increased in severe asthmatics compared to controls (OR = 2.15; 95%CI = 1.89–2.45). Streptococcal OTUs amongst the Firmicutes were associated with recent onset asthma, rhinosinusitis and sputum eosinophilia. Conclusions Sputum microbiota in severe asthma differs from healthy controls and non-severe asthmatics, and is characterized by the presence of Streptococcus spp with eosinophilia. Whether these organisms are causative for the pathophysiology of asthma remains to be determined.
Determinants of Acceptance of Routine Voluntary Human Immunodeficiency Virus Testing in an Inner-City Prenatal Population

Routine voluntary prenatal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) counseling and testing offer the opportunity to encourage reduction of high-risk behaviors among uninfected women and to identify those women with asymptomatic HIV infection. To characterize the determinants of acceptance of routinely offered and encouraged HIV testing in inner-city parturients in Atlanta, we identified two groups of women, one that declined HIV testing and another that accepted testing. Each group was asked to complete a questionnaire designed to assess the effectiveness of pre-test counseling. During the 7-month study period, 4731 women registered for prenatal care and 4574 (97%) consented to HIV testing. Nearly all women stated that they were not pressured into having HIV testing performed. Women who accepted HIV testing were more likely to be young, black, and single (P<.001) and less likely to have received education beyond high school (P<.05). More accepters than decliners thought the HIV counseling session was valuable (97 versus 91%; P=.04); 55% of accepters agreed to antibody testing because of concern about the risk of transmitting HIV infection to their fetus or infant. More accepters than decliners indicated a willingness to have HIV testing in a future pregnancy (74 versus 33%; P<.001). These data suggest that most inner-city parturients in our institution view routine voluntary HIV counseling as a valuable component of their prenatal care.
Allopurinol safely and effectively optimises thiopurine metabolites in patients with autoimmune hepatitis

Ten percent of patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) are nonresponsive or intolerant to thiopurine therapy. A skewed metabolism, leading to the preferential generation of (hepato)toxic thiopurine metabolites (6‐MMPs) instead of the metabolic active 6‐tioguanine (thioguanine) nucleotides (6‐TGNs), may explain this unfavourable outcome. Co‐administration of allopurinol to low‐dose thiopurine therapy may effectively revert this deviant metabolism, as has been shown in inflammatory bowel disease.
Characteristics of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor for Material Treatment

This work reports the development of atmospheric pressure plasma reactor with dielectric barrier discharge DBD for material treatment. The DBD discharge has been generated in planar geometry reactor powered by ac voltage provided by conventional high voltage transformer. The dielectric barrier consisted of two glass slabs, which cover both reactor electrodes. The air discharge gap between the dielectric layers was varied from 1.0 to 3.0mm. The power consumption of the DBD reactor was evaluated by the Lissajous figures method. The optimization of reactor geometry for material processing is discussed.
Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses after successful curative therapy: a case report and literature review

Abstract This report describes a 40-year-old male patient with symptoms affecting the nasal sinuses including nasal obstruction and olfactory anesthesia. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated that the tumor eroded the adjacent bone and bilateral frontal lobes. The biopsy sample of the left nasal mass was processed for both H&E staining and immunohistological staining for various markers. The final histological examination showed large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma with poor differentiation. After a general evaluation, the patient was staged as cT4bN0M0. The patient was treated by combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The treatment yielded almost complete remission, and after 10 months of follow-up, no distant organ metastasis or recurrence in the primary tumor region was detected.We report this rare case and review the current literature of this tumor.
Essential PchG-Dependent Reduction in Pyochelin Biosynthesis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

ABSTRACT The biosynthetic genes pchDCBA and pchEF, which are known to be required for the formation of the siderophore pyochelin and its precursors salicylate and dihydroaeruginoate (Dha), are clustered with the pchR regulatory gene on the chromosome of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The 4.6-kb region located downstream of the pchEF genes was found to contain three additional, contiguous genes, pchG, pchH, and pchI, probably forming a pchEFGHI operon. The deduced amino acid sequences of PchH and PchI are similar to those of ATP binding cassette transport proteins with an export function. PchG is a homolog of the Yersinia pestis and Y. enterocolitica proteins YbtU and Irp3, which are involved in the biosynthesis of yersiniabactin. A null mutation in pchGabolished pyochelin formation, whereas mutations inpchH and pchI did not affect the amounts of salicylate, Dha, and pyochelin produced. The pyochelin biosynthetic genes were expressed from a vector promoter, uncoupling them from Fur-mediated repression by iron and PchR-dependent induction by pyochelin. In a P. aeruginosa mutant lacking the entire pyochelin biosynthetic gene cluster, the expressed pchDCBA and pchEFG genes were sufficient for salicylate, Dha, and pyochelin production. Pyochelin formation was also obtained in the heterologous hostEscherichia coli expressing pchDCBA andpchEFG together with the E. coli entD gene, which provides a phosphopantetheinyl transferase necessary for PchE and PchF activation. The PchG protein was purified and used in combination with PchD and phosphopantetheinylated PchE and PchF in vitro to produce pyochelin from salicylate, l-cysteine, ATP, NADPH, and S-adenosylmethionine. Based on this assay, a reductase function was attributed to PchG. In summary, this study completes the identification of the biosynthetic genes required for pyochelin formation from chorismate in P. aeruginosa.
Mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) in the human conjunctiva

The recent description of conjunctival lymphomas with features of lymphomas that arise in mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) infers the presence of MALT in the human conjunctiva. Some authors suggest that organized MALT is found in the normal human conjunctiva, but others disagree. In order to resolve this problem, we have examined the conjunctival fornix from unselected autopsies with no prior history of conjunctival or ocular disease for the presence of organized MALT. In only 31 per cent of cases was organized lymphoid tissue found with the morphological and immunophenotypic features of MALT. This finding suggests that MALT is not found in the normal human conjunctiva but is acquired during life in a proportion of apparently asymptomatic individuals.
Measurement of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction by Mechanical Cross-Sectional Echocardiography

Cross-sectional echocardiography is a new noninvasive technique for imaging the heart. We developed a method for using mechanical cross-sectional echocardiograms (sector scans) to determine left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction. Using left ventricular cineangiography as a standard, sector scan ejection fraction correlated better (r = 0.93) than M-mode echocardiography by any of three established methods, and the sector scan regression line did not differ from the line of identity (p > 0.33). Interobserver variability for sector scan ejection fraction was 2.3 i 1.2% (mean ± SD). Variation between two studies performed within 24 hours and analyzed by the same observer was 1.4 ± 1.5%. However, the sector scans consistently underestimated left ventricular end-diastolic volume. We conclude that sector scan echocardiography is more reliable than conventional M-mode techniques for estimating left ventricular ejection fraction, but estimation of left ventricular end-diastolic volume is unreliable with the methods currently available.
Reducing costs in the personal cloud: Is bittorrent a better bet?

Lately Personal Cloud storage services, like Drop-box, have emerged as user-centric solutions that provide easy management of the users' data. To meet the requirements of their clients, such services require a huge amount of storage and bandwidth. In an attempt to reduce these costs, we focus on maximizing the benefit that can be driven from the interest of users in the same content by the introduction of the BitTorrent protocol. In general, it is assumed that BitTorrent is only effective for large files and/or large swarms, while the client-server approach is more suited for small files and/or small swarms. However, there is no concrete study on the comparative efficiency of both protocols for small files yet. In this paper, we study the download time and offload ratio in BitTorrent compared to HTTP. Based on this study, we propose an algorithm for the management of these protocols. The choice of the protocol is made based on the prediction of the efficiency of BitTorrent and HTTP for each case. We validate our algorithm on a real trace of the Ubuntu One file service, achieving important savings in the cloud bandwidth without degrading the download time.
The Role of Neuroimaging Techniques in Establishing Diagnosis, Prognosis and Therapy in Disorders of Consciousness

Non-communicative brain damaged patients raise important clinical and scientific issues. Here, we review three major pathological disorders of consciousness: coma, the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome and the minimally conscious state. A number of clinical studies highlight the difficulty in making a correct diagnosis in patients with disorders of consciousness based only on behavioral examinations. The increasing use of neuroimaging techniques allows improving clinical characterization of these patients. Recent neuroimaging studies using positron emission tomography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation can help assess diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic treatment. These techniques, using resting state, passive and active paradigms, also highlight possible dissociations between consciousness and responsiveness, and are facilitating a more accurate understanding of brain function in this challenging population.
Diagnostic success of bronchoscopic biopsy in immunocompromised patients with acute pulmonary disease: predictive value of disease distribution as shown on CT.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the study was to determine if the distribution of pulmonary opacities on CT scans could be used to predict the outcome of bronchoscopic biopsy procedures in immunocompromised non-AIDS patients with acute pulmonary complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-three consecutive immunocompromised patients without AIDS who had acute pulmonary complications and who had had CT, bronchoscopic biopsy procedures, and proved diagnoses were included in the study. The distribution and dominant pattern of pulmonary opacities on CT were assessed independently by two observers. The pathologic diagnoses were invasive aspergillosis (eight), Candida pneumonia (six), bronchiolitis obliterans with or without organizing pneumonia (six), drug-induced lung disease (four), Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (four), cytomegalovirus pneumonia (three), pulmonary hemorrhage (one), and recurrent lymphoma (one). RESULTS The results of bronchoscopic techniques established a specific diagnosis in 17 patients (52%). In the remaining 16 patients, results of bronchoscopic biopsy could not be used to establish a specific diagnosis; open lung biopsy (15 patients) or transthoracic needle biopsy (one patient) were required for diagnosis. The results of bronchoscopic procedures were diagnostic more often in patients in whom pulmonary opacities involved the central third of the lung than in patients in whom the central third was spared (70% vs 23%, p = .02). Results were diagnostic more often in cases in which the causes of acute pulmonary complications were infectious than in cases in which the causes were noninfectious (71% vs 17%, p < .005). CONCLUSION We conclude that the presence or absence of central disease as shown by CT can be used to suggest whether results of bronchoscopic procedures in immunocompromised non-AIDS patients will be diagnostic.
Effect of ankle taping or bracing on creating an increased sense of confidence, stability, and reassurance when performing a dynamic-balance task.

CLINICAL SCENARIO Ankle taping and bracing are commonly used to reduce the risk of sports-related ankle sprains. Mechanical- and neuromuscular-control facilitation has been the focus of their effectiveness. Another potential advantage to using ankle taping or bracing is an increased sense of confidence, stability, and reassurance that the individual may experience when performing a dynamic-balance activity. Since ankle sprains are one of the most common sport-related injuries treated by clinicians, treatment and prevention of these injuries is a priority for many health care providers. However, the psychological effects of taping or bracing on athletes are still unknown. Researchers have described athletes' emotional responses and psychological reactions after athletic injuries. However, athlete reactions related to adhesive taping or bracing are limited. There is anecdotal evidence showing that football players stated they would tape a body part even if it was not injured as part of a superstitious pregame ritual. Therefore, the purpose of this article was to determine if individuals who have had their ankle taped or braced experience an increased sense of confidence, stability, or reassurance when performing a dynamic-balance activity. FOCUSED CLINICAL QUESTION Does ankle taping or bracing create an increased sense of confidence, stability, and reassurance when performing dynamic-balance activity in physically active people?
Exact BER analysis for M-QAM modulation with transmit beamforming under channel prediction errors

Significant throughput improvements can be obtained in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) fading channels by merging beamforming at the transmitter and maximal ratio combining (MRC) at the receiver. In general, accurate channel state information (CSI) is required to achieve these performance gains. In this paper, we analyze the impact of channel prediction error on the bit error rate (BER) of combined beamforming and MRC in slow Rayleigh fading channels. Exact closed-form BER expressions are obtained in terms of elementary functions. Numerical results show that imperfect CSI causes little BER degradation using channel prediction of moderate complexity.
Pediatric Infectious Endophthalmitis: A 271-case Retrospective Study at a Single Center in China

Background:Pediatric infectious endophthalmitis is a serious sight-threatening disease for children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the etiology, microbiological spectrum, and visual outcomes of infectious endophthalmitis in children at a single institution in China. Methods:It is a retrospective study of the medical records of all patients under 14 years of age with histories of infectious endophthalmitis, treated at a single institution from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2015. The clinical characteristics, etiology, microbiological spectrum, and management, as well as the visual outcomes, were analyzed. The Kappa test and Chi-square test were used in the statistical evaluation. Results:A total of 271 children were identified, with a mean age of 5.61 ± 2.93 years (range 5 months to 14 years). Ocular trauma (94.8%) and previous ocular surgery (3.0%) were the most common etiologies. Overall, 147 (54.2%) cases had positive cultures, and 176 organisms were isolated from these patients. A single species was isolated in 120 (81.6%) cases, with multiple organisms in 27 (18.4%) cases, and the most commonly identified organisms were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Streptococcus species, comprising 29.5% and 26.8% of the isolates, respectively. Moreover, of 176 isolates, 142 (80.8%) were Gram-positive organisms, 23 (13.0%) were Gram-negative organisms, and 11 (6.2%) were fungi. The final visual outcomes were 20/200 or better in 66 (24.4%) eyes, counting fingers to 20/200 in 34 (12.5%), hand motions in 30 (11.1%), light perception in 33 (12.2%), no light perception in 32 (11.8%), and 9 (3.3%) eyes were enucleated or eviscerated. The visual outcomes were not available in 67 (24.7%) patients. Conclusions:Penetrating ocular trauma is the most frequent cause of pediatric endophthalmitis in China. Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species are the most commonly identified organisms in exogenous pediatric endophthalmitis whereas Fusarium species are commonly seen in endogenous endophthalmitis. In this research, in spite of aggressive management with antibiotics and vitrectomy, the visual prognosis was found to be generally poor.
VARIATION IN BLOOD GROUP FREQUENCIES IN POPULATIONS OF SONG SPARROWS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY REGION

The song sparrow (Melospiza melodia Wilson) has a large geographic range in North America, from Alaska to central Mexico, and in both western and eastern parts of the continent. Song sparrows are highly polytypic; 36 subspecies are presently described. The average number of subspecies per passerine species is 3.3 (Dickerman, 1963). Morphological variation between races is extremely high, as exemplified by the naming of three "species" of song sparrows from the western part of the continent during the period of exploration of that region in the 19th century (insignis, Kodiak Island; rujina, Alaska; gouldii, California). As exploration continued, and further collecting was done, the three western "species" were found to intergrade with one another and the eastern "species. " Intraspecific variation is especially pronounced in an area of 45 by 65 miles surrounding San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun bays. Four races are recognized at present from this area (A.O.U. Checklist, 1957). However, Marshall (1964) has indicated that by accepted taxonomic standards the present four races could be subdivided into a total of nine distinct races in this relatively small area. As a result of their extreme variability, the populations of the San Francisco Bay area have been intensively studied, and cited as an example of profuse race formation in texts on evolution (i.e., Mayr, 1963, p. 457). Marshall (1948a, 1948b), who studied the Bay Area populations from both an ecological and taxonomic standpoint, found that song sparrows occupy a variety of habitats, each of which must include a permanent source of water, a vegetational mosaic containing clumps of nesting and escape cover, and relatively open areas for foraging. Three subspecies are found entirely within the marshes of the San Francisco Bay system, while the fourth occupies upland areas surrounding the Bay system (see Fig. 1). Melospiza melodia pusillula is found in salt marshes bordering San Francisco Bay; samuelis inhabits salt marshes about San Pablo Bay; while maxillaris occupies brackish marshes around Suisun Bay. M. m. gouldii inhabits a variety of riparian and moist chaparral environments, but is also found in freshwater and salt marshes where these plant communities are contiguous with moist uplands. The present study attempts to contribute to an understanding of the processes involved in the divergence of these populations by examining patterns of variation in erythrocyte antigen frequencies.
Clinical and laboratory variables identifying bacterial infection and bacteraemia in the emergency department

Abstract Background: While early antimicrobial treatment is of critical importance to patients with severe infections, excessive use of antibiotics has caused escalating bacterial resistance. Better diagnostic tools are needed to secure antibiotic stewardship. Methods: The diagnostic value of clinical and laboratory variables in predicting infections that require antibiotic treatment was evaluated in a prospective observational study of 404 adult patients admitted from the emergency department (ED) with suspected severe infections. We also investigated the association of these variables with bacteraemia and severe sepsis. Results: In a univariate analysis, increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin 6 (IL-6), lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophils, respiratory rate (RR) (p ≤ 0.001), and a decreased haemoglobin (Hb) level (p = 0.005) were associated with an indicated demand for antibiotics (n = 286). In a multivariate analysis, only WBC, Hb, RR, and CRP remained independent predictors. When compared to the clinician's ability to make accurate antibiotic decisions, all variables tested had inferior diagnostic accuracy except CRP. Increased levels of PCT, IL-6, LBP, CRP, bilirubin, and RR were significantly associated with bacteraemia (n = 68) (p ≤ 0.001). Of these, PCT and IL-6 were also associated with severe sepsis (n = 156) (p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, CRP, RR, PCT, and bilirubin remained associated with bacteraemia. Conclusions: Special attention should be directed to CRP, WBC, RR, and Hb when selecting patients for antibiotic treatment in the emergency department. PCT, IL-6, and LBP did not provide additional guidance on antibiotic decisions and better tests are required in order to improve antibiotic stewardship.
Voltage-Dependent Block of N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptors by Dopamine D1 Receptor Ligands

Accumulating evidence indicates that dopamine and D1 receptor ligands modulate N-methyl d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors through a variety of D1 receptor-dependent mechanisms. In this study, we reveal a distinct D1 receptor-independent mechanism by which NMDA receptors are modulated. Using the human embryonic kidney (HEK) cell recombinant system and dissociated neurons, we have discovered that dopamine and several D1 ligands act as voltage-dependent, open-channel blockers for NMDA receptors, regardless of whether they are agonists or antagonists for D1 receptors. Analysis of structural and functional relationships of D1 ligands revealed the elements that are critical for their binding to NMDA receptors. Furthermore, using D1 receptor knockout mice, we verified that this channel-blocking effect was independent of D1 receptors. Finally, we demonstrated that D1 ligands functionally interact with Mg2+ block through multiple sites, implying a possible role of the direct channel block under physiological conditions. Our results suggest that the direct inhibition of NMDA receptors by dopamine D1 receptor ligands is due to the channel pore block rather than receptor-receptor interactions.