Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the analytical level of agreement of nine treponemal assays for syphilis and possible implications for screening algorithms

Objective The serological diagnosis of syphilis requires the detection of two distinct antibodies, the non-treponemal and trepomenal. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening first with a non-treponemal test such as (Rapid Plasma Reagin/Venereal Disease Research Laboratory), and then confirming those results with one of the several treponemal tests (Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption (FTA-ABS), Enzyme Immunoassay, chemiluminescence, treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA) or Point of Care). Owing to the high volume of samples processed by some laboratories using automated systems, the screening with treponemal assays and confirming with non-treponemal tests is becoming the established norm. The purpose of this study was to evaluate eight treponemal assays using TP-PA as the predicate assay. Methods 290 stored serum samples were tested qualitatively according to the manufacturer's directions. Results Concordance with specimens tested as reactive or non-reactive using TP-PA was: FTA-ABS 94.5–100%, Trep-Sure 100–98.9%, BioELISA 100–98.9%, INNO-LIA 99.1–99.4%, BIOLINE 100–98.9%, CAPTIA IgG 100–97.2%, Trep-ID 100–100% and LIAISON 100–99.4%. In order to properly evaluate the performance of these assays, the analytical sensitivity was determined by endpoint titration of serial dilutions of the reactive serum samples in normal sera. The median endpoint titre varied from 1:4 for FTA-ABS to 1:512 for Trep-Sure. Conclusions The performance of the treponemal serological assays was comparable while using medium and high-titre sera. However, the varying performance on specimen dilutions suggests that there may be differences in sensitivity with low-titre sera that are more prevalent in primary and late syphilis cases.
Tangential shave removal of basal cell carcinoma.

3. Hernandez AD, Hibbs MS, Postlethwaite AE. Establishment of basal cell carcinoma in culture: evidence for basal cell carcinoma-derived factor(s) which stimulate fibroblasts to proliferate and release collagenase. J Invest Dermatol 1985; 85:470–5. MICHAEL GRAVES, MD DANIEL J. SHEEHAN, MD JACK L LESHER, JR, MD Section of Dermatology Medical College of Georgia Georgia Regents University Augusta, Georgia
Racial and Ethnic Identity. Psychological Development and Creative Expression.

Identity development is one of the principal themes of the human life cycle and is influenced by a number of characteristics, including race and ethnicity. Racial and Ethnic Identity brings together original essays by nationally recognized researchers, scholars, educators and clinicians to elucidate the psychological processes leading to the development of racial and ethnic identity and to examine how this identity influences creative expression.
Laminar origins of spinothalamic projections in the cat as determined by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase

The method of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used to identify the locations of cells of origin of the spinothalamic tract in the cat. Injections of from 0.2–3.0 μl of 30% HRP were made unilaterally in various regions of the somatosensory thalamus. Massive injections of the caudal thalamus in several cats showed the spinothalamic cells of origin to be located mainly in laminae I, VII and VIII in the lumbar enlargement, and in laminae I, V and VII–VIII in the cervical enlargement.
Spiny lobsters detect conspecific blood-borne alarm cues exclusively through olfactory sensilla

SUMMARY When attacked by predators, diverse animals actively or passively release molecules that evoke alarm and related anti-predatory behavior by nearby conspecifics. The actively released molecules are alarm pheromones, whereas the passively released molecules are alarm cues. For example, many insects have alarm-signaling systems that involve active release of alarm pheromones from specialized glands and detection of these signals using specific sensors. Many crustaceans passively release alarm cues, but the nature of the cues, sensors and responses is poorly characterized. Here we show in laboratory and field experiments that injured Caribbean spiny lobsters, Panulirus argus, passively release alarm cues via blood (hemolymph) that induce alarm responses in the form of avoidance and suppression of feeding. These cues are detected exclusively through specific olfactory chemosensors, the aesthetasc sensilla. The alarm cues for Caribbean spiny lobsters are not unique to the species but do show some phylogenetic specificity: P. argus responds primarily with alarm behavior to conspecific blood, but with mixed alarm and appetitive behaviors to blood from the congener Panulirus interruptus, or with appetitive behaviors to blood from the blue crab Callinectes sapidus. This study lays the foundation for future neuroethological studies of alarm cue systems in this and other decapod crustaceans.
Role of power Doppler sonography in early diagnosis of osteomyelitis in children

We describe 2 children complaining of leg pain associated with elevated C‐reactive protein levels in whom power Doppler (PD) sonography suggested the diagnosis of early osteomyelitis. PD sonography detected increased blood flow that resulted in a high‐intensity signal area adjacent to the symptomatic tibia surface. Antibiotic therapy led to prompt improvement. These cases suggest that PD sonography is useful in the evaluation of possible early osteomyelitis in children. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008.
Alzheimer's disease models and functional genomics—How many needles are there in the haystack?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) are complex human brain disorders that affect an increasing number of people worldwide. With the identification first of the proteins that aggregate in AD and FTLD brains and subsequently of pathogenic gene mutations that cause their formation in the familial cases, the foundation was laid for the generation of animal models. These recapitulate essential aspects of the human conditions; expression of mutant forms of the amyloid-β protein-encoding APP gene in mice reproduces amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formation in AD, while that of mutant forms of the tau-encoding microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene reproduces tau-containing neurofibrillary tangle formation, a lesion that is also prevalent in FTLD-Tau. The mouse models have been complemented by those in lower species such as C. elegans or Drosophila, highlighting the crucial role for Aβ and tau in human neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we will introduce selected AD/FTLD models and discuss how they were instrumental, by identifying deregulated mRNAs, miRNAs and proteins, in dissecting pathogenic mechanisms in neurodegenerative disease. We will discuss some recent examples, which includes miRNA species that are specifically deregulated by Aβ, mitochondrial proteins that are targets of both Aβ and tau, and the nuclear splicing factor SFPQ that accumulates in the cytoplasm in a tau-dependent manner. These examples illustrate how a functional genomics approach followed by a careful validation in experimental models and human tissue leads to a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis of AD and FTLD and ultimately, may help in finding a cure.
Factors affecting willingness to practice medicine in underserved areas: a survey of Argentine medical students.

INTRODUCTION Previous research has explored the effect of motivations, incentives and working conditions on willingness to accept jobs in rural and remote areas. These studies demonstrated that difficult working conditions, low job satisfaction and remuneration, and poor security, predisposed new medical graduates to select cities instead of rural districts. Since Argentina has a critical shortage of health staff in rural and low-income marginal suburban settings, and limited qualitative and quantitative local research has been done to address this issue, the present study was developed to assess the factors associated with the willingness of medical students to work in low-resource underprivileged areas of the country after graduation. METHODS A cross-sectional descriptive design was used with data collected from a self-administered questionnaire and using quantitative analysis methods. A total of 400 eligible second-year medical students were invited to participate in a survey focused on sociodemographic characteristics, incentives and working conditions expected in deprived areas, extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, university medical education and government promotion policies. RESULTS Twenty-one per cent of medical students showed a strong willingness to work in a deprived area, 57.3% manifested weak willingness and 21.5% unwillingness to work in a low-resource setting. Being female, of older age, not having a university-trained professional parent, previous exposure or service in a poor area, choice of pediatrics as a specialty and strong altruistic motivations were highly associated with the willingness to practice medicine in rural or underprivileged areas. Only 21.5% of respondents considered that medical schools encourage the practice of medicine in poor deprived regions. Likewise, only 6.2% of students considered that national public health authorities suitably stimulate physician distribution in poorer districts. CONCLUSIONS One-third of students expressed high altruistic motivations and should therefore be encouraged during their careers. Better remuneration and the assurance of a position at an urban hospital in the future may tip the choice in favor of underprivileged regions. Since most respondents said that neither government nor medical schools sufficiently encourage the practice of medicine in poor deprived regions, government policy-makers should recommend changes in resource allocation to better promote official proposals and opportunities to work.
Handbook of Auditory Evoked Responses

1. Overview of AERs: Past, Present, and Future. 2. Anatomy and Physiology. 3. Effect of Nonpathologic Subject Characteristics. 4. Effect of Stimulus Factors. 5. Effect of Acquisition Factors. 6. Waveform Analysis. 7. Calibration, Standards, and Normative Data. 8. Test Protocols and Procedures. 9. Measurement Problems and Solutions. 10. Basic Audiometry. 11. Peripheral Auditory Assessment. 12. Neurodiagnosis: Eighth Cranial Nerve. 13. Neurodiagnosis: Central Nervous System. 14. Newborn Auditory Screening. 15. Intraoperative Monitoring. 16. Intensive Care Unit Monitoring. 17. Nonauditory Evoked Responses. 18. Adults. 19. Children.
The role of KRAS, BRAF, NRAS, and PIK3CA mutations as markers of resistance to cetuximab in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer.

4020 Background: KRAS mutations (MUT) negatively affect outcome after cetuximab (CTX) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). As only 40% of KRAS wild-type (WT) respond it is possible that other MUT, constitutively activating the Ras/Erk or PI3K/Akt pathways, are present in the non-responding KRAS WT. We analyzed the KRAS, BRAF, NRAS & PIK3CA MUT status in 276 chemorefractory CRC treated with CTX +- irinotecan and correlated the MUT status with outcome. METHODS KRAS codon 12,13, 61&146, BRAF V600E, NRAS codon 12&13, PIK3CA E542K, E545K, A, G, V (exon 9), H1047Y, R, L (exon 20), N345K, R88Q and Q546K MUT were evaluated on FFPE primary CRC using the Sequenom MALDI TOF MassArray system. A two- sided Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate the association between PIK3CA, KRAS, BRAF & NRAS MUT and objective response (OR). Progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS 116/276 (42%) CRC had a KRAS MUT, 96% of which occurred in codon 12 or 13. KRAS WT was associated with OR (p<.0001), longer median PFS (p<.0001) and OS (p<.0001). 15/153 (9.8%) KRAS WT had a BRAF MUT. BRAF WT was associated with OR (p=.01), longer PFS (p<.0001) and OS (p=.007). 5/98 (5%) KRAS WT had an NRAS MUT and none of these showed OR. KRAS, BRAF and NRAS MUT were mutually exclusive. The combined KRAS/BRAF/NRAS WT state was associated with OR (p<.0001), longer PFS (p<.0001) and OS (p<.0001). 23/200 (12%) CRC carried a PIK3CA mutation: 5/39 (13%) of responders and 18/160 (11%) of non-responders (p=.781). Median PFS and OS were not associated with PIK3CA MUT state (p=.760 & p=.698) overall, nor in the KRAS/BRAF/NRAS WT subgroup (p=.946 & p=.509). 5/13 (38.5%) PIK3CA MUT KRAS/BRAF/NRAS WT CRC showed an OR. 13/107 (12%) of KRAS/BRAF/NRAS WT and 10/93 (11%) of KRAS/BRAF/NRAS MUT tumors harbored a PIK3CA MUT (p=.826). CONCLUSIONS KRAS, BRAF & NRAS MUT are mutually exclusive and occur in at least 47% of CRC. Like KRAS WT, BRAF WT state of the primary is significantly associated with outcome in mCRC treated with CTX. The combined KRAS/BRAF/NRAS WT state is significantly associated with outcome. PIK3CA MUT occur independently of the KRAS/BRAF/NRAS MUT status. We cannot provide any evidence for a strong role of PIK3CA MUT as a marker in determining outcome to CTX. [Table: see text].
Acquired pendular nystagmus in multiple sclerosis and oculopalatal tremor

Objective: Acquired pendular nystagmus occurs mainly in multiple sclerosis (MS) and focal brainstem lesions. In the later case, it is part of the syndrome of oculopalatal tremor. Even though pathophysiology of acquired pendular nystagmus has been clearly characterized experimentally in both etiologies, there is a persisting ambiguity in clinical literature, which leads one to consider both clinical conditions as a common entity. The objective of our work was to compare in a prospective study clinical features, eye movement recording, and functional consequences of acquired pendular nystagmus in 14 patients with oculopalatal tremor and 20 patients with MS. Methods: Besides complete neurologic evaluation, evaluation of visual function, 3-dimensional eye movement recording, and functional scores of the Visual Function Questionnaire were recorded. Results: One patient with oculopalatal tremor and 15 patients with MS disclosed signs of optic neuropathy. The nystagmus in the oculopalatal group showed significant larger mean amplitude (8 deg vs 1 deg), higher mean peak velocity (16 deg/s vs 6 deg/s), lower mean frequency (1–3 Hz vs 4–6 Hz), and larger asymmetry and irregularity of ocular oscillations compared to the MS group. The vision-specific health-related quality of life was more deteriorated in the oculopalatal tremor group than in the MS group. Conclusions: This study emphasizes the need to consider acquired pendular nystagmus in MS and oculopalatal tremor as 2 different clinical entities. This is of particular importance regarding the future evaluation of potential specific effects of pharmacologic agents.
Cyclosporin A enhances neural precursor cell survival in mice through a calcineurin-independent pathway

Cyclosporin A (CsA) has direct effects on neural stem and progenitor cells (together termed neural precursor cells; NPCs) in the adult central nervous system. Administration of CsA in vitro or in vivo promotes the survival of NPCs and expands the pools of NPCs in mice. Moreover, CsA administration is effective in promoting NPC activation, tissue repair and functional recovery in a mouse model of cortical stroke. The mechanism(s) by which CsA mediates this cell survival effect remains unknown. Herein, we examined both calcineurin-dependent and calcineurin-independent pathways through which CsA might mediate NPC survival. To examine calcineurin-dependent pathways, we utilized FK506 (Tacrolimus), an immunosuppressive molecule that inhibits calcineurin, as well as drugs that inhibit cyclophilin A-mediated activation of calcineurin. To evaluate the calcineurin-independent pathway, we utilized NIM811, a non-immunosuppressive CsA analog that functions independently of calcineurin by blocking mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation. We found that only NIM811 can entirely account for the pro-survival effects of CsA on NPCs. Indeed, blocking signaling pathways downstream of calcineurin activation using nNOS mice did not inhibit CsA-mediated cell survival, which supports the proposal that the effects are calcinuerin-independent. In vivo studies revealed that NIM811 administration mimics the pro-survival effects of CsA on NPCs and promotes functional recovery in a model of cortical stroke, identical to the effects seen with CsA administration. We conclude that CsA mediates its effect on NPC survival through calcineurin-independent inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation and suggest that this pathway has potential therapeutic benefits for developing NPC-mediated cell replacement strategies.
A General Framework for the Distribution of the Eigenvalues of Wishart Matrices

This paper focuses on the stochastic analysis of Wishart matrices, which appear in many problems related to the performance analysis multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO). We propose a general methodology to evaluate some multiple nested integrals of interest With this methodology we obtain a closed-form expression for the joint probability density function (pdf) of k consecutive ordered eigenvalues and, as a special case, the pdf of the lth ordered eigenvalue of Wishart matrices.
Interferon- (cid:1) and the Interferon-Inducible Chemokine CXCL10 Protect Against Aneurysm Formation and Rupture Molecular Cardiology

Background —Vascular disease can manifest as stenotic plaques or ectatic aneurysms, although the mechanisms culminating in these divergent disease manifestations remain poorly understood. T-helper type 1 cytokines, including interferon- (cid:1) and CXCL10, have been strongly implicated in atherosclerotic plaque development. Methods and Results —Here, we specifically examined their role in the formation of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the angiotensin II–induced murine model. Unexpectedly, we found increased suprarenal aortic diameters, abdominal aortic aneurysm incidence, and aneurysmal death in apolipoprotein E– and interferon- (cid:1) –deficient ( Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) /Ifng (cid:1) / (cid:1) ) mice compared with Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) controls, although atherosclerotic luminal plaque formation was attenuated. The interferon- (cid:1) – inducible T-cell chemoattractant CXCL10 was highly induced by angiotensin II infusion in Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice, but this induction was markedly attenuated in Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) /Ifng (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice. Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) /Cxcl10 (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice had decreased luminal plaque but also increased aortic size, worse morphological grades of aneurysms, and a higher incidence of death due to aortic rupture than Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) controls. Furthermore, abdominal aortic aneurysms in Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) /Cxcl10 (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice were enriched for non–T-helper type 1–related signals, including transforming growth factor- (cid:2) 1. Treatment of Apoe (cid:1) / (cid:1) /Cxcl10 (cid:1) / (cid:1) mice with anti-transforming growth factor- (cid:2) neutralizing antibody diminished angiotensin II–induced aortic dilation. Conclusions —The present study defines a novel pathway in which interferon- (cid:1) and its effector, CXCL10, contribute to divergent pathways in abdominal aortic aneurysm versus plaque formation, inhibiting the former pathology but promoting the latter. Thus, efforts to develop antiinflammatory strategies for atherosclerosis must carefully consider potential effects on all manifestations of vascular disease. ( Circulation . 2009;119:426-435.)
Cells Expressing Murine RAD52 Splice Variants Favor Sister Chromatid Repair

ABSTRACT The RAD52 gene is essential for homologous recombination in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. RAD52 is the archetype in an epistasis group of genes essential for DNA damage repair. By catalyzing the replacement of replication protein A with Rad51 on single-stranded DNA, Rad52 likely promotes strand invasion of a double-stranded DNA molecule by single-stranded DNA. Although the sequence and in vitro functions of mammalian RAD52 are conserved with those of yeast, one difference is the presence of introns and consequent splicing of the mammalian RAD52 pre-mRNA. We identified two novel splice variants from the RAD52 gene that are expressed in adult mouse tissues. Expression of these splice variants in tissue culture cells elevates the frequency of recombination that uses a sister chromatid template. To characterize this dominant phenotype further, the RAD52 gene from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was truncated to model the mammalian splice variants. The same dominant sister chromatid recombination phenotype seen in mammalian cells was also observed in yeast. Furthermore, repair from a homologous chromatid is reduced in yeast, implying that the choice of alternative repair pathways may be controlled by these variants. In addition, a dominant DNA repair defect induced by one of the variants in yeast is suppressed by overexpression of RAD51, suggesting that the Rad51-Rad52 interaction is impaired.
Anticoagulant Use in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: Has Prescribing Improved?

Discordance between international guideline recommendations and anticoagulant prescribing patterns among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) has been frequently reported. This study was designed to compare the anticoagulant utilization pattern to earlier data in the same population and identify predictors of anticoagulant prescribing among patients with NVAF. We reviewed patients with NVAF admitted to Tasmania’s 3 major hospitals between January 2011 and June 2012 and compared the anticoagulant utilization pattern to earlier data. Patients were excluded if they had only 1 episode of NVAF that reverted spontaneously or upon cardioversion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of anticoagulant prescribing. Overall, 53.8% of patients received anticoagulant treatment compared to 40.4% 15 years ago. Among eligible patients at high-risk of stroke, 52.5% were receiving anticoagulant therapy (vs 42.1% 15 years ago). Approximately 10% of patients with a CHADS2 score ≥2 were not receiving any antithrombotic treatment, reduced from 18.2% in the earlier cohort, whereas anticoagulant use increased among those at low risk (score 0) to 48.5% from 14.2%. Younger age (odds ratio [OR] 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-1.0; P = .04); CHADS2 = 1, relative to 0 (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.07-2.63; P = .02); CHF (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.12-2.15; P = .008); and embolic disease history (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.09-2.86; P = .02) were significant predictors of anticoagulant prescribing. While there has been improvement over the past 15 years, suboptimal use of anticoagulant therapy among high-risk patients with NVAF remains common. There is significant potential for improvement in the quality of stroke prophylaxis in patients with NVAF.
Index Coding With Side Information

Motivated by a problem of transmitting supplemental data over broadcast channels (Birk and Kol, INFOCOM 1998), we study the following coding problem: a sender communicates with n receivers R1,. , Rn. He holds an input x ∈ {0,01l}n and wishes to broadcast a single message so that each receiver Ri can recover the bit xi. Each Ri has prior side information about x, induced by a directed graph Grain nodes; Ri knows the bits of a; in the positions {j | (i,j) is an edge of G}. G is known to the sender and to the receivers. We call encoding schemes that achieve this goal INDEXcodes for {0,1}n with side information graph G. In this paper we identify a measure on graphs, the minrank, which exactly characterizes the minimum length of linear and certain types of nonlinear INDEX codes. We show that for natural classes of side information graphs, including directed acyclic graphs, perfect graphs, odd holes, and odd anti-holes, minrank is the optimal length of arbitrary INDEX codes. For arbitrary INDEX codes and arbitrary graphs, we obtain a lower bound in terms of the size of the maximum acyclic induced subgraph. This bound holds even for randomized codes, but has been shown not to be tight.