Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Underuse of Primary Mycobacterium avium Complex and Pneumocystis carinii Prophylaxis in the United States

Background: Little is known about the rates of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) prophylaxis adherence to guidelines and how they have changed after introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy. Objective: To determine rates of primary prophylaxis for MAC and PCP and to evaluate the influence of sociodemographic characteristics, region, and provider experience. Design: National probability sample cohort of HIV patients in care. Setting: One hundred sixty HIV health care providers. Patients: A total of 2864 patients interviewed in 1996 to 1997 (68% response) and 2267 follow‐up interviews, representing 65% of surviving sampled patients (median follow‐up, 15.1 months). Measurements: Use of prophylactic drugs, most recent CD4 count, sociodemographics, and regional and total HIV patients/providers. Results: Of patients eligible for primary MAC prophylaxis (most recent CD4 count <50/mm3), 41% at baseline and 40% at follow‐up patients were treated. Of patients eligible for primary PCP prophylaxis (i.e., those with CD4 counts <200/mm3), 64% and 72% were treated, respectively. MAC prophylaxis at baseline was less likely in African American (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.20‐ 0.59), Hispanic (OR, 27; 95% CI, 0.08‐0.94) and less‐educated (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.36‐1.0) patients and more likely in U. S. geographic regions in the Pacific West (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.0‐23) and Midwest (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 1.2‐33) and in practices with more HIV patients. Conclusions: Most eligible patients did not receive MAC prophylaxis; PCP prophylaxis rates were better but still suboptimal. Our results support outreach efforts to African Americans, Hispanics, the less educated, and those in the northeastern United States and in practices with fewer HIV patients.
Visual Outcome of Cataract in Pediatric Age Group: Does Etiology have a Role?

Purpose To compare visual outcome results among traumatic and nontraumatic groups of eyes with cataract in the pediatric age group. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study. This study comprised a consecutive series of pediatric patients under 5 years of age with unilateral congenital, developing, or traumatic cataract who underwent surgery between January 1999 and April 2012 at Drashti Netralaya, Dahod. Records were retrieved from the medical record department. Patients were grouped as traumatic or nontraumatic and their demographics, cataract type, presenting symptoms, surgical intervention, and postoperative visual acuity follow-up refractive changes were recorded and compared. Results A total of 128 eyes of 128 children under 5 years of age were included with unilateral cataract. A total of 85 (66.4%) were traumatic and 43 (33.3%) nontraumatic. The age at surgery ranged from 1 to 60 months. Eyes were grouped by etiology: group 1- traumatic 85 (66.4%) eyes that had traumatic cataracts. Group 2 non-traumatic 43 (33.3%) eyes that had congenital, developmental or complicated cataracts. The mean follow-up time was 117 days. Finally, 22 (51.1%) group 1 patients and 40 (47.1%) group 2 patients achieved visual acuity better than 20/200 (p = 0.000). Conclusions Surgical treatment with intraocular lens implantation for children with congenital, developmental, or traumatic cataract is an effective treatment for visual rehabilitation. Visual outcome is significantly better (p = 0.005) in case of nontraumatic cataracts than traumatic cataracts.
Cardiac effects of echinocandin preparations – three case reports

Echinocandins are antifungal agents, routinely used in invasive candida infections in critically ill patients. Their excellent anticandidal activity and their low frequency of reported adverse events and drug interactions make them first‐line guideline treatments of candidiasis especially in intensive care units (ICU). We report on three ICU patients who developed cardiac insufficiency and hemodynamic instability during administration of loading doses of an echinocandin.
Occupation during life and risk of dementia in French elderly community residents

OBJECTIVE To determine whether principal occupation during life is a risk factor for incident Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, or dementia with parkinsonism. METHODS This study was carried out from the PAQUID (Personnes Agées QUID) cohort, an epidemiological study on normal and pathological aging after 65 years in the south west of France. At baseline, 2950 non-demented people living at home were identified and re-examined 1, 3, 5, 8, and 10 years later with identical standardised neurological and neuropsychological measures. Cox proportional hazards models with delayed entry were used, taking age as the time scale and adjusting for sex, education, tobacco, and wine consumption to estimate the risk ratio (RR) of incident dementia, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and dementia with parkinsonism associated with occupational category. RESULTS Of the 2950 subjects, 393 became demented, of whom 251 had Alzheimer's disease, 112 had vascular dementia, and 27 had dementia with parkinsonism. The risk of Alzheimer's disease was not related to a given occupation. However the risk of dementia with parkinsonism seemed to be increased in farmers in comparison with professionals and managerials, particularly among women (RR 7.47; 95%CI, 1.80–31.07). CONCLUSION The data suggest that occupation does not change the risk of Alzheimer's disease, which seems to be more influenced by cognitive abilities in childhood and adolescence than by occupation in adult life. However, being a farmer may increase the risk of dementia with parkinsonism among women; occupation could act by the way of differences in health behaviour or in exposure to environmental factors.
Postexposure factors influencing the duration of postantibiotic effect: significance of temperature, pH, cations, and oxygen tension

The purpose of the present study was to assess and compare the impacts of various postexposure conditions on postantibiotic effect (PAE). PAEs were induced in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by exposing the organisms to different antibiotics (penicillin G, ampicillin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, and gentamicin) at 5 or 10 times the MIC in plain Mueller-Hinton broth for 1 h at 35 degrees C. Regrowth was determined by measuring the viable counts after drug removal by a 10(-3) or 10(-4) dilution procedure under various postexposure conditions (incubation temperatures at 20, 25, 30, or 35 degrees C; growth under shaken, unshaken, anaerobic conditions; pH 6.0, 7.4, or 9.0; and with sodium chloride concentrations at 0, 1, 3, or 6%). PAE increased in response to a decrease in incubation temperature from 35 to 20 degrees C, and a significant correlation between bacterial generation times and duration of PAEs (r2, 0.82 to 0.97) was demonstrated. The duration of PAE was also modified by the pH in the regrowth medium. PAE increased considerably for S. aureus at pH 6.0 and 9.0 compared to that at pH 7.4 after induction with penicillin G, and with gentamicin the PAE against S. aureus recovering at pH 6.0 also increased considerably. A high concentration of sodium chloride in the regrowth medium produced the most extensive changes in PAE except for that against E. coli induced by ampicillin. PAE increased significantly in response to increased salinity. No recovery even after overnight incubation was detected for S. aureus after preexposure to penicillin, ciprofloxacin, or gentamicin. Only minor changes in the duration of PAE were observed in relation to recovery oxygen tension. It is concluded that many postexposure factors have a profound effect on the duration of PAE.
The effect of synthetic oxytocin upon seminal characteristics and sexual behaviour in male rabbits.

In male rabbits the composition of the ejaculate changes, and the willingness to copulate increases upon intravenous injection of purified extract of the posterior lobe of the pituitary (Kihlstr\l=o"\m & Melin, 1963; Melin & Kihlstr\l=o"\m, 1963). These effects were ascribed to the oxytocic activity of the extract which, however, may contain small amounts of other hormones as impurities. For this reason the experiments have been repeated, using synthetic oxytocin (Synto-cinon, Sandoz). Eight sexually mature rabbits of the Bourgogne breed, none of them more than 2 years old, were studied from 10th February to 27th May. The bucks were kept in individual cages throughout the experimental period and were all given the same kind of food once a day at a given time. The temperature in the animal house varied between +16 and +18\s=deg\C. Before the start ofthe experiments the animals were accustomed to the experimental procedures as described earlier
Coronary arteriovenous fistula in pediatric patients: a 17-year institutional experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Coronary arteriovenous fistula (CAVF) is a rare congenital anomaly in pediatric patients. Its clinical manifestations vary considerably and its long-term outcome is not fully understood. This study sought to determine the natural history and long-term outcome in CAVF patients treated over a 17-year period at Cathay General Hospital in Taipei. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records of all 10 pediatric patients (five boys and five girls aged between 15 days and 15 years) with CAVF treated from 1983 through 2000 at our hospital were reviewed. Data collected included symptoms and signs, the findings of electrocardiography, echocardiography, catheterization, and angiography, and surgical results. RESULTS CAVF was diagnosed on the basis of color Doppler echocardiography in eight patients and by cardiac catheterization and angiography in two. Congestive heart failure was found in four patients and both myocardial ischemia and infarction were found in two patients. Most of the affected coronary arteries were tortuous and dilated with a mean diameter of 12.6 mm (range 5-40 mm). Under cardiopulmonary bypass, fistulous terminations were sutured in seven patients, three of whom were found to have multiple fistulous openings. Postoperative follow-up examinations revealed that all of the affected coronary arteries and fistulas remained dilated and tortuous, except in one patient. Two patients who had distal CAVF developed coronary thrombus, calcification, and ventricular aneurysm at 2 and 10 years after operation, respectively. Another patient developed fistulous recanalization 7 years after operation, but this abnormal channel had disappeared again 3 years after recanalization. One patient developed an iatrogenic CAVF 8 years after surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot. CONCLUSIONS Unlike adults, pediatric patients with CAVF tend to be symptomatic. Ligation of the fistulous termination alone does not reduce the size of the fistula. Our findings indicate that long-term follow-up is essential due to the possibility of postoperative recanalization, persistent dilation of the coronary artery and ostium, thrombus formation, calcification, and myocardial infarction. In addition, postoperative antiplatelet therapy is recommended, especially in patients with distal CAVF and abnormally dilated coronary arteries.
Insulin Resistance, Glucose Intolerance and Diabetes Mellitus in HIV-Infected Patients

An increased prevalence of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and diabetes has been reported in HIV infection in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. This development might be clinically significant because of its association with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as well as the therapeutic challenges of managing polypharmacy. The development of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and diabetes could be related to the underlying HIV infection, the contribution of different antiretroviral agents, treatment-associated weight gain, immune restoration, as well as the non-HIV related factors. Dissecting these factors in clinical practice might be difficult. Clinical studies include short-term treatments in healthy, non-HIV-infected individuals; randomized, controlled trials; comparative studies of different HAART regimens; and randomized studies of switching regimens in patients with viral suppression and stable immune function. This article reviews the latest knowledge regarding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and diabetes mellitus in HIV-infected individuals.
Arsenic geochemistry in a biostimulated aquifer: An aqueous speciation study

Stimulating microbial growth through the use of acetate injection wells at the former uranium mill site in Rifle, Colorado, USA, has been shown to decrease dissolved uranium (VI) concentrations through bacterial reduction to immobile uranium (IV). Bioreduction also changed the redox chemistry of site groundwater, altering the mobility of several other redox‐sensitive elements present in the subsurface, including iron, sulfur, and arsenic. Following acetate amendment at the site, elevated concentrations of arsenic in the groundwater were observed. Ion chromatography‐inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry was used to determine the aqueous arsenic speciation. Upgradient samples, unexposed to acetate, showed low levels of arsenic (≈1 μM), with greater than 90% as arsenate (As[V]) and a small amount of arsenite (As[III]). Downgradient acetate‐stimulated water samples had much higher levels of arsenic (up to 8 μM), and 4 additional thioarsenic species were present under sulfate‐reducing conditions. These thioarsenic species demonstrate a strong correlation between arsenic release and sulfide concentrations in groundwater, and their formation may explain the elevated total arsenic concentrations. An alternative remediation approach, enhanced flushing of uranium, was accomplished by addition of bicarbonate and did not result in highly elevated arsenic concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1216–1223. © 2013 SETAC
Low Store Power High-Speed High-Density Nonvolatile SRAM Design With Spin Hall Effect-Driven Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

As static power caused by leakage currents has become a critical challenge for the CMOS technology power-gating techniques, which employ nonvolatile data retention circuits, e.g., nonvolatile static random-access memory (NV-SRAM) are expected to efficiently solve this challenge. One of the key features of NV-SRAM is to utilize nonvolatile devices, such as resistive RAM, phase change memory, and magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), to store the runtime data when system is in the standby power-off state. Among them, MTJ-based NV-SRAM is widely considered as the most potential candidate in high-speed, low-power, and high-reliability applications, thanks to the advantageous features of the MTJ devices, such as fast data store/restore operation, low critical writing current density, and high endurance. In this paper, we propose a novel NV-SRAM design with spin Hall effect (SHE)-driven MTJ devices. In specific, two embodiments are designed based on the magnetic anisotropy property (i.e., in-plane or perpendicular) of the MTJ device. Using our previously developed SHE-MTJ model and a CMOS design kit, circuit operation and performance of the proposed NV-SRAM designs were demonstrated at the 40-nm technology node. Simulation results show that our proposed NV-SRAM design achieves performance improvement in terms of power, delay, and area, compared with conventional designs.
Interaction between Protein S and Complement C4b-binding Protein (C4BP)

Human C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a regulator of the complement system and plays an important role in the regulation of the anticoagulant protein C pathway. C4BP can bind anticoagulant protein S, resulting in a decreased cofactor function of protein S for activated protein C. C4BP is a multimeric protein containing several identical α-chains and a single β-chain (C4BPβ), each chain being composed of short consensus repeats (SCRs). Previous studies have localized the protein S binding site to the NH2-terminal SCR (SCR-1) of C4BPβ. To further localize the protein S binding site, we constructed chimeras containing C4BPβ SCR-1, SCR-2, SCR-3, SCR-1+2, SCR-1+3, and SCR-2+3 fused to tissue-type plasminogen activator. Binding assays of protein S with these chimeras indicated that SCR-2 contributes to the interaction of protein S with SCR-1, since the affinity of protein S for SCR-1+2 was up to 5-fold higher compared with SCR-1 and SCR-1+3. Using an assay that measures protein S cofactor activity, we showed that cofactor activity was decreased due to binding to constructs that contain SCR-1. SCR-1+2 inhibited more potently than SCR-1 and SCR-1+3. SCR-3 had no additional effect on SCR-1, and therefore the effect of SCR-2 was specific. In conclusion, β-chain SCR-2 contributes to the interaction of C4BP with protein S.
Role of Double J Stent in Patients with Renal Stones Undergo Extracorporeal Shock wave Lithotripsy

Objective: to compare the outcome of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for renal stones with and without double J stent. Patients and Methods: A comparative cross sectional study was carried out at the urological department of Al-Hilla teaching hospital from February 2011 to August 2011. Forty patients with renal stones measuring from (2cm_2.5cm) were selected for the treatment by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). All of these patients were adults with normal renal function and had unilateral radiopaque renal stones, no metabolic abnormalities, no symptomatic urinary tract infection. Children, renal failure and patients with lower caliceal stones were excluded from the study. They were divided in two groups of 20 each. Group A patients underwent ESWL without a double J stent and in group B a double J stent was placed before ESWL. Electrohydraulic lithotripter machine (PCK lithotripter, Turkey), was used to impart shock wave. 2000 shock wave were given in a session. Both the groups were compared for stone fragmentation, incomplete stone clearance, clinically insignificant stone fragment, steinstrasse, stone free rate, renal colic, fever, hemmaturia, dysuria, and number of ESWL session. Result: Regarding stone fragmentation in group A (stentless), 19 patients had stone fragmentation from total number of patients of 20 which account 95% while in group B (stented), 18 patients develops stone fragmentation from total number of patients of 20 which account 90%. Incomplete stone clearance occurs in 4 (20%) patients without DJS and in 8 (40%) patients with DJS. Clinically insignificant stone fragments encounter in 3 (15%) patients in stentless group and also in 3 (15%) in stented group. Steinstrasse developed in 1 (5%) patient without DJS and none in patients with DJS. Stone free rate encounter in 11 (55%) patients in stentless group and 7 (35%) patients in stented group. Renal colic developed in 9 (45%) patients without DJS and in 3 (15%) patients with DJS. Hemmaturia encounter in 12 (60%) patients without DJS and in 15 (75%) with DJS. Fever not encountered in patients without DJS and developed in 15 (75%) patients with DJS. Frequency developed in 2 (10%) patients without DJS and in 10 (50%) patients with DJS, while dysuria developed in 3 (15%) patients without DJS and in 10 (50%) patients with DJS. Conclusion: pre ESWL double J stenting for 2-2.5 cm renal stone was not beneficial regarding stone fragmentation, stone clearance, steinstrasse and stone free rate, however renal colic was significantly less in stented group. Fever and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was significantly higher in stented patients.
Threshold Voltage Control in $\hbox{Al}_{0.72} \hbox{Ga}_{0.28}\hbox{N/AlN/GaN}$ HEMTs by Work-Function Engineering

The first demonstration of high-Al-composition (> 70%) AlGaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) is reported. High electron mobility (~1300 cm2/Vs at room temperature) was achieved in novel high-Al-composition AlGaN 2-D electron gas structures. The threshold voltages (Vth) of Al0.72Ga0. 28N/AlN/GaN HEMTs were shifted from -1.0 to -0.13 V by employing different gate metal stacks, Al/Au and Ni/Au, respectively. With a 4-nm Al2O3 gate dielectric on top of the nitride heterostructures, the ~0.9-eV work-function difference between Al and Ni induced ~0.9-V Vth shift in the pairs of the Al/Au and Ni/Au gate HEMTs, which indicates that the Fermi level is unpinned at the ALD Al2O3/AlGaN interface. The results were reproducible for HEMTs of various gate lengths. The results suggest that it is possible to obtain enhancement- and depletion-mode AlGaN HEMTs using work-function engineering which can enable integrated monolithic digital circuits without postgrowth recess etching or ion implantation.
Vasodilatory Effect of Adrenomedullin in Mouse Aorta

Human adrenomedullin (AM) and human calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) produced a concentration-dependent relaxation in mouse aorta, precontracted with noradrenaline. EC50 values for AM and CGRP were 9.8 ± 2.4 and 4.2 ± 0.1 nmol/l, respectively. AM-mediated vasorelaxation was partially (3-fold) shifted by AM(22–52), the C-terminal AM fragment, but not by CGRP(8–37), a selective CGRP1 antagonist. Both AM(22–52) and CGRP(8–37) failed to inhibit CGRP-mediated vasorelaxation of mouse aorta rings. Binding of rat [125I]AM to these membranes was specific. Both human AM and AM(22–52) displaced rat [125I]AM binding in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 12.0 ± 4 and 19.4 ± 8 nmol/l, respectively. In contrast, both human CGRP and CGRP(8–37) were weak in displacing [125I]AM binding. Very little specific binding was observed with [125I]CGRP. In conclusion, the data presented here demonstrate that the mouse aorta displays AM receptors that mediate vasorelaxation.
A Practically Efficient Approach for Solving Adaptive Distributionally Robust Linear Optimization Problems

We develop a modular and tractable framework for solving an adaptive distributionally robust linear optimization problem, where we minimize the worst-case expected cost over an ambiguity set of probability distributions. The adaptive distrbutaionally robust optimization framework caters for dynamic decision making, where decisions can adapt to the uncertain outcomes as they unfold in stages. For tractability considerations, we focus on a class of second-order conic (SOC) representable ambiguity set, though our results can easily be extended to more general conic representations. We show that the adaptive distributionally robust linear optimization problem can be formulated as a classical robust optimization problem. To obtain tractable formulation, we approximate the adaptive distributionally robust optimization problem using linear decision rule (LDR) techniques. More interestingly, by incorporating the primary and auxiliary random variables of the lifted ambiguity set in the LDR approximation, we can significantly improve the solutions and for a class of adaptive distributionally robust optimization problems, exact solutions can also be obtained. Using the new LDR approximation, we can transform the distributionally adaptive robust optimization problem to a classical robust optimization problem with an SOC representable uncertainty set. Finally, to demonstrate the potential for solving management decision problems, we develop an algebraic modeling package and illustrate how it can be used to facilitate modeling and obtain high quality solutions for addressing a medical appointment scheduling problem and a multiperiod inventory control problem.